Ankeny native Hope Mitchell was this year’s recipient of the Iowa History Center’s annual award for the Outstanding Master’s Thesis in Iowa History. Mitchell received her MA in history from Iowa State University in the spring of 2014 and was recognized for her thesis, “Sacrificing our Daughters: Changing Perceptions of Prostitution in Iowa, 1880-1915.” Not only was she honored by the Center with a plaque and $1,000 prize, she was also featured in a front-page article in the Des Moines Register. Mitchell’s study focused on prostitution in Des Moines and examined the city’s changing attitudes and approaches to the issue. “We are thrilled to recognize Hope’s work,” said Bill Friedricks, director of the Iowa History Center. “She pieced together an intriguing story through an array of unique and under-utilized sources. Her thesis is an important contribution to Iowa’s social history.”