Dr. Devon T. Wade Award

The Dr. Devon T. Wade Award recognizes students who best exemplify the legacy and spirit of Dr. Wade, an outspoken scholar, teacher, mentor, and advocate for marginalized communities. We particularly encourage applications from students who are actively involved in community-based work and/or who have a demonstrated scholarly interest in issues related to the societal effects of carceral systems and logics.

Examples might include, but are not limited to:
● The collateral consequences of mass incarceration on individuals, families, and communities
● Immigration enforcement and policing
● Punitive approaches to public safety
● The school-to-prison pipeline
● Stigma, trauma, and/or discipline in schools
● State intervention on families (e.g., foster system, Child Protective Services)
● Radical or restorative practices in educational and school settings
● Prison abolition and alternatives to incarceration
● Transformative or restorative justice
● Alternative responses to behavioral and mental health crises

ELIGIBILITY: Current undergraduate and graduate students

REQUIRED DOCUMENTS:
- Résumé
- Faculty or self-nomination (submitted via system)
- A personal or research statement (choose one; Recommended length: 500-750 words, approximately 2-3 pages, double spaced)
Personal essay describing how you meet the award criteria and embody the legacy of Dr. Devon T. Wade. Make sure to specifically highlight your history of active engagement in community-based work related to the societal effects of carceral systems and logics.
In your personal or research statement, you may also choose to speak to how you have overcome adversity or obstacles in your life, and/or other service, advocacy, or mentoring work you have done in the spirit of advancing equity, especially on behalf of marginalized communities.