Graduate Students Honored at Annual Spring Ceremony

Thursday, May 3, 2018

During the annual spring awards ceremony hosted by the Oklahoma State University Graduate College and the Graduate and Professional Student Government Association (GPSGA), four College of Education, Health and Aviation graduate students were recognized for their distinguished achievements.

Mitchel Magrini and Jennie Martin received the Summer Dissertation Fellowship, which supports research for outstanding full-time post-candidacy doctoral students from any discipline. This fellowship includes a $6,000 stipend and a tuition waiver for up to three hours.

Magrini, a Ph.D. student in health and human performance, will conduct research this summer for his study, “The physiological determinants of rate of force production across the life span.” The purpose of the study is to examine the effects of age on the neural, contractile and morphological determinants of rate of force production and how the contributions of each determinant may change as a result of the aging process.

Martin, a Ph.D. student in counseling psychology, will conduct research this summer for her study, “The Interactive Influence of Familial Appearance-Related Messages and Family Health Climate on Body Satisfaction.” The purpose of this study is to gain insight into how familial appearance-related messages and familial health behaviors during childhood/adolescence can influence body satisfaction as an adult. Martin’s goal is to use the findings from this study to aid in the development of prevention and treatment methods for body image-related concerns. 

Roland Nunez, a Ph.D. student in educational leadership and policy studies, is a fellowship alternate. His study, “Exploring student attitudes toward college socialization using an edutainment college-themed novel,” aims at helping at-risk students adequately prepare for life on a college campus when they do not have the resources to learn the reality of college living.

Ying Xiu, a Ph.D. student in educational technology, received two awards for her abstract, “Students’ Motivation, Perspectives and Learning in Flipped University Classrooms.” Xiu placed first in the Public Abstract Writing Contest and second in the Technical Abstract Writing Contest.

“It was a big accomplishment for Ying to receive two awards, considering it’s a challenge to write effectively for both audiences at once,” said Dr. Penny Thompson, assistant professor in educational technology and Xiu’s adviser. “I’m extremely proud of her and all of the graduate students who were recognized.”

For a complete list of award winners, please visit: https://gradcollege.okstate.edu/content/2018-awards.