Only through research can scholars find the passion to make a difference, poet and English professor Marilyn Nelson told the University's top students Tuesday.

"The life of the mind, the pursuit of what we can wholeheartedly believe in, requires us to do research - to set imagined goals and to work our way toward them with curiosity, tenacity, humor, patience and courage," Nelson said during the fourth annual Scholars Day.

Hundreds of the University's top students were honored at Jorgensen Auditorium as proud family members and friends looked on. Cyrus Zirakzadeh, director of honors programs, said Scholars Day celebrates the virtues shared by the students: hard work, intellectual sophistication and daring.

Nelson sprinkled her words of wisdom with samples of poetry created through research.

The ceremony paid tribute to 18 University Scholars, 39 Babbidge Scholars - those with a 4.0 grade-point average in the last two semesters - and hundreds of New England Scholars who carried at least a 3.5 GPA in the last two semesters.

The 1996-97 Teaching Fellows received medals during the ceremony: Derek Allinson, Jean Givens, Sandra Rigazio-DiGilio and Linda Strausbaugh.

TB