The Oak Tree Prize is funded by retired Adjunct Professor Jack Eichenbaum, who has since passed away. It is a competitive prize awarded annually to support studies in Geography and especially field work and the collection of original data. The Oak Tree Prize is open to Graduate Geography and GeoInformatics, and Undergraduate Geography and Environmental Studies students at Hunter College for the best research using original field work completed within one or more of the five boroughs of New York City.

Field work must be conducted between Spring 2025 and Spring 2026. Self-nominations as well as nominations supported by faculty members are encouraged to apply. Students can submit their research papers as a .docx file or .pdf to geog@hunter.cuny.edu no later than April 24, 2026 at 5 PM. Prize to be awarded at the Department of Geography and Environmental Science’s Annual Awards Presentation.

A committee will be assembled to read any submissions for this award. The Oak Tree prize will be adjudicated by three Department of Geography and Environmental Science faculty and/or staff members, and at least one student (either undergraduate or graduate), except for the year of the fund’s inception. Ideally, the student member(s) will be the winner of the prior year’s award. The winner of the Oak Tree Award will be decided by a majority vote of the award’s committee members. The prize is $500.