Doctoral students win folklore society awards

Two Penn State Harrisburg American Studies doctoral students received awards from the American Folklore Society Oct. 15 at the society’s annual conference in Bloomington, Ind.

Spencer L. Green, of Provo, Utah, received the William Wells Newell Prize for his paper, “Disastrous Alternatives: Boy Scout Disaster Stories and Legends and Imagining the Natural World.” During the conference, Green presented his paper, which was published in the “Children’s Folklore Review.” Green is the second consecutive Penn State Harrisburg student to win the prize, an international competition run annually since 1980.

Amy K. Milligan, of Manheim, Pa., won the Raphael Patai Prize in Jewish Folklore and Ethnologyfor her essay, "Wearing Many Hats: Head-Covering Practices of Orthodox Jewish Women." As a result of the prize, her essay will be published in the “Jewish Cultural Studies” series by Littman Library of Jewish Civilization in Oxford, England. Milligan is one of two recipients of this year’s endowed award, also an international competition.

Based at Ohio State University, the American Folklore Society is an international association of people who study folklore and seek to broaden its understanding. More than 700 folklorists attend its annual meeting to exchange ideas and to recognize outstanding work.