Anthropology Undergraduate Prize Winners Calendar Year 2025
Each year, the Department of Anthropology recognises the best papers submitted by undergraduate students for a class or a capstone in the fields of archaeology (Elden Johnson Prize), biological anthropology (Neil C. Tappen Prize), and sociocultural anthropology (Robert F. Spencer Prize). Papers are nominated by faculty members teaching the course or advising the capstone project in which the paper was written, and all submissions are evaluated by the Undergraduate Committee. Please join us in congratulating the following students for exceptionally well-researched, well-written, and creative projects submitted for a course or capstone during the 2025 calendar year!
Robert F. Spencer Prize in Sociocultural Anthropology for 2025
Sage Filmore
"Founding Femmes: A Comparative Analysis of Eve and Skywoman”
Professor David Lipset, who nominated the paper, wrote that “Sage Filmore developed the topic on her own and then went on to the research for a very creative, thoughtful paper which contrasts foundational origin stories for the Judeo-Christian West and the Iroquois as a way of thinking about their different relationships to the environment.”
Another evaluator noted “delightful storytelling and frequent acute observations along the way, such as how ‘society already exists’ in the tale of the Skywoman while Genesis tells the tale of creation of the world ‘from scratch’.”
Sage graduated with a BA in Anthropology and a minor in Sustainability Studies in December 2025. She is a competitive figure skater and coach who plans to pursue a PhD in Sport Anthropology, focusing on figure skating. Sage is a TA for Sustainable People, Sustainable Planet (SUST3003). Her other academic interests include studying paradigms of the natural world and how capitalism and patriarchy are embedded in systems of power and oppression, and our everyday lives, especially for women and girls in sport.
Neil C. Tappen Prize in Biological Anthropology for 2025
Kayli Phillips
"Make love, or war: male investment in weapons and sperm in Platyrrhine primates,”
Professor Michelle Brown, who nominated Kayli’s paper, wrote that “Kayli's project is a creative and careful examination of whether male primates invest more heavily in their testes or canine teeth, as alternate strategies for competing over female mates.”
In the future, Kayli hopes to work in artifact conservation and analysis, in a museum or in a research setting. She grew up loving museums and hopes to work in museums in the future, making history and exhibits accessible and exciting for the public. After graduation, she plans to participate in a bioarchaeology field school at Ohio State University before beginning her job search for a full-time position in the field!
