University of Utah Graduate School Announces 2026 CGS/ProQuest Distinguished Dissertation Award Nominees

The University of Utah Graduate School is proud to announce its 2026 nominees for the Council of Graduate Schools (CGS)/ProQuest Distinguished Dissertation Award. Following a university-wide competition, these outstanding scholars have been selected to receive a $500 award and represent the University of Utah in the National competition, where their innovative research and scholarly contributions will be considered alongside outstanding doctoral dissertations from graduate institutions across the country.

This year’s honorees represent two areas of academic excellence:

Grace Hunt
Competition Field: Mathematics, Physical Sciences & Engineering
Dissertation: Powered Prosthesis Control During Functional Mobility Tasks

Sarah Jensen
Competition Field: Social Sciences
Dissertation: Fairness and Fallout: Understanding Third-Party Forgiveness, the Role of Justice Repair, and Unexpected Organizational Consequences

Congratulations to both scholars on this well-deserved recognition. We are proud to celebrate their achievements and wish them continued success as they represent the University of Utah in the 2026 National CGS/ProQuest Distinguished Dissertation Award competition.