Weatherford, OK – Lola Bruner, a senior history major at Southwestern Oklahoma State University (SWOSU), won first place for Best Undergraduate Paper in American History at the Oklahoma Regional Phi Alpha Theta conference on April 25. Her paper, “The Psychological Scars of World War II: How the Battle of Hürtgen Forest Shaped Psychiatry,” earned top honors in the category.

This is the second year in a row that a SWOSU student has won first place in that category at the regional conference.

“Lola’s work is an excellent example of the dedication and passion SWOSU History majors have for the discipline,” said Dr. Fred B. Gates, Chair of the Department of Social Sciences. “She has worked very hard during her time here, and this award is a culmination of her career at SWOSU.”

The annual event brings together undergraduate and graduate students to present research, receive feedback from faculty evaluators, and engage with peers in the discipline. The conference includes participants from institutions such as the University of Oklahoma, Oklahoma State University, and other universities across the state.

Phi Alpha Theta is the national honor society for historians, with chapters at colleges and universities throughout the country. The organization holds regional conferences that support undergraduate and graduate research.

At SWOSU, history students develop skills in research, source analysis and critical thinking while studying historical perspectives across time periods and regions.

For more information about the Department of Social Sciences at SWOSU, visit https://www.swosu.edu/social-sciences/.

About Southwestern Oklahoma State University

Southwestern Oklahoma State University (SWOSU) was founded in 1901 and offers over 100 undergraduate and graduate programs across three locations in Weatherford, Sayre, and Yukon. The university serves over 5,000 scholars and prides itself on affordability, small class sizes, and over 200 faculty and staff committed to helping students achieve their academic and personal goals.

For more information about Southwestern Oklahoma State University, visit www.swosu.edu.

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