The Religion Department is pleased to announce that this year’s Betty Phifer award will go to both Hannah Mandatta and Elianna Cooper. Among other things, Hannah Mandatta led Students Organized for Religious and Cultural Exploration (SORCE)—a.k.a. the "Religion Club"—and organized the undergraduate symposiums this year, even in the midst of the pandemic. Elianna Cooper was instrumental in organizing J Street on campus, and was deeply involved in the Department as well. Our academic achievement award will go to Leah Singleton and Jeff Schmoll, both of whom were also involved in SORCE.

The Religion Department congratulates the following graduate student award winners for 2019-2020: 

• Moore Travel Grants (Spring 2020): Taylor Dean, Michael McLaughlin, Nathan Moats; (Fall 2019): Luke Arredondo, Marah Litchford, Jesse Young
• Best Dissertation Award: Luke Arrendondo
• Excellence in Research Award: Amanda Propst
• Porterfield Prize: Tucker Adkins
• Excellence in Teaching: John Cole
• Excellence in Service: Michael McLaughlin

• Sandon Prize, Graduate Student Symposium: Florence Egbeyale for her paper, "Biblical Interpretive Strategy in the Epistle of Barnabas and Justin’s Dialogue with Trypho: A Tool for Policing Christian Identity."

FSU's College of Arts and Sciences has profiled Religion graduate student Joshua Matson and his research on the Dead Sea Scrolls. 

Olivia Treptow, with majors in Chinese/Business and Religion, was inducted into FSU’S Garnet and Gold Scholar Society on December 4, 2019. One of 58 new inductees, Treptow completed an undergraduate honor's thesis in religion as her capstone "synthesis reflection project" to qualify for the honor. 

The Department of Religion is excited to announce that we are now a chapter of Theta Alpha Kappa, the honor society for Religious Studies and Theology dedicated to recognizing the academic achievements of religion and theology students. TAK maintains a vigorous national program of scholarship awards and fellowship competitions; its primary publication, the Journal of Theta Alpha Kappa, offers an annual prize and the publication of outstanding student papers. More information about TAK can be found here.