The Graduate College

Outstanding Graduate Student Awards 2020

We are delighted to share the winners of the 2020 Graduate Student Awards. On this page, you will find information about the winners and nominees for each award along with details about the award. You can scroll through all of the awards or click one of the award names below to jump directly to that section.

 

Outstanding Dissertation Award 2020


About the Award
Each eligible College was invited to nominate one individual. To determine the University-level winner, the Research Awards Committee considered both the methodological and substantive aspects of the dissertation, including: a) importance/impact of the subject; b) originality/creativity of the work; c) quality of the scholarship; d) potential for publishing; e) organization of the dissertation; f) quality of the writing; and g) other appropriate factors that indicate excellence.

N.C. A&T Outstanding Dissertation 2020 Winner
Dissertation award winner

Dr. Izabele Marquetti

Degree: Ph.D. in Industrial and Systems Engineering awarded in 2019 (College of Engineering)

Dissertation Title: "Understanding Multiscale Release Behavior of Biomolecules for Tissue Engineering Applications"

Dissertation Advisor: Dr. Salil Desai

 
 
Additional 2020 Award Nominees

  • Dr. Prithviraj Deshmukh (Ph.D. '19 in Nanoengineering; Joint School of Nanoscience and Nanoengineering; Dissertation Advisor: Dr. Shanthi Iyer)
  • Dr. Oluwafunke Folarin (Ph.D. '19 in Leadership Studies; College of Education; Dissertation Advisor: Dr. Comfort Okpala)
  • Dr. Jamie Green (Ph.D. '19 in Applied Science and Technology; College of Science and Technology; Dissertation Advisor: Dr. Solomon Bililign)

 

Outstanding Thesis Award 2020


About the Award
Each eligible College was invited to nominate one individual. To determine the University-level winner, the Research Awards Committee considered both the methodological and substantive aspects of the thesis, including: a) importance/impact of the subject; b) originality/creativity of the work; c) quality of the scholarship; d) potential for publishing; e) organization of the thesis; f) quality of the writing; and g) other appropriate factors that indicate excellence.

N.C. A&T Outstanding Thesis 2020 Winner
Thesis award winner

Noor Al Samraai

Degree: M.S. in Adult Education awarded in 2019 (College of Education)

Thesis Title: "Literacy and Educational Development Programs for Arab Refugee Women in the Piedmont Area of North Carolina"

Thesis Advisor: Dr. Sonya R. Draper

 

Additional 2020 Award Nominee

  • Kristen Edwards (M.S. '19 in English and African American Literature; College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences; Thesis Advisor: Dr. Elon Kulii)

 

Outstanding Senior Graduate Research Assistant Award 2020


About the Award
Each eligible College was invited to nominate one individual. Nominees for the Senior-level award must have served three or more semesters total as a graduate research assistant. To determine the University-level winner, the Research Awards Committee considered factors such as: a) outstanding contribution to the enhancement of the University's research capabilities (productivity, relevance, recognition, etc.); b) outstanding research performance as evidenced by evaluations; and c) evidence of research productivity (authorship or co-authorship of peer-reviewed published materials, conference presentations, etc.).

 N.C. A&T Outstanding Senior Graduate Research Assistant 2020 WinnerSenior GRA Award winner

Mehul Parakh

Program: Ph.D. in Nanoengineering (Joint School of Nanoscience and Nanoengineering)

 

 

 

 

Additional 2020 Award Nominees

  • Akbar Bahrami (Program: Applied Science and Technology Ph.D. student; College of Science and Technology)
  • Rabiatu Bonku (Program: M.S. in Food and Nutritional Sciences; College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences)
  • Santou Kumar Parupelli (Program: Ph.D. in Industrial and Systems Engineering; College of Engineering)

 

Outstanding Junior Graduate Research Assistant Award 2020


About the Award
 Each eligible College was invited to nominate one individual. Nominees for the Junior-level award must have served fewer than three semesters total as a graduate research assistant. To determine the University-level winner, the Research Awards Committee considered factors such as: a) outstanding contribution to the enhancement of the University's research capabilities (productivity, relevance, recognition, etc.); b) outstanding research performance as evidenced by evaluations; and c) evidence of research productivity (authorship or co-authorship of peer-reviewed published materials, conference presentations, etc.).

N.C. A&T Outstanding Junior Graduate Research Assistant 2020 WinnerAward winner

Mervin Brandy

Program: M.S.W. in Social Work (College of Health and Human Sciences)

 

 

 

 

Additional 2020 Award Nominees

  • Wiggins Shannon Brown (Program: M.S. in Computer Science; College of Engineering)
  • Brittany Sanders (Program: Ph.D. in Applied Science and Technology; College of Science and Technology)
  • Mohammad Uddin (Program: Ph.D. in Nanoengineering; Joint School of Nanoscience and Nanoengineering)

 

Outstanding Senior Graduate Teaching Assistant Award 2020


About the Award
 Each eligible College was invited to nominate one individual. Nominees for the Senior-level award must have served three or more semesters total as a graduate teaching assistant. To determine the University-level winner, the Research Awards Committee considered factors such as: a) nominee teaching philosophy/methods as described in the personal statement; b) evidence of outstanding teaching based on student evaluations, teaching materials, and advisor evaluations; and c) outstanding contribution to the enhancement of the University's teaching capabilities.

 N.C. A&T Outstanding Senior Graduate Teaching Assistant 2020 WinnerSenior GTA award winner

Aicha Slassi Sennou

Program: Ph.D. in Applied Science & Technology (College of Science and Technology)

 

 

 

 

Additional 2020 Award Nominee

  • Zhipeng Liu (Program: Ph.D. in Computer Science; College of Engineering)

 

Outstanding Junior Graduate Teaching Assistant Award 2020


About the Award
Each eligible College was invited to nominate one individual. Nominees for the Junior-level award must have served fewer than three semesters total as a graduate teaching assistant. To determine the University-level winner, the Research Awards Committee considered factors such as: a) nominee teaching philosophy/methods as described in the personal statement; b) evidence of outstanding teaching based on student evaluations, teaching materials, and advisor evaluations; and c) outstanding contribution to the enhancement of the University's teaching capabilities.

N.C. A&T Outstanding Junior Graduate Teaching Assistant 2020 Winneraward winner

Philip Agbo

Program: Ph.D. in Nanoengineering (Joint School of Nanoscience and Nanoengineering)

 

 

 

 

 

Rising Graduate Scholar Award 2020


About the Award
Each eligible College was invited to nominate one individual. The Rising Graduate Scholar Award recognizes exceptional talent, scholarship, promise of leadership, and potential based on tangible achievements in research, teaching, service, and/or extracurricular work in the discipline. To determine the University-level winner, the Research Awards Committee considered factors such as: a) the nominee's high level of promise in their field of study; b) exceptional talent as evidenced by evaluations/outstanding graduate performance; c) tangible achievements such as (but not limited to): publications, presentations, teaching accomplishments, service recognition, creativity in the discipline, and/or demonstrated outstanding qualities of leadership and community service related to the field of study; and d) potential impact and/or contributions to any of the following areas: research and scholarship, leadership, mentoring and/or teaching, and service to society.

N.C. A&T Rising Scholar 2020 Winner
Rising Scholar Award winner

Jasmine Mabrey

Program: M.S. in Computer Science (College of Engineering)

 

 

 

 
 

Additional 2020 Award Nominees

  • Terra McKee (Program: Ph.D. in Applied Science & Technology; College of Science and Technology)
  •  Hirandeep Reddy Kuchoor (Program: Ph.D. in Nanoengineering; Joint School of Nanoscience and Nanoengineering)