As Ohio State’s trusted hub for rigorous and respectful discussion on the ethical challenges that shape our university and the broader community, the Center for Ethics and Human Values is pleased to sponsor two awards for research on ethical themes presented at the annual Denman Undergraduate Research Forum.

The Center for Ethics and Human Values Award recognizes exemplary undergraduate research in moral and political philosophy or on applied ethical questions underlying contentious social issues and policies. Our 2026 winners are:

1. Ejuan Kendrick (Glenn College of Public Affairs) for his project “The Policing Pendulum: Role Change from Drug Enforcement to Harm Reduction
2. Brienna Marcy (Criminology and Criminal Justice Studies, ASC) for her project “Political Violent Extremism in America: A Descriptive Analysis from 2020-2024”

The Civil Discourse for Citizenship Award recognizes exemplary undergraduate research on the theoretical or practical challenges facing democratic societies defined by ethical and political disagreement. Our 2026 winners are:

1. Alison Gruber (Psychology, ASC) for her project “Motivated Source Confusion” 
2. Jasmine Freeman (Psychology, ASC) for her project “Political Polarization in Jury Decision-Making” 

Congratulations to our winners!