Student Awards
The 2009 Gesell Award winners in creative writing are: Josh Morsell, Creative Nonfiction (Honorable Mention: Heather McPherson); Matt Burgess, Fiction; and Brian Laidlaw, Poetry. . . . First-year PhD student Donald Swanbeck (medieval field) won two of the very competitive FLAS fellowships to study Arabic during summer 2009 and academic year 2009-2010. . . . The 2009 ArtWords: Writing at the Weisman Contest winner, Graduate Category, is Brian Laidlaw for "Persephone Creates the Seasons," based on "Cross with Red Heart" by Georgia O'Keeffe. The Undergraduate Category winner is Misha Levchenko for "Justification for the Existence of Liars" based on "World's Fair Mural" by James Rosenquist. . . . Undergraduate Studies student engagement research assistant and English major Josh Capodarco won a President's Student Leadership Award, presented to approximately one-half of one percent of the student body for their exceptional leadership and service to the University of Minnesota and the surrounding community. Congratulations to all!