2027 Melvene D. Hardee Dissertation of the Year Award

About this program

Sponsored by the NASPA Foundation, the Melvene D. Hardee Dissertation of the Year Award recognizes outstanding completed dissertation research relevant to college student services administration and student affairs. The winner receives a certificate, complimentary NASPA Annual Conference registration, funding for future research, an opportunity to present at the conference, and consideration for publication in the Journal of Student Affairs Research and Practice. Eligible nominees are doctoral degree recipients who are currently pursuing or intending to enter the student affairs profession; nominations for the 2027 award are open July 29–October 13, 2026. Submissions must include a double-spaced, anonymized executive summary of no more than 10 pages, organized around the research rationale, problem or hypothesis, methodology, and findings, plus a bibliography of no more than two pages.