Liberty Student Wins Prestigious Award for Paper on the Romanov Family

Liberty University graduate student Emily Parrow won the 2020 Nels Cleven Founder’s prize for her paper, “From Extravagance to Exile: The Influential Life of Empress Marie Feodorovna and the Fall of the Romanov Dynasty.” This prize is awarded to student members of Phi Alpha Theta for writing an exemplary paper.

Parrow said her paper details the story of Empress Marie Feodorovna, mother to Czar Nicholas II. Feodorovna witnessed the end of the Russian Imperial Period and subsequent overthrow of the Romanov dynasty.

“Though many historians have duly examined the fall of the Romanovs, I was surprised to discover a lack of focused secondary scholarship on Marie Feodorovna,” Parrow said. “She was an extraordinary woman who lived an incredibly storied life, and I was interested in learning more about her contributions to Russian history.”

Parrow decided to submit her paper to the national honor society contest after winning an award at the 2020 regional conference.

“Every year, Dr. Snead, our chapter’s faculty advisor, encourages students to take advantage of these great opportunities and submit their work,” Parrow said. “I initially submitted this paper to the 2020 Phi Alpha Theta Regional Conference at East Carolina State University and received one of three graduate prizes. After that initial success, I was encouraged to submit it to the national competition.”

Winning the Nels Cleven Founder’s award came as a surprise to Parrow.

“So many talented students submit their work to this competition each year,” she said. “To be selected from such a group is humbling, to say the least. I feel incredibly blessed and thankful.”

Parrow has gained recognition not only as a member of Phi Alpha Theta, but also as a student at Liberty University. Dr. Sam Smith, the Residential Chair of the History Department, has reviewed Parrow’s work.

“I’ve had her for different classes,” Smith said. “So when I ask for evaluations of pieces that they’ve read or a book that they’ve read or something like that, I’ve always noticed that she’s very prepared.”

Phi Alpha Theta, a national honor society for history, affords participants exciting opportunities, such as field trips, competitions and sharing their research with other chapters. Dr. David Snead, professor of History, is the faculty advisor for Liberty’s chapter of Phi Alpha Theta.

According to Snead, the chapter has experienced great success both on a member-level and as a whole. Every year since 2010, except for once, at least one Liberty student has won a national paper contest prize. Additionally, the Liberty chapter of Phi Alpha Theta has won a best chapter award for their category four times over the past 10 years.

Despite the challenges that 2020 has brought, the members of Phi Alpha Theta at Liberty University are still finding ways engage with each other and grow in their academic excellence.

“Phi Alpha Theta provides many academic and professional opportunities,” Parrow said. “I have been able to travel across the country to present my research, for example, and have received constructive feedback on my (work). But my favorite part about being a member is the sense of community. Liberty’s chapter of Phi Alpha Theta is made up of a wonderful, brilliant and encouraging group of people, and I’m proud to know them.”

Abigail Hamilton is a News Reporter.