8/30/2004

Contact: Alison Watkins, Graduate School & International Programs, (785) 864-6161

Graduate School awards $14,000 fellowships for dissertation research

LAWRENCE Ð The Graduate School at the University of Kansas has announced that six doctoral students have won Dissertation Fellowships for 2004-05. The state-funded fellowship provides $14,000 in addition to tuition and fees. The new fellows, their majors, hometowns and parent information when available and dissertation research are:

DOUGLAS COUNTY

From Lawrence

See Timothy L. Dickson, Fargo, N.D.

Kelley Lea Massoni, sociology, received bachelor's and master's degrees from Wichita State University and is married to J. Steven Massoni. She is researching the emergence of "teen girl culture" by analyzing "Seventeen" magazine.

Cheryl Ragar, American studies, received bachelor's and master's degrees from the University of Kansas and is the daughter of Gary and Brenda Ragar of Olathe. She is examining Aaron Douglas' impact on Black American life by analyzing his four mural panels, "Aspects of Negro Life."

Mahalley D. Allen, political science, received a bachelorÿs degree from Southeast Missouri State University in Cape Girardeau and is married to Jay Castor of Lawrence. Allen is researching the political tactics and strategies of the animal rights movement.

JOHNSON COUNTY

From Lenexa and Shawnee

Susan C. Megerson, intercampus program in communicative disorders, received a bachelor's degree in psychology from Emory University in Atlanta and a master's degree from KU in audiology; she is married to Jim Megerson of Shawnee and is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Jack D. Cooper of Lenexa. She is testing Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey assumptions regarding noise-induced hearing loss in teenagers.

From Olathe

See Chery Ragar, Lawrence

MISSOURI

From Kansas City

Lesley A. Laub Huizenga, psychology, received a master's degree in psychology from the University North Dakota, Grand Forks; she is married to Scott M. Huizenga and is the daughter of Alfred and Kathy Laub of Regent, N.D. Laub is evaluating writing intervention to help adolescents adjust to the trauma of a parent who has cancer.

NORTH DAKOTA

From Fargo

Timothy L. Dickson of Lawrence, ecology and evolutionary biology, received a bachelor's degree from St. Olaf College, Northfield, Minn., and is the son of Jon and Mary Dickson. He is researching the effects of fertilization on plant species diversity.

From Regent, N.D.

See Lesley A. Laub Huizenga, Kansas City, Mo., daughter of Alfred and Kathy Laub.