Howard J. Baumgartel Peace and Justice Award

Overview

The Howard J. Baumgartel Peace and Justice Award is an annual award to support the master’s research project, thesis, or dissertation research of a graduate student in the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences or the School of Business whose interests, achievements, and talents are in the peace and justice field. The award amount is $1,500.  

Examples of appropriate interests for this award are the social scientific study of, or the application of social scientific knowledge to: peace studies, conflict resolution, social action, human problems in the world of work, race and ethnic relations, and issues faced by developing nations.

Call for Nominations

Eligibility

Any master’s or doctoral student in the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences or the School of Business who is engaged in a master’s research project, thesis, or dissertation research during Summer 2026, Fall 2026, or Spring 2027 is eligible to apply.  The student's enrollment during the term of the award must comply with University and departmental requirements. Faculty advisors are encouraged to nominate eligible students.  Self- nominations are accepted.

The Supporting Documents:

All nominations must include the following:

  1. Online nomination form completed by a representative of the graduate program or, in the case of self-nomination, by the student.
  2. An up-to-date curriculum vitae.
  3. A one to two-page description of the thesis or dissertation research topic which addresses the following:
    1. Describe the research proposal and its connections to the field of peace and justice in language to be understood by an interdisciplinary audience.
    2. State how the monetary award will be used to fund the applicant’s research.
    3. Provide a timeline explaining when the research will be carried out. 
  4. A letter of support from the advisor, DGS, or department chair addressing the nominee’s interest in the field of peace and justice and potential for contributions to the field.

If you have questions or would like more information, please email collegeawards@ku.edu or call 785-864-4201

Deadlines and Nomination Form

Nomination packets must be submitted as one PDF by noon (12:00pm) on Friday, April 3, 2026 using the online form. Late nominations will not be accepted.
Submit a Nomination Submit a Nomination

Current Year Awardees

Jeevan Bains

Jeevan Bains, Clinical Child Psychology

Jeevan's doctoral research contributes to the field of peace and justice by addressing mechanisms that sustain cycles of harm among justice-involved youth. Many adolescents in the juvenile justice system have experienced significant victimization, yet their behaviors are often addressed through punitive responses that overlook how trauma shapes social perception and behavior. Difficulties in accurately interpreting others' emotions can increase the likelihood of misperceiving threats, escalating interpersonal conflict, and engaging in reactive aggression.

Conversely, reduced sensitivity to others’ distress may limit empathy and prosocial responding. By identifying how trauma shapes these emotion recognition processes, this project supports the development of interventions that improve social understanding, reduce conflict, and promote safer interactions. Since trauma exposure is closely tied to systemic inequities, improving how institutions respond to trauma-related differences in social processing is critical for advancing more equitable outcomes. Ultimately, Jeevan's work advances understanding of how trauma shapes emotion recognition and, in turn, adjustment outcomes among justice-involved youth. By identifying mechanisms that contribute to both anxiety and aggression, this research aims to inform interventions that reduce harm, improve social functioning, and promote more equitable and just systems of care.

Alexa Paredes, Film and Media Studies

Alexa's work explores the use of cinema as a tool of political communication for grassroots Indigenous communities in the Amazon region in Ecuador. Alexa analyzes Tawna Cine, an Ecuadorian film collective formed by Kichwa, Sápara, and mestizo artists, filmmakers, and activists, making cinema from and for Amazon communities. Their work can be situated within the framework of eco-territorial cinema: a form of filmmaking embedded within broader collective strategies aimed at resisting neo-extractivist practices.

Tawna Cine’s work advances a decolonial praxis centered on reclaiming visual sovereignty and environmental justice. Their practice, Alexa argues, extends the commitments of Third Cinema in the 1960s and 1970s in South America, centered on political consciousness and collective resistance, while expanding them into ecological struggles. This project approaches manifestations of Third Cinema as a form of peace and justice work, analyzing how community-based filmmaking challenges structural inequalities and supports processes of self-determination in contexts where state and corporate interests often marginalize Indigenous voices. Cinema, in this sense, becomes a space for mediating conflict, preserving collective memory, and articulating alternative futures grounded in ecological sustainability and community autonomy.

Past Awardees

Nader Hakim, Psychology (2018)

Austin Charron, Geography and Atmospheric Science (2017)