The Washington Semester Program is a selective, semester-long program offered in Washington, D.C., through Holy Cross. The program welcomes students from all disciplines, and it allows them to have the opportunity to work with national leaders, engage in independent research, and live in the stimulating environment of Washington, D.C.
The Maurizio Vannicelli Washington Semester Away Program Award is given each semester in honor of the late Holy Cross Political Science professor and Washington Semester director, Maurizio Vannicelli, for the best research paper produced in the Washington Semester Away Program. The recipient of the prize is accorded the opportunity to give a public lecture at the College on his or her thesis. In addition, the recipient receives a bound copy of the thesis and is presented the book award during Commencement exercises.
Theses from 2023
Family First: Kinship Care as a Gold Standard, Ava Cloghessy
Uplifting an Invisible Population: How We Can Combine Psychology and Policy to Improve the Educational and Mental Health Outcomes of Homeless Youth, Melissa Hamilton
You Have the Right to Remain Uneducated: The Role of Lobbying in Subverting Anti-Racist Curricula, Liam Martin
Theses from 2022
For better or for worse? Impacts of Marriage Equality Policy on LGBTQ+ Mental Health, Mia Gajda
The United States Military’s Role in Maintaining National Security During the Height of the “War on Drugs”, Sara Terrien
Theses from 2016
Resettling Syrian Refugees in the U.S.: Regional Stability and Saving Lives, Alexander Kochenburger