Catalogue

Prizes

Prizes are given in open competition, irrespective of financial need, according to the intentions of the donors. The prizes carry various stipends.

Lee B. Anderson Memorial Foundation Dean’s Prize: Inaugurated in 2016, this award is given for an outstanding doctoral dissertation in the field of decorative arts, design history, and material culture.

Bard Biology Prize: A prize given annually to a graduating senior in biology who has demonstrated curiosity, perseverance, resilience, and achievement through engagement with the discipline and the world

Bard College Conservatory of Music Prize: A prize presented to the Conservatory undergraduate who, in the opinion of the faculty, best embodies the values of the Conservatory

Bard Equity and Inclusion Achievement Prize: A prize awarded each year to the graduating senior who best exemplifies the spirit of the program through academic achievement and personal growth

Margaret and John Bard Scholar Prizes: Honorary scholarships awarded annually by the faculty of each division of the College to not more than two students in each division for outstanding academic achievement in the field of major interest

Andrew Jay Bernstein ’68 Prizes: A prize in memory of Andrew Jay Bernstein ’68, given to a junior for the purpose of assisting the preparation of the Senior Project in psychology; and a prize in memory of Andrew Jay Bernstein ’68, given to one or more seniors in recognition of the originality and quality of the Senior Project in psychology

Marc Bloch Prize: A prize given each year by the Historical Studies Program to the student who completes the best Senior Project in historical studies

Heinrich Bluecher Prize: A prize in memory of Dr. Heinrich Bluecher, professor of philosophy at Bard College from 1952 to 1967, given annually by his family, friends, and former students to one or more Upper College students who best exemplify the ideals of scholarship espoused by Dr. Bluecher

Franz Boas / Ruth Benedict Prize: A prize given to a senior in recognition of achievement demonstrated by the Senior Project in anthropology

President Leon Botstein Prize: A prize endowed by the Bard faculty on the occasion of 30 years of President Botstein’s leadership of the College, given to a graduating senior with a strong academic record across the disciplines who has been judged by the faculty to have demonstrated intellectual ambition, creativity, and integrity

Irma Brandeis Prize: A prize given annually to a third-year student with an excellent academic record, whose Senior Project in literature, languages, history, art history, philosophy, or the history of science is outstanding for both broadness of vision and precision of thought. The prize honors Bard’s distinguished, longtime faculty member Irma Brandeis, whose contributions to Dante scholarship and to Bard College exemplify the virtues embodied in this prize.

Rachel Carson Prize: Honors the outstanding Senior Project in environmental studies that reflects Carson’s determination to promote biocentric sensibility

Jennifer Day Memorial Prize: A prize in memory of Professor Jennifer Day awarded to a student moderated in Russian and Eurasian Studies who has a history of academic achievement

Maya Deren Prize: Given anonymously in memory of Maya Deren and awarded to a film major for excellence in and commitment to cinema

Alice P. Doyle Prize in Environmental Studies: A prize given annually to a graduating senior whose Senior Project illuminates the social dimensions of environmental issues

Jacob Druckman Memorial Prize: A prize established by Ingrid Spatt ’69 to honor the memory of Jacob Druckman, a beloved teacher and friend, and associate professor of music from 1961 to 1967, awarded to a senior in the Music Program who demonstrates excellence and innovation in music composition

Lyford P. Edwards Memorial Prize: A prize awarded annually in memory of Lyford P. Edwards, a former professor of sociology at the College, to a student in the senior class who demonstrates excellence in the social sciences

Elizabeth Frank and Andrew D. Frank ’68 Senior Project Prize in Music Composition: An endowed prize created by Elizabeth Frank in honor of her brother, the composer Andrew D. Frank ’68. Andrew studied composition at Bard with Jacob Druckman and Eli Yarden and, some 40 years after graduating, happened to mention to Elizabeth (Joseph E. Harry Professor of Modern Languages and Literature at Bard) one Sunday afternoon that he was revising his Senior Project just for the sheer fun of it.

William Frauenfelder Translation Prize: A prize established in honor of William Frauenfelder, professor of modern languages and literature from 1934 to 1957 and 1969 to 1977, and awarded to a senior whose project includes a substantial work of literary translation of particularly high quality and attention to scholarship

Sara Gelbart Prize in Mathematics: A prize honoring a woman whose life was devoted to the encouragement of science and scholarship and given annually to the student who shows the most promise and produces outstanding work in mathematics

Antonio Gramsci Prize: A prize awarded annually to a qualified and deserving student, nominated by the Division of Social Studies, who has demonstrated excellence in political studies, political economy, and the policy implications of academic analysis

Jerome Hill Prize Award: An award given in memory of Jerome Hill to a senior with an excellent Senior Project and for exceptional service to the Film and Electronic Arts Program

Hudsonia Prize: A prize awarded each year by Hudsonia Ltd. to a qualified and deserving student showing promise in the field of environmental studies

Ana Itelman Prize for Choreography: A prize established by her family, friends, and admirers in memory of Ana Itelman, professor of dance from 1957 to 1969 and joint founder of the Drama/Dance Program at the College. It is awarded, when the occasion suggests, to dance students who have shown creativity, imagination, and innovation as a choreographer, director, or creator of other forms of performance art and whose work embodies wit, style, dynamism, and visual flair, as did hers.

Ana Itelman Prize for Performance: A prize established by her friends and admirers in memory of Ana Itelman, professor of dance from 1957 to 1969 and joint founder of the Drama/Dance Program at the College. It is awarded, when the occasion suggests, to theater and dance students who have shown onstage, in both acting and dance, the expressiveness she worked to develop.

Walter A. Johnston ’02 Prize in Critical Theory: Awarded to the best Senior Project displaying a theoretical approach to literature, aesthetics, politics, or human rights

William E. Lensing Prize in Philosophy: An annual prize in memory of William Lensing, professor of philosophy from 1949 to 1981, given to one or more Upper College philosophy majors chosen by the program’s faculty for excellence in the field

Levy Economics Institute Prize: Awarded annually to a senior with an outstanding academic record, whose Senior Project represents originality of thought in economics and public policy and who has contributed consistently to furthering the goals of the Levy Institute while at Bard

William J. Lockwood Prizes: A prize awarded to the senior students who, in the judgment of the president, have contributed most to the intellectual life of the College; and a prize awarded to the senior students who, in the judgment of the president, have contributed most to the general welfare of the College

Wilton Moore Lockwood Prize: A prize awarded to a student who has submitted particularly distinguished creative and critical writing in coursework

Jamie Lubarr ’72 Research Prize: A prize awarded in honor of Jamie Lubarr ’72 to a student in anthropology, film, or photography, to facilitate the making of an ethnographic or documentary film, video, or photographic series as part of a Senior Project that combines anthropology and visual media

Amie McEvoy Prize for Public Service: A prize established by the Board of Trustees of the College and given annually in the name and honor of Amie McEvoy, executive assistant to the President and secretary to the Board and the Bard Faculty from 1981 to 2020, to a rising junior or senior student selected by the President who exemplifies a commitment to public service and the life of the College, and aspires to a superb command of language

Adolfas Mekas Prize: Awarded for exceptional scriptwriting by a senior film student

Edmund S. Morgan Prize in American and Indigenous Studies: A prize honoring the student who has written the outstanding Senior Project in American and Indigenous Studies

Paul J. Pacini Prize in Music: A prize created by Paul J. Pacini and given to a deserving voice student in the Music Program to assist with expenses associated with recitals, performances, Moderation, or the Senior Project

Don Parker Prize for Dance: A prize awarded annually to one or more seniors in the Dance Program who have shown the greatest development and progress as performers at Bard

Don Parker Prize for Theater and Performance: A prize awarded annually to one or more seniors in the Theater and Performance Program who have shown the greatest development and progress as performers at Bard

Sidney Peterson Prize: A prize given to a senior for exceptional service in the spirit of the late experimental filmmaker
M. Susan Richman Senior Project Prize in Mathematics: A prize named in honor of Dr. Richman, mathematician, university educator and administrator, and mother of two mathematicians, given annually to recognize the senior student exhibiting the most mathematical creativity, as determined by the mathematics faculty

Seymour Richman Music Prize for Excellence in Brass: Established in memory of Seymour Richman by his brother and sister-in-law, Irwin and M. Susan Richman, and given annually to an outstanding senior brass instrument player at the Bard College Conservatory of Music whose performances have embodied creativity, originality, and dedication

Robert Rockman Prize: A prize established by the Class of 1966 to honor and acknowledge Robert Rockman, a beloved teacher devoted to making the Bard experience come to life for more than 40 years, and awarded to a junior or senior for excellence in literature and theater 

Arwa Salih Middle Eastern Studies Prize: An annual prize honoring the spirit and scholarship of writer and student activist Arwa Salih, awarded to a Middle Eastern Studies major in the Upper College chosen by the program’s faculty for excellence in the field

Bill Sanders ’90 Memorial Prize: A prize given in memory of Bill Sanders ’90 to a student for appreciative, elegant, and insightful critical writing in English literature

Margaret Creal Shafer Prizes in Composition and Performance: Given by the Hudson Valley Chamber Music Circle to graduating seniors who have excelled—one as a composer; the other as a performer—and demonstrated active participation in the Music Program

Dr. Richard M. Siegel ’43 Memorial Prize in Music: Given in memory of Dr. Richard M. Siegel ’43 to a student majoring in music who, in the judgment of the faculty, demonstrates academic excellence

Dr. Richard M. Siegel ’43 Memorial Prize in Science: Given in memory of Dr. Richard M. Siegel ’43 to a student majoring in science who, in the judgment of the faculty, demonstrates academic excellence

Idahlia Gonzalez Stokas Memorial Prize: A prize awarded in loving memory of Idahlia Gonzalez Stokas to a graduating senior who best exemplifies the spirit of Bard and who, having overcome personal challenges during his or her studies, has demonstrated academic excellence

Stuart Stritzler-Levine Seniors to Seniors Prize: A prize awarded by the Lifetime Learning Institute, a continuing education program for senior citizens on the Bard campus, to support undergraduates in the preparation of their Senior Projects and named in honor of Dean Stuart Stritzler-Levine and his 50th anniversary at Bard College

Adolf Sturmthal Memorial Prize: A prize established by the family, former students, and friends of Adolf Sturmthal—economist, educator, and author, who served on the Bard faculty from 1940 to 1955—and awarded annually to a senior student who has done outstanding work in the field of economics

Carter Towbin Prize for Theater and Performance: A prize awarded annually in memory of Carter Towbin to an Upper College theater and performance student in recognition of creativity, versatility, and overall contribution to the work of that program

Special Carter Towbin Prize: A prize awarded to one or more majors or nonmajors in recognition of their exceptional contribution to the technical work of the Theater and Performance Program

Lindsay F. Watton III Memorial Prize in Russian and Eurasian Studies: A prize established by the family and friends of Lindsay F. Watton III, Professor of Russian Language and Literature, and awarded annually to a student whose Senior Project demonstrates excellence in the field of Russian and Eurasian studies. The Senior Project should be interdisciplinary and reflect knowledge of Russian or the relevant Slavic/Eurasian language.

William Weaver Prize in Music and Languages: The renowned translator and authority on opera William Weaver, a distinguished member of the Bard faculty, devoted his career as writer and teacher to exploring the links between language, music, and the visual arts. This prize is awarded to a senior Conservatory student whose work is in the spirit of William Weaver.

Written Arts Prize: A prize offered by the faculty of the Written Arts Program to the graduating senior or seniors whose Senior Project is of the highest quality 

Suzanne Clements Zimmer Prize: A prize in memory of Suzanne Clements Zimmer ’55, established by her husband, Karl Zimmer, and given annually to a deserving and promising sophomore art major