Lee J. Cary Student Award
(Award Amount: Up to $750)
The late Lee J. Cary was a beloved leader and dedicated member of the Community Development Society (CDS) for many years. As a founding member of the CDS, Dr. Cary served as chair of the committee that spearheaded the establishment of the CDS in 1969 and served as the Society’s first president. He held key academic and administrative positions at Syracuse University and the University of Missouri and retired as Professor Emeritus from the University of Missouri in 1987.
The Lee J. Cary family established this fund in memory of Dr. Cary for the purpose of supporting graduate students currently enrolled in MA/MS or PhD programs at accredited higher education institutions with a primary focus on community development, nonprofit leadership/management, or public policy studies. The primary intent of the award is to support the research and/or outreach/engagement efforts of students working on a masters’ thesis, doctoral dissertation, new educational resources, or journal article.
Application Criteria
An applicant for the Lee J. Cary Student Award must meet the following minimum criteria:
- Be enrolled, in good standing, in a Masters or doctoral candidate program at an accredited graduate degree granting college or university;
- Be expected to be, or become a member of, the CDS in order to receive the award;
- Submit a letter of application describing the applicant’s course of study, academic standing, year of study, and information on how the award funds are to be used;
- Provide a letter of support and endorsement from an appropriate faculty member who can verify the applicant’s status and academic focus.
Applicants will be judged on how well their proposed activities align with the legacy and spirit of Dr. Cary’s community-development related work during his career. Possible focus could include one of the following:
- Innovations in community development theory, process and/or engagement;
- The role of nonprofit organizations in advancing civic engagement and positive community change;
- Public policy research that produces and applies practical knowledge of value in addressing current or emerging local or regional problems;
- Development of educational products that strengthen the continuing professional development of persons involved in community development, nonprofit management/leadership, and/or public policy studies.
Eligible Activities: The primary intent of the award is to support the research and/or outreach/engagement efforts of students working on a Masters’ thesis, doctoral dissertation, new educational resources, or journal article.
Application Process and Deadline: Student letters of application, including letters of faculty support, must be submitted to the CDS Stewardship Committee by 5pm Pacific Time on February 15th of the year in which funds are requested.
Past Recipients:
- 2025 Diasonama (Dias) Bongo – Asbury Theological Seminary
- 2024 Sooyoun Park – Washington State University
