DISTINGUISHED CAREER AWARD

Purpose: The Distinguished Career Award acknowledges and celebrates intellectual leadership through a body of work that has broad and deep impact on the study and/or practice of service-learning and community engagement, including the communities, cultures, and systems within which it is undertaken. 

Eligibility: Any scholar (or team of scholars) with a distinguished body of high-impact contributions, indicating sustained field-building commitment and activity. “Scholar” as used here encompasses those who self-define as “researchers,” “scholars,” or “practitioner-scholars” and does not imply any particular academic status.

Evaluation criteria

  1. Depth and breadth of high quality research and scholarship as indicated by significant question(s), development of theoretical or conceptual frameworks, and innovative methods of inquiry and analysis in (a) one or more seminal works and (b) total body of work (including but not limited to traditional products and venues).

  2. Impact on research and scholarship as indicated by (a) role in shaping scholarship agendas locally, nationally, and/or internationally, (b) adoption and/or adaptation of their work by other scholars, (c) role in building others’ capacity for high-quality research and scholarship, (d) provision of scholarship opportunities (e.g., through centers, journals, conferences, grants), and (e) patterns of citation.

  3. Impact on community engagement practice and/or policy as indicated by (a) contributions to conferences or other professional development venues, (b) record of teaching, mentoring, and collaborating with practitioners, (c) creation and/or application of conceptual frameworks or tools that address challenges of practice, and (d) role in change processes (within and/or beyond educational institutions)

  4. Leadership as indicated by (a) reputation (local, national, and/or international), (b) collaborative spirit, (c) voice in the field, (d) integrity to the principles of high-quality research and scholarship and of high-quality community engagement, and (e) sustained contributions.

Nomination packet

  1. A nomination letter (not to exceed two pages) developed by academic colleagues, students, and/or community partners summarizing the nominee’s contribution and establishing their significance in advancing knowledge, deepening research and practice, and/or impacting policy (co-authored letters are welcome).

  2. Two letters of support (not to exceed one page each) attesting to the quality and impact of the nominee’s work (co-authored letters are welcome). We welcome letters of support from individuals/organizations most involved with or impacted by the scholar’s work.

  3. A current copy of the nominee's resume or curriculum vitae.