Departmental Awards

Cervantes Award for Outstanding Seniors in Spanish

This award is presented each year at the department's reception honoring graduates, which is held the day before graduation. It is given to 3-5 outstanding graduating Spanish majors. These students are choosen based on their Hispanic Studies GPA, and other criteria decided upon by the Hispanic Studies faculty.

Winners chart.

This award is given to the student who writes the best undergraduate honors thesis* in Hispanic Studies during each year in which the prize is granted. The prize is named after Maria Teresa Leal, Professor Emerita of Spanish and Portuguese, who served Rice faithfully for over three decades. The award was established to recognize her outstanding contributions to Rice and the Hispanic community, to reward superior undergraduate work in the field of Hispanic Studies, and to demonstrate our program's ongoing commitment to excellence in this academic field. The award will consist of a fine book, print, or artifact chosen to symbolize Hispanic letters, art, or culture, and will be presented at the annual Hispanic Studies awards ceremony.

*To view course description for Span 495, see our masterlist.

Winners chart and their thesis honors papers.