Anne E. Borghesani Memorial Prize
The Anne E. Borghesani Memorial Prize is an incentive award that enables the recipient(s) to undertake a research project, internship, volunteer activity, or plan of study in any field involving international issues. Designed to foster the spirit of the award, the prize encourages personal growth and independence, while increasing one's understanding of all peoples and encouraging a commitment to the world community.
Since 1991, students from a variety of Tufts majors have used the prize to venture abroad and study, conduct research, participate in international internships, and become involved in social change movements. Borghesani award recipients have carried out their plans worldwide.
Second-semester sophomores and juniors from ALL departments or majors with a GPA of 2.8 or above are eligible to apply, providing the proposal has a strong international component. Each year in January, a call for applications is announced. Applicants must attend one of two offered information sessions prior to submitting their application. The deadline for submissions is the second week of February, date TBD. Project proposals are submitted for review by the full Prize Committee. The selection committee may make one or several awards, depending on the quantity and quality of submissions in a given year. Thus, applicants should be aware that the award might not cover the full cost of proposed activities. Awards generally range between $1,000-$3,000.
The award honors the memory of Anne E. Borghesani, J’89, an international relations major. Anne’s years at Tufts were a time of intellectual and personal challenge, adventure, and increasing commitment to her friends, the Tufts community, and to the larger world. Anne’s love of people and her fascination with travel and other cultures made her major a natural choice. This memorial prize is a tribute to Anne, who we were fortunate to know, if only for a short time. The prize is designed to inspire personal and intellectual growth in others, reminiscent of that which was so evident in Anne.
2024 Application Information
The 2024 Anne E. Borghesani Memorial Prize application window has closed.
Please consider joining the IR program this fall for the annual presentation of projects on November 7, 2024 in the Chase Center. Registration is required to attend this event. Please contact internationalrelations@tufts.edu for more information.
Recipients of the 2024 Anne E. Borghesani Memorial Prize
Anneke Chan
"Revolutionary Expressions of Latin-Asian Mestizaje in Print: Antichinista Visual Culture, Printmaking for Solidarity, and the New Chino-Latino"
Through visual and historical representations of Latin-Asian identity, I hope to lend recognition, empowerment, and understanding to the individuals who embody this diverse legacy. Beyond my personal interests as a mixed-race Chinese American with Spanish Mexican heritage, I believe that a thoughtful exploration of this revolutionary printmaking history is crucial to broader understandings of expressions of interculturality, mestizaje, solidarity, and exchange, as we continue to create global strategies of revolution and liberation which build upon this relatively unexplored but nevertheless critical history.
Nia Goodall
"Global Health and Development Policy at the School of International Training in Geneva, Switzerland"
The main goal of this project is to deepen my knowledge of the critical factors that international organizations consider when addressing the well-being of vulnerable populations worldwide. By immersing myself in the multilingual environment of Geneva and taking a French class, I aim to also develop the ability to navigate language barriers, thereby enhancing my capacity to engage effectively in cross-cultural dialogue and policymaking efforts.
Bennett Pease
"Linguistic and Cultural Immersion Amongst Russian Émigré Communities in Latvia"
The project centers around participating in the University of Georgia’s “Immersion in the Russian Language, Cultures, and Communities in the Baltics,” in Riga, Latvia. This seven-week program, in collaboration with the US Department of Defense’s Language Flagship program, would offer international experience studying Russian language, living with a Russian émigré host family, cultural immersion, and local internship opportunity.
Rebecca Short
"Critical Exploration of the Portrayal of Gallic History in Tacitus"
During my time in Talloires, I will look at works written by the Roman historian Tacitus and analyze with a critical perspective the way he represents the Gallic people in the Annals and the Histories. The main goal of this project is to examine these texts from a contemporary perspective, knowing that Tacitus echoes Roman imperial perspectives on the empire and provinces in his account of the Gallic state and its interactions with Rome. I ultimately hope to gain a deeper understanding of the Roman world and the experience of Gaul within the Roman Empire.
Victor Vazquez
"Agricultural Practices of the Chinampas in Xochimilco, Mexico City"
The goal of this project is to understand the current state of the chinampas in Xochimilco, as well as find or create potential remedies for the water pollution and dehydration that plague the chinampas.
The chinampas are manmade islands, usually built on swampy land, that allow for intensive agriculture by recycling organic matter from the lake to create nutrient-dense soil. The agricultural practices of the chinampas were incredibly fertile and highly productive, which is why the Aztecs used them to support their empire. Currently, the dehydration of the lake as well as the pollution of the water has led to salinization and high heavy metal concentrations in the water.
Application FAQs
-
Students must attend one of two general interest meetings (in-person or Zoom) offered prior to submitting their application. The date of the meetings are announced in mid-January. If a student is unable to attend either meeting, they should contact internationalrelations@tufts.edu as soon as possible.
The 2024 in-person GIM will be held January 25 at 4pm in the Packard Hall Conference Room, 201. The Zoom meeting will be held January 31 at 12pm.
-
When a student is selected for the Anne E. Borghesani Memorial Prize, they will be notified by the International Relations Program. Selected students are obligated to attend the Academic Award Ceremony in the Spring semester of the year they are awarded and the following year as well as present in the annual Anne E. Borghesani Symposium in the Fall. Alumni Fellow may be contacted by the IR Program or newly awarded Fellow regarding their projects.
-
Projects that have human subjects must be submitted for approval by the Institutional Review Board (IRB). The Institutional Review Board (IRB) is a panel of Tufts’ faculty and staff, as well as at least one individual community member that reviews all human subject research proposals to determine if they are assuring adequate protection of human participants.
-
Any sophomore or junior undergraduate student at Tufts may apply. All projects must have an international aspect, but students are not required to be International Relations majors. Projects can range from research projects, internships, volunteer activities, or plan of study in any field involving international issues. Students must provide a full outline of their desired project to be considered for funding.
-
The selection committee may grant one or several awards, depending on the quantity and quality of submissions in a given year. Thus applicants should be aware that the award might not cover the full cost of proposed activities. Awards typically range between $1,000 and $4,000 but applicants are encouraged to apply for additional funds where applicable.