The Virginia Tech Graduate School honored master's and doctoral degree students from across the university at the school’s annual awards dinner during Graduate Education Week.

Students received awards for service, teaching, research, and top dissertations and theses. Vice President and Dean for Graduate Education Karen P. DePauw also recognized the 2018 Edward A. Bouchet Honor Society inductees and the graduate students of the year.

Doctoral and master's degree students were nominated for the awards by the university's eight colleges.

In addition to receiving their awards at the dinner, they will be recognized during the Graduate Commencement Ceremony May 10.

DePauw also awarded the Graduate School's outstanding mentor awards to professors nominated by graduate students and faculty across the university.

Outstanding doctoral degree students

  • College of Agriculture and Life Sciences: Nasrin Alamdari, of Blacksburg, Biological Systems Engineering.
  • College of Architecture and Urban Studies: Muna Al Dhabbah, of Dubai, United Emerites, Public Administration and Public Affairs.
  • College of Engineering: Emily D. Garner, of Swanton, Maryland, Civil and Environmental Engineering.
  • College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences: Mary K. Ryan, of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Alliance for Social, Political, Ethical, and Cultural Thought (ASPECT).
  • College of Natural Resources and Environment: Erin Poor, of East Lansing, Michigan, Geospatial and Environmental Analysis.
  • College of Science: Qing Tang, of Blacksburg, Geoscience.
  • Pamplin College of Business: Daniel Villanova, of Blacksburg, Marketing.
  • Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine: Sheryl Coutermarsh-Ott, of Thurmont, Maryland, Biomedical and Veterinary Science.
  • Interdisciplinary doctoral student: Gustavo A Arango Argoty, of Blacksburg, Computer Science and Applications, College of Engineering, and a member of the Sustainable Nanotechnology Interdisciplinary Graduate Education Program.

Outstanding master's degree students

  • College of Agriculture and Life Sciences: Arogeanae Brown, of Blacksburg, Agriculture and Extension Education.
  • College of Architecture and Urban Studies: Christoph Opitz, of Blacksburg, Architecture.
  • College of Engineering: Andrew Chung Chee Law, of Blacksburg, Industrial Systems Engineering.
  • College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences: Emily Harmon, of Belmont, North Carolina, History.
  • College of Natural Resources and Environment: Chelsea Weithman, of Powell, Ohio, Fish and Wildlife Conservation.
  • College of Science: Spencer Bell, of Newport, Virginia, Biological Sciences. 
  • Pamplin College of Business: Farida A. Mohamed, of Blacksburg, Hotel and Tourism Management 
  • Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine: Lydia Carpenter, of Arlington, Virginia, Public Health.

Mary Nedela, Brady Ziegler, Ellen Garcia, and Alexandra Hyler were among the students recognized at the Graduate School's awards banquet during Graduate Education Week.

Photograph of award winners Mary Nedela, Brady Ziegler, Ellen Garcia, and Alexandra Hyler at the Graduate School's awards banquet during Graduate Education Week.
Mary Nedela, Brady Ziegler, Ellen Garcia, and Alexandra Hyler were among the students recognized at the Graduate School's awards banquet during Graduate Education Week.

Student of the year and service awards

  • 2018 Graduate Student of the Year: Alexandra Hyler, of Lawrence, Kansas, a Ph.D. candidate in Biomedical Engineering in the Virginia Tech-Wake Forest School of Biomedical Engineering and Sciences, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.
  • Student of the Year, Honorable mention: Bryanne Peterson, of Manassas, Virginia, a Ph.D. student in the School of Education’s Integrative STEM Education program, College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences.
  • Graduate Service Excellence Award: Ellen B. Garcia, of Grand Junction, Colorado, a Ph.D. student in the Department of Biological Sciences, College of Science, and a member of the Biological Transport Interdisciplinary Graduate Education Program.

Teaching awards

  • Graduate Teaching Assistant Instructor of Record Excellence Award: Mary R. Nedela, of Blacksburg, Human Development, College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences.
  • Graduate Teaching Assistant Excellence Award: Brady A. Ziegler, of Welcome, Minnesota, Geosciences, College of Science.

Marc Fialkoff, Rebecca Williams and Elizabeth Dellinger display the awards they received for their dissertations and master's theses during the Graduate School's awards banquet.

Marc Fialkoff, Rebecca Williams and Elizabeth Dellinger display the awards they received for their dissertations and master's theses during the Graduate School's awards banquet.
Marc Fialkoff, Rebecca Williams, and Elizabeth Dellinger display the awards they received for their dissertations and master's theses during the Graduate School's awards banquet.

Thesis and dissertation awards

  • Outstanding Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) Dissertation Award: Skylar Hopkins, of Old Town, Maine, in Biological Sciences, College of Science.
  • Outstanding Social Sciences, Business, Education, and Humanities (SSBEH) Dissertation Awards: Marc R. Fialkoff, of East Setauket, New York, Planning, Governance, and Globalization, College of Architecture and Urban Affairs.
  • William Preston Master's Thesis Award, STEM: Rachel E. Kohler, of Ft. Worth, Texas, Computer Science, College of Engineering.
  • William Preston Master's Thesis Award, SSBEH: Elizabeth A. Dellinger, of Blacksburg, English, College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences.
  • William Preston Master's Thesis Award, Innovative Application of Technology: Rebecca jean Williams, of Radford, History, College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences.

Outstanding faculty mentors

  • College of Agriculture and Life Sciences: Professor Richard Veilleux
  • College of Architecture and Urban Studies: Professor Max Stephenson Jr.
  • College of Engineering: Associate Professor Holly Matusovich
  • College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences: Associate Professor Matthew Wisnioski
  • College of Natural Resources and Environment: Associate Professor Sarah Karpanty
  • College of Science: Associate Professor Roseanne Foti
  • Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine:  Assistant Professor Michelle Theus
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