Program Overview

Introduction to the Frank Oppenheimer Science and Society Award

The Frank Oppenheimer Science and Society Award is a prestigious recognition of excellence in first-year writing. Established in 2005, this award is presented jointly by the Division of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences and the Department of Physics each semester.

Award Description

• The award is given to students who produce outstanding papers in LAIS 100, Nature and Human Values (NHV), that examine a range of issues including social, ethical, economic, historical, political, and/or environmental aspects.
• The award is named after Frank Oppenheimer, an atomic physicist and brother of J. Robert Oppenheimer, whose contributions to the Manhattan Project are studied in LAIS 100.
• The value of the award is $400.

Selection Process

• Each NHV writing instructor submits one paper for consideration.
• The recipient of the award is chosen by a panel consisting of two judges from the NHV lecturing faculty and one judge from the Physics faculty.

Acknowledgement

The Division of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences and the Department of Physics acknowledge the Oppenheimer family for their permission to use Frank Oppenheimer's name for this award, signifying the importance of interdisciplinary excellence in education.