Willamette University

Anthropology

Awards & Honors

The Department of Anthropology bestows two awards annually to outstanding student majors, and recognizes exceptional academic achievement among graduating senior majors by bestowing departmental honors at graduation. Criteria for these awards and honors is described below.

Awards

The Franz Boas Award for the Outstanding Senior in Anthropology is awarded annually. Eligibility is limited to senior majors who will have completed all requirements for the major by the end of the term in which the award is given. In the absence of suitable candidates, the award may not be given every year. Recipients of the award are chosen by the faculty of the Department of Anthropology according to a combination of the following criteria:

  • GPA in the major
  • GPA overall
  • Extraordinary achievement in the senior project (which may be in-progress at the time of the award)
  • Extraordinary achievement beyond the normal requirements for the major, such as through study abroad, Carson awards, service learning, or other off-campus and co-curricular endeavors
  • Quality of independent work in courses (i.e., term papers, research reports), including creativity and ambition in the design and pursuit of projects
  • Excellence in one or more core courses in anthropology
  • Skill in ethnographic writing, when applicable
  • Vision of anthropology in the contemporary world, as a contribution to the human experience

The Margaret Mead Award for the Outstanding Junior in Anthropology is awarded annually. Eligibility is limited to junior majors who have completed at least four courses in anthropology prior to the semester in which the award is given. In the absence of suitable candidates, the award may not be given every year. Recipients of the award are chosen by the faculty of the Department of Anthropology according to a combination of the following criteria:

  • GPA in the major
  • GPA overall
  • Quality of independent work in courses (i.e., term papers, research reports), including creativity and ambition in the design and pursuit of projects
  • Excellence in one or more core courses in anthropology
  • Skill in ethnographic writing, when applicable
  • Vision of anthropology in the contemporary world, as a contribution to the human experience

Honors

Departmental honors are awarded at graduation to a small number of outstanding seniors in anthropology, and in recognition of academic achievement. Recipients of honors must meet the following criteria:

  • GPA of 3.8 or higher in the major
  • Completion of at least six courses in anthropology prior to the term of graduation
  • Excellent achievement in the senior project (senior seminar or senior thesis)
  • Approval of the department

For additional information regarding awards and honors in the Department of Anthropology, please contact the department chair.