One nomination per each department (or college with no departments) may be submitted by the department chair (or dean, for colleges with no departments) to the Office of Graduate and Professional Education. The nomination should consist of:

1. A letter from the dissertation advisor that evaluates both the quality of the research and the dissertation's contribution to knowledge in the nominee's field (note: letters from members of the dissertation advisory committee may be included to provide additional informed views of the dissertation's quality and significance to the field);
2. A supporting letter from the department chair explaining why the dissertation was chosen as the best completed dissertation in the department or program this year (August 2013, December 2013, February 2014 or May 2014);
3. A copy of the dissertation;
4. A copy of the external abstract as originally submitted with the dissertation to the Office of Graduate and Professional Education;

Nominations including the above four items must be received in the Office of Graduate and Professional Education no later than Friday, April 19, 2013.

Award Selection Procedures:

1. The Office of Graduate and Professional Education will select award committees of faculty members for each of the four areas. The award committees will review nominations and submit the rankings to the Office of Graduate and Professional Education.
2. If an award committee judges that no nomination is outstanding, no award will be given.
3. Prizes may not be split. Only one award will be made in each area each year.

Prizes will be given at the annual Doctoral Hooding Reception in May.

To download the nomination form click here.