Interview with Lang Prize Winner Angelika Joseph
From first research paper to book-length dissertation: "Firsts are hard, but they are also exciting"
If you are thinking about applying for the library’s 2025 Lang Prize for undergraduate library research, take inspiration from our recent interview with 2019 Lang Prize recipient and UC Davis alumna Angelika Joseph ’19.
Angelika received the Lang Prize in Arts, Humanities, & Social Sciences for her research paper on the 2016 redesign of the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. Now a Ph.D. candidate in the History and Theory of Architecture and Humanistic Studies at Princeton University, she reflects on her Lang Prize experience, shares the next steps in her career and offers tips for potential Lang Prize applicants.
It’s easy to spend a lot of time trying to assess if you are a strong enough candidate for prizes, jobs, etc. But that doesn’t make sense. You should apply. Leave it to the committee to decide if you are ‘good enough.’ You shouldn’t be the one setting the ceiling on your own success.”
— Angelika Joseph, 2019 Lang Prize Winner
Angelika Joseph, Ph.D. Candidate
History and Theory of Architecture and Humanistic Studies, Princeton University
Where has life taken you since receiving the Lang Prize and graduating from UC Davis?
I wrote my first independent research paper during my second-to-last quarter at Davis, and I didn’t even consider a Ph.D. until two different professors raised the possibility in postgraduate office hours. After graduation, I worked at a local nonprofit, spent time with family, and considered different paths for furthering my education. I ended up taking one “gap year” before starting a Ph.D. at Princeton University, which is where I am now.
How did your undergraduate research experience shape the path you’re on today?
The paper that was recognized with the Lang Prize was the first academic research paper I ever wrote. I enjoyed it, and it was nice to see that other people enjoyed it too.
I am now a dual-degree Ph.D. candidate in the History and Theory of Architecture and Humanistic Studies at Princeton University. My doctoral research is different from the topic of my Lang Prize paper. But looking back on things, I see that my Lang Prize celebrated aspects of my work that are now part of my signature-style: detailed attention to individuals’ movements through space, impassioned argumentation, and an accessible mode of communication that invites others to share their own experiences with me. I am grateful that the Lang Prize recognized and affirmed these strengths early on.
How did winning the Lang Prize as an undergrad impact or empower you to pursue your current academic or career path?
The Lang Prize helped me build confidence in my academic abilities and made graduate school feel like a possibility for me. When I applied for the Lang Prize, I was impressed to see that one of the former winners, Brian Wright, had done exactly what I hoped to do; he graduated from UC Davis in three years, then took a gap year, then went to Princeton University for his Ph.D. When Princeton brought me to campus, I emailed Brian and we spent hours talking in the basement cafe under what is now my favorite reading room on campus. I would not have had that connection or that roadmap if not for the Lang Prize.
Have you kept in touch with your Lang Prize faculty sponsor?
Yes, I regularly email, talk and visit with my Lang Prize faculty sponsor, Professor Simon Sadler. I am so grateful for his thoughtfulness, persistence, generosity and support over all these years. I would not be where I am if not for him.
Writing the letter [for the Lang Prize Instructor Review] prompted Professor Sadler to read my paper, which prompted office hours conversations, which prompted graduate school applications, which started a career.
What’s next for you in your career?
I’m going to be a professor. Before I do that, I have to finish my dissertation. The Lang Prize essay was my first research paper, and the dissertation is my first book-length research project. Firsts are hard. But they are also exciting.
What advice would you give a student who is considering applying for the Lang Prize?
Good for you for even considering applying for the Lang Prize. That, for me, was the hardest part. It’s easy to spend a lot of time trying to assess if you are a strong enough candidate for prizes, jobs, etc. But that doesn’t make sense. You should apply. Leave it to the committee to decide if you are “good enough.” You shouldn’t be the one setting the ceiling on your own success.
And now, some practical advice. When I applied, I had no practice editing my own work. It’s worth going to the library and checking out a few writing and editing books. Practice copyediting your own work. It’s hard to do, but important.