The Julia R. Lupton Graduate Student Essay Prize & The M. Rick Smith Memorial Undergraduate Student Essay Prize
These prizes have been established to recognize outstanding work by students presenting their papers at the Ohio Valley Shakespeare Conference. A prize in the amount of $100 will be awarded to both the winning undergraduate and graduate paper. Essays will be judged on their 1) contribution to the scholarly conversation, 2) engagement with secondary sources, and 3) clarity of writing and presentation.
Only those students who present their papers at the Ohio Valley Shakespeare Conference will be eligible. Students will be invited to submit their papers, as they are to be presented, once their proposals have been accepted for presentation.
These prizes recognize two scholars whose generosity has transformed the OVSC.
Dr. Julia Lupton’s generosity has made the Graduate Student Essay Prize possible since 2021. Her numerous contributions to Shakespeare studies have inspired students and scholars alike at the OVSC, and the Conference has instituted this award in recognition of her devotion to the field and its emerging scholars.
Dr. M. Rick Smith was an active member of the then-Ohio Shakespeare Conference, serving on its governing board and organizing more than one of its annual meetings. His devotion to teaching, enthusiasm for Shakespeare studies, and willingness to give of his time and energy helped make the Ohio Valley Shakespeare Conference what it is today.