President's Award to Distinguished Doctoral Students

Five awards of $1,000 each will be granted to outstanding graduates in May, during commencement week, at an annual awards ceremony and reception for recipients and their families. Recipients are expected to participate in a Graduate School colloquium scheduled prior to the reception. 

Students who have completed all degree requirements or anticipate the completion of all degree requirements, including the successful defense of their dissertation,  in time to attend the May  doctoral hooding ceremony are eligible.  Eligible attendees for the May 2021 doctoral hooding ceremony include:

• December 2020  graduates
• May 2021  graduates
• August 2021 graduates

Nominations must be made by the student's Graduate Program Director (GPD).

The awards committee will consider the following when reviewing nominations:

1. The outstanding merit of the candidate's dissertation and its research base.
2. The candidate's exceptional contributions in ability or service to the university, which must be of such a nature as to warrant special citation.
3. How, in completing doctoral study, the candidate overcame a personal or social handicap of an unusual nature, warranting special recognition. For example, this could include  a difficult family situation or financial hardship, a learning disability, or similar adversity that the student overcame.   

Nomination should include:

• A completed Google Nomination Form.
• A letter of nomination from the Graduate Program Director (GPD).  If there is a conflict, the Department Chair can provide this  nomination letter in lieu of the GPD.
• A letter of support from the student's advisor. Additional letters in support also may be included.
• A one-page dissertation summary including dissertation title and actual/proposed defense date. This should be geared toward a general audience. 
• A brief, two- or three-sentence  draft dissertation citation.  This should summarize the student's dissertation topic and be geared toward a general audience. 
• The student's C.V.

The recipients and their citations will be listed in the graduate awards program.

The nomination deadline is Monday, February 22, 2021, at 5:00 pm. 

Past Recipients