Esther Cuenca, an assistant professor of history at the University of Houston-Victoria, recently was awarded the 2021 Van Courtlandt Elliott Prize from the Medieval Academy of America. The award recognizes an outstanding first published article in the field of medieval studies.
Dr. Cuenca was honored for her article “Town Clerks and the Authorship of Custumals in Medieval England,” which was published in the journal Urban History. The paper examines the duties of clerks in medieval English towns, particularly their roles in creating custumals, or collections of written customs. It may be accessed here.
“This award for my work feels great and is encouraging,” Dr. Cuenca said. “I am preparing my book manuscript, and this recognition is encouraging as far as my plans to get a full manuscript completed down the line.”
Dr. Cuenca’s research interests include the history of medieval Britain, law, urbanization, and the Middle Ages in popular culture. Courses she has taught include “Medieval Plagues,” “Saints, Wives and Witches” and “Medieval Digital History.”
Dr. Cuenca joined the faculty at the Univerity of Houston Victoria in 2019. She is a graduate of Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, where she majored in theological studies. She holds a master’s degree in history from California State Univerity, Long Beach and a Ph.D. in history from Fordham University in New York.