Recognizing Select Graduating Seniors

Nomination Deadline: December 19, 2025

The SUNY Chancellor's award for Student Excellence annually recognizes a select number of graduating seniors who have demonstrated and been recognized for excellence in at least three of the following areas:

1. Academics;
2. Leadership;
3. Diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice;
4. Campus involvement, civics, and service;
5. Research and development;
6. Creative and performing arts.

Examples of achievements and accomplishments may include, but are not limited to:

• Athletics,
• Advocacy,
• Military service,
• Student government,
• Teaching and service positions,
• Involvement in clubs and organizations,
• Volunteer work,
• Research experience.

 

Eligibility

Stony Brook undergraduates graduating between June 2025 and May 2026* who have been recognized for outstanding achievement AND have a GPA of 3.5 or higher.

Students enrolled in a 4+1 Bachelor's/Masters of Arts in Teaching (MAT) degree program can qualify for the Chancellor’s Award but should be nominated in the student’s final year of the program when the student is expected to graduate.

Application Instructions

Student nominees must complete the nomination form. Faculty and staff seeking to nominate a student should share the form with the student to complete. Students may self-nominate.

Applicants should provide descriptions or summaries of their awards, honors, accomplishments and/or achievements in at least three of the six areas of excellence mentioned above. They should provide specifics such as the name of any awards previously received, the organization(s) sponsoring the award/recognition, leadership positions held, and dates.  

Applicants may describe as many recognitions/honors as space permits in any one category but should avoid duplicating entries in multiple categories. In some cases, there may be multiple categories available to detail a particular activity or accomplishment and the applicant/nominee must choose the best category among several valid options.  For example, an applicant who served as an officer of a club or an honor society could potentially describe relevant accomplishments in either the Leadership or the Campus Involvement/Service categories, but not both. 

Per SUNY guidelines, nominated students with measurable, long-term accomplishments and achievements will be measured (scored) at a higher level than other achievements. In addition, students’ achievements that affect the greater campus community and/or a large number of students and/or community members will be valued higher than other achievements.

Awards, achievements, or honors from high school or another college should not be included.

The nominee’s current CV/resume should be uploaded to the nomination form.

Nomination letters/letters of support from faculty/staff are strongly encouraged but not required.

Submit a Nomination

Nomination letters/letters of support from faculty/staff are strongly encouraged but not required. Letters of support can be emailed to Karen Kernan, or uploaded by the student in the nomination form.

Email a Letter of Support

Need Help?

Contact Karen Kernan

 

Campus Nomination and Selection Process

Nominations will be reviewed by the internal Stony Brook nomination selection committee that can recommend up to 14 candidates for consideration. 

All nominees will be notified by the end of January if their nomination was selected to move forward or not. Selected nominations will be sent on to the SUNY selection committee. SUNY will notify winners in the spring. Winners are recognized at an award ceremony in April.

This award is given annually to a very select number of graduating seniors who have shown true academic excellence, not just in the classroom, but in other ways as well, in research or creative activities, or in building an academic community.

Faculty/staff interested in nominating a graduating senior for this award should send a letter summarizing the reasons for the nominee's candidacy to  Karen Kernan.  

Please also include the nominee's ID#, a resume, and a description of the student's achievements beyond the classroom (e.g. co-authorship of a paper, presentation at national meetings and/or professional conferences, development of an outstanding creative project).

*Note that students previously nominated for the Chancellor's award for Student Excellence will be automatically be considered for the Provost's award (additional letters of support are encouraged).

Campus Deadline.  April 3, 2026 

Contact:  Karen Kernan: 631.632.7114 (tel); karen.kernan@stonybrook.edu

This award is given on the basis of an essay on a selected legal topic that changes annually. The essay has a maximum length of 2,000 words excluding the bibliography. University endorsement is required: each participating SUNY campus may submit up to 3 essays. 

Competition is open to students in their junior year at SUNY State-operated campuses who are interested in legal issues, or are interested in pursuing a career in the legal field. Awards include: $1,500-First prize for best essay describing the role and relevance of law in dealing with a current legal issue; $1,000 - Second Prize. This year’s essay competition topic centers on legal possession of the property: "A Fox in Whose Hen House."
Note: the use of artificial intelligence (A.I.)generators is prohibited. Any essay submissions found to be a product of A.I. will be disqualified.

Application Instructions.  

Application Form:     2025 Scharps legal essay: application cover sheet and detailed instructions   - view PDF

Update to application instructions - posted 12/5/24. It has come to our attention that the citation for the first case, Gelles v. Sauvage, is written so it can be foundon the Westlaw legal research platform. If a student or school does not have access to Westlaw, an alternativecitation that may be used on other platforms is: Gelles v. Sauvage, NY Slip Op 50120(U) (Sup. Ct. 2023). Please make note of this change.

Campus Deadline:  Noon, January 22*, 2025 (*internal campus deadline).

Contact / campus coordinator: Karen Kernan, URECA. Tel: 631.632.7114. Email: karen.kernan@stonybrook.edu

Ward Melville Valedictorian Award 

In honor of the first chairperson of the Stony Brook Council, the University presents its most distinguished undergraduate honor, the Ward Melville Valedictorian Award, to the graduating senior who has attained the highest academic average during four years at Stony Brook. Note: no application is necessary for consideration; awards are based on academic achievement/GPA. Awards are announced annually in late May or early June (including those awardees who were recent December and/or August graduates).

H. Lee Dennison Award

The H. Lee Dennison Award, named in honor of Suffolk County's first chief executive, is presented by the University to the graduating senior who entered Stony Brook as a transfer student, completed at least 60 credits of letter grade work at Stony Brook, and attained the highest academic average in that work.  Note: no application is necessary for consideration; awards are based on academic achievement/GPA. Awards are announced annually in late May or early June (including those awardees who were recent December and/or August graduates).

Contact: Karen Kernan: 631.632.7114 (tel); karen.kernan@stonybrook.edu
Please contact Karen Kernan (URECA) if you have further questions regarding these valedictory awards.