Presidential Leadership Award

Nomination & Application Materials 2023-2024

The Presidential Leadership Award

Established by Dr. Leonard C. Nelson in 1978, the Presidential Leadership Award acknowledges one outstanding graduating senior from each of the three colleges at the West Virginia University Institute of Technology:

Leonard C. Nelson College of Engineering & Sciences (LCNCES),

Business, Humanities, and Social Sciences College (BHSS),

&

WVU School of Nursing – Beckley Campus

This Award recognizes the contributions made by the three senior students who have played a significant role in the improvement and development of the intellectual, social, cultural, and/or athletic fabric of the WVUIT community.

Three Tech students will be honored with the Presidential Leadership Award based upon academic excellence and leadership in campus and community activities.

Purpose of the Presidential Leadership Award

The Presidential Leadership Award is an academic award recognizing three students who have not only earned high marks in their coursework but who also have given untiringly of their time in leadership positions, while maintaining personal standards of excellence.

The Award sets forth and acknowledges the three nominated and recommended graduating students who best embody the four personal characteristics sought in the recipients of the Presidential Leadership Award. These individual characteristics are the same attributes and qualities desired in all WVUIT students:

• Academic excellence
• Outstanding leadership exhibited in student organizations, campus committees, and/or other college-related pursuits
• Distinctive representation of the college and university in local, state, and national forums
• Involvement in community activities

Each candidate for the 2024 Presidential Leadership Award must indicate within her/his application how she/he stands out as a WVUIT student in the above four areas.

The Presidential Leadership Award Pronouncement

The most prestigious student award given at WVUIT is the Presidential Leadership Award, and the moments of pronouncement for the Award are memorable ones. During the May commencement ceremony each Spring, before their families and friends, before their peers with whom they are graduating, before their professors and University dignitaries and distinguished alumni—most in full academic regalia, the three Award Recipients from each College are called individually to the stage, so their acknowledgement and achievements can be celebrated by the University community.

Nomination & Candidate Forms for the 2024 Presidential Leadership Award

Students who are presented the Presidential Leadership Award must be nominated, and each nominated student must then apply. Only nominations and applications of graduating seniors (December 2023 and May 2024) will be considered. Nomination and Candidate forms are available in the Academic Award packages published by the faculty members of the Academic Awards Selection Committee, who are listed below. The Packages are widely available on the WVUIT website.

Academic Awards Selection Committee

The faculty members of the 2023-2024 Academic Awards Selection Committee will review the information received from Award nominators and candidates, interview the candidates, and select the three student recipients of the Award. The voting faculty committee members include:

• Dr. Joan Neff, Committee Chair, of the Business, Humanities, & Social Sciences College faculty, Classroom Building 200C joan.neff@mail.wvu.edu
• Dr. Cynthia Hall of the Business, Humanities, & Social Sciences College faculty, Classroom Building 100C cynthia.hall@mail.wvu.edu
• Dr. Taejin Kim of the Engineering and Sciences College faculty, Physical Sciences Building 210B, taejin.kim@mail.wvu.edu
• Hillary Parcell, MSN, of the School of Nursing Beckley Campus, Life Sciences 101E, heparcell@mail.wvu.edu

Nomination & Application Submission Requirements

Nomination and application forms/packets must be submitted to the Academic Awards Committee, as specified on the forms. Nomination forms may be submitted by students, faculty, administrators, or anyone associated with WVUIT. Self-nominations are acceptable. All Nomination Forms must be submitted by Friday, February 23, 2024 at Noon. All Candidate Application Forms then need to be submitted by Friday, March 15, 2024 at 4:30 PM. A complete application packet includes each of the following pieces:

• Candidate (Application) form, two pages;
• Recommendation letters from two (2) WVUIT faculty members;
• Personal recommendation letter from a peer/colleague, administrator, friend, or family member;
• Copy of the nominated student’s unofficial academic transcript;
• One-page narrative from the nominated student (using APA or MLA) that offers a meaningful self-reflection— (Includes the identification of any accomplishments, efforts, and/or achievements deserving of special attention that were mentioned only briefly or not at all within the sections of the nomination materials);
• Candidates may be scheduled for an interview between March 20-27, 2024.

The three letters included in the application materials should be prepared, as much as possible, so that knowledge is readily apparent from the document of the four personal characteristics sought in the recipients of the Presidential Leadership Award.

Nominate the graduating WVUIT senior whom you believe deserves the Presidential Leadership Award; then, attend the Commencement Ceremonies in May to hear the award winners speak at graduation.