Burns H. Weston International Human Rights
Essay Prize
The UICHR sponsors the annual Burns H. Weston International Human Rights Essay Prize. Each year, two awards are made: one to an undergraduate and another to a graduate or professional school student. The prizes honor the fine work of University of Iowa students and the lifetime work of Professor Burns H. Weston of the College of Law.
2009 Competition: Details will be announced Fall 2008
The writing competition is open to all registered students at the University of Iowa, Iowa State University, and the University of Northern Iowa. Essays can discuss current events or history, law, public policy, or the arts & humanities. The only requirement is that the essays address issues of international human rights.
Questions should be directed to UICHR Deputy Director, Amy Weismann at amy-weismann@uiowa.edu.
2008 Winner
Rebecca Bowman
Dual-degree student seeking a J.D. at the College of Law and a Ph.D. in higher education
"Lubanga, the DRC, and the African Court: Lessons Learned from the First ICC Case."
2007 Winners
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Julia LaBua
Senior in History and Geography
"Outside the Public Eye: How the Carter Administration Used 'Quiet Diplomacy' to Impact Human Rights in Argentina."
Stacey Meyer
Second-year College of Law
"Conflict of National Identity with Minority Religious Rights in Russia and France: A Conundrum for the European Court of Human Rights."
2006 Winners
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Kevin Kenjar
Senior in Religious Studies and International Studies
“The Rise of Orthodoxy and Heresy in Pakistan: The Institutionalized Persecution of the Ahmadiya Religious Minority.”
Matthew Stromquist
Second-year College of Law
“Towards an Optional Protocol to the ICESCR: Local Contexts, Global Norms, and a Trickle-Up Theory of Justiciability.”
2005 Winners
Read the announcement for the 2005 winners
Neil Peterson
Senior in Women's Studies and Anthropology
"Speaking from Behind Closed Doors: The World Health Organization, Maternal Health and Hegemony."
Mary Sevandal
College of Law
"Bringing Back the 'Real Iraq': Eliminating Honor Crimes in Post-War Iraq."