ðə mˈeɪsə dɪsɚtˈeɪʃən ɐwˈɔːɹdz wɜːɹ ɪstˈæblɪʃt ɪn nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd ˈeɪɾi tˈuː tə ɹˈɛkəɡnˌaɪz ɛksˈɛpʃənəl ɐtʃˈiːvmənt ɪn ɹᵻsˈɜːtʃ ænd ɹˈaɪɾɪŋ fɔːɹ slˈæʃ ʌv dɪsɚtˈeɪʃənz ɪn mˈɪdəl ˈiːst stˈʌdiz.
The MESA Dissertation Awards were established in 1982 to recognize exceptional achievement in research and writing for/of dissertations in Middle East studies.