By: Mara Nolan
Intern
Michael Rousculp won the 2022 Library Prize for Undergraduate Research sponsored by the IUSB Library. According to the IUSB Library website, this award is a $500 prize “designed to honor undergraduate students who demonstrate sophisticated research skills and adept use of library resources into original scholarship.”
Michael Rousculp, who graduated from IU South Bend in 2021, is currently working on his Master’s degree through IU, which he hopes to finish in 2023. After some encouragement from his senior history seminar professor, Dr. Nashel, Rousculp decided to submit his paper, “An Unfinished Philippine Revolution: The Origins, History, and Legacy of the Hukbalahap Rebellion,” to win this award.
“I thought that submitting this paper would allow me to share a topic that is often not at all understood by most Americans,” said Rousculp, “because it is a relatively obscure chapter in American history.”
“My paper is about the Hukbalahap, which was a Philippine communist insurgent organization that operated from 1942 to 1954,” said Rousculp. “They first fought against the occupying Japanese and then against both the United States and the nascent independent Philippine government during the beginning of the Cold War.”
“My reason for writing about this is that I have a major interest in the history of U.S. foreign policy, Cold War history, and Asian history. I felt this topic intersected with all three of those major interests.”
Rousculp was very happy to win the award. “I felt that I put a lot of work into this project and was happy to be recognized for my effort,” said Rousculp. “This award symbolizes academic validation for the hard work I have put in and official recognition for my skills in research and crafting a historical narrative.”
Michael Rousculp recommends that other undergraduate students submit their papers for this award. “If you think your research is competent and deserves the recognition of both IU staff and your peers, then I would certainly recommend others to submit their research.”
