Three Receive Top Awards in First Graduate Student Research Conference

Three doctoral students were awarded top prizes for their work in the College of Education's first annual Graduate Student Research Conference.

Lori Aultman, a doctoral student in educational psychology, received the first place prize of $300. Ju Sung Jun, a doctoral student in adult education, won $200 for second place. The third place prize $100 went to Jamie Calkin, a doctoral student in science education. Honorable mentions of $50 were awarded to Haixia Xu, Steve Bickmore and Steve Broglio.

The idea for the research conference grew out of the department of educational psychology's participation in the Carnegie Initiative on the Doctorate (CID), a national research project aimed at improving doctoral education at American universities. The conference organizers, charged with reinventing the doctorate in education through their involvement with the CID, wanted to establish a way for doctoral students to practice academic research presentations and prepare for work in the academic field.

Attendance and the quality of research were high. Thirty-four students from 15 departments in the College displayed their research posters.

The judges were Tom Hébert, an associate professor in educational psychology; Judith Preissle, a professor in social foundations; Venki Ramachandran, a graduate student in mathematics education; Deborah Tippins, a professor in science and elementary education; and Joe Wisenbaker, an associate professor in educational psychology.

The organizers of this first conference were Debbi Bandalos, an associate professor in educational psychology; Bonnie Cramond, a professor in educational psychology; and two graduate students, Caitlin Herzinger and Venki Ramachandran. The conference received support from Dean Louis Castenell and Associate Dean for Research and External Affairs Karen Watkins. Refreshments were donated by the Educational Psychology Graduate Student organization, GREP.

Monday, May 24, 2004

Contact: Bonnie Cramond, 706/542-4248, bonnie@coe.uga.edu