Established by
Louis & Prudence Ryan
Established with the generous support of Louis and Prudence Ryan, the Ryan Environmental Research Symposium features the best student research from scholars in the Batten Honors College. Under the mentorship of VWU faculty and community leaders, student scholarship at the Symposium explores complex environmental challenges in a global context.
Each spring, students from the Batten Honors College present their research at the symposium. A committee of Batten Professors and student representatives selects the strongest projects from the application pool to present at a poster session. The top three students are then invited to present their work at a premiere public event — bringing together scholars, mentors, and community leaders.
Most Recent Recipients
Congratulations to Our Prize Winners
Breana Mahoney earned the Louis and Prudence Ryan Prize for Excellence in Environmental Research. Edward McDonald and Rhian Tramontana were honored as finalists for the prize.
Their work represents the kind of rigorous, socially engaged scholarship that the Batten Honors College was built to produce — research that doesn't just ask interesting questions, but works toward real answers.
The Louis & Prudence Ryan Prize
The prize recognizes excellence in research presented at the Symposium. All three finalists are recognized — because finishing in the top three of your entire graduating class is worth celebrating.
- Cash Award
- Recognition Plaque
- $750 donation to an environmental organization of the winner's choosing
- Name placed on campus recognition plaque
- Cash Award
- Recognition Plaque
- $125 donation to an environmental organization of each runner-up's choosing
- Name placed on campus recognition plaque
Eligibility & Application
Open to Batten Honors College students completing their Senior Honors Capstone. Applications must address the following:
Clearly state the central research question and/or purpose of the project.
Define the project approach — paper, qualitative research, analytical/lab research, or creative project.
Provide brief, relevant scholarly or research context — no formal citations required — that demonstrates the project's attempt to make a unique contribution to the area of inquiry.
Provide a brief description of the research methodology used in the project.
State conclusions or expected results and the context in which they will be discussed at the Symposium.
Selection Criteria
The Undergraduate Research Director convenes a committee of five adjudicators — Batten Professors, a junior-class BHC student, and a local leader from an environmental organization. All applicants are judged on four criteria, with the top three projects invited to present at the public event.
Potential Impact
Project demonstrates solutions or hypotheses that show deep comprehension of the problem, sensitivity to environmental, ethical, logical, and cultural dimensions, and goals that are achievable and sustainable over time.
Addressing Environmental Complexity
Research question is imaginative and accounts for the complexity of the issue. Scholar articulates the limits or scalability of the project to global contexts, and synthesizes environmental impacts clearly within the solution.
Strength of Evidence
Project demonstrates skillful use of high-quality, credible, relevant sources appropriate to the discipline and genre. Sources are integrated seamlessly to create a compelling, well-supported argument.
Communication
Well-written and clearly communicates the value of the project to audiences from different backgrounds — not just to subject-matter experts.
Questions?
- Contact the Dean's office or your HON 480 faculty member for application guidance.
- bhcadmissions@vwu.edu
Related
Want to present your research here?
It starts with admission to the Batten Honors College. The Symposium is where four years of scholarship comes together.