Day: September 12, 2023

The Sydney Prize

The Sydney Prize is an effective way of acknowledging individuals who have made significant contributions to society, whether that’s through scientific work, writing or activism. Recognizing their efforts while inspiring others is often its own reward – with different categories offering different prizes with distinct requirements for award.

Sydney is renowned for producing exceptional talent – soldiers, political cartoonists, alchemists and spies as well as Nobel-Prize winners and Premiership football club chairman are just a few examples. Sydney also played an instrumental role in shaping modern science and Keynesian economics and inspired Sherlock Holmes – an extraordinary city offering so much for visitors.

One of the best ways to experience Sydney is through festival participation. Held throughout the year and celebrating everything from arts to food and drink, festivals provide an excellent way to connect with local culture while meeting new people – especially popular is Sydney Mardi Gras.

Sydney offers many activities for visitors to enjoy themselves, but the primary goal should always be having fun! Sydney is known for its beautiful parks which provide ideal spots to unwind or take a stroll, while restaurants, cafes and bars also abound; additionally there is yoga, tennis or cycling available as activities you can participate in during your visit.

The Sidney Hook Memorial Award recognizes national excellence in scholarship, undergraduate teaching and leadership to advance liberal education. This prize honors Phi Beta Kappa member Sidney Hook who personified liberal education ideals. This prize is given at its triennial council meetings.

Sidney Hook was a scientist dedicated to liberal education. While at MIT he attended an introductory molecular biology class that profoundly altered his life. Later he studied bacteriophage T4 DNA replication at the University of Colorado and pioneered research that revolutionized our understanding of life. An idealist at heart, Hook believed scientific research should serve humanity. As such he dared challenge existing dogma by contributing his work in discovering penicillin, knowing it continues to help millions around the globe today.

The Sydney Edelstein Prize was created in 1968 through Ruth Edelstein Barish’s generosity; founder of Dexter Chemical Corporation and recipient of SHOT’s Leonardo da Vinci Award in 1988, she established it to recognize excellence in scholarship related to technology history. Accompanied by a $3,500 stipend and plaque, this prize recognizes excellence in scholarship across a range of technical fields and welcomes graduate students, early career scholars and new entrants to the profession alike; applications are accepted until September 30th with winners announced at SHOT’s annual meeting in January 2024.