leeflang thesis award

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Excellence in journalism

It’s never the primary goal, but sometimes great journalism is recognised with a prize. Gep Leeflang (de Stentor), Maarten Keulemans (de Volkskrant) and Robin Ramaekers (VTM Nieuws) were all lauded for their work last year. We talked to them about perseverance, their work ethic and the sacred duty of journalism.

Winner of the Saskia Stuiveling Prize

GEP LEEFLANG (DE STENTOR):  

“you have to follow your instincts as a journalist”.

Like getting a perfect 10 out of 10 on his report card, something he never expected to get – that’s how Gep Leeflang (57) felt when he won the Saskia Stuiveling Prize for Best Regional Political Journalism. A reporter for de Stentor, the regional newspaper in the eastern part of the Netherlands, Leeflang received the award in March 2022 for a series of nearly 100 articles on public corruption in the municipality of Epe. The jury praised Leeflang for his “intrepid and tenacious” investigative work and articles, and for single-handedly exposing questionable deals despite firm opposition from local administrators.

Journalist of the Year

MAARTEN KEULEMANS (DE VOLKSKRANT):

“you have to separate fact from fiction”.

It’s nice to have a science journalist in the spotlight for once, says Maarten Keulemans (54) of de Volkskrant. In January 2022, he was named Journalist of the Year in the Netherlands for his ‘tireless reporting’ on the coronavirus pandemic. “Usually, awards like these go to political reporters who break a big story,” says Keulemans. “As a science journalist, I mainly wrote pieces for the back pages. That changed during Covid.”

AIB Award nominee

ROBIN RAMAEKERS (VTM):

“keep telling stories about anonymous heroes”.

He didn’t end up winning, but Robin Ramaekers (48) says it was an honour just to be nominated for the Association for International Broadcasting’s AIB Awards, also known as the ‘Oscars of journalism’. Especially since his fellow nominees worked for global players like CNN, BBC and Al Jazeera. The Flemish TV journalist, who previously earned a nomination in 2019 for his reporting from Yemen, received a nod again last year for a series of reports for VTM Nieuws on the war in Ukraine.

GEP LEEFLANG (DE STENTOR):

Like getting a perfect 10 out of 10 on his report card, something he never expected to get – that’s how Gep Leeflang (57) felt when he won the Saskia Stuiveling Prize for Best Regional Political Journalism. A reporter for de Stentor, the regional newspaper in the eastern part of the Netherlands, Leeflang received the award in March 2022 for a series of nearly 100 articles on public corruption in the municipality of Epe. The jury praised Leeflang for his “intrepid and tenacious” investigative work and articles, and for single-handedly exposing questionable deals despite firm opposition from local administrators. 

Leeflang sees himself as a regional watchdog – one that’s not just there to wag his tail during happy events, but one that also growls and barks, and that won’t let go once he sinks his teeth into something. It all started innocently enough, with an alderman handing out permits without going through the proper channels. Leeflang got to the bottom of the story, and his reporting caused a political crisis that led to the resignation of two aldermen. But for Leeflang, the more important outcome was that he managed to expose abuse of power in local politics. “You see a municipality that’s at odds with its own community and that’s trying to win legal battles instead of generously involving local residents in issues.” 

Leeflang considers the Saskia Stuiveling Prize an enormous honour, and he sees it as a sign of encouragement. Because like every other newspaper, de Stentor also feels the pressure to fill its pages every day, which can sometimes come at the cost of thorough and sustained investigative journalism. The trick is to do both. “I also end up chasing the story of the day sometimes,” Leeflang says. “But when you find a story that smacks of corruption, you have to show guts, be stubborn and follow your instincts as a journalist by diving in. Even if it takes countless hours of research and a lot of perseverance. In my case, the investigative work I did yielded a large number of articles for the daily newspaper. In a way, I created my own work.” 

Besides the appreciation of his editors and colleagues, promises to do better from public officials and the observation that regional journalism is alive and well, the award also brought Leeflang something else: “I think administrators are now thoroughly aware they can’t pull the wool over my eyes.”

t’s nice to have a science journalist in the spotlight for once, says Maarten Keulemans (54) of de Volkskrant. In January 2022, he was named Journalist of the Year in the Netherlands for his ‘tireless reporting’ on the coronavirus pandemic. “Usually, awards like these go to political reporters who break a big story,” says Keulemans. “As a science journalist, I mainly wrote pieces for the back pages. That changed during Covid.” 

So Keulemans, a self-proclaimed ‘geek’, basked in the limelight, considering it a great honour. He sees it as his sacred duty as a journalist to keep the public well informed – especially in uncertain times. “There came a point where some readers started turning away from the mainstream media, which they viewed as defenders of the establishment. Subscribers no longer believed what was in the paper. That’s when it’s even more important to separate fact from fiction, to explain what the scientific consensus is and where there’s doubt and uncertainty.” 

Keulemans’ commitment to the truth earned him high praise from the jury, as did his series of columns, ‘Keulemans in quarantine’, in which he answered readers’ questions about Covid and other topics. His efforts to engage in discussions with his readers, also on Twitter, were lauded as well. “I don’t represent de Volkskrant on Twitter, and it’s something I do in my spare time,” says Keulemans. “But I do enjoy using Twitter as another platform to explain scientific studies and debunk nonsense.” 

As Journalist of the Year, he is occasionally treated with a little more respect (“You’re not just anyone,” one researcher told him), but what remains unchanged is his drive to explain complicated subjects in an approachable way. “It’s a common pitfall in journalism to assume that readers already know something because you’ve written about it before. You just need to explain things in simple terms. My way of working hasn’t changed. Now that the pandemic is on its last legs, I’m just as happy diving back into scientific studies and articles on things like climate change. That’s also great fun.”

e didn’t end up winning, but Robin Ramaekers (48) says it was an honour just to be nominated for the Association for International Broadcasting’s AIB Awards, also known as the ‘Oscars of journalism’. Especially since his fellow nominees worked for global players like CNN, BBC and Al Jazeera. The Flemish TV journalist, who previously earned a nomination in 2019 for his reporting from Yemen, received a nod again last year for a series of reports for VTM Nieuws on the war in Ukraine. 

To be more precise, he reported from Mykolaiv, just after the city had suffered heavy bombing. “In Mykolaiv, we were the only outlet reporting from an army base that had just been bombed in an attack that likely killed over 200 recruits. We were able to put a face to the war every day with unique stories, including one about a postwoman who continued to deliver cash pension payments to local residents in bomb shelters and flats amid all the attacks and violence. We were in the right place at the right time,” says Ramaekers, whose reports were picked up by outlets including the BBC, ITV and the NOS. 

Coincidence does play a role, says Ramaekers, but only to an extent. “Sometimes the puzzle pieces all fall into place, but that’s preceded by a lot of groundwork: figuring out where to get the best story and constantly being highly aware of the context in which you’re operating. But there are also days where you’re just very frustrated, because the warring parties will often make a conscious effort to obstruct your work, simply because the story you want to bring doesn’t fit their desired narrative.” 

As a war reporter, Ramaekers sometimes works in areas struck by rockets just moments before. Yet he doesn’t think of himself as ‘fearless’. “That suggests a certain hubris, and we know our limitations. But I do have a great deal of curiosity. I’m under no illusion that our reporting is going to make a big difference. Still, I think it’s incredibly important to keep telling the stories from this war, to keep feeling empathy for the ordinary people caught up in it, like the modest anonymous heroes who, despite everything, continue delivering the mail.” 

Ramaekers sees his nomination mainly as encouragement. “Obviously, I would’ve loved to win the award, but I also see it as an incentive to do even better reporting this year.”

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The challenge of presenting the Dutch Limes (master thesis)

A critical reflection on the current approach to increase public support for the World Heritage nomination of the Dutch part of the Roman frontier.

Related Papers

Polak M./J. de Bruin, 2016. The Lower German Limes in the Netherlands. A scientific assessment of the site selection for the ‘Frontiers of the Roman Empire’ Unesco World Heritage Site. Nijmegen: Auxilia.

Rien Polak , Jasper de Bruin

Tom Hazenberg

Chapter 10 in Nigel Mills (eds) 2013, `Presenting the Romans. Interpreting the Frontiers of the Roman empire World Heritage site'

Mark Groenhuijzen

The primary aim of this study as part of the larger ‘Finding the limits of the limes’ project is to analyse and reconstruct the cultural landscape of the Dutch limes area, more specifically looking at the site and settlement patterns, the transport networks and their interrelationship with the natural environment.

Analecta praehistorica Leidensia 45, 2015, 191-208

Erik Graafstal

In the first half of 2014, two of the key documents for the proposed Lower German extension of the Frontiers of the Roman Empire (FRE) World Heritage Site were drawn up by the first two authors: the Statement of Outstanding Universal Values (SOUV) and the Comparative Analysis (CA). Both are formally required by UNESCO as part of the nomination dossier. In the case of serial, transnational World Heritage properties like the Frontiers of the Roman Empire site, all the different parts need to comply with an overarching SOUV. The SOUV and CA for Lower Germany emphasise (1) the longevity and integrity of the military complex which included a series of major legionary bases, fleet installations, command posts and industrial facilities; (2) special aspects of a river frontier like transport logistics, harbour works and water management; (3) the wealth and special nature of the archaeological information contained in the waterlogged contexts of a lowland river, notably ecological find materials, ships and votive depositions. This paper reproduces the text of the SOUV and CA, as well as the set of site selection criteria and principles for the definition of buffer zones that was derived from the SOUV and CA. These documents are preceded by an introduction by the third author sketching the formal UNESCO context of the nomination process and outlining the steps taken so far.

Bürgerschaftliches Engagement am Limes

After 20 years of experience with developing heritage projects focussing on the archaeology itself and presentations on history and fi nds, the time has come to broaden the contribution of heritage to society. Is that possible? And what conditions are required? The important archaeological maritime collection of six Roman ships, the so-called Zwammerdam ships, named after the village of Zwammerdam in the Netherlands where they were discovered, form a basis for the development of new heritage projects which make a contribution to society. Not only in historical presentations, but for instance in offering work to disabled people, and by stimulating contact between multiply disabled people and cultural tourists. And not least by contributing to the education and integration of new Dutch citizens and by stimulating city marketing. The locations of this project lie in the western part of the Netherlands in the municipality of Alphen aan den Rijn along the former course of the Rhine. The first project is the establishment of the Limes Visitor Centre NIGRVM PVLLM, Zwammerdam. The second is the large scale restoration of six Roman Zwammerdam ships in Museumpark Archeon and the development of the National Roman Maritime Museum. These projects are to be seen in the context of the nomination of the Lower German Limes as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The heritage-as-contribution projects seek to work in harmony with UNESCO goals by sharing heritage with new partners and the public in order to improve society.

Wil Kuijpers

Around the beginning of the era, several castella were built by the Roman army along the Rhine. In the west of the Netherlands the remains of these castella are more or less preserved in the subsurface at their original position at the river Rhine. Further east, from the castellum at Vechten, it is a very different story. In the province of Gelderland the castella have been washed away and ended up at a depth of several meters. Only at a few locations something has been preserved. In this article the phenomenon of the washing away of the Roman castella in in the province of Gelderland will be discussed and it will be investigated whether a number of questions can be answered. Questions such as: - How fast and gradual is the washout of a castellum? - How far are individual objects such as building materials, pottery and metal objects carried away by the Rhine? - How deep does the Roman material get? - How large and how extensive is the resulting debris field at depth? To answer these questions, several topics are addressed such as the landscape of Gelderland in the Roman period, flooding in the Roman period, the influence of man on the river, the effect of the Rhine on a castellum and on archaeological objects both metal and pottery. Using the data from the topics covered, the paper then looks at the washout conditions of some seven Roman sites. The entire article concludes with a summary, conclusions, and an epilogue with an account of the salvage of dredged finds and the problems encountered in reporting washed-out sites.

Crossing borders along the Dutch limes How the famous Roman barges of Zwammerdam support people with multiple disabilities The Roman frontier fort of Zwammerdam is one of the sites along the Lower German limes, along the river Rhine in the west of the Netherlands. Beside the militairy fort six Roman shipwrecks are discovered. For the first time, archaeologists were able to excavate, document and preserve some complete specimens of this type of Gallo-Roman barge, which was named after the village of discovery, type `Zwammerdam’. This collection of ships, consisting of wood, nails, caulking remnants, small finds and their context, provides an outstanding set of data for research. There the ships represent the typical character of the Lower German limes as a river frontier, built in wetland, serving as a main transport route connecting the Germanic and Gallic hinterland with the North Sea basin. For this reason the ships play a principal role in the tourist-oriented development of the Lower German limes connected to the UNESCO nomination programme. The ships were found on the estate Hooge Burch, now owned by Ipse de Bruggen, an institute for people with multiple disabilities. Due to new medical insights and growing individualism, ideas have now changed regarding the relationship between clients and the rest of society. Cuts in health care also influence local changes and the treatments available. This and other developments made Ipse de Bruggen decide to realise more interaction between clients and visitors on the Hooge Burch. The ambitions of both the limes network and Ipse de Bruggen resulted in a joint venture on the Hooge Burch, with the objective of establishing a first-class visitors’ centre combining an exhibition with a Roman trail on the Roman part of the estate. After forty years, the discovery of the Roman barges has led to the realisation of a first-class limes visitor centre, partly run by people with mental and physical disabilities. Limes Visitor’s Centre NIGRVM PVLLVM opened its doors at April 15th 2016. What has happened during the decades since the discovery and how does the ship find of Zwammerdam support disabled people? Sidestone Press 'Fernweh' is a collection of essays on archaeological heritage management issues dedicated to Professor dr. Willem J.H. Willems. Willem Willems (1950-2014) was one of the most prominent and influential Dutch archaeologists. He directed three national archaeological and heritage organizations, and played a major role in the development of both national and international heritage management systems. His professional passion was threefold: Roman archaeology, archaeological heritage management and international collaboration. This volume is a tribute to him, his passions and the provocative discussions he loved so much. It holds contributions by people who worked closely with him. The essays originate from various contexts across the globe; from governmental organizations to museums, from private sector companies to universities. Some are contemplative, others offer refreshing visions for the future. The essays contribute to contemporary debates in archaeological heritage management. They concern the various dimensions and consequences of current policies and practices and address the meaning and use of the world's legacies from the past in and for society, at present and in the future. The overarching theme is the question of whose heritage we are protecting and how we can better valorise research results and connect with society. The book is organised into three parts. The first part, 'Time travels' covers the major challenges the archaeological heritage discipline is facing while heading towards the future. The second part, 'Crossing borders and boundaries', consists of essays that consider the international organizations and projects Willem Willems became (directly and indirectly) involved with. It reflects his trans-disciplinary interests and endeavours. In the third part, 'Home sweet home', the contributions discuss prof. Willems' involvement with and dedication to Dutch archaeological heritage management, from the implementation of the Council of Europe's Valletta Convention, to the engagement with people from all walks of life.

BMGN - Low Countries Historical Review

Jan Woudstra

In the western section of the town of Utrecht, the Netherlands, 30000 houses have been planned within a region that, almost 2000 years ago, was part of the frontier (the “Limes”) of the Roman Empire. Much effort is being put into the excavation and identification of parts of the buildings, roads and other objects belonging to the Limes. At the same time, in the south-eastern corner of the Netherlands, near the city of Maastricht, archaeologists, historical geographers and planners are discussing ways to visualise the long-lost Roman road from Boulogne to Cologne. Both projects take place in multi-layered historic landscapes that are characterised by medieval and more recent structures. The emphasis on Roman structures that have almost completely vanished underlines the continuing interest in the Roman Period. The present article shows that this fascination with the Romans has a long history and has influenced the cultural landscape during different periods.

Monique van den Dries

'Fernweh' is a collection of essays on archaeological heritage management issues dedicated to Professor dr. Willem J.H. Willems. Willem Willems (1950-2014) was one of the most prominent and influential Dutch archaeologists. The volume holds contributions by people who worked closely with him. The essays originate from various contexts across the globe; from governmental organizations to museums, from private sector companies to universities. Some are contemplative, others offer refreshing visions for the future. The essays contribute to contemporary debates in archaeological heritage management. They concern the various dimensions and consequences of current policies and practices and address the meaning and use of the world's legacies from the past in and for society, at present and in the future. The overarching theme is the question of whose heritage we are protecting and how we can better valorise research results and connect with society. The book is organised into three parts. The first part, 'Time travels' covers the major challenges the archaeological heritage discipline is facing while heading towards the future. The second part, 'Crossing borders and boundaries', consists of essays that consider the international organizations and projects Willem Willems became (directly and indirectly) involved with. It reflects his trans-disciplinary interests and endeavours. In the third part, 'Home sweet home', the contributions discuss prof. Willems' involvement with and dedication to Dutch archaeological heritage management, from the implementation of the Council of Europe's Valletta Convention, to the engagement with people from all walks of life.

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Graduate School Summer Funding Competition Awards Announced

Seventy-one scholars are the recipients of dissertation and pre-dissertation fellowship awards through The Graduate School’s Summer Funding Competition . The $4,500 awards are given annually to a select group of outstanding doctoral students to support progress to degree and dissertation completion. The awards are part of an expansion of funding and benefits programs announced by the Office of the Provost last spring.   

This year’s awards provide funding for summer research and writing to students in 43 different programs.   

  Dissertation fellowships were awarded to: 

• Carlos Ramirez Arenas, religion   
• Emily Beauparlant, social psychology   
• Chelsea Bouldin, cultural foundations of education   
• John Brigham, earth sciences     
• Semaj Campbell-Blakes, history   
• Stephen Caviness, teaching and curriculum   
• Ahmet Celik, religion   
• Shreyas Aralumallige Chandregowda, civil engineering   
• Sicong Chen, computer engineering and information science    
• Joseph Colbert, biology   
• Nicholas Croce, social science   
• Amber Ford, chemistry   
• Lerie Gabriel, composition and cultural rhetoric   
• Nicole Yeannine Moller Gonzalez, geography   
• Xiaoxia Huang, political science   
• Jianqing Jia, mathematics   
• Linghua Jiang, human development and family science   
• Kelly Kearns, counseling and counselor education   
• Marie Kramer, mathematics   
• Qingyang Liu, human development and family science   
• Yang Liu, instructional design, development and evaluation    
• Michael McCall, political science   
• Catherine Montgomery, clinical psychology   
• Katherine Mott, sociology   
• Zakery Munoz, composition and cultural rhetoric   
• Brian Odiwuor, mathematics education   
• David Okanlawon, anthropology   
• Felipe Oliveira, philosophy   
• Madeline Olley, English   
• Zhijuan Niu, instructional design, development and evaluation    
• Jared Rosenberg, exercise science   
• Sarah Souders, public administration   
• Sarah Stegeman, history   
• Nimisha Thakur, anthropology   
• Sidney Turner, composition and cultural rhetoric   
• Renci Xie, Doctor of Juridical Science    
• Dong Zheng, civil engineering   

 Pre-Dissertation fellowships were awarded to:  

• Aleyna Akyuz, physics   
• Md Mahbubul Alam, chemistry   
• Karisa Bridgelal, composition and cultural rhetoric   
• Fatma Celik, religion Amanda Kingston, cultural foundations of education   
• Nelson Donkor, chemical engineering   
• Luanxin Gao, economics   
• Si Gao, counseling and counselor education   
• Falak Hadi, political science   
• Antonia Hamilton, clinical psychology   
• Sadam Hussain, anthropology   
• Geoffrey Huyck, composition and cultural rhetoric   
• Joanne Kim, public administration   
• Amanda Kingston, cultural foundations of education   
• Kaia Kirk, political science   
• Fasika Melese, instructional design, development and evaluation    
• Arda Oz, English   
• Eunji Park, counseling and counselor education   
• Abdul Bashir Pazhwak, social science   
• David Peters, mass communications   
• Caroline Plecki, biology   
• Vatya Raina, anthropology   
• Hannah Rembrandt, speech-language pathology   
• Karie Schmitz, mathematics   
• Soham Sinha, English   
• Ilariac Siriner, cognitive psychology   
• Paige Spencer, religion   
• Aditya Srinivasan, social science   
• Xihe Tian, counseling and counselor education   
• Nathalie Uwamahoro, electrical and computer engineering   
• Benjamin Valen, social psychology   
• Bryce Whitwam, mass communications   
• Jiahe Xing, economics   
• Zonglin Yang, earth sciences    
• Shuo Zhang, economics   

Diane Stirling

• Graduate School Presents 39 Outstanding Teaching Assistant Awards Tuesday, April 16, 2024, By Diane Stirling
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Jackie Perkins is the Second Scholars of the Earth Dissertation Award Recipient

April 16, 2024

Sometime ago, Nathan Drake, one of our recent graduates, got to thinking. How could he help PhD. Students in Agricultural, Rural and Environmental history (ARE) at Mississippi State. He talked with several of his fellow PhD recipients and these young scholars agreed to establish the Scholars of the Earth Dissertation Award . The Scholars of the Earth prize will be awarded annually to a third or fourth year Mississippi State University ARE student who has successfully passed comprehensive exams and proposal defense.

While members of the ARE faculty will give out the annual prize, each donor will receive a copy of all the applications. These young scholars want to keep in touch with those walking their just a few short years ago. They want to stay abreast of the latest ARE work at Mississippi State Department of History.

The Scholars of the Earth donors include:

Karen Senaga . (2016) Pierce College

Owen Hyman . (2018) University of Mississippi

Kelli Nelson . (2017) University of Tennessee-Chattanooga

Alyssa Warrick . (2017) National Parks Service

Nick Timmerman . (2017) Langston University

Aaron Thomas . (2020) Lincoln Memorial University

Nathan Drake. (2020) Mississippi State University

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Four Ph.D. Students Honored with Ann G. Wylie Dissertation Fellowship

The University of Maryland's Graduate School has announced Department of Computer Science graduate students Nakul Garg , Shoken Kaneko ,  Mazda Moayeri and Gowthami Somepalli as recipients of the Ann G. Wylie Dissertation Fellowship , an award recognizing outstanding research contributions and academic performance by doctoral students in the later stages of their dissertation research.

The Ann G. Wylie Dissertation Fellowship is a testament to the university's commitment to fostering academic excellence and research innovation. It includes a $15,000 stipend, a candidacy tuition award and additional benefits to facilitate the completion of innovative dissertation work.

Inaugurated in 2005, the award is named in honor of Department of Geology Professor Emerita Ann G. Wylie . The fellowship underscores the importance of academic and research endeavors at the University of Maryland. It is a key component of the Graduate School's efforts to nurture doctoral candidates' academic and professional development. 

The research focuses of the awardees are:  

Garg is a Ph.D. student advised by Assistant Professor Nirupam Roy . His research focuses on the development of sustainable computing technologies. Garg primarily deals with batteryless, AI-driven ambient computing technologies that enhance operational longevity and intelligence while reducing power requirements. His work is intended to support the creation of smarter cities, increase supply chain efficiencies and further develop advanced healthcare systems with a reduced environmental footprint.

In addition to his fellowship, Garg has collaborated with Microsoft Research to investigate AI solutions in supply chains, specifically focusing on dynamic tracking systems to reduce global food waste. His projects also include developing next-generation batteryless tags for applications like geofencing, wildlife monitoring and environmental sensing.

Garg plans to explore ambient computing's capabilities further using AI and machine learning to address challenges in egocentric sensing, perception and communications. After completing his Ph.D., he is considering founding a company to commercialize his research and maintain his contributions to the academic field.

Shoken Kaneko

Kaneko is a Ph.D. student advised by Professor Ramani Duraiswami . His work focuses on computational audio and acoustics, specifically spatial audio and boundary element analysis. His work aims to improve numerical simulations in acoustics and electrostatics, enhancing accuracy and reducing costs.

Kaneko has developed algorithms that could significantly improve the efficiency of numerical simulations. 

"The methods I've worked on improve spatial audio capture and processing, audio rendering, and sound localization," Kaneko explained. "My research could fundamentally change how we simulate and interact with audio in real-world and virtual environments, like virtual reality and the metaverse."

Looking ahead, he plans to refine spatial audio technologies and further develop engineering tools for audio and acoustics, aiming to enhance how audio is integrated and manipulated in physical and digital spaces.

Mazda Moayeri

Mazda Moayeri is a Ph.D. student advised by Associate Professor Soheil Feizi . Moayeri's research centers on building interpretability tools for artificial intelligence, aiming to enhance transparency and mitigate the risks associated with AI. His research addresses potential limitations within AI systems to prevent harmful impacts, making strides toward safer, more reliable and more equitable AI applications across different societal sectors.

Moayeri's work promises to fundamentally alter how society interacts with AI by making the technology's inner workings more accessible and understandable.

"AI is incredible because it can be applied to so many problems, and it is advancing at an astonishing rate," Moayeri explained. "A technology so wide-reaching is exciting but also scary, as the risks rise with the number of use cases, especially since we don't always know what's going on under the hood. My work aims to create a future where people can confidently decide when to rely on AI by enhancing the technology's transparency and proactively addressing bias issues before they cause harm."

Looking forward, Moayeri plans to continue exploring the field of AI, likely transitioning to industry roles that emphasize the societal impacts of technological advancements.

"I truly believe AI can empower all of us, but I also worry that it may widen existing gaps in our society," Moayeri stated. "I hope to build tools that put the power of AI in people's hands instead of cruelly replacing them. The exact problems I work on will evolve as the field does, which it currently is doing, but I will always care about fair AI, bias mitigation, model debugging and increasing transparency."

Gowthami Somepalli

Somepalli is a Ph.D. student advised by Professor Tom Goldstein . Her research focuses on identifying and addressing failure modes in multimodal deep learning models, aiming to enhance their reliability and functionality. Somepalli's work has notably included a study on understanding and memorization in diffusion models, which has significant implications for their practical application across various industries.

In addition to her primary research focus, Somepalli is enhancing vision large language models (LLMs), exploring ways to bolster their efficiency and applicability. This work aligns with her broader objectives to address critical challenges in deep learning technologies.

"My work aims to ensure that deep learning systems have a significantly reduced failure rate before they can be utilized on a large scale," Somepalli explained. "The application of my research in diffusion models was notably referenced during the Stable Diffusion lawsuit, and Stability AI has incorporated it in their recent SD3 model to minimize memorization."

Looking ahead, Somepalli plans to continue her research on improving multimodal systems. "Tackling the robustness of these systems is both a challenging and essential task," she remarked, emphasizing the importance of her future endeavors in contributing to the field of artificial intelligence.

—Story by Samuel Malede Zewdu, CS Communications 

The Department welcomes comments, suggestions and corrections.  Send email to editor [-at-] cs [dot] umd [dot] edu .

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From nitrogen to activism: Unveiling Dalhousie’s 2024 Doctoral Thesis Award winners

Stephen Oshilaja - April 16, 2024

Dalhousie doctoral graduates Joseph Bedard and Tari Ajadi have been named the 2024 recipients of the Dalhousie Doctoral Thesis Awards, an annual honour that recognizes dissertations that have made significant and original contributions to the academic community and Canadian society.

The awards, presented by the Faculty of Graduate Studies for more than 25 years now, recognize exceptional theses submitted by PhD students.

Dr. Bedard’s ground-breaking research in the Department of Chemistry centered on making plastics out of nitrogen and phosphorus. He hopes his work lays the foundation for the development and commercialization of atmospheric nitrogen-derived plastics, but also that it challenges basic assumptions in the way chemicals that can be used as building blocks for synthetic materials are identified.

“Joe took on the most ambitious project in our group with global impact and systematically developed the tools needed to tackle it,” says Dr. Saurabh Chitnis, who served as his doctoral supervisor. “His curiosity, enthusiasm, and persistence are models for all graduate students undertaking high-risk, high-reward research. I am thrilled to see it recognized in this way and to have been part of his scientific journey.” 

Dr. Bedard was also recently crowned the winner of Falling Walls Lab Pitches competition in Berlin , Germany, for his presentation “Breaking the Wall of Alternative Plastics.”

Dr. Ajadi’s thesis sheds light on the remarkable efforts of African Nova Scotian community organizations and activists in shaping policies related to health and policing, historically and in the present. He hopes his work informs future attempts at transformational change that will and are currently unfolding by chronicling some of the successes (and failures) of the past. The work also pushes back against the erasure of Black political organizing in contemporary discussions around Canadian politics.

"Tari’s research on African Nova Scotian activism in policing and public health is path-breaking in the field of Canadian political science,” says Dr. Kristin Good, his former supervisor in the Department of Political Science .

“His work is conceptually and methodologically innovative in its exploration of African Nova Scotians’ long history of resistance to structural racism and of community organizing in Halifax, conceptualizing its organizations and networks as part of a competing racial order united by a commitment to self-determination and driven by an ethic of care. Methodologically, his work breaks new ground by including autoethnography as part of his toolkit, which allows him to reflect upon his personal experience as an activist in the analysis. I learned a lot from supervising Tari’s thesis and look forward to following his academic career.”

As this year’s winners, Drs. Bedard and Ajadi will also be Dal’s nominees for the CAGS-ProQuest Distinguished Dissertation Award, which will be awarded by the Canadian Association for Graduate Studies (CAGS) later this year.

For more insights into their impactful work, explore the Q&A below.

Dr. Joseph Bedard, Chemistry PhD

My thesis is concerned with making synthetic polymers (i.e. plastics) out of nitrogen and phosphorus. Right now, about 85% of the plastics we make are derived from petrochemicals. As our society is shifting away from fossil fuels towards alternative energy sources, we also must consider alternative materials sources as well. The work in my thesis is an entrant into the arena of non-petroleum-based plastics. I discovered a way to convert chemicals, derived from the nitrogen in our atmosphere, into polymers and networks with an incredibly unique molecular structure (nitrogen and phosphorus cages), the likes of which had not been discovered before. My thesis details the exploration of the fundamental properties for these new materials, as well as the physical properties of the plastics I can make from them. 

What impact do you hope to make with your research?

My hope is that the work I have done during my PhD not only lays the groundwork for the development and commercialization of atmospheric nitrogen-derived plastics, but also really encourages a paradigm shift in terms of the way we identify the chemicals that can be used as building blocks for synthetic materials. From a more zoomed-in perspective, I'm looking forward to seeing the chemistry research community build further on the concept of stringing together molecular cages to make polymers, and ultimately, materials. 

Tell me about a defining moment you had at Dalhousie.

In the fourth year of my PhD, through the encouragement of my principal investigator, prof. Saurabh Chitnis, I entered a regional competition called Falling Walls Lab Atlantic. I did not know too much about it at the time, but as I prepared my 3-minute pitch for the competition, I was encouraged to really think about the potential societal impact of my research. It is not often that synthetic chemists working on innovative, fundamental projects think about our work on such a scale. Doing so allowed me to realize that my research was actually a lot closer to having a material impact on our society than I'd thought. I went on to finish runner-up in the Atlantic competition and got a chance to go to Berlin to compete in the international competition, which I was lucky enough to end up winning. 

What are you doing now?

Right now, I have moved to Montreal, where I have traded the Maritime fog for the city smog (Willy's poutine holds up pretty well!). I am currently exploring opportunities that align best with my expertise and passion for chemistry and "big bet" science.

Dr. Tari Ajadi, Political Science PhD

My doctoral thesis is about the incredible work that African Nova Scotian community organizations and activists do (and have done, historically) to transform policy related to health and policing. It argues that Black organizers in Halifax engage in “worldmaking” via centuries-long lineage of resistance, institution-building, and advocacy. This worldmaking moves towards the idea of self-determination: being able to decide for oneself the trajectory of one’s community. As part of this lineage, organizers foster a distinct political identity that can facilitate solidarity across difference despite the significant barriers they may face in transforming the status quo.

I hope to inform future attempts at transformational change that will and are currently unfolding by chronicling some of the successes (and failures) of the past. I also intend to push back against the erasure of Black political organizing in contemporary discussions around Canadian politics.

The defining moments of my time at Dalhousie were the everyday acts of kindness and care that my close friends and mentors showed me throughout the years I spent at Dal– these moments have shaped who I am today. 

What are you doing now? 

I am an Assistant Professor in Black Politics at McGill University.

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