Boswell wins award for exemplary student work

by Amy Barry - Nebraska Educator

September 22, 2021

Six individuals posing for a photo, with one holding an award certificate.
Eileen Boswell, winner of the 2021 Nebraska Educator Journal Award for Exemplary Student Work, is pictured with Sherri Jones, Loukia Sarroub, Amanda Morales, Ted Hamann, and Nebraska Educator Editor-in-Chief Amy Barry. (Loren Rye - Pixel Lab)

The Nebraska Educator, the College of Education and Human Sciences ’ by-and-for graduate student journal, has launched a new initiative in 2021 – an award for exemplary student work. Four papers were considered for this top academic achievement with Eileen Boswell, a doctoral candidate from the Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education (TLTE) selected as the winner for her paper titled “Again Awake: A White Researcher’s Iterative Positioning for Entering Black Spaces.” 


The entries were reviewed by a CEHS faculty subcommittee that consisted of Carrie Clark, assistant professor in the Department of Educational Psychology , Jenelle Reeves, professor and graduate chair in TLTE, Rachel Schachter, associate professor in the Department of Child, Youth and Family Studies , Stephanie Bondi, associate professor of practice in the Department of Educational Administration , and Michael Hebert, associate professor in the Department of Special Education and Communication Disorders .  


The committee felt that Boswell’s paper was an exemplar of good academic writing that has practical, clear, and specific implications in the realm of diversity, equity and inclusion. 


 “I feel ambivalent about accepting any recognition for antiracist work, but I hope the paper provides some guidance for White researchers who are contemplating the complexities of teaching and research in diverse spaces. I also encourage people to discuss these issues with a trusted mentor or friend,” Boswell said.  


The paper will be featured in Volume VI of the Nebraska Educator, which will be published on the Digital Commons website in early October 2021.


Graduate students in the field of educational research are encouraged to consider publishing your research with the Nebraska Educator.  The Journal seeks original research that covers topics such as curriculum, teaching and professional development, education policy, practice and analysis, literacy, language and culture, school, society and reform, and teaching and learning with technologies.  The theme for the 2022 publication will be education and extension/the larger community.  Those interested in submitting to the NEJ or have questions can contact the editorial board at nebeducator@unl.edu.

College of Education and Human Sciences
Teaching, Learning & Teacher Education