Annual Celebration of Graduate Student Achievements

Mark Reeves, History

2022 Dean’s Distinguished Dissertation Award, Humanities and Fine Arts

Lost horizons: Anticolonial internationalism, 1930-1945

Dissertation Adviser: Dabney Pennybacker

“My dissertation follows the parallel careers of anti-colonial activists from Syria, India, the Philippines and Nigeria during the 1930s and the Second World War, in order to show that anti-colonialists had an ambitious global agenda beyond nationalism. While they sought to gain independence for their countries, they also concentrated on building a new world order free of colonial domination.”

Siddhartha Biswas, Economics

2022 Dean’s Distinguished Dissertation Award, Social Sciences

Federal student loans, college choice, and student welfare

Dissertation Adviser: Donna B. Gilleskie

“My dissertation examines the role of federal student loans in students’ college enrollment decisions. I developed a model to highlight how loans can inform a student’s choice of institution and evaluate the gains associated with each type of college. Lastly, I compare the benefits of raising loan limits with other education subsidies for various student groups.”

Bingxin Zhao, Biostatistics

2022 Dean’s Distinguished Dissertation Award, Biological and Life Sciences

Topics in high-dimensional asymptotics of ridge-type estimators

Dissertation Adviser: Hongtu Zhu

“How do genetics control the human brain? Using neuroimaging and genetics data from more than 40,000 subjects, we describe the genetic influences on brain structures and functions. More generally, we find that brain conditions are genetically related to a wide range of human behavior variables, mental health traits, and brain disorders. Neuroimaging biomarkers from biobank-scale databases can contribute to understanding the biological pathways of brain-related traits and diseases.”

Rachel E. Bangle, Chemistry

2022 Dean’s Distinguished Dissertation Award, Mathematics, Physical Sciences and Engineering

Interfacial electron transfer for solar energy conversion: kinetic and mechanistic insights

Dissertation Adviser: Jerry Meyer

“Interfacial electron transfer, the movement of electrons between solid surfaces and nearby molecules, is one of the most important tools we have for converting sunlight into carbon-neutral liquid fuels. In my dissertation, I examined light-induced interfacial electron transfer reactions to gain fundamental insights into the physical parameters that govern their kinetics. I also used this knowledge to develop and study new strategies to control interfacial electron transfer for solar energy conversion.”

Kate Brandt

Kate Brandt, a doctoral student in geography, is the 2022 recipient of the Boka W. Hadzija Award for Distinguished University Service by a Graduate or Professional Student.

Brandt’s many nominations noted her persistent advocacy on behalf of graduate and professional students. As a vice president with Graduate and Professional Student Government, she has served students by clarifying policies and procedures related to COVID-19, hosting town halls, and has served on various advisory committees. In addition, her colleagues noted her dedication to research, to mentoring undergraduate students, and to the graduate student experience.

“It is clear that Kate has outstanding character, scholarship, leadership, and has dedicated her time and efforts in service to the University,” one nominee wrote.

It is an honor to bestow the 2022 Boka Hadzija Award for Distinguished Service on Kate Brandt for her outstanding service to the University community.

Olivia Hopkins

Olivia Hopkins, student services coordinator for the Department of Communication, is the 2022 recipient of the Excellence in Graduate Student Services Award.

Despite taking on additional administrative roles on top of student service manager, Olivia has still gone above and beyond to be there for students. Students recognize how responsive she is to their needs, and Olivia even makes herself available on weeknights and weekends if a situation warrants it. Students have commented that Olivia has helped foster a sense of community with the Communications department at a time when people feel very isolated, and she makes it a point to check in with each student about their well-being. Many people within the department appreciate her warmth, adaptability, and sense of humor.

It is an honor to present the 2022 Excellence in Graduate Student Services award to Olivia Hopkins in recognition of her tremendous dedication to graduate students in the Communication Studies graduate program.

Michael Palm

Michael Palm is an associate professor in the Department of Communication, housed in the College of Arts and Sciences. He has served as director of graduate studies since 2019.

His nomination noted his profound dedication to graduate studies in the department and to graduate education more broadly. Palm has made himself available to graduate students through multiple avenues, including by establishing weekly meetings. “What impresses me most about Professor Palm’s work as DGS is his sincere care and attention to the graduate students,” one nominee wrote. “Professor Palm is committed to ensuring that our program is a space where all students can thrive.”

During his time as DGS, Palm has started an emergency fund to support graduate student needs during the COVID-19 pandemic, hosted town-hall-style meetings to provide an open forum for graduate students, and has supported graduate students who are also parents of young children.

It is an honor to present 2022 Faculty Award for Excellence in Graduate Student and Academic Program Support to Michael Palm, in recognition of his tremendous dedication to graduate students in the Department of Communication.

Ronald Strauss

The Graduate School is pleased to name Dr. Ronald Strauss as the 2022 recipient of the Dean’s Award for Significant Contributions to Graduate Education. Originally from New York City, Strauss earned a bachelor’s degree in biology from Queens College and doctorates in sociology and in dentistry from the University of Pennsylvania. He was recruited to UNC-Chapel Hill in 1974, where he rose through the ranks to become chair of the Department of Dental Ecology in the UNC Adams School of Dentistry.

Dr. Strauss has also served as chief international officer for the University, during which he oversaw several initiatives that paved the way for all students—undergraduate, graduate and professional—to have international experiences. From 2011 until 2022, Dr. Strauss served as executive vice provost. In that role, he has overseen a broad portfolio, ranging from faculty affairs, to academic program development and review, and much more.

In making the award, Suzanne Barbour, dean of The Graduate School, noted:

“During his long, storied career at the University, Dr. Strauss has been a caring, thoughtful leader who has made a tremendous difference in the lives and careers of students and faculty alike. In his own quiet, humble way, he has worked, often behind the scenes, to ensure our graduate programs have the information and resources they need to attain and maintain excellence. Generations of UNC-Chapel Hill graduate students have Dr. Strauss to thank for the quality of the education they received and the opportunities they were able to pursue while at the University. He epitomizes the concept of servant leadership and serves as a model for other campus leaders to follow.

Ron, thank you for your contributions and for setting a high bar for the rest of us to meet as we strive to attain excellence in graduate education.”
—Suzanne E. Barbour, Dean

Ava Vargason, Pharmacy

Ava Vargason, a Ph.D. candidate in the Eshelman School of Pharmacy in its Division of Pharmacoengineering and Molecular Pharmaceutics, presented her research on bacteria in the gut and received first prize, which comes with $1,000. Her research focuses on the trillions of microbes in our bodies, which are vital for our health. Colon cancer, allergies, and other medical diagnoses have been linked to microbial imbalances. Vargason’s research centers on how to restore the balance of the microbiome by allowing for beneficial bacteria to stay in the intestinal tract and have healing effects. The idea is to have the body recognize and embrace new bacteria, instead of expelling it, in order to allow for treatment—something she has observed in mice through her research..

Vargason said completing her Ph.D. gave her the ability to analyze information quickly and draw connections where they’re needed in order to solve a pressing challenge.

“I can use all of these skills,” Vargason said. “Because you have to think so much about information and different sides of a scientific problem, one thing it has given me is a little more empathy for where people are coming from in the ways they understand research.”

View Ava Vargason's campus 3MT presentation.