U.S. News Ranks Online Graduate Engineering Program One of the Best for Veterans

With Memorial Day fast approaching, the College of Graduate Studies is happy to announce that The University of Toledo’s online M.S. in Engineering program was ranked one of the best online graduate engineering programs for veterans by U.S. New & World Report. The program came in second nationally.

To qualify for the ranking, schools and their programs needed to meet several criteria:

• Institution must:
• Be certified for the G.I. Bill
• Participate in the Yellow Ribbon Program
• Pledge to consider granting academic credit for military training
• Offer flexibility for distance learners taking courses at several schools
• Programs must:
• Be 100% online
• Be ranked in the broader U.S. News 2013 Best Online Education Programs rankings

The unique challenges that military service brings (moving from base to base, easing back into civilian life, etc.) make finishing a degree a difficult endeavor for some veterans and service members. The MS in Engineering program’s ranking shows the commitment UT has made to assisting veterans with that transition.

For more information on resources available to military veterans and service members, please visit the Military Service Center website.

Go Rockets!

Spring 2013 Award Recipients Announced

The College of Graduate Studies is delighted to announce the three 2013 graduate student award recipients who were recently recognized at the last Graduate Council meeting for AY 2012-13.

Robert R. Buell Memorial Achievement Award: Nneka Mbah

The Robert R. Buell Memorial Achievement Award is presented to a graduate student in any college who best exemplifies scholarly excellence in the physical and biological sciences, has maintained a genuine interest in the social sciences and humanities, and plans a career in education. This year’s recipient of the $1,000 award, Ms. Nneka Mbah, is a 2^nd year doctoral student in the Department of Biochemistry & Cancer Biology in the College of Medicine and Life Sciences. Her research with Dr. Bill Maltese seeks to gain a better understanding of the molecular basis by which a new class of drugs kills cancerous brain cells by “methuosis”, a non-conventional mechanism. Her long range plans center on returning to Nigeria to bring knowledge of biomedical research to her home country.

Helen M. Fields Memorial Achievement Award: Hasmik Chakaryan

The Helen M. Fields Memorial Achievement Award is presented to a graduate student with an excellent academic record in the field of English or Education. This year’s recipient of the $1,000 award, Ms. Hasmik Chakaryan, is a 3^rd year doctoral student in the Counselor Education & Supervision program.  She is advised by Dr. Nick Piazza and is an active social justice and human rights advocate. She has spent time in Mexico training the staff of eight orphanages in basic counseling skills, and has presented her research on aspects of mental health in Egypt, Armenia and the Ukraine.

Robert N. Whiteford Memorial Scholarship: Ateka Akbar Contractor

The Robert N. Whiteford Memorial Scholarship is presented to a graduate student to assist in research for their thesis, project, or dissertation and further the student’s professional development. This year’s recipient of the $400 scholarship, Ms. Ateka Akbar Contractor, is a 3^rd year doctoral student in Clinical Psychology. Her research with Dr. Jon Elhai focuses on Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) with a particular focus on the link between PTSD and depression. She has studied patient populations that include the Ohio National Guard and trauma victims from India. She also has served as a teaching assistant in the Department of Psychology.

These students, and the other many nominees, are to be congratulated for their pursuit of excellence in their research endeavors.

Go Rockets!

UT Graduate Students –International Recognition

Graduate students from UT doctoral and master’s programs regularly present their research at national and international conferences and garner awards. Two recent examples are highlighted this week. 

English Master’s Students Present at International Conference

Six M.A. students from the UT English graduate program recently traveled to San Jose State University (California) to present their research at a conference entitled “Steinbeck and the Politics of Crisis: Ethics, Society and Ecology” that focused on John Steinbeck -the American writer and Pulitzer and Nobel prize winner- for his body of work that included Grapes of Wrath and Of Mice and Men.

Steinbeck Center director Nick Taylor told UT News, “We had paper proposals from all over the world, so the students were competing with scholars from India, Japan, Europe. One of our goals with this conference was to regenerate the ranks of Steinbeck scholarship, and thanks to [Dr.] Tom Barden, [UT Professor of English,] we are well on our way.”

Congratulations to the students presenting at the conference: Laura Delucia, Zachary Fishel, David Hartwig, Felicia Preece, Jamie Renda and Juliana Restivo.  

Environmental Sciences Ph.D. Candidate Awarded Great Lakes Scholarship

The International Association of Great Lakes Research (IAGLR) recently awarded an IAGLR Scholarship to Carson Prichard, a UT Environmental Sciences doctoral student. This award is one of two IAGLR scholarships given to two promising Ph.D. students whose dissertation research is likely to make a significant contribution to the understanding of the Great Lakes. Mr. Prichard’s project on Environmental DNA detection and quantification: a new test for Great Lakes native and high-risk invasive fish species has earned him a $2,000 scholarship and a one-year membership in IAGLR. He will be recognized in June at the 56^th annual Conference on Great Lakes Research in West Lafayette, Indiana. Congratulations to Carson on this recognition!

The College of Graduate Studies is proud of the achievements of these and other graduate students who actively engage in the scholarship of their discipline by participating at national and international meetings.

Go Rockets!