The Department of English would like to congratulate Rachel Hopkin on winning the Sue Samuelson Foodways Essay Contest, which is awarded via the Foodways section of the American Folklore Society. As a part of the prize, Rachel's winning essay, "The Way of the Croissant," will appear in the foodways journal Digest; she will also receive a free one-year membership to the Foodways Section of AFS. The 2016 committee noted that Hopkin's paper had "good depth and breadth of analysis, while maintaining focus and a writing style that put it ahead of the other submissions."

Rachel began her career as a radio producer at the BBC before she moved to the U.S. and earned an MA in Folk Studies at Western Kentucky University. She has produced many features for networks across the world. In 2013, Rachel was awarded a special Green Card that recognized her work as a folklorist/radio producer with a special focus on U.S. traditional culture.

The Sue Samuelson Foodways Essay Contest recognizes the best previously unpublished paper on food and foodways. The winner is encouraged to apply for a travel stipend to present his or her paper at the upcoming American Folklore Society Conference.