Faculty Scholar Award
TO: Department & Program Chairs & Directors of Undergraduate Studies
FROM: The Faculty Scholars Committee
RE: Nominations for Faculty Scholar Awards
______________________________________________________________________________
The Faculty Scholar Award is the highest honor awarded by the faculty to Duke undergraduates. The award was established in 1974 by the faculty and is administered by the Academic Council through its Faculty Scholars Committee. Candidates demonstrate achievement in independent scholarship and offer outstanding academic records. In previous years, receiving the Faculty Scholar Award has had a positive impact on students who apply for graduate fellowships, both institutional and national awards such as the Mellon, NSF, Fulbright, Marshall, Rhodes, etc.
We invite you, in cooperation with your faculty, to nominate your best major(s) for this prestigious award. The number you can nominate depends on the number of majors you have–two if you have more than 30 majors, one otherwise. Nominees should currently be juniors, scheduled to graduate in December 2024 or May 2025. Details concerning student qualifications are provided on the Overview sheet, along with information concerning the nomination and selection process.
Use whatever procedures are appropriate for selecting nominees, such as polling individual faculty members, consulting student lists (for participation in independent study as well as for high grade-point averages), and consulting faculty outside your department who guide your students in independent projects. Final selection may be made by the entire faculty or by the Director of Undergraduate Studies. Although there is no minimum grade-point average, nominees are generally at the very top of their class; however, what has distinguished past winners from other nominees is original scholarship, clear potential as an innovative scholar, interest in a scholarly career, strong faculty support, and the ability to articulate scholarly goals.
Nominations are due: March 26, 2024, submitted to acouncil@duke.edu.
Selection as a Faculty Scholar is one of the highest honors an undergraduate can receive. We hope that you will nominate at least one candidate for this prestigious award.