The outstanding electrical or computer engineering student may be described as "outstanding by virtue of scholastic excellence and high moral character, coupled with demonstrated exemplary contributions to classmates, school, and community."

Among the objectives that HKN hopes to achieve through this award program are the following:

• Annually honor the most outstanding students in the fields of electrical or computer engineering by publicizing and bringing attention to the excellence and achievements of these balanced people about to enter the profession
• Instill a sense of pride in HKN members
• Publicize the students' school
• Encourage ECE students to earn membership in HKN
• Recognize the nominating chapter

This award also provides an opportunity to publicize HKN and recognize the objectives of the association.

Nomination of an individual shall only be by an undergraduate HKN chapter, and only one nomination per year by that chapter will be allowed. The nominee must be a full-time ECE student in his or her senior year receiving his or her first undergraduate degree in that academic year (July 1 through June 30). The nominee need not be a member of HKN or attend the chapter's school. However, the nominee must be enrolled at a school with an accredited curriculum in electrical or computer engineering.

Nomination must be made using the OECES Nomination Form. The nominee's resume should be included with the completed form along with a recent portrait-style photo, and the nominee's name must be on each page as well as on the back of the photo submitted.

The nominating chapter's president (or vice president if the nominee is the president) and faculty advisor, and the Department Head of the nominating chapter's school, must approve the nomination. The nominee's ranking or percentile position within his or her class must also be included (as colleges grade inconsistently). If this information is not available to the chapter's officers, then the faculty advisor or Department Head should include this data in his or her private letter of recommendation to the award committee.

A current transcript is also required (uncertified is acceptable).

The OECES award committee must receive the completed nomination form, photo, and transcript by no later than June 30 of the award's academic year. Material received after that date will not be considered.

Two letters of recommendation are required (3 maximum), giving reasons why the authors consider the nominee to be an outstanding ECE student. At least one of these letters should come from one of the following:

• President or Chancellor of the university
• Dean of the engineering school
• ECE Department Head
• Faculty Advisor

These letters must be mailed directly to the OECES Award Committee by the authors and received by the committee by no later than June 30 of the award's academic year.

Mail to:
Eta Kappa Nu Outstanding Student Award Chair
Tom Rothwell
3621 Fenley Dr.
Los Alamitos, CA 90720-2209

The OECES award committee will screen all of the nominations and select approximately 10 candidates for consideration by a Jury of Award comprising several prominent electrical engineers representing both industry and academia.

All those submitting a Nomination Form will be notified of their nominee's status by the committee chair immediately following the committee's screening process.

The candidates' nomination dossiers and letters of recommendation will then be submitted to the Jury of Award for their independent and individual consideration. The award committee tabulates the Jury's rank-order ballots. In addition to a winner, one or more Honorable Mentions may be selected with no relative rank indicated.

Those not selected by the Jury as the winner or an Honorable Mention will be declared Finalists with no relative rank indicated. The winner, Honorable Mentions, and Finalists will be named in the Awards Program. The names of those on the Jury of Award remain confidential until the selection process is completed but will also be named in the Awards Program.

The winner will be honored at an awards banquet during the Annual Meeting of the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department Heads Association (ECEDHA). A plaque, a certificate, and a grant will be presented. The cost of the winner's transportation and hotel is paid from the Alton B. Zerby Memorial Fund and the cash grant from the Carl T. Koerner Memorial Fund.