Student Prizes & Academic Awards

The following prizes and academic awards have been established, but no prize is given unless a high degree of merit is achieved. Awards from these funds shall be made in compliance with the University’s policy of nondiscrimination.

The Alpha Chi Sigma Fraternity Prizes are awarded to the most deserving chemistry graduate chosen at the discretion of the chemistry department, and to the most deserving chemical engineering graduate chosen at the discretion of the chemical engineering department.

The American Chemical Society Undergraduate Award in Analytical Chemistry is awarded annually to a student who has displayed interest in and aptitude for a career in analytical chemistry during the first, sophomore, and junior years.

The Stephen A. Barowsky Prize, established by friends of Stephen Barowsky and by the Barowsky family, in recognition of exceptional leadership qualities, to a student who has completed the junior year.

The Herbert Goodman Barrows Prizes were established by the Rev. William Barrows, A.M., Class of 1897, in memory of his son, for one or two seniors with the highest standing in, respectively, the Latin language and literature, and the Greek language and literature.

The William P. Boger Jr., M.D. Award was established in 2006 by William P. Boger Jr., M.D., Class of 1934, in memory of his parents, Ester Good Boger and William Pierce Boger, who, in the depth of the Depression, made so many personal sacrifices to make his education possible. The prize shall be awarded to an outstanding senior who has indicated a desire to spend their career in medicine or the biological sciences.

The Bucknell Prizes for Women were founded by William Bucknell and consist of:

• A prize for that woman of the graduating class who has the highest four-year average.
• A prize for that woman of the graduating class who, being excellent in scholarship during her senior year, shows the greatest proficiency in English composition and literature.
• A prize for that woman of the junior class who, being excellent in scholarship during her junior year, shows the greatest proficiency in English composition and literature.
• A prize for that woman of the sophomore class who, being excellent in scholarship during her sophomore year, shows the greatest proficiency in English composition and literature.
• A prize for that woman of the first-year class who makes the greatest advance in English composition and literature during the first year.
• The University offers similar prizes for men called the University Prizes for Men.

The Bucknell Prize in Women’s & Gender Studies honors a graduating senior majoring in women’s & gender studies for outstanding academic achievement.

The Bucknell University Prize in Art History, inaugurated in 2014 and given each year, is awarded to the member of the graduating class who has done the most outstanding work in art history.

The Bucknell Women's & Gender Studies Feminist Impact Award recognizes a women's & gender studies graduating major for academic achievement, significant contributions to the University and larger communities, and dedication to feminist principles.

The CBS/Sony Prize in Japanese Studies, established by CBS/Sony Inc., is awarded to a member of the graduating class who gives promise of further contributions to the understanding between Japan and the United States.

The Ernest & Josephine Christensen Award, established to honor Mr. and Mrs. Ernest Christensen, is given to an outstanding graduate in engineering.

The Class of 1905 Art Prize, endowed by Edith Kelly Fetherston in honor of the 50th Reunion of the Class of 1905, is given to the member of the graduating class whose work in creative art has been outstanding.

The David R. Crossgrove Prize, established by Sara Deck Crossgrove ’28, is awarded to a senior pursuing a career in the legal profession, who combines scholastic achievement and campus leadership with a strong code of ethics and a vision of attaining fairness in the legal profession.

The John R. Crossgrove Prize is awarded to a senior majoring in business or economics who combines scholastic achievement in the business curriculum with exceptional leadership qualities in the campus community.

The Walter M. & Florence K. Davis Prize was established in 2008 by Walter M. Davis, Class of 1947, and Florence K. Davis, Class of 1948. The prize shall be awarded to an outstanding senior graduating in religion.

The Eleanor D. Decker Prize for Women was endowed by Dr. Oliver J. Decker in memory of his wife; it is given to the woman of the graduating class who best represents the ideals fostered by Bucknell University: intellectual maturity, personal conviction, and strength of character. The University offers a similar prize for men called the University Prize for Men.

The Oliver J. Decker Prizes were established by Oliver J. Decker, LL.D., Class of 1889, and consist of a prize for that member of the graduating class not in an engineering department who has attained the highest average, all courses having been taken at Bucknell University; and a prize for that member of the graduating class from the College of Engineering who has attained the highest average, all courses having been taken at Bucknell University.

Distinguished Military Graduate. A Distinguished Military Graduate, selected by the professor of military science or by higher command, is one who has been a Distinguished Military Student; who has completed the Advanced Course, Senior Division, of the Reserve Officers Training Corps; who is a member of the graduating class and is receiving a baccalaureate degree; and who has maintained the standards required of a Distinguished Military Student during the period between such designation and the date of graduation.

Distinguished Military Student. A Distinguished Military Student, selected by the professor of military science, is one who possesses outstanding qualities of military leadership, a high moral character, and a definite aptitude for military service; whose academic record or demonstrated leadership shows distinction; and who has completed, or will complete within one year, the Advanced Course, Senior Division, of the Reserve Officers Training Corps.

The Eastern College Athletic Conference Medallion is awarded to a man and a woman at the end of their junior year in recognition of excellence in scholarship and athletics.

The George R. Faint Prize, established by his colleagues in recognition of his services to the University as registrar, is awarded to a student in liberal arts whose work during the first, sophomore, and junior years is of generally high quality and gives promise of future excellence.

The William C. Gretzinger Prize was established in honor of William C. Gretzinger, A.M., Class of 1889, the first registrar of the University, by the heirs of Mr. Gretzinger, and by the University, for the senior with the highest standing in economics.

The Barbara Watson Grever Prize was endowed by family and friends in memory of Barbara Watson Grever, Class of 1967, and is to be awarded to an outstanding musician with preference being given to a student of voice or piano. A junior student will be designated by the Department of Music as the intended recipient. The Grever Prize will be awarded at the end of the senior year.

The Professor William T. Grier Prize was established by the Class of 1871 for the first-year student with the highest standing in Latin.

The Allan Gates Halline Prize in American Literature, the proceeds of a fund contributed by the friends of Dr. Halline, will be awarded annually to the student who makes the best record in one year’s work in American literature.

The Jeffrey James Harold Prize was established in memory of Jeffrey James Harold, Class of 1978, for the student in electrical engineering who achieves the highest cumulative grade point average for the first year.

The H. Boardman Hopper Prize, given by Mrs. H. Boardman Hopper in memory of her husband, is awarded to the graduating senior whose degree is achieved by unusual perseverance.

The Professor George Allison Irland Prize, established by Lillian S. Irland in memory of her husband, is awarded annually to that member of the graduating class who has the highest standing in electrical engineering.

The Alvin F. Jackson Jr. ’59 Memorial Scholar-Athlete Award, which honors the memory of an alumnus and father of a member of the Class of 1989, is given for excellence in athletics and academics, leadership, loyalty, and courage.

The Michael D. LaGrega Award for Excellence in Environmental Engineering is awarded to a member of the graduating class in civil and environmental engineering whose academic achievements and interests show outstanding promise for a career in environmental engineering.

The Maria Leonard Senior Book Award is given to the graduating senior members of Alpha Lambda Delta with the highest GPA in their class.

The Jeannine C. Liutkus Prize was established to honor the memory of Jeannine C. Liutkus, Class of 1993. It is given to the Bucknell en France student who, through individual initiative and perseverance, improved their proficiency in French, made the most of the opportunity to live in the French culture, and showed significant personal growth.

The John T. Lowry Jr. Prize is awarded to the outstanding graduate in biology.

The W. Norwood Lowry Prize is awarded to that member of the graduating class enrolled in physics who shows the greatest achievement and promise in physics.

The Dorothy Walls McCormick Prize was established by William C. Walls in honor of his daughter, Dorothy Walls McCormick, to be awarded to that student in the graduating class from Union County or a designated portion of Northumberland County who, during their senior year, has demonstrated qualities by which other students have been helped in their daily living and in their personal development.

The Hugh F. McKeegan Prize is awarded to a graduating senior, preferably with a major in English or social studies, who has earned teaching certification and who, in the judgment of the Department of Education, best exemplifies those qualities of character, scholarship, skill in teaching, and commitment to young people required for effective service in the teaching profession.

The Harold W. Miller Prize has been established by the University Honors Council through contributions from friends and alumni to honor the memory of Professor Miller, who founded the Honors Program at Bucknell, and to encourage excellence in honors work.

The Vivian Miller Prize in British & Irish Literature, established from the proceeds of a fund contributed by Vivian Miller, is awarded annually to the student who makes the best record in one year's work in British or Irish literature.

The Moles Civil Engineering Award, established by The Moles Society, is awarded to the civil engineering student whose academic achievement and application for the first three years show outstanding promise for a career in construction engineering and management.

The J. William Moore Prize was established by gifts from students, friends, family, and colleagues of Professor Moore. The prize is awarded to the senior who most completely exemplifies the original goal of a historic Bucknell education. First and foremost, they demonstrate in their life, in a significant way, traditional values, including courage, honesty, and compassion for others. They also have achieved high academic success in coursework in education.

The William H. & Carl W. Neff Prize is awarded to a member of the graduating class in mechanical engineering who, through positive attitude, desire, and determination, has shown exceptional academic and personal growth during their academic career at Bucknell.

The Richard P. Nickelsen Prize is awarded to a senior demonstrating outstanding performance in geology. This prize was established in honor of Dr. Nickelsen, Professor Emeritus at Bucknell University, recipient for the Lindback Award for Teaching, and recipient of the Career Contribution Award from the Structural Geology and Tectonics, Division of the Geological Society of America. During his approximately 30 years as a geology professor at Bucknell University, Dr. Nickelsen devoted his considerable energy to cultivating student interest and skills in geology. He had an enormous impact on geology students over the years and his legacy lives on in the lives of alumni and the program he helped to shape.

The Elizabeth M. Oliphant Prize was established by Professor J. Orin Oliphant in memory of his wife, and is to be awarded annually to that woman of the graduating class who, being generally excellent in scholarship, has obtained in the courses required for a major in chemistry, or in any subject in biological science, the highest average of those women of her class whose majors are within these fields. The University offers a similar prize for men called the University Prize for Men.

The J. Orin Oliphant Graduation Prize was established by J. Orin Oliphant, professor emeritus of history, to be awarded to that senior attaining the highest average among those receiving the degree of bachelor of arts.

The Phi Beta Kappa Award is given to the undergraduate who, by work of art, research, or scholarship, shows in any discipline conspicuous achievement.

The Professor George Morris Philips Prize was established by the Class of 1871 for the first-year student with the highest standing in mathematics.

The Pi Mu Epsilon Society Prize is awarded to that member of the graduating class whose work in mathematics has been outstanding.

The James M. Pommersheim Research & Innovation in Engineering Award is given to the engineering student who has achieved, through creative effort, outstanding work of scholarship or invention.

The President’s Award for Distinguished Academic Achievement is awarded annually to those students who demonstrate the highest level of academic achievement by attaining a cumulative GPA of 4.00 on a scale of 4.00.

The Matthew B. Ridgway Jr. Award, established in memory of the late Matthew B. Ridgway Jr., Class of 1971, is given by the George C. Marshall Research Foundation to the member of the graduating class who best exemplifies the character, selflessness, integrity, and dedication to country demonstrated by General Marshall and by Matthew Ridgway Jr.

The Louis W. Robey Prize, endowed by friends in honor of Louis W. Robey, A.D., LL.B., LL.D., Class of 1904, is given to the man and woman in the senior class who best exemplify the aims of a Bucknell education.

The Walter H. Sauvain Prize, endowed by friends of Professor Sauvain for his 36 years as a professor of education at Bucknell and adviser of many undergraduate and graduate students in education, is awarded to the senior majoring in education who shows the greatest achievement and promise for professional growth and service.

The Thelma Johnson Showalter Prize was established by the Pennsylvania Federation of Women’s Clubs in honor of Thelma Johnson Showalter, Class of 1929, for that member of the graduating class who, in the judgment of the president of the University or such committee as may be appointed, shall have shown the greatest potential in the field of public and community affairs.

The Robert E. Slonaker Jr. Memorial Award is given to a graduating chemical engineering student who has demonstrated outstanding achievement within the field of materials science and engineering.

The Julia Fonville Smithson Memorial Prizes, one for poetry, one for nonfiction, and one for fiction, are to be awarded annually for excellence in undergraduate writing to students whose dedication to the sharing and the making of literature carries into the future the spirit of Julia Smithson.

The Helen E. Sprague Prize was established by Frank A. Sprague, professor of Spanish, in memory of his wife, and is to be awarded annually to that member of the graduating class who demonstrates exceptional ability in Spanish.

The Ralph A. Still & Anne B. Still Prize was established by the Class of 1913, and is to be awarded annually to that member of the junior class majoring in English who has the highest standing in English.

The Susan Hensinger Thomas Prize, established in her memory by members of Alpha Phi, is awarded to the graduating senior who best promotes goodwill by applying an understanding of psychological principles to daily living.

The Herbert Tustin Prize was established by Professor Francis Wayland Tustin, Ph.D., Class of 1856, in memory of his son, for the senior with the highest standing in philosophy and psychology.

The Anna Slifer Walls Prize was established by William C. Walls, A.B., A.M., Class of 1873, in memory of his wife, Anna Slifer Walls, for that student from Union County or a designated portion of Northumberland County majoring in history who presents during their senior year the best paper concerned with American history.

The Dr. E. Slifer Walls Prize was established by William C. Walls in memory of his son, Dr. E. Slifer Walls, Class of 1903, to be awarded upon graduation to the premedical student or public health student from Union County or a designated portion of Northumberland County who has shown during their junior year the highest standards of combined will and devotion to the ideals of the profession for which they are making preparation.

The John A. Walls Prize was established by William C. Walls in honor of his son, John A. Walls, Sc.D., to be awarded upon graduation to that student from Union County or a designated portion of Northumberland County who, during their sophomore year conducted research in the field of literature, history, the physical sciences, or engineering, which shall exhibit the greatest degree of thoroughness, care, intellectual honesty, good judgment, and adequacy in the research and in the presentation of the conclusions.

The Agnes Archer Warren Award, established in honor of the wife of Dr. W. Preston Warren, professor emeritus of philosophy, consists of selected books awarded to a student in the College of Arts & Sciences for a written work demonstrating well-informed use of a range of sources in several disciplines.

The W. Preston Warren Prize, endowed by friends in honor of Professor Warren, for 26 years a distinguished professor of philosophy at Bucknell, is awarded to that senior majoring in philosophy who shows the greatest achievement and promise in philosophy.

The Charles F. White Memorial Prize for Scholar-Athletes was established in 1991 to honor and reward a student or students recognized by the University as earning the designation “Scholar-Athlete” as defined by the University, and who intends to pursue graduate studies either immediately or in the future.

The Yarnall Prize in Environmental Affairs, endowed by Dr. John L. Yarnall in memory of his father, mother, and brother, is awarded to a junior or senior who has a high academic standing and has demonstrated leadership in and contribution to environmental affairs.

The Samuel Lewis Ziegler Prizes were established by the late Samuel Lewis Ziegler, M.D., LL.D., Class of 1880, and consist of a prize for the first-year student whose preliminary examinations in English show the greatest proficiency in the elements of English composition; a prize for the junior who shows the greatest proficiency in English composition and literature; a prize for the member of the class in French conversation who excels in this subject; and a prize for the senior who best exemplifies the goals of a premedical education.