CCJS Junior and Undergraduate Honors Program student Rhiannon Little has been recognized with the Winston Family Honors Award for an Outstanding Honors Thesis.
The annual Winston Family Honors Writing Awards recognize the writing of Honors students with acknowledgement of the central role that faculty members play in mentoring Honors College students.
This is the highest prize that the UMD Honors College bestows for undergraduate honors student writing.
Little’s thesis, titled “Changing the Conversation: The Use of Person-First Language in Criminal Labels,” engages with how language choices shape the public’s views of people who have experienced contact with the criminal justice system, emphasizing the collateral consequences justice-involved individuals may face as they re-enter society. Through development and administration of an online survey, Little assessed whether there are key differences in perceptions of those with criminal records based on how these people are described.
Her award letter emphasized praise for her diligence: “Our committee was extremely impressed, both by the thoroughness of your presentation of the background literature in this area and explanations of the stakes and nuances involved in this general issue, and by the scrupulous care and statistical rigor with which you designed, conducted and analyzed your complex and multi-dimensional quantitative study.”
The Winston awards committee stated that Little’s hard work and engagement with academic mentors such as Honors Program Director and Associate Professor Dr. Bianca Bersani and Assistant Professor Dr. Sarah Tahamont “exemplify Honors education and research at the University of Maryland at their finest, and the important contributions that can be made to the world through them.”
Little’s recognition marks the second consecutive year that a CCJS Undergraduate Honors student has received this award from the Honors College, following last year’s Nessia Ferneau.
“The CCJS Honors Program has connected me with the most inspiring community of student researchers,” Little said. “I have learned so much about myself over the past two years and developed a passion for research, while making friends for life."
Congratulations, Rhiannon!
