At the end of each Spring semester, our most outstanding undergraduate students are honored with awards for research, service, and scholarship. Many of these awards require faculty nominations, while others are based on outstanding scholarly performance.

Undergraduate Departmental Awards.

There are six types of awards given to psychology students each year at the Psychology Department Undergraduate Awards Ceremony. Students may also participate in the Research Poster Session immediately preceding the ceremony. The awards ceremony is held at the end of the school year, usually during the last week of classes. Awards requiring faculty nominations must be submitted by mid-April to the Undergraduate Committee in the Psychology Department. The awards and criteria are:

President's Award:

The President of URI gives this award to the graduating senior with the best record in psychology. Selection for this award is made primarily on the basis of cumulative quality point average, but other notable academic and related achievements are considered. The President's Award does not require faculty nomination.

Carpenter Prize:

This award includes a cash prize and may be given to a graduating senior on the basis of a submitted project. The submitted project must be one of the following:

-- an original piece of empirical research by the student; -- an intensive theoretical review of an important literature in some field of psychology; or -- a research paper based on an ongoing project sponsored by a faculty member or graduate student.

The nominee's contribution must be a result of his or her own planning and writing, rather than a report of someone else's ideas. In addition to submitting one of the above projects, a brief letter from the nominating faculty member is required. It is expected that Carpenter Prize nominees will have superior academic records, although this is not the primary criterion for the award.

Senior Academic Excellence Award:

This award is given to those graduating senior psychology majors with the highest cumulative quality point average as compared to other psychology students. Selection for this award is made by the Psychology Department's Undergraduate Committee on the basis of cumulative quality point average and academic related achievements. This award does not require faculty nomination.

Outstanding Contributions to Psychology Senior Awards:

These are given to graduating seniors in recognition of outstanding effort, research, or service contributions such as: organizing psychology club activities, serving in a leadership capacity in on- or off-campus practicum experiences, and taking major responsibility in on-going research projects. Students who think they might qualify should request a nominating letter from a faculty member. It is typical to have more than one of these awarded to students each year.

Outstanding Junior Awards:

These are given to junior psychology students on the basis of academic excellence, outstanding projects and achievements, and service contributions. A nominating letter from a faculty member is required that delineates the student's achievements. It is possible to have more than one of these awarded to students each year.

Outstanding Freshman/Sophomore Award:

In exceptional cases, this may be given to a sophomore or a freshman who demonstrates truly outstanding achievement. A nominating letter from a faculty member is required that both describes and documents (e.g., includes a copy of a research paper) the nature of the student's achievement.

Certificates of Research Poster Presentation:

If you have completed a research project under faculty or graduate-student supervision, you have the opportunity to present your results in a poster session held during the awards ceremony. This will give you some semi-professional experience at making a research presentation. Ask your faculty sponsor who is supervising your project for information about how to submit your poster.