LAWRENCEVILLE, NJ -- Thomas Saxton of Levittown, PA, has been awarded the 1998 Emanuel Levine History Research Award, presented annually to the Rider University student who submits the best paper dealing with an aspect of history during their junior year.

The award, which has been presented for 10 years, is named in honor of the late Dr. Emanuel Levine, a history professor at Rider for more than 30 years prior to his death in 1980. Dr. Levine's widow Harriet, a resident of Lawrenceville, NJ, continues to provide funding for the award.

Saxton, a junior majoring in history, is a 1995 graduate of Holy Ghost Preparatory School. His award-winning paper was titled "St. Augustine as a Historian."

Selection process for the award begins with the submission of notable papers from history faculty members. An award committee then judges the papers and selects a winner. The recipient of the award receives a certificate and $200 cash award at the history department's Fall Awards Dinner.

Rider University's history department and programs help students understand how different civilizations, cultures, and events helped shape today's world. History majors take three seminars, each with a special focus, and conduct extensive research to develop important critical thinking and writing skills. Faculty specialties include Europe, America, the Far East, Russian-Soviet history, Latin American, and Carribean history.