The annual Peter Burton Hanson Writing Awards are named in the honor and the memory of English alumnus Peter Burton Hanson (SSH ’91), who perished along with his wife, Sue Kim, and young daughter, Christine Lee, aboard United Airlines 175, on September 11, 2001. Peter’s life and values are remembered through these events and awards. The Department of English is deeply grateful to Peter’s parents, Lee and Eunice Hanson, for their generosity in endowing the Peter Burton Hanson Lecture and Writing Awards.
Awards for Scholarly, Creative, and Other Works in 2025-2026
In the Category of Scholarly Writing:
Winner: “Tragedy and Integrity: Framing Elizabeth Holmes in the Courtroom” written by Keira Cooney for Dr. Elizabeth Britt in ENGL 3325 Rhetoric of Law, Spring 2025
Winner: “The Shape of Remembering: Memory and Perspective in Literary Narratives” written by Aidan Henderson for Dr. Patrick Mullen in ENGL 1400 Introduction to Literary Studies, Fall 2025
In the Category of Creative Writing:
Winner: “Sacrosanct” written by Benjamin Rosenfeldt for Dr. Tarushi Sonthalia in ENGL 2520 Science Fiction, Fall 2025
Honorable Mention: “My Rib” written by Adeline Hanson for Dr. Lori Lefkovitz in ENGL 3678 Bedrooms and Battlefields: Sex, Gender, and Ethnicity in the Hebrew Bible, Fall 2025
Honorable Mention: “Bom & Yong” written by Madeline Koo for Dr. Tarushi Sonthalia in ENGL 2520 Science Fiction, Fall 2025
In the Category of “Other”:
Winner: “Leftover Lessons from My Beli” written by Keira Cooney for Dr. Neal Learner in ENGL 3375 Writing Boston, Fall 2025
Honorable Mention: “Queerness in Pre-Colombian Peru” written by Silas Rutherford for Dr. Nicole Guidotti-Hernandez in LACS1220 Latino, Latin American, and Caribbean Studies, Fall 2025
In honor of Peter Burton Hanson’s life, we would also like to share a speech given by a high school friend of Peter’s, Vanessa Elias, delivered most recently at their school’s 20th anniversary ceremony: