Shannon Cooke, liberal arts student, named inaugural winner of Miers research award

December 20, 2021

SPCS Student Update

Shannon Cooke headshot
Shannon Cooke, inaugural recipient of the Miers Research Award

Shannon Cooke, a student in the SPCS bachelor of arts in liberal arts program, has been named the inaugural winner of the John Miers Award for Excellence in Library Research in the School of Professional & Continuing Studies.

She earned the award for her research paper titled “The Need for Increased Mental Health Support for Students Due to Impacts from the COVID-19 Pandemic: Proposed Solutions" completed for her English 202U Critical Writing & Research I course in Spring 2021. Her paper was nominated by her instructor, Dr. Daniel Hocutt, adjunct professor of liberal arts.

The abstract from Cooke’s paper reads as follows:

There have been a lot of discussions lately regarding the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of our children and adolescents. The unsettling reality is that we were experiencing a mental health problem before the pandemic. The impact of quarantine and isolation on the mental health of children and adolescence will have short and long-term consequences and should be acknowledged as a public health crisis. It is the responsibility of health officials, parents, teachers, and school officials, to provide support and resources now and after the pandemic to ensure the health of our students. This paper seeks to demonstrate how the pandemic has further impacted the mental health of our children and adolescents and to provide solutions on addressing this problem.

The Miers Research Award honors the memory and passion for research of John Miers, C’13, a graduate of the University of Richmond School of Professional & Continuing Studies Weekend College program who passed away on June 7, 2019. The award recognizes and encourages excellence among SPCS students in the use of library research skills. Winning papers demonstrate a depth and breadth of effective use of research materials and clear evidence of thoughtful command of these resources.

SPCS undergraduate students are eligible to be nominated for the award, based on a research project completed during an academic year (fall and spring terms). Projects must be nominated by a member of the SPCS faculty, either adjunct or full-time. Selection is made by committee led by Boatwright Library that includes library staff along with SPCS faculty representatives.

A plaque that includes the name of the single annual award winner will be installed in Boatwright Memorial Library, with Shannon Cooke listed as the inaugural recipient. An award certificate is also provided to the winner.