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Two doctoral students at the University of Kansas will receive 2011 Marnie and Bill Argersinger Prizes for their outstanding dissertations.
The awards were presented at the annual Doctoral Hooding Ceremony at 4 p.m. Saturday, May 21, in the Lied Center.
This year’s winners are Hsueh-Chin (Serena) Huang from Pittsburg, Kan., and Taiwan for her study of the economic impact of highly skilled immigrants and Nathan Dormer from Topeka for his bioengineering research on regeneration of tissue in the human body.
Huang is receiving a doctorate in economics. Her dissertation, “An Evaluation of Skilled Immigration in the United States,” was defended April 13. Huang’s interest in the impact of immigrants on the economy grew from her experiences as the teenage daughter of a visiting professor of philosophy at Pittsburg State University.
“I saw reports in the media about immigrants taking jobs from Americans and was puzzled,” Huang said. “I knew there were outstanding scholars at universities making important contributions.”
Huang’s adviser, Donna Ginther, professor of economics, said, “Serena’s research has important implications for economic policy by suggesting future policies should address the differences between high and low-skilled immigrants.”
Huang received a grant from the Alfred Sloan Foundation to support her dissertation research.
Dormer is receiving a doctorate in bioengineering. He defended his dissertation, “Osteochondral Interface Tissue Engineering using Macroscopic Gradients of Physicochemical Signals,” on April 5. Dormer’s research is in the sub-discipline of interfacial tissue engineering within the field of tissue engineering.
“Interfacial tissue engineering is focused on regeneration of two different tissues in the body that meet at an interface, for example the transition of muscle to tendon, ligament to bone or cartilage to bone,” said Dormer’s adviser, Michael Detamore, associate professor of chemical and petroleum engineering.
As a doctoral student, Dormer participated in the KU pharmaceutical biotechnology training program sponsored by the National Institutes of Health. The program prepares students to work in the biotechnology industry and requires an industry internship, which Dormer completed at Kinetic Concepts Inc. in San Antonio, Texas.
“This year, KU will confer 399 doctoral degrees,” said Sara Rosen, dean of graduate studies. “To be considered for the dissertation award, a student’s defense must be awarded honors by the defense committee. In addition, each department can only nominate one graduating doctoral candidate per year. Receiving honors and being nominated for this award is a significant achievement at KU. The review committee was impressed by the quality of dissertations nominated for this award across all 19 fields of study represented.”
Winners of the the Argersinger Prize receive a cash award and their names will be listed on a plaque in the Kansas Union.
The Argersinger Prize was established through KU Endowment in 1992 and is named in honor of William J. Argersinger and his wife. He was KU’s first vice chancellor for research and graduate studies and dean of the graduate school.
KU Endowment is the independent, nonprofit organization serving as the official fundraising and fund-management foundation for KU. Founded in 1891, KU Endowment was the first foundation of its kind at a U.S. public university.
Two doctoral students at the University of Kansas will receive 2011 Marnie and Bill Argersinger Prizes for their outstanding dissertations.
The awards were presented at the annual Doctoral Hooding Ceremony at 4 p.m. Saturday, May 21, in the Lied Center.
This year’s winners are Hsueh-Chin (Serena) Huang from Pittsburg, Kan., and Taiwan for her study of the economic impact of highly skilled immigrants and Nathan Dormer from Topeka for his bioengineering research on regeneration of tissue in the human body.
Huang is receiving a doctorate in economics. Her dissertation, “An Evaluation of Skilled Immigration in the United States,” was defended April 13. Huang’s interest in the impact of immigrants on the economy grew from her experiences as the teenage daughter of a visiting professor of philosophy at Pittsburg State University.
“I saw reports in the media about immigrants taking jobs from Americans and was puzzled,” Huang said. “I knew there were outstanding scholars at universities making important contributions.”
Huang’s adviser, Donna Ginther, professor of economics, said, “Serena’s research has important implications for economic policy by suggesting future policies should address the differences between high and low-skilled immigrants.”
Huang received a grant from the Alfred Sloan Foundation to support her dissertation research.
Dormer is receiving a doctorate in bioengineering. He defended his dissertation, “Osteochondral Interface Tissue Engineering using Macroscopic Gradients of Physicochemical Signals,” on April 5. Dormer’s research is in the sub-discipline of interfacial tissue engineering within the field of tissue engineering.
“Interfacial tissue engineering is focused on regeneration of two different tissues in the body that meet at an interface, for example the transition of muscle to tendon, ligament to bone or cartilage to bone,” said Dormer’s adviser, Michael Detamore, associate professor of chemical and petroleum engineering.
As a doctoral student, Dormer participated in the KU pharmaceutical biotechnology training program sponsored by the National Institutes of Health. The program prepares students to work in the biotechnology industry and requires an industry internship, which Dormer completed at Kinetic Concepts Inc. in San Antonio, Texas.
“This year, KU will confer 399 doctoral degrees,” said Sara Rosen, dean of graduate studies. “To be considered for the dissertation award, a student’s defense must be awarded honors by the defense committee. In addition, each department can only nominate one graduating doctoral candidate per year. Receiving honors and being nominated for this award is a significant achievement at KU. The review committee was impressed by the quality of dissertations nominated for this award across all 19 fields of study represented.”
Winners of the the Argersinger Prize receive a cash award and their names will be listed on a plaque in the Kansas Union.
The Argersinger Prize was established through KU Endowment in 1992 and is named in honor of William J. Argersinger and his wife. He was KU’s first vice chancellor for research and graduate studies and dean of the graduate school.
KU Endowment is the independent, nonprofit organization serving as the official fundraising and fund-management foundation for KU. Founded in 1891, KU Endowment was the first foundation of its kind at a U.S. public university.
