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The D.C. Spriestersbach Dissertation Prize Nomination Process - 2008

The D.C. Spriestersbach Dissertation Prize was established to recognize excellence in doctoral research. Each year the winner of the D.C. Spriestersbach Dissertation Prize has been the University of Iowa's nominee in the national competition for the Council of Graduate Schools/University Microfilms International Distinguished Dissertation Award. Prizes are awarded annually in two of four broad disciplinary areas - Humanities and the Fine Arts, Mathematical and Physical Sciences and Engineering, Biological Sciences, and Social Sciences. The Graduate College, in turn, holds two D.C. Spriestersbach Prize competitions in the areas specified by the Council of Graduate Schools, with the winners being our nominees in the national competition.

In 2008, therefore, two D.C. Spriestersbach Prizes will be awarded - one in the Mathematical and Physical Sciences and Engineering, and one in the Social Sciences  (see below for the list of eligible departments for 2008). Each department may nominate one candidate. To be eligible, a student must have received the doctorate, or completed all doctoral degree requirements (includes having the final deposit of the dissertation cleared through the Graduate College) between July 1, 2006 and June 30, 2008. Nominees' dissertations should represent highly original work that is an unusually significant contribution to their fields. Subcommittees of the Graduate Council will review the nominations and select recipients of the prize. As noted earlier, the winners of the D.C. Spriestersbach Prize will be the University of Iowa's nominees in the national competition for the Council of Graduate Schools' dissertation prizes.  See a list of past winners and their dissertation titles.

Each departmental nominee must:

• prepare an abstract (both a printed copy and an electronic copy in pdf) (not to exceed 10 pages) of his or her dissertation,
  -typed double-spaced on 8 ½ " by 11" white paper;
  -appendices containing nontextual material, such as charts or tables, may be included;
  -pages should be numbered and each should bear the name of the nominee.
• submit an unbound printed copy of the dissertation and an electronic copy in pdf.
• request three referees to submit letters evaluating the significance and quality of the dissertation work -
  -one of these letters is to be from the nominee's dissertation supervisor,
  -another from a member of the nominee's dissertation committee, and
  -the third from a person of the nominee's choice.
  -letters should be addressed to John C. Keller, Associate Provost and Dean, Graduate College, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa  52242
• write, in non-technical language, a separate document (not to exceed 3 pages double-spaced) consisting of a summary of the purpose, methods, and results of the research, and a clear statement of its significance within the discipline. This should be submitted both as a printed copy and electronically.
• Include an updated copy of his/her curriculum vitae.

All nomination materials must be received by the Graduate College no later than Wednesday, July 2, 2008.  Electronic documents should be sent to john-keller@uiowa.edu

Winners of the D.C. Spriestersbach Prize are honored in the spring at a special reception held in conjunction with the James F. Jakobsen Graduate Research Forum, organized by the Graduate Student Senate. At that time, winners are presented with $2500 along with an award certificate.

Winners of the D.C. Spriestersbach Prize have fared exceptionally well in the national competition. In fact, only Yale University, also with four winners, has been recognized as often as Iowa since the inauguration of the national competition in 1981.  Iowa, with four winners, is tied with Yale. In 1984, David Lasocki of Music was selected as having written the most outstanding dissertation in the nation in the humanities. In 1993, Matthew P. Anderson of Physiology and Biophysics won for having written the most outstanding dissertation in the biological sciences. Then, in 1997, Susan Behrends Frank of Art History won for having written the most outstanding dissertation in the humanities. Most recently, in 2007, Michael Chasar, from English, was selected in the Arts and Humanities.  Ten other Iowa nominees have been finalists in the national competition. The success of Iowa's candidates in the national competition is a tribute to the high standards of excellence met by doctoral research conducted at this University.

Please examine closely the doctoral dissertations completed in your department for the time period indicated above to be sure deserving students have an opportunity to achieve both local and national recognition for truly excellent doctoral research.

If you have any questions regarding the competition, please contact Dean Keller at the Graduate College (335-2142).

List of Eligible Departments for 2008 D.C. Spriestersbach Dissertation Prize: