West Virginia University Libraries’ Instruction Steering Committee selected Amelia Blevins and Chase Mikles as 2024 Robert F. Munn Undergraduate Library Scholars.
“We at WVU Libraries are pleased to recognize Amelia Blevins
and Chase Mikles as Munn Scholars,” Dean of Libraries Karen Diaz said. “They
rose to the top of a record number of extremely strong applicants this year for
their thoroughly researched topics and impressive works of scholarship.”
The WVU Libraries and the Honors College established the
Robert F. Munn Undergraduate Library Scholars Award in 2009 to honor Dr. Robert
F. Munn, dean of library services 1957-1986. The award goes to one or more
students for an outstanding humanities or social sciences thesis based on
research conducted in the WVU Libraries.
Along with a $1,000 award, their names will be added to a
plaque in the Downtown Campus Library and their theses added to the Research Repository @ WVU. Both
papers can be read at researchrepository.wvu.edu/munn.
“The research conducted by Amelia and Chase expands our
knowledge of literature, education and their importance in our world,” Honors
College Dean Kenneth Blemings said. “We’re thrilled two of our most talented
students were selected for this award.”
Blevins won for her thesis titled “Preventative Conservation
and Pest Management at the WVU Natural History Museum.”
The Lititz, Pa., native graduated in May with a Bachelor of
Arts in Technical Art History.
She is currently working as a books and paper conservation
assistant at Pennsylvania State University and plans to go to graduate school
to study conservation.
Her career goal is to run her own private practice.
Mikles won for his thesis titled “Death, Dying, and
Overcoming: A Nietzschean Reading of Yukio Mishima’s Confessions of a Mask.”
The Princeton native graduated in May with a dual degrees in English literature and philosophy. He plans to begin law school at Duquesne University. He would like to obtain fluency in Japanese and work for a Japanese company based in the US.