Louis Agassiz Prize for

Excellence in Writing

Jean Louis Rodolphe Agassiz

(May 28, 1807 – December 14, 1873) was a Swiss-born American zoologist, glaciologist, and geologist. Also the husband of educator Elizabeth Cabot Cary Agassiz, he was one of the first world-class American scientists. His is a prominent name in Northern Arizona; one of the San Francisco Peaks and one of Flagstaff’s downtown streets are named for Louis Agassiz.

The College of Engineering, Forestry and Natural Sciences is now accepting submissions for the Louis Agassiz Prize for Excellence in Writing. This essay competition was established to encourage and reward outstanding writing skills by NAU undergraduate students. The Louis Agassiz Prize is valued at $1500, with possible second ($1000) and third ($500) runner up prizes awarded, depending on the quality of entries received.

Essay Topic 2009-2010

Should media coverage of important scientific issues reflect traditional journalistic ideals of balance or the consensus of the scientific community?

Traditionally, journalists try to present opposing sides of an issue in an equal, balanced manner. Contentious issues that hinge on science-such as climate change, evolution, or the connections between childhood vaccinations and autism-are often treated win the media as a sort of political debate in which opinions on both sides are of equal validity.

Yet reporting practices that adhere to the journalistic ideal of balance may not accurately reflect a consensus that exists within the informed scientific community. An overwhelming majority of scientists accept that human actions are affecting global climate patterns, but in the media climate change is still often treated as a “he said/she said” debate. Opinions on both sides of the argument are often given equal weight, even when one side can present far more scientific evidence.

In light of the potential conflict in reporting between balance and scientific-community consensus, how should journalists write about scientific issues today? Should they adhere to the idea that all opinions are of equal validity, or weigh in on who’s right and risk losing their objectivity? In your essay, be sure to bring in real-world examples to support your position.

Please read the Official Rules and Regulations, paying special attention to bullets 3, 4 & 5

SUBMISSION DEADLINE: FRIDAY, JANUARY 22, 2010 via EMAIL TO: paula.logie@nau.edu

OFFICIAL RULES AND REGULATIONS

Objectives of the Competition – The Louis Agassiz Prize will be awarded annually to the winner of an essay competition, held for the purpose of encouraging the writing skills of undergraduate students. The prize(s) will be awarded by an editorial board whose members represent both the sciences and the humanities.
Awards – Up to three awards will be given each year. In addition to the Louis Agassiz Award ($1500), a second prize ($1000) and third prize ($500) may be offered to encourage broad participation. Should the editorial board decide that there are not three essays meriting a prize, funds not awarded shall be carried over to the following year.
Eligible Participants – All students currently enrolled in their first NAU Undergraduate degree program are eligible.
Evaluation Criteria – Judging criteria for essays include: originality of ideas, persuasiveness, clarity, and elegance of language. (The audience for the essay is any well-educated, critical thinker.) The editorial board will select a topic for each year's competition from the following list: philosophy of science, history of science, scientific theory, or science and ethics. Scientific research papers are not eligible.
The Essay –Formatting requirements

Submissions are not to exceed 2,000 words (exclusive of footnotes and citations).
Essays must be the student's original work.
Entrants may use direct quotes, but footnotes should be kept to a minimum. A bibliography of source material should be included where appropriate, but is not required.
Essays must be submitted electronically, double-spaced, in 12 point font (Times New Roman or Arial), with 1" margins on all sides.
Either pdf or doc platforms should be used.
Authors retain all rights to their entries, but the NAU College of Engineering, Forestry and Natural Sciences shall have the non-exclusive right to print winning essays in its publications and on its websites.

Essays not conforming to formatting requirements will be returned without review.

Editorial Board – The editorial board will consist of no more than 9 members. Members will include donors of the prize monies and select members from the sciences and the humanities faculties of NAU. The board will define the rules of the competition and the award dates, and will determine the winning essays. Each board member will have a single vote in all matters. The editorial board will meet periodically as necessary, in person or by conference call, to discuss the judging of essays or any other business connected with the Louis Agassiz Prize.
Announcement of Award and Publicity – The editorial board will work with the Dean of the College of Engineering, Forestry and Natural Sciences, and NAU’s President to identify an appropriate time to announce and present the prizes. Winning submissions will be reproduced in their entirety on the NAU website.

EMAIL SUBMISSIONS TO: paula.logie@nau.edu NO LATER THAN FRIDAY, JANUARY 22, 2010

The Louis Agassiz Prize for Excellence in Writing is made possible through the generous contributions of both time and funding, from our esteemed donors Diana Gabaldon, Peter McClean and Jim Uhl. Not only do they supply the means for the prizes, they also serve on the editorial board and read every qualifying essay submitted.

Diana Gabaldon is the author of the award-winning, NYT-bestselling OUTLANDER novels, described by Salon magazine as "the smartest historical sci-fi adventure-romance story ever written by a science Ph.D. with a background in scripting "Scrooge McDuck" comics, and the Lord John Grey novels, which are only slightly more describable. " Dr. Gabaldon holds several advanced degrees in science, (plus an honorary degree as Doctor of Humane Letters) and spent a dozen years as a university professor with an expertise in scientific computation before beginning to write fiction. Dr. Gabaldon received her NAU BS in Biology 1973 and PhD in Zoology 1978.

mcclean

Peter McClean was President and CEO of Measurisk LLC, an independent provider of portfolio risk analytics for institutional investors, hedge funds and mutual funds. Previously, he was Chief Risk Management Officer of the Bank of Bermuda Limited, where he oversaw credit and market risk policy, asset and liability management, internal audit issues, the general counsel’s office and strategic planning. Mr. McClean serves on several boards in the mutual fund, reinsurance and alternative energy industries. Mr. McClean received his first degree from NAU in 1967, a BA in History.

uhl

Mr. Jim Uhl is the Founder, President and CEO of Agate, Inc. – Construction and Agate Steel, Inc., located in Scottsdale Arizona. Mr. Uhl graduated from NAU in 1965, receiving a BA in English. During his time at NAU, he was captain of the Wrestling Team and a Chain Gang Member. After college, Mr. Uhl served as a Captain in the United States Marine Corp, and is a Vietnam Veteran.

Previous Award Winners

2008/2009 Award Winning Essays:

2007-2008 Award Winning Essays:

2006-2007 Award Winning Essays: