2020 ProQuest Dissertation and Thesis Award Winners

For 40 years, ProQuest has proudly sponsored our graduate students and their ambitions. ProQuest awards each winner with recognition and funds to further their career and research.  View the Archives to see previous winners.



Distinguished Dissertations  Three Minute Thesis

CGS logo

Council of Graduate Schools

Caroline J. Trippel, Princeton University

Mathematics, Physical Sciences, and Engineering

Concurrency and Security Verification in Heterogeneous Parallel Systems

Akhil Rao, University of Colorado Boulder

Humanities and Fine Arts

The Economics of Orbit Use: Theory, Policy, and Measurement


Council of Historically Black Graduate Schools

Council of Historically Black Graduate Schools

John Jenkins, North Carolina A&T State University

Emerging Scholar Award

Using Deep Learning Techniques and Genetic-based Feature Extraction for Presentation Attack Mitigation

Manish Sharma, North Carolina A&T State University

Emerging Scholar Award

A Study of Molecular Beam Epitaxially Grown GaAsSb (N) Nanowires for Infrared Photodetector Applications


Northeastern Association of Graduate Schools

Marie Laing, University of Toronto

Master’s Thesis Award: Arts and Humanities

Conversations with Young Two-Spirit, Trans, and Queer Indigenous People about the Term Two-Spirit


Midwestern Association of Graduate Schools

Midwestern Association of Graduate Schools

Tais Xavier Carvalho, Indiana University

Master’s Thesis Award: Humanities

We Can Use Them To Create a Braid. And Dream of a Change.” Politics, Identity, and Culture in Ana Maria Machado’s and Ondjaki’s Children’s Literature

Alicia Heil, University of Minnesota

Master’s Thesis Award: Biological/Life Sciences

Defining a model for anterior neural tube closure in the developing zebrafish embryo


Council of Historically Black Graduate Schools

Western Association of Graduate Schools

Fernando Temprano-Coleto, UC Santa Barbara

Outstanding Master’s Thesis: Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics

Marangoni Flows: Computation and Experiments

Jeanette Adame, California State University-Chico

Outstanding Master’s Thesis: Humanities, Social Sciences, Education and Business

Citing Divine and Human Laws: Women of African Descent and the New Orleans Cabildo, 1769-1800

Juune Cao, University of Washington

Outstanding Master’s Thesis: Humanities, Social Sciences, Education and Busines

Characterizing Cell State and Cell Fate by High-throughput Single Cell Genomics

Liz Harmer, Chapman University

Outstanding Master’s Thesis: Creative, Visual, and Performing Arts

Interpretation Machine: A Memoir

Andrew Gadaire University of North Carolina – Charlotte

Master’s Thesis Award: Social Sciences, Business and Education

Assessing the Predictive Sensitivity of Early Childhood Screening Variables to Improve Pre-K Eligibility Decisions

Valerie King, University of South Alabama

Master’s Thesis Award: Life Sciences

Characteristics of sdRNAs and their Roles in Prostate Cancer


CAGS logo

Canadian Association for Graduate Studies

Ina Anreiter, University of Toronto

Distinguished Dissertation Award: Engineering, Medical Sciences and Natural Sciences

Transcriptional Regulation of the foraging Gene and its Associated Behaviours

Hannah Kia, University of Toronto

Distinguished Dissertation Award: Fine Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences

Subjugation and Resistance in Older Gay Men's Health Care Experiences

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