A graduate student in the University at Buffalo's Department of Sociology and Criminology was named as one of five finalists in the State University of New York Chancellor's Distinguished PhD Graduate Dissertation Awards.

The awards recognize the best PhD dissertations in the SUNY system.

As a finalist, UB's Jiaying Lin will receive $1,000 for her dissertation titled "Understanding the Impact of the First Anti-Domestic Violence Law in China."

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. "...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."