Spencer Samples

SPENCER ABSTRACT Minority Education in the Urban Midwest: Mexican Immigrants and Mexican Americans in Chicago, 1920-1990 Abstract This dissertation examines the educational history of Mexican-origin residents of Chicago to determine education’s influence on Mexican American ethnic identity formation and to illuminate contemporary socioeconomic and political conditions Mexican Americans confront by seeking points of intersection between identity and education. Taking a broad definition of education to include formal and informal sites of educational production during the twentieth century, I use archival research and oral histories to understand the impact of education and ethnic identity on minority acculturation processes. Mexican Americans provide a special lens to view these processes. They are distinct from African Americans, Asian Americans, and Anglo or European Americans, while also being a heterogeneous population within the United States.

Such characteristics problematize broad generalizations of Mexican-origin populations who simultaneously are at any given point immigrants - both legal and otherwise - to the United States; internal migrants within the US; and settled residents throughout the nation. Chicago offers an exceptional case study of Mexican populations given its role as a major Midwestern industrial city in twentieth-century America; and thus challenges scholars’ written history of Mexican Americans, which to date has focused almost exclusively on Southwestern locales.

The Spencer Foundation 2005 Awards

SPENCER PERSONAL STATEMENT

I entered the University of Pennsylvania with secured funding for four years. I undertook my studies knowing I would need to find external grants or fellowships to finance my fifth and subsequent years at Penn. After successfully completing my qualifying exams at the end of my third year, I researched and applied for grants or fellowship throughout the following summer and fall semesters. In addition to helping me sharpen the focus of my dissertation, the experience gave me the following insights into the application process, which I share hoping to help readers with their own efforts.

Above all, allow enough time to complete each of the several aspects of the entire process prior to the deadline season. Be prepared to spend time early and often doing research, organizing your materials, contacting recommenders to write letters, completing the applications, dealing with rejection, and celebrating successes.

Researching, identifying funding sources, and following up leads are the initial areas in which to invest time. Be open to applying to diverse sources of funding from a variety of granting agencies. I reviewed requests for proposals for awards based on the stage where I was or would be in my graduate work, my academic discipline, my areas of specialty, the foci of my dissertation, the geographic region of my study, and my ethnic heritage. I followed leads from different sources, including my advisor, my graduate group chair, departmental listserv notices, and Career Service databases. I categorized my results as those I would target, those for which I did not qualify, and those that were a reach (that is, I did not fully qualify but might have a chance and would still apply.) In the end, I applied for six grants and fellowships and three smaller research awards with modest stipends.

Organization of materials and securing appropriate letters of recommendation are vital activities, and having things well organized made my own efforts and my letter writers’ jobs easier. By way of organization, I created files for each of my target and reach awards. Attached to the front of each file folder was a piece of paper listing the award information (title, granting agency, contact person, telephone number, mailing address, email address, and website address), the amount of the award, and the deadline for receipt of both the application and reference letters (sometimes they differ.) Within each folder was a copy of this cover sheet, instructions from the organization on application and letter writing procedures (usually printed from its website,) and any needed forms (which are becoming rare, as most agencies move towards on-line application and recommendation processes.) Next, I solicited each of the four members of my dissertation committee for recommendation letters. All agencies required one letter from my advisor, and most required at least two additional letters. After I identified which faculty I wanted to write to particular agencies, I gave each member of my committee a packet of materials. The packet contained virtual duplicates of my files described above - select information and forms my faculty needed to write good letters. I also created a dossier through Career Services and included a form for each letter writer to forward a general recommendation to the Credentials Office. The Credential File was handy as I made sudden discoveries of awards for which I qualified, but for which I did not have the time to obtain a specifically tailored reference. With

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all of this information at the ready, my final responsibility in terms of recommendation letters was to remind my references of impending deadlines, usually two weeks in advance via email.

Completing the applications is the next area of attention (and the first where dividends of time invested in organization begin to pay.) I had a working document - a five-page proposal and additional bibliography - that I adapted for each application. Appropriately tailoring applications and proposals to each funding agency’s goals and mission is to be done with attention and care, an element I regrettably overlooked for some of my applications. At minimum, I tried to incorporate language and ideas contained in each agency’s own materials into my application and proposals. At most, I strove to present myself as someone whose ideas and intellectual pursuits were fully in line with the agency’s values and the purpose of their award.

“Hurry up and wait” is an implicit element of the process. Be prepared to wait two to four months before hearing anything from granting agencies. Once acknowledgement letters start arriving, be prepared for rejection, don’t get discouraged, and celebrate your successes both big and small. I received rejection letters for all of my applications, except one. The agency with the first deadline was the last to contact me and is the one that will fund my dissertation writing efforts next year. Recently, I received notice of a small research award for which I applied from another organization. This second award is icing on the cake.

Ultimately, applying for grants and fellowships is a difficult endeavor. Receiving funding is harder still. Yet, participating in the process has made me a better student and a better scholar, an achievement alone worth celebrating.

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THE SPENCER FOUNDATION 875 N. Michigan Avenue • Suite 3930 • Chicago, Illinois 60611 • 312.337.7000 • www.spencer.org

2005-2006 Spencer Dissertation Fellowships for Research Related to Education

PLEASE NOTE: These materials are for your information only. Hard copies will not be accepted. An online submission form will be available soon. Completed applications and supporting materials must be electronically submitted by Midnight (CST) Wednesday, November 10, 2004.

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THE SPENCER FOUNDATION 875 N. Michigan Avenue • Suite 3930 • Chicago, Illinois 60611 • 312.337.7000 • www.spencer.org

Dear Applicant, Thank you for your interest in the Spencer Dissertation Fellowship for the 2005-2006 academic year. By means of our Dissertation Fellowship Program, the Spencer Foundation aims to build capacity in the education research community by supporting early career scholars from a wide range of fields. The program annually funds a small group of outstanding advanced doctoral candidates so that they can devote themselves full-time to the completion of their dissertation writing. In addition to the stipend, fellows are invited to participate in two forums. While these meetings offer dissertation writing support, they also provide professional development opportunities designed to expand fellows' networks and support their transition into professional roles. Spencer thus aims to encourage long-term commitment to research relevant to the improvement of education, and productive engagement within the educational research community.

Spencer fellows are selected through a highly competitive process. As such, please carefully review the eligibility and procedure requirements before beginning an application. This year we anticipate receiving approximately 600 applications and awarding about 30 Fellowships.

A Selection Committee of eight scholars from diverse fields assists the Spencer Foundation in choosing the award recipients. Basic criteria for selection include: the importance of the research question to education, the quality of the research approach and feasibility of the work plan, and the applicant's future interest in education research. Please be aware that the Fellowship is intended to support the writing, not the research, of the dissertation during the last year(s) of doctoral work.

Please read all of the following materials and instructions carefully to determine your eligibility and to assure the best presentation of your candidacy to those who will review your application. Completed applications and supporting materials must be electronically submitted by Midnight Central Standard Time (CST) November 10, 2004.

Answers to commonly asked questions about the Dissertation Fellowship Program can be found on our website at www.spencer.org. If you have any other questions, please do not hesitate to contact us by email at fellows@spencer.org. On behalf of the Spencer Foundation, I wish you well as you move toward completion of your doctoral work.

Sincerely,

Jay Braatz Senior Program Officer

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DISSERTATION FELLOWSHIPS GENERAL INFORMATION

Mission of the Spencer Foundation The Spencer Foundation was established by Lyle M. Spencer, founder and president of Science Research Associates, Inc. (SRA). Because Mr. Spencer’s wealth derived largely from SRA’s success in publishing educational materials, he wished the Spencer Foundation to dedicate its resources to “investigating ways in which education can be improved, around the world.” To achieve this goal, the Spencer Foundation supports research that gives promise of yielding new knowledge about education, in any of its many forms, in the United States and abroad. The Foundation assists studies with a wide variety of disciplinary and interdisciplinary approaches to this end.

Purpose of Spencer Dissertation Fellowships Through its Dissertation Fellowships, the Spencer Foundation seeks to encourage a new generation of scholars from a variety of fields to undertake research relevant to the improvement of education. The Foundation believes that scholarly insight from many different disciplines can contribute to an understanding of education as a fundamental human endeavor and advance our ability to address significant current issues in education. Therefore, the Spencer Dissertation Fellowships support individuals whose dissertations show potential for bringing fresh and constructive perspectives to the history, theory, or practice of formal or informal education anywhere in the world.

Eligibility Applicants need not be citizens of the United States; however they must be candidates for the doctoral degree at a graduate school within the US. These fellowships are not intended to finance data collection or the completion of doctoral coursework, but rather to support the final analysis of the research topic and the writing of the dissertation. For this reason, all applicants must document that they will have completed all pre-dissertation requirements by June 1, 2005, and must provide a clear and specific plan for completing the dissertation within a one or two-year time frame.

Funding Priorities Although the dissertation topic must concern education, graduate study may be in any academic discipline or professional field. In the past, fellowships have been awarded to candidates in anthropology, architecture, art history, economics, education, history, linguistics, literature, philosophy, political science, public health, psychology, religion, and sociology, but eligibility is not restricted to these academic areas. Candidates should be interested in pursuing further research in education once the doctorate is attained.

Awards and Conditions Approximately 30 non-renewable fellowships will be awarded. Recipients of the fellowships will receive $20,000 to support completion of the dissertation. This amount must be expended within a time limit of up to two years and in accordance with the work plan provided by the candidate in the application.

Fellows may not accept employment other than as described (if any) in the application nor may they accept other awards providing duplicate benefits without the written permission of the Senior Program Officer. Applications must be electronically submitted by Midnight (CST) on Wednesday, November 10, 2004. The letters or recommendation as well as the graduate transcript must be postmarked no later than November 10, 2004. [Letters of recommendation may be submitted electronically.] Notification of awards will occur in late April 2005. Fellowships may begin no earlier than June 2005.

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DISSERTATION FELLOWSHIPS SELECTION CRITERIA

Basic selection criteria are the following: 1.

Importance of the research question to education 2.

Quality of the research approach and feasibility of the work plan 3.

Applicant’s future potential as a researcher and interest in education research However, while completing your application, also keep in mind the more specific questions that Selection Committee members consider in their deliberations: •

Does the narrative discussion of the dissertation show an in-depth knowledge of relevant research in the field? Does it display an adequate grounding in theory?

•

Are the design and the methods appropriate to answer the research question(s)?

•

Is the study's argued relevance to education convincing? Is the study likely to yield new knowledge to an important educational issue?

•

Is the applicant likely to complete his/her doctoral studies within the time-frame the fellowship allows (one year full-time or two years half-time), or soon thereafter?

•

Does the narrative discussion display strong authorship skills, with a clear organization and structure?

Getting feedback from colleagues and others who can provide constructive criticism is strongly encouraged. It may be especially helpful to enlist a colleague whose focus is different from your own to ensure that your proposal can be understood by the Selection Committee members from a different disciplinary background than yours. Make sure that the narrative discussion of your research has been written in a way so that is accessible to readers outside of your discipline/research area.

We also recommend reading “The Art of Writing Proposals,” an article published by the Social Science Research Council, which is available on their website at: www.ssrc.org.

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DISSERTATION FELLOWSHIPS APPLICATION INSTUCTIONS

Once the electronic application is available and active, you will be able to create an account by which you can manage your application. It is not necessary to complete your application in one session. You will be able to save your work and come back to your submission.

All materials must be submitted in English.

The Foundation does not accept any materials other than those requested.

No additions or revisions to an application will be accepted after the deadline.

Completed applications and supporting materials must be electronically submitted by Midnight Central Standard Time (CST) November 10, 2004. Hard copies will not be accepted.

The letters or recommendation as well as the graduate transcript must be postmarked no later than November 10, 2004. [Letters of recommendation may be submitted electronically.]

The application is comprised of several sections. They are as follows: 1. Application Form. An informational copy of the application form appears below.

2. List of Publications/Presentations (if applicable). You are asked to produce a list of no more than one typed page, listing any publications or presentations you have authored.

3. Dissertation Abstract. In a single-spaced paragraph of no more than 200 words, summarize the substantive focus and research design of your dissertation and its contribution to education.

4. Narrative Discussion of Dissertation. In a discussion of no more than 2,250 words, describe your dissertation. Include the goals of the project, its contribution to the field, and the significance of the work, especially as it relates to education. Place the project in context and outline the theoretical grounding and the relevant literature. Describe the research questions and research design, the methods of gathering and analyzing data, and interpretation techniques.

Please keep in mind that your proposal will be reviewed by some scholars familiar with your field and by others less familiar; thus, language specific to a field should be situated within an argument persuasive to a generalist audience. This narrative discussion should not exceed ten double-spaced typed pages. An additional one-page bibliography of the sources most important to your research should be appended (works cited in the narrative discussion should be included).

5. Work Plan. Please review the work plan worksheet below. The Spencer Dissertation Fellowship is intended to support the writing of the dissertation rather than data collection or course work. It is the expectation of the Foundation that you will have a completed dissertation at the end of the Fellowship period or soon thereafter. Ordinarily, the Fellowship of $20,000 supports one year of full-time work on the dissertation, and your work plan specifies when this year begins and ends. Applicants who cannot work full time on their dissertations may specify a

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work plan of up to two years that allows for part-time work for the duration of the Fellowship or for alternating periods of dissertation work and income-producing work.

6. Two Letters of Recommendation. Two letters of recommendation; one from your dissertation director and one from another faculty member are required. Please give each the appropriate form (having filled in your name and dissertation title). Our form provides directions for the recommender. We strongly encourage applicants to discuss with their recommenders the principal issues the letter should address as outlined by our form. Your recommenders will have two options in submitting your letters. 1) If he/she would like to submit a hard copy of the letter is should be typed on university letterhead and submitted with the appropriate form in a sealed envelope with the recommender’s signature across the seal of the envelope; alternatively, 2) he/she may submit the letter online. Directions to this effect will appear in the online application.

Only two letters will be accepted. Please forward the appropriate forms to your recommenders early. You need to allow sufficient time to insure that your recommenders return their letters to you in time to meet our application deadline. Note: Occasionally applicants face difficulties obtaining a faculty letter by the deadline due to circumstances such as sabbatical leaves. In the event that you anticipate this kind of circumstance, please contact the Foundation as early as possible to discuss the submission of a late letter. Because our process moves forward quite quickly, we can make no guarantee that late letters will be included in the early stages of the review process.

7. Graduate Transcript. Ask the Registrar of your current graduate institution to send the Foundation an official transcript. Photocopies are not accepted. Please request your transcript early as we are accepting them now and will continue to do so until November 10, 2004.

The letters of recommendation as well as the transcript must be postmarked by November 10, 2004.

Please have the letters or recommendation and graduate transcript sent to: Dissertation Fellowship Program The Spencer Foundation 875 North Michigan Avenue Suite 3930 Chicago, IL 60611-1803 Answers to commonly asked questions about the Dissertation Fellowship Program can be found on our website at www.spencer.org. If you have any other questions, please do not hesitate to contact us by telephone at (312) 274-6526 or by email at fellows@spencer.org.

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DISSERTATION FELLOWSHIPS APPLICATION WORKSHEET

PLEASE NOTE: This application form is for your information only. Hard copies will not be accepted. An online submission form will be available soon. Completed applications and supporting materials must be electronically submitted by Midnight (CST) Wednesday, November 10, 2004.

Name: ______________________________________________________________________________ Mailing Address: City

State

Zip Code

Country

Telephone: ____________________________________ E-mail Address: Date of Birth: __________________________________ Place of Birth: __________________________________ County of Citizenship: ___________________________ If not U.S. Citizen, are you a permanent resident? _____

GRADUATE INSTITUTION

at which you are a doctoral candidate: _______________________________

DEPARTMENT/SCHOOL within CITY AND STATE

Graduate Institution: __________________________________________

of Graduate Institution: __________________________________________________

Date Doctoral Program BEGUN: _________________________________________________________ Date of COMPLETION: _________________________________________________________________ Title of DEGREE: _____________________________________________________________________ Proposed TITLE of Dissertation: _________________________________________________________ EDUCATION beyond high DATES ATTENDED

school (begin with most recent degree): INSTITUTION

DEGREE RECEIVED

To / From

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MAJOR SUBJECT

The Spencer Foundation 2005 Awards

Graduate level SCHOLARSHIPS, FELLOWSHIPS, AND/OR ASSISTANTSHIPS: DATES OF TENURE

TITLE

AMOUNT

To / From

Other HONORS AND AWARDS:

Please list grants or fellowships for which you have APPLIED OR EXPECT TO APPLY whose award period is concurrent with a 2004 Spencer Fellowship (June 2005 - May 2007):

Chronological summary of principal EMPLOYMENT experiences since B.A. / B.S. degree (or last five years only if B.A. / B.S. received more than 5 years ago): DATES ATTENDED

ORGANIZATION

To / From

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ACTIVITY

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PRE-DISSERTATION REQUIREMENTS

a) b) c) d)

Date Completed or Date of Expected Completion

Course requirements: Qualifying paper or comprehensive exams: Official approval of dissertation proposal: Other: _________________________ (Please specify)

In what LANGUAGE (include English in your considerations) are you most fluent? b) in reading:

a) in conversation: Describe your fluency in other languages: Language

Conversation

Reading

Name and address of the person who is your DISSERTATION DIRECTOR and who will provide a reference for you: Name: Email Address: ________________________________________________________________________ Title: School / Department: Institution: Address: Street

City

Zip Code

Name and address of the other FACULTY MEMBER who will provide a second reference for you: Name: Email Address: ________________________________________________________________________ Title: School / Department: Institution: Address: Street

City

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Zip Code

The Spencer Foundation 2005 Awards

CAREER PLANS

_____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____

(please check only one):

Academic Appointment/Faculty _____ Government/Administration Higher Education Administration _____ Government/Policy Analysis Other Research/Analysis _____ Non-Profit Employment Elementary/Secondary Administration _____ Not Sure Elementary/Secondary Teaching Other (please specify) __________________________________________________

GENDER:

Female _______

Male _______

Have you APPLIED BEFORE for a Spencer Dissertation Fellowship? Yes_______ No __________. If yes, year of previous application _______________.

ETHNICITY (optional)

The Foundation is interested in the ethnic diversity of its applicant pool. We would therefore appreciate your specifying below the information that best applies to you. Please check all that apply: __American Indian or Alaska Native. A person having origins in any of the original peoples of North and South American (including Central America), and who maintains tribal affiliation or community attachment. __Asian. A person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the Indian Subcontinent, including, for example, Cambodia, China, India, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Pakistan, the Philippine Islands, Thailand and Vietnam. __Black or African American, non-Hispanic. A person having origins in any of the black racial groups of Africa. __Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander. A person having origins in any of the original peoples of Hawaii, Guam, Samoa, or other Pacific Islands. __Hispanic or Latino. A person of Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, South or Central American, or other Spanish culture or origin, regardless of race. __White, non-Hispanic. A person having origins in any of the peoples of Europe, the Middle East, or North Africa. __Other:______________________________________

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DISSERTATION DESCRIPTORS

Please answer the following questions about your dissertation research.

1. In what disciplinary or conceptual perspective(s) are you grounding your research? Please choose those that are most relevant to your research, and rank with a #1 the issue that is most important. __Anthropology __Communications __Cultural Studies __Economics __Education __English/Literary Studies __History __Human Development __Law __Language/Literacy Studies __Linguistics __Math __Neuroscience __Philosophy

__Political Science __Psychiatry __Psychology: Cognitive __Psychology: Cultural __Psychology: Developmental __Psychology: Social __Public Policy __Religion/Theology __Science (e.g., physics, biology, chemistry) __Sociolinguistics __Sociology __Statistics __Technology/Computer Science __Other:_____________________________

2. The development of topical categories is fraught with problems. Below we have attempted to identify clusters of issues frequently pursued. Please choose those that are most relevant to your research, and rank with a #1 the issue that is most important. __Achievement __Administration/Leadership __Adult Education __Affect (e.g., Motivation) __Arts __Assessment __Classroom Discourse __Cognition __Comparative Education __Culture __Curriculum __Diversity __Early Childhood __English Education __Finance __Foreign Language Education __Gender __Higher Education __History Education __Human Development __Immigrants __Instruction __International Education __Language/Literary Studies __Linguistics/Sociolinguistics __Math Education __Methodology __Middle School Education

__Mind/Brain Research __Moral Development __Organizational Theory __Philosophy __Policy __Pre-School Education __Primary School Education __Race/Ethnicity __Reading/Literacy __Religion __School, Family, Community __School Organization (e.g., Structure/Grouping) __School Reform __School-to-Post-Secondary Education Trans. __School-to-Work Transitions __Science Education __Second Language Learning __Secondary School Education __Social Class/Income Level __Social Studies Education/Civics __Special Education __Stratification __Student Behavior/Attitude __Teacher Beliefs, Characteristics, Knowledge __Teacher Education/Development __Teaching/Pedagogical Studies __Technology __Other :_____________________________

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3. Below we have listed some commonly used methods and approaches. Please check those that you use/have used for research projects. __Ethnographic research __Action or participatory research __Observational research __Discourse analysis __Content analysis __Narrative analysis __Literary analysis __Textual analysis __Critical theory __Feminist theory __Interpretive method __Historical inquiry/archival research __Interviews __Focus Groups __Survey/questionnaire __Evaluation Research

4)

__Experimental __Quasi-experimental __Multivariate regression analysis/other regression __Meta-analysis __Multi-level models (e.g., HLM) __Latent variable models __Time series/survival analysis __Structural modeling __Discriminant analysis __ANOVA/MANOVA __Factor analysis __Correlational analysis __Psychometric analyses __Econometric analyses __Other – Qualitative:______ ___________ __Other – Quantitative:_________________

With what population(s) are you working?

5) What is the geographical scope of your dissertation? Please check the one most appropriate answer. _____ Only in the United States _____ Only in country/countries other than the United States _____ Both in the United States and in other country/countries _____ Other (please explain) __________________________________________________________ 6)

If other than solely in the US, please list the country(ies) where your work is sited.

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WORKPLAN

Name:

________________________________________________________________________

Department:

___________________________________________

University:

___________________________________________

Please outline below your calendar for work on your dissertation, including your plan for writing over the course of the Fellowship. If you anticipate any part-time employment, e.g. a teaching or research assistantship, during the course of the Fellowship, please make a note of it. Specify the start and end dates of your proposed Fellowship, typically either one year of full-time work or two years of half-time work. Your Fellowship can begin as early as June 1, 2005 and end as late as May 31, 2007.

Fellowship Start date: ____________________________ Fellowship End date: ____________________________ Total Months of Fellowship: ______________________

Relevant dates (please include the year, e.g. June-August):

Activity:

________________________

__________________________

________________________

__________________________

________________________

__________________________

________________________

__________________________

________________________

__________________________

________________________

__________________________

________________________

__________________________

________________________

__________________________

________________________

__________________________

________________________

__________________________

________________________

__________________________

________________________

__________________________

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DISSERTATION FELLOWSHIPS FORM TO ACCOMPANY LETTER OF RECOMMENDATION

Applicant: René Luis Alvarez Dissertation Title: “Minority Education in the Urban Midwest: Mexicans, Mexican Americans,

and Hispanics in Chicago, 1920 - 1990.”

Please check one: □ Dissertation Director’s Recommendation

□ Faculty Letter of Recommendation

Through the Dissertation Fellowship Program, the Spencer Foundation aims to build capacity in the education research community by supporting a new generation of scholars from a wide range of fields.

The program annually funds a small group of outstanding advanced doctoral candidates so that they can devote themselves full-time to the completion of their dissertation writing. In addition to the stipend, fellows are invited to participate in two forums. While these meetings offer dissertation writing support, they also provide professional development opportunities designed to expand fellows’ networks and support their transition into professional roles. Spencer thus aims to encourage long-term commitment to research relevant to the improvement of education, and productive engagement within the educational research community.

We would appreciate your evaluation of the individual named above as a candidate for a Spencer Dissertation Fellowship of $20,000. Please comment directly on three issues: 1) your relationship to the student; 2) the strength of the proposed dissertation research and its relevance to educational improvement; 3) the student’s future potential as a scholar and likelihood that his/her research continues to address education, broadly conceived.

You have two options to submit your recommendation: 1. Please write your recommendation on university letterhead and attach it to this form. Seal both in an envelope, sign across the seal to ensure confidentiality and mail the hardcopy to the Spencer Foundation, 875 North Michigan Avenue, #3930, Chicago, IL 60611-1803. Letters of recommendation must be postmarked by November 10, 2004 to be considered.

2. Please write your recommendation and email us a copy from your university email account to fellows@spencer.org. Letters of recommendation must be sent by midnight Central Standard Time on November 10, 2004 to be considered.

Michael B. Katz Recommender’s Name (please print)

_______________________________________ Recommender’s Signature

Department of History, School of Arts & Sciences Recommender’s Department/School

University of Pennsylvania Recommender’s Institution

Walter H. Annenberg Professor of History Recommender’s Title

_____________________________________ Date

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DISSERTATION FELLOWSHIPS FORM TO ACCOMPANY LETTER OF RECOMMENDATION

Applicant: René Luis Alvarez Dissertation Title: “Minority Education in the Urban Midwest: Mexicans, Mexican Americans,

and Hispanics in Chicago, 1920 - 1990.”

Please check one: □ Dissertation Director’s Recommendation

□ Faculty Letter of Recommendation

Through the Dissertation Fellowship Program, the Spencer Foundation aims to build capacity in the education research community by supporting a new generation of scholars from a wide range of fields.

The program annually funds a small group of outstanding advanced doctoral candidates so that they can devote themselves full-time to the completion of their dissertation writing. In addition to the stipend, fellows are invited to participate in two forums. While these meetings offer dissertation writing support, they also provide professional development opportunities designed to expand fellows’ networks and support their transition into professional roles. Spencer thus aims to encourage long-term commitment to research relevant to the improvement of education, and productive engagement within the educational research community.

We would appreciate your evaluation of the individual named above as a candidate for a Spencer Dissertation Fellowship of $20,000. Please comment directly on three issues: 1) your relationship to the student; 2) the strength of the proposed dissertation research and its relevance to educational improvement; 3) the student’s future potential as a scholar and likelihood that his/her research continues to address education, broadly conceived.

You have two options to submit your recommendation: 1. Please write your recommendation on university letterhead and attach it to this form. Seal both in an envelope, sign across the seal to ensure confidentiality and mail the hardcopy to the Spencer Foundation, 875 North Michigan Avenue, #3930, Chicago, IL 60611-1803. Letters of recommendation must be postmarked by November 10, 2004 to be considered.

2. Please write your recommendation and email us a copy from your university email account to fellows@spencer.org. Letters of recommendation must be sent by midnight Central Standard Time on November 10, 2004 to be considered.

John L. Puckett Recommender’s Name (please print)

_______________________________________ Recommender’s Signature

Graduate School of Education Recommender’s Department/School

University of Pennsylvania Recommender’s Institution

Associate Professor of Education Recommender’s Title

_____________________________________ Date

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