The Dr. Emily Culpepper Convocation Award 2017

Pictured: Sophia BroderickPictured: Sophia Broderick

The Emily Culpepper Award is given every year to a student who demonstrates excellence in Women's and Gender Studies. In the spirit of Emily's lifetime dedication to social change, we also look for a student dedicated to social transformation. 
 
This year the award was presented to Sophia Broderick.

The following text was read by Dr. Jennifer Nelson at the Honors and Recognition Convocation on April 21, 2017  at the University of Redlands Memorial Chapel:

Hi everyone!

Every year the Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Program awards an outstanding graduating major, minor or Johnston student who in some way upholds the tradition established by Emily Culpepper, as the first director of Women’s Studies at U of R, by combining feminist/social justice activism and a commitment to academic engagement in the field.

Our prize winner today, Sophia Broderick, is outstanding in both of these areas. She is an excellent student and wrote a senior thesis entitled, Producing the Pussy: Representation and Exploitation of the Contracted Hollywood Star. But, perhaps even more than her academic achievements, Sophia truly did outstanding work in the WGS Program by organizing the annual WGS Student Conference twice in both her junior and senior years. Sophia is a dynamo when it comes to organizing a big event such as a conference. This will serve her well, along with her intelligence, and her compassion, and revolutionary spirit, on whatever path she chooses, whether that be an MA program in history, or perhaps law school, or, as she likes to tell everyone, as the president of the United States—although she hopes not to be the first woman president—she points out we need to break that ceiling sooner. Onwards Sophia. I can’t wait to see where your energy takes you.

Jennifer Nelson, Ph.D.
Professor & Director of Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Program
University of Redlands