Axe ’Em, Jacks!
Marilyn Odom Outstanding Graduate Student Award
The Alumni Association will honor the outstanding graduate student each academic year with the Marilyn Odom Outstanding Graduate Student Award. The winner will receive a plaque and recognition by the Alumni Association.
Criteria
Eligibility extends to graduate students completing their degree in August or December, as well as May. To be considered for nomination, a student must:
- have a GPA of 3.8 or better for all graduate work at SFA,
- be a full-time graduate student at SFA with all graduate coursework for the degree taken at SFA
- and have at least 24 graduate hours of coursework taken in-residence at SFA.
Nomination Procedures and Deadlines
Nominations may be made by any SFA graduate faculty member. Nominator forms and supporting letters of recommendation will be submitted by the nominating faculty member to the Office of Research and Graduate Studies. Nominee forms will be completed by the nominee and submitted with the nominator forms and letters of recommendation to the Office of Research and Graduate Studies by March 1 each year so that the Graduate Council may make its selection at the next appropriate meeting.
Award Recipients
- 2024 - Garrett Oehlert, Kinesiology
- 2023 - Ryan Hunke, English
- 2022 - Cassidy Alyssa Hirsch, Hispanic Studies
- 2021 - Daniel Morris, Nursing
- 2020 - Bryn M. Brakefield, Mathematics and Statistics
- 2019 - Amanda Sheriff, Music
- 2018 - Alyssa Abreu, Kinesiology
- 2017 - Stacey A. Kerr, Psychology
- 2016 - Ian Deterling, Music
- 2015 - Dustin Aaron Therrien, Biology
- 2014 - Jake McAdams, History
- 2013 - Wesley Kephart, Kinesiology
- 2012 - Nathan Frischmann, Kinesiology
- 2011 - Kristi Sitton-Furnival, Speech Pathology
- 2010 - Amanda Dawn Chatoney, Art
- 2009 - Kira Enriquez-Loya, Art
- 2008
- Laura Hudgins, Art
- Brandon Scott, Psychology
- 2007 - Susan Terry, History
- 2006 - Tamberly Kerr, Psychology
- 2005 - Jennifer Edwards, Psychology
- 2004 - Shannon Oster, Speech Pathology
- 2003 - Dixie Morgan, Psychology
- 2002 - David Bridgett, Psychology
- 2001 - Christopher Winne, Environmental Science
- 2000 - Ching Huang, Forestry
- 1999 - Amy Wilkerson, Psychology
- 1998 - Jennifer Shipman, Forestry
- 1997 - Katherine Hays, History
- 1996 - Terry Morris, Music
- 1995 - Karyn Hall, Agriculture
- 1994 - Robin Brunson, English
- 1993 - Theresa McMurray, Computer Science
William R. Johnson Outstanding Thesis Award
Criteria
All theses completed in the calendar year (Jan. 1 to Dec. 31) are eligible. To be considered for this award, the following must be demonstrated:
- significance and originality of the research embodied in the thesis
- appropriateness of style to discipline
- quality of writing
- and quality of graphics when appropriate.
Nomination Procedures and Deadlines
Use the criteria to evaluate eligible theses. Submit a copy of the best thesis along with a thesis award nomination form explaining how the thesis fulfills the criteria to the graduate office. Only one thesis may be nominated for each department. This nomination form and a copy of the thesis must be submitted by the thesis director to the Office of Research and Graduate Studies by March 1.
Graduate Council Procedures
The Student Affairs Committee of the Graduate Council will solicit nominations for the thesis award from departments. The committee will review all theses nominations and recommend a winner to the Graduate Council, which will then vote on the committee's recommendation.
Presentation
A plaque will be mailed to the student who composed the thesis. The name of the winner, the title of the thesis and the name of the thesis director will be included in the May commencement program.
Award Recipients
- 2021 - Lenora Diane Perkins, MS
College of Sciences and Mathematics
"Characterization and Delineation of Potential Evaporite Geohazards using Electrical Resistivity Methods Along FM 2185, Culberson County, Texas" - 2020 - Christine Broussard, MA
College of Liberal and Applied Arts
"Putting Cajuns on the Map: Music’s Role in Popularizing Louisiana’s Bayou Culture" - 2019 - Adam Benefield, MM
College of Fine Arts
"Working with Metal: The Stylistic Characteristics of the Swedish Band Meshuggah and an Original Composition Inspired by Their Work." - 2018 - Martin Messmer, MS
Arthur Temple College of Forestry and Agriculture
"Structural Geology of the Caddo Gap Area, Ouachita Mountains, Arkansas." - 2017 - Chad A. Huckaby, MS
College of Sciences and Mathematics
"Observations on Convexity." Directed by Dr. Roy Joseph Harris, Professor, Mathematics and Statistics - 2016 - Melinda Shaw Faulkner, PhD
Arthur Temple College of Forestry and Agriculture
"An Investigation of Hydrogeologic, Stratigraphic, and Structural Controls on Acer Grandidentatum Communities in a Karst Landscape, Owl Mountain Province, Fort Hood Military Installation, Texas." - 2015 - Michael Brian Tiller, MS
Arthur Temple College of Forestry and Agriculture
"Effects of Yaupon, Chinese Privet, and Chinese Tallow on Understory Fuel Flammability in East Texas Hardwood and Pine Ecosystem." - 2014 - Joseph R. Secrest, MS
College of Education
"Effects of Ammonia Inhalants on Anaerobic Performance Following a Simulated Football Game." - 2013 - Daniel A. Riser-Espinoza, MS
College of Sciences and Mathematics
"Recovering a Random Variable from Conditional Expectations using Reconstruction Algorithms for the Gauss Radon Transform." - 2012 - Amber Chapman, MS
College of Sciences and Mathematics
"A Comprehensive Prediction Model of Attrition for Texas Nursing Students Utilizing Optimum Misclassification Rates." - 2011 - Ravi Yandamuri, MS
College of Sciences and Mathematics
"Cloning and Expression of the Prolyl Endoprotease from Eurygaster integriceps." - 2010 - John F. Chapman, MS
Arthur Temple College of Forestry and Agriculture
"Evaluation of LiDAR Derived Estimates of Forest Measurement." - 2009 - Eralda Lameborshi Tarpley, MA
College of Liberal and Applied Arts
"Ismail Kadare's Voice in Albania's Polyphonic Identity." - 2008 - Deepa Nadarajah, MS
College of Sciences and Mathematics
"Purification and Characterization of Mouse Pancreatic Elastase."
Co-Directed by Dr. Robert S. Stewart, Jr., Associate Professor, Biology
Co-Directed by Dr. Barry Starcher, Adjunct Professor, University of Texas Health Center at Tyler - 2007 - Andrew Syvyk, MS
College of Sciences and Mathematics
"Strategy for Detection and Identification of Eimeria sp. Infecting Chickens." - 2006 - Koteswara Rao Gottipati, MS
College of Sciences and Mathematics
"Passive Cigarette Smoke Inhibits UV Induced Skin Tumors in Mice."
Co-Directed by Dr. Beatrice Ann Clack, Associate Professor, Biotechnology
Co-Directed by Dr. Barry Starcher, Adjunct Professor, University of Texas Health Center at Tyler - 2005 - Jason Brian Grogan, MS
Arthur Temple College of Forestry and Agriculture
"Southern Pine Beetle Infestation Probability Mapping Using Weights of Evidence Analysis." - 2004 - Mohammad Mnawer Bataineh, MSF
Arthur Temple College of Forestry and Agriculture
"Community Classification in the Davis Mountains Sky Islands: Ponderosa Pine (Pinus ponderosa Laws) and Adjacent Communities." - 2003 - Christopher David Knowles, MSF
Arthur Temple College of Forestry and Agriculture
"Wood Properties of Finger-Jointed Southern Pine." - 2002 - Paul David Jones, MSF
Arthur Temple College of Forestry and Agriculture
"Assessment of Basic Specific Gravity of Southern Yellow Pine Trees Sampled at Twenty Percent of Total Tree Height." - 2001
- Jose Montenegro Fragoso, MA
College of Liberal and Applied Arts
"Personality and Psychopathology as Measured with the MMPI-2 Among Mexican Villagers, Immigrants, and Americans."
Directed by Dr. Michael E. Walker, Assistant Professor, Psychology - Barbara Sealine Stump, MS
Arthur Temple College of Forestry and Agriculture
"Site Analysis and Design of the Ruby M. Mize Azalea Garden"
Directed by Dr. David L. Creech, Professor, Agriculture
- Jose Montenegro Fragoso, MA
- 2000 - Jennifer McFarland, MA
Arthur Temple College of Forestry and Agriculture
"Development of a Polymerase Chain Reaction Assay to Identify Emeria maxima Oocyst." - 1999 - Ching-Hsun Huang, PhD
Arthur Temple College of Forestry and Agriculture
"Economic Analysis of Carbon Storage in Loblolly Pine Plantations." - 1998 - Mary Anne McGuire, MSF
Arthur Temple College of Forestry and Agriculture
"Effects of Stock Type, Fall Nursery Fertilization and Ectomycorrhizal Inoculation On Survival of Longleaf Pine (Pinus palustris Mill.) Seedlings Planted on Lignite Minespoil." - 1997 - Jennifer S. Key, MSF
Arthur Temple College of Forestry and Agriculture
"The Hydrologic and Biogeochemical Functions of Five Texas Bottomland Hardwood Wetlands Using the U.S. Corps of Engineers Hydro geomorphic Assessment Technique." - 1996 - Carol J. Sanderson, MS
College of Liberal and Applied Arts
"Better Angels: A Novel of the Civil War." - 1995 - Sethuraman Srinivasan, Jr., MA
College of Liberal and Applied Arts
"Farewell to the Solid South: Liberalism and Southern Democrats in Congress, 1969-1994." - 1994 - James Leo Simmons, MA
College of Liberal and Applied Arts
"King Lear, Shakespeare's Modern Drama: A Study of Existential Ideals in King Lear and the Presentation of Such Ideas in Modern Cinema." - 1993 - John David Payne, MS
College of Sciences and Mathematics
"Analysis of Metals in a Reservoir Receiving Runoff from the East Texas Oil Field." - 1992 - Cheryl Kay Wiederhold, MA
College of Liberal and Applied Arts
"The Young Child's Theory of Mind: Do Three Year Olds Understand False Belief?" - 1991 - Edith Wylie Miller, MA
College of Liberal and Applied Arts
"Harriet Monroe: The Formative Years."