Named Awards

Established in 1985 by family members in memory of the late Ahmed Fakhry to provide an annual cash award to the most outstanding Egyptology junior student. A committee headed by the chair of the department oversees the selection process.

Established in 2001 by the late Ahmed H. Zewail, the honorary degree Doctor of Humane Letters (Hon LHD) provides a biannual cash award to an honored graduating senior student whose academic accomplishments demonstrate extraordinary commitment to the pursuit of scientific inquiry and the affirmation of human values. The fund is awarded in the fall and spring commencements. Applicants will be required to write a thesis of 1,500 - 2,000 word essay on sciences and humanities topics. The recipient will be awarded a cash prize, a special medal, and a recognition certificate. The essays of the prize winners will be published in a position of honor and prominence on The American University in Cairo's (AUC) website. Read More

Established in 1993 by friends and colleagues in memory of the late Anand Mehta, an MBA student active in the Model United Nations (MUN) at AUC, to support Egyptian students' participation in an annual Model United Nations (MUN) conference abroad.

Established in 2000 by the El Sawy family in memory of the late Abdel Rahman El Sawy. Known as the Patron of Engineers, El Sawy (1894-1978) graduated from Cairo University's Faculty of Engineering in 1918 and obtained his PhD from the University of Birmingham in 1921. In 1937, he became the first Egyptian to be appointed dean of Cairo University's Faculty of Engineering, which he held for over a decade. The award provides a biannual cash award to the graduating senior student with the highest grade-point average in the School of Sciences and Engineering, who received a public school scholarship. The fund is awarded in the fall and spring commencements. Selection is based on the highest GPA.

Established in 2023 by family members and friends in memory of Mona Abaza '82, professor of sociology. It will be awarded to the best master’s thesis on a topic related to one of the various subfields of sociology, critical theory, cultural studies, sociology of literature, urban studies, Cairo studies, or interdisciplinary studies focused on social issues. The award is announced in the Fall commencement.

Established in 2012 by multiple donors in memory of Fadel Assabghy, professor emeritus of physics, to provide an award for the best graduate thesis in the School of Sciences and Engineering (SSE). In FY16, it was decided to move the fund's administration from the Dean of the School of Sciences and Engineering to the Dean of Graduate Studies. This was to make sure it was awarded in memory of Assabghy to provide an annual cash award for the best graduate thesis in SSE. Selection of the award recipient is performed by a committee headed by the Dean of Graduate Studies. The fund is awarded in the fall commencement.

Established in 2015 by family members and former students of George T. Scanlon to recognize his scholarly excellence and commemorate Scanlon's impact on Islamic studies. The award provides an annual cash prize for the most distinguished graduate thesis produced by an Arab and Islamic Civilizations (ARIC) student in a given academic year. A departmental award committee will consider MA theses successfully defended by students across the various specializations of the ARIC department over a two-year rolling window. The recipients are announced at an annual ceremony organized by the department each spring.

Established in 1986 by multiple donors in memory of the late Madalyn Lamont, an instructor in the writing program at AUC, a poet, and a women's rights activist. The award recognizes students with outstanding creative achievement in poetry, drama, fiction, or essay writing. Recipients receive a calligraphy print of one of Lamont's poems, as well as a monetary prize. The recipients are announced at an annual ceremony organized by the department each spring. Read More

Established in 2003 by multiple donors in memory and tribute to the lasting contribution of Magda Al-Nowaihi '78 to the work of Arabic literature in general, and gender studies in particular, to provide a cash award to an MA thesis in any of AUC's graduate programs that focuses on gender relations issues. A committee oversees the selection process, and an annual ceremony is held to commemorate Magda Al-Nowaihi's contribution to the field and celebrate the award-winning thesis. Read More

Established in February 2022 by multiple donors in memory of Mahmoud El Lozy '76, '79, professor of theatre, and in tribute to his instrumental contribution to the arts at AUC. A minimum of two students will be nominated by the full-time faculty of the theatre program for their exceptional accomplishments in acting, directing, playwriting, performance theory, or stage management. The selection committee will consist of full-time faculty of the theatre program and one alum selected by faculty each year. The award can be given to 1-2 students and is announced in the spring commencement.

Established in 2012 by multiple donors in memory of Medhat Haroun, professor of engineering, former dean of the School of Sciences and Engineering, and late provost, to provide an annual cash award for the best graduate thesis in the School of Sciences and Engineering. Selection of the award recipient is performed by a committee headed by the Dean of Graduate Studies. The award is announced in the fall commencement.

Established in 1985 by the late Mostafa Mohamed El Beleidy, to provide a biannual cash award to the graduating senior with the highest grade-point average. The fund is awarded in the fall and spring commencements.

Established in 2017 by the late Mohammed Bin Abdulkarim A. Allehedan to provide a bi-annual cash award to science and engineering graduate students who demonstrated excellence in their studies. The award is given to the student with the best publication record. Each department will nominate one student, and an SSE Dean's committee will make the selection. The fund is awarded in the fall and spring commencements.

Established in 2017 by the late Mohammed Bin Abdulkarim A. Allehedan, it provides a bi-annual award to a science and engineering graduating senior student who demonstrated excellence in their studies. The award is given to the student having the highest GPA. Each department will nominate one student, and an SSE dean's committee will make the selection. The fund is awarded in the fall and spring commencements.

Established in 1999, in honor of Nadia Niazi Mostafa, to provide an annual cash award to the best thesis presented in the Arabic studies graduate program at AUC with a specialization in Islamic art and architecture. Students should have a minimum grade-point average of 3.2/4. A committee oversees the selection process, and an annual ceremony is held to celebrate the award-winning thesis.

Established in 1988 by multiple donors in honor of Reda Salama to provide an award to the best third-year secondary student enrolled in The School of Continuing Education's (SCE) English language program each term.

Established in 2002, by family members and friends, in memory of Samiha El Barkouky to provide a cash award to a graduating senior majoring in Egyptology who demonstrated academic merit with a grade-point average of 3.3/4 or higher. A committee headed by the chair of the department oversees the selection process.

Established in 2022, the Shireen Abu Aqleh Award was established by Soraya Altorki to honor the memory of the award-winning Palestinian-American female journalist Abu Aqleh who was shot in May 2022 while reporting on a raid in Jenin, the West Bank. Abu Aqleh had led an inspiring career during her 25 years of press work across the Middle East, bravely reporting on the occupied Palestinian territories. The award is offered to a high-achieving Palestinian student.

Established in 1996 by the late Laila Tewfick Doss '86, '91, in memory of her father, Tewfik Doss Pasha, to provide an annual cash award alternately to the best graduate thesis in English and comparative literature or political science. A committee headed by the chair of the department oversees the selection process. The recipients are announced at an annual ceremony held by the department.

Established in 2019 by Aziza Nour Eldin Ellozy '64, '67 and Lady Jehane Thomas '66, '69,  in memory of the late Doria Shafik. The award provides an annual cash prize to a student who worked on women's empowerment in any discipline, field, or activity, such as artwork, a community service project, research on the inclusion of women, volunteer work, and so on. A committee assembled by the vice president for student affairs will choose the award recipients.

Established in 2016 by Lady Jehane Thomas '66, '69 to provide a bi-annual cash award for the highest achiever in chemistry at the undergraduate level. The award is given to the student having the highest GPA. The award will be announced in the fall and spring commencement.

Established in 2012 by family members and friends in memory of Waheed Samy to provide an annual cash prize to the winner of an Arabic writing competition. Applicants can be undergraduate or graduate students and must be learners of Arabic as a foreign language and enrolled in Arabic language courses at the advanced level at AUC or Arabic language courses in US universities. The award recipients will be chosen by a committee headed by the department chair. The award is presented each fall. Read More

This fund provides library staff with training and development, including English training at AUC and local and regional conferences and workshops on library skills, Egyptology, archival systems, and information technology services.

Established in 2023 by family members and friends in memory of Sherif El-Kassas, professor of computer science and engineering, the award is presented to a computer science and engineering graduating senior with an honor degree for his/her outstanding achievements and fostering of human ethics and values. Selection of the award recipients is performed by a committee headed by the chair of the computer science and engineering department. The award is announced in the fall commencement.

Established in 2011 by multiple donors to award an AUC graduate student who writes an outstanding thesis on a topic related to democracy, human rights, citizenship, and sustainable development in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). The award winner will receive a cash prize, and their thesis will be submitted for consideration by the AUC Press for publication. This award is given out once every academic year at the spring commencement.

Established in 2020 in the memory of Soraya Mohamed Altorki's parents and brother. The fund is awarded in the fall and spring commencements to a graduating senior student majoring in Anthropology for the best-written essay in ethnographic studies. The award winner will receive a cash prize. A committee of up to four faculty members from the Department of Anthropology will select the winner. Interested students should apply here.

Established in 2016 by Shawki El Husseiny Farag in memory of Valerie Farag, a graduating senior student who has demonstrated music and academic skills, contributed to the music programs of AUC, and exhibited leadership in music society or other art-related student activities. Graduating students majoring and/or minoring in music, musical arts in performance, and/or music technology should email the department highlighting their perceived qualifications. The fund is awarded in the fall and spring semesters. The award winner will receive a cash prize. A selection committee of three faculty members from the Department of the Arts will announce its decision at the end of each semester on the AUC website and other media.