Close menu Resources for... William & Mary
W&M menu close William & Mary

Ten students in anthropology class win essay awards

Ten students in Sasikumar Balasundaram’s Introduction to Cultural Anthropology class at William & Mary have won awards in an essay competition sponsored by the Center for a Public Anthropology.

Balasundaram is a visiting assistant professor in the university’s Department of Anthropology. Essays by 10 members of his ANTH 202 class were picked from a competition that involved more than 4,000 students from 30 North American schools, said Rob Borofsky, director for the Center for a Public Anthropology and professor of anthropology at Hawaii Pacific University.

“I want to congratulate the 10 winners and all my beloved students,” Balasundaram said. “It has been a real privilege to work with each one of them. Through hard work and commitment my students bring pride to the College of William & Mary. They are not waiting for a future; they are creating a better future for themselves and others."

Winning essays, available here, and their student authors are:

•    “The Balance Between Human Protection and Effective Research,” by Marisa Paipongna

•    “The Importance of Consulting the IRB,” by Olivia Thaler

•    “The Golden Rule of Research,” by Nikki Keister

•    “Increased Regulations for IRBs Promote Accountability,” by Diya Uthappa

•    “Free the Researchers!” by Chanelle Wideman

•    “Agency and Consent,” by Kelly Ashley

•    “How Much Government is Too Much Government?” by Jesse Anderson

•    “What About My Needs? The Importance of Ethical Consent in Positive Research,” by Phoebe Flint

•    “Balancing Individuals' Rights with Scientific Ambitions,” by Elena Tenore

•    “IRB: The Need For More Regulation And Communication," by Hitoshi Koshiya