Epifano Named Ratte Award Winner

Angie Epifano BA ’16, an art history major and gender studies minor, received this spring’s Rena J. Ratte Award, the undergraduate college’s highest honor.

Also during her college career, she was a finalist for two prestigious scholarships: the Rhodes and the Marshall.

Epifano was a Dean’s List student who transferred to Lewis & Clark from Amherst College. While at Lewis & Clark, she focused her scholarship on the Baga tribe of Guinea, specifically how Baga women use art to validate their sociopolitical positions in society. Epifano’s work at the intersection of African art history and gender studies opened doors for her to present at the 2015 Gender Studies Symposium as well as the 2015 African Studies Association conference. Outside the classroom, she ran cross country and track for the Pioneers.

Epifano has also been a passionate advocate for change in how cases of sexual assault are handled on college campuses. President Obama appointed her to the White House Task Force to Protect Students From Sexual Assault, and in 2012, she earned a spot on the Huffington Post’s list of the 12 Most Influential People in Education.

This fall, Epifano began working toward a PhD in art history with a focus on African art at the University of Chicago.

The Ratte Award is made annually to recognize a senior whose abilities and commitment have combined to produce work of the highest distinction. Colleagues, students, and friends of the late Professor Ratte established this award in 1970 in memory of a distinguished philosopher and esteemed teacher.