University of Richmond Quest Competition Underway for Fourth Time
November 12, 2004
The University of Richmond is again searching for a compelling question.
Between now and Jan. 31, undergraduate students may submit questions to Richmond Quest IV, a competition to find a broad question that can be explored by all of the university’s academic disciplines—arts and sciences, business, law and leadership studies—over the next two years. The winner, to be announced Feb. 15, will receive a cash prize of $25,000.
The question “should be compelling enough to unify the campus as a theme to be embraced by new courses, seminars, research, lectures and other programs,” said Julie Tea, director of special projects and staff co-chair of Richmond Quest.
“Quest is trying something new this year, allowing groups as well as individuals to submit questions,” said Dana Lascu, chair of the marketing department and faculty co-chair of Richmond Quest.
“We want the entire university to be abuzz with Quest fever, with stimulating intellectual exchanges, as students ask important and universal questions,” she added.
Students have received Quest brochures and invitations to submit their questions, which must be accompanied by a rationale explaining why their questions are important and how they will intellectually engage all areas of the University community.
Faculty and staff also received letters encouraging them to collaborate with students as mentors to prepare questions. “Mentors are essential in the process. Staff and faculty can help out as sounding boards for student questions and their rationales,” said Lascu.
A committee of individuals involved in Richmond Quest, including the two co-chairs, will select the winner. As in the past, selection will be a blind process; the names of students and, if applicable, their mentors, will not be shared with the reviewers.
Larina Orlando, a 1999 graduate of the university, submitted the first winning question, “Is truth in the eye of the beholder?” Liza Stutts, who graduated in 2004, posed the second, “When does discovery inspire change?” and Amy Robin Hoffman, a 2003 graduate, won the third competition with her question, “How do we know which questions to ask?”
Faculty have created nearly 50 courses around Quest questions in English, philosophy, rhetoric and communications studies, theater, marketing, computer science and economics, among others.
Quest-related programming has brought to campus more than 75 speakers and events, including Nobel Prize-winning author Toni Morrison. In addition, Quest has funded 30 international research opportunities for students, taking them to such places as Prague, Bombay (Mumbai), the Russian State Library and Ukraine, either through courses or independent research projects.