Recipients of the "Best Dissertation" Award

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

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"

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