Communications - July 2010

A nomination invites scrutiny if all endorsements come from the same institution. As a rule we expect that candidates will have had an impact beyond the boundaries of their own organization. Such candidates should be able to find endorsers outside their organization.

A strong endorsement will provide a personal angle—facts known to the endorser that will enable the committee to better judge the material in the nomination package. Such insights often help explain the significance of the nominee’s contributions.

only the strong survive

It is critical to note that content-free endorsements will not prevail. On occasion, the endorsements are reminiscent of the model recommendation letter composed by Benjamin Franklin:

“Sir: The bearer of this, who is going to America, presses me to give him a letter of recommendation, though I know nothing of him, not even his name ... As to this gentleman, I must refer you to himself for his character and merits, with which he is certainly better acquainted than I can possibly be. I recommend him, however, to those civilities which every stranger, of whom one knows no harm, has a right to…”

Endorsements that carry little weight include:

˲ ˲ Endorsements withnotextattached.

˲ ˲ Perfunctory endorsements that say only something like “I know John Smith and he satisfies, in my opinion, the criteria for Distinguished Engineer.”

˲ ˲ Endorsements that merely repeat text from the nomination.

What comprises a great nomination package? Depending on the contributions (packages will vary), successful nominations tend to have the following qualities:

Educator. The committee looks for someone whose work as an educator has had an impact on other educators as well as students. The package should outline the nominee’s impact both within and outside their institution. Letters of support should include at least one person in a significant leadership role at the nominee’s institution, and one person who can speak to their contributions in the broader community.

Engineer. The ideal nominee is someone who has led an engineering and/or product effort, and who ultimately delivered a result (typically a product and/or patents) that has demonstrated impact in their area of expertise. The package should outline the nominee’s technical contribution. Letters of support should include at least one person who is well known in their technical area, and at least one letter from someone outside the nominee’s institution or company.

Scientist. The committee seeks a candidate who is a recognized leader in the research field. The nomination should include a brief description of the field, leadership examples, and why the nominee’s contribution is important. Letters of support should include at least one person well known in the nominee’s research area. A letter, from a person at a different institution, could address the broader impact of the research.

As ACM is an international organization, the committee receives nominations from around the world. Unfortunately, we do not have representatives from every country, and at times it is difficult to assess the impact of the contributions. Successful nominations for scientists, for example, often include endorsements that illustrate participation and leadership in international research communities. For engineers, we look for products with broad recognition beyond country boundaries. An endorsement from an ACM Fellow or Distinguished Member also helps to calibrate contributions across borders.

It is said that “success has many fathers, while failure is an orphan.” Nominations to advanced ACM membership grades reverse this adage: A success reflects on the unique contributions of the nominee; failures can be due to a weak case, a weak nomination, weak endorsements, or faulty judgment by committee members. Nominators can improve their odds by following the advice noted here, and by carefully following the instructions on the ACM Web site ( http://plone.acm. org/membership/distinguished).