Prizes & Fellowships
Director of Honors: Dawn Fulton
Director of Graduate Studies: Martine Gantrel (fall), Ann Leone (Spring)
Coordinator of Prizes: Mehammed Mack
Prizes and fellowships are available to students studying French at Smith and on Junior Year Abroad (JYA) programs. Students interested in information about these prizes should consult the director of honors, or in the case of prizes and fellowships awarded to students on the JYA programs in Paris or Geneva, the current director of that program. Students interested in the ENS post-graduate fellowship and the Killam fellowship to Canadian universities should consult the director of graduate studies.
Voltaire Prize
Awarded to a first-year student or a sophomore at Smith College for an essay or other project in French that shows originality and engagement with her subject. Submissions for prizes must be presented in person to Jennifer Blackburn in the Department of French Studies office (Wright 102), no later than the last day of the spring semester examination period. Entries submitted should be the version of the work bearing the professor’s comments and final grade, unless the paper has not yet been returned to the student. Submissions will be judged anonymously. Guidelines for submissions.
Most recent recipients of the prize were:
- Kristen De Lancey '15
- Naomi Sinnathamby '15
Césaire Prize
Awarded for excellence in an essay or other project in French by a junior or a senior on campus. Applicants should contact the director of honors and prizes in the Department of French Studies for further information on how to submit their work. Special Studies projects may be submitted for the Césaire prize. Submissions for prizes must be presented in person to Jennifer Blackburn in the French Studies Department office (Wright 102), no later than the last day of the spring semester examination period. Entries submitted should be the version of the work bearing the professor’s comments and final grade, unless the paper has not yet been returned to the student. Submissions will be judged anonymously. Guidelines for submissions.
Most recent recipients of the prize were:
- Jaclyn Walkins '13
- Michelle Yeo '13
Josephine Ott Prize
Awarded to a Smith junior in Paris or Geneva for her commitment to the French language and European civilization. (In one out of seven years the prize is given to a student studying on the Geneva program.)
Most recent recipients of the prize were:
- Bingyun Wang '14
Ruth Leipziger Prize
Awarded to one or more students studying on the JYA program in Paris.
Most recent recipients of the prize were:
- Chelsea Bartholomew '13
- Eleanor Cook '13
- Hadley Leary '13
- Claire Li '13
Rousseau Prize
Awarded annually to a member of the junior or senior class studying with the Smith College program in Geneva.
Most recent recipients of the prize were:
- Dalia Mehiar '14
- Katie Paulson-Smith '14
Blumberg Fellowship
Funds up to five students on the Smith College JYA programs who design a project to be carried out during the summer after their academic year on the JYA program. The fellowship provides the opportunity for students to travel widely in the country of their program.
Most recent recipients of the prize were:
- Hannah Frydman '12, Madeleine Pelletier: Challenging the Status Quo (Paris)
- Marie Schenk '12, Sports Diplomacy and the International System (Geneva)
- Ella Hartenian '11, Paris: Sustainability and Urban Development
- Elyse Martin '11, Paris: Les Misérables: An Evolving Legacy
Baer Fund
Sponsors a student wishing to undertake a full-time internship during the summer after her studies on the JYA program in Geneva.
Most recent recipients of the prize were:
- Marie Tamagnan '14, to work on her internship at UNESCO (Fall 2012)
- Quynh Nguyen '14, to work on her internship at Kenes Associations Worldwide (Fall 2012)
- Dalia Mehiar '14, to work on her internship at Hagen Resources International (Spring 2013)
- Katie Paulson-Smith '14, to work on her internship at International Bridges to Justice (Spring 2013)
- Jooyeon Bae '13, to work on her internship at the Korean Mission (Spring 2013)
Julia Mayrant Rees Simonds '95 France Internship Fund
Sponsors a student wishing to undertake an internship during the summer after her studies on the JYA program in Paris, or in Geneva, if there should be no candidates from the Paris program.
Most recent recipients of the prize were:
- Christianne Beasley '12, an internship with the American Library in Paris
- Adina Bianchi '12, study of differing approaches to the question of selfhood in American and French philosophy with faculty at Paris IV
- Brenda Delamonica '12, an internship with "La Goutte d'Or," a Paris NGO for children from underprivileged backgrounds
- Clare Landefeld '12, study of crystallization of integrase mutant proteins in lab for Structural Biology and Chemistry at the Pasteur Institute
- Miah Williamsen '12, study of early childhood responses to language at psychology lab at Paris V
ENS Fellowship
Allows a Smith graduate to spend one year at the École Normale Supérieure, rue d'Ulm, France's most prestigious institution of higher learning and to study in the humanities (philosophy, literature, history of art, classical studies [Latin/Greek/archaeology], general linguistics), social sciences (history, geography, economics, sociology, anthropology, history and philosophy of sciences, cognitive sciences, cinematographic studies) and sciences (mathematics, biology, computer science, chemistry, physics, earth sciences).
More information and application instructions (DOC)
Most recent recipients of the fellowship were:
- Hannah Frydman '12
- Sofia Walker '11
- Emilie Lerner '10
- Leah Schwartzman '10
Killam Fellowship
Enables a Smith student to study in a Canadian university either for a year or for a semester. For more information, click here.
Most recent recipient of the prize was:
- Nina Schwartzman '10
