Academic Honors and Recognition

The Achievement Key Award is given by the Honors Convocation Committee of the faculty on the basis of outstanding scholarship and campus service. Junior and senior students are eligible for nomination if they have completed 18 credit hours or more during the preceding two semesters and have earned a 3.6 grade point average or higher for each of these two semesters. Students who receive the Campus Life Award may not simultaneously receive the Achievement Key Award.

This award is given to an art student or students in honor of an alumnus that the Department of Art chooses to recognize.

Art faculty select one or more full or part-time students who have completed a minimum of 30 semester hours at SU and have submitted a portfolio and written statements about their work or art-related achievements.

This award is presented annually to rising junior or senior art major or liberal studies major who demonstrate excellence in one of the art tracks, maintains an overall grade point aver- age of at least 3.0 or better and receives a recommendation from one of the Department of Art faculty members,or the director of University Galleries or the dean of the Fulton School of Liberal Arts. The award is meant to assist full-time art major or liberal studies-art major pursuing a Bachelor of Art or a Bachelor of Fine Arts in art.

The Thomas E. Bellavance Honors Program Awards are given each year to students who have been active participants in the Bellavance Honors Program and who have maintained the highest overall grade point averages of all honors students.

The Richard Bernstein Achievement Awards are presented annually to outstanding students from across the University who have demonstrated entrepreneurial behavior. Selection is based on a broad set of criteria, including evidence of appreciation for American capitalism, leadership, organizational abilities, creativity, self-initiative, and commitment.

The Biology Faculty Award is presented annually to one or more graduating biology majors who have displayed outstanding leadership and service to the Biology Department in addition to having maintained academic excellence.

This award is given in recognition of outstanding ability demonstrated by scholarly work. The recipient must be a Maryland resident of junior status, have a cumulative grade point average of 3.5 and must be actively involved in the Honors Program.

Campus Life awards are granted by the University Honors Convocation Committee of the faculty to undergraduate students who have made outstanding contributions to campus life. Students are eligible for nomination on the basis of a 2.6 cumulative average and completion of 18 credit hours or more for the two preceding semesters. This award is limited to not more than 1 percent of the student body. Any recipient of the Achievement Key may not simultaneously receive this award.

The Caruthers Memorial Fund Award is awarded to a junior or senior education major who evidences academic scholarship, leadership skills, involvement in campus and community activities, and shows promise of becoming an outstanding teacher.

This scholarship recognizes a junior-level chemistry major for scholastic achievement and demonstrated potential for a career in chemistry.

This award is given in memory of Diana Marie Clayton in recognition of enthusiasm, dedication, and academic performance demonstrated in the study of professional nursing.

This award is presented by the Beta Chapter of Delta Kappa Gamma Society to an outstanding woman student teacher who best exemplifies the fine qualities and characteristics of the profession.

Presented annually to computer science students who have been recognized by a consensus of full-time faculty in the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science for demonstrating outstanding computer science expertise.

In memory of his interest in and love of American literature, the family of Robert Elderdice has provided this annual award to a promising undergraduate English major who has expressed a special interest in pursuing the study of American literature.

This award is presented to a graduating geography major who has achieved at least a 3.5 grade point average in geography, has given exceptional service to the department, and has developed well-defined professional goals.

This award provides a meaningful memorial to Tabitha Parker Fondes. It recognizes an outstanding graduating senior nursing major who demonstrates high academic standards, clinical excellence, and leadership qualities.

Monetary award given annually in recognition of an outstanding senior art student. The selected piece created by this individual will become part of the Fulton School of Liberal Arts permanent art collection.

This award is given to students who have consistently displayed scholarship and interest in the study of geography. To be eligible students must have a minimum 3.25 grade point average in geography and must have completed at least 15 semester hours in this discipline. In addition, students must currently be enrolled in a geography course and hold membership in the Geographic Society.

The James F. Glenn Memorial Award in Chemistry is presented annually by the Department of Chemistry for academic excellence and future promise in the field of chemistry.

The Guerrieri Student Union Music Major Award honors a degree-candidate music major who has demonstrated outstanding musicianship by exceptional recital performance and academic achievement.

Recognizes varsity intercollegiate athletics team members who have attained a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or better and who have made outstanding contributions to team leadership.

The History Department Award is presented to a graduating senior history major who has demonstrated outstanding scholastic ability and has provided substantial leadership for the many student activities sponsored by the History Department.

The Institute of Management Accountants Award is an unencumbered gift to an outstanding senior in accounting and is based on academic performance, leadership, and involvement in campus and community activities.

Awarded annually in honor of Dr. Kashi Khazeh’s parents to recognize two distinguished Perdue School graduating seniors, one in finance and one in international business. The recipients must have a minimum 3.33 cumulative grade point average as well as a minimum 3.55 grade point average in all bona fide finance/international business courses already completed. They must also have demonstrated leadership roles and have been involved in extracurricular activities.

This award is presented annually to a junior who has demonstrated outstanding achievement in accounting, ranking in the top 10 percent of the class, and who has evidenced leadership or involvement in campus, community, and professional activities.

The Mathematics and Computer Science Outstanding Service Award is given to a student who has been selected by consensus of the full-time mathematics and computer science faculty to have done the most to promote a mathematical environment at Salisbury University.

The Anne H. Matthews Memorial Award is presented to an education major in the junior class who shows promise of becoming a highly successful teacher.

The Most Promising Mathematician Award is presented annually to math majors who have a 3.0 grade point average or higher and who have been judged by a consensus of full-time faculty in the department to show the most promise in mathematics.

This award is presented to a music or music education senior degree candidate who demonstrates musicianship through some outstanding performance contribution, superior academic achievement, and exemplification of superior personality and character traits.

This award is given each year to an outstanding dance minor who demonstrates scholarship, participation, and leadership in dance. To be eligible, a student must possess a 3.0 overall grade point average and a 3.3 grade point average in dance courses, have completed at least 15 semester hours in the discipline, be currently enrolled in a dance course, and hold membership in the SU Dance Company.

The Duane C. Nichols Memorial Scholarship Award is awarded to the graduating senior English major earning the highest honors in the discipline.

Presented annually to senior CADR majors with an overall GPA of 3.5 or above, a minimum GPA of 3.5 in the CADR major and who, according to the consensus of the full-time CADR faculty, has demonstrated excellence in the field.

Presented to a graduating senior who has taken classes in at least two languages, who has shown academic excellence, and who has actively participated in extracurricular activities in the department.

The Sallie Dryden Parker Memorial Award is given for outstanding performance in film studies or for general contributions to the development of film consciousness on campus and in the Salisbury community.

Each year the Franklin P. Perdue School of Business presents awards to senior students from each major/concentration area. These non-monetary awards are based on out- standing academic performance and input from faculty in each area of concentration.

An award for excellence in philosophy is given each year to a student who has consistently demonstrated both the ability to master philosophical ideas and the willingness to engage in the kind of thoughtful reflection which the Philosophy Department seeks to foster.

The Physical Education Excellence Award is given to a junior or senior physical education major who has a minimum overall grade point average of 3.2, shows leadership ability, and is committed to a career in physical education.

Given to outstanding seniors who have demonstrated a high level of general academic achievement and excellence in physics.

Awarded to the graduating senior or seniors who have maintained a grade point average in the social sciences of at least 3.1 and have been active in the local chapter of Pi Gamma Mu and in regional or national Pi Gamma Mu functions or conferences.

This award is presented annually for academic achievement and outstanding contributions to the Psychology Department.

The Epsilon Xi chapter of Eta Sigma Gamma (ESG), the national health education honorary (housed in the Public Health Program) presents the annual Public Health Scholarship Key Award to a graduating active student member of ESG with the highest cumulative GPA. A minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA is required for consideration. In the event of a tie, the awards committee considers the level of participation to ESG and commitment to a career in public health.

The E. Pauline Riall Achievement Award is presented annually by the School of Education to an outstanding education major as selected by a faculty committee.

The John and Mary-Claire Roth Honors Thesis Prize is awarded annually to the Thomas E. Bellavance Honors Program student who is judged to have written the best honors thesis in the current year’s graduating class.

The Salisbury Rotary International Club awards are presented to students in the Perdue School of Business who have demonstrated outstanding ability. Selection is based on resident status, academic performance, and financial need.

This award is given in honor of Dr. Shen’s selfless efforts on behalf of the University, the community, and the scholarly world. To qualify for this award students must be of junior or senior class rank, political science majors, possess a 3.0 overall grade point average and a 3.25 grade point average in political science courses, and demonstrate leadership ability and a commitment to a career in politics or government.

This award honors an outstanding history major meeting the following criteria: minimum 3.0 GPA in history courses, be a history major and have completed at least six history courses. The department considers both academic excellence as well as demonstrated dedication to the discipline of history though participation in internships and organizations such as the History Club (also known as Salisbury University Historical Society).

The Social Work Student of the Year Award is based upon academic achievement, leadership, and service to the University and community.

These awards are presented to the graduating seniors with the highest grade point averages. When a significant proportion of the class is comprised of registered nurse students, an additional award is given to the registered nurse student with the highest grade point average.

The Walter C. Thurston Memorial Award is sponsored annually by the Salisbury Exchange Club for a full-time art major who has completed a minimum of three photography courses at SU with a “B” average. The Art Department faculty reviews all applicant portfolios and written comments of those students whose careers will involve photography in some manner.

This prize is presented annually at convocation by the Edward H. Nabb Research Center for Delmarva History and Culture to a full-time student of junior or senior class rank who has demonstrated superior primary research competence on a topic concerned with Delmarva history. Applicants will have a minimum grade point average of 3.0 and will have used the Nabb Research Center in their research. 

Awarded to current student(s) pursuing an undergraduate degree in history with research at the Edward H. Nabb Research Center for Delmarva History and Culture. Selection criteria includes: full-time enrollment (12+ credits per semester); 3.5 minimum cumulative GPA; and completion of a research essay, minimum 1,500 word count, using resources from the Nabb Research Center or development of a research proposal, minimum 400-word count outline, including a comprehensive description or the research project, list of primary sources and detailed timeline of completion.

The Bellavance Honors Program recognizes one or more distinguished first-year Honors student(s) who are in good standing in the Honors Program and who excel in writing skills.

Who’s Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges has a half-century tradition as one of the most highly regarded and long-standing honors in the nation for upper-class and graduate students.

Currently Who’s Who awards are given annually at 1,000 higher education institutions in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Criteria used by the selection committee include scholarship, participation, and leadership in academics, community, athletics, and extracurricular activities.

The Joanne Grant Scholarship in Theatre Award is given annually to two students who have demonstrated hard work, dependability and dedication to the art and craft of theatre.