Graduate School hosts prospective grad students for summer research

Posted 8/11/2008

Nearly 100 prospective graduate students participating in summer research programs on the Twin Cities campus--currently undergraduates across the nation--presented their projects at the 8th annual research symposium on August 7. Dozens of other students, faculty, and community members came to see their posters in the courtyard of Rapson Hall. Read more about the symposium, sponsored by the Graduate School, and about summer research opportunities for undergraduates. Photo by Mike Rollefson.

Graduate School hosts prospective grad students for summer research

Posted 8/4/2008

This summer, more than 200 undergraduate students from colleges across the nation, including Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, are attending summer research programs at the University. Above, students in the Graduate School's Multicultural Summer Research Opportunities Program (MSROP) and in programs sponsored by the National Center for Earth-Surface Dynamics and the Behavioral Science Research Experience for Undergraduates gathered with MSROP director Patricia Jones Whyte (front left) and graduate assistant Michael Wilson (front right) on the steps of Johnston Hall. See their research at an all-campus symposium Aug. 7, sponsored by the Graduate School. Learn more about MSROP and more about summer research opportunities for undergraduates.

Best Thesis and Best Dissertation Award winners honored

Posted 7/10/2008

Recipients of this year's awards for best thesis and dissertation were honored in June. Left to right: 2007 Distinguished Master's Thesis Award winner Adam Sealock, water resources; 2008 Distinguished Doctoral Dissertation winners Liping Liu, aerospace engineering; Angela Bos, political science; and Nicole Phelps, history. Cristina Pereira Marques, comparative and molecular biosciences, was unable to attend. Read more about the master's and dissertation award winners, including their topics, advisers, and current research and teaching positions.

Best DGS and Best DGS Assistant Award winners honored

Posted 6/6/2008

The 2008 winners of the Graduate School's Best Director of Graduate Studies Award and Best DGS Assistant Award were honored at a reception on the Twin Cities campus May 14. With dean and vice provost Gail Dubrow (center) they are (left to right) John Campbell, Gail Kalli, Lois Cucullu, and Lisa Hubinger. Read more.

Graduate School admissions director Andrea Scott bids farewell

Posted 6/9/2008

Andrea Scott, director of Graduate School admissions, retired June 6  after 37 years at the University of Minnesota. Colleagues and friends  helped to celebrate her career at the U May 13. Scott was one of the  top graduate admissions professionals in the country and also  championed the Weisman Art Museum, where the event was held. Dean  Tsantir will succeed her as director beginning June 9. Read more.

The Graduate School celebrates commencement

Posted 5/9/2008

Degree candidates processed across the plaza into Northrop Memorial Auditorium for Graduate School commencement in Minneapolis on Friday, May 9. More than 700 master's and Ph.D. students from 55 nations and 40 states participated in the ceremony, where Regents Professor of Forest Resources Peter Reich gave the commencement address. See photos and read more. Photo by Mike Rollefson.

Torske Klubben hosts U of M graduate student fellowship recipients

Posted 5/6/2008

Two student recipients of Torske Klubben support were hosted at the club's monthly luncheon May 3 in Minneapolis. Each year, Torske Klubben Fellowships--administered through the Graduate School--support Norwegian citizens and Minnesota residents engaged in graduate study. Ragnhild Hjeltnes of Norway is studying public affairs this year, and Kylah Aull is studying music.

Left to right: Hjeltnes; former student and fellowship recipient Jørn Remmem; Aull; Norway's Consul General to Minneapolis Rolf Hansen; Graduate School Fellowship Office director Myrna Smith; U.S. ambassador to Norway Ben Whitney; Gary Gandrud, working under Honorary Consul General Walter Mondale; and Sons of Norway CEO John Lund. Learn more about the Torske Klubben Fellowships . Photo by Jim Gaasadelen, Torske Klubben. More info on fellowships.

Forest Resources professor will speak at Graduate School commencement May 9

Posted 5/8/2008

Regents Professor of Forest Resources Peter Reich will deliver the keynote address, "Dancing on Thin Ice," at the Graduate School's commencement this Friday, May 9, at Northrop Auditorium in Minneapolis. About 800 recipients of master's and doctoral degrees will receive their diplomas. See details about commencement, and read more about Professor Reich and his work on the role of plants in the global economy, where energy, not money, is the currency.

New director of Graduate School admissions is named

Posted 4/21/2008

The Graduate School named Dean Tsantir director of its Office of Admissions, beginning June 9. Tsantir, appointed after a national search, is currently assistant to director Andrea Scott, who will retire June 6. Read the announcement.

2008 Distinguished Women Scholars

Posted 4/16/2008

The 2008 Distinguished Women Scholars are Ruth Karras, history, internationally known for her transformative work on the history of women, gender and sexuality in Medieval Europe; and Stephanie Valberg, veterinary population medicine, who played an essential role in creating the University’s Equine Center, where she is currently director. The two awards, given by the Graduate School and the Office for University Women, will be presented at an annual celebration on April 24. Read more.

2008 DISTINGUISHED MCKNIGHT UNIVERSITY PROFESSORS NAMED

Posted 4/4/2008

The Graduate School and the Office of the Provost have named four faculty members to the Distinguished McKnight University Professorship an award given to the University's most outstanding mid-career faculty members, whose work has brought great renown to the University of Minnesota.

Recipients hold the title for as long as they remain at the University, and each receives a grant of $100,000. Recipients are honored with a bronze medallion from the Board of Regents at its May meeting.

Professor Andreas Stein (pictured), chemistry, is an internationally recognized expert in the synthesis of porous solids with designed architectures. The other winners are Judith Berman, genetics, cell biology, and development; Jeffrey Derby, chemical engineering and materials science; and Sachin Sapatnekar, electrical and computer engineering.

Presenters at the January Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship Seminar

Posted 2/4/2008

Graduate School Doctoral Dissertation Fellows attend monthly seminars to present their research to other Fellows.  It is a wonderful opportunity for them to learn about research outside their own discipline. 

The Graduate School and the Office of the Provost Name 2008 McKnight Land-Grant Professors

Posted 1/23/2008

The Graduate School and the Provost's Office recently named thirteen junior faculty members as recipients of the prestigious McKnight Land-Grant Professorship, including Katsumi Matsumoto, Geology & Geophysics;  Jason McGrath, Asian Languages & Literatures;  and Shana Sturla, Medicinal Chemistry.  See a full list of recipients and a description of the program.

Presenters at the December Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship Seminar

Posted 12/21/2007

Graduate School Doctoral Dissertation Fellows attend monthly seminars to present their research to other Fellows.  It is a wonderful opportunity for them to learn about research outside their own disciplines. 

Jennifer Dechaine, Plant Biological Sciences, Evolutionary Potential and Genetic Basis of Maternal Effects in Competitive Environments Research in the field of invasive biology has made important steps in controlling the spread of invasive species, but the scientific community has surprisingly little understanding of the traits conferring invasiveness, and even less understanding of the underlying genetic mechanisms.  Dechaine’s research investigates the evolutionary potential and genetic basis of seed traits in the invasive plant, Brassica rapa.

Shyeilla Dhuria, Pharmaceutics, Enhancing Intranasal Drug Targeting to the Brain using a Vasoconstrictor Nasal Formulation Intranasal delivery has rapidly emerged as a novel, non-invasive approach to bypass the blood-brain barrier and target drugs to the brain for the treatment of neurological disorders.  The exact mechanisms underlying this rapid transport directly from the nose to the brain are not well understood.   The objective of Dhuria’s research is to elucidate the contribution of blood vessels in intranasal delivery mechanisms by determining if constricting blood vessels in the nasal cavity using vasoconstrictors in intranasal drug formulations can reduce drug absorption into the blood and enhance delivery along  neural pathways into the brain.

Three Graduate School Doctoral Dissertation Fellows presented posters at the December Seminar:

Curt Anderson, Mechanical Engineering
Seed-induced Recrystallization of Amorphous Silicon Films with Embedded Silicon Nanocrystals

Sabrina Curran, Anthropology
Cervid Ecomorphology and Hominin Paleoecology

Donna MacDuff, Biochemistry
Can the DNA mutator protein, AID, prevent the replication of retroviruses?

New Graduate School Associate Dean will facilitate reviews of U-wide Centers and Institutes

Posted 12/13/2007

On topics from food to ethics, the number of interdisciplinary centers and institutes at the University is growing. More than 320 that focus on research and education have been identified.

Such centers respond to urgent issues, help attract funding, and keep the University competitive and responsive. They help faculty who share intellectual concerns find each other across departments and even colleges and campuses. They give students a home for working on new interdisciplinary research.

Some are University-wide centers, a designation that indicates substantial central investment and alignment with the University's strategic priorities. Over the past two years, the U has established the Institute on the Environment, the Institute for the Advancement of Science and Engineering, and several other U-wide centers and institutes--many in response to needs identified by planning task forces from 2004 to 2006.

"It all comes down to generating and disseminating new knowledge in a collaborative environment," says Doug Ernie, associate professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering. "That's what these centers are all about."

Ernie is the new associate dean in the Graduate School with a new responsibility: administering the review of academic interdisciplinary centers, institutes, and initiatives that are designated University-wide. The Office of the Vice President for Research will participate in reviews that involve research centers, and other appropriate administrators will be involved in reviews for institutes and initiatives that primarily advance education and training. (con.)

Read the complete article on Associate Dean Doug Ernie

Presenters at the November Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship Seminar

Posted 12/3/2007

Anne Kern, a 2007-08 Graduate School Doctoral Dissertation Fellow (DDF), is studying the quality of science teaching in U.S. schools and the effectiveness of teacher preparation programs. A Ph.D. candidate in Curriculum and Instruction, Kern’s research will provide information to redesign teacher education programs.

Chenguang Liu, a Ph.D. candidate in Biomedical Engineering and a 2007-08 Doctoral Dissertation Fellow (DDF), is studying the heart-model-based 3-dimensional cardiac electrical imaging (3DCEI) technique.  The results of his research may provide a useful tool not only for basic cardiovascular research, but may have future utility for the clinical diagnosis and management of arrhythmias.

Venugopal Maddipati’s dissertation examines the manner in which Mahatma Gandhi presents the village as a metaphor, as an extension of his philosophy of self.  Maddipati, a Ph.D. candidate in Art History, received a 2007-08 Graduate School Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship.

Siyi Zhang, a Ph.D. candidate in Medicinal Chemistry, received a 2007-08 Graduate School Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship to study tobacco specific nitrosamines as potent carcinogens in cigarette smoke.  By studying metabolic activation and DNA adduct formation, her research team’s goal is to use the knowledge to prevent tobacco-related cancer in humans.

Water Resources Graduate Student Named Recipient of the U of M’s 2007 Distinguished Master’s Thesis Award

Posted 11/27/2007

Adam W. Sealock was named recipient of the U of M 2007 Distinguished Master’s Thesis Award.  The Graduate School has nominated him for the Midwestern Association of Graduate Schools (MAGS) master’s thesis award.  

His MS thesis – An Investigation of Disturbance, Sampling Methods, the River Continuum Concept, and Hydroseres in Hardwood Creek, a Ditched Stream in Minnesota, USA has important implications for biomonitoring and bioassessment of disturbed stream systems.  His work is being used by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. 

Sealock received the M.S. degree in September 2007 under the direction of Professor Leonard Ferrington and is employed by the Metropolitan Council in the Environmental Services Division.

Presenters at the October Doctoral Dissertation Seminar

Posted 11/8/2007

Bin Wu, a Ph.D. candidate in Physics and a 2007-08 Graduate School Doctoral Dissertation Fellow (DDF), presented his research on fluorescence fluctuation spectroscopy at a recent DDF seminar. Doctoral Dissertation Fellows meet monthly to discuss their research.

Michelle Wieland, a 2007-08 Graduate School Doctoral Dissertation Fellow (DDF), presented her research at a recent DDF seminar.  A Ph.D. candidate in Conservation Biology, Wieland has done extensive research in the Republic of Congo and is particularly interested in how different stakeholder groups value and use Conkouati National Park. 

Adam Johnson, a 2007-08 Graduate School Doctoral Dissertation Fellow (DDF), presented his research at a recent DDF seminar.  How do we remember the past or imagine the future?  Johnson, a Ph.D. candidate in neuroscience, explained what role the hippocampus plays in addressing this question. 

Anthony Gamble, a 2007-08 Graduate School Doctoral Dissertation Fellow (DDF), presented his research at a recent DDF seminar.  A Ph.D. candidate in Conservation Biology, Gamble discussed the evolution of diurnality in geckos. 

The American Indian College Fund selects Graduate Student as a 2007-08 Mellon Fellow

Posted 11/1/2007

The American Indian College Fund has selected Matthew Martinez, as one of four recipients for its prestigious Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Faculty Career Enhancement Fellowship Program for 2007-08.  Martinez will receive a $30,000 fellowship geared to assist tribal college faculty members who are in the final stages of completing a terminal degree.

Through a grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the Fund launched the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Faculty Career Enhancement Fellowship Program in 2004. The program was created to increase the number of faculty at the nation’s more than 30 tribal colleges and universities possessing a terminal degree, and is designed to provide each Fellow with financial assistance to complete the dissertation writing process free of financial and professional demands.

Matthew Martinez (Ohkay Owingeh/San Juan Pueblo) is a Ph.D. student in the American Studies Department at the University of Minnesota.  He also serves as a faculty member in the Indigenous Liberal Arts department at the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Martinez’s dissertation examines the fields of photography, tourism, and Pueblo historiography. His research details how tourism helps construct indigenous identities and representations.  He explores how tourism has changed since the 1980s as the northern Pueblo tribes exerted greater participation and control in the industry, producing and circulating photographic images that better represent themselves and their communities.

Martinez was a Diversity of Views & Experiences (DOVE) Fellowship recipient that is administered by the Graduate School Diversity Office (GSDO). The DOVE Fellowship seeks to assist graduate programs to promote a diversity of views, experiences, and ideas in the pursuit of research, scholarship, and creative excellence.  In addition, Martinez was a Ford Foundation Dissertation Fellowship recipient and has served as an active member of the Graduate School Diversity Office's Community of Scholars Program.

Guy Stanton Ford Memorial Lecture

Posted 10/18/2007

Dr. Tom Insel, Director of the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) was at the University recently to present the 2007 Guy Stanton Ford Memorial Lecture.   He is shown here meeting with University NIMH predoc and postdoc trainees. 

Guy Stanton Ford Memorial Lecture

New Graduate School Associate Dean: Professor Doug Ernie Tapped to Administer Academic Program Reviews and New Review Process for University-Wide Academic Interdisciplinary Centers

Posted 9/13/2007

During the past several months, the University of Minnesota Graduate School conducted a search for an Associate Dean. With great pleasure, Dean of the Graduate School Gail Dubrow announced the appointment of Professor Doug Ernie, Associate Head of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, to fill this position on the Graduate School’s senior leadership team. His appointment began on Monday, August 27, 2007.

Professor Ernie brings a rich mix of research, teaching, and leadership experience to the position. He maintains an active research agenda and has significant experience collaborating on interdisciplinary committees and directing interdisciplinary centers, such as UNITE. He has enjoyed a long association with the Graduate School, most recently as chair of its Fellowship Committee and previously as chair of various graduate policy committees. Based on extensive experience with graduate education, he brings a deep commitment to and appreciation of the role the Graduate School plays in enhancing the University’s mission.

Professor Ernie’s new position is part-time, with two principal responsibilities: expanding the Graduate School's capacity to conduct academic program reviews, particularly for programs in the areas of science and technology; and administering a newly established review process for interdisciplinary centers, institutes, and initiatives across the University, a responsibility that the Graduate School has accepted on behalf of the Provost's Interdisciplinary Team.

While Professor Ernie has been asked to facilitate center reviews, other parties will play key roles in the process. External peer reviewers will provide insights into the intellectual trajectory and performance of the University of Minnesota’s university-wide centers and institutes, ensuring their competitiveness nationally and globally. The Provost's Interdisciplinary Team will play a critical role in the development and implementation of the reviews with the Dean of the Graduate School and Vice President for Research shaping the education/training and research-related elements of reviews, consistent with their particular expertise. Professor Ernie has been asked to serve as the administrator to ensure a fair, rigorous and integrative review process for entities that have been the focus of significant institutional investment and which are intended to further the strategic goals of the University of Minnesota. His past service on NSF and other review teams brings a wealth of experience to academic program reviews and the review of university interdisciplinary centers.

Graduate Student Wins Fulbright

Posted 7/24/2007

Rachel Maureen Brummel, a Ph.D. student in Conservation Biology, is one of twelve students nationally to receive a Fulbright Scholarship to Australia. She will investigate collaborative decision-making and planning with regard to bushfire suppression and management. Brummel received a B.A. in Biology from Grinnell College in 2003.

See complete list of UM Fulbright recipients for 2007-08

Graduate School Names First Fesler-Lampert Public Humanities Recipients

Posted Posted 7/10/2007

The Fesler-Lampert Endowment supports an annual Chair and Professorship in the Public Humanities, whose purpose is to strengthen the connections between humanities scholars and public audiences.  The Graduate School is pleased to announce the first recipients of the awards for 2007-08.

Professor Lee, recipient of the Fesler-Lampert Professorship, plans to re-examine America’s immigrant past from comparative, interdisciplinary, and transnational perspectives.  A story that is relatively untold, it promises to redefine the parameters of immigration history.

Professor Prell, Fesler-Lampert Chair recipient, will analyze the various institutional efforts to socialize young Jews growing up in the post-World War II era, in order to foster an identity that is both Jewish and American.  Her project will make important contributions to the literature on assimilation, diversity, and identity.

THE GRADUATE SCHOOL NAMES FOUR 'BEST DISSERTATION' RECIPIENTS

Posted 6/6/2007

Each year the University of Minnesota Graduate School recognizes the University's top recent Ph.D. graduates by presenting ‘best dissertation’ awards.  The recipients receive an honorarium of $1,000 and a special certificate.  Winners were honored recently at a lunch and ceremony at the Campus Club in Coffman Union.  

All four 2007 recipients are pictured here:  (l to r) Pamela Bjorklund, Nursing; Laura Díaz-Martínez, Molecular, Cellular, Developmental Biology & Genetics; Scott Laderman, American Studies; and Nathan Schultz, Chemistry.  

2007 Distinguished McKnight University Professors Named

Posted 4/16/2007

The Graduate School and the Office of the Provost have named six faculty members to the Distinguished McKnight University Professorship an award given to the University's most outstanding mid-career faculty members, whose work has brought great renown to the University of Minnesota.

Recipients hold the title for as long as they remain at the University, and each receives a grant of $100,000. Recipients are honored with a bronze medallion from the Board of Regents at its May meeting.

Professor Balas is a world leader in advancing control theory from theoretical development to actual aerospace applications.

The Graduate School and the Office of University Women Name 2007 Distinguished Women Scholars Awards

Posted 4/3/2007

The Graduate School and the Office of University Women are pleased to announce the recipients of the Distinguished Women Scholars Award in 2007, an award given to acknowledge and honor the accomplishments of distinguished women scholars at the University of Minnesota.

Humanities, Social Sciences and Arts: Rosalie Kane, Division of Health Policy and Management, is an internationally known gerontologist who has been at the forefront of improving long-term care and support services for elderly people worldwide.

Science and Engineering:  Ellen Longmire, Aerospace Engineering and Mechanics, is internationally known for her work in multiphase flows and the application of optical measurement techniques to fluid mechanics.

The two awards will be presented at a ceremony to be held at the Annual Celebration for Women sponsored by the Office for University Women on Wednesday, April 25th, 2:30-4:30 p.m. in the McNamara Alumni Center Memorial Hall. All faculty and staff are invited to attend.

The Graduate School and the Office of the Provost Name 2007 McKnight Land-Grant Professors

Posted 1/22/2007

The Graduate School and the Provost's Office recently named eleven junior faculty members as recipients of the prestigious McKnight Land-Grant Professorship. Professor Helene Muller-Landau, investigates tropical forest diversity. Professor Nihar Jindal, Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering, researches wireless communication networks.  Christophe Wall-Romana studies film culture.  See full list of recipients and description of the program.

Geography Graduate Student Named Recipient of the U of M’s 2006 Distinguished Master’s Thesis Award

Posted 11/29/2006

Nicholas (Max) Handler, a graduate student in Geography, has been named recipient of the U of M 2006 Distinguished Master’s Thesis Award.  The Graduate School will nominate him for the Midwestern Association of Graduate Schools (MAGS) master's thesis award.  His MA thesis – Spawning Cod:  Calculation and Colonization on Norway’s Northern Coast is a “genealogy” of the Norwegian Coast Cod, a type of fish stock that appeared in Norway’s fisheries literature in the mid-90s.

Upon entering Graduate School in 2003, Handler received a 2-year Graduate School Fellowship; he is also the recipient of a 3-year National Science Foundation Fellowship.  Handler obtained the M.A. degree in October 2005 and is currently pursuing a Ph.D. under the direction of Professor Bruce Braun.

Larry Knopp appointed as UMD Associate Dean

Posted 10/15/2006

Gail Dubrow, Dean of the Graduate School & Vice Provost, is pleased to announce the appointment of Professor Lawrence M. Knopp, Jr. to the position of Associate Dean of the Graduate School. Dr. Knopp will begin his 75% administrative duties on January 11, 2007 with a special emphasis on the graduate programs on the UMD campus.

Larry is a McKnight Land-Grant Professor who began his career at Minnesota in the UMD Geography Department in 1989. He holds a BA degree from the University of Washington and both a Master's and Ph.D. degree from the University of Iowa. Please congratulate Professor Knopp on this new opportunity to serve graduate education at the University of Minnesota!

The University of Minnesota Graduate School in Beijing

Posted 07/26/2006

The University of Minnesota Graduate School participated in the Beijing International Education Expo 2006 in Beijing, China, from July 21-23.

Andrew Lucas, assistant to the dean and member of The Graduate School admissions staff, and Dr. Bruce Wollenberg, a member of the National Academy of Engineering and of the graduate faculty in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, joined several other representatives of the University of Minnesota at the event.

The Expo is an annual international education event, which is approved by the Ministry of Education of The People's Republic of China and sponsored by the Beijing Municipal Education Commission.

Dr. Wollenberg also met with representatives of Tsingua University and the Chinese Academy of Science to promote the University of Minnesota as a destination for graduate study by Chinese students.

The Graduate School Names Four “Best Dissertation” Award Recipients

Posted 06/12/2006

Each year the University of Minnesota Graduate School recognizes the University's top recent Ph.D. graduates by presenting ‘best dissertation’ awards.  The recipients receive an honorarium of $1,000 and a special certificate.  Winners were honored recently at a lunch and ceremony at the Campus Club.  

Three of the four 2006 winners are pictured here:  (l to r) Katja Guenther, Sociology; Jing Wang, Aerospace Engineering;  Graduate School Dean Gail Dubrow; and John Troyer, Comparative Studies in Discourse and Society. 

2006-07 Fulbright Scholarship to Norway

Posted 05/18/2006

Adam Conrad Johnson, a Ph.D. student in Neuroscience, is the 2006-07 winner of the University of Minnesota Graduate School’s Fulbright Scholarship Exchange Program with the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) in Trondheim, Norway. 

He will join a team of researchers at the Centre for the Biology of Memory at NTNU, where he will examine how animal behaviors and cellular behaviors are modified under pharmacological manipulation.

Johnson graduated magna cum laude from Minnesota State University, Mankato with a B.S. in Physics in 2002.

2006 Distinguished McKnight University Professors Named

Posted 04/20/2006

The Graduate School and the Office of the Provost have named four faculty members to the Distinguished McKnight University Professorship an award given to the University's most outstanding mid-career faculty members, whose work has brought great renown to the University of Minnesota.

Recipients hold the title for as long as they remain at the University, and each receives a grant of $100,000. Recipients are honored with a bronze medallion from the Board of Regents at its May meeting.

Professor Uggen (Sociology) is one of the leading sociological criminologists in the country, whose work on the re-integration of felons into society has gained much public and scholarly attention.

University Faculty Win NEH Summer Stipend Awards

Posted 04/04/2006

The Graduate School is pleased to announce that both of its National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) nominees, Timothy A. Brennan, Professor of Cultural Studies and Comparative Literature, and Shaden M. Tageldin, Assistant Professor of Cultural Studies and Comparative Literature, have been awarded a NEH Summer Stipend.

Professor Brennan's project is titled “Borrowed Light: The Colonial Imagination in Modern European Thought (1900-1968).”  Professor Tageldin's project is “Disarming Words: European Empires, Native Intellectuals, and the Seductions of Translation in Egypt, 1798-1952.”

Summer Stipend grants provide individuals with an opportunity to pursue research in the humanities that contributes to scholarly knowledge or to the public’s understanding of the humanities and are designed to support two months of full-time research and writing.  The Graduate School matches the stipend.

Luce Scholarship Winner

Posted 03/16/2006

The Graduate School is pleased to announce that its nominee, Joseph Hartman Walla, a CLA Honors student in Political Science, has just won a Luce Scholarship for a professional internship experience in Asia, one of eighteen such awards nationwide.

Internship assignments are arranged for each Scholar on the basis of individual career interests, experience, and qualifications. His country of assignment will be decided by late spring, when he will begin language training. Walla will graduate with a B.A. in Political Science in May.

The Graduate School and the Office of the Provost Name 2006 McKnight Land-Grant Professors

Posted 02/01/2006

The Graduate School and the Provost's Office recently named ten junior faculty members as recipients of the prestigious McKnight Land-Grant Professorship. Professor Efie Kokkoli, Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, is working on tissue engineering. Professor Ronald Krebs, Department of Political Science, studies the effects of war on democracy. See full list of recipients and description of the program.

To celebrate its centennial, the Graduate School commissioned an original piece of music composed by one of its PhD (1992) graduates, Yoon-Hee Hwang, titled "When You and I were Young," and scored for piano, viola, and English horn. It was given its premiere performance at the Graduate School's fall commencement on December 2.

This photo was taken at the composition's preview performance at the Campus Club on November 30. From left to right: Justin Knoepfel, viola; Dana Donnay, English horn; Dr. Noel Zahler, Director, School of Music; Professor Alex Lubet, School of Music faculty and Dr. Hwang's adviser; Professor Tim Lovelace, piano, School of Music faculty; and (seated) Dr. Yoon-Hee Hwang, composer.

Andrew Lucas, Assistant to the Dean of the Graduate School and a Graduate School admissions officer, was part of a twelve-member delegation from the University of Minnesota that attended the annual Beijing International Education Expo (BIEE) from July 9 to 11, 2005. He met with many of the approximately 70,000 students in attendance to inform them about the diverse opportunities for graduate study at the University of Minnesota. The University of Minnesota booth was one of six cited for excellence among those representing many universities from around the world. The University delegation included representatives from all four University campuses and the China Center. The Graduate School office of admissions hopes to return to China next year.

Photo courtesy Beijing Youth Daily

Learn about admission to The Graduate School

Each year the University of Minnesota Graduate School recognizes the University's top recent Ph.D. graduates by presenting ‘best dissertation’ awards.  The recipients receive an honorarium of $1,000 and a special certificate.  Winners were honored at a June 7 lunch and ceremony at the Campus Club.  

Three of the four 2005 winners are pictured here:  (l to r) Graduate School Dean Victor Bloomfield; James Russell, Ecology, Evolution,  & Behavior; Joel Wainwright, Geography; Margot Canaday, History; and Professor of Electrical Engineering Doug Ernie, Chair, Graduate Fellowship Committee.

Jennifer M. Illuzzi, a Ph.D. student in History, is one of twenty-six students nationally to receive a Fulbright Scholarship to Italy. Her research focuses on the history of Gypsies and their interactions with national and local authorities and communities in Italy during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. In addition, she was awarded the Myrna G. Smith International Research Grant to cover research expenses while abroad. Ms. Illuzzi received a B.S. in International History from Georgetown University in 1999.

See complete list of U of M Fulbright recipients for 2005-06

Graduate School Dean Victor Bloomfield (center, front row) joined by the 2005 recipients of the "Best DGS" and "Best DGS Assistant" awards, and a number of graduate students chosen by their colleges/departments as Outstanding TAs for 2005. For more information about the "Best DGS" and "Best DGS Assistant" awards refer to http://www.grad.umn.edu/faculty-staff/recognition/recipients.html.

Article from Brief about this event

The Graduate School has named five faculty members to the prestigious Distinguished McKnight University Professorship, an award given to the University's most outstanding full professor mid-career faculty whose work has brought great renown to the University of Minnesota. Recipients hold the title for as long as they remain at the University, and each receives a grant of $100,000 and a bronze medallion from the Board of Regents at its May meeting.

Professor Roberts (chemistry) conducts research on chemical reactions at complex interfaces; Professor Sikkink (political science) in an expert on international relations and comparative politics. As assistant professors, both had earlier received the University's McKnight Land-Grant Professorship for outstanding junior faculty. See a full description of the program and a list of all recipients.

Aaron McGowan, a Ph.D. student in Physics, is one of fifty graduate students in the United States selected to attend the 55th Meeting of Nobel Laureates in Lindau, Germany this summer. He was nominated for the honor by the Graduate School. After attending an orientation session in Washington, D.C., he will travel to Germany with the other participants. They will attend lectures by the Nobel Laureates and will meet with the Nobel Prize winners to discuss a wide range of issues about their research and other activities. Physics Professor Marvin Marshak is Mr. McGowan’s adviser.

The Graduate School recently named eleven junior faculty members as recipients of the prestigious McKnight Land-Grant Professorship. Professor Dan Kaufman, Department of Medicine, is working on human embryonic stem cell biology. Professor Michelle Mason, Department of Philosophy, specializes in moral philosophy. See full list of recipients and description of the program.

Christopher Jeffrey, a graduate student in Chemistry, has been nominated for the 2005 Distinguished Master's Thesis Award of the Midwestern Association of Graduate Schools (MAGS). According to Mark Distefano, Director of Graduate Studies in Chemistry, "Christopher's original research in the area of relay metathesis resulted in a publication in the Journal of the American Chemical Society, the premier journal for chemical research in the world." Mr. Jeffrey received a M.S. degree in September 2004 and is currently pursuing a Ph.D. under the direction of Professor Thomas Hoye.

Fawna J. Korhonen, a Ph.D. student in Geology, is one of seven students nationally to receive a Fulbright Scholarship to Finland in 2004-05. She is currently conducting research in the Varpaisjärvi region in central Finland, focusing on magnetic minerals and their origins. Geology Professor James Stout is Ms. Korhonen’s adviser.

Richard Hermes, a recent MFA (creative writing) graduate, is one of 15 scholars nationwide to receive a Luce Scholarship for a professional internship in Asia. He is currently enrolled in an intensive Thai language course at the University of Wisconsin and will attend an orientation program at Princeton University in mid August. In September he will travel to Thailand, where he will begin his assignment with the Bangkok Press.