2020 Outstanding Religious Studies Thesis Award – Jack McLarnon, “‘One’ and ‘I’: Dynamics of Ritual Unity and Individuality in the Liturgical Practice of the Catholic Nicene Creed” (Combined thesis in Anthropology and Religious Studies; Honors in Anthropology)
This award is given in recognition of an outstanding Bates thesis completed in Religious Studies. Nominations are made by Religious Studies faculty on the basis of quality of research, technical and analytical excellence, and original contribution to the field of Religious Studies. Names and thesis titles of recipients of this award will appear on the Awards page of the Religious Studies website and on a dedicated plaque hung in the Religious Studies lounge or thesis room.

2020 Graduate Religious Studies Award – Lydia Sullivan. Lydia Sullivan has been accepted to programs at: Boston College, Northeastern University, and the University of California at Santa Barbara.
This award is given in recognition of seniors or recent alums who have been accepted to a graduate program in Religious Studies or in a closely allied field with the aim of continuing studies begun in Religious Studies at Bates. Names of recipients of this award and the graduate program(s) to which they have been accepted will appear on the Awards page of the Religious Studies website.

2020 Rev. West Gould Willis Award – Lila Patinkin
This endowed award, administered annually by Bates College with a small cash prize, is given, by stipulation of the prize endowment, to one or more students for “reading of the Bible with Expression.” The Willis Award “for excellence in reading from the Bible was established by Dr. Ellen A. Williamson of Los Angeles, California, in memory of her father, the Reverend West Gould Willis, Cobb Divinity School, 1871.” It is currently awarded in recognition of excellent work in biblical studies.