THE MARLEIGH GRAYER RYAN COLLEGE STUDENT WRITING PRIZE
The New York Conference on Asian Studies (NYCAS) encourages the development of the skills of scholarly writing by awarding annual prizes for excellent student papers dealing with Asia. Two such prizes are awarded each year, one to an undergraduate student and one to a graduate student. Runners-up are named in each category.
The prizes honor the outstanding service of Dr. Marleigh Grayer Ryan, former Dean of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Professor of Japanese Literature, and Coordinator of Asian Studies at SUNY New Paltz; and longtime Executive Secretary of NYCAS
2026 COMPETITION INFORMATION
Eligibility: Undergraduate and graduate students at a college or university in New York State.
Field: East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, Asia in diaspora, and Asian American studies.
Awards: The First Prize winners in the Undergraduate and Graduate categories each will receive a $100 prize.
The Graduate Paper Prize winner will receive a complimentary one-year membership to the Association for Asian Studies and will be eligible to participate on a panel sponsored by the AAS Council on Conferences at the AAS annual meeting.
The winning papers will be published on the NYCAS website and considered for presentation in a panel at a future NYCAS meeting.
Format of papers: Papers should include a cover page giving the title of the paper, the student’s name, category, institution, and contact information (including current email and permanent mailing address).
Submission of papers: A student may submit only one entry. Papers may be submitted by the student author or by a faculty member acting on behalf of a student. A faculty member may not provide any evaluative comments at the time of nomination.
Papers should be submitted by email attachment only. Include an abstract of up to 150 words. Undergraduate papers are limited to 40 pages. Graduate papers are limited to 60 pages.
A submitted paper should stand alone and not be a segment of a larger work, such as a Senior Thesis, Masters’ Thesis, or Doctoral Dissertation.
Please include a completed cover sheet with your application. Attach the pdf cover sheet along with your paper in your submission email.
Entry deadline: June 1, 2026
Notification of awards by July 15, 2026
Submit papers by email attachment to:
Professor Tiantian Zheng, Chair
NYCAS Marleigh Grayer Ryan Prize Committee
tiantian.zheng@cortland.edu
Application Form: MGRAppForm2026
NYCAS Congratulates the Winners of the 2025 Writing Prize Competition!
Graduate Prize Winner
Ryan Wen, Syracuse University
Abstract: Asians are often depicted in American media as successful in professions and academics, disciplined, and reserved, fitting the model minority stereotype. However, this portrayal overlooks their marginalization in social movements, policymaking, and research. This critical study examines how the model minority stereotype impacts the healthcare access of Asians in the United States, revealing systemic oppression in several ways. First, Asians have been used to perpetuate colorblind racism, belittling African and Hispanic communities. Second, the stereotype homogenizes Asian ethnicities, imposing narrow definitions of success originating from Japanese and Chinese communities onto all groups. This pressure contributes to mental health issues and risky behaviors like substance abuse, as Asians in the States may avoid seeking help to maintain the model minority image. Third, healthcare providers influenced by this stereotype may misdiagnose or overlook critical health needs. Lastly, treating Asians as a monolithic category can lead to biased research and exclusionary health policies.
Graduate Honorable Mention Winner
Jenny Pászik, Syracuse University
Abstract: This paper examines depictions of horses in late Chosŏn Korea (1392 – 1910) to explore how horses were used, cared for, and understood. Through analysis of genre paintings which feature horses as transport and those that depict farriery, I investigate the complementary roles of horse and human labour. Consideration of equine diagrams in veterinary manuals reveal aspects of care essential to equine health and frame the body as a site where cosmological belief, anatomical knowledge, and systems of prognostication converge. These works further our understanding of class-based roles in early modern Korean society in relation to these domesticated animals, which acted as essential infrastructure sustaining the function and advancement of society. Produced during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, these sources reflect transregional exchange. Both genre paintings and veterinary manuals drew from Chinese models, yet were produced during an era of distinctly Korean knowledge production and a growing trend of empirical observation of daily life.
Undergraduate Prize Winner
Grace Rosenberger, SUNY New Paltz
Title: “Navigating Relativism: Unraveling Contradictions in Zhuangzi’s Philosophy”
Abstract: This paper explores the philosophical paradox within Zhuangzi’s teachings by focusing on his critique of Confucian morality and his promotion of the Dao as an ethical guide. On one hand, he advocates for moral relativism and suggests that knowledge and values are limited by perspective. On the other hand, he promotes his conception of the Dao as the ideal Dao to follow, creating apparent contradictions. By analyzing parables in the Zhuangzi, Zhuangzi’s relativism can be better understood and examined in order to question the seemingly contradictory sections of the text. This paper will also consider scholarly perspectives that interpret Zhuangzi’s philosophy as either purely contradictory or as a nuanced philosophical teaching that can encourage self-discovery. This discussion emphasizes the ambiguities in Zhuangzi’s texts, debating whether his stance ultimately promotes genuine moral relativism or if it reveals contradictory beliefs. Finally, despite these tensions, Zhuangzi’s work remains relevant for encouraging individual reflection and exploring self-identity that goes beyond social norms.
Undergraduate Honorable Mention Winner
William Speziale, SUNY New Paltz
Title: “An Introduction to, Analysis of, and Reflection on the practice of Japanese Style Archery”
Abstract: This essay serves as an introduction to, analysis of, and reflection on Japanese traditional style archery, known as Kyudo. Beginning with the history and meaning of Kyudo in Japan as an alternative form of archery with focused value on cultivating oneself physically, mentally, and/or spiritually, an introduction to the historical and cultural contexts in which this practice exists is made. This section also includes morphological contextualization of the bow and arrows found in Kyudo, as well as how these morphologies differ from other regional counterparts. Further analyses is then made as to the process of the form, and spiritual associations that are often made with respect to how such associations are commonly interpreted. Finally, a personal reflection on the international experience is made. The reflection and analyses here are representative of an international experience at the Kanazawa University Kyudo club, and are presented as a single experience out of many.