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MCC Daily Tribune

Chancellor King Celebrates SUNY Excellence with Announcement of the PhD Graduate Dissertation Award Winners

Albany, NY – State University of New York Chancellor John B. King Jr and the SUNY Board of Trustees celebrated doctoral and PhD students with the Chancellor’s Distinguished PhD Graduate Dissertation Awards, which recognizes the best PhD dissertations in the SUNY system. This year’s first place winner, who will receive a $5,000 cash award, is Dr. Yunting Zhu, from SUNY Upstate Medical’s Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, for her dissertation, "The Neuroinflammatory Basis of Schizophrenia and Bipolar Disorder: Spotlight on Brain Macrophages, Cytokines, and the Blood-Brain Barrier."

SUNY graduates approximately 1,200 PhD students each year from its doctoral-granting campuses, with fields of study ranging from agriculture, biology, physics, and social sciences to engineering and the fine arts. SUNY currently has nine PhD granting institutions, who are invited to submit one nomination portfolio each year.

“SUNY’s doctoral programs are designed to prepare passionate and curious students with the research and academic infrastructure they need to transform the world around them,” said SUNY Chancellor King. “Congratulations to Dr. Zhu and our five finalists on their outstanding dissertation work. We proudly celebrate excellence in research and scholarship, one of our four pillars that drive everything we do, and the recipients of this distinctive honor will undoubtably leave a positive impact through the discovery and implementation of new ideas.”

SUNY Board of Trustee Stanley S. Litow said, “SUNY is proud of the innovative research being conducted by our doctoral students to move the needle forward in their academic passions and ensure that these findings create a better world for all. On behalf of our Board of Trustees, congratulations to the students selected this year, and we look forward to continuing to support research and scholarship endeavors at all academic levels.”

Upstate Medical President Mantosh Dewan, MD, said, “On behalf of the entire Upstate community, I extend congratulations to Yunting Zhu for being recognized for writing the best PhD dissertation in the SUNY system. This exceptional honor reflects Yunting’s prowess as a scientist and scholar, as well as speaks to the support from her adviser and our Neuroscience and Physiology faculty. We are proud of this achievement, and excited to see how this work will contribute to advancing the field of neuroscience and mental health.”

Dr. Zhu’s dissertation researched the biological changes in the human brain that lead to the development of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, including brain inflammation and tissue-damaging immune cells. This research could then be tested further with the goal of developing early detection and new treatments targeting the immune system.

Alongside Dr. Zhu, five dissertation award finalists were selected and will receive a $1,000 cash award. The finalists are:

  • Craig Kelley, Downstate Health Sciences, Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, "Multiscale computer modeling of brain excitability: applications to spreading depression and neuronal impedance"
  • Jiaying Lin, University at Buffalo, Department of Sociology, "Understanding the Impact of the First Anti-Domestic Violence Law in China"
  • Amanda Rowe, Stony Brook University, Department of Anthropology, “Dimensions of coexistence: Niche differentiation by four cheirogaleid lemur species"
  • Alexis Weber, University at Albany, Department of Chemistry, "Determining the Time Since Deposition of Bloodstains Based on Vibrational Spectroscopy for Forensic Purposes”
  • Huei-Jyun Ye, Binghamton University, Department of Political Science, "Deals to be Determined: Domestic Political Uncertainties and Trade Negotiations"

U.S. Representative John W. Mannion said, “The research opportunities at SUNY Upstate and across the SUNY System drive innovation and advance solutions to complex issues. I am thrilled that the work of Dr. Yunting Zhu that will help unlock causes and treatments for severe mental health disorders, is being recognized by Chancellor King and the Board of Trustees with the Distinguished PhD Graduate Dissertation Award. As a cornerstone of NY-22, I’ll continue to support SUNY Upstate’s mission of providing lifesaving healthcare, cutting edge research like Dr. Zhu’s, and good paying jobs in our community.”

Toby Ann Stavisky, State Senator and Chair of the Senate’s Committee on Higher Education, said, “Our SUNY doctoral granting institutions provide graduate students with important opportunities to advance their research and further their career opportunities. I want to congratulate Dr. Zhu and all the finalists as they are recognized for their groundbreaking work in their respective fields of expertise.”

State Senator Rachel May said, “Highlighting the achievements of these doctoral students demonstrates that the SUNY system attracts and graduates some of the best talent in the country, making it an invaluable asset to our state. Congratulations to all the winners of this prestigious award! A special recognition to Dr. Yunting Zhu from my Senate District at SUNY Upstate for winning first place. Your hard work, rigorous research, and brilliant dissertation have made us all proud. I am excited about what you and your peers will accomplish in the future and the wonderful contributions you will make to our state.”

Alicia Hyndman, Assemblymember and Chair of the Assembly’s Committee on Higher Education, said, “Congratulations to Dr. Yunting Zhu and all the finalists of this year’s SUNY Chancellor’s Distinguished PhD Graduate Dissertation Awards. Dr. Zhu’s groundbreaking research into the neuroinflammatory basis of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder is a shining example of the transformative power of education and scientific inquiry. SUNY continues to demonstrate its commitment to fostering academic excellence and advancing research that improves lives. I applaud SUNY Chancellor King, the Board of Trustees, and the doctoral students across the system for their contributions to innovation and discovery, and I look forward to the positive impact their work will have on communities across New York and beyond."

About The State University of New York 

The State University of New York is the largest comprehensive system of higher education in the United States, and more than 95 percent of all New Yorkers live within 30 miles of any one of SUNY’s 64 colleges and universities. Across the system, SUNY has four academic health centers, five hospitals, four medical schools, two dental schools, a law school, the country’s oldest school of maritime, the state’s only college of optometry, and manages one US Department of Energy National Laboratory. In total, SUNY serves about 1.4 million students amongst its entire portfolio of credit- and non-credit-bearing courses and programs, continuing education, and community outreach programs. SUNY oversees nearly a quarter of academic research in New York. Research expenditures system-wide are nearly $1.16 billion in fiscal year 2024, including significant contributions from students and faculty. There are more than three million SUNY alumni worldwide, and one in three New Yorkers with a college degree is a SUNY alum. To learn more about how SUNY creates opportunities, visit www.suny.edu.

Patrick Morris
Community Relations
01/29/2025