Subject:Award nominations From: Laszlo Mihaly Date: Tue, 19 Feb 2008 12:27:50 -0500 To: "pagra-l@lists.sunysb.edu" I am looking for possible candidates for two Awards. The first one is offered to students finishing Ph.D. this year; the second one is for doing an excellent job as a TA. If you think you may qualify for the first Award, talk to your advisor, and ask him/her to contact me. For the teaching Award, please let me know if you want to be considered, and contact faculty who is familiar with your teaching accomplishments. Details are below. Cheers, Laszlo PRESIDENT'S AWARD TO DISTINGUISHED DOCTORAL STUDENTS Five awards of $500 each will be granted each year at an awards ceremony and reception for recipients and their families during the week preceding commencement. The recipients and their citations will be listed in the commencement program. The awardees will be hooded on stage at the main commencement ceremony as representatives of all Ph.D. recipients. Awardees will be expected to participate in a Graduate School colloquium scheduled during commencement week. Nominations must include the reason for making the nomination, the student’s C.V., any additional letters in support of the nomination, including one from the advisor, and a brief draft citation. Only those students who have either completed all degree requirements or anticipate the completion of all degree requirements, including the successful defense of their dissertation, in time to be hooded at the May doctoral graduation and hooding ceremony, may be nominated. Each graduate program may nominate no more than two candidates. Please electronically submit each nominee’s profile. Nominations must be made by the student’s Graduate Program Director or Department Chair. The GCF&AC will consider the following when reviewing nominations: 1. The outstanding merit of the candidate's dissertation and its research base ; 2. In the conduct of their doctoral studies, that the student made exceptional contributions in ability or service to the university of such a nature as to warrant special citation; 3. In completing their doctoral studies, the candidate overcame personal or social handicaps of an unusual nature, warranting special recognition. PRESIDENT'S AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN TEACHING BY A GRADUATE STUDENT The President's Award for Excellence in Teaching by a Graduate Student will be awarded to outstanding graduate student teachers. Six awards of $500 each will be presented at a ceremony held in May for recipients and their families. Awardees will be expected to participate in an orientation session or colloquium presented to new Teaching Assistants in the following Fall semester. Each department/program with TAs or GAs involved in teaching may nominate two candidates. Nominations must be made by the student’s Graduate Program Director of Department Chair. The award is open to all full-time graduate students (masters and doctoral) TAs or GAs required to teach. They must have completed at least one academic year of teaching. (Present semester can be included). Each nomination should include: 1. Positive evidence that the candidate has performed superbly in the classroom * letter of recommendation by the departmental chairperson * minimum of two letters of recommendation from faculty members who have supervised or worked with the nominee in teaching a course * quantitative summary from course evaluations by students * no more than five letters from students attesting to the effectiveness of the candidate's teaching and concern for intellectual growth. 2. Indications of the candidate’s generosity with personal time, accessibility to students and demonstration of a continual concern with the intellectual growth of individual students. 3. The candidate must set high standards for students encouraging academic excellence. 4. The candidate must exhibit innovative means of developing and modifying the course, where applicable. -- ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Laszlo Mihaly Graduate Program Director Department of Physics and Astronomy Stony Brook University 631 632-8279 laszlo.mihaly@sunysb.edu ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^