Awards: Why You Want Them and How to Get Them

Awards are the easiest way to quickly prove the value of your work to others. Suppose someone approached you and proclaimed, "I’m the fastest sprinter in the world!" You likely would be skeptical of the declaration. Yet if the person were to make that claim while wearing a gold medal around his or her neck, the statement would be more believable. The runner would not need to run fast to prove the claim to you; he or she could just show you the medal. The same holds true for professional awards — Jenny Carleo and Daniel Kluchinski, Rutgers New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station