The sidney prize is an award that recognises people who have made a difference to humanity. These awards can be awarded for a variety of reasons, including academic achievement, personal attributes and contribution to society. They are a great way to reward those who have done good work for humanity and encourage others to continue doing the same.
This year’s Nobel prize in chemistry was awarded to Sidney Altman and Thomas Cech of the USA for their discovery that RNA, a key molecule of heredity in living cells, can also function as a biocatalyst. This is an extraordinary finding that is set to have far-reaching consequences for science and has already resulted in the revision of many textbooks.
Sidney Thomas is a distinguished member of the Phi Beta Kappa Society, having served on its board of trustees from 1961 to 1985 and editing two benchmark books in art history: The Nature of Art (with John Gassner) and Images of Man: Selected Readings in Arts and Ideas in Western Civilization (1972). He was also a highly respected teacher and scholar in Shakespeare studies.
In addition to his scholarly work, Sidney was an active participant in the life of the College and its community. He served as a faculty advisor for the student newspaper and was a founder of the Alumni Association. He was a leading figure in the Phi Beta Kappa movement to recognize undergraduate scholarship and teaching excellence and promote liberal education. This award, which is named in his honor, is a continuing tribute to his steadfast support for the ideals of the Phi Beta Kappa society.
Each month, the Sidney Hillman Foundation awards a $500 honorarium for an outstanding piece of journalism that appeared in the prior month. Nominations can be for an individual article or a collection of articles that demonstrate a significant impact on public policy or culture. The winner is announced on the second Wednesday of each month. The full list of winners can be found here.
The Sydney peace prize honours those who have promoted “peace with justice”, human rights and non-violence. Previous recipients have included the Black Lives Matter movement, founded by Patrisse Cullors, Alicia Garza and Opal Tometi following the acquittal of George Zimmerman for the shooting death of Trayvon Martin.
The judges of this year’s Overland Neilma Sidney Short Story Prize, Laura Elvery, Paige Clark and Michael Winkler, are pleased to announce that the 2022 winning entry is ‘Camperdown Grief Junk’ by Yeena Kirkbright. First place receives $5000 and will be published in Overland’s autumn 2023 edition, and two runners-up will be paid $750 each. The judges would like to thank all of the writers who entered this year’s competition. The 2023 shortlist for the Judith Wright Poetry Prize and Neilma Sidney Short Story Prize can be read here.
