Holliday, Tian Win GSIE's Distinguished Dissertation Award

Michad Holliday and Yang Tian, two recent doctoral graduates from the U of A, earned this year's Distinguished Dissertation Award from the Graduate School and International Education.

GSIE annually recognizes excellence in dissertation research and publication with the Distinguished Dissertation Awards, recognizing individuals who have completed dissertations representing original work that makes an unusually significant contribution to their disciplines. By winning the award, Holliday and Tian are also nominated to represent the U of A in competition for the Council of Graduate Schools/Proquest Distinguished Dissertation Award at the national level.

The Distinguished Dissertation Award is an annual award started in 2021 that recognizes two dissertations from different disciplines, with qualifying disciplines alternating each year. Nominations are solicited each spring by the associate dean of the Graduate School and International Education. Each doctoral program can nominate one student in the appropriate award cycle. Students must have completed their degree over the past two fiscal years.

Michad Holliday

Holliday's dissertation, "The Educational Exodus: Education Reform in the American South," examines the efficacy and legacy of education reform in the American South, specifically exploring at Arkansas' Marvell/Elaine School District's "transformation contract" with the Arkansas Departmenf of Education.

Through interviews, on-site observations, statistical analysis, archived news stories, photos and videos, as well as perspectives from community members, educational professionals, historians, activists and policy makers, Holliday's dissertation provides a comprehensive view of the crisis currently facing the school district's educational system and the effects of past and present education reform models.

Holliday's interest in his dissertation topic began when he was teaching high school during the COVID-19 pandemic. In the "Great Resignation" that followed with the unprecedented number of people leaving their jobs - specifically teachers - Holliday became interested in the phenomenon, specifically how teachers were disproportionately leaving jobs in the American South.

"This immediately captured my interest because I both live and teach in the South, and I wanted to understand why," he said. "As I delved deeper into the literature, I found that teacher attrition was not only more concentrated in the South, but in Arkansas it was especially pronounced in the southern region of the state, particularly the Arkansas Delta. In contrast, Northwest Arkansas, where I taught, was not experiencing the same level of teacher attrition. These striking regional differences further fueled my interest in the topic."

Concurrently with this trend was the passage of the LEARNS Act in 2023, which authorized a private entity to assume management and operations of the Marvell/Elaine School District in southeast Arkansas.

"This decision ignited a statewide debate over public versus private governance, the effectiveness of education reform and the broader impact of these policies on small, rural school districts," he added. "Together, these factors shaped my research interests and ultimately led me to include a documentary as part of my dissertation."

Raised in Memphis, Holliday earned his undergraduate degree in media and master's degree in education, both from Harding University. He earned his doctorate in curriculum and instruction from the U of A in December 2025.

"I am extremely excited about receiving this award and competing on a national level," he said. "This has been a dream come true. After enduring a lifetime of trials and tribulations, to make it to this point is truly a boon and a blessing."

Yang Tian

Tian's dissertation, "Development of New Nanomaterials for Biosensing and Tissue Engineering," explores the development of nanomaterials designed to support bone and skeletal muscle tissue regeneration. Additionally, his work explores new low-cost nanomaterials that can be used to create highly sensitive biosensors for rapid detection of viruses and foodborne pathogens.

"This work was motivated by a fundamental challenge in regenerative medicine," Tian said. "When bone or muscle tissue is seriously injured, the body's natural healing process may not be sufficient to restore its original structure and function. A well-designed bioscaffold can provide a supportive environment for cells to attach, grow and organize, while also promoting tissue regeneration. I was interested in creating new materials that could accelerate this healing process and potentially lead to improved treatment strategies for patients."

While his research initially focused on developing nanomaterials to support bone and muscle growth, Tian and his adviser saw an opportunity during the COVID-19 pandemic to expand their work and contribute to the global pandemic response. They began applying their experience in material development and device fabrication to the creation of new sensing materials and detection systems for viruses.

"Although my bioscaffold and virus-sensing research addressed different biomedical problems, they were connected by the same central idea: using the design of advanced materials to improve human health," he said. "One area focused on helping the body repair damaged tissues, while the other focused on detecting pathogens quickly and accurately. Together, these projects shaped the broader direction of my dissertation and strengthened my commitment to developing practical technologies that can respond to important health care needs."

An international student from China, Tian grew up fascinated by chemistry and materials science - specifically, the versatility of materials and how controlling and adjusting chemical and physical properties can create advanced materials and devices that improve people's health.

He chose to attend the U of A because of the university's Chemistry and Biochemistry Department, as well as the Materials Science and Engineering interdisciplinary graduate program. He graduated from the U of A in fall 2024 with a Ph.D. in materials science and engineering.

"I feel extremely fortunate and deeply honored to receive the Distinguished Dissertation Award," he said. "Completing a dissertation is a long process that requires persistence, creativity and the willingness to continue working through unexpected challenges. Receiving this recognition is therefore both exciting and humbling. It is a privilege to represent the University of Arkansas at the national level."