Sierra Powell, first recipient of the Armacost Library Undergraduate Research Award

Congratulations, Sierra Powell! Sierra is a graduating senior double-majoring in Government and Philosophy. She received the Armacost Library Undergraduate Research Award for her paper, "A Depth Study of Buck v. Bell, 274. U.S. 200," in which she traces a case from its origins in Virginia to the U.S. Supreme Court in 1927. The decision of the U.S. Supreme Court upheld a Virginia statute that provided for the eugenic sterilization for people considered genetically unfit, leading the way for other states to enact similar laws.

In the process of researching and writing her paper, Sierra had to develop an understanding of complex legal concepts related to due process, cruel and unusual punishment, and equal protection.


The selection committee for the Armacost Library Undergraduate Research Award included (from left to right): Shana Higgins, Reference/Instructional Services Librarian; Jen Ostermiller, Director of Academic Support & Disabled Student Services; Anne Shea, Associate Professor of English and Director of Writing Across the Curriculum; and Lua Gregory, Reference/Off-Campus Services Librarian.