Brian May

Brian May is a talented and engaged student,” says Literature Professor Edward Shannon. “His writing is of superior quality and integrates literary theory at a high level. He is capable of engaging texts at an intellectual level rarely seen in undergraduates, as is evident both in his writing and his contributions to discussion. Further, his enthusiasm and sense of fun is contagious and a valuable ingredient to classroom discussion.” Brian is a Literature major also pursuing teacher certification in English and has a 3.86 grade point average. He is from Mahwah, NJ.

Awarded Scholarships

2011

Simon, Dr. Ernest Book Award

Dr. Ernest Simon was a professor of Literature at Ramapo from 1973 until his retirement in 1998. A group of his former students established this fund a number of years ago to honor their teacher and benefit Ramapo seniors in the Literature major. Dr. Simon appreciated the gesture and he and his wife Christiana contributed to the fund. Mrs. Simon further enhanced the fund after Dr. Simon’s death in 2003.

“One of the things I most enjoyed about Ernie Simon was that he never tired of sharing what he knew,” says his friend and colleague, Professor Ira Spar. “He approached our discussions, his teaching, and his students with the same energy that he gave to all that he did, and I count him among the best teachers Ramapo has ever had.”

This faculty-nominated award recognizes an outstanding Literature major who shows a “commitment to reading and research.”