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.
Jonathan Tso Che
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.
Jalencia Janiece Wade
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.
Mohamed Hussein
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.
Dakota Foster
The 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.
Shantanu S. Havaldar
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.
Mohamed Ahmed Ramy
AMERICAN STUDIES
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.
Zoe Rose Kayton
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: Alelí Andrés and Yeon Joon (Ricky) Choi
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.
Divided between: Megan Do and Norah Awori Oteri
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.
Young-Ji Cho
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.
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.
Michael Anthony Bessey
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.
Samuel Louis Malnik
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.
Itai Muzhingi
BIOLOGY
The Harvey Blodgett Scholarship was established by Frederick H. Blodgett in memory of his grandfather, Harvey Blodgett of the Class of 1829. The scholarship is awarded to aid student work in biology and geology in their educational phases, as distinct from their more technical and strictly scientific phases.
Combined with
The Phi Delta Theta Scholarship was established by the Phi Delta Theta Fraternity and is awarded as a scholarship at the Woods Hole Marine Biological Laboratory to a student with a proficiency in biology.
Natalie Wei-Tze Sun
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.
Anri Chomentowska
The Oscar E. Schotté Scholarship Prize is awarded to a member of the junior or senior class majoring in science to enable completion of a special project during the summer.
Divided among: Ben Birkenfeld, Sydney Michele Mollard Weil and Jingwen Zhang
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: Jalencia Janiece Wade and Stefan J. Yong
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.
Craig James Nelson
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.
Jingwen Zhang
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.
Divided between: Bailey Alice Plaman and Leonard Heekyu Yoon
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.
Jeffrey James Ewing
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: Pei Gong and Tobias Schwed
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.
Tobias Schwed
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: Jerry Chen and Julia Konso Mbakire
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.
Divided between: Jennifer Alison Mackinnon Krems and Julia Konso Mbakire
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.
Spencer James Quong
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.
Divided between: Carolina Yasky Carriazo and Nayereh Doosti
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.
Spencer James Quong
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.
Julia Margaret Roch
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.
Divided between: Jacob Aaron Pagano and Katherine Dell Stanton
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.
Phuong-Nghi T. Pham
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.
Nicole Grace Roberts
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.
Conor James Bronsdon
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.
Skylhur Kamille Tranqille
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: Joshua Lee Harmon and Sunna Juhn
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.
Charles Matthew Inabinett
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.
Divided between: Charles Matthew Inabinett and Marie K. Maxwell
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.
Patrick Aidan Williams
GREEK
The Hutchins Prize, established by Waldo Hutchins of the Class of l842, is awarded to a senior for excellence in Greek.
Samuel Jeremy Alpert
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.
Divided between: Adele Krey Loomis and Max George Steinhorn
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.
Divided between: Michael Anthony Bessey, Shantanu Havaldar and Nolan Scholz Lindquist
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:
Divided between: Emily Eriko Ratté and Mashiyat Mohammed Zaman
Second:
Divided between: Fawzi Kamal Itani and Mei Bao Zhou
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.
Jingwen Zhang
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 and second combined and divided between: Josephine Carroll and Ryan Nicholas Hardin
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 between: Lily Katherine Johnson and Samantha Kathryn O'Brien
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 among: Rebecca Akosua Asantewah Ford, Katherine Grace Hague and Jenna Peng
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: Jonathan Tso Che, William John Wesley and Hui Xu
The Walker Award for Leadership is awarded for outstanding leadership and for contributions to the mathematics and statistics community at Amherst.
Divided among: Jennifer Lynn Halbleib, Obinna Adrian Ukogu and Bowen Yang
MEAD ART MUSEUM
The Wise Award for Collection Research is presented annually in the spring to a student in any academic department whose senior thesis, in the judgment of the Mead Art Museum’s curators and director, most effectively analyzes, interprets, or responds to an object in the museum’s collection.
Camila M. Dominguez
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: Joshua Lee Harmon, Phuong-Nghi T. Pham and Leonard Heekyu Yoon
The Mishkin Prize was established by the Friends of Music to be awarded in memory of Professor Henry G. Mishkin to that senior selected by the Department of Music who produces the best senior thesis on a critical or musical topic.
Keziah Hyunji Kim
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: Ellen Lucinda Mutter and Emily Rebecca Schneider Willick
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: Daniel Jeffery Langa and Minato Sakamoto
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.
Scott Thomas Nelson
PHILOSOPHY
The Gail Kennedy Memorial Prize is awarded to a senior major in Philosophy in recognition of a distinguished honors essay.
Youngeun Ahn
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.
Divided between: Alexander John Eftin Frenett and Trevor Henry Wright
POLITICAL SCIENCE
The Densmore Berry Collins Prize in Political Science is given annually in memory of Mr. Collins, of the Class of l940, for the best honors thesis in political science.
Divided among: Joshua Micah Ferrer, Dakota Foster and Elias Banks Schultz
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.
Rosalyn Jules Langhinrichse Rohling
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.
Divided among: Michael Anthony Bessey, Mohamed Ahmed Ramy and Zoe Wong
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.
Alexander Schorr Gurvets
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.
Karen Waserstein Engelman
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.
Alisa Bajramovic
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.
Bailey Alice Plaman
STATISTICS
The Five College Statistics Prize is awarded to a student for making an outstanding contribution to statistics and/or the statistics community in the Five Colleges. Contributions considered include an independent research, thesis or capstone course project; service to statistics on their campus (or across campuses); use of Five College statistics resources; and outstanding coursework and exploration of the statistics curriculum.
Sarah Virginia Teichman
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.
Justin Walter Henriksen
HONORARY CLASS MEMBERS
The class of 2018 elected five Amherst College staff members to be honorary classmates.
Eric Baldwin, Custodian
Alyssa Pawlowski, Health Services
Doralinda Puente, Schwemm's Coffee House
Will Roberts, Amherst College Police
Valena Rutkowski, Frost Cafe
Christopher Wardlaw, Grab-N-Go