2007-2008 WAGS/UMI
DISTINGUISHED MASTER'S THESIS AWARD

The Western Association of Graduate Schools (WAGS) and University Microfilms International (UMI) are pleased to announce the 2007-2008 WAGS/UMI Distinguished Master’s Thesis Award competition.  Each member institution may submit one nomination for the award.

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

This award recognizes distinguished scholarly achievement at the master’s level.  Nominations will be accepted in any discipline in which the institution offers a master’s degree.

The scholarly “product” eligible for this competition is a formal written thesis.  If a nominating department offers both a thesis option and a project option, only the thesis is acceptable for consideration for this award.  Each submission requires a written nomination by the Dean of the Graduate School (College) or equivalent office.  The internal institutional selection processes are the responsibility of the endorsing official.

GUIDELINES FOR THE 2007-2008 WAGS/UMI DISTINGUISHED MASTER'S THESIS AWARD FOLLOW:

1. A nominee must have earned the master’s degree within the period of July 1, 2006, through June 30, 2007.  Nomination materials must include:

a. An original plus seven copies of the written nomination letter from the Graduate Dean cited in the Eligibility Requirements above.  The letter should describe the process that was used to select the thesis for nomination.

b. An original plus seven copies of a non-technical summary prepared by the student (1000-1500 words) describing the research and its significance for a general academic audience of non-specialists.

c. An original plus seven copies of the table of contents for the nominated thesis.

d. An original plus seven copies of the letter from the department head or major professor and one additional faculty member.  The letters should include information regarding the significance of the thesis, the contribution of the thesis to the program of the degree granting unit, and the impact of the thesis on the knowledge base of the discipline.

2. All nomination materials must be postmarked no later than August 24, 2007, and mailed to Dr. Elizabeth L. Feetham, Secretary-Treasurer, Western Association of Graduate Schools, c/o The University of Washington, Graduate School, Box 353770, G-1 Communications Building, Seattle, WA  98195-3770.

3. Initial screening will be based upon four criteria:

a. Originality

b. Significance of the study

c. Overall quality

d. Outcomes and accomplishments from the thesis 

4. Finalists will be asked to provide three complete copies of the thesis.

5. The 2007-2008 award consists of a certificate of award, $1000 to the recipient, and travel expenses for the student and the student’s adviser to receive the award at the annual meeting of the Association to be hosted by the University of Denver at the Brown Palace Hotel, March 7-9, 2008.

Distinguished Master's Thesis Award Winners

2007

Ghislaine Goudreau (University of Alberta, Edmonton)
“Exploring the Connection between Aboriginal Women's Hand Drumming and Health Promotion (mino-Bimaadiziwin)”

Walter Szeliga (Central Washington University, Ellensburg)
“Transient Detection and Modeling of Continuous Geodetic Data”

2006

Christine Byl (University of Alaska, Anchorage)
“Breathing Under Water: Artist’s Heart, Artist’s Mind”

Paul Burgess (Humboldt State University, Arcata, CA)
“A Statistical Model of the Area Cleared by a Landmine Removal Vehicle Using Real-Time Kinematic Differential GPS and Inertial Sensing Technologies”

2005

Stephanie Sawhill (Western Washington University, Bellingham)
"Transition Metal Phosphide Catalysts for Hydrodesulfurization"

2004

Andrew Greene (Western Washington University, Bellingham)
"A Detailed Geochemical Study of Island Arc Crust: The Talkeetna Arc Section, South-central Alaska

2003

Mr. Stephen Larson (California State University, Fullerton)
”Identification of Heat and Light Degradation Products of Aqueous L-Tryptophan by LC-PDA-ESI/APCI-MSN”

2002

Ms. Loreleen Britton (University of Saskatchewan)
"The Value of Anthropogenic Sediment to Archaeological Study"

2001

Reinar T. Knur (California State University, Los Angeles)
"The Effect of Dam Construction in the Malibu Creek Watershed on the Malibu Coastline Sediment Budget"

Ryan Looper (Western Washington University, Bellingham)
"Studies Directed Toward the Synthesis of Alleliopathic Natural Products: The Heliannuols, (+)-Glandulone A, and related Aromatic Bisabolene Natural Products"

2000

Laurie Winn Carlson (Eastern Washington University, Cheney) 
"Fits and Fevers: Salem's Witches and the Forgotten Epidemic"

1999

Jay O. Peterson (Portland State University)
"Ethnic and Language Identity Among A Select Group of Vietnamese-Americans in Portland, Oregon"

1998

Richard Vorst (San Jose State University)
"Adsorption of Thrichloroethylene onto Mineral Surfaces"

1997

William Henry Blain (California State University, Los Angeles)
"Jury Nullification: English and American Cases, 1649-1995"

1996

Cynthia S. Powell (Central Washington University, Cheney)
"Beyond Molly B'Damn: Prostitution in the Couer d'Alenes, 1880-1911"

1995

Donna Marie Butler (California State University, Fullerton)
"Calcium Mobilization in Activated Sperm of the Tunicate Ascidia ceratodes"

Leah Vosko (Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC)
"Shrink, Cut...Dye? NAFTA and Women's Work in the Canadian Clothing Industry"

1994

Anthony L. Diaz (Western Washington University, Bellingham)
"Infrared Spectroscopy and Temperature Programmed Desorption Study of Mo/Al₂O₃ and Rh/Al₂O₃ Catalysts"

1993

Florian E. Christensen (Western Washington University, Bellingham)
"Studies of Tobacco Ringspot Virus and its Associated Satellite in Tobacco Protoplasts"

1992

Cornelia Gerda Palmer (University of California, Davis)
"Johan Mhlanga, a Swazi Wood Sculptor"

1991

Donald R. Murray (Montana State University, Bozeman)
"Late Pleistocene Glacier Dynamics of Southwestern Montana and Adjacent Idaho and Paleoclimatic Implications"

1990

Toby Maureen Smith (Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC)
"Industrialization: Myth and Deconstruction"

1989

Craig Stone (California State University, Long Beach)
"Retaining ReSEMBLANCE: Rietvald RePRESENTED"

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