Announcing the 2025 CIR Honors Thesis Award Winners

We are delighted to recognize the 2025 CIR Honors Thesis Award winners, whose projects represent the highest level of achievement in our program. The thesis is a year-long endeavor that challenges students to pursue original research, develop sophisticated arguments, and contribute fresh perspectives to pressing questions in international relations and beyond.

Earning the honors designation for the thesis requires sustained intellectual commitment and creativity. Students work closely with faculty mentors to refine their ideas, conduct in-depth research, and craft polished written work that demonstrates both analytical rigor and critical insight. The process demands not only strong academic skills but also perseverance, curiosity, and the ability to navigate complex problems from start to finish.

This year’s awardees exemplify those qualities. Their theses stand out for the depth of their research, the clarity of their analysis, and the boldness of their contributions. We are proud to honor their accomplishments and to celebrate their spirit of inquiry and excellence.

Please join us in congratulating the 2025 CIR Honors Thesis Award recipients on this significant milestone!
 

Anna-Marie Ahn: "Transgressing Decorum: Norm Violations and North Korean Self-Identity"

Lavinia Cavalet: "Public Spending and Education: Understanding Italy's Lag in Tertiary Education Attainment"

Andrea Giacomini: “How Law Provides for Its Own Failure: 'Overpass Norms,' Habitus, and Rhetorical Practice”

Mikayel Kamendatyan: "Power Perception Paradox: Legitimacy and the Reinterpretation of Soft Power"

Reem Katrib: "Voices from the Frontlines: The Securitization of Healthcare Workers in Conflict Settings"

Nat Larsen: "Stealth Authoritarianism: A Comparative Analysis of Surveillance Laws in the United States and Türkiye"

Izza Malik: "Censorship’s Diminishing Effects in Competitive Authoritarian Regimes: Evidence from Pakistan"

Leonardo Moraveg: "An Enigma: Mexico’s Persistence with Weak Institutions"

Noah Morgan: "The Same Fight Two Ways: An Investigation of Tactical Innovation in the Skies over Vietnam”

Gabriel Pimsler: "Wartime Adaptation: The Case of Media Regulation in Ukraine in the Wake of Russia’s Invasion"

Danyah Thnaibat: "Contesting the Liberal Peace: Temporal Disruption and Youth Agency in Peace Education Frameworks"

Audrey Weckwerth: "Depths of Locality: Narrative Complexity and Discourse Stratification in Oaxaca’s Water Crisis"

Helen Wu: "Prediction Markets as Sociotechnical Assemblages: Specialized Competition and the Financialization of Uncertainty"