Graduate School Honors High-Quality Research

Texas Tech, acknowledged for its status as a research school, has been instrumental in many projects serving as the frontier for their industry.

Members of the Graduate School are responsible for a good portion of this important research. The school is proud to announce the 2011 awards, recognizing the quality of work students displayed in several theses and dissertations.

During odd-numbered years, the graduate school recognizes work in biological life sciences, humanities and fine arts. Even-numbered years recognize social sciences, mathematics, physical sciences and engineering.

The 2011 winners are:

Biological Life Sciences

• First place master’s thesis – Eric Howell in the Department of Biological Sciences. “Chemotherapeutic Challenge of the Chernobyl Rodent Apodemus flavicollis.”
• Second place master’s thesis – Shawna Nations in the Department of Environmental Toxicology. “Acute and Developmental Toxicity of Metal Oxide Nanoparticles (ZnO, TiO2, Fe203, and CuO) in Xenopus laevis.”
• First place doctoral dissertation – Adcharee Karnajapiboonwong in the Department of Environmental Toxicology. “Long-Term Fate of Pharmaceuticals and Personal Care Products in the Environment.”
• Second place doctoral dissertation – Colin Bell in the Department of Biological Sciences. “Soil Microbial Responses to Increased Precipitation in the Desert Grasslands of Big Bend National Park.”

Humanities/Fine Arts

• First place master’s thesis – Leslie Branson in the Department of Theatre and Dance. “And Footlights Lit the Path of the Righteous: Theatricality and Performance in the Second Great Awakening.”
• Second place master’s thesis – Cody Lass in the Department of History. “Read All About It: Nationalism During the American Revolution.”
• First place doctoral dissertation – Stephanie Eckroth in the Department of English. “Anonymity, Celebrity and Authorship, 1780-1823.”
• Second place doctoral dissertation – John Southard in the Department of History. “The Marine Corps Way: Combined Action Platoons in the Vietnam War.”

Students are nominated by their faculty members for the awards. First place thesis winners receive $1,000, while second place theses receive $500. Students winning first place dissertations receive $1,500, while second place receives $750. Nominating faculty members whose students receive first place also receive a stipend. All monetary awards are made possible by the Helen Jones Foundation.

In addition to these awards, the Graduate School will nominate first place dissertation award winners to the Council of Graduate Schools as part of its annual competition to recognize an outstanding dissertation that represents original work and makes unusually significant contributions to the discipline.

For more information on these awards visit the graduate school website at http://www.depts.ttu.edu/gradschool/grdschInfo/supportDocs/ThesisDissertationAwards.pdf.