Student Takes Home Anthropology Research Prize
MADISON, NJ—Erica Varlese was recently awarded the John Omohundro Undergraduate Research Award at the 49th annual meeting of the Northeastern Anthropological Association (NEAA). Varlese, a Drew University student, took home the prize for “Birth Junkies: Labor Support and Resistance in American Birth,” an academic paper based on her honors thesis.
“The paper Erica presented to the NEAA seriously engages and challenges the work of other social scientists,” said Marc Boglioli, a professor of anthropology at Drew. “I think the judges were impressed by her ability to use complex social theory to make sense of her original data.”
“’Birth Junkies’ is based on a year’s worth of interviews with doulas: non-medical professionals who provide emotional and physical support during childbirth,” said Varlese. “I focused my presentation at the conference on the conclusions of my research, which detail the ways in which doulas both support and subvert medical childbirth practices.”
The John Omohundro Undergraduate Research Award is given each year to a selected student at the NEAA’s annual meeting. In order to be eligible, undergraduates must present their work to anthropology scholars and professionals. The presented work, which may be an abridged version of a longer paper, is judged by a panel led by the NEAA president-elect. Each winner of the prize receives $200 and publication of their research abstract in the NEAA newsletter.
The Northeastern Anthropological Association was founded in 1961. It is a community of scholars, professionals and students who meet annually to exchange ideas and advance the study of anthropology. Its 2009 Annual Meeting was held on March 13 and 14 at Rhode Island College.
Before Varlese defended her “Birth Junkies” thesis at Drew, Boglioli wasn’t worried about the room full of PhDs trying to punch holes in her conclusions. “Erica’s data on her thesis topic constitutes an important contribution to knowledge,” he said. “And the anthropology department is very proud of her.”
