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Prize-Winning Thesis and Dissertation Examples

Published on 9 September 2022 by Tegan George . Revised on 6 April 2023.

It can be difficult to know where to start when writing your thesis or dissertation . One way to come up with some ideas or maybe even combat writer’s block is to check out previous work done by other students.

This article collects a list of undergraduate, master’s, and PhD theses and dissertations that have won prizes for their high-quality research.

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Table of contents

Award-winning undergraduate theses, award-winning master’s theses, award-winning ph.d. dissertations.

University : University of Pennsylvania Faculty : History Author : Suchait Kahlon Award : 2021 Hilary Conroy Prize for Best Honors Thesis in World History Title : “Abolition, Africans, and Abstraction: the Influence of the “Noble Savage” on British and French Antislavery Thought, 1787-1807”

University : Columbia University Faculty : History Author : Julien Saint Reiman Award : 2018 Charles A. Beard Senior Thesis Prize Title : “A Starving Man Helping Another Starving Man”: UNRRA, India, and the Genesis of Global Relief, 1943-1947

University: University College London Faculty: Geography Author: Anna Knowles-Smith Award:  2017 Royal Geographical Society Undergraduate Dissertation Prize Title:  Refugees and theatre: an exploration of the basis of self-representation

University: University of Washington Faculty:  Computer Science & Engineering Author: Nick J. Martindell Award: 2014 Best Senior Thesis Award Title:  DCDN: Distributed content delivery for the modern web

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University:  University of Edinburgh Faculty:  Informatics Author:  Christopher Sipola Award:  2018 Social Responsibility & Sustainability Dissertation Prize Title:  Summarizing electricity usage with a neural network

University:  University of Ottawa Faculty:  Education Author:  Matthew Brillinger Award:  2017 Commission on Graduate Studies in the Humanities Prize Title:  Educational Park Planning in Berkeley, California, 1965-1968

University:  University of Ottawa Faculty: Social Sciences Author:  Heather Martin Award:  2015 Joseph De Koninck Prize Title:  An Analysis of Sexual Assault Support Services for Women who have a Developmental Disability

University : University of Ottawa Faculty : Physics Author : Guillaume Thekkadath Award : 2017 Commission on Graduate Studies in the Sciences Prize Title : Joint measurements of complementary properties of quantum systems

University:  London School of Economics Faculty: International Development Author: Lajos Kossuth Award:  2016 Winner of the Prize for Best Overall Performance Title:  Shiny Happy People: A study of the effects income relative to a reference group exerts on life satisfaction

University : Stanford University Faculty : English Author : Nathan Wainstein Award : 2021 Alden Prize Title : “Unformed Art: Bad Writing in the Modernist Novel”

University : University of Massachusetts at Amherst Faculty : Molecular and Cellular Biology Author : Nils Pilotte Award : 2021 Byron Prize for Best Ph.D. Dissertation Title : “Improved Molecular Diagnostics for Soil-Transmitted Molecular Diagnostics for Soil-Transmitted Helminths”

University:  Utrecht University Faculty:  Linguistics Author:  Hans Rutger Bosker Award: 2014 AVT/Anéla Dissertation Prize Title:  The processing and evaluation of fluency in native and non-native speech

University: California Institute of Technology Faculty: Physics Author: Michael P. Mendenhall Award: 2015 Dissertation Award in Nuclear Physics Title: Measurement of the neutron beta decay asymmetry using ultracold neutrons

University:  Stanford University Faculty: Management Science and Engineering Author:  Shayan O. Gharan Award:  Doctoral Dissertation Award 2013 Title:   New Rounding Techniques for the Design and Analysis of Approximation Algorithms

University: University of Minnesota Faculty: Chemical Engineering Author: Eric A. Vandre Award:  2014 Andreas Acrivos Dissertation Award in Fluid Dynamics Title: Onset of Dynamics Wetting Failure: The Mechanics of High-speed Fluid Displacement

University: Erasmus University Rotterdam Faculty: Marketing Author: Ezgi Akpinar Award: McKinsey Marketing Dissertation Award 2014 Title: Consumer Information Sharing: Understanding Psychological Drivers of Social Transmission

University: University of Washington Faculty: Computer Science & Engineering Author: Keith N. Snavely Award:  2009 Doctoral Dissertation Award Title: Scene Reconstruction and Visualization from Internet Photo Collections

University:  University of Ottawa Faculty:  Social Work Author:  Susannah Taylor Award: 2018 Joseph De Koninck Prize Title:  Effacing and Obscuring Autonomy: the Effects of Structural Violence on the Transition to Adulthood of Street Involved Youth

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Dean's Distinguished Dissertation Award

Eligibility, selection criteria, award amount, how to apply, application guidelines.

The Dean's Distinguished Dissertation Award recognizes the highest level of graduate student scholarship at UNC Chapel Hill, highlighting the original and innovative work of our doctoral candidates and graduates.

There is one award in each of four broad fields:

biology; botany; zoology; ecology; embryology; entomology; genetics; nutrition; plant pathology; plant physiology; anatomy; biochemistry; biophysics; microbiology; pathology; pharmacology; physiology; and related fields. Also included are agriculture, forestry, and related fields

history; philosophy; language; linguistics; literature; archaeology; jurisprudence; the history, theory and criticism of the arts; ethics; comparative religion; and those aspects of the social sciences that employ historical or philosophical approaches.

Mathematics: mathematics, statistics, computer sciences, data processing, systems analysis

Physical Sciences: chemistry, earth sciences, physics, geology, meteorology, astronomy, metallurgy, geophysics, pharmaceutical chemistry

Engineering: aeronautical, architectural, biomedical, ceramic, chemical, civil, and electrical engineering sciences; environmental health engineering; geological, mechanical, mining, nuclear, and petroleum engineering

agricultural economics, geography, anthropology, archaeology, economics, education, sociology, government (political science), demography, and psychology

Please note that the program lists for each broad field have been defined by the Council of Graduate Schools for their competition. They are non-inclusive, and applicants should choose the field they feel is the best fit for their dissertation research.

Awardees receive a cash award and are recognized at the Annual Graduate Student Recognition Celebration . The Graduate School may nominate two awardees each year for the national CGS/Proquest Distinguished Dissertation Award .

Submit Application »

Current doctoral students and recent graduates (with a graduation date between July 1, 2022 and June 30, 2024)

• Academic Record
• Originality
• Readability
• Research Design
• Research Significance
• Time to degree

View an in-depth description of the review and selection process.

Awardees will receive special recognition at the annual Graduate Student Recognition event, along with a cash award of $1,000 and a plaque.

Each department may nominate one student per year.

Deadlines are posted on the funding deadlines calendar .

• Please check with your department for their internal deadline. You must complete your application early enough for your department to nominate you to The Graduate School by the deadline .
• Prepare a dissertation summary , long-term interest , research contribution statement , and curriculum vitae . Arrange for two letters of recommendation .
• View Frequently Asked Questions about the online application . Submit your materials to the Graduate School Award Online Application . Once you submit your application, your recommenders will receive an email asking them to submit a letter via the online system.
• Once your application and letters of recommendation have been submitted, your department may nominate you for the fellowship. If your department selects your application, they must nominate it to The Graduate School by the deadline .
• We will notify awardees in January.

Your application will not be considered if you exceed any of the specified page limits or if you do not follow the proper format.

A complete application includes:

• Online Application

Dissertation Summary

• Long-Term Interest Statement
• Research Contribution Statement
• Two (2) Letters of Recommendation

Format: No more than 5 pages . Double-spaced, 12-point font, 1-inch margins, numbered pages, and your name on each page

• Address your dissertation summary to an audience of reviewers who may not be familiar with your field
• Include all appropriate details necessary for judging the quality of your research
• Appendices containing nontextual material, such as charts or tables, may be included as additional pages

Long-term Interest Statement:

Format: No more than one page. Double-spaced, 12-point font, 1-inch margins, numbered pages, and your name on each page

• Describe your long-term interest or vision for your career (i.e. where you plan to go with the research)

Research Contribution Statement:

• Describe your contribution to the field

Curriculum Vitae:

Format: No more than five pages. 12-point font, 1-inch margins, numbered pages, and your name on each page

• Educational and professional achievements
• Degrees or certificates received
• Research publications/presentations
• Awards for achievement or service
• Recent grants or scholarships

Two Letters of Recommendation:

• You will need two letters of recommendation evaluating the significance and quality of the dissertation project. One letter must be from your dissertation advisor.

Graduate School Fellowships Office [email protected]

Dean’s Dissertation Award

The AFSE Executive Committee helps select the winner of the Dean’s Dissertation Award, which recognizes excellence in dissertation research.

The Dean’s Dissertation Award recognizes excellence in dissertation research that embodies the ASU Charter and design aspirations and the FSE values as evidenced by contributions to (a) scientific discovery, (b) engineering innovations, and (c) use-inspired applications with the potential for major societal impact.

Nominations will be evaluated based on the content and quality of the nomination materials. In both the nomination letter and personal statement, competitive nominations should detail how the research contributes new or transformative knowledge, theoretical frameworks, methodologies, techniques, applications, and/or translations of the research.

The award promotes FSE research as well as the awardees themselves, giving them an edge in their potential future career in academia. The Dean’s Dissertation Award winners will be recognized at the Ph.D. Convocation Ceremonies in the fall and spring.

The award is presented to up to 5% of the number of prior year’s Ph.D. graduates in the FSE. The best submission from each program may be recognized with a Certificate of Recognition.

Spring nominations are open

Deadline for submission is February 28, 2024 .

Timeline and call for nominations

There will be two calls for nominations:

August nomination

Nominate for candidates with a graduation window of the past summer and into the current fall semester.

January nominations

Nominate in January for candidates with a graduation window of the past fall semester and into the current spring semester.

Each call may result in up to half the specified number of awardees for the academic year.

Nominations Specifications for School Director

Nominations specifications for school directors.

• An announcement is sent to schools in early August and early January.
• The nomination allocation is the total number of nominations that may be submitted for the academic year over two award cycles (August and January). Schools may decide how to allocate their submissions for each award cycle.
• Nominees must be a Ph.D. candidate at the date of submission of the nomination.
• Graduation windows for the two award periods are defined in the Introduction.
• The internal selection process is left up to each individual school.

Nominations to the Dean’s office will be sent by the director of each school.

• Nominations for the two award periods are due in September and February. See the Submission of Application section for specific dates.

Application specifications

• Letter of nomination from the dissertation advisor, clearly indicating date of completion of comprehensive examination and/or dissertation proposal/prospectus examination. The nomination should address specifically the criteria listed in the Introduction. Nomination letters may not exceed 3 pages.
• An abstract of the dissertation limited to one page, including title, overview, broader impacts, and intellectual merit.
• A curriculum vitae (CV) of the candidate, including a list of publications that clearly distinguishes publications related to and not related to the dissertation research. The CV may not exceed 4 pages.
• A personal statement from the candidate, limited to one page, outlining why the candidate believes they should receive this award, specifically addressing the criteria listed in the Introduction.
• One letter of recommendation from a faculty member other than the dissertation advisor, who may be in or out of the candidate’s school, but typically within ASU. The letter should address specifically the criteria listed in the first paragraph.

Submission of application

School directors should submit nominations for the nomination window to Hahnna Christianson ( [email protected] ) by the nomination deadline below. 

The Executive Committee will then review the materials for recommendation to the dean, and the final decisions will be made by the dean.

Nomination deadlines

January nomination window deadline: February 28, 2024 .

August nomination window deadline: September 16, 2024 .

Award process

• Winners are announced by the dean.
• Winners will be recognized at the Fulton Schools PhD Convocation ceremonies in fall and spring.

Review process

• Based on the number of applications, the Executive Committee (EC) will determine how many reviews each application will receive. Assignments will be based on knowledge of the dissertation topic and with a goal to distribute among schools. EC members will score each application on a scale of 1 – 5 based on the criteria listed in the first paragraph. These scores will be recorded in a spreadsheet, discussed and ranked during a committee meeting.
• The EC will send a ranking of the received nominations to the dean. This could be based on categories, e.g., highly competitive / competitive / not competitive and/or include a numerical ranking in the top categories.

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Distinction Awarded to Dissertations in EALAC

EALAC recognizes superior academic work in dissertations that rank in quality in the top 10% defended by our students by formally designating them as “passing with distinction.” This nomination cannot be initiated by the sponsor. Following a unanimous vote by the members of a dissertation defense committee, the Chair of the committee must nominate the dissertation for distinction in a letter to the EALAC Chair and Director of Graduate Studies, who will determine whether distinction will be granted. Candidates are not to be informed that the committee has voted for distinction until the final decision has been made by the EALAC Chair and DGS. This recognition is conferred at the departmental level: GSAS no longer grants distinction to dissertations, but departments are free to grant it to superb work by their students.

Dissertations defended before Commencement but not deposited until afterward will be eligible for distinction if so recommended at the time of their defense.

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Distinguished Thesis Award

These awards recognize outstanding and exceptional scholarship and research at the master’s level. Nominations are due by 5 p.m. PST, May 2, 2024. Each recipient will receive an honorarium of $1,000 and will be publicly recognized by the Graduate School.  

Call for Nominations  

The Graduate School is pleased to announce the 2024 Distinguished Thesis Awards competition in the following categories:  

• Biological Sciences  
• Humanities and Fine Arts 
• Mathematics, Physical Sciences and Engineering 
• Social Sciences 

These awards recognize outstanding and exceptional scholarship and research at the master’s level. Nominations are due by 5 p.m. PST, May 2, 2024 . Each department can submit only one nomination per category.  

The effective date of degree award must fall within the period of July 1, 2023, and June 30, 2024, inclusive, for the nominee selected. 

Eligibility  

These awards recognize distinguished scholarly achievement at the master’s level. Nominations will be accepted in any discipline offering a master’s degree.  

The scholarly product eligible for this competition is a formal written thesis in English. If a nominating department offers both a thesis option and a project option, only the thesis is acceptable for consideration for this award.  

Formatting      

For all documents, fonts are to be no smaller than 11-point and margins no narrower than one inch.  We will strictly observe page-length limits and formatting guidelines.    

Nomination packet materials  

Step 1   

Please provide information about the nominee, the nominating department, etc. via this Microsoft Form .  

Step 2   

• The following materials must be submitted electronically and combined into a single PDF ( hard copy submissions will not be accepted ), in this order:   
• A non-technical summar y (NTS) addressing the purpose, methods, results of the research and its significance within the discipline of this thesis. An NTS is a concise document that provides a description of the process and its findings in a manner that is both appealing to read and easily understood by the general public. The NTS must not exceed 1,000-1,500 words. Please include the nominee’s name and doctoral program on this page. 
• An abstract of the nominee’s research (not to exceed 10 double-spaced pages). Appendices containing non-textual materials, such as charts or tables, may be included as additional pages.  All pages should be numbered, and each should bear the name of the nominee.    
• Two nomination letters: A letter from the department head or major professor and one additional faculty member. The letters should include information about the significance of the thesis, the contribution of the thesis to the program of the degree-granting unit, and the impact of the thesis on the knowledge base of the discipline.  
• A CV or resume from the student nominee (not to exceed five pages.) 

Note:  Departments should be prepared to provide an electronic copy of the complete thesis. 

Step 3   

The department chair, graduate program advisor, or the graduate program coordinator should submit the complete nomination file to [email protected] by the deadline of 5 p.m. PST, May 2, 2024. This is a firm deadline; in fairness to all nominators, no exceptions or extensions will be granted. 

Please save your file in this format:  

LASTNAMENOMINEE – Nominating Department – Thesis – [Category] – 2024.pdf    

Ex:  SONG – Astrobiology – Thesis – [Biological Sciences] – 2024.pdf     

Criteria for selection  

A Graduate School awards committee will select the award recipient based on four criteria:          

• Originality of the study.  
• Scope and significance of the study.  
• Contribution to the discipline and/or profession.     
• Overall quality of the summary and abstract of the thesis. 

Awards  

Each recipient will receive an honorarium of $1,000 and will be publicly recognized by the Graduate School.  

WAGS/ProQuest Distinguished Thesis Award  

If applicable, the Graduate School will submit a) one STEM discipline thesis; and b) one non-STEM discipline thesis (in the humanities, social sciences, education and/or business disciplines) to the Western Association of Graduate Schools for consideration for the WAGS/ProQuest Distinguished Thesis Awards . Note: If selected as an awardee in any of the above award categories, awardees must upload their theses or dissertations to the PQDT Global database to be eligible for selection. All nominating institutions must agree to this stipulation at the time the nomination is submitted. Those failing to agree to this requirement will be deemed ineligible for review.  

Address nomination materials to:   Joy Williamson-Lott   Dean of The Graduate School  

Questions?   

Jerry Pangilinan, [email protected]   Executive Assistant to the Dean of The Graduate School 

Graduate Student Awards

The Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures would like to recognize the accomplishments of our graduate students. A few are mentioned below:

• 2022-23: Elise Huerta
• 2021: Katherine Whatley
• 2015: Hangping Xu
• 2018-19: Elise Huerta
• 2023: Maciej Kurzynski
• 2021: Lin Meng Walsh
• 2019: Jiajing Wang
• 2017: Paul Ganir
• 2023: Lin Meng Walsh
• 2021: Kevin Niehaus
• 2020: Jason Beckman
• 2024-25: Rosaley Gai
• 2021-22: Matthew Palmer
• 2024-25: Jason Beckman
• 2023-24: Andrew Nelson
• 2022-23: Qian Jia
• 2021-22: Elise Huerta
• 2019: Hao Zhao
• 2020: Melissa Hosek
• 2024: Yan Chang
• 2023: Taranee Cao
• 2022: Andrew Nelson
• 2019: David Hazard
• 2019-20: Mei Li Inouye
• 2020: Maciej Kurzynski (Satre Family Fellow)
• 2024: Yue Wu
• 2024: Crystal Gong

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Master's research

Prize winning msc dissertations.

Master's students undertake a dissertation as part of all our MSc programmes , allowing them to further develop their research in areas of interest. Each year a prize is awarded to the dissertation with distinction that receives the highest mark across each of our MSc programmes. Read some of our students' recent prize winning MSc dissertations below.

Visit the GV499 course page for information on our masters dissertation course.

Joint Winners of the MSc Comparative Politics Prize for Best Dissertation

Varieties Of Exports, Varieties Of Growth: The Institutional Determinants Of Growth Model Variation Among Coordinated Market Economies . |  Thomas Prendergast

Issue Ownerships And Party Polarisation: Does The Effect Of Issue Ownership Considerations On The Vote Choice Depend On The (Relevant) Party Polarisation In An Individual’s Consideration Set?  | Michael Stirnimann

Joint Winners of the MSc Conflict Studies Prize for Best Dissertation

Killing The Dead: The Logic Of Cemetery Destruction During Genocidal Campaigns.  |  Noa Krikler

Second MSc Conflict Studies Joint Prize-Winning Dissertation Not Published.

Winner of the MSc Global Politics Prize for Best Dissertation

Evaluating The International Criminal Court’s Performance: An Empirical Study Of The Court’s Deterrence Effects In Darfur, Sudan. |  Maximillian Hörtnagl

Joint Winners of the MSc Political Science and Political Economy Prize for Best Dissertation

Restricting The Citizen’s Initiative: An Analysis Of Policy Adoption And Proposal In U.S. States. |  Allegra Dawes

Local Political Responsiveness To Electoral Pressures On Corruption: Evidence From An Anti-Corruption Referendum In Colombia. |  Hannah Fölsz

Joint Winners of the MSc Political Theory Excellent Dissertation Award

Towards A Postcolonial Contract: Revisiting Malaysia's Grand Bargain. |  Aiman Mohammad Caezar

The Seed Of A Good Life: Why Societies Should Support Parents. |  Felix Westerén

Winner of the MSc Public Administration  and Government Prize for Best Dissertation

Factionalism, Competition And Efficiency In Russian Banking. |  Alexander Soldatkin

Joint Winner of the Peter Self Prize (MSc Public Policy And Administration) for Best Dissertation

Determinants Of Open Government And Transparency Reforms: An Exploratory Study Of Provincial Governments In Argentina. |  Julia Amerikaner

Second MSc Public Policy and Administration Joint Prize-Winning Dissertation Not Published.

Winner of the MSc Regulation William Robson Prize for Best Dissertation

The Political Independence Of Regulatory Agencies: A Critical Appraisal Of A “Magic Concept” And Perspectives For Its Reconceptualization. |  Elisa Cartesi

Best MSc Comparative Politics Dissertation Prize-winner

'A War Against our Values?' - An Actor-Centred Comparison of Anti-Immigration Framing in the UK, Netherlands and France |  Joshua Kay

Best MSc Conflict Studies Dissertation Joint Prize-winners

Truth and Reconciliation Commissions: Global Norm or Passing Trend? |  Claire Williams

Rebel Strength and Post-Agreement Conflict: A Disaggregated Analysis |  Konrad Pialucha

Are French Muslims Constructed as a "Suspect Community"? A Critical Discourse Analysis of French Right-Wing Newspaper Coverage of Islamist Terrorism Between 1995 and 2015 |  Etienne Koeppel

Prize for Best MSc Global Politics Dissertation

The Forest Stewardship Council and Colonialism: A Critical Anti-Colonial Analysis of the Forest Stewardship Council's Normative Framework |  Yumann Siddiq

Prize for Best MSc Political Theory Dissertation

Data Ownership, Fraud and the Tainted AI: On the Unjust Means in the Development of Artificial Intelligence |  Ricky Li

Joint Prize for Best MSc Political Science and Political Economy Dissertation

The Mass Media of Remembering: The Role of TV in Coming to Terms with the Nazi Past |  Luis Bosshart

In Europe We Trust? An Examination into the Determinants of Citizen Trust in the European Union and European Institutions, and the Factors Leading to Extreme Political Views Among EU Citizens  |  Ailbhe Brioscu

Prize for best MSc Public Policy and Administration dissertation (not published).

Prize for best msc public administration and government dissertation.

Female Representation and the Substantive Representation of Women's Interests by Male MPs |  Luxia Broadbent

Prize for best MSc Regulation dissertation

What Counts in CEO Appointments in State-Owned Enterprises? Evidence from Chile, 1990-2018 |  Pablo Torres

Prize for Best MSc Comparative Politics Dissertation

Generational Effects and Support for the European Union in the UK: Political Socialisation During World War II | Kieran Devine

Prize for Best MSc Conflict Studies Dissertation

The Effectiveness of Women’s Leadership – Recognising and Addressing Wartime Sexual Violence |  Elisabet Olafsdottir

Business for Climate: A Qualitative Comparative Analysis of Policy Support and Opposition from Transnational Companies | Daniel Witte

The Political as a Theological Problem in the Thought of Carl Schmitt |  Jack Hutchison

Prize for best MSc Political Science and Political Economy dissertation

Ballot-Structure and Corruption: A Natural Experiment from French Municipal Elections |  Sebastian Law

Prize for best MSc Public Public Policy and Administration dissertation

Federalism’s Flaw: Does Decentralisation Enable the Violation of International Labour Law? | Evan Stubbings

Can Zombies be Rational? Investment, policy uncertainty and the Role of SOEs in China | Anthony Ng

What Affect Bureaucratic Attitudes Toward the Reform of Integrated Administrative Executive System: Evidence from the Practices in two Chinese Municipalities |  Fangda Ding

(no prize awarded)

Voting Islamist or Voting Secular? An Empirical Analysis of Election Outcomes in Tunisia’s Democratic Transition 2011-2014 |  Sapandeep Maini

Transitional Justice Beyond EU Conditionality: Post-Accession Backsliding in Croatia from a Rational Institutionalist Perspective |  Tijana Recevic

Discourse Contestation, Deliberation, and the Democratization of Global Governance: Evaluating the Labour Migration-and-Development Arena Against the ‘Discursive Democracy’ Ideal |  Cazadira Tamzil

A Disputed State: the Nature and Practice of Political Philosophy in Michael Oakeshott’s Early Writings |  Samuel Louis Bickler

The Scope of Public Reason Under Non-Ideal Conditions: Introducing the Interference View |  Henrik Dahlquist

The Revolving Door for Political Elites: An Empirical Analysis of the Linkages between Government Officials’ Professional Background and Financial Regulation |  Elisa Wirsching

Prize for best MSc Public Policy and Administration dissertation.

Measuring Transforming Rehabilitation’s Impact on Public Service Motivation |  Matthew Walker

How to apply Go to 'Study at LSE' to find out more

What do our Graduates do next? Go to 'LSE Careers' to find out more

MSc Students on GovBlog Read the latest articles from Masters Students on our blog

Mathematics Institute

Msc awarding of degrees.

The progress review Board receives the result of all coursework assessments and examinations. Students who pass are permitted to proceed to the dissertation.

In September there is a meeting of the full Board of Examiners for the MSc (including the External Examiner) where the results from all examinations and dissertations for each candidate are available. The Board makes use of University Regulations and Departmental guidelines on the award of MSc degrees and Postgraduate Diplomas. Based on all the available information, including any special circumstances, the Board will make one of the following recommendations. Special consideration is given to borderline or special cases.

• Award of MSc degree Normally awarded if the average mark on the taught modules and the dissertation mark are both greater than or equal to 50%, and if at least 60 CATS of level 7 taught modules ( year 4 or above e.g. MA4xx, MA5yy ) have been passed at the 50% level.
• Award of Merit Grade Normally awarded if the average combined mark on the taught modules and the dissertation mark is at least 60% and, in addition, the mark on the dissertation is at least 60%.

Normally awarded if the average combined mark on the taught modules and the dissertation mark is at least 70% and, in addition, the mark on the dissertation is at least 70%.

• Award of Postgraduate Diploma Normally awarded under the following conditions: (a) average mark on taught modules in the range 40% - 49%, (b) marks of 50% or more in at least 60 CATS of level 7 taught modules, (c) a mark of at least 40% in the dissertation or postgraduate diploma project (see below). Candidates for the MSc degree who have submitted an MSc dissertation but who fail to reach the required standard for the award of an MSc are considered for the award of a Postgraduate Diploma. Candidates who do not achieve the required standard at the end of the taught stage of the MSc are normally asked to submit a postgraduate diploma project (30 CATS) rather than the dissertation (90 CATS), for the consideration of an award of a Postgraduate Diploma.

Failure to meet any of the above conditions.

The above decisions are subject to approval by the Senate.

Resits and Resubmission of dissertations

Students are permitted to resit failed taught modules in September. The maximum possible mark in any resit exam is 50%. The resit for a failed module could either be a written exam or a viva, depending on the recommendation of the Examination Board.

Resubmission of the research project is likewise possible in certain circumstances. Where minor corrections are required the Board may pass the candidate subject to the necessary changes being made. It is then the duty of the supervisor to confirm that these have been carried out.

Undergraduate Honors

Main navigation.

A major department or program can recommend you are honored for exceptional undergraduate achievement with the following honors designations: 

Distinction

In recognition of high scholastic attainment, the university awards the Bachelor’s Degree with Distinction. This honor is awarded to the top 15% of the graduating class based on cumulative grade point averages calculated at the end of Winter Quarter. Distinction is noted on both the transcript and diploma.

Departmental Honors Programs

Note: You must declare departmental honors and have your request approved no later than the application to graduate deadline for the term in which you intend to graduate.

To recognize your successful completion of special advanced work, departments may recommend you for honors in your major. Departmental honors programs demand independent creative work at an advanced level in addition to major requirements. Departmental honors programs are not available in every academic department. Departmental honors is noted on both your transcript and diploma.

You can declare departmental honors in Axess by submitting a request to the department in which you want to pursue departmental honors. The department will inform you of its decision on whether to accept you into the honors program.

You should contact the department directly to determine if you must fulfill any additional requirements to process your departmental honors declaration request.

Interdisciplinary Honors Programs

Note: You must declare for interdisciplinary honors and have your request approved no later than the application to graduate deadline for the term in which you intend to graduate.

In recognition of your successful completion of honors program requirements, the following interdisciplinary programs can recommend you for honors in their programs regardless of the department associated with your undergraduate major:

• Comparative Studies in Race and Ethnicity
• Democracy, Development, and the Rule of Law (CDDRL)
• Environmental Science, Technology, and Policy
• Ethics in Society
• Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies
• International Security Studies (CISAC)
• Latin American Studies
• Science, Technology, and Society

The interdisciplinary programs are designed to complement study in any departmental major.

You can declare for interdisciplinary honors in Axess. Submit a request to the department in which you want to pursue interdisciplinary honors. The department informs you of its decision on whether to accept you into its honors program.

You should contact the department directly to determine if you must fulfill any additional requirements to process your interdisciplinary honors declaration request.

Five honored with Distinguished Dissertation Awards

Five recent Auburn University graduates have been selected as winners of the Graduate School’s 2014-15 Distinguished Dissertation Awards. Award winners are Chris Eklund and Libby Jones in the Humanities/Fine Arts category and Justin Havird, Farruk Lutful Kabir and Rui Malinowski in the Biological/Life Sciences category. Eklund and Lutful Kabir will go on to compete for the Council of Graduate Schools/ProQuest Distinguished Dissertation Awards. The Distinguished Dissertation Awards recognize the scholarship of doctoral students whose dissertations make an unusually significant contribution to their respective disciplines. Auburn’s colleges and schools nominate students for the awards, and an award committee composed of graduate faculty selects the award winners.

This year’s winning dissertations are:

• “Private Paths to Protecting Places: The Creation of a Conservation Infrastructure in the American South Since 1889” by Chris Eklund (dissertation embargoed). His dissertation committee consisted of Auburn faculty members Aaron Shapiro (chair), Jennifer Brooks, Cathleen Giustino and David Lucsko. Eklund graduated in May 2015 with a doctorate in history and has accepted a position teaching high school in North Carolina. He is ultimately seeking a teaching position at a college or university.
• “The Devolution of Irish Masculinity in Twentieth Century Irish Drama: Representations of Manliness in the Plays of John Millington Synge, Sean O’Casey and Martin McDonagh” by Libby Jones (dissertation embargoed for non-Auburn University users). Her dissertation committee consisted of Auburn faculty members Jonathan Bolton (chair), Chris Keirstead, Sunny Stalter-Pace and Ralph Kingston. Jones graduated in May 2015 with a doctorate in English and now teaches at the University of South Alabama and Spring Hill College.
• “Disturbance in the anchialine ecosystem: ramifications for ecology and physiology” by Justin Havird. His dissertation committee consisted of Auburn faculty members Scott Santos (chair), Raymond Henry, Mark Liles and Alan Wilson. Havird graduated in May 2014 with a doctorate in biological sciences and is now a postdoctoral fellow at Colorado State University.
• “Altered Expression Profiles and Defects in a Group of Cell Cycle Regulators and Tumor Suppressor Genes (INK4) and Evaluation of Comprehensive Expression Profiles of Canine miRNAs in Spontaneous Canine Breast Cancer Models” by Farruk Lutful Kabir. His dissertation committee consisted of Auburn faculty members R. Curtis Bird (chair), Bruce Smith, Frederik van Ginkel and Jacek Wower. Lutful Kabir graduated in December 2014 with a doctorate in biomedical sciences and is now a postdoctoral fellow at Auburn.
• “Carbonyl inhibition and detoxification in microbial fermentation of biomass hydrolysates” by Rui Malinowski (formerly Rui Xie). Her dissertation committee consisted of Auburn faculty members Maobing Tu (chair), Yoon Lee, Maria Auad and Eduardus (Evert) Duin. Malinowski graduated in May 2014 with a doctorate in forestry and now works as an analytical chemist at Cool Planet Energy Systems.

Award winners receive an honorarium of $500 and a certificate. The two categories for the Distinguished Dissertation Awards rotate each year. The Graduate School will solicit nominations in the fall for the 2015-16 categories: Social Sciences and Mathematics/Physical Sciences/Engineering.

Last modified: Feb 29, 2024 @ 8:48 pm

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University home > Academic Quality and Policy Office > Assessment and Feedback > Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes > 39: Awards and classification (PGT)

39. Awards and Classification: Taught Postgraduate Programmes

39.1          A student will be eligible for their intended award where they achieve the necessary credit points as set out in the University’s credit framework (see section 3) and fulfil any other requirements for award as set out in the programme specification.

Exit Awards

39.2          If a student does not obtain the necessary credit points for progression or award following application of the academic regulations or chooses to withdraw from the University, the student may receive a lower exit award according to the credit points they have obtained.

Classification

39.3  The classification of a taught postgraduate Masters degree, including a Master of Research (MRes), is provided below.

39.4    An award with Merit or Distinction is permitted for postgraduate taught masters, diplomas and certificates, where these are specifically named entry-level qualifications .

An award with Merit or Distinction is not permitted for exit awards where students are required to exit the programme on academic grounds but is permitted in designated programmes (as set out in the programme specification) where students choose to withdraw from the intended programme but otherwise achieve the necessary credit points for the exit award .

39.5   The classification of the award in relation to the overall taught component mark and the dissertation mark is as follows:

• Award with Distinction          at least 65 out of 100 for the taught component overall and, for Masters awards, at least 70 out of 100 for the dissertation. Faculties retain discretion to increase these thresholds*.
• Award with Merit                  at least 60 out of 100 for the taught component overall and, for masters awards, at least 60 out of 100 for the dissertation. Faculties retain discretion to increase these thresholds*.
• Pass                                    at least 50 out of 100 for the taught component overall and, for Masters awards, at least 50 out of 100 for the dissertation.
• Fail                                     49 or below out of 100 for the taught component overall or, where relevant, 49 or below out of 100 for the dissertation.

* Any higher threshold for classification should be detailed in the relevant student handbook

39.6   The classification of a Postgraduate Certificate or Diploma, where applicable, is as follows:

• Award with Distinction          at least 70 out of 100 for the programme mark
• Award with Merit                  at least 60 out of 100 for the programme mark
• Pass                                    at least 50 out of 100 for the programme mark
• Fail                                     49 or below out of 100 for the programme mark
• Where applicable, the classification of the award for programmes using the 5-point (A-E) scale should be reached by using a fixed mid-point for each grade where A = 75, B = 65 and C = 55. The same boundaries as in 39.3 will apply.
• See the specific regulations for the classification of degrees in the MA in Law

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Honors’ Pass with Distinction

Highest-level thesis skills.

Being awarded Pass with Distinction on an Honors thesis is truly an outstanding honor.

Students receiving Pass with Distinction have demonstrated that their writing, speaking, and research skills are of the highest level.

Multiple evaluators and steps lead to this award …

• A student’s thesis advisor and the two thesis evaluators present at the oral presentation must unanimously agree that the work merits nomination.
• A detailed letter of support is developed by the thesis advisor.
• This nomination letter and the student’s thesis are reviewed by the Honors Council, that makes the final decision.

Student Highlights and Thesis Examples

Music performance and economics major from the class of 2012 Graham Dart presented his thesis in Fall of 2011 and earned pass with distinction recognition.  His thesis, “New York Counterpoint: Exploring the Techniques of Taped Music,” included a musical performance that lasted several minutes.

Dart’s musical talents also landed him a 2012 Big Ten Senior award in the category of visual and performing arts.  The audio recording from his performance is available. Listen>>

The written portion of Dart’s thesis, as well as examples from a plethora of other Honors students from an array of disciplines, are available in hard copy in the Honors Library.

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• Home »
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Masters degree grades.

A typical masters degree will be graded using four terms:

• Distinction: a final grade of 70% or above
• Merit: a final grade of 60-69%
• Pass: a final grade of 50-59%
• Borderline pass/fail: a final grade of 40-49%

In the UK, masters degrees are usually graded in a different way to bachelors degrees, with the system being Distinction, Merit and Pass rather than 1st, 2.1, 2.2 and 3rd.

This table illustrates approximately how the two different grading systems can be compared:

However, although masters degree grades are usually different to undergraduate degree grades, this does depends on what masters course you are studying. Here, we’ll look at the most common three:

Integrated masters degree grades

An integrated masters is one that follows directly on from your undergraduate course. This is most common in the sciences , where you apply for a four year course in your chosen subject and then in your second year make a decision on whether to follow the path to a BSc or to an MChem, MPhys, etc.

This is graded like an undergraduate degree, in that the classification you receive will be either;

First (1st);

Second class honours upper division (2.1);

Second class honours lower division (2.2);

Third (3rd) or;

In these cases, the later stages of study are weighted more than the earlier.

Standalone masters degree grades

Taught masters degree.

Taught masters degrees require 180 credits worth of work, made of a combination of taught modules, projects and a dissertation. The individual masters modules are usually worth between 10 and 30 credits each, depending on their length and the amount of assessment required. In some cases taught masters are merely graded as a pass or fail, but commonly taught masters degree grades are fail, pass, merit (or credit) and distinction. The boundaries for this are usually 50% for a pass, 60% for a merit and 70% for a distinction, as the above table illustrates. This masters degree grading system will be covered in greater detail later. 

Masters degree by research

A masters by research (an MPhil or MRes, and sometimes MLitt) is usually graded as pass or fail, with occasional universities offering distinction as a classification as well.

Masters grading system in the UK

The final masters grade is based on a ‘weighted’ score. For an integrated masters, this means your marks in your final two years are worth more than in your first two. 

On other masters courses , it can depend on which proportion of the mark is made up by taught aspects or research aspects. In general though, as well as having to aim for a certain weighted average, you also need to have marks within a certain range. Generally, this means for a pass, no marks under 40; a merit, none below 50; and for a distinction, none below 60.

If your course involves a dissertation, the mark that you achieve for this will also impact your final masters grade. Often, to achieve a certain classification, you are required to achieve that mark as minimum on your dissertation, for example, for a merit, your dissertation needs to score 60 or above, and for a distinction, 70 or above. If this sounds intimidating, try not to worry, we have plenty of helpful advice for you from writing your dissertation proposal to various ways to avoid dissertation drama .

Whilst these classifications are pretty much standard, they do vary between courses as well as between universities, so do check out your particular university and find out how it works out its masters degree grades. Some universities, whilst sticking to the pass/merit/distinction boundaries for their final grades, may use a variety of ways to mark your work throughout the year – percentages, letter grades (A, B, C, etc), so do make sure you know how it all adds up!

Also, remember that university guidelines, whilst strict, do have an element of leniency. Often there is a boundary (commonly 2% under) that if your final average is in, you may be able to persuade yourself up a class! This is most common if you excelled on your dissertation, but perhaps were let down by an earlier taught module. So don’t be afraid to ask.

Pass, merit and distinction

As an estimate of what quality of work you’re looking for, take a look at some example guidelines below:

Again, these are general guidelines, and looking at your particular university will give you much more specific information on their masters grades. If it all looks a bit much, don’t worry – we have a guide on how to get a first class postgraduate degree here .

You may have noticed that, despite the official classifications being distinction, merit and pass, that there is a tendency towards continuing with undergraduate language. This is because they roughly match up –  a first is roughly a distinction, a second class honours, upper division a merit, and a second class honours, lower division a pass. This can be helpful to bear in mind when thinking about masters degree grades, as, after all by this stage you should have a great understanding of how the undergraduate system works!

Masters degree assessments

Masters degrees are assessed in various different ways to determine the student’s overall grade – methods of assessment can include coursework , essays , presentations and exams . These will all be used to evaluate the masters student understanding of their core subject. Practical placements and internships may also contribute to the masters degree grading in certain subjects.

Assessment weighting is likely to differ for each module of the course, which means that some assessments may carry different significance than others. For instance, a module might comprise an exam and coursework, each contributing 50% to the final grade. In such a scenario, if a student scored 65% in the exam and 55% in the coursework, the module's final grade would be 60%. In other modules the overall assessment could be a smaller proportion of the final masters degree grade.

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How can you get a distinction in your masters degree?

1.  High academic standards throughout – aim to achieve consistently high grades across all modules and assessments from the very start and strive to excel in all aspects of your academic work. Make sure you produce high-quality coursework assignments, essays, reports and projects that all demonstrate critical thinking, originality and depth of analysis.

2.  Engagement and participation – actively participate in class discussions, seminars and group projects. Engage with course materials beyond the required readings to ensure you to gain a thorough understanding of the subject matter.

3.  Conduct independent research – be sure to conduct independent research and produce original research papers or a dissertation that contributes new insights to your chosen field.

4.  Networking and collaboration – try and build professional relationships with faculty members, fellow students and professionals in your field. You can do this by collaborating on research projects, attending conferences and engaging in academic and professional networking opportunities.

5.  Feedback and improvement – actively seek feedback from your supervisors and lecturers, as well your peers, then incorporate their suggestions for improvement into your work.

6.  Demonstrate leadership and initiative – take on leadership roles in group projects and participate in relevant extracurricular activities. Show initiative in pursuing opportunities for professional development, internships and/or research grants.

7.  Be organised and manage time effectively – develop strong organisational and time-management skills, prioritising tasks and ensuring you allocate sufficient time for studying, research and preparation.

What if you are failing your masters degree?

1. Retake a module to bring your masters grades up

As previously discussed, a masters degree is divided up into several modules, which are usually are worth between 10 and 30 credits each. If you’ve only failed one or two modules there is likely to be the opportunity to re-sit some assessments within these modules to increase your overall masters grade.

2. Revise your dissertation to improve your grades

 If you fail your dissertation, contact your supervisor to see if you can submit a revised version later in the year. If this is allowed it could be enough to raise your overall masters degree grade.

3. Switch to a Postgrad Certificate or a Postgrad Diploma

If your masters program is going completely wrong and you are almost certainly going to fail, there may still be a chance of you achieving a different postgraduate qualification, for example a Postgraduate Certificate or Postgraduate Diploma . These PG qualifications require less credits to complete than a masters degree, and by achieving one of these you can rest assured that your postgraduate studies were not in vain!

4. Re-sit exams or extend deadlines for extenuating circumstances

If your academic achievement (or lack of it) has been affected by extenuating circumstances – such as illness or bereavement – speak to your supervisor as soon as possible as they may allow you to submit your dissertation at a later date or re-sit some exams before submitting your work to the official examining board.

5. Submit an appeal for a remark

Finally, if you feel that the official examining board’s grade is an unfair reflection of your work, you may be able to submit an appeal for a remark.

Questions about the masters grading system

How are masters degrees graded in the uk.

Everything at masters level is double-blind marked, so two of your lecturers or tutors will mark your work and then agree on the grade between them. It depends on the assignment and how it is presented as a piece of work, as an essay or an exam will be marked differently from a presentation.

Is a masters grade the same around the world?

A masters degree has the same weighting across Europe as European universities have agreed that all university qualifications are worth the same number of credits. This means that the qualifications are transferable all over Europe . Generally, the same can be said for many other countries, especially in the English-speaking world, but if you are planning on continuing your education in another country, you should check with the institution you are planning on attending with regards to the transferability of your qualifications. See the section below for further information about how the grading systems work in the United States and Europe.

Do grades matter at masters level?

At postgraduate level, there is more emphasis on the content of your essays and research rather than on the masters grades you received. If you are planning on moving into a specific field of work after you graduate, then you should ensure that the modules you study and essays you write are all geared towards that field. The only time the grade truly matters is if you are considering a PhD after completing the masters program. However, showing that you have improved your skills across the course is just as important as getting the best grades right from the start.

What else is important?

Once you get into searching for a job you will quickly realise that extra-curricular activities and work experience are just as important as your masters grades, as is trying to meet the right people through networking. Showing you can work efficiently and are a self-reliant person is an important addition to your CV.

How many people have a masters degree in the US?

Here’s a table showing the percentage of adults over the age of 25 with a masters degree in the United States.

Masters grading in other countries

Masters grades are calculated differently across the world – here is a brief overview on the grading systems used in the United States and Europe.

Masters degree grades in the USA

In the United States, universities employ the Grade Point Average (GPA) system to evaluate students' academic performance in masters degrees. Under this system, students receive a grade on a four-point decimal scale for each assignment or assessment they complete. The accumulated points from all coursework are then added up and divided by the number of courses or assessments completed, and this gives the final GPA score. Unlike grading methods in other countries, the GPA system calculates the final grade continuously as students progress through their course. While the highest GPA score achievable is 4.0, maintaining such a perfect score throughout a full masters degree program is very difficult. Typically, a GPA of 3.67 or higher in a masters program is considered equivalent to achieving a Distinction in the UK.

Masters degree grades in Europe

Most universities in Europe use the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS) for masters degree grading. The ECTS assigns values to courses and/or modules, and each course has clearly defined learning outcomes and grades available. Although HEIs in different European countries use different grading systems, the ECTS facilitates the portability of academic qualifications, enabling credits to be easily transferred between institutions and countries within the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) if the student moves between institutions, for example if they are on the Erasmus scheme.

Related articles

What Is A Masters Degree?

Postgraduate Taught vs Research Masters

What Is A GPA?

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Faculty Award: DeMisty Bellinger-Delfeld

Professor DeMisty Bellinger-Delfeld considers herself a creative writer first, and a scholar second. “Research feeds my writing and teaching,” she said. “And I love teaching. It’s a great way to support my writing habit.”

Bellinger-Delfeld has been supporting that habit with distinction as a member of the English Studies Department faculty since 2013. But supporting her writing through research dates back to her own educational training. Eager to prove her creative work had scholarly legitimacy and rigor, she plunged into research on literature and composition while pursuing her doctorate. Her dissertation ended up being her first historical novel.

“I fell in love with using people and documents and sources as inspiration,” she said. “I was never taught how to do that.”

The process of writing it inspired new avenues of inquiry, about how she could translate her own journey in the creation of her book to the classroom and her own students. The result was a new course on research for creative writers, which remains a staple in her department.

The absence of such formal training inspired Bellinger-Delfeld to create a course on research for creative writing. “In creative work, a lot of things we choose to look into are those ‘what if’ questions,” she said.

Her own scholarly work continues, with a focus on equity and issues surrounding race, class and gender, from the “me-too” movement and the still-unfolding impact of the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade to the feelings of helplessness so many feel about the impact of climate change. This work informs her teaching with a continual redesign of courses with a goal of serving her students in an equitable way.

In some aspect, I believe all writing is persuasive and most creative writing is, to a certain extent, political.

To fuel her students’ interests and broaden their horizons, she began assigning them readings from The New York Times, from which they generate ideas for their own works.

“Our students are great, they’re very creative,” she said. “You see them work through things and you see them grow.”

Her colleagues and peers in the creative writing community hold her scholarship, creative writing and criticism, and student-centered approach to teaching in the highest regard. She is lauded for her commitment to ensuring diversity, equity, and inclusion within academic creative writing programs, and is seen as an expert in her teaching of these topics.

“Addressing inequities in creative work is difficult if you want to avoid being blatantly didactic and not compromise the artistic merits,” Bellinger-Delfeld said. “In some aspect, I believe all writing is persuasive and most creative writing is, to a certain extent, political.”

“Surfeit,” a recent poem, addresses the helplessness the majority of Americans feel in the face of climate change: 

This is where we are now:

I dreamt of mold spreading

throughout our house. It grew,

soft and bunny fuzzy white

beneath dishes, in the sink,

on the back of our hands.

In real, waking life,

mold grows atop the moss

outside because it won’t stop

raining. And when the sun

shines, it’s humid and hot.

And when it doesn’t rain—

I imagine fungus, mold

overtaking a mistreated earth

growing between our toes

or in patches of ringworm

on our faces. We know the biggest

organism is a kind of mushroom,

expanding underground.

This armillaria,

this honey fungus, covers

acres and is older than

the oldest tree or tortoise.

sweating in a deluge

of hurricane rains,

practicing the Sisyphean

task of ridding ourselves

of tenacious growth.

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UB Awards 320 Biomedical Science Degrees; 35 Earn PhDs

Commencement 2024.

Lauryn Alexandria Scott, a biomedical sciences undergraduate student, is all smiles as she walks across the stage during the May 19 biomedical sciences commencement ceremony.

By Dirk Hoffman

Published May 29, 2024

Thirty-five doctoral, 76 master’s and 209 baccalaureate candidates were eligible to receive degrees in biomedical science fields during the May commencement ceremony.

2024 Commencement Video

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Six graduate students and nine senior undergraduates were singled out for special honors, including four graduates who received a Chancellor’s Award, the highest State University of New York undergraduate honor.

Graduates completed work in 14 departments or programs of the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences :

• biochemistry
• biomedical informatics
• biomedical sciences
• biotechnical and clinical laboratory sciences
• genetics, genomics and bioinformatics
• medical physics
• microbiology and immunology
• natural sciences interdisciplinary
• neuroscience
• nuclear medicine technology
• pathology and anatomical sciences
• pharmacology and toxicology
• physiology and biophysics
• structural biology

Graduates also completed the following programs offered in alliance with the  Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center Graduate Division : cancer pathology and prevention, cancer sciences, immunology, and molecular pharmacology and cancer therapeutics.

Fifteen of the doctoral degrees and eight of the master’s degrees were awarded in Roswell Park’s programs.

Allison Brashear, MD, MBA, UB’s vice president for health sciences and dean of the Jacobs School, congratulates the Class of 2024.

Lessons Learned From Recent Solar Eclipse

Allison Brashear, MD, MBA , UB’s vice president for health sciences and dean of the Jacobs School, welcomed attendees to the May 19 event at UB’s Center for the Arts and addressed the graduates.

“It fills my heart with immense joy to see all of you gathered here today,” she said.

“In the face of the challenges that have beset us in recent times, these bright scholars and scientists have exhibited extraordinary resilience, determination and perseverance in their academic endeavors. I am confident that these qualities will serve as guiding lights as they embark upon their journeys in their respective fields.”

She noted that biomedical science is one of the broadest areas of medical science and underpins much of modern medicine.

“Biomedical scientists are at the heart of multidisciplinary teams in health care. Biomedical research looks at ways to prevent and treat disease,” Brashear said. “Your innovative approaches and unwavering dedication will continue to push the boundaries of scientific discoveries and technology, leading to a brighter and healthier future for all of us.”

In his address, UB President Satish K. Tripathi, PhD, told the graduates they could learn a lot from the recent solar eclipse that generated excitement in Western New York in early April.

“Allow me to share three tips of advice gathered from the path of totality,” he quipped.

“Reconnect with the natural world, as often as possible. Instead of taking selfies, take time for self-reflection,” he said. “When you give wide berth to the stressors of modern life, you allow yourself space to find both your place in the world and your responsibility to it.”

“Do not regret circumstances beyond your control,” Tripathi added, noting the sunny days leading up to the eclipse, but the extreme cloudiness that persisted over much of WNY on April 8, the day of the event. “Notwithstanding the uncooperative weather, we all experienced a breathtaking moment. Magnify your disappointments and you miss occasions for learning, enrichment and wonder.”

“Lastly, use your expertise for the greater good. When you apply what you have learned for others’ benefit, you put your UB education to its highest purpose,” he said.

Doctoral graduate Haley Victoria Hobble won two separate graduate awards for her research and dissertation. She is flanked by Mark R. O’Brian, PhD, left, and John C. Panepinto, PhD.

Outstanding Graduates Recognized

Biochemistry graduate student research achievement award.

Doctoral graduate Haley Victoria Hobble was honored for research that received national or international recognition and for being selected to give an oral presentation at a major national or international meeting.

Dissertation: “Intrafamily Heterooligomerization of the N-Terminal Methyltransferase METTL11A”

Mentor: Christine E. Schaner-Tooley, PhD , associate professor of biochemistry

Roswell Park Graduate Division Award for Excellence in Research

Doctoral graduate Abigail Cornwell was the recipient of this award for outstanding research for her dissertation titled “Impact of Benzodiazepines on the Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma Tumor Microenvironment”

Mentor: Michael Feigin, PhD, associate professor of oncology, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center

The Dean’s Award for Outstanding Dissertation Research

Doctoral graduate Haley Victoria Hobble was the winner of this award that recognizes demonstrated excellence in research.

She was honored for her dissertation: “Intrafamily Heterooligomerization of the N-Terminal Methyltransferase METTL11A”

Mentor:  Christine E. Schaner-Tooley, PhD , associate professor of  biochemistry

The Microbiology and Immunology Award for Excellence in Dissertation Research in Memory of Dr. Murray W. Stinson

Doctoral graduate Katherine Shannon Wackowski was honored for her dissertation “Cooperation of RESC Proteins in Trypanosome RNA Editing and Holoenzyme Dynamics”

Mentor: Laurie K. Read, PhD , professor of microbiology and immunology

Dennis Higgins Award for PhD Dissertation Research in Pharmacology and Toxicology

Doctoral graduate Shirley Xu was honored for her dissertation “Troponin-Mediated Autoimmune Mechanisms of Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor-Induced Myocarditis”

Mentor: Umesh Sharma, MD, PhD , associate professor of medicine

Bishop Neuroscience Thesis Award

Doctoral graduate Richard Adam Seidman was honored for his dissertation “Oscillatory Calcium Mediated Regulation of Human Oligodendrocyte Progenitor Cells”

Mentor: Fraser J. Sim, PhD , professor of pharmacology and toxicology

The Structural Biology Award for Excellence in Dissertation Research in Memory of Dr. Robert H. Blessing

Doctoral graduate Nicholas David Clark was honored for his dissertation “Structure/Function Studies of Virulence Factors from Periodontal Pathogens and Membrane Sphingolipid Hydroxylases”

Mentor: Michael G. Malkowski, PhD , professor and chair of structural biology

The four undergraduate SUNY Chancellor’s Award winners, from left, Bryan R. Renzoni, Lea Kyle, Rachel Esther Sanyu and Sarah Bukhari, along with Jennifer A. Surtees, PhD.

SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Student Excellence

Sarah Bukhari, Lea Kyle, Bryan R. Renzoni and Rachel Esther Sanyu were recognized with the SUNY Chancellor’s Award. It recognizes students for their integration of academic excellence with other aspects of their lives that may include leadership, athletics, community service, creative and performing arts, entrepreneurship or career achievement.

Bukhari graduates with a bachelor’s degrees in biochemistry. She is an undergraduate researcher in the lab of  Jennifer A. Surtees, PhD , professor of  biochemistry . Bukhari secured funding from the Experiential Learning Network and a Mentored Research micro-credential.

Beyond academics, the Grand Island, New York, native is deeply involved in community engagement, serving as both the volunteer coordinator and vice president of the largest student-run pre-health organization, the Association of Pre-Medical Students, and was awarded a Community Engagement micro-credential and gathering 500+ volunteer hours.

With dual roles as dance coach and social media coordinator for the Pakistani Student Association, she fosters a network of communities to embrace diversity and celebrate traditions.

A native of Martville, New York, Kyle is a University Honors College Scholar who graduates with a Bachelor of Science degree in biochemistry with minors in both physics and public health.

She has been a Student Association, Recreation Department, Student Engagement and TASS Center employee. She also is the current president of UB Rotaract, a volunteering club on campus.

Kyle is also a student researcher in the  Department of Microbiology and Immunology ,  Elizabeth A. Wohlfert, PhD , associate professor of microbiology and immunology, focusing on the effects of chronic inflammation on muscle function due to chronic infection..

Renzoni, of East Amherst, New York, graduates with a Bachelor of Science degree in biochemistry. He is a University Honors College Presidential Scholar and Honors College Ambassador.

A BioXFEL Scholar, he has received multiple research internship positions and worked in two different laboratories, contributing to work on the development of novel organic and organometallic compounds with applications as cancer therapies.

Renzoni has also served as a co-chair of the G14 Leadership Summit, president and executive adviser of UB ChemClub, and both assistant music director and music director of The Enchords, UB’s all-gender a cappella group.

Sanyu, an international student from Uganda, graduates with a bachelor’s degree in pharmacology and toxicology.

She is an Honors College Scholar who conducted oncology research within the lab of Wendy Huss, PhD, at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center and at Johnson & Johnson, where she earned the 2023 Inspire Spotlight Award.

Sanyu has also worked as a student assistant in the Office of Interprofessional Education and an honors peer mentor. 

She is a founder of a health care app and is involved with the community through her work with Suubi Cancer Relief and Hillside Family of Agencies.

Sanyu also loves to dance and was a member of the UBMystique and 8-Count dance teams.

Undergraduate Outstanding Senior Awards

The following awards honor high academic performance and involvement in the campus community and external organizations:

Biochemistry Sarah Bukhari

Biomedical Sciences Alexis Krayevsky

Biotechnology Tanvi Dixit

Medical Technology Eva Wisniewski

Neuroscience Leah Heiler

Nuclear Medicine Technology Kelly Mahan

Pharmacology and Toxicology Rachel Esther Sanyu

Commencement speaker Styliani-Anna (Stella) E. Tsirka, PhD, tells the graduates to never lose sight of the wonder and awe that first drew them to the biomedical sciences.

Keynote Theme One of Compassion, Resilience

Commencement speaker Styliani-Anna (Stella) E. Tsirka, PhD, the Miriam and David Donoho Distinguished Professor of pharmacological sciences and vice dean for faculty affairs at the Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University, spoke about empathy and persistence.

“Beyond the technical skills and academic achievements that you have earned and will continue to earn, what will set you apart is your capacity for empathy, for compassion, your ethical responsibility,” she said.

“In the pursuit of scientific advancement, try not to lose sight of the human element and the living organisms whose lives may be impacted by our work.”

Tsirka noted that biomedical scientists have a serious duty to use their expertise to make society better, alleviate suffering and to promote the health and well-being of all people, regardless of race, gender or socioeconomic status.

“If you decide to further pursue scientific inquiry, do remember that you will need persistence and resilience,” she said. “Experimental science is not for the faint of heart.”

She remarked that her lab members often talk about the fact that it is called “research” instead of just “search.”

“The majority of our experiments will not be successful, but the ones that provide that ‘eureka moment’ will last a lifetime,” Tsirka assured the graduates. “Remember that setbacks are valuable lessons that shape the way for future success.”

Tsirka encouraged the graduates to embrace the idea of lifelong learning.

“To remain at the forefront of your field, you must remain curious and receptive of new ideas,” she said.

“Importantly, science is also delicate. Continue to approach it with integrity and rigor.”

Do you have questions or comments for the Office of the Provost? Let us know your thoughts and we’ll be happy to get back to you.

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Three Umass Amherst Doctoral Students Earn 2024 Mellon/Acls Dissertation Innovation Fellowships

Three UMass Amherst doctoral students have been awarded  2024 Mellon/American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS) Dissertation Innovation Fellowships , which support doctoral students in the humanities and interpretive social sciences as they pursue bold and innovative approaches to dissertation research

Jose Mari Lanuza in the Department of Communication,  Mabrouka M'Barek in the Department of Sociology and  Marcus P. Smith in the W. E. B. Du Bois Department of Afro-American Studies are among 45 awardees selected nationally from a pool of more than 700 applicants. Each honoree receives an award of up to $50,000 to support external mentorship that offers new perspectives on the fellow’s project and expands their advising network. With fellows pursuing their research across the country and beyond, ACLS will also provide opportunities for virtual networking and scholarly programming throughout the award terms.

Lanuza’s research explores electoral disinformation in the Philippines by considering social factors, which have often been neglected in prior research. It examines the information-seeking and meaning-making behaviors and processes of people who engage with conspiracy theories about Philippine elections and view contemporary electoral contexts as deeply intertwined with conspiracy theories. This approach illuminates disinformation vulnerability and consumption at the community level as products of micro-level social interactions and macro-level political communication. Lanuza is also a graduate fellow in the newly launched Global Technology for Social Justice Lab and co-author of a study comparing  Brazil and Philippines elections .

M'Barek’s dissertation is a comparative historical sociological project that seeks to analyze how colonization affected North African and North American semi-nomadic communities in the long term, and how these communities are re-engaging in land-based relations while celebrating their nomadic past. Drawing on indigenous methods, her research contributes to the field of sociology by conceptualizing mobility as a web of social relationships and connections with land and natural environment — deepening the understanding of the articulation between colonialism and capital accumulation.

The research pursued by Smith employs an interdisciplinary methodology, drawing from history, ethnography and landscape studies to examine the development of grassroots museums in historically Black rural, agro-urban and coastal communities as sites of community empowerment and resistance. His project investigates and recounts the narratives of museum inception, community mobilization, resource acquisition, curatorial decision-making and establishing the museums as viable and sustainable institutions in different social, political and economic contexts.

The ACLS launched the fellowship program in 2023 with the support of the  Mellon Foundation to advance a vision for doctoral education that prioritizes openness to new methods and sources, underrepresented voices and perspectives and scholarly experimentation. The awards are designed to accelerate change in the norms of humanistic scholarship by recognizing those who take risks in the modes, methods and subjects of their research.

More information about these other fellowship programs offered by the ACLS can be found at https://www.acls.org/fellowship-grant-programs .

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Poh Tan receives Dean’s Convocation Medal

As one of SFU's most outstanding graduate students from the Faculty of Education , Dr. Poh Tan is recognized with the Dean of Graduate Studies Convocation Medal. On behalf of SFU, we congratulate Dr. Tan on her   outstanding achievements.

Dr. Poh Tan’s PhD thesis, Extending scientific literacy through Indigenous Hawaiian epistemology: Navigating scientific seas with hula , is a synthesis of scholarly work in the fields of science literacy, identity formation, Hawaiian epistemology and evocative ethnography. She blended science, art and education, through the practice of hula and Hawaiian teaching, learning, and ways of knowing to foster a wholistic approach to scientific literacy. 

Tan joined SFU’s Faculty of Education to pursue her second PhD; with her first PhD awarded in stem cell biology from UBC’s Faculty of Medicine. Through her research, she integrated her various identities, including science educator, stem cell biologist, award-winning entrepreneur, mother and Malaysian Nyonya heritage into her research as she incorporated an Indigenous Hawaiian approach to decenter dominant science teaching practices to a place of transformation where mind, heart, and spirit became integral to teaching science.

Tan was the lead researcher in creating Vancouver's Bloedel Conservatory first science virtual classroom experiences, and she is a science educational consultant for BC Hydro's Power Smart for Schools, blending diverse perspectives, science literacy, and energy conservation. In addition, Tan is the lead on creating Science World’s first publicly accessible digital stories about the impacts of industrialization on the ecology of False Creek.

Tan is a two-time TEDx speaker, SFU's 2024 Outstanding Alumni Award recipient, YWCA Woman of Distinction Award Nominee in Education, Mantella Corporation BIPOC Entrepreneur Award recipient, Past-President elect for the Society for Canadian Women in Science and Technology (SCWIST), and a United Nations delegate for the National Council of Women of Canada for equity in STEM.  She was Editor-in-Chief for the Faculty of Education's SFU Educational Review journal and a Beedie School of Business Mentors in Business volunteer.  

Tan’s supervisor, Dr. David Zandvliet, sees Tan’s strengths as pieces that will continue to build her future career. Says Zandvliet, “[I] believe that Poh is truly poised to make a significant contribution to interdisciplinary scholarship that is likely to make a strong impact in the field. Further as Poh’s supervisor, I have consistently witnessed Poh display high levels of energy, commitment, and productivity and am certain she will continue to bring these strengths to her postdoctoral work.”

Says Tan, “My second graduate research journey has been an eye-opening and transformative time in regards to diving deep to understand my role as a scientist, educator and researcher.  This award, along with mentorship from my supervisor, Dr. Zandvliet, my committee members, Dr. Bai and Dr. Smith, and examiner, Dr. Cajete, is a testament and validation of the significance and importance of changing how we teach and share science with future educators and students. This award also reflects the collaborative efforts and support from the community who I worked alongside and our collective dedication towards advancing science educational practices to ensure diverse perspectives and knowledge are respected and included.”

Following the completion of her PhD, Tan continues her research as well as her advisory, consultancy, and volunteer roles with the Bloedel Conservatory, Science World, BCHydro Power Smart for Schools, and SCWIST to create and develop science educational initiatives and programs that align with the same transformative values and principles as she gathered in her research.

Additional Links

• Academic Unit:   Educational Theory and Practice
• Thesis:    Extending scientific literacy through Indigenous Hawaiian epistemology: Navigating scientific seas with hula
• Twitter:   @DrPohTan
• LinkedIn:   www.linkedin.com/in/pohtanphd
• Personal Website:   www.pohtanphd.ca
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CS&E Announces 2024-25 Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship (DDF) Award Winners

Seven Ph.D. students working with CS&E professors have been named Doctoral Dissertation Fellows for the 2024-25 school year. The Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship is a highly competitive fellowship that gives the University’s most accomplished Ph.D. candidates an opportunity to devote full-time effort to an outstanding research project by providing time to finalize and write a dissertation during the fellowship year. The award includes a stipend of $25,000, tuition for up to 14 thesis credits each semester, and subsidized health insurance through the Graduate Assistant Health Plan.

CS&E congratulates the following students on this outstanding accomplishment:

• Athanasios Bacharis (Advisor: Nikolaos Papanikolopoulos )
• Karin de Langis (Advisor:  Dongyeop Kang )
• Arshia Zernab Hassan (Advisors: Chad Myers )
• Xinyue Hu (Advisors: Zhi-Li Zhang )
• Lucas Kramer (Advisors: Eric Van Wyk )
• Yijun Lin (Advisors: Yao-Yi Chiang )
• Mingzhou Yang (Advisors: Shashi Shekhar )

Athanasios Bacharis

Bacharis’ work centers around the robot-vision area, focusing on making autonomous robots act on visual information. His research includes active vision approaches, namely, view planning and next-best-view, to tackle the problem of 3D reconstruction via different optimization frameworks. The acquisition of 3D information is crucial for automating tasks, and active vision methods obtain it via optimal inference. Areas of impact include agriculture and healthcare, where 3D models can lead to reduced use of fertilizers via phenotype analysis of crops and effective management of cancer treatments. Bacharis has a strong publication record, with two peer-reviewed conference papers and one journal paper already published. He also has one conference paper under review and two journal papers in the submission process. His publications are featured in prestigious robotic and automation venues, further demonstrating his expertise and the relevance of his research in the field.

Karin de Langis

Karin's thesis works at the intersection of Natural Language Processing (NLP) and cognitive science. Her work uses eye-tracking and other cognitive signals to improve NLP systems in their performance and cognitive interpretability, and to create NLP systems that process language more similarly to humans. Her human-centric approach to NLP is motivated by the possibility of addressing the shortcomings of current statistics-based NLP systems, which often become stuck on explainability and interpretability, resulting in potential biases. This work has most recently been accepted and presented at SIGNLL Conference on Computational Natural Language Learning (CoNLL) conference which has a special focus on theoretically, cognitively and scientifically motivated approaches to computational linguistics.

Arshia Zernab Hassan

Hassan's thesis work delves into developing computational methods for interpreting data from genome wide CRISPR/Cas9 screens. CRISPR/Cas9 is a new approach for genome editing that enables precise, large-scale editing of genomes and construction of mutants in human cells. These are powerful data for inferring functional relationships among genes essential for cancer growth. Moreover, chemical-genetic CRISPR screens, where population of mutant cells are grown in the presence of chemical compounds, help us understand the effect the chemicals have on cancer cells and formulate precise drug solutions. Given the novelty of these experimental technologies, computational methods to process and interpret the resulting data and accurately quantify the various genetic interactions are still quite limited, and this is where Hassan’s dissertation is focused on. Her research extends to developing deep-learning based methods that leverage CRISPR chemical-genetic and other genomic datasets to predict cancer sensitivity to candidate drugs. Her methods on improving information content in CRISPR screens was published in the Molecular Systems Biology journal, a highly visible journal in the computational biology field. 

Hu's Ph.D. dissertation is concentrated on how to effectively leverage the power of artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML) – especially deep learning – to tackle challenging and important problems in the design and development of reliable, effective and secure (independent) physical infrastructure networks. More specifically, her research focuses on two critical infrastructures: power grids and communication networks, in particular, emerging 5G networks, both of which not only play a critical role in our daily life but are also vital to the nation’s economic well-being and security. Due to the enormous complexity, diversity, and scale of these two infrastructures, traditional approaches based on (simplified) theoretical models and heuristics-based optimization are no longer sufficient in overcoming many technical challenges in the design and operations of these infrastructures: data-driven machine learning approaches have become increasingly essential. The key question now is: how does one leverage the power of AI/ML without abandoning the rich theory and practical expertise that have accumulated over the years? Hu’s research has pioneered a new paradigm – (domain) knowledge-guided machine learning (KGML) – in tackling challenging and important problems in power grid and communications (e.g., 5G) network infrastructures.

Lucas Kramer

Kramer is now the driving force in designing tools and techniques for building extensible programming languages, with the Minnesota Extensible Language Tools (MELT) group. These are languages that start with a host language such as C or Java, but can then be extended with new syntax (notations) and new semantics (e.g. error-checking analyses or optimizations) over that new syntax and the original host language syntax. One extension that Kramer created was to embed the domain-specific language Halide in MELT's extensible specification of C, called ableC. This extension allows programmers to specify how code working on multi-dimensional matrices is transformed and optimized to make efficient use of hardware. Another embeds the logic-programming language Prolog into ableC; yet another provides a form of nondeterministic parallelism useful in some algorithms that search for a solution in a structured, but very large, search space. The goal of his research is to make building language extensions such as these more practical for non-expert developers.  To this end he has made many significant contributions to the MELT group's Silver meta-language, making it easier for extension developers to correctly specify complex language features with minimal boilerplate. Kramer is the lead author of one journal and four conference papers on his work at the University of Minnesota, winning the distinguished paper award for his 2020 paper at the Software Language Engineering conference, "Strategic Tree Rewriting in Attribute Grammars".

Lin’s doctoral dissertation focuses on a timely, important topic of spatiotemporal prediction and forecasting using multimodal and multiscale data. Spatiotemporal prediction and forecasting are important scientific problems applicable to diverse phenomena, such as air quality, ambient noise, traffic conditions, and meteorology. Her work also couples the resulting prediction and forecasting with multimodal (e.g., satellite imagery, street-view photos, census records, and human mobility data) and multiscale geographic information (e.g., census records focusing on small tracts vs. neighborhood surveys) to characterize the natural and built environment, facilitating our understanding of the interactions between and within human social systems and the ecosystem. Her work has a wide-reaching impact across multiple domains such as smart cities, urban planning, policymaking, and public health.

Mingzhou Yang

Yang is developing a thesis in the broad area of spatial data mining for problems in transportation. His thesis has both societal and theoretical significance. Societally, climate change is a grand challenge due to the increasing severity and frequency of climate-related disasters such as wildfires, floods, droughts, etc. Thus, many nations are aiming at carbon neutrality (also called net zero) by mid-century to avert the worst impacts of global warming. Improving energy efficiency and reducing toxic emissions in transportation is important because transportation accounts for the vast majority of U.S. petroleum consumption as well as over a third of GHG emissions and over a hundred thousand U.S. deaths annually via air pollution. To accurately quantify the expected environmental cost of vehicles during real-world driving, Yang's thesis explores ways to incorporate physics in the neural network architecture complementing other methods of integration: feature incorporation, and regularization. This approach imposes stringent physical constraints on the neural network model, guaranteeing that its outputs are consistently in accordance with established physical laws for vehicles. Extensive experiments including ablation studies demonstrated the efficacy of incorporating physics into the model. 

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