It is with great pleasure that the CSDH/SCHN executive introduces Jenna Townend, PhD student in the Department of English and Drama at Loughborough University and winner of the 2016 Lancashire Promise Award. Her paper “The Network of George Herbert’s Imitators: A Quantitative Approach” traced the ways that phrases from George Herbert’s devotional poetry were taken up by his contemporaries. The judges were unanimous in their praise of her delivery, her comfort with her material, and her ability to engage with audience questions. Jenna did an excellent job situating her experience, methodology, and outcomes in the context of both DH and seventeenth-century studies. The judges were particularly impressed by her ability to follow through on her ambitious plan of research.The judges also noted how close the rankings were and commend this year’s excellent graduate scholars — thank you all for such a great week together.

Jenna Townend and Ian Lancashire. Image courtesy of Jason Boyd.