Vanelis Rivera, a University of Louisiana at Monroe graduate student in English from the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico, won the ULM English Department's first annual $100 research award, which was presented at the 11th Annual ULM/Tech Graduate Conference April 2.

Rivera’s paper is titled "Lacing Up Sexuality and Unlacing Independence: Moll’s Wearing of a Codpiece and Breeches in Middleton and Dekker's ‘The Roaring Girl.’” Rob Rudnicki, Ph.D., the George D. Anding Professor at La. Tech, served as judge for the ULM papers and presented the award to Rivera.

La. Tech's Department of English also presented a $100 cash award for the best conference paper submitted by a Tech student. Winner of the La. Tech research award was Magin LaSove Gregg for her paper "'A behovely pain': The Passionate Birth of Christ in Julian's ‘Showings.’" LaRue Sloan, Ph.D., the L.M. McKneely Professor of English Literature at ULM, judged the Tech conference papers and presented the award to Gregg.

The English departments held their first collaborative graduate conference in 1998. This year marked the 11th annual meeting of graduate students and faculty from the two schools.