April 16, 2026

Here are your 2026 Pepper Prize nominees

10 of the 2026 Pepper Prize finalists are pictured on gray backdrops: Hope Basaman, Jillian Berger, Alexander Brown, Kashif Chopra, Kushur Davidson, Dexter Kennedy, Elizabeth Miller, Benjamin Risley, Edna Sam, and Yuo Tanaka.

Each year 10 finalists are nominated for the George Wharton Pepper Prize—an award given annually to the senior “who most nearly represents the Lafayette ideal.” Congratulations to the 10 nominees for 2026!

How and when to vote? 

Students, voting-eligible faculty, and full-time administrators will be asked to vote for the person most deserving of the award.

  • Additional details on each of the nominees will be shared Friday in The Lafayette.
  • Voting will begin at 9 a.m. Sat., April 18. The voting link will not be active until that time and will be found at pepperprize.lafayette.edu.
  • Voting will end at 9 a.m. Wed., April 22.