Mary B. Bialas Prize
Introduction
The Mary B. Bialas Prize, in honor of Margaret (Daisy) Davies, is an endowed award of $500 - $750. It is awarded annually to an undergraduate student who has completed at least 60 college credits or to a graduate student. Applicants should have demonstrated a commitment to women and/or children’s issues and actively worked to improve the lives of women and children.
Bialas Prize Update
Due to a directive from the campus, GWS was not able to present the Bialas Award for the 2025-2026 academic year. GWS was frustrated and heartbroken to interrupt this important annual tradition. In order to still recognize the outstanding work of our students, GWS created a special award for the 2025-2026 academic year: The GWS Outstanding Impact Award.
Pending permission from the campus, GWS hopes to open applications for the 2026-2027 Mary B. Bialas Prize in early March 2027. Please check back here for any updates and the application link.
GWS Outstanding Impact Award 2026: Theresa Ezeani
Theresa Ezeani is a third-year undergraduate student in the Public Health program at UIC and a minor in Black Studies. Her academic and professional work reflects a deep commitment to Black feminist thought, community-centered research, and the power of storytelling as a tool for justice. Theresa joined the Black Feminist Policy Lab, led by Dr. Tiffany Ford at the School of Public Health, where she has developed technical research skills while contributing to projects that aim to improve and highlight the lives and livelihoods of Black people in Cook County. She recently began an internship with the Women’s Leadership and Resource Center as a teaching aide, further extending her commitment to feminist education, mentorship, and community engagement. Theresa plans to pursue graduate studies in Black Studies, Anthropology, or Creative Writing. She is eager to engage with scholarship, creativity, and public health as pathways toward deeper understanding and social transformation.
GWS Outstanding Impact Award 2026: Kayla Braverman
Kayla Braverman is a Master of Social Work student specializing in Mental Health, with a concentration in Gender and Women’s Studies. Her work is grounded in reproductive justice and a deep commitment to people with various gender identities navigating parenthood, infertility, and abortion experiences. As a Support Coordinator at the Chicago Abortion Fund, Kayla connects callers from across the country with life-saving abortion care. She also serves as a Crisis Services Intern at the National Runaway Safeline, where she provides emotional support and resources to young people in crisis and their families. She is committed to a reproductive justice framework that affirms the right not to have children, the right to have children, and the right to parent children in safe and supportive environments.