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Last modified: Wednesday, September 8, 2004

Two IUB students named winners of Palmer-Brandon Prize competition

Each student to receive $20,000 from IU College of Arts and Sciences

EDITORS: A reception honoring the winners of the 2004 Palmer-Brandon Prize will be held at 4 p.m. today (Sept. 8) in the Faculty Club at the Indiana Memorial Union. Photos of the winners are available by contacting Ryan Piurek, IU Media Relations, at 812-855-5393 or rpiurek@indiana.edu.

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Indiana University Bloomington seniors Laura Ertmer of Lafayette, Ind., and Thade Correa of Hammond, Ind., have been selected as the winners of the 2004 Palmer-Brandon Prize competition and will be honored today (Sept. 8) at a reception hosted by the IU College of Arts and Sciences. This year, each student will receive $20,000 to be used to further his or her educational experiences.

The Palmer-Brandon Prize is given annually to outstanding full-time students who are majoring in the humanities. This year's winners will be expected to graduate in May or August of 2005. Ertmer is majoring in religious studies and Spanish, and has just returned from a year abroad in Lima, Peru. Correa is majoring in English and music, and his interests include karate, writing poetry and composing music for the piano, violin, flute, percussion and voice.

The reception honoring the winners will be held at 4 p.m. in the Faculty Club at the Indiana Memorial Union.

"The College is extremely proud to be able to recognize truly outstanding undergraduates in this way," said College of Arts and Sciences Dean Kumble R. Subbaswamy. "It is unusual for any institution to have such a significant prize to give to an undergraduate in any field. We are fortunate that we will have two of them each year to give to our best students in the humanities. Based upon the accomplishments of past recipients, I am confident that Ms. Ertmer and Mr. Correa will put this prize money to excellent use, to further not only their own educations, but also to make genuine and significant intellectual contributions."

The Palmer-Brandon Prize is named for the late Ralph Graham Palmer of Washington, Ind., and his wife, the late Barbara Brandon Palmer. Both husband and wife were IU alumni. The award was made possible by a gift made to the College of Arts and Sciences in the 1980s. Students can apply for the Palmer-Brandon Prize if they are full-time students with junior standing who are majoring in the humanities and are scheduled to graduate in May or August of the following year. Winners may elect to apply the prize money directly to their tuition costs.

Applicants are asked for a personal statement that outlines their career goals, and winners are expected to submit a report after graduation explaining to the selection committee how the prize enabled them to further their education. The prize is based solely on merit.

To speak to the winners of the 2004 Palmer-Brandon Prize, contact Ryan Piurek, IU Media Relations, at 812-855-5393 or rpiurek@indiana.edu.