Scholarships and Awards

Scholarships and Awards

The Prince John Loewenstein Anthropology Prize

Overview

The Department of Anthropology at Saint Mary’s University offers an annual prize for excellence in anthropological writing. The prize is named in honour of Prince John Loewenstein, the founder of the Department. Dr. Loewenstein was awarded a doctorate from the University of Vienna and received post-graduate training from such luminaries as V. Gordon Childe and Mortimer Wheeler. He conducted archaeological research in England, Europe, and Malaysia. He came to Saint Mary’s University in 1959 and served as Head of the Department until his retirement in 1974, when he was appointed professor emeritus. He died on March 27, 1980.

The competition is open to major (including honours) students in Anthropology at Saint Mary’s University. An original essay by the student on any topic of anthropological relevance may be submitted. The deadline for submission is January 15, 2020. Papers submitted for class credit are eligible; however, honours theses are not acceptable in the form submitted for an honours degree. The essay should conform to the style specified by the Department and should be between 5,000 and 7,500 words in length. The essay is judged on its relevance to anthropology, demonstration of familiarity with anthropological reasoning, and stylistic proficiency. Potential writers should have as a goal the production of a “publishable” paper. A student must be the sole author, may submit only one essay in any given year, and may be awarded the prize only once in his or her enrolment at Saint Mary’s University.

The prize consists of an approximately $600 cash award, a commemorative medal, acknowledgement on the student’s transcript, and the student’s name and date of award on a commemorative plaque to be displayed in the Departmental office. Prizes, if awarded, will be announced in February.

Interested students are invited to submit essays to the chairperson of the Department. Questions should be directed to the student’s faculty advisor or to the chairperson.

Here is Anthropology Honours student Allison Hudson being awarded the Prince John Loewenstein Anthropology Prize for excellence in anthropological writing. Dr. Paul Erickson, Department Chairperson, presented Allison with a commemorative medal and monetary award for this achievement.  Allison is the third recipient of this award which has been commemorated on the Prince John Loewenstein Award Plaque. Read her prize winning essay  here. Congratulations Allison!

SMUFU Scholarships

Three of our Anthropology Majors were awarded 2013-2014 Saint Mary's University Faculty Union Scholarships.  Congratulations to Allison Hudson, Anthony Sukaroff, and Yuri Suzuki, shown here with SMUFU president Marc Lamoreux and fellow recipients.

Student International Conference Participation Award

Overview

Each academic year, the Department of Anthropology at Saint Mary’s University plans to provide funding to one anthropology student to support participation in an international academic conference. The Department expects that this initiative will (1) advance the academic careers of those who receive funding and (2) enhance the Department’s standing as a provider of four-field study in the discipline of anthropology. There will be one competitive award per year. Faculty members of the Department of Anthropology will determine from among those who apply the candidate whose proposed participation shows the best promise of advancing the above two goals. Selection will be based on this consideration, in addition to GPA, previous scholarly involvement, and the quality of the scholarship associated with conference participation.

The Department will award a maximum of $400 to the student receiving the award.

Criteria for Consideration

To qualify, applicants:

• Must be majoring in anthropology
• Must be a returning student
• Must be presenting a scholarly paper at an international conference (Simply attending a conference does not make students eligible to receive these funds.)
• Must show that they have or plan to seek funding from other sources to complement those provided by the Department of Anthropology
• Must agree to present a paper at Saint Mary’s University following the conference

 

How to Apply

Submit a letter of application to the Department Chairperson outlining:

• Whether and how the above criteria have been met
• How the applicant will benefit from participation in the conference
• How the Department of Anthropology will benefit
• A detailed budget including travel expenses and conference fees

 

The annual deadline for submitting applications is November 1st. If no applications are received by the deadline, the Department my grant the award to the first acceptable application received thereafter. For further information, contact Department of Anthropology Chairperson Dr. Paul A. Erickson.