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Current Students:

Dissertation Awards

GSBS recognizes two graduates each year for exceptional PhD dissertation research:

Alfred G. Knudson, Jr., Outstanding Dissertation Award honors a GSBS PhD graduate whose advisor was based at MD Anderson Cancer Center

Michael R. Blackburn Outstanding Dissertation Award honors a GSBS PhD graduate whose advisor was based at UTHealth Houston

Each recipient receives a $5,000 award and is recognized at the GSBS Student Research Day (GSRD) award ceremony held annually in June.

Selection Process

In early January each year, GSBS Faculty are sent a list of PhD students that graduated during the previous calendar year. Faculty are asked to consider nominating their own students and/or those on whose committees they served.

Nominees are contacted by GSBS and asked to submit an updated CV and two letters of recommendation. GSBS will obtain the student’s dissertation from the TMC Digital Commons, unless it has been embargoed, in which case the student is asked to submit a .pdf of the final dissertation.

MD Anderson and UTHealth Houston faculty reviewers judge the applications of their institution’s nominees. The selection of award winners is based on the overall impact of the student’s dissertation, not the quality of the writing.