Literary Competition Winners 2025-2026

Congratulations to the winners of the Alpha Delta Phi Foundation Annual Undergraduate and Alumni Literary Competitions for the 2025-2026 Academic Year.

2025-2026 Undergraduate Competition Winners

Grand Prize: Daniel Pearl Award for Literary Excellence

Fiction

  1. Maya Nelson, Brown University 2027 for “Finding Eden”
  2. Madeline O’Connor, Ursinus College 2026 for “Mud Crusted Collar”
  3. Grace Turza, George Washington University 2026 for “The Curious Case of Mr Charles Cerulean: File No #1697”

Non-Fiction

  1. Madison Daggett, George Washington University 2026 for “Critical Appraisal: Psychosocial Outcomes Associated with Childhood Apraxia of Speech”
  2. Grace Turza, George Washington University 2026 for “Guinevere’s Shifting Roles in Medieval Arthurian Literature”
  3. Grace Turza, George Washington University 2026 for “The Preservation of Sasanian Persian Artistic Techniques in Nishapur’s Islamic Era”

Poetry

  1. Maya Nelson, Brown University 2027 for “American Mary”
  2. Lisa Lam, Brown University 2029 for “House Rules” and “Interstate 93”
  3. Lisa Lam, Brown University 2029 for “Indigo”

Personal Essay & Narrative

  1. Maya Nelson, Brown University 2027 for “Upward Facing”
  2. Maya Nelson, Brown University 2027 for “One More Story”
  3. Maya Nelson, Brown University 2027 for “When Childhood Ends”

Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) Writing

  1. Logan Reich, Massachusetts Institute of Technology 2028 for “A Changing Climate for the National Flood Insurance Problem: How to Fix NFIP”
  2. Logan Reich, Massachusetts Institute of Technology 2028 for “Exoplanet Discovery”
  3. Logan Reich, Massachusetts Institute of Technology 2028 for “A ‘Digital Lorax’: AI for Environmental Justice, Permitting, and Siting”

Photography

  1. First Place TIE: Bowen Hu, University of California, Berkeley 2028 for a collection depicting Vancouver
  2. First Place TIE: Timothy Ryer, Brown University 2029 for a collection depicting the Coloradan Rockies
  3. Second Place TIE: Khushi Hemrajani, George Washington University 2026 for a collection featuring “The Loneliest Thing in the Field”
  4. Second Place TIE: Maureen Klaiber, Brown University 2027 for a collection depicting travels

Visual Art

  1. First Place TIE: Anya Malhotra, George Washington University 2029 for “Orchid”
  2. First Place TIE: Eshing Ji, Massachusetts Institute of Technology 2028 for life study including “Fruits”, “All the Time That Has Passed” and other works
  3. Second Place TIE: Abigail Wahl, Brown University 2027 for “Junior Dorm”
  4. Second Place TIE: Maison Teixeira, Brown University 2027 for “El jardín de mi abuela”
  5. No award given

Music and Lyrics

  1. Maureen Klaiber, Brown University 2027 for “her poor heart” (lyrics)
  2. Maureen Klaiber, Brown University 2027 for “Dear Eva” (lyrics)
  3. Maureen Klaiber, Brown University 2027 for “our privilege” (lyrics)

Film

  1. Maison Teixeira, Brown University 2027 for “Suspicious”
  2. Sophia Weber, George Washington University 2028 for “(de)(re)composition: a short film”

2025-2026 Alumni Competition Winners

Fiction

  1. First place TIE: Nessa Burns Reifsnyder, Bowdoin College 1986 for “Bill and Nell” — Award to charity
  2. First place TIE: Dorian Hart, Wesleyan University 1991 for “Blindfold” — Award to charity
  3. Third place: Dorian Hart, Wesleyan University 1991 for “Xenia” — Award to charity

Non-Fiction

  1. Sydney Pearson, Brown University 2025 for “Every Road” — Award to charity
  2. Jon Vick, Hamilton College 1964 for “My Last Call for Alcohol” — Award to charity
  3. Third place TIE: Dorian Hart, Wesleyan University 1991 for “Lucy and the Gold Coin” — Award to charity
  4. Third place TIE: Michelle Katz, Wesleyan University 2009 for “Why the Rabbinical College Went to Church (Rd): A Case Study of Linguistic Differentiation Regarding RRC’s 1982 Relocation” — Award to charity

Poetry

  1. Brett Zalkan, Bowdoin College 1987 for “C-Section” — Award to charity
  2. Dea Hunsicker, Wesleyan University 2002 for “Seventeen” — Award to charity

Photography

  1. Steven Krisky, Union College 1980 for “Collection ft. Sunflowers, Acadia, Vines, and Superman” — Award to charity
  2. Jim Sabo, Bowdoin College 1992 for “A Day with the Fae” — Award to charity

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