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Congratulations to Sergey Salushchev, PhD Candidate in History, and Thomas Lankiewicz, PhD Candidate in EEMB, who were selected as the winners of the 2023 Winifred and Louis Lancaster Dissertation Awards. Read on for more information and interviews with the Awardees.
Congratulations to Sergey Salushchev, PhD Candidate in History, and Thomas Lankiewicz, PhD Candidate in EEMB, who were selected as the winners of the 2023 Winifred and Louis Lancaster Dissertation Awards. This annual award recognizes two individuals who have completed dissertations deemed by the Awards Committee as making a significant impact on the field in terms of methodological and substantive contributions.
The two Lancaster dissertations are entered into a national competition sponsored by the Council of Graduate Schools. In past years, three Lancaster Award winners have been recipients of the national prize. A check for $1,000 and a plaque will be awarded upon completion of entry for national competition. Award recipients will be members of the Graduate Division Commencement Ceremony's Platform Party, where they will be presented with their award.
Read on for more information about the Awardees and their projects, including interviews with both Thomas and Sergey.
Humanities and Fine Arts Award
Sergey Salushchev, PhD Candidate in History
Dissertation: Reluctant Abolitionists: Slavery, Dependency, and Abolition in the Caucasus (1801-1914)
How did you feel when you got the news about your award?
When I first read the letter announcing this year's Lancaster Dissertation Award, I felt stunned. After I processed the news and reread the award letter a couple more times, disbelief gave way to feeling of elation. My thesis was considered alongside dozens of brilliant dissertations written by exceptionally intelligent people. This award is a big honor, and I feel humbled and grateful to have been selected.
How did your advisor help you reach your graduate school research goals?
My advisor, Professor Adrienne Edger, believed in my dissertation project since the day I first proposed the idea of writing a thesis on the topic of slavery and abolition in the Caucasus. Since then, Adrienne played a pivotal role in shaping the contours of the dissertation's arguments and bringing them into focus. From writing dozens of letters of recommendations to commenting on the early drafts of my dissertation chapters, Adrienne's support has been steadfast. I am sincerely thankful for my advisor's guidance, mentorship, and kindness.
How would you summarize your experience here at UCSB? (What has it been like for you?)
This is a tough question. My experience at UCSB was full of bitter-sweet moments. I was lucky to join the UCSB History Department. The department has a thriving academic community and many of my colleagues became my lifelong friends. However, the everyday reality of studying at UCSB, specifically dealing with chronic lack of affordable housing and rent burden, made it difficult to stay focused on academics. I travelled abroad a lot to conduct research but returning back to UCSB was always stressful. I couldn't find a place to live upon my return, and university housing was never available. At one point, I even spent a week sleeping on campus... then, I bounced from one temporary housing to another.
What's next?
My biggest academic goal today is to prepare a well-written book proposal, find an academic publisher willing to publish my thesis, and begin the hard and meticulous work of transforming my dissertation manuscript into a published book. I hope in the future this book will reach a broad audience of students, scholars, and anyone who might be interested in the history of the Caucasus region.
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Biological/Life Sciences Award
Thomas S. Lankiewicz, PhD Candidate In EEMB
Dissertation: Biochemical Characterization of Neocallimastigomycetes for the Development of Lignocellulose Conversion Technologies using Synthetic Biology
How did you feel when you got the news about your award?
I felt flattered, appreciative, and lucky to hear I had received this award. I am acutely aware of each graduate student's immense efforts and sacrifices while pursuing their degree, which makes me especially honored to receive this recognition. I feel lucky because, in lab sciences especially, you need to be both good at what you do and lucky to excel; being one or the other is insufficient. I got lucky during my dissertation research and made a discovery, but plenty of people whose work is of equal quality to mine do not have the chips fall so favorably.
How did your advisor help you reach your graduate school research goals?
My advisor offered me immense opportunities while pursuing my dissertation. Without the funding she acquired, her excellent academic connections, and her leadership, I would not have been able to accomplish what I did. Michelle's ability to explain the importance of synthetic biology for the future of chemical production is her superpower, and this brand of applied biology drew me to her lab and allows her to be a leader in the field. The funding she acquired, through her superior ability to explain the importance of pursuing our goals, allowed me to access exclusive tools essential to accomplishing our research objectives.
How would you summarize your experience here at UCSB? (What has it been like for you?)
My experience at UCSB has been a winding journey of self-discovery and refocus. When I initially joined the UCSB community, I was a marine biologist intending to pursue a degree in environmental microbiology. Later, at a low point in my progression, I intended to quit science entirely. The EEMB graduate advisors convinced me not to leave my degree pursuit, and I instead pursued research in Michelle's lab. I am eternally grateful for the support and guidance that UCSB provided throughout my time there, and I would not be where I am today without it.
What's next?
I currently work at a biotechnology startup called Allonnia. Allonnia's mission is to prove that waste is a failure of the imagination, which is a cause I wholeheartedly believe in. We take industrial waste streams and try to produce elegant biological solutions for reducing their impact on the environment and human health. Allonnia currently has ongoing projects that seek to eliminate forever chemicals that reside in the environment and other projects that help eliminate waste produced from petroleum processing and mining. I intend to pursue a career in biotechnology, working toward the goal of a more sustainable future. I hope that by working on technology meant to be deployed immediately, I can maximize my impact on a sustainable future for humanity.