The Graduate School has announced the 2020 winners of its professional and student awards. Generously underwritten by the University Co-op, the awards recognize excellence in graduate academics, teaching and professional services.
The winners represent a diverse community of students, scholars, teachers and administrators at the university.
“The winners are a testament to the quality of teaching, research and support in graduate education that transpires on the Forty Acres,” said Mark J. T. Smith, senior vice provost for academic affairs and dean of the Graduate School. “Each winner has done something extraordinary—the winners have conducted groundbreaking research and inspired others to discover their potential and enabled them to succeed.”
Candidates for the awards are nominated by individuals across campus, and winners are determined by selection committees composed of faculty and staff members and students.
STUDENT AWARDS
Outstanding Dissertation Awards
The Outstanding Dissertation Awards were established in 1979 to recognize exceptional work and to encourage the highest levels of scholarship, research and writing. Each year, three awards are given. Of these, one is selected for the Michael H. Granof Award, the university’s top dissertation. The Outstanding Dissertation Award-winners receive $5,000, the Granof Award-winner $6,000.
Erik Da Silva Motta, Ph.D.
Michael H. Granof Award winner for top dissertation
The Effects of Agrochemicals on the Gut Microbiota of Honey Bees
Department of Plant Biology
College of Natural Sciences
Nominated by Edward Theriot, Ph.D.
Kristie Flannery, Ph.D.
The Impossible Colony: Piracy, The Philippines, and Spain's Global Empire
Department of History
College of Liberal Arts
Nominated by Alison Frazier, Ph.D.
Grace Neveu, Ph.D.
Lexical Conventionalization and the Emergence of Grammatical Devices in a Second Generation Homesign System in Peru
Department of Linguistics
College of Liberal Arts
Nominated by Nora England, Ph.D.
Outstanding Master's Thesis/Report Award
The Outstanding Master’s Thesis/Report Award was established in 2003 to recognize exceptional work by master’s students and to encourage the highest levels of scholarship, research and writing. The winner receives $2,000.
Alexander Taft
"Had He Not Been Abused Against Nature?" Priests, Italians, and Children in French Sodomy Trials, 1540-1670
Department of History
College of Liberal Arts
Nominated by Alison Frazier, Ph.D.
Roman Hlatky
EU Funding and Euroskeptic Vote Choice
Department of Government
College of Liberal Arts
Nominated by Daniel Brinks, Ph.D.
Boyuan Liu
Effect of Lithium Hydride on the Cooling of Primoridal Gas
Department of Astronomy
College of Natural Sciences
Nominated by Harriet Dinerstein, Ph.D.
Outstanding Graduate Student Academic Employee Award
The William S. Livingston Outstanding Graduate Student Academic Employee Awards honor outstanding performance by graduate student academic employees. The winners receive $2,000.
Ashlyn Hand, Teaching Assistant
Department of Public Policy
LBJ School of Public Affairs
Amrita Mishra, Assistant Instructor
Department of English
College of Liberal Arts
PROFESSIONAL AWARDS
Outstanding Graduate Coordinator
Graduate coordinators are instrumental to the success of graduate students enrolled at the university. The Outstanding Graduate Coordinator Award recognizes the exemplary service of one coordinator each year. The winner receives $3,000.
Beth Chichester
Department of Classics
College of Liberal Arts
Outstanding Graduate Teacher
The Outstanding Graduate Teaching Award recognizes one faculty member for distinguished graduate teaching—including demonstrated excellence in the classroom or laboratory, mentorship of students and service to students’ thesis and dissertation committees. The winner receives $3,000.
Donna Rew, Ed.D.
School of Nursing
Outstanding Graduate Adviser
Graduate advisers provide invaluable services to the university and its community of students, faculty and staff members. The Outstanding Graduate Adviser Award recognizes the exemplary service of one adviser each year. The winner receives $3,000.
Elizabeth Richmond-Garza, Ph.D.
Department of English
College of Liberal Arts
Outstanding Alumni Award
The Outstanding Alumni Award recognizes outstanding academic or nonacademic achievements of Graduate School alumni. As a part of the recognition, a $5,000 fellowship is awarded in the winner’s name to a graduate student in the department in which he or she studied.
Ramayya Krishnan, Ph.D.
Dean, Heinz College
Carnegie Mellon University
McCombs School of Business, Ph.D., '87