Outstanding Thesis/Dissertation Selection Committee:
Deloris Alexander, Raymon Shange, Tasha Hargrove, Uma Karki, and Ramble Ankumah

Eligibility Requirements

Eligible graduate students, upon nomination by their advisor(s), are qualified for participation in the Department of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (DAES) Graduate Thesis/Dissertation Competition. This includes separate recognition for thesis and dissertation submissions. General eligibility to participate in the competition, specific thesis/dissertation selection criteria, and the submission and evaluation process are outlined below.

I. General Eligibility for Participating in the Competition

• Submission of the thesis/dissertation to the College by the mid-February deadline (refer to the academic calendar)
• Submission of the thesis/dissertation to the Graduate School by the March deadline (refer to the academic calendar)

II. Specific Thesis/Dissertation Selection Criteria (Across Programs)

• Overall quality of writing in a professional manner
• Clarity of presentation through an introduction, problem statement, objectives, literature support, methodology, results, discussion, and conclusions
• Originality, application, and discovery

III. Thesis/Dissertation Submission and Evaluation Process

• The Graduate Student Thesis/Dissertation Selection Committee will include one representative from each program area (Agricultural and Resource Economics, Animal and Poultry Science, Environmental Science, Plant and Soil Science, Integrative Biosciences, and Integrative Public Policy and Development) and the Head of Department.
• Each program unit within the department must:
  • Meet and select the best thesis/dissertation of the year based on recommendations from the student’s thesis/dissertation chair and committee using the criteria above
  • Submit the selected thesis/dissertation to the Graduate Student Thesis/Dissertation Selection Committee by April 1
• The DAES Selection Committee will evaluate the applications, and the committee chair will announce the winner(s) by April 29

Forms and Evaluation Rubric