ASIS names winners of 2008 Student Writing Competition

Feb. 5, 2009
Honorees given cash prizes, student memberships for award winning papers

Alexandria, VA- The ASIS Foundation and the ASIS Council on Academic Programs in Colleges & Universities are pleased to announce the undergraduate and graduate winners of the 2008 Student Writing Competition. The competition rewards college and university students who conduct research, engage in thoughtful deliberation, and write an academic paper on an issue relevant to the security and assets protection profession. The ASIS Foundation, the charitable organization of ASIS International, provides funding and manages endowments for a range of academic, strategic and professional development activities. ASIS International is the preeminent organization for security professionals worldwide.

The undergraduate winner of the 2008 Student Writing Competition is Michael Massarotti, from New Jersey City University in Jersey City, N.J., for his paper, "Repairing Security's Image." Honorable mention goes to Mike Remington, Nichols College in Dudley, Mass., for his paper, "Protecting Information and Intangible Assets in the 21st Century."

The graduate winner is Andre Jackson, from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, for his paper, "Interdisciplinary Collaboration, Security Solutions, and the Future of Anti-Terrorism Forces." Honorable mention goes to Antonio Freeman, Webster University, in St. Louis, for his paper, "The Most Promising Technology to meet Tomorrow's Security Challenge."

Entries were judged on several criteria, including the creativity of the students' approach to the topic, organization of the material, overall writing quality and the author's ability to analyze information sources and draw relevant conclusions. Massarotti will receive a $1,000 cash prize; Jackson will receive a $1,500 cash prize. Each winner will be given a one-year ASIS student membership and complimentary registration to the 2009 ASIS Annual Seminar and Exhibits in Anaheim, Calif. The honorable mention recipients will collect awards of $500. Winning papers will be submitted to Security Journal, a peer-reviewed journal for security researchers and professionals, affiliated with ASIS International.

"We saw a significant increase in the number of entrants at both the graduate and undergraduate levels, a trend we hope will continue in the years ahead," said Stephen Saravara, JD, CPP, who served as coordinator for the competition.

"The material produced by participants can contribute to the security community's ‘body of knowledge,' which is comprised of the thoughts, ideas, theories and practical applications that address today's global challenges," said Kevin Peterson, CPP, past chair of the ASIS Council on Academic Programs. Peterson added that he was particularly pleased to see that a number of students from outside the security or criminal justice fields of study submitted papers.

For more information on requirements of the writing competition, click here http://www.asisonline.org/education/studentwritingcompetition.pdf.