Stephanie M. Kellner, a graduate student at the University of Minnesota Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs, recently received the 1998 Award of Excellence from the Community Associations Institute Research Foundation. Her thesis, "Houses as Homes, not Commodities: Limited-equity Restrictions and Wealth Accumulation in Third-sector Housing," was selected for the $2,000 prize.

"Ms. Kellner's insight into how limited-equity restrictions affect the chances for low-income households to achieve the American dream will assist the Foundation in identifying future educational opportunities," said Erin Fuller, executive director of the CAI Research Foundation. "We are pleased to award Ms. Kellner our annual award of excellence and look forward to her continued research into American housing issues."

The Award of Excellence is granted annually for scholarship that focuses on the development and operation of community associations in the U.S. Submissions are judged on originality of focus, recognition of existing research in the field, analysis of data presented and impact of the theoretical contribution.

The deadline for submissions for the 1999 Award of Excellence is September 1, 1999. For more information, call the CAI Research Foundation at 703/548-8600 or visit the Foundation's web site.

The Community Associations Institute Research Foundation, a 501(c)(3) corporation, was founded in 1975 to serve as the catalyst for positive change in the community association industry. The Foundation promotes community association research, development and scholarship by illuminating future trends and opportunities, supporting and conducting research and mobilizing resources.

The Community Associations Institute is a nonprofit association created in 1973 to educate and represent the nation's 205,000 community associations—condominium associations, homeowner associations and cooperatives. CAI members include homeowners, associations and related professionals and service providers.