Commencement

"AMERICAN STUDIES HAS GIVEN ME THE ABILITY TO LOVE INDISCRIMINATELY. EACH CLASS HAS REVEALED HOW THE INTERSECTIONS OF OUR IDENTITIES CREATE DIFFERENT EXPERIENCES FOR EVERY AMERICAN. HENCE, I FEEL EMPOWERED TO LOVE OTHERS, BY LISTENING TO THEIR STORIES, RECOGNIZING THEIR INDIVIDUAL CHALLENGES, AND ADVOCATING AGAINST THE DISCRIMINATION THAT THEY FACE."

"A Banneker-Key Scholar, Julian graduated MAGNA CUM LAUDE and has been awarded the American Studies department’s Outstanding Student Award. It recognizes the graduating senior with the highest cumulative grade point average. In Fall 2019, he was also recognized for academic excellence as a Dean’s Senior Scholar by the College of Arts & Humanities and as a Philip Merrill Presidential Scholar in Spring 2020. He won the Portz Outstanding Honors Student Award from the Honors College as well."

– AMERICAN STUDIES UNDERGRADUATE AWARDS COMMITTEE

"Younger me never would have imagined that I would one day be graduating with a doctorate. As a first-generation college graduate and as someone who didn’t start undergrad till I was 29, this milestone still feels surreal. Grad school is an intense journey but I am grateful for all the support from faculty, classmates, friends, and family. I’m looking forward to the next leg of this journey."

"Sunkyu Bin’s Capstone project on “Racial Formation in the Locker Room: How do college athletes talk about race?” exemplifies critical inquiry in the American Studies intellectual tradition.  His research question and approach were among the very best I have seen among undergraduates in terms of originality. The project explored how ideas about race are shared and conveyed through casual discussion among teammates – in this case, a collegiate soccer team.  Sunkyu found that despite the desire many express for a “post-racial” America and the hope that sports can be a unifying force across racial difference, “locker room talk” reveals the forces of racism and racial bias continue to shape everyday interactions in the most casual of spaces. That Sunkyu conducted this study while leading a Div I soccer team as captain is all the more remarkable. Sunkyu’s heart and intellectual curiosity will take him far on the field and off."

– DR. JANELLE WONG

"I WISH TO THANK MY INSTRUCTORS AND THE COLLEGE PARK AVIATION MUSEUM STAFF THAT HELPED ME EARN MY MSMC CERTIFICATE.  THE PROGRAM WAS A UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY TO TELL THE STORIES OF LOCAL MEN AND WOMEN THAT MADE VALUABLE CONTRIBUTIONS DURING THE SECOND WORLD WAR AND PRODUCED THE UNIQUE ERCOUPE AIRCRAFT."

AMST AND USLT HAS PROVIDED ME WITH A HOME THAT I DIDN’T KNOW EXISTED. AS A FIRST-GENERATION COLLEGE STUDENT FROM AN IMMIGRANT BACKGROUND, I DIDN’T KNOW THAT IT WAS POSSIBLE TO SEE MYSELF IN ACADEMIA, NOT ONLY IN THE COURSE MATERIAL BUT ALSO AS A SCHOLAR IN THE HUMANITIES. I AM ETERNALLY GRATEFUL TO THE FACULTY IN THE USLT DEPARTMENT FOR GIVING ME THE EDUCATION AND TOOLS TO EMPOWER MYSELF AND OTHERS. THANK YOU FOR HELPING ME BUILD A FOUNDATION FOR LIFE. 

Growing as a student alongside the growing field of USLT has shaped my entire education at UMD. USLT opened my eyes to the pressing need for non-traditional methodologies and non-hegemonic perspectives in the pursuit of knowledge, regardless of the field of study. Thank you for a meaningful 2 years!

AMERICAN STUDIES IS AN AMAZING DEPARTMENT BECAUSE IT GIVES STUDENTS THE FREEDOM TO EXPLORE WHAT THEY’RE PASSIONATE ABOUT IN A WARM AND TALENTED COMMUNITY, WHILE ALSO ENCOURAGING YOU TO INTERPRET THE WORLD CRITICALLY AND WITH AN EYE TOWARDS SOCIAL JUSTICE. I COULDN’T BE HAPPIER TO BE AN AMERICAN STUDIES ALUM!

Margo Harvey has demonstrated a commitment to scholarship and activism that is the hallmark of American Studies. Margo is the recipient of the American Studies department’s Outstanding Student Award for Spring 2021. This award recognizes the graduating senior with the highest cumulative grade point average.

Furthermore, Margo has also been awarded the Savneet Talwar Best Senior Paper Prize for 2021 for her senior thesis, “No Justice, No Problem: Instagram and the Liberal Co-Optation of ‘Abolish the Police.’” In her thesis, Margo analyzes the “abolish the police” movement that has been become increasingly vigorous and popular in the wake of ongoing protests against the killing of African Americans by police. In particular, Margo focuses on the aesthetics of Instagram posts regarding police abolition, and shows that the concept of police abolition is being “co-opted by liberal ‘defund the police’ counter-discourse after the murder of George Floyd.” Margo argues that “liberal co-optation on Instagram is a process of power that dilutes and obscures abolitionist agendas in favor of maintaining the status quo,” and that while cooptation may not ultimately be successful, “abolition is the only viable option to prevent further police violence.” She concludes by showing how social media can be used to subtly obscure and co-opt the demands of police abolition activists, and that doing so can subvert demands for justice and generate disinformation in the service of powerful anti-democratic institutions that work to prevent the establishment of a more just and less violent society.

The awards committee commends Margo’s innovative approach to the study of race, digital culture, and contemporary public discourse. -Dr. Asim Ali

Keiron Howard wrote an important and revealing senior paper that began from the observation that a disproportionate number of African American men serve time in prison and asked what effects does their incarceration have on their families? The most revealing insights came from interviews with people who had experienced a family member in prison. They gave stark descriptions of the impact of incarceration on the family and the community, but they also suggested good, practical measures that could reduce the negative effects. I remember Keiron’s passion for the topic of his senior research project and his determination to help people understand the challenges that mass incarceration brings to whole families and neighborhoods. In good American Studies fashion, his paper gave voice to community members who had experienced a family member in prison and allowed them to generate good ideas and remedies for mitigating the hardships that fall on family members. I am so proud of Keiron for the insights his research brought to this topic. Keiron Howard (#59) was a defensive lineman for UMD’s football team. He played all four seasons and in every game his senior year.

– DR. MARY CORBIN SIES

I AM SO THANKFUL FOR MY JOURNEY IN UNDERGRAD AS AN AMERICAN STUDIES MAJOR BECAUSE IN THIS EVER-CHANGING WORLD I FEEL PREPARED. AMERICAN STUDIES HAS CHALLENGED ME TO THINK OUTSIDE OF THE BOX, ASK THE TOUGH QUESTIONS, AND BE COMPASSIONATE. I AM SO EXCITED TO TAKE ON THE WORLD!

Nazea was selected to represent undergraduate majors in American Studies in the College of Arts & Humanities December 2020 Virtual Commencement Ceremony. ARHU officials were so impressed by Nazea’s ethic of entrepreneurship, hard work, and social justice activism that they published a feature article about her: Entrepreneur Rising https://arhu.umd.edu/news/entrepreneur-rising?  Nazea is passionate about everything she does. Her research on the different responses to the protests of 2020 reflect her commitment to social justice and community.

-Dr. Mary Corbin Sies and Dr. Christina Hanhardt

Josh Krinsky is an AMST major and a Communication minor. He is interested in pursuing education and becoming a high school teacher. He’s also interested in politics and could foresee a career in politics and/or journalism He has recently published an editorial on President Trump’s and Vice-President’s Pence response to Covid19 and its impact on his generation.

– DR. NANCY MIRABAL

ONE OF THE GREATEST PERKS OF BEING AN AMERICAN STUDIES MAJOR IS THAT IT TRULY PROVIDES STUDENTS THE OPPORTUNITY AND FLEXIBILITY TO PURSUE THEIR INDIVIDUAL ACADEMIC GOALS AND LEARN ABOUT TOPICS THEY ARE INTERESTED IN. PERSONALLY, I THOROUGHLY RESEARCHED AND WROTE IN-DEPTH ABOUT EDUCATIONAL INEQUALITY, A MATTER I AM INCREDIBLY PASSIONATE ABOUT, IN ADDITION TO TAKING AN INDEPENDENT STUDIES COURSE ON THE 2020 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION, A TOPIC OF MY CHOOSING, WHICH ALLOWED ME TO HONE MY ANALYTICAL, ARGUMENTATIVE AND COMMUNICATIVE SKILLS.

And so, roughly 6 1/2 years later, the journey ends where it began: about a mile from where I paid to park! Over the hills and far away, through the rain, I met a guy in a tiny office (copy machine with a stack of blank diplomas against the back wall) who asked me to wait in the hall until he came out with this cardboard tube and a “congratulations.” I loved it. #phinished

Being an American Studies major has taught me the skills and knowledge necessary to excel in our world today, both professionally and socially. I will forever be grateful for this diverse, inclusive, and intelligent department!

PURSUING A USLT MINOR HAS SHAPED MY OUTLOOK AND UNDERSTANDING OF HOW PUBLIC POLICIES AND THE MEDIA CAN DIRECTLY AFFECT THE EXPERIENCES OF MINORITY GROUPS THROUGHOUT THE U.S. AFTER PURSUING MY MEDICAL DEGREE THIS FALL, I PLAN ON PROVIDING FOR MINORITY COMMUNITIES AND PUTTING THE KNOWLEDGE I’VE GAINED INTO PRACTICE.

I AM INCREDIBLY GRATEFUL TO HAVE STUMBLED UPON AMERICAN STUDIES —  THIS DEPARTMENT HAS GIVEN ME THE TOOLS TO UNDERSTAND AND CRITIQUE SOCIETY AND CULTURE, THE FREEDOM TO EXPLORE WHAT INTERESTS ME MOST, AND THE INSPIRATION TO ENVISION AND CONTINUE TO FIGHT FOR A MORE JUST WORLD.

Hannah Robinson graduated Summa Cum Laude with honors in American Studies. Hannah’s honors thesis, entitled “‘Render the State Useless’: Transformative Justice and Community Mediation in Washington, D.C.,” documents a year-long ethnographic research project that examines “alternative models of justice and community-building outside of and against the state.” As part of her long-standing interest in transformative justice, Hannah’s research combines academic theories and models of social justice with an ethnographic analysis of the lived experience of community activists. Over the course of this year—and despite the pandemic—Hannah conducted a series of ethnographic interviews with several activists at two Washington, D.C. non-profit organizations in order to understand how local activists work to create community safety without relying on policing, and what type of society is prefigured by the ongoing efforts of these community members. Hannah shows that “because the carceral state is within us and shows up on the micro-political level, responses to the carceral state often must also start in our relationships and our communities.” In her ethnographic research, she finds that activists in D.C. “are subversive in their attempts to provide alternative ways to address conflict, harm, and violence.” Indeed, these activists have conceived—and are working toward creating—a future in which people can live in safety, conflicts are resolved without violence, and structural injustices have been dismantled. The awards committee commends Hannah for her brilliant use of ethnographic methods to highlight the lives and experiences of local activists in a way that advances our understanding of what justice means. -Dr. Asim Ali

SWITCHING OVER FROM A BUSINESS BACKGROUND, I DID NOT KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT. HOWEVER, WHAT I CAME TO FIND WAS A DIVERSE AND CURIOUS GROUP, PURSUING INTERESTING AND THOUGHT-PROVOKING FIELDS OF RESEARCH. THE INTERDISCIPLINARY EXPERIENCE HAS SHARPENED MY CRITICAL THINKING ABILITIES AND IS ESSENTIAL FOR ANYONE. THANK YOU ALL AMSTERS!

Marcos has been awarded the department’s Undergraduate Service Award for December 2020 graduates, given to graduating seniors who best exemplify American Studies scholars’ dedication to service on campus and in the broader community. The awards committee was impressed by Marcos’s combination of campus volunteer activities, service to the community, and social activism. He earned a minor in Technology Entrepreneurship in the Southern Management Leadership Program; those skills are evident in his service achievements. Highlights from his very rich and full service resume include co-founding the Montgomery County Summer Youth Program, which focused on familiarizing students with entrepreneurship ideas and techniques at a young age; setting up a pro bono scholarship consulting service to help students find resources to fund their educations; working on behalf of campus clubs and organizations to enrich students’ learning opportunities; and winning the Raptors for Change competition, using his entrepreneurship skills to fund relief for those affected by Hurricanes Harvey and Irma. The committee also wanted to recognize Marcos’s purposeful efforts throughout his undergraduate career to learn about and devise ways to help address a range of social problems and challenges. Both the range and volume of his service accomplishments are extraordinary and exemplary.

-Undergraduate Awards Committee

Noah Steinlauf embodies the intellectual passion and rigor we hope to foster in American Studies.  Noah demonstrates an astute understanding of key concepts in our field. He devoted his summer to deep learning around race, identity, and communication, through reading, regular discussion, and applied research.  He is interdisciplinary in his approach, bringing together history and surveys to create a truly unique honors thesis on coded racial speech and racial stereotypes. He has developed a strong critical eye and writing skills and consistently strives to understand how a humanistic perspective can inform a path toward justice.

Noah’s academic excellence has been recognized with the American Studies department’s Outstanding Student Award for December 2020 graduating majors. It honors the graduating senior with the highest cumulative grade point average. In summer 2020, Noah was also selected for the Maryland Summer Scholars program, which provides opportunities for UMD undergraduates to spend much of the summer working closely with faculty mentors on ambitious research, scholarly, or artistic projects. Noah worked with Professor Janelle Wong learning about survey research and assisted her with a National Science Foundation-funded research project, the Collaborative Multiracial Post-election Survey by developing a memo on “hard-to-reach” groups in survey populations. Noah also assisted Wong with several research articles, including one that examines race and political attitudes among the self-identified “non-religious” and one on Asian American politics.  For these papers, he provided support with literature reviews and proofreading. Noah graduated with honors in American Studies. His honors thesis was titled, “The History and Mechanics of Racial Dog Whistles in American Politics.”

-Dr. Mary Corbin Sies and Dr. Janelle Wong

USLT has been a unique academic experience as it’s not only broadened my historical and political knowledge, it’s also helped me clarify questions I’ve had regarding my own identity. A special “thank you” to Drs. Guerrero and Mirabal for their support throughout my brief tenure at UMD!

A four-year member of Maryland’s wrestling team, Joshua drew from his knowledge and experience of high school and college athletics to write a senior capstone project to explore the current topic of toxic masculinity. He drew upon three bodies of evidence to research his topic: his own experiences as a Latino athlete who knows his way around a locker room, interviews with a Latina community member who considers herself a feminist and critic of toxic masculinity, and films that portray toxic masculinity from a “boys will be boys” perspective.

– DR. MARY CORBIN SIES

Blair Watson (#22) played for UMD’s Big Ten Championship women’s basketball team. During her senior year, Blair was the strongest defensive player on the team. When she wasn’t shutting down the opposing team’s top player, she was busy sinking three-pointers from her favorite spot in the corner. Here is the highlight video for Blair’s senior year.

– DR. MARY CORBIN SIES
Blair cares deeply about educational inequality particularly in the local contexts of Washington DC and Baltimore. Her capstone examined the way social structures influence educational inequality for Black students and what might be done to alleviate those inequalities. 

– DR. BAYLEY J. MARQUEZ

Tiara’s senior thesis project was a timely and revealing investigation of issues of race, power, and sexual abuse in the US gymnastics community. Most particularly, Tiara’s work documented the effects on young gymnasts of the criminal behaviors of Dr. Larry Nassar, a high-ranking doctor involved in treating athletes at the highest levels of US gymnastics. Tiara is an All-Around member of the UMD gymnastics team. She matched the Maryland Gymnastics record on bars where she earned a 9.950. In her Senior Day showcase, Wright led the Terrapins to a season-high team score 196.975, the highest team score since 2004. 

– DR. MARY CORBIN SIES AND DR. ROB CHESTER