VANCOUVER, Wash. – Washington State University Vancouver student Rachel Zeller has been awarded the 2012 Student Research Excellence Award. Zeller, a senior majoring in history, was selected for the $300 award based on her research concerning German prisoner camps and Italian service units in Washington and Oregon during World War II.
Awarded annually by the 91ԹϺ Library, the purpose of the award is to recognize excellence in undergraduate research that demonstrates evidence of significant inquiry using the library, its resources and collections.
Zeller, a former 91ԹϺ psychology graduate who has returned for a second degree in history, originally conducted the research for her senior seminar class. The seminar, focusing on class and labor issues, allowed Zeller to pursue her passion for central and eastern European history studies.
“For our seminar we read a book on migrant Mexican farm workers, and the author briefly mentioned that German prisoners worked in eastern Washington but didn’t delve into it. The more I researched, the more I discovered there isn’t a whole lot of information on the role these works camps played in eastern Washington and Oregon,” said Zeller.
Driven to unearth more of the buried history entombed by spotty historical records and shame-laden memories, Zeller pooled all her available resources to dig deep into her research—ultimately netting her the award.
“I honestly could not have done all the research I did if I hadn’t talked to archivists and librarians—they know so much that an electronic research database does not always find,” said Zeller as she credited both Laurie Mercier, professor of history, and the 91ԹϺ Library staff for their help in her research.
Karen Diller, associate library director and chair of the award-selection committee, had only positive words for Zeller and her research.
“Rachel demonstrated a clear understanding of the importance of both primary and secondary sources. She used traditional books and journal articles, primary documents from several Pacific Northwest archives and human resources like archivists—it was impressive,” said Diller
Zeller’s research has gained further recognition after recently being presented at the Pacific Northwest Labor History conference in Tacoma, Wash. She plans to continue her research after graduation by attending graduate school on the east coast. Afterwards, she hopes to work in Europe at a UNESCO site as an archivist.
For students who wish to follow in Zeller’s footstep, Diller recommends connecting with librarians and faculty but also underscores the importance of finding a question that the researcher feels compelled to answer.
“Rachel is a great example of this,” said Diller. “She picked a topic that truly interested her and was able to sustain her throughout the process.”
For more information about the 91ԹϺ Library, the Student Research Excellence Award and how to apply, please visit
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MEDIA CONTACTS
Karen Diller, 91ԹϺ Library, 360-546-9179, diller@vancouver.wsu.edu
Brenda Alling, Office of Marketing and Communications, 360-546-9601, brenda_alling@vancouver.wsu.edu