Humanities Dean's Excellence Award

Humanities Dean’s Excellence Awards are given at the dean’s discretion to support student success in and beyond the classroom. Awards are given to students with financial need who demonstrate exceptional scholarship and a strong passion for the study of the humanities.

Ann C. Niland
Literature, Feminist Studies

Ann C Niland is a low-income, re-entry, queer, single parent studying in the Creative Writing Concentration at UCSC. They have been working on stories that examine the difficult and often shamed aspects of identity in order to interrogate the effectiveness of moralities that aren’t capable of taking a holistic consideration of the human condition. Their narratives aim to redirect conscientiously developing readers toward self-examination and communally minded intentions. They consider their work to be the facilitation of community voices, as everything in their life adds to the narratives they craft. They work in, and often braid together, memoir, poetry, sheet music, essay, and many kinds of fiction.

Adria Vidales
Critical Race and Ethnic Studies, Environmental Studies (Agroecology), Education minor

Adria Vidales is a graduating senior and Critical Race and Ethnic Studies & Environmental Studies double major with a minor in Education. At UCSC, Adria was an organizer with the Worker Student Solidarity Coalition on campus, where students fight for liberation and show solidarity with workers everywhere. After graduating, Adria plans on returning to my hometown of Stockton, CA and becoming an ethnic studies educator and community organizer. In her words, "I am extremely grateful for this scholarship and I hope that I can honor the supporters of this award with the work I do to create a more free future."