Graduate School Announces 2025-26 Outstanding Dissertation Award Winners

We are pleased to announce the selections for the Outstanding Dissertation Award for 2025-2026.  This award is given to Baylor doctoral candidates who exhibit exceptional scholarship, research, and writing. Nominees were recommended by their departments, and the following three graduate students’ work has been recognized as exceptional by the Graduate School and our committee of Graduate Program Directors.   

• Humanities: Dr. Allie Lopez, History   

• Social Sciences: Dr. Jared Black, Health Research and Policy, Department of Economics

• STEM: Dr. Jinwon Jeong, Electrical Engineering 

The Outstanding Dissertation Award is a noteworthy award. Winners will be recognized at an awards luncheon in November 2026. Each winner receives a plaque and $1000 cash award.   

 We would also like to recognize our nominees, who are all very accomplished and were put forward as outstanding by their Graduate Program Directors:  

• Humanities: Dr. Reilly Fitzpatrick Vines, English; Dr. Nicholas Hadsell, Philosophy; and Dr. Zen Hess, Religion. 

• Social Sciences:  Dr. Alexis Hooker, Curriculum & Instruction Ph.D. program; Dr. Veronica Narváez, Learning & Organizational Change Ed.D. program (Curriculum & Instruction Dept.); Dr. João Rossi Mazzoni, Entrepreneurship and Corporate Innovation .

• STEM: Dr. Michael Cordes, Chemistry & Biochemistry; Dr. Prabin Dhungana, Biology; Dr. Ramesh Radhakrishnan, Physics; Dr. Dinny Stevens, Environmental Science.   

 We are proud of the diligence and excellence of our Baylor University graduate students.