The Department of Religious Studies has held the Annual E.P. Adler Awards Luncheon in the spring semester for over 50 years. After three years of meeting virtually for this big event, we were thankful to be back in person to celebrate our wonderful students and faculty.
The E.P. Adler Awards Luncheon is held to honor the memory of E.P. Adler, one of the department's founders. This event was established and endowed through the generosity of the late Philip and Henrietta Adler, with ongoing support provided by the family of Lloyd and Betty Schermer. We wish to thank Lloyd and Betty Schermer and all of our generous donors who give to the Department of Religious Studies. The department is honored to use some of these funds to award our bright and gifted students as shown below.
Congratulations to each one of our awardees, and we wish you all the best in your future endeavors!
2021 Awardees
*You may view the video of the 2021 celebration on our YouTube channel.
E.P. Adler Award
Established by Betty and Lloyd Schermer to honor Betty’s grandfather, E.P. Adler, one of the department’s founders, and awarded to a graduate or undergraduate student in the Department of Religious Studies.
Awardee
Naiara Inacio Leão: Naiara was nominated by her PhD Director, Dr. Paul Dilley, who wishes to recognize her innovative work on women and gender in Early Christianity—especially her scholarship on the role that male authors played in mediating women’s culture in the 1st century Mediterranean world.
E.P. Adler Award
Established by Betty and Lloyd Schermer to honor Betty’s grandfather, E.P. Adler, one of the department’s founders, and awarded to a graduate or undergraduate student in the Department of Religious Studies.
Awardee
Sydney Uhlman: Sydney is a double major in history and religious studies, and minors in French, philosophy, and social justice, with an Unclassified Human Rights Certificate. She was nominated by Ahmed Souaiaia who writes, “After taking several courses in religious studies, Sydney Uhlman has developed a strong curiosity about the role of religion in economic life. Sydney is thinking of applying to a graduate program that will enable her to learn more and research these topics.”
Alice Marguerite Blough Award
Established in 1994 with a gift from the Estate of Alice Marguerite Blough in memory of her parents, Rev. Albert P. Blough and Estelle M. Blough, and awarded for the best graduate student research paper.
Awardee
Darcy Metcalfe: Dr. Diana Cates nominated Darcy in recognition of her outstanding dissertation on the “Ethics of The Inheritable Genetic Modification pf Human Embryos”, which was written under Dr. Cates' direction and defended this spring. Darcy was also independently nominated by Dr. Ray Mentzer, who is grateful for the way in which Darcy quietly and conscientiously mentored him as he grappled with the challenges of COVID-required online teaching. Dr. Kristy Nabhan-Warren also nominated Darcy, who characterizes Darcy as a scholar-activist of the highest order.
John P. Boyle Award in Catholic Studies
Established in 1998 in honor of John P. Boyle who served as a professor in the Religious Studies Department from 1972-98, and director from 1979-89. This award is given to a graduate or undergraduate student in religious studies, based on academic excellence and outstanding work in some area of Catholic Studies.
Awardee
Carlos Ruiz Martinez: Carlos was nominated by his PhD Director, Dr. Kristy Nabhan-Warren, in recognition of his innovative and rigorous pedagogy, as well as his celebrated traditional and public scholarship on Latinx religious studies and Catholic Studies. Carlos is unable to be with us today because he is about to present some of his research at Stanford.
Catholic Studies Scholarship
This award is given to a graduate or undergraduate student who has expressed an interest in the general area of Catholic Studies regardless of religious background.
Awardee
Luz is majoring in religious studies and Spanish and is also seeking a pre-medicine degree. She was nominated by Kristy Nabhan-Warren who writes, “Luz was an absolute delight to have in class last fall 2020. Luz has great interest in Catholic studies, and she is a FirstGen Latinx student who made important, substantive contributions to our class discussions all semester long. Luz is an ambassador of DEI, interfaith dialogue, and respectful conversations about religion, and she is very deserving of this award.”
President and Mrs. Eugene Gilmore Scholarship
Established in 1985 to support the study of culture, humanistic values and the quest for new symbols in contemporary culture. This award was named for Eugene Gilmore, past president of the University of Iowa and supporter of the department. This award is given to a doctoral student in religious studies who has an interest in the relationship of religion and culture, especially the visual arts.
Awardee
Andrea Scardina: Andrea was nominated by her dissertation director, Dr. Paul Dilley, in recognition of the ways in which she has used artistic depictions in sculpture and paintings to advance the current scholarly debate about the early Christian preference for the codex as opposed to the scroll.
Helen Goldstein Undergraduate Research Paper/Project Award
Established in 2012 to honor Dr. Helen Goldstein, who specialized in medieval Jewish and Islamic philosophy, and awarded to the best undergraduate student research paper or project.
Awardee
Grant Tapken: Grant Tapken is a double major in religious studies and ancient civilization who will be attending Concordia Seminary in the fall. He was also recently selected as one of the student leaders to first meet our newly selected university president. Grant was nominated by Jordan Smith who writes: “Grant has worked with me on his thesis since the beginning of the fall semester and has written a very strong Reception History analysis of 1 Samuel 28 (The Witch/Medium of Endor) that explains how ideological and cultural changes led to a frequent need to reinterpret this passage.”
Alice Lampe Heidel and John B. Heidel Memorial Award
Established in memory of M. Willard Lampe, the founding director of the department and Mrs. Heidel's father; honors a graduate teaching assistant whose commitment to undergraduate teaching is evidenced by the outstanding performance of assigned teaching duties, and exceptional interest in and service to undergraduate students.
Awardee
Michael MacDougall: Michael was nominated by Dr. Robert Cargill and Dr. Diana Cates for his highly effective work as a TA in their online courses. Michael’s pedagogy reflects a mature understanding of teaching and learning as an unfolding relationship based on mutual respect, openness, and curiosity.
Karl Hoffman Award
This award goes to an outstanding junior religious studies major who exhibits academic excellence, strength of character, and a broad and conscientious concern for ultimate and spiritual questions.
Awardee
Catherine Freeman: Cate Freeman is a double major in history and religious studies, who started out the fall semester working toward a religion minor. Her interest is in the intersection of religion and politics during the “Troubles” between Catholics and Protestants in Ireland, and she plans to finish her studies this fall in Scotland. Jordan Smith says, “I have really enjoyed getting to know Cate this semester because of her interest in history and religion. While she will be missed in the fall, we are proud to support her efforts to study abroad and are confident she will make the most of this experience.”
Islamic Studies Award
This award is given to a graduate or undergraduate student who has done outstanding work in some area of Islamic studies and exhibits academic excellence.
Awardee
Lauren Philips: Lauren is a member of the Honors Program, with majors in International Studies, French, and International Business, and is also a Pre-Law student. Prof. Ahmed Souaiaia nominated Lauren, "...for the connections between these fields as in the Middle East, public policy, and the fact that Lauren plans to pursue a graduate degree that sharpens those interests.”
M. Willard Lampe Scholarship Fund
Established in 2016 to honor the first director of the School of Religion, this scholarship will fund a graduate student whose scholarship is likely to engage the public in ways that recognize and acknowledge diverse religious beliefs and foster religious tolerance.
Awardee
Kaitlyn Lindgren-Hansen: Kaitlyn was nominated by Dr. Diana Cates in recognition of her creative and probing work at the intersection of 19th century literature, a U.S. religious movement known as Spiritualism, and the study of religious ethics.
Barbara W. and Rex Montgomery Award
Prof. Rex Montgomery was a long-time supporter of the department and past president of the Advisory Board. This award is given to a graduate or undergraduate student in religious studies based on academic merit.
Awardee
Emma Rifai: Dr. Raymond Mentzer nominated Dr. Rifai for her dissertation, which was directed by Dr. Jenna Supp-Montgomerie and Dr. Kristy Nabhan-Warren and defended this spring. The title is “Secular Embodiments: Body Management, Protestant Culture, and American Secularism in the Twenty-First Century.” Emma was nominated also by Dr. Kristy who characterizes Emma as a model of professionalism and celebrates her deep engagement with the department during her graduate career at Iowa. Dr. Cates also nominated Emma in recognition of her important work in defending academic freedom.
Barbara W. and Rex Montgomery Award
Prof. Rex Montgomery was a long-time supporter of the department and past president of the Advisory Board. This award is given to a graduate or undergraduate student in religious studies based on academic merit.
Awardee
Eliza Link: Eliza is an honors student in her 2nd year, taking Art BFA, Art History BA, & Entrepreneurial Mgmt Certificate. Dr. Morten Schlütter’s TA, John Sheridan says, “Eliza Link always comes to class prepared and provides fantastic contributions to discussion. She has graduate level perspectives and insights on course material and related topics and has received top grades on all her course assignments.”
Barbara W. and Rex Montgomery Award
Prof. Rex Montgomery was a long-time supporter of the department and past president of the Advisory Board. This award is given to a graduate or undergraduate student in religious studies based on academic merit.
Awardee
Jessica Vogel: Jessica Vogel is a double major in Religious Studies and Ancient Civilization, and she has been accepted into the Classics MA program with funding at the University of Missouri. Dr. Jordan Smith says, “Jessica is one of the best students I have ever taught, and it has been a privilege to watch her growth over the last several years.”
Rev. Louis P. Penningroth Scholarship Award
Established by Rev. Penningroth's wife to honor her husband, this award goes to a graduate student who demonstrates a concern for fellow students through her or his teaching practices and skills as a mentor.
Awardee
John Sheridan: John was nominated by his Dissertation Director, Dr. Kristy Nabhan-Warren, for his innovative and rigorous pedagogy and his excellence in the classroom. Dr. Kristy describes John as “a seriously gifted teacher.”
Sonia Sands Scholarship Award
This scholarship was established in 1982 from donations to honor Sonia Sands, housemother of the Phi Epsilon Pi Fraternity for over 20 years. The award recognizes talented students in the area of Jewish Studies.
Awardees
Liam Kaboli and Peter Westlund: Jay Holstein and Ellen Holstein both had these two students in their classrooms, and together they write, “Peter Westlund and Liam Kaboli hold in common the highest virtues: thoroughness and insightful analysis. Peter is on the path to dental school with a major in Health Science-Multidisciplinary Science, a minor in American Studies, and a certificate in Entrepreneurial Management.
Liam attained a double major in political science and ethics and public policy and earned a certificate in sustainability. In his final year at Iowa, Liam worked as a Research Assistant studying state responses to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Peter is currently working for the Department of Veterans Affairs as a Patient Service Assistant, helping to protect patients during the COVID-19 pandemic and has plans to proceed to graduate school.
By way of note, both students came to these courses via familial prompting as family members (parents and siblings) had taken these courses in days gone by. It is an absolutely pleasure and privilege to applaud Peter and Liam on their accomplishments.”
Charles Schoen Interfaith Scholarship Award
This scholarship honors the late Charles Schoen, who served on the department’s Advisory Board for eleven years. The award is given to an undergraduate religious studies major, based on the student's academic record.
Awardee
Kaitlyn “Val” Timke: Val Timke has majors in both English and creative writing and religious studies and has been invited to join several honors societies like Phi Beta Kappa and Theta Alpha Kappa. Dr. Jordan Smith says, “Val has spent this semester preparing to write an honors thesis and has constantly surprised me with her ability to comprehend advanced material. Indeed, she became even more engaged and interested in the more complicated material, so I ended up changing the reading list.”
Robert and Mary Ann Small Stenger Religious Studies Scholarship
This scholarship was established in 2014 by a department alumna to provide support to a graduate student in religious studies.
Awardee
Kefas Lamak: Kefas was nominated by both Dr. Mentzer and Dr. Robert Cargill. Dr. Mentzer recognizes that Kefas demonstrates the attention, imagination, and discipline that teaching requires and states, “His interactions with students, whether written or oral, are characterized by a thoughtfulness and thoroughness of the highest caliber”. Dr. Cargill also honors Kefas for the great job that he did as a TA for one of Dr. Cargill’s courses.