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Mallory Hale, 2018 Van Ek Award Winner

A double major in women and gender studies and international affairs, with minors in political science and Arabic, Mallory Hale was chosen for the Jacob Van Ek award for their “flawless academic performance as well as the impressive work they have been doing to build an inclusive climate on our campus,” according to Dr. Deepti Misri.

Mallory is the president of the student club The F-Word as well as an active member of the Gender Justice League student practicum group. They were instrumental in organizing and finding funding for last year’s visit by acclaimed radical trans* South Asian performance artist Alok Vaid-Menon. “Mallory’s commitments indicate to me a genuine effort to work towards gender and racial justice on our campus and beyond,” notes Dr. Misri. 

Additionally, Mallory has worked on campus as a student ambassador, leading tours for prospective students and their families, and as a facilitator for the CU Restorative Justice Program, working with student offenders to repair the harm done by creating actionable plans that help build community. “My work with the Restorative Justice Program has been influential in that it introduced me to a more equitable form of justice, a springboard for my support of prison abolition and the approach I hope to take to my legal career,” shares Mallory.

Mallory’s academic excellence has landed them on the Dean’s list every semester of their CU career. They have received two grants through the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program both under the supervision of WGST associate faculty and political science professor Dr. Michaele Ferguson. The most recent of them was used to fund Mallory’s undergraduate thesis on the discourse surrounding sexual exploitation and abuse on UN peacekeeping missions.

Mallory is also active in the community at large – completing all of the training required to work as a victim advocate for Moving to End Sexual Assault (MESA), providing in-hospital response for victims of sexual abuse, staffing the 24-hour crisis hotline for 40 hours each month, and now working as an intern. Mallory also worked as a campaign intern for Jared Polis’ successful re-election to Congress in 2016. 

Mallory credits their coursework in women and gender studies for introducing them to new subjects and immersing them "in a community that has defined my undergraduate career.” Mallory also notes “the faculty and my peers have modeled for me a healthy approach to public service that I hope to uphold.”

Following graduation this spring, Mallory plans to pursue a law degree, with a particular interest in social justice. According to Dr. Misri, “this speaks to yet another example of their specific commitments to gender, racial and economic justice, as they embark on what will no doubt be an outstanding career in public service.”