Pacifica Graduate Institute confers the annual Dissertation Award of Excellence to recognize original research that significantly contributes to the field of depth psychology or mythological studies. Entries are based on the presentation and clarity of ideas, sound methodology and interpretation of findings, innovative quality, and contribution to the field of depth psychology or mythological studies.
A subcommittee of the Academic Excellence Committee composed of members of that committee and any other faculty member who wanted to participate were invited. This group convened in April 2018 to assess the nominated dissertations. The criteria used for assessment included:
- Importance and impact of the dissertation subject
- Originality and creativity of the work
- Potential for publishing (outside of ProQuest)
- Organization of the dissertation
- Quality of the writing
- Other factors that denote excellence
- Pacifica’s six core values: Logos, Eros, Consciousness, Integrity, Service, and Stewardship
The Academic Senate and Pacifica Graduate Institute are proud to announce the 2017-2018 awardees of the Dissertation Award of Excellence:
John Boyce Sherk, dissertation title Archetypal Underpinnings of Paternal Postpartum Depression: A Phenomenological Study
Katherine Marie Warwick-Smith, dissertation title Remembering Prudence: Tracking the Iconography of a Cardinal Virtue to Her Resurgence in Depth Psychology
Elizabeth Ruth Wolterink, dissertation title Cloaked in Darkness: Feminine Katabasis in Myth and Culture
