The Department of Anthropology annually awards a prize for an exemplary student paper. This prize was established by Mary E. Wesbrook to honor Professor Robert A. McKennan (1909-1982), whose forty years of scholarship and devoted undergraduate teaching of anthropology at Dartmouth College have been a model for the department he helped to found. All papers submitted in fulfillment of anthropology course requirements are eligible.
The Department of Anthropology awards the Mary E. Wesbrook prize annually for a student thesis of exceptional quality. This prize was established by Margaret Wesbrook to honor her sister, Mary, the department's administrative assistant for thirty years.
The Department of Anthropology awards the Deborah L. Nichols prize annually to a student who has produced outstanding anthropological research. This prize was established in memory of archaeologist Deborah Nichols, a Dartmouth professor from 1985-2022 whose mentorship, wisdom and generosity inspired dozens of student research projects.