2020 Distinguished Thesis/Graduate Project winners, Rachel Birke (M.A., English Literature), Alexander Gilewski (M.S., Chemistry), Jen Marony (M.A., Sociology) and Lindsay Thompson (M.A., Communication Studies).

CSUN’s Division of Academic Affairs has selected four exceptional CSUN graduate students as the winners of the 2020 Distinguished Thesis/Graduate Project Competition, with each receiving a $1,000 award and recognition from the university. The Distinguished Thesis/Graduate Project Competition recognizes the outstanding scholarship and research of Matadors at the graduate level.

The honorees were Rachel Birke (M.A., English Literature) for her project, “Yesterday, Tomorrow, and Fantasy: The Cartoon Gothic of Disney’s Cold War West;” Alexander Gilewski (M.S., Chemistry) for his project, “Linking of Chemistry Concepts Using Learner-Centered Assessments;” Jen Marony (M.A., Sociology) for their thesis, “Traversing Heteronormativity, Homophobia, and Transphobia: How Queer Foster Parents Navigate the U.S. Foster Care System;” and Lindsay Thompson (M.A., Communication Studies) for her thesis, “To Touch or Be Touched: Being Articulated through the Haptics of Typing Technologies.”

Birke, Gilewski, Marony and Thompson were nominated by their respective departments to receive the highly competitive award.

Academic Affairs, Distinguished Thesis/Graduate Project Competition