Distinguished fellows: Mary Whisenhunt, Jaime Crosswhite, Venkata Pavan Pillalamarri Narasimha Rao, Graduate Schoold Dean Ambika Mathur, Tara Gray and Solaleh Miar
(Sept. 11, 2019) -- The UTSA Graduate School is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2019 Distinguished Research Fellowship for advanced Ph.D. students.
This new, competitive award program provides a stipend and tuition and fee support of up to $40,000 for one academic year. The award allows Ph.D. candidates to work full-time on their dissertations in anticipation of defending their dissertations by Aug. 31, 2020.
“The majority of our Ph.D. students struggle immensely to be able to continue their scholarly work and write their dissertations while working full- or part-time to support their families,” said Ambika Mathur, vice provost and dean of the Graduate School.
“Oftentimes even the best students have to push their dissertation defense dates because they have not been able to make enough progress on writing. This annual support program will allow many exceptional UTSA doctoral candidates to have peace of mind and focus full-time on completing their degree so they can take the next steps in their professional career.”
Overall, 38 students were nominated by their dissertation advisers in this inaugural award cycle. Nominees were judged based on several criteria, including dissertation research summary; potential impact their work may have in the field and their likelihood of future success in the field; career development activities; and prior evidence of professional scholarship, including scholarly publications, presentations and research proposals.
Six students are this year’s DRF recipients:
Jamie Crosswhite is pursuing a Ph.D. in English in the College of Liberal and Fine Arts. Her dissertation synthesizes three area of scholarship—rhetoric, feminist geography and critical regionalism—to address how writers are exploring our contemporary relationships to land, climate and resources. Crosswhite was nominated for the fellowship by associate professor Sue Hum.
Tara Gray is pursuing a Ph.D. in physics in the College of Sciences. Gray was nominated by assistant professor Kathryn Mayer for her work testing the effects of gold nanoparticles in radiation therapy.
David Martinez-Prieto is pursuing a Ph.D. in culture, literacy and language in the College of Education and Human Development. He was nominated by Patricia Sánchez, professor and chair in the Department of Bicultural-Bilingual Studies. His work analyzes the impact of curriculum ideologies on transnational educators.
Solaleh Miar is pursuing a Ph.D. in biomedical engineering in the College of Engineering. Nominated by assistant professor Teja Guda, Miar is conducting research focused on advanced tissue regeneration and smart drug delivery systems.
Venkata Pavan Pillalamarri Narasimha Rao is pursuing a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering in the College of Engineering. His work involves experimental and computational modeling of pulmonary hypertension. He was nominated by associate professor Ender Finol.
Mary Whisenhunt is pursuing a Ph.D. in anthropology in the College of Liberal and Fine Arts. She was nominated by professor Robert J. Hard. Whisenhunt is studying ancient Native American societies along the Gila River in southeastern Arizona.
The UTSA Graduate School is committed to advancing academic excellence in graduate and postdoctoral education and training. Offering more than 100 doctoral and master’s degrees and graduate certificate programs across its seven colleges, UTSA currently enrolls about 4,500 graduate students.
Learn more about the UTSA Graduate School.
Celebrate UTSA’s 50th Anniversary and share social media posts about the 50th using the hashtag #UTSA50.
Connect with UTSA online at Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram and LinkedIn.
UTSA Today is produced by University Communications and Marketing, the official news source of The University of Texas at San Antonio. Send your feedback to news@utsa.edu. Keep up-to-date on UTSA news by visiting UTSA Today. Connect with UTSA online at Facebook, Twitter, Youtube and Instagram.
The Whataburger Resource Room at the Roadrunner Pantry has joined efforts with the campus community to put together the Move In Market! Come shop for some great items for your dorm room or apartment to get you started and set up for success.
H-E-B Student Union Ballroom (HSU 1.104-1.106,) Main CampusA Linguistics Time Capsule that was buried in 2000 will be opened and shared. It contains the predictions of UTSA linguistics students as to how the language would change by January, 2025. Students and faculty who contributed will be invited to the opening to participate in sharing their predictions and discussing how accurate some predictions were.
Denman Room (SU 2.01.28,) Main CampusHave you ever received an email invitation to publish in a journal you have never heard of with promises of lightning-fast peer-review and publication times? If so, you’ve probably heard of predatory publishing. During this workshop, participants will discuss this pervasive problem in academic publishing and how to spot the red flags through real-life examples.
Virtual (Zoom)Upon completion of this workshop, attendees will be able to: explain the history of Creative Commons, summarize the role of copyright law in the creation of Creative Commons, differentiate between different CC icons, identify the different layers and elements of CC licenses and tools, and list factors to consider when choosing a license for your project.
Virtual (Zoom)Join us for Coffee with Vets, a casual social event where veterans can come together, connect, and share camaraderie over a cup of coffee. This is a perfect opportunity to unwind, meet fellow veterans, and build community in a welcoming and relaxed environment.
Veteran Lounge (JPL 4.03.04,) John Peace Library, Main CampusStop by to ask questions or learn about how you can become involved in Wellbeing Services events and programs.
Window Lounge (SU1.02.00C,) Student Union, Main CampusArt of Wellbeing is a weekly workshop provided by Wellbeing Services! Join us as we use different art mediums each week as a way to improve our overall wellbeing!
Magnolia Room (SU2.01.30,) Student Union, Main CampusThe University of Texas at San Antonio is dedicated to the advancement of knowledge through research and discovery, teaching and learning, community engagement and public service. As an institution of access and excellence, UTSA embraces multicultural traditions and serves as a center for intellectual and creative resources as well as a catalyst for socioeconomic development and the commercialization of intellectual property - for Texas, the nation and the world.
To be a premier public research university, providing access to educational excellence and preparing citizen leaders for the global environment.
We encourage an environment of dialogue and discovery, where integrity, excellence, inclusiveness, respect, collaboration and innovation are fostered.
UTSA is a proud Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) as designated by the U.S. Department of Education .
The University of Texas at San Antonio, a Hispanic Serving Institution situated in a global city that has been a crossroads of peoples and cultures for centuries, values diversity and inclusion in all aspects of university life. As an institution expressly founded to advance the education of Mexican Americans and other underserved communities, our university is committed to promoting access for all. UTSA, a premier public research university, fosters academic excellence through a community of dialogue, discovery and innovation that embraces the uniqueness of each voice.
