The College of Human Sciences and Education (CHSE) at Virginia Tech, formerly the College of Human Resources and Education, was recently ranked number one in the nation in the number of dissertations completed in family and consumer sciences in colleges and universities throughout the United States.

An article published in the December 2002 issue of the Family and Consumer Sciences Research Journal ranked Virginia Tech first in the nation for the number of dissertations completed (22), third in the number of theses completed (25), and third in the total number of theses and dissertations completed (47). The article summarized 451 titles of theses and dissertations completed in 2001 in all national family and consumer sciences programs.

"This positions us as a major graduate institution in the fields included in human sciences," said CHSE interim dean Jerry Niles. "It also reflects the good work of the faculty in partnership with the graduate students in the pursuit of scholarly discovery."

Virginia Tech has consistently ranked at or near the top in graduate degrees granted in areas such as health, education, family relations, marriage and family therapy, adult development and aging, consumer behavior, clothing and apparel, child development and education, adult learning and human resource development.

"We can articulate our impact in many ways, one of which is through this numerical ranking data, but our real impact revolves around the contributions we're making in addressing human needs and significant societal issues," said LuAnn Gaskill, head of CHSE's Department of Apparel, Housing, and Resource Management. "That's where CHSE is clearly making a difference."

"While I'm pleased with the number of dissertations, I'm also pleased with their quality and impact," said Fred Piercy, head of the Department of Human Development. "Each year a number of themwin university, state, and national awards. Our students are studying child, family and community issues that matter, and are making a difference in the process."

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