Winners of Fisher Thesis Award Announced

The winners of the 2008-09 James L. Fisher Outstanding Thesis Award Competition have been announced by Rodney L. Custer, associate vice president for Graduate Studies, Research, and International Education at Illinois State University.

Mark Tallman of Elgin, representing the College of Arts and Sciences, Department of Politics and Government, was the overall university winner with the thesis, "State Of War? A Comparative Analysis of National Counterterrorism Paradigms."  Tallman is currently a resident of Colorado, and his thesis will be submitted to the regional Distinguished Masters' Thesis Award Competition sponsored by the Midwestern Association of Graduate Schools.

The runner-up is Jessica A. El-Beck of Bloomington, representing the College of Arts and Sciences, Department of Chemistry.  Her thesis is titled "Synthesis and Reactivity of Azuliporphyrins and Oxybenziporphyrins." 

Winners from each college were Michael T. Moline of Sycamore, College of Applied Science and Technology, School of Kinesiology and Recreation, for "The Effects of Ankle Joint Mobilizations on Postureal Sway;" Scott T. Makstenieks of Woodridge, College of Arts and Sciences, School of Communication, for "Apology For The Appalling: President George W. Bush's Image Repair Responses To The Abu Ghraib Scandal;" 

Adrienne West of Bloomington, College of Education, Department of Special Education, for "Special Education Teachers' Perceptions of Transition Services: An Examination of The Impact of Two Capacity-Building Strategies;" and Robert C. Fifield of Bloomington, College of Fine Arts, School of Art, for "Landscaped Painting: The Enchanted Language of Perception."

The awards ceremony will be held on Monday, Dec. 1, at noon in the Old Main Room in Bone Student Center.

All college winners will be presented with $200 awards.  The university runner-up receives an additional $100 award, while the overall university winner receives an additional $200 award plus $200 as the Illinois State University submission to the Midwestern Association of Graduate Schools (MAGS) regional competition.