Jared S. Rife, lecturer and doctoral candidate in American Studies at Penn State Harrisburg, received the 2012 William Wells Newell Prize at the American Folklore Society's annual meeting in New Orleans for his paper on children's folklore. Rife's article, "Playing with the Sacred: LDS Children's Games for Boredom and Entertainment," also was published in the annual Children's Folklore Review.

The third consecutive Penn State Harrisburg student to win the international award, Rife, of West Hanover Township, based his research on sacred qualities and children's play during church services of Mormons, mainly members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS).