College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

CLAS Grad Student Accolades: Awards & Grants for Spring/Summer 2024

by College of Liberal Arts and Sciences June 13th 2024

Graphic icon of prize ribbons

 

  1. Madi Lou Alexander, Jenna DePasquale, Gabriella Mota, and Bodhi Norton (Sociology Ph.D.) received travel funding through the PSU chapter of Alpha Kappa Delta.
  2. Olamide Alo (Earth, Environment and Society Ph.D.) was awarded the 2024 PSU Graduate Student Presidential Award for Service to the University for her work to enhance the student experiences at PSU in addition to her academic accomplishments.  
  3. Bria Bleil (Environmental Science and Management MS) was a recipient of the 2024 McGowan Grant for Neglected Corners and Niches of Ecology, awarded by the The Northwest Ecological Research Institute.
  4. Thien-Kim Bui (Earth, Environment and Society Ph.D.) received a $3,000 grant for a project titled “RIVER FSN Scholar/Field Studies Instructor & Curriculum Professional Development Program” from the RIVER Field Studies Network.
  5. Natalie Cholula (Sociology Ph.D.) and Minji Cho (Urban Studies Ph.D.) received an honorable mention for the 2024 Alfred R. Lindesmith Paper Competition for “Reconceptualizing Eviction: Examining the Violent Dynamics against Tenants,” Law & Society Division, SSSP.
  6. Taylor Dodrill (Earth, Environment and Society Ph.D.) was awarded the 2024 Outstanding Dissertation in the Natural Sciences Award by PSU’s Office of Research and Graduate Studies for her dissertation titled, “Tiny Drifters Amidst Global Change: Examining Environmental Drivers, Trophic Impacts, and Management Strategies of Estuarine Plankton Communities in the Anthropocene.”
  7. Matt Guziejka (Geography MS) presented a poster titled “Beavers Beyond Boundaries: Perceptions of beaver-related restoration” at the 2024 Urban Ecology & Conservation Symposium, which was voted first place in its competition.    
  8. Anne Johnson (Sociology Ph.D.) was the first PSU graduate student ever to win the Western Association of Graduate Schools (WAGS) 3MT regional competition, in which Anne had three minutes to describe her research. Anne's current research is concerned with improving common medical spaces, most specifically the blood draw. Anne will compete in the 3MT national competition in December. 
  9. Michael Krochta (Earth, Environment and Society Ph.D.) received the best research proposal award from the Water Resources Specialty Group of the American Association of Geographers. 
  10. Kat Leon (Communication MS), editor-in-chief of the PSU Vanguard, earned awards for First Place for Best Review, First Place for Best Series, and Third Place for Best Headline Writing  at the 2024 Oregon Newspaper Publishers Association Collegiate Newspaper Contest.  The Vanguard also won first place in the General Excellence category, one of 26 total awards.  
  11. Bodhi Norton (Sociology Ph.D.) was awarded funding from the Psilocybin Assisted Therapy Association to conduct their thesis research, as well as conference registration costs for PsyCon, the largest academic psychedelic conference in the United States.
  12. Mohana Sengupta (Chemistry Ph.D.) was awarded a Chen Fellowship.  
  13. Bryce Sprauer (Geography MS) received a scholarship from the Renewable Energy Scholarship Foundation for her research on Oregon offshore wind, collaborative governance processes, interactions between energy, water, and food systems, and how these impact local communities including Tribal and Indigenous communities. 
  14. Ziqi Xie (Biology MS) received research grants from the Botanical Society of America and from the Native Plant Society of Oregon to support her research on hybridization in the southern Oregon buttercup (Ranunculus austro-oreganus), which is a range-limited sensitive species native to Jackson County, OR.
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