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, the husband of educator Elizabeth Cabot Cary Agassiz, and one of the first world-class American scientists. In Flagstaff, one of the San Francisco Peaks is named for Louis Agassiz, as is one of her downtown streets.
Louis Agassiz Prize for Writing Excellence
1. 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, unawarded funds shall be carried over to the following year.
2. Eligible Participants – All undergraduate students enrolled at NAU are eligible.
3. Evaluation Criteria – 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.
4. The Essay – 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.) Submissions are not to exceed 2,000 words (exclusive of footnotes and citations) and 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. Submissions must be printed, double-spaced, in black ink on white paper, with 1" margins on all sides. 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 manujs in its publications and on its websites.
5. 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.
6. 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.
For more information, contact Bonnie O’Donnell at 928-523-8765 or Graylynn.Hudson@nau.edu