Congratulations to Professor Kenneth Suslick of the University of Illinois at Urbana/Champaign, who received the Student Council Mentor award at the October 2009 meeting in San Antonio!

Previous Recipients:
Professor David Dowling, University of Michigan, December 2007
Professor Lawrence Crum, University of Washington, June 2006
Professor David Blackstock, University of Texas at Austin, November 2004


PURPOSE
The Student Council Mentoring Award is designed to recognize a person who has demonstrated exceptional ability in guiding the academic and/or professional growth of his/her students and junior colleagues. Any ASA member, other than those currently serving
on the Student Council, may submit a nomination for this award.


SUBMISSION PROCESS
Nomination forms are linked below. Each nomination requires at least one nominator, designated as the primary nominator. The primary nominator should submit a Primary Nomination Form with the nominee's current curriculum vitae and a letter describing why the nominee is an outstanding mentor. Up to three (3) additional support letters will strengthen the nomination. Each supporting nominator should submit a Supporting Nomination Form with a letter justifying the nomination. All nomination documentation should be submitted in electronic format (PDF or Microsoft Word) to: asa@aip.org with the subject line “Student Mentoring Award.” The recipient will be chosen by vote of the Student Council, and the award certificate will be presented at the 2nd Pan-American/Iberian Meeting on Acoustics, Cancun, Mexico, 15-19 November 2010.


NOMINATION FORMS
(These are PDF files, readable with the free Adobe Acrobat Reader , which most computers already have installed.)
• Primary Nomination Form
• Supporting Nomination Form

SELECTION CRITERIA
The nominee must be a member of the ASA to be eligible for this award. The intent of the award is to recognize those who show excellence in a wide variety of mentoring arenas. To this end, a nominee should demonstrate outstanding achievement in the following areas:

Assisting Research and Publications:
  • Offers sound academic advice
  • Provides direction in thesis and/or dissertation work
  • Lends guidance in non-thesis research endeavors
  • Assists in developing papers and publications

Interpersonal and Motivational Skills:
  • Available and approachable
  • Establishes good rapport with students
  • Motivates and excites students about research activities
  • Serves as a beneficial role model
  • Listens patiently, nurtures self sufficiency, and encourages feedback
  • Maintains and communicates the highest ethical standards

Promoting Career Development:
  • Imparts informed advice relating to career searches
  • Prepares students for interviews and serves as a resource in CV/resume preparation
  • Establishes opportunities for networking and professional connections
  • Supports students’ post-graduation progress and development