LAWRENCEVILLE, NJ -- Katie M. Adamow (left), a junior from Ivyland, PA, has been named the recipient of the Gary A. Carskaddan History Prize, presented twice a year to the Rider University history major with the highest grade point average in history courses during the previous semester.

Dr. Thomas J. Callahan (right), professor of history and department chair, presented the award.

Adamow is a member of the history club and Phi Alpha Theta, the international honor society for history. She attributes a good deal of credit for her academic accolades to her instructors at Rider.

"The reason I chose Rider was because the staff, especially in the history department, made me feel welcome as a transfer student from Bucks County Community College," she said. "Each of my classes has been both challenging yet enjoyable -- a combination made possible by the staff."

As part of the award, Adamow will have her name added to the Carskaddan plaque on display in the history department. She will also receive a gift certificate from the Rider University Store.

Gary A Carskaddan is a 1985 Rider graduate who has funded the history prize for several years. He is currently a student life administrator at Holy Cross College in Worcester, MA.

Rider University is an independent, coeducational, nonsectarian institution with a 353-acre campus in Lawrenceville, NJ, and a 23-acre campus in Princeton, NJ. The University offers 58 undergraduate programs and 15 graduate programs in business, liberal arts, science, education, and music. Ninety-five percent of Rider's faculty members hold doctorate or other appropriate advanced degrees. U.S. News and World Report has again ranked Rider in the top tier of northern universities based on the quality of its programs.