Ten Penn State graduate students received the 2003 Alumni Association Dissertation Award. The $5,000 scholarship is meant to provide support for doctoral candidates as they complete their dissertations.

Nominations for the awards came from the 90 Penn State doctoral programs. Two students were selected from five categories -- fine arts and humanities, social sciences, physical and computational sciences, life and health science, and engineering. Nominees are judged on their scholarly and professional accomplishments.

Dissertation Awards are funded by a $1 million gift from the Penn State Alumni Association. Winners of the 2003 and 2002 awards attended a luncheon with the Board of Trustees, Friday.

This year's winners are: Deborah C. Blaine, Ph.D. candidate in engineering science and mechanics; Fang (Clara) Fang, Ph.D. candidate in civil engineering; Douglas N. Dow, Ph.D. candidate in art history; Jessica Enoch, Ph.D. candidate in English; Hongchang Cui, Ph.D. candidate in plant physiology; Yumiko Sakuragi, Ph.D. candidate in biochemistry, molecular biology and microbiology; Amy L. Griffin, Ph.D. candidate in geography; David J. Proctor, Ph.D. candidate in chemistry; Brian D. Johnson, Ph.D. candidate in crime, law and justice; and Timothy A. Slack, Ph.D. candidate in rural sociology.