Elon President Leo M. Lambert has announced the establishment of the Lumen Prize, the university’s premier award recognizing scholarship. Each year, 15 rising juniors will receive $15,000 scholarships that support and celebrate their academic achievements and potential.
Elon President Leo M. Lambert has announced the establishment of theLumen Prize, the university’s premier award recognizing scholarship.Each year, 15 rising juniors will receive $15,000 scholarships thatsupport and celebrate their academic achievements and potential. Theawards can be used during the students’ junior and senior years to fundtuition costs as well as research, international study, internships,equipment and supplies and other approved expenses.
Applications for the first Lumen Prizes will be accepted in spring2008, and the first Lumen Scholars will receive their awards for useduring the 2008-09 and 2009-10 academic years.
“The Lumen Prize will recognize students who inspire all of us with their ambitious and serious intellectual pursuits,” Lambert said. “My hope is that the Lumen Scholars will be highly talented sophomores who will imagine how their junior and senior years can be used in the most intellectually rigorous and creative ways, enabling them to compete well for scholarships and fellowships at the nation’s top graduate schools. Professor Janet Myers, Elon’s fellowship adviser, will also be providing special mentoring and encouragement to Lumen Scholars to prepare the Lumen Scholars to compete successfully for top academic honors such as the Marshall, Truman, Goldwater and Rotary scholarships.”
Applications for the first Lumen prizes are due March 20. To qualify,students must be in their second year at Elon and hold a cumulative GPAof 3.50 or above. They must be nominated by a member of the Elonfaculty or staff and must plan to remain enrolled at Elon for two moreyears.
Lumen applicants will map out their vision for their junior and senioryears, developing a plan for coursework, research, creative productionsor performances, service projects, travel, summer workshops orinstitutes, and international study or internships. Top candidates willarticulate a set of goals that are clear, focused and scholarly, anddemonstrate intellectual curiosity and originality.
Led by Paul Fromson, professor of psychology, a selection committee will review applications and decide upon the awards.
The name for the Lumen Prize comes from Elon’s historic motto, “NumenLumen,” which are Latin words meaning “spiritual light” and”intellectual light.” The words, which are found on the Elon Universityseal, signify the highest purposes of an Elon education.
The Elon Board of Trustees approved the establishment of the LumenPrize in September, 2007, and Lambert appointed Fromson to implementthe new program with the help of a 14-member advisory group. Faculty who served on the advisory group included the following: Tom Arcaro, Mary Jo Festle, Karl Sienerth, Connie Book, Nancy Harris, Robert Vick, Scott Buechler, Anthony Hatcher, Helen Walton, Ann Cahill, Janet Myers, Rex Waters, Michael Fels and Janice Richardson.
For more information or to apply for the Lumen Prize, go to www.elon.edu/lumenprize.