Honoring the 166 Colgate alumni who sacrificed their lives in both of the World Wars, Alumni Memorial Scholars (AMS) are selected during the admission process for their outstanding scholarly achievements and for their potential to become leaders both inside and outside the classroom.
Totaling about 150 students, the AMS community emphasizes growth and enrichment in four spheres: intellectual, social, cultural, and civic engagement. Prominent in the AMS student experience is the opportunity to receive grants, up to a total of $6,000, that can be used for independent research, academic conference attendance, and internships. In the spirit of liberal arts education, students are encouraged to utilize their grant funds toward projects that may not relate to their major, that are simply areas of interest, or which could blossom into further study at Colgate and during post-graduate work. In recent years, students have utilized their funds for internships at the NIH, independent and faculty-led research in Asia, Europe, Africa, South America and the United States, in addition to academic conference attendance from coast-to-coast.
To supplement the scholarly mission of the AMS program, students are encouraged to attend a variety of intellectually-oriented activities, including monthly “Dinners at the Dean’s,” which invite Colgate faculty and prominent community figures to a meal held at the on-campus resident of the Asst. Dean. AMS students also enjoy spring break trips, visits to the theater, and other social events aimed at cultivating a sense of intellectual and personal community among the scholars. Beginning in the fall of 2014, students in the first-year of the AMS program will live in a shared residence hall and participate in an AMS-specific orientation prior to the start of classes.
The AMS community has recently undergone a significant revival. Key has been the appointment of two key staff: AMS Faculty Director, Dr. Rob Nemes, Associate Professor in the History Department, and Dr. Peter Tschirhart, Asst. Dean for Undergraduate Scholars Programs. If you have questions about the AMS program, please don’t hesitate to contact us. To stay up-to-date with news and information about the AMS, please subscribe to our blog.
