Elizabeth Blackwell, M.D., Undergraduate Award

Made possible by the generosity of Dr. Barbara “Penny” Kanner, the Elizabeth Blackwell, M.D., Undergraduate Award provides a $1000 prize to one undergraduate for an outstanding research report, thesis, dissertation or a published article on a topic pertaining to women, health, or women in health-related sciences.Leslie Marie Schwartz recently graduated Summa Cum Laude with a B.A. in Mass Communications and a double minor in Education Studies and Applied Developmental Psychology from UCLA. Completing both College and Departmental Honors, Schwartz was also recognized as one of the UCLA Alumni Association Distinguished Seniors as well as a BruinLife Senior of the Year. She submitted her undergraduate departmental honors senior thesis entitled “Semiotic Intersections Between Gender Violence and the Media: How Violence Against Women is Normalized and Perpetuated Through Syntax and Semantics” for consideration. This essay was published in the Spring 2007 edition of Westwind/Aleph, UCLA’s Undergraduate Research Journal. In the Fall, she will begin graduate work in the Higher Education and Organizational Change division of the UCLA Graduate School of Education & Information Studies in the new M.Ed. in Student Affairs program. Ultimately, Schwartz hopes to work with students in the area of leadership development in order to inspire future generations to use their skills and talents to improve society in positive ways.