UW Graduate School Awards Outstanding Graduate Contributions

May 15, 2009 — The University of Wyoming Graduate School has recognized 16 students and one professor for their outstanding research accomplishments during the 2008 calendar year.

"Our outstanding graduate students and graduate faculty contribute to an extraordinary degree, and in a number of positive ways throughout our campus community and in the graduate learning experience," says UW Graduate School Dean Don Roth. "This is our opportunity, on an annual basis, to recognize them for those contributions."

The list of honorees includes eight Ellbogen Outstanding Graduate Assistant Teaching Awards, which recognize exceptional contributions to undergraduate education through teaching.

Recipients were exemplary in their teaching, evidenced in the areas of improving their teaching ability through workshops, special training, formal coursework, participation in the Program in College Teaching or the Preparing Future Faculty forum and formal mentoring by a faculty member. Student evaluations were also a factor.

The winners, with hometown and major, are Cory Burghy (Madison, Wis., psychology); Courtney Carlson (Racine, Wis., English); Ben Cook (Cheyenne, economics and finance); Mitzi Hettgar (Rawlins, communication and journalism); Sharon Kettwich (Albuquerque, N.M., chemistry); Nora Kowallik (Braunschweig, Germany, modern and classical languages); Saikat Mukherjee (Krishnangar, West Bengal, India, mathematics); and Ryan Wehner (Fairmont, Minn., modern and classical languages)

Five students received Outstanding Master's Thesis Awards for their contributions to the master's enterprise of the university. Master's theses in the areas of the physical and life sciences, in the social sciences and in humanities and fine arts are considered.

The winners, with hometown, major, project title and mentor:

-- Asher Albertson (Casper, zoology and physiology), "Extra-pituitary Functions for GnRH." Mentor: Donal Skinner.

-- Jason Burge (Picayune, Miss., creative writing), "My Mulatto Foundling." Mentor: Brad Watson.

-- Erik Hoversten (Sheridan, philosophy), "Disagreement in Context." Mentor: Marc Moffett.

-- Wiesje Mooiweer (The Netherlands, atmospheric science), "The Dependence of Aerosol Scattering on Relative Humidity and Particulate Composition." Mentor: Derek Montague.

-- Maggie Renken (Roaring Gap, N.C., psychology), "The Effect of Prior Belief Bias on Conclusions from a Simple Physics Experiment: Does it Matter Whether Students Conduct or Read about the Experiment?" Mentor: Narina Nunez.

Three students earned Outstanding Dissertation Awards for their contributions to UW's research, scholarly and creative activities. Dissertations in the areas of life sciences, in the social sciences, and in the physical, earth and computational sciences are considered.

The winners, with hometown, major, project title and mentor are:

-- Jeramie Adams (Casper, chemistry), "New Classes of Bridging and Chelating Ligand Motifs Emphasizing: Ru(II) Molecular Squares, Ru(II) Diphosphino Carborane Complexes, and Acceptor PCP Complexes of Pt(II), Ir(I/II), and Ru(II)." Mentor: Dean Roddick.

-- Craig Grimes (Orrville, Ohio, geology and geophysics), "Duration, Rates, and Patterns of Crustal Growth at Slow-Spreading Mid-Ocean Ridges: Using Zircon to Investigate the Evolution of In Situ Ocean Crust." Mentor: Barbara John.

-- Keith Underwood (Shallowater, Texas, animal science), "Maternal Nutritional Management, AMP-Activated Protein Kinase and Beef Quality Characteristics." Mentor: Min Du.

UW mathematics professor and Laramie native, Bryan Shader, received the Distinguished Graduate Faculty Mentor Award that recognizes and honors outstanding faculty commitment to graduate student mentoring. Students, faculty, staff, and other colleagues-including alumni from across the nation-nominate faculty who possess a stellar record of engaging students, building a positive and respectful mentoring relationship, and commitment to program rigor and expectations.

The Graduate Council of the University of Wyoming selected the recipients, and all awards carry with them an honorarium. Recipients were honored at a recent luncehon in the Wyoming Union.

Photo:
UW mathematics professor and Laramie native, Bryan Shader, received the Distinguished Graduate Faculty Mentor Award that recognizes and honors outstanding faculty commitment to graduate student mentoring. (UW Photo)

Posted on Friday, May 15, 2009