Graduate College Awards Recipients

Alexander Tawiah, who earned a Master of Arts with a Major in Mass Communication, is the recipient of the Graduate College’s Outstanding Master’s Thesis Award in the Social Sciences, Education, and Business. His thesis, Social Media Campaign Strategies: A Case Study of Political Issue Framing by Presidential Candidates in Ghana, was directed by Dr. Cindy Royal, Professor and Regents’ Teacher in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication.

Jackson F. Burkholder, who earned a Master of Science in Biology, is the recipient of the Graduate College’s Outstanding Master’s Thesis Award in the Life and Biological Sciences. His thesis, Comparative Anatomy of Extrafloral Nectaries in the Cactus Family (Cactaceae), was directed by Dr. David Lemke, Professor and Regents’ Teacher in the Department of Biology.

Emma Bayless, who earned an MFA with a Major in Theatre, is the recipient of the 2025-2026 Graduate College’s Outstanding Non-traditional Thesis / Project Award. Her scenic design for Thornton Wilder’s Our Town was mentored by Cheri Prough DeVol, Professor in the School of Theatre, Dance, and Film.

Dr. Hilary Ansah, who earned her Ph.D. in Geography, won The Graduate College ‘s 2026-2027 Outstanding Dissertation Award in the Social Sciences, Business, and Education. Her dissertation, Gentrification, Foodscape, and Food Access: A Case Study of East Austin, Texas, was directed by Yongmei Lu, Ph.D., a professor in the Department of Geography and Environmental Studies.

Dr. Aamar Danish, who earned his Ph.D. in Materials Science, Engineering, and Commercialization, won The Graduate College’s 2026-2027 Outstanding Dissertation Award in Mathematics, Physical Sciences, and Engineering. His dissertation, Extending Aluminosilicate Material Horizons: Evaluating the Impact of Slag and Reclaimed Fly Ash on the Performance, Environmental Impact, and Economic Viability of Geopolymers Using Different Curing Regimes, Waste Materials, and Fibers, was directed by Anthony S. Torres, Ph.D., a professor in the Department of Engineering Technology.

Dr. Anthony Torres, Professor in the Department of Engineering Technology, is the recipient of The Graduate College Outstanding Mentor Award. This award recognizes a faculty member who has had extraordinary success in mentoring graduate students. As part of the nomination, Dr. Torres’s colleagues and former students submitted very thoughtfully written letters which described in detail the tremendous positive impact of Dr. Torres’s mentorship on his students’ careers.

Dr. Paula Williamson, a faculty member in Biology and a former associate dean in The Graduate College, is the 2016–2017 recipient of the regional CSGS Outstanding Contributions to Graduate Education in the Southern Region Award. She received the award for her excellent contributions to graduate education at Texas State and at the regional and national levels.

Distinguished Texas State Biology Graduate Alumnus (1966), Dr. Kenneth Wilson, received the 2013 Distinguished Alumnus Award on October 25, 2013 at the Distinguished Alumni Awards Gala organized by the TXST Alumni Association. Wilson has worked in biotechnology and taught at universities such as the Royal University of Phnom Penh in Cambodia. The Wilsons established the Wilson International Exchange Scholarship through the Center for International Studies at TXST. The scholarship allows faculty and students to carry out collaborative research and teaching in Cambodia and parts of the world.