Jewel H. Bell Award

Scholarship Purpose

Since 1991, the Jewel Hairston Bell Award has honored an outstanding student of color whose active engagement and participation on campus has furthered the cause of cultural and ethnic diversity at the University of Oregon.

Faculty and staff are highly encouraged to nominate a rising Senior who demonstrates the qualities of this award and meets the eligibility criteria listed below. Students also have the opportunity to self-nominate for this award. Depending on the number of applicants, awards can vary from $2,000 - $4,000. The application deadline is March 1, 2024 at 5:00pm.

This prestigious award is named after Jewel Hairston Bell who served as the Director of the Council of Minority Education (CME) from 1983 to 1986.

 

Honoring Jewel Hairston Bell

Mrs. Jewel Hairston Bell was born in Pittsburg Pennsylvania in 1931. She earned a B.S. degree with honors from Carnegie Institute of Technology. She was a social worker and education specialist with the Bureau of Equal Opportunity of the Massachusetts Department of Education from 1977 to 1980. Afterwards, Jewel and her husband, Derrick Bell, moved to Oregon. Derrick Bell was the Dean of the University of Oregon School of Law, while Jewel served as the Director of the Council of Minority Education (CME) from 1983 to 1986. The CME was the precursor to the current Center for Multicultural Academic Excellence (CMAE) at the UO. Always active in community affairs, while in Eugene, Jewel served on the Board of Sponsors, the Eugene Symphony Orchestra, and the campus Interfaith Ministry. Jewel taught by example and by how she lived her life. Jewel passed away on August 4, 1990, in Cambridge Massachusetts and left a lasting presence on our UO campus.

 

Eligibility Criteria

  • Senior at the University of Oregon in the Fall of 2024
  • Interested in contributing significantly to the improvement of your community, as demonstrated by campus engagement or community service and personal career goals
  • Have a cumulative GPA of 2.75 or higher by time of application
  • Dreamers are eligible

DEADLINE: MARCH 1, 2024
CLICK HERE TO NOMINATE A RISING SENIOR 
CLICK HERE TO SELF-NOMINATE

To be eligible for review, your application must be fully completed. Please include your most recent unofficial UO transcript. All information is confidential. The awardee will be selected by a committee convened by the Center for Multicultural Academic Excellence.