Mason Liu, Pranusha Ataluru, Gwyn Lando, and Ayo Aladesanmi, students in Dr. Neefe's English 1102 class entitled "Romanticism's Social Media," were the winner's of the School of Literature, Media, and Communication's prestigious William Gilmer Perry Award, which is awarded to the most outstanding paper or project produced in an English 1101 or 1102 course. The students' project, "Staying Classy: The Introduction of Gossip-Based Social Media to Highbury," was acknowledge for its “clear, persuasive prose,” combining an “imaginative” and creative lens with “strong critical thinking” and writing that made it “a pleasure to read.” As one faculty reader praised: “These students’ ability to identify a real-life problem in fiction and supply a solution using modern technology is impressive. The way that they approach gossip in Jane Austen’s Emma has the potential both to make the novel relevant to new audiences” and invites readers to “reconsider their own interactions with social media.”

Dr. Neefe and her students were honored at LMC's annual James Dean Young Awards Dinner, which took place Wednesday, April 20 in the Crowne Plaza.