The Graduate School begins accepting nominations on December 1 for the Donald K. Anderson Graduate Teaching Assistant and Donald K. Anderson Graduate Research Assistant Awards, which recognize graduate students’ excellence in these respective areas. Departments may nominate one graduate student for the Donald K. Anderson Graduate Teaching Assistant Award and one graduate student for the Donald K. Anderson Graduate Research Assistant Award. Nominees must have completed at least one semester as a Graduate Teaching Assistant, Graduate Instructor, or Graduate Research Assistant, prior to being nominated for the corresponding award. The Academic Affairs Committee of the Graduate Faculty Senate reviews Donald K. Anderson Teaching and Research Award nominations and selects awardees.
Winners of the Donald K. Anderson awards will be recognized in our spring semester awards celebration in late April. The award consists of an honorarium ($500-$1,000 depending on the number of awardees) and keepsake recognizing the honor. The names of award recipients will be displayed on a permanent plaque in the Graduate School.
Nominations may be made by the department through through MU Graduate School’s InfoReady site. No self-nominations are accepted for this award.
Graduate Teaching Assistant Award
The Donald K. Anderson Teaching Assistant Award rewards current students with a graduate teaching assistantship who demonstrate excellence and lasting impact in the classroom, positive attitudes and personalities, enthusiasm and commitment, as well as mentorship to peers and/or undergraduates.
Eligibility Requirements
Submissions due: February 14, 2025
Departmental nominations only; no self-nominations are accepted for this award.
Eligibility:
MU graduate teaching assistants or graduate instructors with at least .25 FTE appointments during the calendar year (fall and/or spring semester and/or summer semester) are eligible for this award.
Winners will receive an honorarium of $500 or $1,000, depending on the number of awardees.
Candidates will be evaluated on the basis of demonstrated excellence and lasting impact in the following areas:
- Successful classroom performance
- Enthusiasm and commitment
- Satisfactory progress toward a degree
- Mentoring to peers and/or undergraduates
Winners will be selected by the Academic Affairs Committee of the Graduate Faculty Senate.
Timeline:
Call For Nominations Goes Out: December 1
Nominations Due: February 16
Minimum Requirements for Nominations
Nomination packets must be submitted through MU Graduate School’s InfoReady site. Departments are asked to limit their nomination to one graduate student per department/program. No self-nominations are accepted.
Nomination Materials:
- Completed nomination form in InfoReady
- Candidate’s résumé or curriculum vitae (two-page limit)
- Letter of recommendation from Director of Graduate Study (DGS) or Department Chair/Director
- Four additional letters of evaluation/support. The nominator will be asked to list the letter writers’ names and the type of letter for each letter of support in InfoReady. For the Teaching Award, at least one letter must come from an undergraduate (or group of undergraduate) student(s). All 4 letters of support should be saved as a single PDF in the order listed in InfoReady (upload as single PDF). Letters of support may come from:
- Faculty
- Undergraduate student (note: at least one letter)
- Graduate student colleagues and/or additional undergraduate students
No additional materials may be submitted.
Graduate Research Assistant Award
The Donald K. Anderson Research Assistant Award rewards current students with a research assistantship who demonstrate excellence and lasting impact through contributions to scholarship, future promise as a scholar, originality, imagination, satisfactory progress toward a degree, and research mentoring to peers.
Eligibility Requirements
Submissions due: February 14, 2025
Departmental nominations only; no self-nominations are accepted for this award.
Eligibility:
MU graduate research assistants with at least .25 FTE appointments during the calendar year (fall and/or spring semester and/or summer semester) are eligible for this award.
Students will receive a $500 or $1,000 honorarium, depending on the number of awardees.
Candidates will be evaluated on the basis of demonstrated excellence and lasting impact in the following areas:
- Outstanding contributions to scholarship
- Future promise as a scholar
- Originality and imagination
- Satisfactory progress toward a degree
- Research mentoring to peers and/or undergraduates
Winners will be selected by the Academic Affairs Committee of the Graduate Faculty Senate.
Timeline:
Call For Nominations Goes Out: December 1
Nominations Due: February 16
Minimum Requirements for Nominations
Nomination packets must be submitted through MU Graduate School’s InfoReady site. Departments are asked to limit their nomination to one graduate student per department/program. No self-nominations are accepted.
Nomination Materials:
- Completed nomination form in InfoReady
- Candidate’s résumé or curriculum vitae (two-page limit)
- Letter of recommendation from Director of Graduate Study (DGS) or Department Chair/Director
- Four additional letters of evaluation/support from:
- Faculty
- Undergraduate students
- Graduate student colleagues
No additional materials may be submitted.