Barr Fellowship in Public Speaking

Students will enroll in a 1-credit course to develop oratory skills and prepare a dynamic 5-minute research talk. Finalists will compete for the Barr Prize in public speaking.

Barr Fellows in Public Speaking will enroll in a 1-credit class, SPCH 410, taught by Director of Speech Len Neighbors. As a cohort, they will provide feedback, accountability and encouragement to one another as they develop their presentations for the Spring Honors Research Symposium and prepare themselves to compete for the Barr Prize. In consultation with Prof. Neighbors, Fellows will steadily develop their talk from the raw research to a polished presentation for a broad audience. In the final part of the semester, they will develop a personal strategy for improving their communication with outside audiences that they can take into professional life.

Finalists from the 1-credit course will be invited to compete on the evening of Thursday, April 2nd at 7 pm in Commonwealth Auditorium for prizes:

1st Place: $1,000

2nd Place: $500

3rd Place: $250

The five students will have just 5 minutes and a few slides to convey their Honors research to a lay audience in a dynamic way. A catered reception will follow the announcement of the winning presentations.

Barr Fellows not selected to compete will present their 5-minute research talks in a session on Friday, April 3rd.

Barr Fellows in Public Speaking Registration Deadline: Friday, December 5, 2026 at 11:59 pm

After the December deadline, students will be given instructor permission to register for a pass/fail section of SPCH 410 with Len Neighbors for Spring 2026.

This opportunity has been made possible through the vision and generosity of Stanley “Butch” Barr '62, a legal professional and instructor of speech at the university.

Past Years:

READ AN ARTICLE ABOUT THE 2025 COMPETITION

2025 Barr Fellows Finalists:

Russell Burns - 3rd Place
Olivia Cunningham - 1st Place
Henry Hermes - 2nd Place
Kaleea Korunka
Yigit Simsek

2025 Barr Fellows Runners-Up:

Benjamin Boateng
Jonah Oxman
Sarah Sakly
Julia Tucker
Charlotte Visconsi