Awarded for a piece of writing completed as a regular course assignment by a PSU freshman student.
The Tom and Phyllis Burnam Awards
Recognizes the best work written by students in the following areas: Undergraduate Fiction; Undergraduate Poetry; Undergraduate Nonfiction; Graduate Fiction;
Graduate Poetry; Graduate Nonfiction.
The Frank Andrew Clarke and Helen Clarke Memorial Award
Awarded to an undergraduate for a work of excellence submitted as a regular course assignment.
The Academy of American Poets Award
Presented for the best poem or group of poems
submitted by a student. Winning poems may be selected for publication by the Academy.
The Wilma Morrison Award
Presented by the University Publications Board for outstanding writing in The Vanguard student newspaper.
Haystack Writing Awards
Given to two outstanding student writers nominated by the Creative Writing faculty.
The Phyllis and Tom Burnam Creative Writing Endowed Scholarship
This fund provides annual student support, in the form of awards, scholarships or fellowships, to English department undergraduate and/or graduate students.
Awards shall be made in recognition of the best fiction, nonfiction, and poetry writing done by a student or students who have enrolled in any writing class taught by a member of the
English department during the course of the year.
The Nina Mae Kellogg Award
Provides a substantial cash prize for outstanding sophomore
and senior students. Invitations to compete for the award are issued after an initial
examination of grade point averages. The senior award is limited to English majors; the
sophomore is open to all majors who demonstrate proficiency in writing.
The Philip Ford Graduate Award
Honors the best piece of original scholarship or criticism written for
graduate credit in an English course.
The Tom Doulis Graduate Fiction Writing Awards
Awarded for a work of fiction by a student enrolled in a fiction writing
class at the graduate level.
The Shelley Reece Award in Poetry
Provided to a graduate student of English who is interested in pursuing
a career in the field of writing. The $1000 prize recipient will have completed a minimum
of one year of coursework at PSU and will be selected for their achievements, interest and
talent in the field of poetry writing, as well as demonstrated financial need.
The Tom Bates Award in Nonfiction Writing
Given to a student enrolled in the M.A. in Writing program whose work
shows excellence in creative nonfiction or literary journalism. The $1000 prize is awarded
on the combined basis of submitted work and overall performance in the Writing program.
The Marilyn Folkestad Scholarship
Awarded to an undergraduate woman who is returning to school and wishes to pursue a career in Literature and Creative Writing. Candidates
are required to demonstrate promise and creative writing talent.
