University Libraries offers $1,250 award for outstanding undergraduate thesis

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The Penn State University Libraries has announced its fifth annual competition for the Outstanding Undergraduate Thesis. The competition aims to find the best thesis submitted by a Penn State undergraduate student in consultation with his or her adviser.

Undergraduate students from all Penn State campuses who have graduated in summer or fall 2015 or plan to graduate in spring 2016 are eligible for the spring 2016 award. The competition includes a review of the 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 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."

The Outstanding Undergraduate Thesis Award winner receives an award of $1,250, while second and third place recipients receive $750 and $500, respectively.

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 2016 award include:

— In January: Discuss the award and thesis requirement with your faculty adviser.— By or before 11:59 p.m. Monday, April 11: Submit the online Student Thesis Application, Faculty Statement of Support and final thesis.— Monday, April 25: Three finalists will be notified.— Thursday, May 5: Public oral defense by finalists will be held in Foster Auditorium, 102 Paterno Library, University Park.

Details, including submission forms and application criteria, are available online.

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

For more information, contact Sandy Confer at slb3@psu.edu or 814-863-4723.