WVU Libraries

The Award

The Robert F. Munn Library Scholars Award is presented annually to a graduating Honors student for outstanding research contributions in the humanities or social sciences that have culminated in the production of an exceptional thesis.

The award will be presented during a ceremony held at the Downtown Campus Library. In addition, there is a monetary award of $1,000.

The Robert F. Munn Library Scholars was established during the fall of 2008 in honor of Dr. Robert F. Munn, Dean of Library Services from 1957 – 1986. Dean Munn nurtured the West Virginia and Regional History Collection, the Appalachian Collection, and a unique East Africa collection. He maintained strong collections in the humanities, especially American history and literature. The Libraries’ collections in these areas today are remarkably complete and are a legacy of Dean Munn’s consistent care.

Munn was born in Seattle and grew up in Pittsburgh, where his father was director of the Carnegie Library. He received his bachelor’s degree from Oberlin, his master’s degree from the University of Chicago, and his doctorate from the University of Michigan.

Eligibility

To be eligible to win, applicants must:
• Be an honors student enrolled at West Virginia University as a full-time undergraduate student in good academic standing who will graduate in December 2016 or will graduate in May 2017.
• Have conducted original research using resources from the West Virginia University Libraries and used this research to produce a written thesis that reflects individual work, not that of a group or class project.
• Have completed the research project for a credit course at West Virginia University fall semester 2016 or spring semester 2017.
• Have a cumulative GPA of no less than a 3.4 and have met the additional requirements for graduation as described by the Honors College of West Virginia University.
• Agree to permit West Virginia University Libraries and the Honors College to use their name, photographs, video images, etc., to promote The Robert F. Munn Undergraduate Library Scholars Award to future participants.
• Agree to attend the award ceremony.
• Agree to have his/her work published in the Mountaineer Undergraduate Research Review.

Completed Thesis:

The completed thesis must be submitted no later than 4:00 p.m. on Monday, April 17, 2017. Applicants should submit an electronic copy of their thesis to Associate Dean of Libraries, Myra Lowe, Myra.Lowe@mail.wvu.edu and Associate Dean of the Honors College, Ryan Claycomb, Ryan.Claycomb@mail.wvu.edu.

Subject

The research topic must be in the realms of the humanities or social sciences.

Criteria

Judges will read the theses for:
• Potential impact/contribution to the academic field.
• Significance of thesis.
• Quality of thesis/theoretical value.
• Development of the subject/topic.
• Technical merit.
• Novelty*/generation of new knowledge.
• Use of West Virginia University Libraries resources.

*Work that is attributed to a student’s own initiative, rather than to assist a faculty member’s current research interests, will be considered more favorably by judges.