Category: Graduate Student Excellence-in-Research Award

Graduate Student Excellence-in-Research Award 2011

Christopher Manganiello, a recent doctoral graduate in history, researched and wrote his dissertation about water development in the American South. He is currently revising the dissertation for publication as a book, Southern Water, Southern Power. In it, he writes about the political, economic, and environmental history of water development, using the Savannah River as a case study.

Building on well-developed literature about western water development and southern economic history, Manganiello’s research suggests how important the manipulation of water has been to the modern history of the South. He shows how water was critical to the industrialization of the Piedmont — and how it intersected with the region’s unique racial and labor politics in quiet but critical ways. It discusses the battles over water resources and the famous effort to protect the Chattooga River as a Wild and Scenic River.

His research provides a timely reminder of how the South’s water development has been profoundly shaped, not just by flooding, but also by serious droughts.

Graduate Student Excellence-in-Research Award 2011

Gaston “Chip” Small, a recent doctoral graduate in ecology, studies the effects of nutrient loading on aquatic ecosystems. His dissertation research focused on phosphorus cycling in tropical stream food webs. So far, his work has resulted in 10 manuscripts that have been published, submitted, or are in preparation. One study, published in the journal Ecology, identified a single species of fish as playing a critical role in tropical stream ecosystems through recycling a limiting nutrient.

Small is now a postdoctoral research associate at the University of Minnesota, where he studies the role of microbes in causing long-term nitrogen increases in Lake Superior. He also leads a network of researchers working to synthesize our understanding of the role of tropical rivers in the global carbon cycle.

Graduate Student Excellence-in-Research Award 2011

Shannon Pritchard, a recent doctoral graduate in art history, researched and wrote a remarkable dissertation on the work of the sixteenth-century sculptor Giambologna and his de’Medici patronage. Her work explores a broad cultural and political perspective and addresses a wide-range of interdisciplinary topics. In it, Pritchard considers the role of patronage, the function of the workshop, the relationship between the Counter-Reformation and the antique, and the cross-cultural activities between Florence and Jerusalem. Her work is a reconsideration of the art theoretical debate known as the paragon within the context of the counter-reformation.

Her research on Giambologna, Ferdinando de’Medici—and on the paragon between painting and sculpture — have already made significant inroads into our understanding of this important artist-patron relationship and will serve as the foundation for important future research. Currently, she is researching the Italian baroque painter Caravaggio, while working as an adjunct instructor in the Lamar Dodd School of Art at UGA.

Graduate Student Excellence-in-Research Award 2010

Michael Strickland, a recent doctoral graduate in ecology, made important advances in linking microbial community composition with biogeochemical processes. His research provides strong evidence for the idea that historical contingencies shape the biogeochemical functioning of these communities in new environments. This knowledge is central to accurate predictions of the impact of global climate change on ecosystems—and the feedback from these to the climate system. Strickland’s first paper was not only published in Ecology, the top journal in the ecological sciences, it went on to receive the Biogeosciences Section Junior Scientist Outstanding Paper Award, a national award from the Ecological Society of America. He already has 12 manuscripts published, in review, or in press. All of his papers are published in high-impact, internationally important publications, and already have citation numbers in the double digits, demonstrating the significant influence of his work. Strickland is currently a post-doctoral research associate in the School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, Yale University.

Graduate Student Excellence-in-Research Award 2010

Katie Price, a recent doctoral graduate in geography, studied the linkages between surface hydrology and geomorphic systems of the southern Appalachian region. She developed field-based models of the relationship of low-flow conditions to terrain features and land use. The first chapter of her dissertation, which contrasts the physical properties of soil and associated hydraulic conductivity between forested versus cleared terrain, was recently accepted for publication in the Journal of Hydrology. It demonstrates a pronounced decline in soil permeability on cleared ground, which causes more dramatic overland flow and soil erosion. Her work is a critical warning that human activity exacerbates water shortages in this region. Her paper received the John Fraser Hart Award for best PhD paper at the 10-state regional meetings of the Southeast Division of the Association of American Geographers. Her second chapter describes more precisely the diminishing base flow water supplies as a result of clearing forestland. Collectively, Price’s research contributes to our understanding of the physical and human drivers that should inform future decision- making about regional development and its effects on water supplies in the southern Appalachians. Price is currently working as a post-doctoral research hydrologist with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Graduate Student Excellence-in-Research Award 2010

Stacy Isenbarger, a recent master of fine arts graduate in sculpture, creates art from ordinary objects and transforms them into complex and wonderfully original installations that amaze the viewer. Her work captivates a broad audience by beckoning the viewer to investigate the mysterious worlds she creates. Her work has progressed into large psychologically and philosophically charged works that challenge our assumptions. Her work simultaneously investigates ideas and materials, transforming the familiar in new and beautiful ways. She is skilled in metal fabrication, computer technology, printmaking, fibers, mold-making, and foundry. Isenbarger also developed and co-edited the publication, State of Play with Anthony Fontana of Bowling Green State University in cooperation with the Integrative ThinkTank. State of Playrepresents practical, innovative assignments that enhance students’ study in art and design. Isenbargar is currently a visiting assistant professor of art and design at East Tennessee State University. research hydrologist with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Graduate Student Excellence-in-Research Award 2010

Henrik Hagtvedt, a recent doctoral graduate in marketing, is also a practicing artist with 25 critically acclaimed art shows to his credit. Working with Professor Vanessa Patrick in UGA’s Terry College of Business, Hagtvedt leveraged his artistic talent into research projects that were published in several of the leading journals, including the Journal of Marketing Research, the Journal of Consumer Psychology, andEmpirical Studies of the Arts. His work on the infusion of art into consumer products received considerable national press coverage. He has continued to develop his work concerning the role of art and aesthetics in marketing, establishing him as the leading scholar in this field. He also has published two refereed journal articles on the topic of decision-making in consumer choice of luxury brands. He has presented his research in the art, marketing, and consumer judgments areas at 13 professional conferences. One of these papers won Best Paper at the Summer AMA Conference. Hagtvedt is currently an assistant professor in the Carroll School of Management, Boston College.

Graduate Student Excellence-in-Research Award 2010

Callie Burt, a recent doctoral graduate in sociology, investigated how the relationship between discrimination and criminal offending can be moderated by racial socialization practices and supportive parenting. She tested her hypotheses using structural equation modeling with three waves of data from a sample of approximately 700 African American youths and their primary caregivers. Her results demonstrated a correlation between adolescents’ exposure to racial discrimination and subsequent criminal offenses. Further, she found the association is moderated by the extent to which caregivers provide emotional support, preparation for bias, and an appreciation of African American culture. Her research suggests the powerful role of parenting in stemming delinquency and has important implications for delinquency prevention programs. Burt already has published seven papers in top peer-reviewed journals, with several more in the review process.

Graduate Student Excellence-in-Research Award 2009

Hajime Uchiyama, a recent master of science graduate in artificial intelligence, is the primary architect of a “smart wheelchair.” Motivated by a blind wheelchair-bound freshman who had required a full-time attendant, usually her mother, to help her navigate the campus, Uchiyama analyzed the situation and proposed an alternative—that the wheelchair be fitted with sensors that glean information from the surrounding environment and with tactile devices to provide her with feedback. Following through, he developed a software platform for the wheelchair’s onboard computer in order to recognize and then circumvent the campus’s many routine obstacles, and he produced a laboratory prototype. Transcending wheelchairs, Uchiyama’s work is thought to be applicable to virtually any type of robot.

Graduate Student Excellence-in-Research Award 2009

Albert G. Way, a doctoral graduate of history, conducted a pioneering study of the development of ecological conservation in Southern longleaf pine forests. His thesis addressed the rich environmental history of the Red Hills of south Georgia and north Florida, a region filled with quail-hunting plantations that have served as refuges for the endangered longleaf pine-wiregrass biome. Critical to the story was the work of Herbert Stoddard, a pioneering ornithologist, forester, and wildlife manager, who deserves much of the credit for preserving the few remaining pockets of mature longleaf forest and savanna. Way’s research shows how this landscape, and an abundance of game, attracted wealthy Northerners who bought up large tracts and became unlikely supporters of modern ecological land management. Way is currently a postdoctoral fellow at the Institute for Southern Studies at the University of South Carolina.