Our current students bring an extensive depth of curious, inquiry-driven knowledge to a diverse array of academic pursuits and social engagements. These noteworthy accomplishments serve as clear evidence of their bold and unwavering commitment to applying their knowledge within a wide spectrum of broader academic disciplines, professional fields, and societal issues. At JDP, we are dedicated to continuously supporting our students throughout their educational journeys, providing resources, mentorship, community, and opportunities that foster their growth. Together, we take pride in celebrating their positive achievements, which not only reflect their individual dedication and excellence but also exemplify the vibrant scholarly community that we strive to cultivate.
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Zane Johnson (the third-place graduate paper for the 2025 Albert Clark Award)
About the Award
The Albert Clark Award is given annually by Theta Alpha Kappa, the National Honor Society for Religious Studies and Theology, to the top three graduate and undergraduate papers submitted for consideration. I was lucky enough to be one of the graduate recipients this year for my paper "Mystical Bridges to an Imagined East: Meister Eckhart, Christian Mysticism, and the Human as Two," which will appear soon in the Journal of Theta Alpha Kappa. I'm grateful to have had the opportunity to participate; DU's religious studies department is a member of the Society, and Dr. Andrea Stanton oversees the prize (though she is not a judge).听
How have your studies at JDP helped you achieve this award?
I see this paper as very much informed by the academic culture of the JDP, namely its decolonial ethic and commitment to the critical study of religion, especially minoritized movements and听traditions.听听
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David Kemp (the best graduate paper for the 2025 Albert Clark Award)
About the Award
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The Albert Clark Awards are managed by Theta Alpha Kappa (TAK), the National Honor Society for Religious Studies and Theology, and these awards are given annually for the best undergraduate and graduate papers in religious studies and theology. TAK was started in 1976, and since then, it has chartered over 350 chapters in institutions ranging from small religiously affiliated colleges and seminaries to large public research universities, including DU. TAK exists to encourage, recognize, and promote student excellence in the academic study of religion and theology and is held to high standards in supporting and recognizing these scholarly pursuits by being a member of the Association of College Honor Societies听and its affiliations with the American Academy of Religion and the Society of Biblical Literature. The three winning papers are selected in each category, undergraduate or graduate. Winners receive either a first-place, second-place, or third-place paper and get an award check along with publication in TAK's journal, which is dedicated to highlighting these winners. I won first place with my graduate paper, "Appropriate American Masculinities: Christian and Nationalist Reorganizations of Queerness." And here is the link to the page where the winners are announced at the bottom:
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How have your studies at JDP helped you achieve this award?听
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I do not believe I would have won first place, or placed at all, in the 2025 TAK Clark Award competition if not for the JDP. The JDP's interdisciplinary approach to a religious studies doctoral program equipped me to think about scholarly endeavors and social justice problems from a variety of perspectives while also creating an academic environment where I could take classes from any department across both DU and Iliff. This ability to take classes from other departments fundamentally contributed to my ability to win the award because the paper was originally written for a human rights course called Nationalism and Internationalism from DU's Josef Korbel School of Global and Public Affairs. The uniqueness of my final paper was not only built from the opportunity to take this class and work with the professor, Dr. Micheline Ishay, but from the feedback and knowledge I learned of other professors throughout the JDP including my advisor Dr. Christy Cobb and Dr. Dheepa Sundaram from the Religious Studies Department, the English Department's former professor Dr. Ryan Perry, and Iliff's Dr. Miguel De La Torre and Dr. Antony Alumkal, among others. Without the ability to tailor my doctoral education to my own academic interests, I would not have won the TAK Clark Award.
