The following awards were presented to members of the Class of 2012 at Senior Assembly.

Scholarship and Citizenship
 

The Addison Brown Scholarship
From a fund established by Addison Brown of the Class of 1852, the scholarship is awarded to that senior who, being already on the scholarship list, shall have attained the highest standing in the studies of the first-year, sophomore and junior years. 
 

Jiaqi Ji ’12

The Charles Hamilton Houston Fellowship
Awarded to a graduating senior who best personifies a commitment to realizing his or her humane ideals, much in the way Charles Houston, Class of 1915, devoted his life to the struggle for equal protection under the law for African Americans in the United States.

Agostine Kagunda Ndung’u ’12
 

The Howard Hill Mossman Trophy
Awarded annually to the member of the senior class who has, during his or her four years at Amherst, brought the greatest honor in athletics to the Alma Mater—the word “honor” to be interpreted as relating both to achievement and to sportsmanship.

Benjamin Quincy Scheetz ’12
 

The Psi Upsilon Prize
Established by the Gamma Chapter of Psi Upsilon in 1941, the Psi Upsilon Prize is awarded to that member of the graduating class who is considered preeminent in scholarship, leadership, athletics and character.

Caroline Hallinan Stedman ’12
 

The Stonewall Prize
Established by David L. Kirp of the Class of 1965 and other alumni, the prize is awarded annually to that student who produces a work of exceptional intellectual or artistic merit pertaining to the gay, lesbian or bisexual experience.

Lilia Maud Kilburn ’12
 

The Thomas H. Wyman 1951 Medal
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 as determined by the Dean of Students and the Prize Committee. 

Sarah Elizabeth Schear ’12


American Studies
 

The Doshisha American Studies Prize
A gift from Amherst House, Doshisha University, the prize is awarded for the American Studies honors thesis judged by the Department of American Studies as most likely to stimulate interest in and understanding of America overseas—with a view toward possible publication in Japan.

Shared by Joni Rebecca Hirsch ’12 and David Gregory Masterman ’12

The George Rogers Taylor Prize
Awarded to the student who, in the opinion of the American Studies Department, shows the most promise for creative and scholarly work in American studies.

Joni Rebecca Hirsch ’12


Anthropology
 

The Donald S. Pitkin Prize
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.

Shared by Hayley Christine Anderson ’12, Ethan Coughlin Balgley ’12 and Lilia Maud Kilburn ’12


Art and the History of Art
 

The Hasse Prize 
Established in the memory of Adrian H. Hasse of the Class of 1943, the prize is awarded for the best submitted work having a human figure as a theme.

Shared by Todd Spencer Lavine ’12 and Kathleen Charlia Paeth ’12
 

The Anna Baker Heap Prize
Established by Arnold N. Heap of the Class of 1873, the prize is awarded to that senior who submits the best essay in the field of art.

Alejandro Childers Chaviano ’12
 

The Athanasios Demetrios Skouras Prize    
Given in memory of Mr. Skouras of the 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.

John Brooks Turner ’12


Asian Languages and Civilizations
 

The Doshisha Asian Studies Prize 
From the income of a gift from Amherst House, Doshisha University, the prize is awarded for the best undergraduate honors thesis pertaining to Asia.

Sarah Elizabeth Schear ’12


Astronomy
 

The Porter Prize
Established by the late Eleazer Porter of Hadley, the prize is awarded for proficiency in first-year astronomy.

John Kevin Riggins Jr. ’12


Athletics
 

The Manstein Family Award
Given by Carl H. ’72, Mark E. ’74 and Joanne L. Manstein ’83, the award is presented to the outstanding senior varsity athlete who intends to pursue a career in medicine or a medical field.

Awah-Lem Atanga McCormick ’12


Biology
 

The Oscar E. Schotté Award
Given to that member of the graduating class who, in the opinion of the department, has done the best independent work in biology.

Shared by Alan Shyijong Wang ’12 and Casey Marie Silver ’12
 

The Oscar E. Schotté Scholarship
Awarded to a member of the junior or senior class majoring in science, to enable him or her to complete a special project during the summer.

Nathan Belkin ’12
 

The William C. Young Prize
Established in memory of William C. Young of the Class of 1921, this prize is awarded to a talented student from the Biology Department to undertake a summer course, a specialized program at an advanced school or institute, a summer field program or research at a specialized laboratory.

Casey Marie Silver ’12


Black Studies
 

The Edward Jones Prize 
Given in honor of the college’s first black alumnus. The prize is awarded by the Black Studies Department to a graduating senior for the best senior thesis which addresses a present or future issue of concern to black people in Africa and the Diaspora.

Porsche Janae Dames ’12


Chemistry
 

The Howard Waters Doughty Prize
Awarded to that member of the senior class who, in the opinion of the Chemistry Department, has prepared the best honors thesis.

Shared by Mable Lam ’12 and Afua Adomaa Nti ’12
 

The Frank Fowler Dow Prize 
Established by Fayette B. Dow in memory of his father, the prize is awarded to a senior who is preparing to enter medical school and whose undergraduate work indicates a career of distinction in medicine.

Dalee Margaret Zhou ’12

The Everett H. Pryde Research Award
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.

Mable Lam ’12 and Sinead Louise Murphy ’12


Computer Center
 

The Computer Center Prize
Awarded for outstanding contributions in the application of the computer to a broad range of academic disciplines, and for generous help to many students and faculty at the Computer Center.

Shared by Ioanida Costache ’12 and Samuel Uwemedimo Udom ’12


Computer Science
 

The Computer Science Prize
Awarded to a senior who has completed an honors thesis and who, in the opinion of the Department of 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.

Kristen Scholes Gardner ’12


Economics
 

The Bernstein Prize
Funded by a gift from the family of Jeffrey Bernstein, Class of 1991, the prize is awarded to the senior who, in the opinion of the Economics Department and the Dean of the Faculty, has done particularly distinguished honors work in economics.

Xiaoyun Zhang ‘12
 

The James R. Nelson Memorial Award
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.

Jiaqi Ji ’12
 

The James R. Nelson Prize
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.

Shared by Daniel Byington  Barnes ’12, Kuhuk Bhushan ’12 and Josephine Tessa Cochran Fisher ’12


English
 

The Academy of American Poets Prize
Awarded annually for the best poem or group of poems, preferably on nature, submitted by an undergraduate.

Shane Edward Johnson ’12

The Elizabeth Bruss Prize
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.

Daeyeong Kim ’12

The Corbin Prize
Awarded for an outstanding original composition in the form of poetry or an informal essay.

Shared by Diana Poon ’12 and an underclass student

The G. Armour Craig Award for Prose Composition
Awarded to that junior or senior who writes the best autobiographical essay on an experience of intellectual discovery.

Kevin Wu ’12

The Peter Burnett Howe Prize
The 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.

Shared by Jeffrey Michael Holmes ’12 and Andrew Edward Lopshire ’12

The Rolfe Humphries Poetry Prize
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.

Diana Cao ’12

The Ralph Waldo Rice Prize
Established by Mrs. Mary Rice Jenkins in memory of her brother, of the Class of 1910, the prize is awarded for the best essay on “The Liberal College and Christian Citizenship” or any subject named by the faculty.

Shared by Scott Howard Bartley ’12 and Miranda Claire Marraccini ’12

The Stephen E. Whicher Prize
Established in memory of Stephen E. Whicher, Class of 1936, the prize is awarded to the senior who has submitted the best essay in the interpretation of American literature in the Department of English.

Scott Howard Bartley ’12


French

The Frederick King Turgeon Prize
Established by former students of Professor Turgeon upon the occasion of his retirement. The prize is used for the award of a book to the student who has done particularly distinguished work in French during the year.

Yevgeniy Golubitskiy ’12


Geology

The Walter F. Pond Prize
Established in honor of Walter Pond of the Class of 1907, the prize is awarded to the senior who has submitted the best honors thesis in geology.

Shared by Benjamin Edward Lin ’12 and Max Kaufmann Lloyd ’12

The David F. Quinn Memorial Award
Awarded in memory of David Quinn, Class of 1980, 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.

Michael Ryan Hudak ’12


German

The Consulate General Prize for Academic Achievement
The prize, 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.

Shared by Afua Adomaa Nti ’12 and Rebecca Gouldin Kelley ’12

The Consulate General Prize for German Studies
Made available by the Consulate General of the Federal Republic of Germany in Boston, the prize is to be awarded to that junior or senior who, in the judgment of the Department of German, has made a superior contribution to any aspect of German studies at Amherst College.

Katherine Leah Hillenbrand ’12


Greek

The Hutchins Prize
Established by Waldo Hutchins of the Class of 1842, the prize is awarded to a senior for excellence in Greek.

Kevin Wu ‘12


History

The Asa J. Davis Prize
Given each year to the 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.

Shared by Melissa Jill Greenberg ’12 and Jaclyn Anh Tu Tran ’12

The Alfred F. Havighurst Prize History
The prize, intended for the purchase of books, is awarded to that student, a major in the Department of History, who, in the opinion of the faculty in history, has, in his or her four years at Amherst, best fulfilled the standards of excellence and humane scholarship exemplified by Alfred F. Havighurst during the many years of his teaching career at Amherst College.

Susannah Elizabeth Rudel ’12


Journalism

The Samuel Bowles Prize
Established by Samuel Bowles King, Class of 1902, to stimulate interest in journalism as a career, the prize is awarded to a student who has demonstrated proficiency in journalism.

Elaine Teng ‘12


Latin

The Bertram Prizes
Established by John Bertram of Salem, these two prizes are 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.

Shared by Andrew Phillips Reed ’12 and Kevin Wu ’12

The Dr. Ernest D. Daniels Latin Prize
The prize, established in honor of Dr. Daniels of the Class of 1890, is awarded to the graduating senior who has submitted the best honors thesis on a Latin subject.

Timothy Forrest Clark ’12


Law, Jurisprudence and Social Thought

The Robert Cover Prize
Awarded to honor the memory of Robert Cover, a distinguished legal scholar whose work inspired the humanistic conception of law in the liberal arts embodied in Amherst’s Department of Law, Jurisprudence and Social Thought. The prize is given to a graduating senior for distinguished achievement in that major.

Jillian Marie Kochanek ’12


Library

The Frederick S. Lane ’36 Prizes
The prizes, for student book collections, are awarded to the entrants in the Student Book Collection Competition who demonstrate strong interests in book collecting and who present good, beginning collections.

First Prize: Miranda Claire Marraccini ’12 (second and third prizes to underclass students)


Mathematics

The Robert H. Breusch Prize
Awarded to the senior who, in the opinion of the faculty in mathematics, has presented the best honors thesis in mathematics.

Trevor Glen Hyde ‘12


Mead Art Museum

The Wise Award
Presented annually in the spring 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.

Henry Oscar Bedford ’12E


Music

The Sylvia and Irving Lerner Piano Prize
Awarded to that student who has demonstrated the greatest skill and musicianship as a pianist.

Shared by Philip David Brown Dupont ’12, Michael Thomas O’Connor ’12 and Jonathan Emanuel Thaler ’12

The Mishkin Prize
The Friends of Music have established a prize 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.

Ioanida Costache ’12

The Lincoln Lowell Russell Prize
Established by J. W. Russell, Jr., of the Class of 1899 in memory of his son, and awarded to the senior who has done most to foster the singing spirit at Amherst.

Shared by Anna Dorothy Hager ’12, Benjamin Edward Lin ’12 and Rohan Mazumdar ’12

The Eric Edward Sundquist Prize
Established in memory of Mr. Sundquist of the Class of 1936; awarded to that senior who has demonstrated excellence in musical composition and performance.

Shared by Dana Elise Kaufman ’12, Jeremy Chun Chi Koo ’12, and Robert Mark Suits ’12


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, Class of 1947, and presented to the student whose research in the neurosciences is judged, by the faculty of the neuroscience program, to be of highest quality.

Annie Isabel Handler ’12


Philosophy

The Gail Kennedy Memorial Award
Awarded to a senior major in philosophy in recognition of a distinguished honors essay.

Dean Jacob Ericksen ’12


Physics

The William Warren Stifler Prize
Established by Professor Stifler, the prize is awarded to a senior who has majored in physics and especially excelled in the course on electricity and magnetism.

Aftaab Dewan ‘12


Political Science

The Densmore Berry Collins Prize in Political Science 
Given annually in memory of Mr. Collins, of the Class of 1940, for the best honors thesis in political science.

Justin David Patrick ’12


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.

Shared by Amanda Danielle Rodriguez-Newhall ’12 and Katherine Marie Tezanos ’12


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 shared by Jesse Shoshkes Fried ’12 and Caroline Antonia Medina ’12

Second Prize shared by Harrison Charles Muskat ’12 and Alexa Anne Russo ’12


Russian

The Carol Prize in Russian
Given by David James Carol ’77 in honor of his parents, Joseph and Roberta, is awarded to the student who has demonstrated the greatest dedication and commitment to Russian.

Kristin Anne Ouellette ’12

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.

Shared by Ethan Thomas Gates ’12 and Dana Elise Kaufman ’12


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.

Yinan Zhang ’12


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.

Shared by Kariely Michelle Escobar ’12 and the ensemble of Philip David Brown Dupont ’12, Grace Elisabeth Booth ’12 and four underclass students


Women’s and Gender Studies

The Women’s and Gender Studies Prize 
Awarded for excellence in scholarly or creative work in Women’s and Gender Studies.

Shared by Lilia Maud Kilburn ’12 and Sarah Elizabeth Schear ’12