Michael La Monica ’18Ph.D. is the recipient of UCF’s 2018-19 award for Outstanding Dissertation in the Social Science, Humanities, Education, Business, Art and Health category.
He completed his doctorate in education in the Exercise Physiology Track. His dissertation is titled Examining Work-to-Rest Ratios to Optimize Upper Body Sprint Interval Training.
“Dr. La Monica demonstrated dedication far beyond that of most doctoral students,” wrote Linda I. Rosa-Lugo, interim assistant dean of faculty excellence and graduate and global affairs, in her nomination letter to the Graduate Student Awards Committee. “[He] was enthusiastically recommended for this award by Dr. David Fukuda, his faculty supervisor and graduate program director.”
Fukuda, a member of the kinesiology faculty, said he is very happy to see La Monica recognized. “Mike was one of the hardest working students we’ve had,” he said.
La Monica is now an assistant professor of kinesiology at Missouri State University in Springfield. His first article from his dissertation research appears in this month’s issue of Respiratory Physiology and Neurobiology.
La Monica advanced as a nominee for the university-level award having recently won the Outstanding Dissertation award from the College of Health Professions and Sciences, which includes the Division of Kinesiology.
Two other graduate students — Nicolas Clark and Aleksandra Krawczyk ’18M.S. — recently received honors from the college as well.
Clark, a graduate teaching assistant in the School of Kinesiology and Physical Therapy and a doctoral candidate in the Exercise Physiology Track, received the college’s Excellence in Graduate Student Teaching award.
“To be considered for the excellence award in graduate teaching is a great honor and privilege,” Clark said. “I am pleased to receive it and I would like to thank the College of Health Professions and Sciences for this recognition.”
Krawczyk, a graduate of the master’s degree program in communication sciences and disorders program, received the Outstanding Thesis award for her study titled Crosslinguistic Analysis of Stuttering and Typical Disfluencies in Polish-English Bilingual Adults Who Stutter.
“It is an honor to have my thesis chosen to represent the college,” Krawczyk said. “As a student researcher, being selected is testament to the support I received from the School of Communication Sciences and Disorders, my thesis mentor Martine Vanryckeghem, and the individuals who volunteered their time to be part of the study.”
