Work

Funding for Invited Lecturers

Colby’s chapter of Phi Beta Kappa seeks proposals from chairs and directors for funding to support department/program-sponsored lectures. Up to $500 in funds per event can be awarded and used for travel and accommodation costs, as well as modest honoraria, for visiting lecturers. Please submit a one-page proposal to the chapter’s Executive Committee at [email protected] that includes the following:

(A) a description of the lecturer’s credentials and a proposed schedule for the visit

(B) a brief narrative on the ways in which this visit would strengthen the intellectual mission of your department/program and that of the College.

Departments and programs receiving these awards will be expected to acknowledge Colby’s Phi Beta Kappa chapter as a cosponsor in all advertisements and signage for the supported lecture. Proposals may be submitted at any time. Awards will be made at the discretion of the chapter officers and Executive Committee. Up to $2,000 can be awarded annually for sponsored lectures. For additional information contact [email protected].

Support for Student Scholarship

Colby’s chapter of Phi Beta Kappa seeks proposals from students engaged in faculty-mentored scholarly endeavors to support research activities including travel for off-campus activities necessary for the scholarly work or to professional meetings at which scholarship is presented. Up to $500 in funds per student per academic year can be awarded and used for research-related costs including travel and/or conference registration. These funds may not be used for scholarly work carried out as part of a course. Students are invited to submit a one-page proposal to the chapter’s Executive Committee at [email protected] that includes the following:

(A) a brief narrative describing the scholarly work, the nature of the funding request (what research, travel, and conference costs are going to be incurred, and other sources of funding sought / obtained from other sources), and the ways in which this endeavor would strengthen the scholarly goals of the project and the intellectual climate of the College

(B) an itemized list of the expenses that this grant would cover.

Recipients of these awards will be expected to acknowledge Colby’s Phi Beta Kappa chapter as a cosponsor in all presentations and publications that result from the work described. Proposals may be submitted at any time. Awards will be made at the discretion of the chapter officers and Executive Committee. Up to $2,000 can be awarded annually for student travel. For additional information contact [email protected].

Student Summer Research Stipends

Colby’s Chapter of Phi Beta Kappa seeks proposals from students hired as summer Research Assistants to be one of three 2015 Phi Beta Kappa Scholars. Awardees will receive an increased stipend and up to $500 in supply money to support the summer project. Students are invited to submit a one-page proposal to the Chapter’s Executive Committee at [email protected] following these guidelines:

(A) describe the nature of your summer scholarly project and how your this contributes to your liberal arts education.

(B) faculty mentors/sponsors must also send an email to [email protected] acknowledging that the student applicant is eligible to fulfill the expectations of this award

The recipients of these awards would be expected to acknowledge our Phi Beta Kappa Chapter as a co-sponsor in all presentations and publications that result from the work described, including at the Colby Undergraduate Summer Research Retreat, at which each Phi Beta Scholar is required to present her/his scholarly progress. Proposals must be submitted by April 1st. Awards will be made at the discretion of the Chapter officers and Executive Committee. For additional information contact [email protected].

In 2014, Prof. Joseph R. Reisert, then serving as chapter president, proposed founding an annual speech contest, to be held in May during the Colby Liberal Arts Symposium (CLAS). The contest took form under Prof. Reisert’s early stewardship, and today it is a much-anticipated event of the Symposium. In 2018, the contest was renamed in memory of Prof. David H. Mills, a beloved instructor of public speaking and long-serving faculty advisor to the debate team. Dr. Mills also served as our charismatic chapter president for many years.

All enrolled Colby students are eligible to participate. Contestants deliver their speeches in two preliminary rounds of competition before judges from our chapter, and the top-ranking six speakers advance to the final round at the Colby Liberal Arts Symposium. We award prizes as judged by the audience: $500 for first prize; $300 for second; and $100 for third.

Past contest topics and winners:

2021: Cancelled due to Covid-19 Pandemic

2020: Cancelled due to Covid-19 Pandemic

2019: Freedom of Inquiry and Expression

1. Michael Yorsz ’22
2. Ali Rami ’21
3. Christian Guichard ’22

2018: How Do the Liberal Arts Contribute to Our Communities?

1. Radhika Vu Thanh Vy ’20
2. Adrienne Carmack ’18
3. Wesley Zebrowski ’18

2017: In What Ways Can a Liberal Arts Education Enable One to Sustain Intellectual Openness and Civic Engagement in the Face of an Increasingly Polarized Rhetoric in  he Public Discourse?

1. Michelle Boucher ’17
2. Malik Horton ’17
3. Akira Murphy ’17

2016: Identify a Question that Continues to Challenge You and the Tools Required to Empower You to Answer It.

1. Rose Nelson ’16
2. Yinka Onayemi ’16
3. Arjun Sahgal ’16

2015: To What Outcomes Should a Liberal Arts College Aspire for its Students?

1. Precious Hunt ’17
2. Liam Connell ’15
3. Alexa Busser ’17

2014: What is the Place of Liberal Arts and Sciences in the 21st Century?

1. Omari Matthew ’14
2. Brett Ewer ’14
3. Lily Holland ’15

Each year, the National Society of Phi Beta Kappa selects a group of scholars from a broad array of disciplines to travel to college campuses to engage with faculty and undergraduate students. As noted on their webpage:

Since 1956, the Phi Beta Kappa Visiting Scholar Program has been offering undergraduates the opportunity to spend time with some of America’s most distinguished scholars. The purpose of the program is to contribute to the intellectual life of the campus by making possible an exchange of ideas between the Visiting Scholars and the resident faculty and students.

Phi Beta Kappa Visiting Scholars travel to more than 100 colleges and universities each year, spending two days on each campus and taking full part in the academic life of the institution. They meet informally with students and faculty members, participate in classroom discussions and seminars, and give a public lecture open to the academic community and the general public.

The costs of this program are borne by the National Society and Colby’s PBK Chapter.

In the fall of 2018, we hosted Laura Brown, John Wendell Anderson Professor of English at Cornell University. She spent two days on campus visiting classes, meeting with students and faculty, and giving a scholarly lecture.

We welcomed Dr. Naomi Oreskes, Professor of the History of Science and Affiliated Professor of Earth and Planetary Sciences at Harvard University on March 5-6, 2020.