Challenging Students

2003-2004 Annual Report

Bucknell students enjoy one of the best undergraduate experiences in the nation. Professors take a personal interest in students and challenge them to do their best in everything they do. The university combines this personal touch with exceptional learning opportunities for students. In every academic department, faculty work with students on undergraduate research projects, helping students strengthen their analytical and critical thinking skills. Senior capstone courses allow students to develop a deeper understanding of their major field of study by examining it in relation to other areas of study. The honors program provides opportunities for students to do independent scholarly work during their senior year.

A Bucknell education occurs outside the classroom as well. Bucknell’s new service-learning program encourages students to incorporate community service as part of their education, allowing them to gain real-life experiences through important community work. Bucknell holds its fraternities and sororities to high standards through the Plan for Prominence that outlines expectations for chapters. Student-athletes compete in the Patriot League in Division I sports, winning honors on the field and in the classroom. Bucknell has won the Patriot League Presidents’ Cup, which is awarded to the school with the best overall record in the league, for the past nine years and ranks third in the number of Academic All-Americans on the all-time Division I list. Bucknell students also are challenged to explore their personal values and spiritual goals as part of their college experience. Bucknell’s three chaplains — Protestant, Catholic, and Jewish — support students in their quest for spiritual maturity and self-awareness.

Bucknell students were honored for their scholarship with several noteworthy awards this past year, including Emily Ostrom, who received a Fulbright teaching grant, Robert Rhoades, who was named a Barry M. Goldwater Scholar, and Vanessa Hull, who received a graduate fellowship from the National Science Foundation. Faculty honored included Andrea Halpern, professor of psychology, who was selected as one of two faculty members in the United States to be named a Council on Undergraduate Research Fellow for the year, and Coralynn Davis, assistant professor of women’s studies and anthropology, and James Pusey, associate professor of East Asian studies, who served as Fulbright Scholars in Nepal and China, respectively.