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Student Support & Annual Awards

Apply for WLC Student Support

WLC provides both a Summer Research Award and an Assistantship for which students can apply:

Jack Child Research Award

Awarded to one WLC major or minor who would like to undertake summer fieldwork to advance a major research project. An award of $3,000 is made available annually to cover research expenses, including travel. Students planning to use funds to carry out research on human subjects must have approval by the Institutional Review Board (IRB) prior to the awarding of any funds. Interested students must submit an application (including proposal and preliminary budget) to the Department Chair: Brenda Werth (werth@american.edu) by April 1, 2026 (please contact Professor Werth with any questions or if you cannot access these materials in Canvas):

Jack Child Research Assistantship in Latin American and Spanish Studies

This semester-long research assistantship is designed for a student to assist full-time Spanish faculty with their research in Latin American or Spanish studies. Interested students should contact the Department Chair: Brenda Werth (werth@american.edu)
 

Annual Student Awards

Awarded each spring with no application process.
 

Ruth Joan Baron Linguistics/TESOL Award

Annual award ($250) recognizing an outstanding student who is enrolled in a TESOL program (presently including the TESOL MA, TESOL BA/MA, TESOL minor, TESOL undergraduate certificate, and TESOL graduate certificate) or in the Linguistics minor in the Department of World Languages and Cultures at American University. For more information, please contact TESOL Director Polina Vinogradvoa (vinograd@american.edu).

Outstanding Translation Award

Each year the full-time faculty of the Department of World Languages and Cultures award this cash prize ($300) to a graduating senior completing the Translation Certificate in French, German, Russian, and Spanish.

Undergraduate Achievement Award

Each year the full-time faculty of the Department of World Languages and Cultures award this cash prize ($400) to a graduating senior majoring or minoring in Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Linguistics, Russian, Spanish, for outstanding academic achievement.

  • Ruth Joan Baron Linguistics/TESOL Award
    Ronald Taylor
  • Arabic: Jack Child Undergraduate Achievement Award
    Elizabeth Krapf
  • Chinese: Jack Child Undergraduate Achievement Award
    Owen O’Malley
  • French: Jack Child Undergraduate Achievement Award
    Henry Lavinder
  • French: Jack Child Outstanding Translation Award
    Aaron Shires
  • German: Jack Child Undergraduate Achievement Award
    Vincent Hanrahan
  • Italian Cultural Society of Washington DC Cesarina Horing Awards:
    Arianna Mancuso & Joseph Oliva
  • Jack Child Undergraduate Achievement Award
    Nicole Ciserella
  • Japanese: Jack Child Undergraduate Achievement Award
    Jiji Fink
  • Korean: Jack Child Undergraduate Achievement Award
    Emma Knapp
  • Korean: Washington Yoon Dong-Ju Literature Society Award
    Olivia Lancaster
  • Russian: Jack Child Undergraduate Achievement Award
    Aliia Wilder
  • Spanish: Jack Child Undergraduate Achievement Award Name
    Selene Malench
  • Jack Child Outstanding Translation Award
    Sarah Husseini