
First-year engineering students have the exclusive opportunity to write an essay on a topic in Full Body Burden: Growing Up in the Nuclear Shadow of the Rocky Flats for a chance to win up to $500 through the Cooley Writing Contest!
Cooley Writing Contest Description:
In his will, the late Dean Mortimer Cooley, a former Dean of the Engineering College, left funds to encourage students to explore non-technical field to “develop, broaden, and enrich the Engineer’s education.” Dean Cooley’s funds support the Cooley Writing Contest, sponsored for currently enrolled undergraduates in Engineering.
Eligibility:
- All engineering undergraduates enrolled for at least one term between January 2020 and January 2021 are eligible.
- A student may not submit a manuscript that has won a previous Cooley award.
- Students may not submit collaborations or translations
- Entries are limited to one per category
- If an entry receives a Cooley Award, the author must agree to indicate in a footnote or otherwise that this manuscript was granted a prize in the Cooley Writing Contest in the College of Engineering at the University of Michigan, and indicate the year of the award.
Start Writing:
We encourage first-year students to begin writing an essay soon after finishing Full Body Burden: Growing Up in The Nuclear Shadow of the Rocky Flats this summer. Here are some topic/theme ideas to get you started:
- Socioeconomic Class
- War
- Morality and Ethics
- Science
- Poverty
- Another theme of your choice
How to Enter:
You can enter by visiting this page!
Deadline:
Essays are due Friday, October 9th, 2020.
Questions?
For additional information, contact Connie Hallom, (734) 764-1427 or challom@umich.edu
Cooley Writing Contest Winners – Common Reading Experience Category
2019 First Place: Advait Deshpande
2019 Second Place: Alanna Smith
2018 First Place: Margaret Cooney
2018 Second Place: Shaohua Li

2017 Winner: Christopher Knebel

2016 Winner: Andong Luis Li Zhao
Second Place: Cailin Ferguson and Vahid Arefi
Honorable Mention: Mekhakhem Kheperu
2015 Winner: Paul Regentin
Second Place: Amy Orlov
Honorable Mention: Debbie Cheng
2015 Mack Contest Winner for Common Reading Experience themed essay: Brinda Yarlagadda

2014 Winner: Yusuf Ghani
Honorable Mentions: Xiaosu Liu and Ilkka Kovanen