University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Department of Classics
Undergraduate Prizes and Awards
Spring 2022
PRIZE COMPETITIONS IN LATIN AND GREEK
THE HERINGTON PRIZE IN GREEK & LATIN—
The Herington Greek and Latin Poetry Prizes, established in 1999 by Maynard and Florence Mack in memory of John Herington, are awarded for the best oral performance of assigned passages of Greek and Latin poetry. There are two prizes of $250 each, one in Greek and one in Latin. The competition, open to all undergraduates taking Greek or Latin at UNC, takes place every year in the fall. The competition normally takes place every year in the fall, but this year will be held outside in the spring (date to be announced later). Participants are strongly advised not to attempt reciting the passage from memory, but those who choose to do so should have a copy of the text to consult during the performance. Previous winners are ineligible to compete but are encouraged to attend and take part in the general poetry reading that follows the competition.
THE B. L. ULLMAN PRIZE IN LATIN—Spring
The Ullman Prize is funded by an endowment established by B. L. Ullman, Professor of Latin from 1944 to 1959 and department chair, for the purpose of encouraging students in their study of Latin. The prize is awarded to a UNC undergraduate student enrolled in fourth semester Latin (LATN 204 or 205) who earns the highest score on a Latin translation examination administered in that class, as announced in advance by the instructor. It brings an award of $500.
THE ALBERT SUSKIN PRIZE IN LATIN—Spring
The Suskin Prize is in memory of Albert I. Suskin, first a student in the Department and then, starting in 1936, a faculty member and lastly Chair from 1960 until his death in 1965. The prize, established in 1966 by his friends and colleagues, is offered to the undergraduate student who shows the best ability to understand Latin poetry and to translate selected passages at sight. It brings an award of $1,000, with a Chancellor’s Award Ceremony usually in April. Students compete for the prize by taking an exam consisting of translations and a short essay. The exam is held in the spring, date will be announced later.
THE EBEN ALEXANDER PRIZE IN GREEK—Spring
The oldest student prize at Carolina, this award was established in 1887 by the family of Dr. Eben Alexander, Professor of Greek in the Department from 1886 to 1909. A prize of $500 is presented annually to the undergraduate student who, in the opinion of the faculty of the Department of Classics, presents the best rendering into English of selected passages of Greek not previously read. Also, a Chancellor’s Award Ceremony is usually in April. The exam is held in the spring, date will be announced later.
TRAVEL AND RESEARCH AWARDS
THE NIMS SCHOLARSHIP—Spring
The Department of Classics nominates candidates for this need-based scholarship to the Student Aid Office. Established in 1979 by F. Boyden Nims in honor of his parents, Eunice and Luther Nims, the amount of this substantial award varies, but may pay tuition, room, board, and fees, and may be used by undergraduate students in the Department of Classics (majors and minors), with preference given to juniors and seniors for either in-residence study or study abroad. The amounts of the awards vary according to need; however, due to limited resources, they are normally capped at $4,000 for summer programs and at $6,000 for programs that run during the academic year. Exceptions may be made, resources permitting, in cases of unusual need. Priority is given to those students who have not previously received a Nims Scholarship.
THE SNOW AWARD FOR STUDENT TRAVEL AND RESEARCH—Spring
Awards from the James M. and Virginia Kay G. Snow Endowment Fund are awarded competitively to undergraduate students of the Department of Classics (majors and minors) to support travel for the purpose of presenting a paper at a conference or professional meeting and to help subsidize the expense of research projects. Three awards of up to $500 each are available each year.
THE STACIA BYERS WELLS FUND FOR STUDENT TRAVEL AND RESEARCH—Spring
Grants from the Stacia Byers Wells Fund are awarded competitively to undergraduate students of the Department of Classics (majors and minors) to support travel and research in the following areas: travel to participate in excavations or archaeological field projects, travel to professional meetings in the U.S.A. or abroad, and faculty-student collaborative research, including work as research assistants. The amount of the award varies, depending on the availability of funds.
APPLICATION PROCEDURES
Since the application for all three awards is the same, students may submit a single application for more than one award, indicating the awards for which they wish to be considered. They are urged to supplement these awards by applying for funding elsewhere; see further the following sections on University and regional/national awards. Application letters for these departmental awards should include the student’s 1) full name (first middle, last), 2) PID number, 3) major/minor with area, 4) year/rank, and 5) any previous departmental awards they have received (Nims, Herington, etc.), along with the year received. Applicants should also include a statement of their past experience and education; a description of the program, conference, or meeting they wish to attend or, as applicable, an overview of their research project; a brief statement of how the project relates to their educational or academic goals; a statement of financial need and a list of other funding sources to which they’re applying; and a detailed budget (list of estimated expenses). Applications should be sent by email, either in the body of the message or as attached Word or PDF file, to the Director of Undergraduate Studies, Prof. Emily Baragwanath, email: ebaragwanathATuncDOTedu. In addition, applicants should arrange to have three letters of recommendation (at least two from professors within the Department of Classics) sent by email directly to the DUS. The application deadline is February 14. In unusual circumstances, it is also possible for awards to be made at other times on an ad-hoc basis; please consult the Director of Undergraduate Studies. Please note that proof of acceptance to a program or dig is not required when applying for the awards, but is required before receiving any awarded funds.
SCHOLARSHIP IN GREEK
THE HERINGTON SCHOLARSHIP—Spring
The Herington scholarship was established in 1999 by Maynard and Florence Mack in memory of John Herington and is awarded annually to the best student of Greek. The Herington Scholarship currently carries an award of $750. The purpose of the Herington Scholarship is to recognize achievement and to encourage undergraduates to continue their study of classics at UNC or abroad in the following year. Students do not apply, but are nominated by faculty members and selected in the spring semester by a departmental faculty committee. All freshmen, sophomore, and junior UNC Classics majors and minors are eligible.
THE CECIL W. WOOTEN AWARD FOR GRADUATE STUDENT EXCELLENCE IN TEACHING—Spring
This award is named in honor of Cecil W. Wooten who received his PhD from this department in 1972 and returned to join the faculty in 1981. For over thirty years, from the time he joined the faculty until his retirement in 2012, Professor Wooten directed the elementary Latin program, training and mentoring scores of graduate students in Latin pedagogy. He also regularly taught popular large lecture courses, including CLAS 122, The Romans, and CLAS 242, Sex and Gender in the Ancient World, in which he mentored dozens more graduate student TAs. The Wooten award is named in his honor, in recognition of his contributions to the training of graduate student teachers in the department.
This is an annual award of $1,000 given to a graduate student who has demonstrated excellence in teaching. The award is open to all graduate students in the Department of Classics who have served as graduate teaching assistants (GTAs) during the current academic year, including summer. Any faculty member and graduate student in the department may submit a nomination, although self-nominations are not allowed. Undergraduates in department courses may also submit nominations.
The selection committee will consist of the Director of Graduate Studies and the Director of Undergraduate Studies. To submit a nomination, send an email to the committee chair which is the DGS, and provide a brief account of how your nominee exemplifies excellence in teaching; a short paragraph will suffice. The committee will make its selection on the basis of the nominations and the nominee’s full teaching dossier, including student evaluations and faculty teaching observation reports. The deadline for nominations will be March 15th, and the committee will announce the winner in April.
Please see our website for additional awards. http://classics.unc.edu/
For questions about how your financial aid may be impacted, email the Office of Scholarships and Student Aid.