The 2015 award recipients were selected by quality of work, nominations.
Texas Tech University's Graduate School announced the recipients of this year's awards, which recognize the quality of work shown in graduate students' theses and dissertations. This year those honored had thesis and dissertation topics in biological and life sciences and humanities and fine arts. Students are nominated by their discipline's faculty members for the cash award donated by the Helen Jones Foundation.
The 2015 recipients:
Biological and Life Sciences
- Master's thesis:
- First place: Aakriti Sharma, Department of Plant and Soil Sciences. Nominated by David Weindorf, College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources associate dean for research and BL Allen Endowed Chair of Pedology, for “Characterization of Soils via Portable X-ray Fluorescence Spectrometer.”
- Second place: Cody Sultenfuss, Department of Animal and Food Sciences. Nominated by Samuel Prien, professor of reproductive physiology and assisted reproduction, for “A Novel and Inexpensive Semen Thawing Device Designed to Improve Efficiency in a Production Agriculture Environment.”
- Doctoral dissertation:
- First place: Sanaz Shafian, Department of Plant and Soil Sciences. Nominated by Stephen Maas, professor of agricultural microclimatology, for “Estimation of soil moisture status in the Texas High Plains using remote sensing.”
- Second place: Matthew Van Landeghem, Department of Natural Resources Management, CASNR. Nominated by Reynaldo Patiño, professor of fisheries/biological sciences, for “Environmental Factors Regulating Toxic Blooms of Golden Algae (Prymnesium Parvum) and their Effects on Fisheries Resources.”
Humanities and Fine Arts
- Master's thesis:
- First place: Tiffany Gonzalez, Department of History. Nominated by Julie Willett, associate professor, for “Chicana Politics: Maria Cardenas and La Raza Unida Party, 1935-1993.”
- Doctoral dissertation:
- First place: Michael Palmer, Department of English. Nominated by Dennis Covington, professor, for “Baptizing the Dead: Creative Nonfiction Essays.”
- Second place: Heath Wing, Department of Classical and Modern Languages and Literatures. Nominated by John Beusterien, professor of Spanish, for “States of Exception on American Frontiers: Biopolitics, Violence, and Nation in Martin Fierro, Os Sertaes and Blood Meridian.”
The first place doctoral disseration winners were nominated for the Council of Graduate Schools annual CGS/ProQuest Distinguished Dissertation Award. The competition recognizes dissertations that represent original work and make unusually significant contributions to the disciplines being recognized.