Academics

      Libraries offers $1,250 award for outstanding undergraduate thesis

      Deadline for submissions is Tuesday, April  9

      Applications for the University Libraries’ annual Outstanding Undergraduate Thesis Award are open to all spring graduating Penn State students and recent graduates from the previous summer and fall who have completed an undergraduate thesis. Credit: Donatello Trisolino from Pexels. All Rights Reserved.

      UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. —  Penn State University Libraries invites submissions for the eighth  annual competition for the Outstanding Undergraduate Thesis Award. The competition aims to find the best research by a Penn State undergraduate in consultation with his or her adviser. The winner will receive $1,250, and awards of $750 and $500 will be presented to the second- and third-place recipients, respectively. 

      Students from all Penn State campuses who have graduated in summer or fall 2018 or plan to graduate in spring 2019 are eligible for the 2019  award. The competition includes a review of submitted theses by a faculty jury and oral presentations by the students chosen as finalists.

      “Through this  award, the University Libraries emphasizes the importance of utilizing quality research methods and employing a thorough understanding of the legal and ethical issues related to the use of information. Both are key components of academic excellence,” Barbara I. Dewey, dean of University Libraries and Scholarly Communications, said. “The projects submitted in past years have been very impressive, and each thesis has demonstrated excellence in the research process of locating, evaluating and utilizing appropriate scholarly resources.”

      Students must submit an online application, have a statement of support submitted by a Penn State faculty member, and provide a copy of their final  thesis.

      Deadlines for the  2019 award include:

      • Now: Students should discuss the  award and thesis requirement with their faculty adviser.
      • 11:59 p.m. Tuesday, April  9: Students should submit a copy of their final  thesis, the online Student  Thesis Application and the Faculty Statement of Support.
      • Friday, April 26: Three finalists will be notified.
      • Thursday, May 2: Public oral presentations by finalists will be held in Foster Auditorium, 102 Paterno Library, on Penn State’s University Park campus.

      Details,  including submission forms and application criteria, are available on the Libraries’ Outstanding Undergraduate Thesis Award webpage.

      The Outstanding Undergraduate Thesis  Award  is a partnership between the University Libraries and the Schreyer Honors College.

      For more information, contact Wendi Keeler at  wak109@psu.edu or  814-863-5449.

      Last Updated March 12, 2019

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