TSEM Information Literacy Award Winners
Fall 2025
Allison Witt, sophomore history major, is the winner of Albert S. Cook Library’s TSEM Information Literacy Award for the Fall 2025 semester. Her research paper titled “Dominion Over the Fish: Christian Viewpoints on the Water Crisis” was written for Dr. Maria Brown’s TSEM 190: Water as a Global Problem. Dr. Brown nominated Witt for the award because she “was excited and engaged with this project at every step. She thoroughly enjoyed the research process and delved deep into primary sources. She wrote a compelling and mature analysis of the complex role of Christianity in the global water crisis.”
Witt impressed the TSEM Award Committee with her well-researched paper. She thoughtfully integrated a variety of authoritative sources to build a strong analysis of Christianity and the water crisis.
Spring 2026
Sophomore Haley Lederman’s research paper “The Impact of College STEM Courses on Undergraduates’ Well-Being and Mental Health,” is the Spring 2026 winner of Albert S. Cook Library’s TSEM Information Literacy Award. The forensic chemistry major completed her research paper for Professor Patrick Pyott’s TSEM 102: Living a Meaningful Life: Well-Being & Occupation. When asked how the Cook Library supported her research, Lederman shared “The library’s resources and services played a major role in my research process. I was able to utilize Cook Library One Search to find the majority of my sources. Additionally, going to the Writing Center allowed me to fix up my paper and get an idea of what I should work on.”
Along with choosing an interesting topic, the TSEM Award Committee selected Lederman as the winner because she presented a well-organized research paper and did an excellent job citing credible and relevant sources.
To see past award winners, visit the Towson Seminar Information Literacy Award Collection in our Institutional Repository, ScholarWorks@Towson.