SUNY Potsdam

The Elsie D. Kristiansen Public Speaking Award is presented to a communication student for the best public speaking presentation in a communication class.

This funding may be presented to a deserving student, or used for faculty development priorities, or acquisition of materials for faculty or student use, or technology or any need determined by the Department of Modern Languages as deemed appropriate for the growth and success of the program and the individual faculty and students working within it.

The Signum Laudis Award for Excellence in Classical Studies is presented to a junior or senior student who best exemplifies the intellectual and interdisciplinary ideals of classical studies.

This award is presented to an Arabic Studies minor who is pursuing academic endeavors.

The Eva Strait-Dean Award is presented to an outstanding North Country student majoring in speech communication at SUNY Potsdam. The selected student must have demonstrated personal initiative by one or more of the following: verified part-time employment, completion of internships and/or overcoming a substantial hardship. Special consideration will be given to students with a double major or minor in politics.

The Excellence in Academics Scholarship is presented annually to recognize outstanding student pursuit in academics and/or research. Recipients also have noteworthy evidence of academic contribution and a distinguished GPA.

The Kelsie Harder Award is given in memory of Dr. Harder, a SUNY Distinguished Teaching Professor, who served as the English and Communication Department Chair and faculty member from 1964 until his retirement in 1994.

This award is presented annually by the SUNY Potsdam Department of English to an outstanding senior, as determined by achievement in coursework and excellence in writing.

The Maurice Kenny Creative Writing Award is presented annually to the graduating senior showing the greatest promise and achievement in creative writing.

The Israel Kaplan English Essay Award is presented for the best literary essay written for an English class at SUNY Potsdam.

The St. Lawrence River Patrons of the Arts Scholarship is awarded to outstanding students studying the arts at SUNY Potsdam.

The McCall Family Scholarship is a renewal scholarship which is awarded each year to a rising sophomore majoring in art studio, art education, art history, or a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) degree program, who has shown potential for success in their major and is in good academic standing.

The Marty Phillips Scholarship is awarded each spring to an outstanding junior or senior art major. The selection is based on achievement, demonstrated ability and potential for further professional growth.

The Lucy Dai Scholarship is awarded each year to outstanding sophomores who intend to declare a major in art and who show exceptional promise as artists and teachers of art, and remain in good academic standing.

The D. Allen Edrington Scholarship is awarded each year to an outstanding junior or senior art student, who graduated from a high school in St. Lawrence County, and who has demonstrated artistic ability.

The Diane Day, Class of 1970, Art Scholarship is awarded each year to outstanding junior or senior art majors who are in good academic standing.

The Dr. Teresa Sophia Watts Scholarship for Art History is awarded each year to an outstanding student with a declared major or minor in art history.

The John C. Riordan Book Award for Excellence in Art History is awarded each year to a senior student in art history who has demonstrated outstanding ability and potential for significant achievement in the area of art history.

The Robert B. Dunn Award is given to the outstanding graduating senior in the Department of Art, as selected by the faculty. The award is funded by a gift from the Student Art Association and is given in memory of Professor Robert B. Dunn.

A group of public health students from The State University of New York at Potsdam recently traveled to Saratoga Springs, N.Y., to attend the New York State Public Health Association 2024 Public Health Partnership Conference.

The Katya Greer Memorial Scholarship for Art Education is awarded each year to an outstanding junior art education student, based on academic achievement and potential in the field of art education.

Steven Higgins received the Celine Philibert Award and the Annette Plante Scholarship from SUNY Potsdam.

This scholarship is awarded to a student studying philosophy at SUNY Potsdam.

Sharonmaire Bartz was honored with two academic awards in Spring 2024, including the M.J. Heisey Award for Public History and the Daniel Gross Philosophy Scholarship.

This award goes to a freshman or sophomore student who has demonstrated outstanding performance in an American history survey course during the preceding calendar year. It was established in honor of Dr. Robert L. Briggs, a valued member of the history faculty from 1961 to his retirement in 1985.

The Ilse J. Shaw History Award goes to the senior history major with the best scholarship and highest cumulative GPA in history courses during his or her undergraduate career.

This award is for outstanding performance by a freshman or sophomore in a world history course during the preceding calendar year. The award honors Dr. John F. Schwaller, a colonial Latin American historian, who served as the college President from 2006 to 2013.

This scholarship is awarded to a student, preferably from St. Lawrence County, who is majoring in history and who can be expected to achieve an average of 3.25 in history courses and 3.0 GPA overall. Dr. Robert L. Briggs was a valued member of the history faculty from 1961 to his retirement in 1985.

The Noreen M. Canfield Scholarship is awarded based on achievement, demonstrated ability and potential for further professional growth.

SUNY Potsdam recently selected outstanding students to be honored as 2024 Departmental Scholars.