SCHOLARSHIP AND CITIZENSHIP
The Addison Brown Scholarship from a fund established by Addison Brown of the Class of 1852, is awarded to that senior who, being already on the scholarship list, has attained the highest standing in the studies of the freshman, sophomore and junior years.
Jamie Tucker-Foltz
The Charles Hamilton Houston Fellowship is an annual gift awarded to a graduating senior who best personifies a commitment to realizing his or her humane ideals, much in the way Charles Houston ’15 devoted his life to the struggle for equal protection under the law for African-Americans in the United States.
Divided between: Huey Hewitt and Alizeh Shuaib Sethi
The Howard Hill Mossman Trophy, awarded annually to the member of the senior class who has brought, during his/her four years at Amherst, the greatest honor in athletics to the Alma Mater--the word “honor” to be interpreted as relating both to achievement and to sportsmanship.
Rubii Mbekap Nana Tamen
The Psi Upsilon Prize was established by the Gamma Chapter of Psi Upsilon in l941 on the occasion of the centennial anniversary of the founding of the Chapter. The prize is awarded to that member of the graduating class who is considered preeminent in scholarship, leadership, athletics and character.
Maeve Summer Mcnamara
The David Kirp '65 Stonewall Prize, established by David L. Kirp ’65 and other alumni, is awarded annually to that student who produces a work of exceptional intellectual or artistic merit pertaining to the gay, lesbian or bisexual experience.
Marvin Martino Bell
The Thomas H. Wyman 1951 Medal, established in 2003 by his classmates, is awarded to that member of the senior class who best represents the highest standards in scholarship, athletics, and/or extracurricular activities, community service, integrity, character and humanism.
Cornel William Brooks
AMERICAN STUDIES
The Doshisha American Studies Prize, a gift from Amherst House, Doshisha University, is awarded for the American studies honors thesis judged by the Department as most likely to stimulate interest in and understanding of America overseas—with a view toward possible publication in Japan.
Divided among: Deborah Lynn Newmark, Ludia Synae Ock and ShoYoung Shin
The George Rogers Taylor Prize is awarded to the student who, in the opinion of the department, shows the most promise for creative and scholarly work in American studies.
ShoYoung Shin
ANTHROPOLOGY/SOCIOLOGY
The Donald S. Pitkin Prize in Anthropology-Sociology, established in honor of the founder of that department on the occasion of his retirement, is given to that student whose honors thesis best exemplifies the humane values to which Professor Pitkin committed his research and teaching.
Divided between: Mikayla Bryn Gordon Wexler and Alyssa May Snyder
ARCHITECTURE
The Architectural Studies Prize is awarded to the honors thesis judged best by the Program for its qualities of clarity and originality in affirming the interdisciplinary richness of architecture.
Grace Elizabeth Orr
ART AND THE HISTORY OF ART
The Hasse Prize, established in memory of Adrian H. Hasse ’43, is awarded for the best submitted work having a human figure as a theme.
Divided between: Joanna Christine Booth and Jonathan Mark Jackson Jr.
The Anna Baker Heap Prize, established by Arnold N. Heap of the Class of 1873, is awarded to that senior who submits the best essay in the field of "Art".
Stephen Philip Johnson
The Athanasios Demetrios Skouras Prize is given in the memory of Mr. Skouras, Class of 1936, who died in 1943 in Athens as a result of Nazi reprisal killings. The prize is awarded to a student who, in the opinion of the Department, has created an outstanding work of art.
Divided between: Mika Obayashi and Chloe Melissa Tausk
ASIAN LANGUAGES AND CIVILIZATIONS
The Doshisha Asian Studies Prize from the income of a gift from Amherst House, Doshisha University, is awarded for the best undergraduate honors thesis pertaining to Asia.
Jamie Mason McNamara
ATHLETICS
The Manstein Family Award, given by Carl ’72, Mark ’74 and Joanne Manstein ’83, is presented to the outstanding senior varsity athlete who has been accepted to medical school and plans a career in medicine. The prize is awarded by the Department of Physical Education.
Kristian Sogaard
BIOCHEMISTRY AND BIOPHYSICS
The Biochemistry And Biophysics Prize is awarded to the student who, in the opinion of the faculty, has prepared the best thesis in the Biochemistry and Biophysics program.
Emily Yae-Eun Park
BIOLOGY
The Oscar E. Schotté Award is given to that member of the graduating class who, in the opinion of the department, has done the best independent work in biology.
Rachel Olivia Cohen
BLACK STUDIES
The Edward Jones Prize is given in honor of the College’s first black alumnus. It is awarded by the Black Studies Department to a graduating senior for the best honors thesis which addresses a present or future issue of concern to black people in Africa and the Diaspora.
Divided between: Huey Hewitt and Bryan H. Miller
CHEMISTRY
The Howard Waters Doughty Prize is awarded to that member of the senior class who, in the opinion of the Chemistry Department, has prepared the best honors thesis.
Divided between: Laboni Hoque and Jenny Yejin Kim
The Frank Fowler Dow Prizes, established by Fayette B. Dow in memory of his father, are awarded to a senior preparing to enter medical school and whose undergraduate work indicates a career of distinction in medicine.
Emily Grace Flaherty
The Everett H. Pryde Research Award is presented annually to a senior who has been an outstanding teaching assistant in chemistry and who shows great promise for carrying out research in science or medicine.
Hilary Bediako
COMPUTER SCIENCE
The Computer Science Prize is awarded to a senior who has completed an honors thesis and who, in the opinion of the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, has achieved the best performance in the study of computer science. The award is based on the thesis and overall achievement in computer science.
Divided between: Mackenzie Anne Stein and Jamie Tucker-Foltz
ECONOMICS
The Bernstein Prize, funded by a gift from the Bernstein family in honor of the work their son, Jeffrey ’91, did at Amherst College, is awarded to the senior who has done particularly outstanding honors work in economics.
Divided between: Mujin (Benedict) Choi and Simon Essig Aberg
The James R. Nelson Memorial Award and The James R. Nelson Prize were established from the income of a fund established by former students, colleagues and friends to encourage and recognize the scholarly and humane qualities that Professor Nelson exemplified and sought to foster in his students.
The James R. Nelson Memorial Award is presented to that senior who, in the opinion of the Economics Department, has achieved excellence in the study of economics while pursuing a broad liberal education.
Hayes Leslie Honea
The James R. Nelson Prize is awarded to the senior who, in the opinion of the Economics Department, has written a distinguished honors thesis that applies economic analysis to an important question of public policy.
Divided between: Charles Smith and Julia A. Turner
The Jeanne E. Reinle Prize is named after Jeanne Reinle, the Academic Department Coordinator of the Economics Department for 30 years, whose inviting and engaging presence welcomed and supported generations of Amherst economics students and faculty. The prize is awarded to the senior who, in the opinion of the Department, exemplifies a commitment to building community in the Department and a passion for economics.
Hannah Elizabeth Firestone
ENGLISH
The Academy of American Poetry Prize is awarded annually for the best poem or group of poems, preferably on nature, submitted by an undergraduate.
Irisdelia Marie Garcia
The Elizabeth Bruss Prize is presented to that senior English major who in the judgment of the English Department best represents those qualities of breadth and imagination exemplified by Elizabeth Bruss.
Divided between: Arthur J. Pero and Evan Butler Young
The Corbin Prize, established by the estate of William Lee Corbin of the Class of 1896, is awarded for an outstanding original composition in the form of poetry or an informal essay.
Nekhoe Mike'l Hogan
The G. Armour Craig Award for Prose Composition is awarded to that junior or senior who writes the best autobiographical essay on an experience of intellectual discovery.
Divided among: Lydia Synae Ock, Julia Clemens Pike and an underclass student awarded during the Undergraduate Award Ceremony.
The Peter Burnett Howe Prize for excellence in prose fiction, was established by a gift of Robert B. Howe of the class of 1930 in memory of his son Peter Burnett Howe, 1960. Submissions for the Howe Prize must be limited to a maximum of 25 pages, comprised of any combination of prose fiction pieces, including excerpts from novels.
Divided among: Jonah Evans, Julia Clemens Pike and Sarah Evelyn Wishloff
The Rolfe Humphries Poetry Prize is presented to that senior who has achieved the greatest sense of poetic form in his or her undergraduate writing. The award is made on the basis of three submissions to the English Department in the applicant’s senior year and may include writing produced during the undergraduate years.
Michael Vincent Mccall
The Ralph Waldo Rice Prize, established by Mrs. Mary Rice Jenkins in memory of her brother of the Class of 1910, is awarded for the best essay on “The Liberal College and Christian Citizenship” or any subject named by the faculty.
Annika Ariel
The Stephen E. Whicher Prize, established in memory of Stephen E. Whicher ’36 for the best essay by a senior in the interpretation of American literature in the Department of English or American Studies.
Molly Elizabeth Pines
ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES
The Jan E. Dizard Prize in Environmental Studies, established on the occasion of his retirement, honors Prof. Dizard for his role in founding the department. It is awarded to a member(s) of the graduating class, who in the opinion of the Environmental Studies Department, exemplifies the field of environmental studies in academic work.
Divided between: Kelly Elizabeth Missett and Timothy Oduro Offei-Addo
EUROPEAN STUDIES
The European Studies Prize is awarded to the student who has written a thesis with great distinction that is dedicated to the analysis and exploration of cultures of Europe throughout history or in the present.
Divided between: Natalie Saltoun Braun and Esther Arabella Isaac
THE FILM AND MEDIA STUDIES
The Film and Media Studies Award is awarded to an honors student in the Film and Media Studies Program for outstanding poetics in filmmaking.
Divided among: Helena Burgueño, Maeve Summer Mcnamara and Tucker John Meijer
FRENCH
The Frederick King Turgeon Prize in French Literature was established by former students of Professor Turgeon upon the occasion of his retirement. It is used for the award of a book to the student who has done particularly distinguished work in French during the year.
Divided between: Livia Domenig and Geneviève Danielle Lucas-Narcisse
GEOLOGY
The Walter F. Pond Prize, established in honor of Walter Pond ’07, is awarded to the senior who has submitted the best honors thesis in geology.
Natalie Wigger
The David F. Quinn Memorial Award is awarded in memory of David Quinn ’80 to an outstanding senior who, during his or her undergraduate career, has made a positive contribution to geology at Amherst through character, leadership, enthusiasm, and participation in departmental activities.
Che Pablo Saunders-Schultz
GERMAN
The Consulate General Prize for Academic Achievement in German Literature, made available by the Consulate General of the Federal Republic of Germany in Boston, is awarded to that student who, in the judgment of the Department of German, has written the best paper as part of a German course.
Divided between: Gregory Carroll and Logan Seymour
GREEK
The Hutchins Prize, established by Waldo Hutchins of the Class of l842, is awarded to a senior for excellence in Greek.
Chenxi Zhang
HISTORY
The Asa J. Davis Prize is awarded to a student who has demonstrated outstanding achievement in the study of the History of Africa and the Black Diaspora and whose work best reflects the comprehensive interest of Asa Davis in historical and cultural contacts between Africa, the Old World and the Americas.
Bryan Miller
The Alfred F. Havighurst Prize, intended for the purchase of books, is awarded to that major in the Department of History who has in four years at Amherst best fulfilled the standards of excellence and humane scholarship exemplified by Professor Havighurst during his teaching career at Amherst College.
Esther Arabella Isaac
JAPANESE
The Smith Prizes, established as part of the Nihon Ryuugaku Fellowship Fund, the Smith Prizes recognize two high-achieving graduating seniors who have majored in Japanese within the Department of Asian Languages and Civilizations.
First: Allison Lee
Second: No Award
JOURNALISM
The Samuel Bowles Prize, established by Samuel Bowles King ’02, to stimulate interest in journalism as a career, is awarded to a student who has demonstrated proficiency in journalism.
Divided between: Isabelle Tessier and an underclass student named during the Undergraduate Awards Assembly
LATIN
The Bertram Prizes, established by John Bertram of Salem, are two prizes awarded to students who, together with attaining a high average in the Latin courses of the senior year, present the best essays connected with these courses.
First: Amelia Wrigley
Second: Nicholas Giovanni Nardone
LAW, JURISPRUDENCE AND SOCIAL THOUGHT
The Nasser Hussain Prize honors the memory of Nassar Hussain, a distinguished scholar and beloved teacher, who taught in Law, Jurisprudence and Social Thought from 1996 until his death in 2015. It is given annually to a graduating senior for distinguished achievement in that major.
Divided among: John Martin Malague, Megan Root and Jacob Schultz
LIBRARY
The Frederick S. Lane '36 Fellowship for Creative Artists is awarded to students using historical and rate source materials from Amherst College Archives and Special Collections toward projects in the arts.
Divided between: Jonathan Mark Jackson Jr. and Sangmin Song
MATHEMATICS
The Robert H. Breusch Prize is awarded to the senior who, in the opinion of the faculty in mathematics, has presented the best honors thesis in mathematics.
Divided among: Katherine Sueyeun Finnerty, Fengling Hu, Ellie Thieu and Robert J. Zielinski
The Walker Award for Leadership is awarded for outstanding leadership and for contributions to the mathematics and statistics community at Amherst.
Divided between: Jocelyn Victoria Hunyadi and Cassidy Wayne Maher
The Walker Award in Mathematics & Statistics is awarded to a student who has demonstrated initiative, creativity, perseverance, and achievement in Mathematics and Statistics.
Divided among: Bonnie Lin, Margaret Medina-Pena, Katherine Mendoza and Joseph Morgan Schneider
MEAD ART MUSEUM
The Wise Award for Studio Art is presented to a student in the College for distinction in the completion of an original work or works of art and the purchase thereof. The prize-winning work of art will become the property of the Mead Art Museum at Amherst College.
Jonathan Jackson
MUSIC
The Sylvia and Irving Lerner Piano Prize is awarded to that student who has demonstrated the greatest skill and musicianship as a pianist.
Divided among: David Michael Brinkley, Helena Burgueño and Charles Smith
The Lincoln Lowell Russell Prize, established by J. W. Russell Jr. of the Class of l899 in memory of his son, is awarded to the seniors who have done most to foster the singing spirit at Amherst.
Divided between: Kai-Isaak Ellers and Gilbert Wermeling
The Eric Edward Sundquist Prize, established in memory of Mr. Sundquist of the Class of l936, is awarded to that senior who has demonstrated excellence in musical composition and performance.
Divided between: Katianna Rose Nardone and Ella Mary Yarmo-Gray
NEUROSCIENCE
The James Olds Memorial Neuroscience Award, established by the Swerdlow Family Foundation in recognition of the contributions made to the neurosciences by Dr. Olds of the Class of l947, is presented to the student whose research in the neurosciences is judged, by the faculty of the Neuroscience Program, to be of highest quality.
Caroline Yao
PHILOSOPHY
The Gail Kennedy Memorial Prize is awarded to a senior major in Philosophy in recognition of a distinguished honors essay.
Divided between: Harith Khawaja and Bong G. Min
PHYSICS
The William Warren Stifler Prize, established by Professor Stifler, is awarded to a senior who has majored in physics and especially excelled in the course on electricity and magnetism.
Kai-Isaak Ellers
POLITICAL SCIENCE
The Densmore Berry Collins Prize in Political Science is given annually in memory of Mr. Collins, of the Class of 1940, for the best honors thesis in political science.
Katherine Pedersen
PSYCHOLOGY
The Haskell R. Coplin Memorial Award, established in memory of Mr. Coplin, Professor of Psychology, recognizes that member of the graduating class who, in the opinion of the Psychology Department, displays the scholarly and humane qualities that best exemplify Professor Coplin. The prize is to a senior who has shown distinguished work in psychology classes and in an honors thesis, and who has contributed to the life of the department.
Divided between: Anna Grace Dalton and Erika Rose Deangelis
PUBLIC SPEAKING
The Bancroft Prizes, established by Frederic Bancroft of the Class of 1882, are awarded to the two seniors who produce the best orations. Both composition and delivery are considered.
Divided between: Huey Hewitt and Deborah Lynn Newmark
RELIGION
The Moseley Prizes, established by Thomas Moseley of Hyde Park, are awarded to seniors for the best essays on a subject approved by the Department of Religion.
First Prize: Divided among: Tatyana Castillo-Ramos, Daniel Jordan Ference and Jonathan Highland
Second Prize: Michael Vincent McCall
RUSSIAN
The Mikhail Schweitzer Memorial Book Award, established by students, parents and friends in fond memory of Mikhail Schweitzer, survivor of the Soviet Gulag, author, and custodian at Amherst College, for the award of books to the student who, in the judgment of the Russian Department, most shares Misha Schweitzer’s love of Russian literature and culture.
James Lewis Tripaldi
The Carol Prize in Russian, given by David James Carol, class of 1977, in honor of his parents, Joseph and Roberta Carol, is awarded to the student who has demonstrated the greatest dedication and commitment to Russian.
Youngkwang Shin
SEXUALITY, WOMEN’S AND GENDER STUDIES
The Rose Olver Prize is given each year to a senior who has demonstrated excellence in scholarly or creative work in Women’s and Gender Studies.
Huey Hewitt
SPANISH
The Pedro Grases Prizes for Excellence in Spanish is given by a member of the Class of l939 to honor a great teacher and cordial scholar. It is awarded each year to that senior who has shown the greatest progress in the ability to read Hispanic literature with insight and to write and speak Spanish with intelligence and humane sensitivity.
Divided between: Hannah Elizabeth Firestone and Leah Jungwan Kim
THEATER AND DANCE
The Raymond Keith Bryant Prize, an annual gift from Robert E. and Ethel M. Bryant in memory of their son of the Class of l936, is awarded to that student who, in the opinion of the judges, gives the best performance of the year in a Masquers’ play.
Divided between: Wesley Guimarães and Matthew Tyler Holliday
HONORARY CLASS MEMBERS
The class of 2019 elected seven Amherst College staff members to be honorary classmates.
Peter Charron, Dining Services
Doug Fuller, Facilities
Tim St. Onge, Moss Quantitative Center
Yolyana Rodriguez, Dining Services
Traci Roy, Health Services
Randy Valdez, Athletics
Joan Slocombe, Dining Services