Honors, Prizes and Awards
Departmental award recipients with faculty.
Anthropology majors are eligible for a number of SUNY, UB and departmental awards. Award recipients are announced during the spring semester and presented at the annual university and departmental awards celebrations.
SUNY and UB Awards
SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Student Excellence
The highest student award. Candidates are selected by a UB committee based on overall GPA and activities, then forwarded to Albany where final SUNY-wide candidates are selected.
College of Arts & Sciences Dean's Outstanding Senior Commencement Award
The Director of Undergraduate Studies with members from the Undergraduate Committee select the best senior candidate based on GPA and university service and present the student's dossier to the CAS Dean.
Faculty-Nominated Department Awards
Leadership Award
Presented to an undergraduate student who has shown exceptional dedication to the Department of Anthropology through service. Selected by the Director of Undergraduate Studies and Undergraduate Committee.
Lucia Maria Houpt Award
Presented to the outstanding graduating senior in the Department of Anthropology, based on GPA, departmental service and university-wide service. Selected by the Director of Undergraduate Studies and Undergraduate Committee.
Marion Dickson Scholarship for Outstanding Junior
This award is given to a junior student based on overall and departmental GPA and departmental service. Selected by the Director of Undergraduate Studies and Undergraduate Committee.
Department Awards Requiring Application
In the spring semester faculty and students are invited to put forth nominations for the below awards (self-nominations are encouraged). Final selections are made by the Director of Undergraduate Studies and Undergraduate Committee.
The current application is now open! Please submit your applications to Carol Zittel, carolzit@buffalo.edu, by April 21, 2023.
The Justin Van Ness Award is awarded to a senior majoring in Anthropology with documented, active interest in the environment.
The Klein Family Student Scholarship in Honor to Viola Odenheimer is awarded to an Anthropology major who has demonstrated academic promise and who plan to pursue graduate studies in a medical field. Preference will be given to full-time students with senior-standing in Fall 2023. Students must be enrolled at UB during academic year 2023-24 to receive this award.
The Nathaniel Cantor Award is meant to assist graduating seniors majoring in Anthropology who are accepted into a UB graduate school program related to social work or vocational rehabilitation.
This award is provided through an endowment in the School of Social Work. Preference will be given to full-time students.
The Undergraduate Professional Activities and Achievements Award is presented to a graduating senior who has engaged in professional activities as an undergraduate to an extent that it warrants special recognition.
Academic Recoginition
Latin Honors are bestowed by UB upon conferral of the degree. The honor designations include cum laude (“with praise;” cumulative GPA of 3.2), magna cum laude (“with great praise;” cumulative GPA of 3.5), or summa cum laude (“with highest praise;” cumulative GPA of 3.75).
Students may receive Honors in Anthropology by maintaining an overall 3.5 GPA or above and completing a senior thesis.
Phi Beta Kappa, established on December 5, 1776, at the College of William and Mary, is the nation’s oldest and most prestigious liberal arts honors society. Outstanding junior and senior students are elected to the honors society by a committee of the Omicron Chapter at UB.