Khan, who is deciding between job offers from the New York Review of Books and the New Yorker, said she switched from History and Literature to English “because I wanted to do a creative thesis, and because I want to be a writer when I get out of here.”

Many of the student winners said they are not sure yet what to do with the monetary award.

“I might go out to bars and spend it and have fun,” said Jacob H. Bor ’05, whose winning thesis—“The Politics of National Responses to AIDS in Developing Countries”—looked at the effect of democratic institutions on the political commitment of democratic leaders.

“I might save it and travel over next year, and I have to buy a car for next year,” said Halperin.

According to Fountain, theses nominated by advisors were reviewed by a special committee of about 80 professors drawn from the three branches of study—the humanities, the natural sciences, and the social sciences.

Each work was read and graded by two professors from the relevant division, and the winning papers were chosen after some discussion by the divisional committee, Fountain said.

The complete list of 79 award winners is as follows:

In Adams House, Jacob H. Bor ’05, Liora R. Halperin ’05, David J. Hiniker ’05, Camilla A. Hrdy ’05, and Jacob H. Russell ’05.

In Cabot House, Matthew M. Chingos ’05, Christopher D. Golden ’05, Veronica R. Heller ’05, Kamila M. Lis ’05, and Julia P.R. Mansfield ’05.

In Currier House, Robert L. Cioffi ’05, Clay H. Kaminsky ’05, Lindsey J. Powell ’05, and James O. Weatherall ’05.

In Dudley House, Ilana J. Sichel ’05.

In Dunster House, Cornelia L. Griggs ’05, Zachary D. Liscow ’05, Aaron M. Mihaly ’05, Roxanna K. Myhrum ’05, Eli S. Rosenbaum ’05, Vaughn Y.H. Tan ’05, and Elisabeth S. Theodore ’05,

In Eliot House, Michelle Chun ’05, Alexandra G. Rosati ’05, and Laura E. Schubert ’05.

In Kirkland House, Jane M. Caflisch ’05, and Lauren A. Jacks ’05.

In Leverett House, David H. Camden ’05, Gabriel D. Carroll ’05, Joseph P. Fishman ’05, Svetlana Y. Meyerzon ’05, and Brad M. Smith ’05.