Student Awards/Honors

Paul Bernon Memorial Prize

The Paul Bernon Memorial Prize is awarded to the graduating senior most outstanding in anthropology and sociology. Selection is made by department faculty.

Recent Paul Bernon Memorial Prize recipients

  • 2024: Emma Chen and Curtis Dai
  • 2023: Ednetta Fullmore
  • 2022: Becca Scott and Isabella Stoto
  • 2021: Lauren Phillips-Jackson
  • 2020: Princess Adeyinka (second major in Government and Law) and Camilla Samuelsson (second major in International Affairs)
  • 2019: Fayola Fair
  • 2018: Cindy Matos Beltré and Clara Randimbiarimanana
  • 2017: Tawfiq Alhamedi
  • 2016: Barbara Olivier
  • 2015: Margaret Frodell (second major in Spanish) and Hollis Miller (second major in Geology)
  • 2014: David Robinson and Leah Godin (second major in Women’s and Gender Studies)
  • 2013: Anna Eisenstein (second major in Government and Law)
  • 2012: Rebecca Heslin and Juliet Lodi (second major in Government and Law)
  • 2011: Allison Hawkey (second major in History) and Kaitlyn Krueger (second major in Government and Law)
  • 2010: Zachary Romano (second major in Government and Law)
  • 2009: Cristina Callagy
  • 2008: Rachel Scarpato (second major in American Studies)
  • 2007: Kyle Hoover (second major in American Studies) and Dana Gambro (second major in Art)
  • 2006: Alisandra B. Carnevale (second major in History)

Carolyn Byington ’15 Award for Global Citizenship

This award is given to a senior A&S major or minor selected by department faculty for outstanding service and/or scholarship aimed at enhancing transnational and intercultural understanding. This departmental award is in memory of Carolyn Byington ’15, a double A&S/IA major passionate about responsible global citizenship.

  • 2024: Anna Marinovich
  • 2023: Maria Bossert
  • 2022: Flor de Maria Selena Caceres Godoy and Congyi Chen
  • 2021: Kelsey Nies

Amanda Miner ’18 Award for Campus and A&S Department Leadership

This award is given to a senior A&S major selected by A&S majors and minors in recognition of their significant engagement in the A&S Department and Lafayette campus and their leadership in promoting the welfare of others. This award is in memory of Amanda Miner ’18, an A&S major with a contagious love of learning about the world, exploring community, and fostering positive change through anthropology and sociology.

  • 2024: Marcus Alston and Bria London
  • 2023: Natalia Baez
  • 2022: Becca Scott
  • 2021: Katherine Leiva-Almendares and Lauren Phillips-Jackson

Departmental Honors

Under the guidance of a faculty member, an A&S major writes a thesis based on an approved project in a specialized field of anthropology or sociology. If at the first semester’s end the project has honors potential, the student applies to continue toward graduation with honors. After completing the thesis, the student takes an oral examination on it and its field. For more details, see http://anthrosoc.lafayette.edu/honors-thesis/

Students recently completing honors theses in A&S

  • 2024: Curtis Dai, Anna Marinovich, Jackie Vargas, Emma Chen
  • 2023: Maria Bossert and Sophia Graham
  • 2022: Ciara O’Connor and Isabella Stoto
  • 2021: Lauren Phillips-Jackson
  • 2020: Princess Adeyinka, Yazmin Baptiste, Sarah Heins, Ayat Husseini, Ian J. Miller, Camilla Samuelsson (December 2019 graduate), and Bec Stargel
  • 2019: Jovante Anderson, Uche Anomnachi, Lauren Champagne, Dget Downey, and Vicki Holcomb
  • 2018: Erin Fitzgerald, Clara Randimbiarimanana, and Miriam Swartz
  • 2017: Tawfiq Alhamedi, Sarah Geller, Molly Leech, and Natalie Nollan
  • 2016: Jolly Shi (December 2015 graduate), Walter Burkat, and Barbara Olivier
  • 2015: Margaret Frodell, Marybeth O’Connor, and Hollis Miller
  • 2014: David Robinson and Leah Godin
  • 2013: Anna Eisenstein, Brooke Kohler, and Tatiana Logan
  • 2012: Rebecca Heslin, Jared Katz, and Emily Pyle
  • 2011: Julie Pollack
  • 2010: Christy Fic, Stefanie Mircovich, Brooke Niquette, and Zachary Romano
  • 2009: Amanda Berger and Cristina Callagy
  • 2008: Emily Smith, Alysse Henkel, Lauren Finder, Samantha Alvino, and Allison Shapp
  • 2007: Kara Boodakian, Alyssa Wisoff, Rachel Gallagher, and Vanessa Youngs

Phi Beta Kappa

Outstanding students from all curricula are eligible for election to Phi Beta Kappa in either the junior or senior year. Membership criteria are established by the local chapter, not by the College. In addition to meeting the requirements of their degree programs, students should demonstrate breadth in their coursework and a commitment to liberal learning. More specifically, the chapter takes into account grade point average, advanced-level courses outside the student’s major, and the study of mathematics and foreign language. Admission to Phi Beta Kappa is always at the discretion of the chapter, and membership is gained only by election.

Recent A&S majors inducted into Phi Beta Kappa

  • Bria London ’24
  • Caroline Sabin ’21
  • Laurel Rogers ’19
  • Camilla Samuelsson ’19
  • Paige Santelli ’19
  • Sarah Geller ’17
  • Hollis Miller ’15
  • Emily Mulford ’15
  • Zachary Jones ’13
  • Tatiana Logan ’13
  • Kaitlyn Krueger ’11
  • Christy M. Fic ’10
  • Rachel Scarpato ’08 (double major with American Studies)
  • Inna O. Korkko ’06 (double major with Psychology)
  • Alisandra B. Carnevale ’06 (double major with History)
  • Brendan A. O’Regan ’06 (double major with Government and Law)