ACPA is seeking applications for the 2023 Marylu K. McEwen Dissertation of the Year Award. The purpose of this award is to recognize a completed dissertation that demonstrates scholarly excellence and makes a substantial contribution to knowledge in the general field of student affairs/student services. The dissertation may be in any scholarly tradition or methodology and focus on any topic in the field.

The recipient will receive a plaque, complimentary annual convention registration for the recipient and their advisor, and a cash award of $1,000. The recipient will also have a reserved slot to present the dissertation results in a session at the 2023 Annual Convention.

The applicant’s faculty nominator must be the dissertation committee chair or member of the dissertation committee, and a member of ACPA at the time of nomination. The faculty nominator must sign and submit a certificate statement verifying the applicant has met the degree requirements of the institution and has been signed off by the applicant’s dissertation committee between April 1, 2021 and August 1, 2022.

The deadline for submissions is 1 October 2022. Please direct questions to Drs. Tricia Shalka (tshalka@warner.rochester.edu) and TBD, Dissertation of the Year Committee Co-Chairs.

The Dissertation of the Year Award is named in honor of Dr. Marylu McEwen, Professor Emerita in the Student Affairs concentration with the Department of Counseling, Higher Education, and Special Education, at the University of Maryland, College Park.  

The financial award is funded by the ACPA Foundation through an endowment started by a generous gift in honor of Marylu McEwen.

Additional information on Dr. McEwen can be found here.  

Abstract
Please submit a 15 double-spaced page abstract for the dissertation (inclusive of any tables and/or figures). The abstract should include the following:

1.  Full dissertation title
2.  Statement of the study's purpose
3.  Research questions, if applicable
4.  Significance of the study
5.  Theoretical or conceptual underpinnings, if applicable
6.  Methods - research design/approach, sampling, data collection procedures or data sources used, and data sources used.
7.  Summary of key findings
8.  Implications for practice, policy, and/or future research

Additionally, up to three single-spaced pages of references in APA format can accompany the abstract and will not count toward the 15-page limit.

Please submit the abstract as a single .pdf document, and use the first few words of the Dissertation Title as the title of the document. This standardized naming convention is essential to efficient processing of the submission. 

The selection process is masked.  The abstract should contain no identifying information that reveals the author, committee members, or institution. Please remember to check your References, Tables, and Figures for masking.

Degree Completion Certification
1.  The applicant's faculty nominator must sign a certification statement verifying the applicant has met the degree requirements of the institution and has been signed off by the applicant's dissertation committee between April 1, 2021 and August 1, 2022.  

2.  The certification statement can be found here and must be submitted at the time of application.  Please upload the certication statement as separate document from the abstract.

The recipient will be selected in early January, 2023.