Contact: Dr. Mark D. Johns, Executive Director Carl Couch Center for Social and Internet Research c/o Department of Communication Studies Luther College, Decorah, Iowa USA 52101 Tel: (563) 387-1347 email: mjohns@luther.edu Brownfield Winner of Couch Award CEDAR FALLS, Iowa -- The Carl Couch Center for Social and Internet Research (www.cccsir.com) is pleased to announce the winners of the 2011 Carl J. Couch Internet Research Award. The Couch Award is presented annually and recognizes excellent student-authored papers. Kristi Brownfield, a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Sociology at Southern Illinois University Carbondale, is the First Place winner for her paper, "Shots to the canon: The emergence of interpretation in online fanvid discourse." Brownfield, an Illinois native, completed her undergraduate degree at Eastern Illinois University before moving SIUC, where she is a student of Associate Professor Jennifer Dunn. Ishani Mukherjee, a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Communication at the University of Illinois at Chicago is the Second Place winner for her paper, "'Third' space and the intersectionality of violence: Symbolizing community and performing identities in South Asian blog interactions against domestic abuse." Mukherjee is a native of Calcutta, India, and has earned degrees Jadavpur University in India and from Northern Illinois University, DeKalb. At UIC she is advised by Professor Steve Jones. No Third Place award was selected this year. The Couch Center established the Couch Award in 2002 as the centerpiece of an extensive awards program. Winning papers apply symbolic interactionist approaches to internet studies as advocated by the late Dr. Carl J. Couch, long-time professor of sociology at the University of Iowa. Competition is open to graduate or undergraduate students of all disciplines, and winners are selected by a committee of university professors in communication studies and sociology from across the U.S. This year’s competition was rigorous, with a record number of entries received from students of all levels, from undergraduates through Ph.D. candidates, and were submitted by students from Europe, and Asia, as well as North America. Winners receive a cash award as well as the opportunity to present their papers at a national or international conference. This year’s awards will be presented at the annual conference of the Association of Internet Researchers in Seattle , October 10-13. The Carl Couch Center for Social and Internet Research is a non-profit organization established to promote the scholarship of the late Carl J. Couch and his academic associates. Couch is recognized as the founder of The New Iowa School in sociological and communication inquiry, and was a pioneer in the qualitative research of information technologies. The Center provides networking opportunities for students and scholars who conduct social and Internet research, inspired by Couch's work. - 30 -