In looking over the list Bruce Carmel provided, I was heartened to see the name J. Michael Parker since I am the chair of the J. Michael Parker Award committee for the National Reading Conference. This award is given out to graduate students and non-tenured faculty who make presentations that address adult literacy at the annual NRC conference. Recipients are given a plaque and $500 stipend to help pay conference expenses. I have pasted information about this award below. This year NRC proposals are due on March 3rd, so there is still time to submit your work for consideration. The conference in being held in Orlando from December 3rd to December 6th. 

Please contact me if you have any questions about the award. 

Erik Jacobson

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J. Michael Parker Award

The National Reading Conference awards the J. Michael Parker Award to encourage research in adult literacy.  The award is given to graduate students and untenured professors who present research on adult learning or education at the annual conference. The award was established in 2001 in honor of J. Michael Parker, winner of National Reading Conference’s Student Research Award.  Recipients of the award receive a small cash award to be used for conference expenses and are recognized during a general session of the conference. 

The award is presented to both papers with a single author and to co-authored papers. For single authored papers, the recipient will receive $500 and a plaque commemorating the award.  For co-authored papers, the recipients will each receive a plaque and will decide amongst themselves how to divide the $500 award.  

Committee members will rate the submissions on the following criteria: 

1.  The research is capable of making a significant contribution to theory and/or practice of adult learning and instruction.
 
2. The methodology is appropriate to the research question and of sufficient rigor. 

3. Implications of the research are of a scope needed to impact the field. 

Applicants will be notified of the results prior to the conference, and the plaque and honorarium will be presented to the winner during a plenary session at the conference.

Applicants are required to submit the full paper (25 pages or less) electronically by October 1st.  Papers must be double-spaced and in 12-point font. The text limit does not include references and any appendices. 

When submitting applications for the conference, those interested in the award should indicate that they will be applying for the J. Michael Parker Award (noted at the bottom of the personal information page).

Submissions and questions should be sent to the committee chair, Erik Jacobson, at jacobsone at mail.montclair.edu
(take out at, replace with @). 

Previous Winners

2007

Amy Johnson -   “Literacy as Answerable Response: A Life History Portrait of an African American Woman in a Rural Southern Community”

Kristin Perry -     “More than Language Translation: Culture, Text and Genre Aspects of Literacy Brokering among Sudanese Refugees”

2006

Robin Waterman -  “The Value of Mexican mothers, The Power of Effective Adult Education: Fueling viable parent involvement through school-based ESL classes”