Jonsson School Students Honored by University for Best Graduate Research
Ten graduate students at The University of Texas at Dallas including two Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science students recently were honored by the Office of Graduate Education for their dissertations and research.
Best Dissertation Award
Seven students received the Best Dissertation Award from their respective schools, two were awarded the David Daniel Thesis Award, and one student received the IKA Graduate Research Leadership Fellowship Award. The awards were presented as part of an April reception celebrating excellence in graduate education.
Yongping Zheng PhD’18, who studied materials science and engineering, was recognized for his dissertation entitled “Theoretical and Experimental Study of Catalysis on Clean Energy Applications. His research mentor was Dr. Kyeongjae “K.J.” Cho, professor of materials science and engineering.
“Every day UT Dallas doctoral students, through their work, make a significant impact on their fields of study,” said Dr. Juan González, dean of graduate education and the Francis S. Johnson Chair for Graduate Education. “The students recognized at this event are doing research and shaping their areas of study at an extraordinary level.”
UT Dallas President Richard C. Benson noted the importance of faculty mentors in the doctoral process and congratulated the recipients for their awards and research efforts.
“I’m very mindful that the completion of a doctoral dissertation means doing something very challenging — you are creating new knowledge in an original area, which is not an easy thing to do,” said Benson, who holds the Eugene McDermott Distinguished University Chair of Leadership.
UT Dallas awards more than 200 doctoral and professional degrees each year across 32 disciplines.
Daniel Award
Two students earned the David Daniel Thesis Award, which is supported by an endowment established in 2006 by Daniel, President Emeritus of UT Dallas and former deputy chancellor for The University of Texas System. The awards recognize an exceptional doctoral student each year in the Jonsson School and the School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics.
David Quintero MS’18, PhD’18, who studied mechanical engineering, received the Daniel Award. Dr. Robert Gregg, assistant professor of bioengineering and mechanical engineering and Fellow, Eugene McDermott Professor, was Quintero’s research mentor.