On behalf of the M. Estellie Smith Award Committee — myself, Sarah Osterhoudt, Steve Kowalewski, and Peter Finke — I’m delighted to announce to you this year’s co-winners of the M. Estellie Smith Dissertation award!

They are:

Gabriela Montero Mejía, University of Kentucky (advisor, Christopher Pool): Of maize and sugar: Colonial food systems and indigenous quality of life in the southern Gulf Coast of Mexico

Seyma Kabaoglu, Northwestern University (advisor, Robert Launay): Banking on Doubt: Law and Ambiguity in the Everyday Life of Islamic Participation Finance in Istanbul, Turkey

Congratulations to our two awardees! Thanks to all of the wonderful applicants! Thanks to the M. Estellie Smith Committee! And most of all, thanks to Charles Bishop for making this award possible!