Best Dissertation Award Past Recipients

2007 Best Dissertation Award Recipients

• Arts & Humanities
  Scott M. Laderman, American Studies
  Advisers: Professors Patricia Albers and Elaine May
  Dissertation: “Witnessing the Past: History, Tourism, and Memory in Vietnam 1930-2002”
  Current Position: Assistant Professor, Department of History, University Minnesota, Duluth
• Biological & Life Sciences
  Laura Angélica Díaz-Martínez, Molecular, Cellular, Developmental Biology & Genetics
  Adviser: Professor Duncan J. Clarke
  Dissertation: “The Centromere Linkage Pathway (CLiP): towards a new model for sister centromere cohesion”
  Current Position: Postdoctoral Associate, Department of Pharmacology, University of Texas
• Physical Sciences & Engineering
  Nathan E. Schultz, Chemistry
  Adviser: Regents Professor Donald G. Truhlar
  Dissertation: “Computational Nanoscience”
  Current Position: Senior Research Chemist, 3M
• Social & Behavioral Sciences & Education
  Pamela Kay Bjorklund, Nursing
  Adviser: Professor Joan Liaschenko
  Dissertation: “Taking Responsibility: Toward an Understanding of Morality in Practice”
  Current Position: Assistant Professor, College of St. Scholastica

2006 Best Dissertation Award Recipients

• Arts & Humanities
  John Troyer, Comparative Studies in Discourse and Society
  Adviser: Professor John Archer
  Dissertation: “Technologies of the Human Corpse”
  Current Position: Senior Researcher, Centre for Death and Society, University of Bath, UK (beginning January 2007)
• Biological & Life Sciences
  Jess Haines, Epidemiology
  Adviser: Professor Dianne Neumark-Sztainer
  Dissertation: “V.I.K. (Very Important Kids):  A pilot program designed to impact Weight-related teasing, dieting, internalization of media messages, and body satisfaction among children”
  Current Position: Research Associate, Division of Epidemiology and Community Health, University of Minnesota
• Physical Sciences & Engineering
  Jing Wang, Aerospace Engineering
  Adviser: Professor D.D. Joseph
  Dissertation: “Topics in Multiphase Flow”
  Current Position: Postdoctoral Research Associate, University of Minnesota
• Social & Behavioral Sciences & Education
  Katja M. Guenther, Sociology
  Adviser: Professor Robin Stryker
  Dissertation: “The New Trümmerfrauen: Rebuilding Women’s Welfare in Eastern Germany since German Reunification”
  Current Position: Assistant Professor, Department of Sociology, California State University/Fullerton (beginning Fall 2006)

2005 Best Dissertation Award Recipients

• Humanities & Fine Arts (including history and philosophy)
  Margot Canaday, History
  Advisers: Professor Barbara Welke and Regents Professor Sara Evans
  Dissertation: "The Straight State: Sexuality and American Citizenship, 1900-1969"
  Current Position: Cotsen-Perkins Fellow, Princeton University (2005-2008)
• Biological & Life Sciences
  James Michael Russell, Ecology, Evolution, & Behavior
  Adviser: Professor Thomas Johnson
  Dissertation: "The Holocene Paleolimnology and Paleoclimatology of Lake Edward, Uganda-Congo"
  Current Position: Assistant Professor, Brown University (beginning fall 2005)
• Physical Sciences & Engineering
  Liuqing Yang, Electrical Engineering
  Adviser Professor Georgios B. Giannakis
  Dissertation: "Ultra-Wideband Communications: From Concept to Reality"
  Current Position: Assistant Professor, University of Florida
• Social & Behavioral Sciences & Education
  Joel D. Wainwright, Geography
  Advisers: Professor Bruce Braun and Professor Abdi Samatar
  Dissertation: "Decolonizing Development: Colonialism, Mayanism and Agriculture in Belize
  Current Position: Assistant Professor, Ohio State University (beginning January 2006)

2004 Best Dissertation Award Recipients

• Arts & Humanities
  Jennifer Mary Guglielmo, History
  Adviser:  Professor David Roediger
  Dissertation:  “Negotiating Gender, Race, and Coalition: Italian Women and Working Class Politics in New York City, 1880-1945”
• Biological and Medical Sciences
  Jason Paul Harmon, Entomology
  Adviser:  Professor David Andow
  Dissertation: "Indirect Interactions among a Generalist Predator and its Multiple Foods"
• Physical Sciences and Engineering
  Sherri Weers Hunt, Chemistry
  Adviser: Professor Kenneth Leopold
  Dissertation: "Structural Studies of Partially Bonded and Hydrogen Bonded Molecules"
• Social & Behavioral Sciences & Education
  Michele E. Tertilt, Economics
  Adviser: Professor Larry E. Jones
  Dissertation: "Essays on Social Institutions"

2003 Best Dissertation Award Recipients

• Arts & Humanities
  Caitlin Downey Verfenstein, Classical and Near Eastern Studies
  Adviser: Professor Frederick A. Cooper
  Dissertation: "The Architecture of the Greek Federal Leagues: 4th through 2nd Centuries B.C.
• Biological and Medical Sciences
  Barbara May, Molecular Veterinary Biosciences
  Adviser: Professor Vivek Kapur
  Dissertation: "Comprehensive Genetic Analysis of an Avian Isolate of Pasteurella multocida"
• Physical Sciences and Engineering
  Naomi M. McClure-Griffiths, Astrophysics
  Adviser: Professor John Dickey
  Dissertation: "The HI Southern Galactic Plane Survey"
• Social & Behavioral Sciences & Education
  Daniel Stevens, Political Science
  Adviser: Regents’ Professor John Sullivan
  Dissertation: "The Psychological Impact of Negative Campaigns on the Electorate"

2002 Best Dissertation Award Recipients

• Arts and Humanities
  Sarah-Grace Heller, French
  Adviser: Professor Susan Noakes
  Dissertation Title: "Robing Romance: Fashion and Literature in 13th Century France and Occitania"
• Biological & Medical Sciences
  Kevin C. Engel, Neuroscience
  Adviser: Professor John Soechting
  Dissertation Title: "Oculomotor and Manual Tracking of Visual Targets"
• Physical Sciences & Engineering
  Kui Chen, Chemistry
  Adviser: Professor Lawrence Que
  Dissertation Title: Biometric Hydrocarbon Oxidations by Nonheme Iron Catalysts with Hydrogen Peroxide"
• Social & Behavioral Sciences & Education
  Tara Williams Fortune, Educatation
  Adviser: Professor Diane Tedick
  Dissertation Title: "Understanding Immersion Students' Oral Language Use as a Mediator of Social Interaction in the Classroom"