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2006 Award - Call for Nominations

In a letter to President Mark Emmert, Dean Suzanne T. Ortega announces the Distinguished Mentor Award recipient for 2005.

A list of previous recipients is made available here.

 Telephone: (206)543-5900
Fax: (206)685-3234

February 1, 2006

Dr. Mark Emmert

President

301 Gerberding Hall

Box 351230

Dear Mark:

I would like to recommend that Dr. Joel Migdal, Robert L. Philip Professor of International Studies, be selected as the recipient of the 2006 Marsha L. Landolt Distinguished Graduate Mentor Award.  This letter is to convey the background information upon which the selection was made.  The selection committee reviewed over 300 letters of nomination for 79 members of the University of Washington Graduate Faculty.  In addition to myself, the ad hoc committee that reviewed the nominations included:

·         Acting Associate Dean, Robert Crutchfield, Graduate School

·         Associate Vice Provost for Research, David Eaton, School of Public Health and Community Medicine

·         Associate Dean, Elizabeth Feetham, Graduate School

·         Professor Noel Weiss, Epidemiology, 1999 award recipient

·         GPSS representative, Jessica Hayden-Spear, School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences

·         Professor and Chair, David Notkin, Computer Science and Engineering, 2000 Award recipient

·         Divisional Dean, Judy Howard, College of Arts and Sciences, 2001 award recipient

·         Professor Lesley Olswang, Speech and Hearing Sciences, 2006 Award Recipient

A number of the nominees received multiple letters expressing glowing praise for their mentors. In the course of the committee’s deliberations, three candidates emerged as being uniquely worthy of recognition.  In addition to Professor Migdal, the finalists for the award were Professor Rajendra Bordia (Professor, College of Engineering), Professor Linda Brubaker (Professor, College of Forest Resources), and Professor Thomas Quinn (Professor, School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences).

The call for nominations noted that, “...the relationship between a graduate student and a faculty advisor is one that can have a profound lifelong influence on both parties.  At its best, this mentoring relationship inspires and gives confidence to the student while providing the faculty member with a valued colleague.”  Professor Migdal has been nominated annually, since the inception of the award in 1999, for the Distinguished Mentor Award and last year he was one of those given “honorable mention.”  

The enclosed letters nominating Professor Migdal from his students and colleagues are effusive in their praise and certainly impressed the selection committee.  It is difficult to condense the quotes from letters which contained so many inspirational remarks.  The following are a few of the quotes from his supporting nomination letters.

·         A Ph.D. candidate, who came to the UW from Turkey, writes, "In addition to his academic mentorship, Joel has opened his house to his students and led the construction of a friendly network among us.  In our meetings at Joel's home we not only discuss our works but also support each other in the walks of life."  He goes on to say "When I was a masters student in Turkey, I was trying to understand why Turkish students were going to pursue their studies in the United States. …After having close connection with Joel for four years, I have noticed in his personality the characteristics of an ideal American professor--who attracts students worldwide."

·         A colleague wrote, "Migdal is amazing in his commitment to training graduate students.  His involvement includes teaching extra courses, setting up special reading classes, pushing his students to present papers in appropriate academic meetings and making himself available for a lot of one-on-one counseling."  The letter also states, "The amazing record of placement by his students is additional evidence of his success as a mentor.  When the Interdisciplinary Ph.D. in Near and Middle East Studies was created, the greatest fear was that its graduates would not get jobs, particularly those in the social sciences.  Migdal's students from the Interdisciplinary Program have been so successful that some of them have been appointed in Political Science programs over Political Science majors."

·         From a Ph.D. candidate, "As Joel does with all of his graduate students, last autumn he patiently guided me through the 'magic formula' for writing grant proposals.  This formula consists of the student writing and Joel providing detailed comments on twelve versions of the proposal.  Judging from the track record of grant winning students of his, the formula has been a winner."

·         From a colleague, "Professor Migdal considers his graduate students as the next generation of scholars and intellectual leaders and his time investment in their education is second to none."  The writer states, "Joel underscores that graduate studies should be the focal point of a very distinguished research institution as the University of Washington.  Professor Migdal's achievements as a graduate mentor should be a landmark for all of us who understand that humanity needs the academia to train and academically socialize the next generation of leaders in diversity fields so as to ensure humanity survival and well being.  Professor Migdal's unique ability to cultivate the students' minds and to guide them in the mysteries of social life has already been known internationally, a fact testified in the diverse international profile of his excellent graduate students," and, "I can say with complete confidence that never in my experienced academic life have I ever seen a superb graduate mentor as Professor Joel Migdal."

·         A colleague writes of Migdal, "He masters the art of 'holistic mentoring' to a degree that is very rare.  This enables Joel to be a powerful authority figure, a moral and spiritual and interpersonal model as well as scholarly force.  Few can do this effectively; Joel has perfected the art."  Later, he writes, "It is not uncommon for Joel's students to rack up 5-6 or more fellowships supporting their research, and then a post-doc position to rework dissertations into books."

·         From a graduate student, "In my first year in the program, like so many other graduate students, I had some adaptation problems….I was not able to take courses with Professor Migdal yet.  So those were the days I was asking myself if I made a mistake by coming to this rainy city for nothing.  But Professor Migdal appeased my concerns and assured me each time that things would soon get better.  Actually, he was right….Professor Migdal is more than an advisor, he is a great mentor, friend, and a fatherly figure for not only me but also many other students."

·         One of Migdal's former students wrote, "He is everything that a good mentor should be and more.  It is no exaggeration to say that his is the model for my own scholarship and teaching, and to the extent that I can pass on to other students some small part of what I have received from him I will be happy and count my career a successful one."  She concludes her letter with the following, "Japan is a culture that reveres teachers.  In fact, there is a specific word that means;'student of ' a particular teacher (sensei).  You are called a deshi.  You are not just a deshi to that teacher when you are a student, but for your entire life….I could not imagine a greater honor than to be known as a Midgal-deshi as I advance in my academic career.  I hope that he knows how much we appreciate all that he has done for us and takes pride in the success of his many deshi who our practicing what he taught us."

·         A former student, who has since moved to Israel, wrote, "As the time approached for my dissertation defense, I told Joel he had to promise me he would continue to be my mentor after I finished my Ph.D.  Otherwise, I wasn't sure I was prepared to graduate.  'Don't worry,' Joel replied.  'This is for life.' "

·         A University of Washington Acting Dean and former student states, Joel recruited me to the University of Washington and it is largely because of him that I decided to come here as a graduate student with my dissertation in hand.  Joel coached me through the last phases of dissertation writing and announced that he was willing to serve as my 'book coach.'  Transforming the dissertation into an academic volume suitable for publication by a major press was an intense and entirely foreign process to this junior scholar."  The writer continues to say that the dissertation was accepted for publication by Cornell University Press and is widely read in Scandinavia, the European Union, Iceland and Japan.

·         A graduate student commented, "Every time I articulate why I am pursuing a Ph.D., I begin by talking about walking into Joel Migdal's JSIS 200 class at the age of 19 and how that single act changed my life's trajectory.  In that JSIS 200 class I had the first experience that I can only describe as my brain catching on fire.
 

·         A colleague states, "His students have done very well indeed….The Migdal 'progeny' form a large, happy, and successful family whose diverse members have contributed vastly to our knowledge of the political world."  Additionally, the writer comments, "He is the professor most beloved of graduate students in our department, even though he does not belong to our department.  And he has earned every ounce of that love."
 

Each year the members of the selection committee comment that they are awed by the letters written on behalf of the nominees and uplifted to see the strength of graduate mentors on this campus.  It is a difficult decision to select only one person for the award, but the committee agreed that Professor Migdal is deserving of this year’s Marsha L. Landolt Distinguished Graduate Mentor Award. 

Sincerely,

Suzanne T. Ortega

Vice Provost and Dean

Enclosures

cc:        Phyllis Wise, Provost

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