Graduate School News
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Dr. Christina Burch and Dr. Thomas Whitmore win awards for excellence in doctoral mentoring
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May 10, 2008
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The winners of the 2008 Faculty Award for Excellence in Doctoral Mentoring are Dr. Thomas Whitmore, Department of Geography and Dr. Christina Burch, Department of Biology.
Both have mentored students in their respective fields who have gone on to successful teaching and research careers. Tom’s and Christina’s commitments towards the advancement and success of their students’ scholarship, and their compassion towards the process of completing a doctoral degree have impacted their students in ways that could not be predicted. Their nominators speak to their caring approaches, endless energy, and on-going encouragement as they navigated the path to the PhD.
Here are a few student comments from their respective nominators:
Thomas Whitmore:“It comes as no surprise that Tom is held in the highest regard by the graduate students in our department. He gets excited about our accomplishments, he is quick to forward congratulations to departmental list-serves, and it is not uncommon for him to do graduate courses for only one student. Add to this that his students have won the top graduate fellowships and the most competitive jobs in Geography. Tom’s hard work has benefited a large number of other students as well, and they will overwhelmingly confirm his passion and dedication to graduate mentoring.”
Christina Burch“...what makes Christina most worthy of an award for her doctoral mentoring are not the easily quantifiable measures of student success, although her accomplishments in these categories are impressive. Rather, it is the care, attention and effort she put into ensuring that her students were happy, healthy, and successful through their graduate careers. Christina encouraged us to establish our own record of scholarly activity, provided a supportive environment to facilitate our development onto independent researchers, and achieved a successful record of graduate degree completion among her PhD students. Christina has worked tirelessly ... to ensure that her students were mentally and emotionally and financially supported throughout the entire process of graduate school.”
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Steven Matson, biology professor and chair, appointed Graduate School dean
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April 28, 2008
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Steven W. Matson, professor and chair of the department of biology in the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill will become dean of the Graduate School effective July 1.
A member of the faculty since 1983, Matson is widely respected for his teaching, mentoring and research in the field of genetics and molecular biology, said Bernadette Gray-Little, executive vice chancellor and provost, in announcing the appointment.
Matson will oversee the approximately 8,000 graduate students in Carolina’s 66 doctoral and 100 masters programs.
“Dr. Matson is an innovative and collaborative administrator whose background and extensive experience working with graduate students and postdoctoral fellows make him especially well-suited to further the University’s efforts to attract the best students to the Graduate School and ensure that they receive a quality education,” Gray-Little said.
On the national level, Matson is a recipient of the American Cancer Society Faculty Research Award and has served as a reviewer for the Journal of Molecular Biology, Biochemistry, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences and the Journal of Biological Chemistry, where he served as an editorial board member from 2000 to 2005.
At Carolina, he has taught courses a variety of courses, including: Current Topics in Biology, Advanced Molecular Biology, Advanced Cell Biology and honors sections of Genetics and Molecular Biology. A 2004 recipient of the University’s Tanner Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching and a 2005 Institute of Arts and Humanities Leadership Fellow, Matson is also a member of the Chancellors Advisory Committee, Bank of America Distinguished Professorship review panel and Honors Program Faculty Advisory Board. He is a past member and chair of the Pre-health Professions Advising Task Force and has served on various University administrative review committees through the years.
Matson’s research focuses on DNA repair, conjugative DNA transfer and enzymatic mechanisms and biological roles of DNA helicases. His laboratory’s long-term goal is to understand the molecular role of several helicases in the bacterium E. coli and the budding yeast S. cerevisiae.
A native of Coos Bay, Ore., Matson earned a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Colgate University. His master’s and doctoral degrees are from the University of Rochester, both in biochemistry.
He succeeds Linda Dykstra, William Rand Kenan Jr. professor of pharmacology and psychology, who will return to full-time research and graduate student training.
“The University community is extremely grateful to Dr. Dykstra for her commitment and long-term leadership of the Graduate School,” Gray-Little said.
News Services contact: Lisa Katz, (919) 962-2093, lisa_katz@unc.edu
U.S. News & World Report Magazine's “America’s Best Graduate Schools”
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March 28, 2008
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The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill appears on multiple lists of schools, programs and specialty areas newly ranked in 2008 by U.S. News and World Report magazine for its 2009 edition of “America’s Best Graduate Schools.”
Celebration to Recognize UNC-Chapel Hill Graduate Students for Outstanding Research and Service
March 18, 2008
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The Graduate School at UNC-Chapel Hill will recognize approximately 300 graduate students for outstanding research, community service, academic achievement, and leadership at the 10th Annual Graduate Student Recognition Ceremony on April 3 at the Carolina Club of the George Watts Hill Alumni Center.
More than 200 of the students being honored have received prestigious external fellowships from sources such as the National Science Foundation, the Vietnam Educational Foundation, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Ford Foundation, the Department of Defense, the National Institutes of Health, the Fulbright Program and the American Hearth Association, among many others.
“Every time a Carolina graduate student is awarded an external fellowship or grant, it enhances Carolina’s reputation as one of the finest public research universities and brings valuable funding to the university,” reports Linda Dykstra, Dean of The Graduate School
In addition, 28 Impact Award recipients will be recognized for outstanding research that benefits the people and the state of North Carolina.
“These students’ research affects the economic development of our state, as well as the quality of health and human services, education, and the environment,” explains Dean Dykstra. “Graduate student research covers diverse topics such as new screenings and therapies for cancer, carbon reduction strategies, affordable housing, literacy in autistic children, flood policy effectiveness, and development of a health initiative to serve American Indian communities.”
A new award, The Graduate Deans’ Distinguished Dissertation Award, will be presented to four students who completed their dissertations this year. Other honorees include graduate students who received awards at University Research Day and new graduate student inductees of three honorary societies. Recipients of the Boka W. Hadzija Award for Distinguished Service and of the Dean’s Award will also be recognized.
“Whether it is through academic research or volunteering for community groups, these students certainly deserve recognition. Carolina’s graduate students add to the success of the University and the larger community through their research and service,” observes Dean Dykstra.
The Graduate School Recognition Celebration takes place from 3:00-6:00 p.m. and includes poster displays of student research beginning at 3:00. The recognition ceremony begins at 4:00 p.m. and will be followed by a reception. The University community is invited. To make a reservation to attend, please contact Kathy Farinola at 919-962-6311 or farinola@email.unc.edu.
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Admissions Office Manager Diane Davis Receives Robert R. Cornwell Unsung Hero Award
February 11, 2008
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Diane Davis joined the university in 1978 and has spent the majority of those years in the Graduate School Admissions Office. She is now being honored for those years of excellent service with a Robert R. Cornwell Unsung Hero Award. She received the award at a reception held in the Graduate Student Center on February 12, 2008.
Jointly nominated by the dean of the Graduate School, Linda Dykstra, and the director of the Office of Admissions & Enrolled Students, Cheryl Thomas, they wrote that the nomination was “based on Diane’s quiet, self-effacing competence, her flexibility and willingness to learn and update her skills, and the combination of grace and firmness that characterizes the assistance she provides applicants on two campuses and abroad.”
The Unsung Hero award goes annually to a current, full-time, permanent faculty or staff employee who has provided significant service in support of the University over a long period of time and, generally, from a background position. Excellence in the quality of work performed is the standard used for selecting the recipient, but of equal importance is the likelihood that the employee's work has gone unnoticed by much of the University community.
The nomination statement noted, “she is the only remaining staff member with the historical experience of processing hundreds of admission applications by hand, to processing thousands electronically.” Despite the drastic changes to the admissions process that occurred over the years, “her positive and enthusiastic method of accepting new processes and delivering that information to the campus community is inspiring to all.”
In her current position as manager of the Admissions Office, Davis coordinates the efforts of a small group of individuals who process nearly 11,000 applications per year. “As the workload increases, she assists others with their applications so our process is seldom backlogged. We have never seen anyone process as much work as accurately and quickly as she does,” wrote Dykstra and Thomas. “In addition, Diane coordinates all applications for the joint academic program with NCSU as well as all International Fellowship applications. All of these are behind the scenes responsibilities invisible to staff or applicants on two campuses and abroad.”
“Although they’ve maybe never seen her face,” their nomination statement concluded, “Diane has assisted hundreds of staff across campus and notified thousands of graduate applicants of their admission status. All will tell you that she consistently practices the same respectful, supportive standard today.”
This award is sponsored by the Office of Institutional Research (OIR) in recognition of the late Robert R. Cornwell who served as the University's associate registrar and as research associate in the OIR for more than 20 years. He died in 1994 in active service of the University, and the award was established to honor him and to recognize the long-term contribution he made to Carolina.
Those interested in contributing to the Robert R. Cornwell Unsung Hero Award Fund may do so by sending checks payable to UNC-Chapel Hill to the Office of University Development, CB# 6100.
$19 Million in Private Gifts Exceeds Graduate School Goal
November 6, 2007
The Graduate School is delighted to announce that we have met and surpassed our $18 million goal in the University’s Carolina First Campaign, raising over $19 million for graduate education at Carolina. These funds will be used to support the Graduate School’s interdisciplinary fellowships and initiatives. We are very grateful to the more than 1,000 generous private donors whose gifts made this happen.
Loss of a Dear Friend: Henry H. Dearman
October 23, 2007
Henry H. Dearman, 73, died Tuesday, October 23, 2007 at UNC Hospitals in Chapel Hill, NC.
Dr. Dearman was born on August 28, 1934 in Statesville, NC, the son of the late [Judge] Claudius Hursell Dearman and Henrie Miller Dearman.
A lifelong love of science and teaching led Dr. Dearman to pursue a career in academics that would later span four decades.
Dr. Dearman graduated from the University of North Carolina with a Bachelor of Science degree in 1956 and the California Institute of Technology, where he earned his Ph.D. in Chemistry in 1960.
After serving as a research fellow at the University of Chicago and working in the Research Triangle, Dr. Dearman returned to the University of North Carolina as a Professor of Chemistry in 1962, where he would teach for the next 33 years. In addition to conducting research and teaching at UNC, Dr. Dearman served as Director of Graduate Studies in the Department of Chemistry. He was further involved in graduate education when he became an associate dean in the Graduate School at UNC from 1981-1989 and Dean of the Graduate School from 1989-1994. As Dean, his proudest accomplishment was the establishment of the Society of Fellows, a prestigious graduate fellowship program that emphasized interdisciplinary interaction among graduate students and senior faculty members of the University. Dr. Dearman continued to serve graduate education as a member of the Graduate Education Advancement Board for more than a decade after leaving the position of dean.
Dr. Dearman loved spending time surrounded by his family and friends, especially at his retreat in the Virginia mountains where he enjoyed gardening, hiking and bird- watching.
Dr. Dearman is survived by his wife, Martha J. Stucker of Chapel Hill; his daughter, Emily D. Cullen and her husband, Marc Cullen of Cary; and one granddaughter.
Funeral services will be held 2:00 p.m. Sunday, October 28, 2007 at Chapel of the Cross in Chapel Hill
In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be sent to the Henry Dearman Graduate Fellowship Fund (Designation 2356); The Graduate School of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 200 Bynum Hall, CB # 4010, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-4010.
Online condolences www.cremnc.com
Published in The News & Observer on 10/26/2007.