I combined my interest in adaptation studies with my personal interest in science and the environment, and that's how my dissertation topic was born." "After attending Lissette Lopez Szwydky's course titled 'Nineteenth-Century Women Adapted,' it just made great sense to pair up with her for my dissertation project. "At the University of Arkansas, we are lucky to have some excellent professors in 19th-century literature," she said. "As I continued my research, I realized that this made a lot of sense, because in the 19th century, there were a lot of developments in evolutionary science that affected the way people felt about women and other marginalized groups and continue to influence many people today."įiggins found a passion for interdisciplinary transhistorical literature early in her academic career when she took a class on Gothic literature before enrolling in the doctoral program at the U of A and narrowing her research interests. Moreau or Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland - were associations between animals and science and women, associations that change over time as our cultural feelings about those topics change," she said. "The kinds of patterns that immediately emerged when looking at stories that featured animals - like H.G. Drawing on a variety of media, from 19th century literature to comic books and video games, Figgins' work discovers that narratives show evolving and complex attitudes toward animals, science and women. Kristen Figginsįiggins' dissertation, titled "Adapting Animals: Nineteenth-Century Literature, Science, and Media," explores the evolution of different literary narratives over time, particularly how individual stories illustrate an evolving understanding of science and nature. By winning the award, Figgins and Tye 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. 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. Two recent doctoral graduates at the U of A - Kristen Figgins, who graduated with a doctorate in English, and Simon Tye, who graduated with a doctorate in biological sciences - earned this year's Distinguished Dissertation Award from the Graduate School and International Education.
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