University of Michigan Initiative in Disability Studies (UMInDS)
Michael Erik Myatt Distinguished Dissertation Award

Call for Nominations 2009
Named after Michael Erik Myatt, who conceived UMInDS and worked tirelessly to establish it, the Distinguished Dissertation Award in Disability Studies is given annually in recognition of exceptional work by doctoral students in the field of Disability Studies. The award includes a $1000 honorarium and travel expenses to the awards ceremony. Nominations are open to a broad range of disciplines that affect the study of physical and mental disability.

Purpose of the Award
To recognize exceptional work by doctoral students in the field of Disability Studies. The Nominee's general academic accomplishments will be considered.

Eligibility
The nominee must have finished the dissertation and have been awarded or will be awarded the doctoral degree during the 2001-2008 calendar years. Students enrolled in joint programs who have finished the dissertation but not yet met all degree requirements are also eligible. Faculty members are asked to present nominations from a range of academic fields.

Nominations
Any member of the faculty may present a nomination, as long as it is endorsed by the department, program, or school. Nominations should explain the value of the work clearly in a manner directed at a broad range of faculty, including non-specialists. Each nomination must include the following items:

1. A completed nomination coversheet
2. A copy of the dissertation abstract
3. A copy of the student's CV or resume, including a list of publications and presentations
4. A copy of the student's University of Michigan academic record (unofficial or official)
5. A nomination statement, as described here. On the statement, please note the nominee's name, affiliation, and the title of the dissertation. The statement should speak to each of the following topics in the order listed below:
• Description: A brief description of the topic
• General comments: General comments about the nominee, including an assessment of the scholarly credentials
• Creativity: An evaluation of the creativity, inventiveness, and insight shown by the author
• Scope: The importance and scope of the work to the field
• Writing: The effectiveness of the writing
6. One or two of the letters of recommendation from someone other than the nominator(s) who prepared the nomination statement. Please submit the original nomination package and one complete copy

Deadline: February 20, 2009

Nomination packages should be submitted to Carrie Baker, UMInDS, 2015 Tisch Hall, 435 South State Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1003. For instructions about hand delivery, please contact her at 734.647.6251 or mscarrie@umich.edu. Questions should also be addressed to Carrie Baker.

Previous Myatt Award Winners

2005 - Cynthia Wu
Dissertation: The Mystery of Their Union: Cross-Cultural Legacies of the Original Siamese Twins

2006 - Tonya Howe
Dissertation: A Monster with a Face between his Feet': The Corporeal Culture of Farce in Early Eighteenth-Century Britain

2007 - Deanna Ohlandt
Dissertation: Negotiating the Politics of Representing Disability