Prestigious Ph.D. Student Strikes Another Accomplishment
By Elizabeth Romero, Student Intern of CHASS College Computing

Neal Tognazzini, whose paper The Hybrid Nature of Promissory Obligation, was recently published in the highly acclaimed journal Philosophy and Public Affairs, has been awarded the ACLS/Mellon Dissertation Completion Fellowship for 2008-2009.

To be eligible to receive this award ($25,000 stipend, plus up to $3,000 in research costs, and up to $5,000 for university fees), requires the applicant to be a current PhD candidate in either the humanities or social sciences. All the requirements for the PhD must be met, except for the completion of the dissertation.

Once eligible, the requirements for the application call for a 5-page proposal, an optional 3 pages of supporting materials (images, musical scores, etc), a bibliography, a completed chapter of the dissertation, and two reference letters. Along with those requirements, the applicant must also provide a letter from the applicant’s institution (preferably from the applicant’s chair or dean), including (1) a statement attesting to the viability of the proposed timeline for completion; (2) stipulation that, in the event of an award, the university will not charge the student tuition or fees beyond a limit of $5,000 and will provide for any additional costs, such as health insurance; and (3) a pledge that if an ACLS award is made, the university will not provide the applicant with any subsequent aid.

The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation states that "Our grant-making philosophy is to build, strengthen and sustain institutions and their core capacities, rather than be a source for narrowly defined projects. As such, we develop thoughtful, long-term collaborations with grant recipients and invest sufficient funds for an extended period to accomplish the purpose at hand and achieve meaningful results." Along with his journal articles, book reviews, presentations, teaching experience, honors and awards, Neal Tognazzini has proven that striving for a higher education provides high rewards, especially now that he has the ACLS/Mellon Dissertation Completion Fellowship under his belt.

To find out more about Neal Tognazzini, please click the link: http://student.ucr.edu/~ntogn001/Home.html

To find out more about the ACLS/Mellon Disseration Completion Fellowship, please click the link: http://www.acls.org/grants/Default.aspx?id=512

To find out more about the Mellon Foundation, please click the link: http://www.mellon.org/