Award Description

An award of $1,500 is presented in memory of the late Fred Plog to support the research of a graduate student with ABD status who is writing a dissertation on the North American Southwest or northern Mexico or on a topic, such as culture change or regional interactions, on which Fred Plog did research. In the case of a tie, the award is split equally between the fellows. 

Who Is Eligible to Submit Nominations or Apply for the Award

All student members of SAA in good standing who are ABD by the time the award is made at the Annual Meeting of the SAA are eligible to apply for the award. 

Nomination/Submission Materials Required

The application consists of 1) a research proposal no more than three single-space pages long (not including bibliography and tables/figures) that describes the research and its potential contributions to American archaeology, 2) a curriculum vitae, and 3) two letters of support, including one from the dissertation chair that indicates the expected date of completion of the dissertation. 

Other Special Requirements

All nominees must be ABD by the time the award is made at the Annual Meeting of the SAA. 

Prior to any award recommendation being finalized and publicly announced, anyone recommended for an award, scholarship, or grant will be required to certify the following:

Nature of Award (e.g. monetary, medal, symposium)

The award winner receives $1,500. In the case of more than one fellow being selected, the award amount is split equally. In addition, the awardee is recognized by the SAA through a plaque presented during the business meeting held at the Annual Meeting, a citation in The SAA Archaeological Record, and acknowledgment on the awards page of the SAA Website. 

Current Committee Charge

The committee solicits proposals and selects recipients for the Fred Plog Memorial Fellowship. The fellowship is presented in support of research to a graduate student with ABD status who is writing a dissertation on the American Southwest or northern Mexico or on a topic, such as culture change or regional interactions, on which Fred Plog did research. 

Committee Composition

Committee composition is one chair and at least four members. Individuals ending their terms cycle off the committee at the close of the Business Meeting held during the annual SAA Meeting, and new appointees begin their terms at this time. 

Term Length

Term length is three years. Individuals ending their terms cycle off the committee at the close of the Business Meeting held during the annual SAA Meeting, and new appointees begin their terms at this time.

Award Cycle

N/A

Committee Chair and End of Term

Scott Van Keuren [2026]

Committee Chair Contact Information

Committee Members and Ends of Terms

Names and term end dates for the chair and all members can be found on the committee page in the SAA Directory. 

Selection or Evaluation Criteria

Committee members evaluate applications according to the merit and quality of the applicant's research plan; the relevance of the research project to work in the North American Southwest or northern Mexico or on a topic, such as culture change or regional interactions, on which Fred Plog did research; the letters of support; and the academic record based on the curriculum vitae. How the funds would be used to complete the dissertation will be an aspect of the evaluation. 

Committee Deliberation Process (e.g. dates, venue)

Electronic copies of applications are circulated to committee members during the week after the submission deadline. Committee members rank applications on scale of 1-3 (3 = highest) and submit rankings to the chair by the third week of November. No later than the first week of December, the committee chair distributes the tabulated rankings to the committee and coordinates a conference call or email discussion to select a fellow.