Phi Kappa Phi recently announced the recipients of the 2015 Dissertation Fellowships. The two fellows will receive $10,000 each to support their dissertation writing.

Lauren Hanson
The University of Texas at Austin
Lauren Hanson is one of two recipients of the first Phi Kappa Phi Dissertation Fellowship. A doctoral candidate in art history at The University of Texas at Austin, Hanson is studying the post-1945 work of visual artists in West Germany. Her interest in art history grew from the opportunity to incorporate many different disciplines such as literature, philosophy, sociology, history and more, as part of her studies. As an undergraduate at Duke University, she majored in art history and German. She has conducted extensive archival research in both the United States and Germany with the support of research grants. Upon completion of her dissertation, she plans to pursue a career in academe. “I believe that learning is a continuous process that does not begin or end in the classroom,” she said. “And, in the future as an educator, I will foster curiosity and critical thinking skills in an environment open to experimentation.”

Dissertation Abstract: Creating a Scene: Art and Experimentation in Düsseldorf circa 1958

Michael A. Jahne
Clarkson University
Michael Jahne is one of two recipients of the first Phi Kappa Phi Dissertation Fellowship. A doctoral candidate in environmental science and engineering at Clarkson University, Jahne is studying the environmental and health impact of manure management. His research has created a true interdisciplinary project drawing from a variety of fields, namely science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), to provide support for a real-world health issue. “Consistent with the mission of Phi Kappa Phi, this work has aimed to produce high-quality research with clear societal implications, including both human effects on the environment and public health consequences of those impacts,” he said. In addition, his long-term participation with Engineers Without Borders, including work at a Native American reservation and rural village in Ecuador, has merged his expertise as an environmental engineer with the Society’s focus on service to others.

Dissertation Abstract: Emission, Transport, and Quantitative Microbial Risk Assessment of Bioaerosols Following the Land Application of Manure