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Three students have been chosen as the winners of this first-ever competition in the college

What do the liberal arts mean to you?

That was the question at the center of the first-ever College of Arts and Sciences’ art competition at the �鶹ӰԺ. 

The competition, open to all in the college, drew submissions from across the disciplines, from art to astronomy, and educational levels, from incoming first-year students to PhD candidates.

Judged by a panel of experts on creativity, technique and relevance, these winners rose above the rest. They are:

1. Jennifer Washabaugh
2. Jassim Almossalam 
3. Marcella Marsella

As the first, second and third place winners, respectively, these three will be featured in the college’s annual print magazine, on the website, and will receive a cash prize of $200, $100 and $50 for first, second and third places, respectively.

For Washabaugh, the first-place winner, what the liberal arts meant was personal:

“As a dyslexic thinker, my brain primarily relies on visualizations and imagery to understand and process information,” Washabaugh said in an explanation that accompanied her submission. “One of my favorite parts of research is figuring out the best way to visualize results and study designs. I think of it as more of an art project than a statistical chore. Outside of academics, I love to explore these creative realms in my head by making my own art.”

The winning pieces include:

First Place: Perspectives

Artist: Jennifer Washabaugh

Major: Anthropology (Biological Anthropology sub-discipline)

Year of studies: PhD Candidate (sixth year)

Washabaugh graduated from the University of Michigan in 2015 with a BS in evolutionary anthropology and minor in women’s studies. She then joined the graduate program in the Department of Anthropology at CU �鶹ӰԺ, where she completed her MA in 2017, and is a PhD candidate working with Robin Bernstein, associate professor of anthropology. Her dissertation research focuses on the physiological connections between mother and offspring, with a particular focus on human milk bioactive composition, impacts of early life nutritional environments, and infant gut microbial ecology. 

Second Place: Curious Elder

Artist: Jassim Almossalam

Major: Exploratory Studies

Almossalam is a transfer exploratory studies student at CU �鶹ӰԺ. He is planning to pursue a degree in architectural engineering. He is originally from Qatar and has been sketching for almost 10 years and oil painting for one year. He was inspired by mother, who, he says, “is responsible of where I am today as an artist.”

 

Third Place: Devotion

Artist: Marcella Marsella

Major: Painting and Drawing

Year of Studies: First year MFA candidate

Before arriving in Colorado, Marcella Marsella's professional career was diverse to say the least; her roles included line cook at Pizza Hut, zombie in a haunted prison Halloween tour, paddleboat operator at the Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago, and nude model at too many locales to count. She is now a first year MFA candidate in the Painting & Drawing area at CU �鶹ӰԺ.

Fourth Place: Time and Dream

Artist: Bing Huo

Major: Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

Year of Studies: Junior

Fifth Place: The Turtles Can’t Tell

Artist: Katie Waldon

Major: Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

Year of Studies: Transfer student, Junior