College Awards
The College administers or facilitates a range of academic honors and awards each year.
Senior Awards
These awards are open to all seniors in the College of Arts and Sciences. The selection process takes place each spring via self-nomination. Questions about the awards or required materials can be emailed to [email protected].
A prize of $750 is awarded annually to a senior in the College for the most interesting and intelligently selected collection of books purchased during the past academic year and reflecting general scholastic enthusiasm and interest. Any type of book, except books required for class, may be included, but there must be a definite objective in the collection that has been consistently pursued in the acquisition. The books required for outside reading in the field of the student’s major subject may be included as part of the collection. Applicants should submit a list of books with a brief reason for the inclusion of each volume.
A prize of $750 is awarded annually to an outstanding senior in the College. The award is based on a combination of academic performance, personal integrity, motivation, and service and contribution to the College community reflecting the highest standards of overall achievement. Students applying for this prize will also be considered for the College Alumni Society 250th Commemoration Award. Applicants should submit a resume and a separate essay describing their most outstanding contribution.
The College Alumni Society 250th Commemoration Award will be awarded annually in the amount of $750 to an outstanding senior in the College who creates harmony within the University and its communities. Students applying for this prize will also be considered for the Abraham D. Cohn Prize. Applicants should submit a resume and a separate essay describing their most outstanding contribution.
Phi Beta Kappa Awards
Students need not be members of Phi Beta Kappa to submit entries for these awards. Induction into the Phi Beta Kappa Society follows a separate selection process.
Phi Beta Kappa awards two types of prizes each year for essays:
- The Elmaleh Prize awards $150 for an essay in the social sciences.
- The Humanities Prize awards $150 for an essay in the humanities.
Senior theses are not eligible for essay prizes. There is no required word count per se but essays should be fifteen or fewer pages.
Students should submit their essays for consideration to Danielle Venit at [email protected] by 11:59 PM EDT on April 29 (the last day of classes in Spring ’26).
Phi Beta Kappa awards the following prizes to seniors for the best theses in any field.
- Frederick W. Meier Jr. Thesis Prize (one award of $1,000)
- Phi Beta Kappa Thesis Prizes (three awards of $1,000 each)
Students or faculty may nominate a thesis. Submissions should be sent via email to Danielle Venit at [email protected] by 11:59 PM EDT on April 29 (the last day of classes in Spring ’26).
Submissions must be accompanied by a letter of endorsement by a faculty advisor.
For all Phi Beta Kappa essay and thesis awards, entries may be submitted for consideration by faculty or by student authors.
If you are submitting a paper or thesis originally written in a language other than English, please provide an English translation for the committee.
The competition is conducted by the Executive Committee and Electoral Board of Phi Beta Kappa, with judging by ad hoc committees.
For further information, contact Dr. Rebecca Poyourow, [email protected].
Charles Ludwig Distinguished Teaching Award
This award was established by the College Alumni Society in memory of Charles Ludwig, who was a devoted advocate for the School of Arts and Sciences and served as president of the College Alumni Society.
It recognizes a standing faculty member in the School who has demonstrated an extraordinary commitment to the engagement of students as active and interactive participants in the learning process.
Award recipients are selected by the Student Committee on Undergraduate Education, or SCUE, each spring.
Congratulations to Dr. Steven Weitzman of the Department of Religious Studies on receiving the Charles Ludwig Distinguished Teaching Award for 2026.