Hesburgh Libraries is pleased to announce the winners of the 2020 University of Notre Dame Library Research Award.
This annual award is earned by undergraduate students who demonstrate excellence in research skills by using a breadth of library resources and services for their course assignments, research projects, and creative endeavors.
“Hesburgh Libraries is committed to Notre Dame’s mission of advancing undergraduate research and scholarship,” said Edward H. Arnold University Librarian Diane Parr Walker. “The 2020 Library Research Award winners have used library expertise, resources, services and spaces to build research skills for academic success that will also serve them well beyond graduation.”
Architecture student Caroline Colella '20 won a Navari Family Center for Digital Scholarship (NFCDS) award is a specialty submission category and a new addition to the Library Research Award. This award recognizes excellence in leveraging digital scholarship resources, tools, and methodologies in your project.
Colella won a NFCDS award for her senior thesis, “The Immigration Station: Designing for Dignity at the U.S. Mexico Border” — a proposal for the design of an immigration station and immigrant services campus located on a strip of the United States and Mexico border in El Paso, Texas. Advised by Sean Patrick Nohelty, professor of the practice in the School of Architecture, Colella explored the use of architecture as a tool for promoting human dignity.
Colella consulted with Architecture Librarian Jennifer Parker, who helped her find architectural resources and introduced her to the library’s Interlibrary Loan service. After completing her research and a rough sketch of her design, Colella met with Adam Heet, the digital projects specialist in the NFCDS, and Morgan Wilson, architecture library specialist. “With their help, I gained knowledge in SketchUp and was able to build a computer model of my site as well as the buildings on the campus,” said Colella. Wilson then took her digital model and used the 3D printers in the library’s Makerspace to print a physical model of Colella’s design.
“I am grateful to our Architecture Library team for teaching me how to use our varied library resources at the very beginning of my education as they proved invaluable in the completion of this project – and more importantly, in helping me get the most out of my Notre Dame education.”
Typically, the awards are presented in the spring during an in-person ceremony at Hesburgh Library, where students celebrate their accomplishments with their family, friends and mentors. This year, the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the timing and nature of this annual event. Students were given a deadline extension and notified of this honor during the summer.
For more information on the University of Notre Dame Library Research Award, visit library.nd.edu/library-research-award.