On May 7, 2008, for the first time ever, the Program in Writing and Rhetoric (PWR) at Stanford held a joint ceremony honoring recipients of the Innovative Research Award (IRA) and Oral Presentation of Research Award (OPRA). The ceremony was held at the Hume Writing Center. Sohui Lee, Assistant Director of the Center, introduced the winners.

Both awards recognize outstanding achievements in student research. The IRA is given every term to students whose nominated research essays in first– and second–year (PWR 1 and PWR 2) courses demonstrate innovative research in two critical ways: first, original thinking in the finding and use of primary and secondary material; and second, innovation in the integration of unusual research material.
The inaugural Innovative Research Award Selection Committee, consisting of four former IRA winners, was responsible for developing criteria for judging IRA essays, carefully evaluating nominated essays, and, ultimately, selecting the winners. This year’s committee members were Myles Lam, Sonal Mittal, Kashmira Daryanani, and Alisha Tolani.

The OPRA recognizes PWR 2 students for presenting well–researched and compelling oral arguments delivered with persuasive, professional ethos and effective media aids. This year’s winners were selected by a committee of PWR instructors and administrators from among those students nominated by their instructors.

The winners of the 2007-2008 IRA are:

SPRING 2007

Alejandra Martinez for “Learning in a Time of War.” Instructor: Donna Hunter.
Patrick Gallagher for “A Modern Enemy.” Instructor: Susan Wyle.

FALL 2007

Katherine Heflin for “Ads and Activism Surrounding Guantanamo Bay.”  Instructor: Alyssa O’Brien.
Claire Menke for “Seeing is Believing: The Rise of Spiritualism in America.” Instructor: Susan Wyle.

WINTER 2008

Devin Mooers for “The Sound of the Future and the Future of Sound: Sonic Literacy, Science Fiction, and an Audiovisual Language of Film.” Instructor: Joel Burges.
Woods Buckley for “What Goes Around: An Argument for Systems Thinking.”  Instructor: Wendy Goldberg.

The winners of the 2007-2008 OPRA are:

SPRING 2007

Brian Scoles for "The Machine Mask." Instructor: Gabrielle Moyer.

FALL 2007

Andrew Hillis for "The End of Discourse: Why Two Economists' Rhetoric Has Done So Much Ill and Not Enough Good." Instructor: Jonathan Hunt.

WINTER 2008

Jamie Tam for “Innately Fabulous: Divas as Mainstream Queens." Instructor: Clyde Moneyhun.