Since 2017, the UC Merced Library has offered an award to undergraduate students who demonstrate excellence in library research and use. This year, the Carter Joseph Abrescy and Larry Kranich Library Award for Student Research Excellence was awarded to Ashley Ratcliff-Winn and Darian Andrade-Diaz.
Ashley Ratcliff-Winn is a 4th year psychology major currently in her last semester at UC Merced. During her time at UC Merced, she has spent many hours utilizing the many resources that the University Library has to offer. During her summer as a UROC-Humanities scholar, Ashley spent countless hours scouring library databases as well as using interlibrary loan services to gain access to original works that aided in her research projects focused on the cultural practices of Colombian and Venezuelan cattle herders. Ashley has recently published a literary review, “Prevalence of and Risk Factors for Nervios and other Psychological Disparities in Mexican Migrant Farm Workers” (2023).
Ashley is a member of Sigma Theta Psi Multicultural Sorority and president of the Nicotine and Cannabis Policy Center Club. She also volunteers in the IMPACT Lab and the Kings County Public Health Department while finishing her undergraduate degree.
Ashley is looking forward to continuing her education and has applied to Fresno State’s Masters program and for a PhD program at UC Merced. She plans on becoming a Licensed Marriage and Family Counselor after graduate school.
Darian Andrade-Diaz is a 4th year student, studying History with a minor in Critical Race and Ethnic Studies. He is from East Palo Alto, California. Throughout the course “Topics in Regional or State History: Research” taught by Dr. David Rouff, Darian used the Sequoia and Kings Canyon (SEKI) National Parks archive, housed by the University Library, to create a narrative based on primary source readings. His paper, “Assimilating an Indigenous Perspective in Sequoia Kings Canyon National Parks,” uses historical context and evaluations of institutions to identify the incomplete transmission of information about the native people who inhabited the park. In his paper, Darian argues that the formation of Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks occurred in an era when racism and xenophobia informed the perspectives of Americans. The educational materials created by the park administration and the practices of policies in that period reveal a pattern of active whitewashing of indigenous perspectives. Darian is looking forward to exploring the relationships between the National Park Service in California and the transmission of indigenous histories in graduate school.
Darian chose to attend UC Merced because of the unrivaled opportunities for undergraduate research provided at this institution. He is thankful to be able to take advantage of these great opportunities and advance in his pursuit of a Ph.D.
A public reception to honor the achievements of Ashley and Darian will take place on Friday, March 22, 2024, at 1:30pm on the third floor of the Library near the Four Seasons of Yosemite stained glass murals. All are welcome to attend.
On behalf of the University Library and the Abrescy, Breland and Kranich families, many thanks to Award committee members and all in the Library for their hard work and commitment to student success!
