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Graduate Student Research Accomplishments

Current Graduate Students

Julissa González
Paper Presented
González, J. (February 2011). First generation Latina identity: Communicative and performative issues of assimilation. Competitive paper presented for the Performance Studies Interest Group at the Western States Communication Association Convention, Monterey, CA.
Awards
Recipient of Top Debut Paper Award in Performance Studies for "First generation Latina identity: Communicative and performative issues of assimilation.” Competitive paper presented for the Performance Studies Interest Group at the Western States Communication Association Convention, Monterey, CA.

Jonathan Hernandez
Paper Presented
Hernandez, J. (2011, February). Machismo: The role of Chicano rap in the construction of the Latino identity. Competitive paper presented at Western States Communication Association Convention, Monterey, CA.

Leticia Williams
Paper Presented
Williams, L. (2010, February). A seat for multiracial students in the classroom: Developing an understanding of multiracial students for educators. Competitive paper presented at Western States Communication Association Convention, Anchorage, AK.
Awards/Honors
Recipient of Division of Graduate Studies’ Graduate Equity Fellowship. Member of Phi Kappa Phi, California State University, Fresno Chapter.

Prakash Sista

Prakash Sista, a graduate student in the Department of Chemistry at UT Dallas was selected to present a poster in the “Excellence in Graduate Polymer Research” Symposium organized by the division of Polymer Chemistry at the 241st National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society in Anaheim in March 2011. According to the symposium organizing committee, “the purposes of this symposium are to provide recognition to outstanding graduate students in polymer science and engineering, to foster networking and exposure, and to help develop the careers of future leaders in the field.” Applications from across the globe were invited from each department (chemistry, chemical engineering, or polymer/material science) to nominate one outstanding graduate student working in the field of polymer science to speak on his/her original research in this special symposium. The top 26 of these applicants were selected based on the submitted preprint (write-up on the research), and nominating letters by the research advisor and the department chair.

Prakash Sista is a 3rd year graduate student in Dr. Mihaela C. Stefan’s research group working in the field of organic electronics. In his research, Prakash synthesizes semiconducting polymers and tests them as active components in field-effect transistors and solar cells.

Prakash is the first author on two papers on the project for which he was selected for the symposium. The papers were published in Macromolecules and Journal of Polymer Science Part A: Polymer Chemistry, which are leading journals in the field of polymer science. Additionally, Prakash is co-author on five other papers, which is an outstanding achievement for a 3rd year graduate student. Prakash’s research is supported on a NSF Career Award (DMR-0956116) given to Dr. Stefan.

After graduation, Prakash plans to continue to work in the field of organic electronics as a post-doctoral fellow and later to apply for an academic position.