The Founders Award of Excellence was established in 1994 to honor students who embody qualities of creativity, discovery, leadership, and the values of pride and responsibility at Rensselaer. The award consists of a special certificate, recognition by faculty, staff, and peers at the Honors Convocation ceremony, and a cash prize. Approximately 70 wonderful graduate or undergraduate students – about one percent of our student population – are honored each year as winners of Rensselaer’s Founders Award of Excellence. We need your assistance to identify the next group.
Nominees for the Founders Award of Excellence demonstrate all of these characteristics:
- Strong academic performance. Candidates should be in the top 10% of their respective class.
- Pride and responsibility in all aspects of her or his life at Rensselaer.
- Outstanding leadership skills exhibiting discretion, judgment, and well-rounded regard for the opinions of others.
- Originality and imagination that may be evidenced by the potential to solve problems and possess skills to promote new ideas and theories in his or her field of study.