Congratulations to Simon Fraser University English major and political science minor Abigail Streifel, recipient of the Jennifer Prosser Wade and Family Annual Award in Scottish Studies.

Streifel’s interest in Scottish Studies began when she volunteered at Unsettling Scottish Studies: Canons, Chronologies, Colonialisms, a 2024 SFU Research Centre for Scottish Studies event. Since then, she has continued to work with professor Leith Davis, director of the centre.

Streifel next examined “The Lyon in Mourning,” an 18^th-century, ten-volume manuscript by Robert Forbes that focuses on the life of Prince Charles Edward Stuart during and after the Jacobite Rebellion of 1745. She has worked as a research assistant on the Lyon in Mourning digital humanities project, led by Davis in collaboration with the National Library of Scotland and SFU's Digital Humanities Innovation Lab. Her work included encoding the later volumes of Forbes' manuscript and researching the people and places mentioned throughout the text.

At the project’s launch in September 2025, she presented, "Forbes on Tour: The 'Seasonable Visit' of 1769", which detailed Forbes’ account of his travels.

“This project sparked my interest in Jacobitism, particularly how it continued to exist after 1746, as well as the experiences of Jacobite women,” says Streifel. “I've enjoyed learning more about that period in the past year. I have especially appreciated being able to make Forbes' work—and therefore accounts of Jacobites' experiences—accessible to more people.”

Now, Streifel is working with Davis on proofreading a transcription of Scottish author John Galt’s 1823 historical novel Ringan Gilhaize.

“I'm very grateful to Leith Davis for encouraging me to pursue Scottish Studies,” says Streifel. “It is thanks to her that I've had so many opportunities to explore my interests!”

In addition to her academic work, Streifel also volunteers as a digital media coordinator for the SFU Disability and Neurodiversity Alliance (DNA), where she manages the group’s social media accounts and designs promotional graphics for events serving the university’s disabled and neurodivergent community. During the summer, she helps at Bard on the Beach as a greeter and usher as well.

The Jennifer Prosser Wade and Family Annual Award in Scottish Studies is awarded to an undergraduate SFU student(s) who is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. They must be enrolled full-time in the term of eligibility, be in good academic standing, and have made contributions to the well-being of their local, provincial, or national community and have demonstrated community and/or volunteer service that shows caring and concern for others. The award is valued at $1000.