Elmira College

Graduate students who sustain excellence in their degree program with a high grade point average earn one of three Latin distinctions: Summa Cum Laude, Magna Cum Laude, and Cum Laude. Achieving Latin honors is a lifelong mark of distinction.

Recently, 125 members of the Elmira College Ascendant Class of 2026, 1 associate student, and 12 graduate students earned their degrees and set forth to find their place in the world.

The Honors Program provides students with an opportunity to study in an interdisciplinary environment that brings together students and faculty from across the liberal arts and sciences to explore both the practical and theoretical aspects of the liberal arts and sciences.

Recipients of the Elmira College Provost's Prizes in the Academic Disciplines are outstanding in the classroom in terms of their writing, presentation, and critical thinking skills. Such students take on new experiences in research, in learning new skills and techniques, and have frequently presented or published academic manuscripts. These students are members of national academic honor societies, and the faculty at Elmira College anticipates great accomplishments from them in their chosen fields.

Each year, the Dr. Ryland Hugh Hewitt, Jr. Award is given to an Elmira College student who has excelled in the field of speech-language pathology or audiology. The award was given by Warren and Louise Hewitt Aldrich '49 in memory of Louise's brother, Dr. Ryland Hugh Hewitt, Jr.

The Bruce Beaty Memorial Prize is presented each year to an exceptional graduate in the field of human services.

The Rho Gamma Chapter of the Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society (Sigma) inducted six Elmira College nursing students and one nursing leader.

Each year, one Elmira College student is awarded the Abraham Shabanowitz Mathematics Prize. The prize was established by Dr. Harry Shabanowitz, Professor Emeritus of Mathematics, in memory of his father, to be awarded to graduates showing outstanding achievement in the field of mathematics.

Elmira College released its Dean's List for Academic Achievement for the Winter 2026 Term. The Dean's List recognizes full-time undergraduate students who were registered for at least 12 computable credit hours and who earned a term grade point average of 3.6 or higher.

Each year, an Elmira College student is recognized with the Kathlene Arnott Watters '65 Prize. The prize is awarded to an exceptional graduating student in American Studies, Classical Studies, English Literature, History, or Philosophy and Religion whose work exemplifies the ideals of scholarly inquiry and demonstrates a passion for the humanities.

Each year, the Dr. Kathleen Sward Nursing Excellence Prize is awarded to a graduating Elmira College student who has demonstrated academic and clinical excellence in nursing.

Each year, one Elmira College student is recognized with the Kathryn Jenkins Education Prize. The prize is awarded to the graduating student, either graduate or undergraduate, who shows the greatest promise in the field of childhood education.

Each year, Elmira College students are recognized with the Elizabeth Anne Graham '42 Prize. The prize is awarded to graduating students who, in judgment of the Department of Art, show the greatest promise in the field of applied art.

Each year, an Elmira College student is recognized with the Class of 1917 Prize. This prize is awarded to the graduate who has shown the most creative ability in English Language and Literature.

The Elmira College Rho Mu Chapter of Kappa Delta Pi International Honor Society in Education recently inducted members from Education and Speech and Language Disabilities majors into the honor society.

The Elmira College Iota Pi Chapter of the Alpha Alpha Alpha (Tri-Alpha) National Honor Society, established in 2024, recently inducted six students and one faculty member.

The Mu Chapter of New York of the Lambda Alpha National Anthropology Honor Society inducted eight new members for the 2025-2026 academic year.

The Elmira College Chapter of Iota Iota Iota (or Triota), the National Women's Honor Society, recently held its annual induction ceremony. Triota strives to maintain the feminist values central to Women's Studies: egalitarianism, inclusiveness, and a celebration of the diversity of women's experiences.

The Rho Gamma Scholarship Prize is given annually to a Rho Gamma member who is a graduating senior nursing student who demonstrates scholarship and excellence in nursing.

Each year the Elmira College Nurse Education Faculty Recognition for Excellence in Nursing is presented to an outstanding graduating senior nursing student who represents the profession of nursing. He or she has actively participated in the Nurse Education program, such as serving as a student representative with the standing committees, ad hoc committee, and/or active involvement in the Nursing Club of Elmira College.

The Nancy Anne Walsh Poetry Prize was endowed by Elmira College Trustee Jack Walsh in memory of his daughter, Nancy Anne Walsh. The prize is determined by a blind panel of Elmira College English faculty and invited poets and is available to any Elmira College matriculated undergraduate student.

The Mary Lou Parrella Prize is given by Lina Parrella in memory of her niece, a member of the Class of 1965, to a gifted Elmira College first-year student or sophomore in the field of fine arts.

Each year, Elmira College awards upperclassmen students with the Iris Leadership Award. This year, two students received the award.

The Margaret Locke Community Service Prize is given annually to an Elmira College student who has demonstrated a spirit of service to the campus and wider communities, provides a model of community involvement, and makes a difference in the lives of others through service.

The Jay T. Hohenhaus MNA, CRNA Endowed Nursing Scholarship was created by Dr. Susan Hohenhaus in honor of her late husband and is given to a current nursing student with a preference for a student who expresses an interest in a career in nurse anesthesiology, which was her late husband's field.

The International Student Prize is awarded to a full-time international student who has completed at least one year of full-time study at Elmira College and who excels in academic and student life.

The Hypatia Mathematics Prize is awarded to a female junior who exhibits enthusiasm for mathematics and the desire to share that passion with others through education or other career endeavors. The goal of the prize is to recognize more women for their interest and competency in this important field of study.

The Helen Hitchcock Bjorvand Drawing Prize was endowed in recognition of an extraordinary member of the art faculty and is presented annually to the full-time Elmira College student submitting the best portfolio of drawings.

The Helen Bosworth Beers '24 Prize is presented to a student who, in daily living, supports religious principles, is a good student, and an outstanding citizen in the College.

The First-Year Writing Prize is awarded to a first-year student who has completed the Academic Writing course and demonstrated mastery in writing, critical thinking, and oral communication skills.