Vaswati Chatterjee received the recognition at a January conference in Austin.

DENTON (UNT), Texas – The Southern Political Science Association recognized Vaswati Chatterjee, doctoral candidate in the University of North Texas College of Health and Public Service Department of Public Administration, with their 2019 Emerging Young Scholar Award at the third annual Conference Within a Conference in Austin. She earned the honor for her paper entitled “Impact of Smart Growth on Economic Resilience.”

“It’s been an honor to not only watch Vaswati mature as a student, but to see her accomplishments be recognized by leaders in the field,” said Dr. Simon Andrew, professor of public administration. “Her research stands out among doctoral students and is innovative in the sense that she applies the institutional analysis to examine smart growth policies adoption in Florida. She employs GIS to determine if cities experiencing disasters are more likely to change the ways they can mitigate the consequences of disasters.”

Chatterjee says she’s proud of the honor and appreciates the caring faculty in HPS.

“I am grateful for the continued support from Dr. Andrew, who has been immensely instrumental in developing my scholarship and receiving this recognition,” Chatterjee said. “The departments of Public Administration and Emergency Management and Disaster Science provide a very supportive environment for graduate students. I am happy to be part of the UNT family that has helped me so much in achieving my career goals.”

Chatterjee is currently pursuing a tenure-track position in public administration.

“We look forward to seeing what the future holds for her,” said Dr. Andrew. “We know big things are on the horizon.”

Dr. Neale Chumbler, dean of the college, says he’s proud of Chatterjee and her many accomplishments.

“It’s always so fulfilling to see our students succeed, especially to this capacity,” Dr. Chumbler said. “They trust us with their futures and this is an excellent example of how a student’s intelligence and talent, fostered by a strong and caring faculty, can lead to life-changing research. I can’t wait to see how she shapes the lives of her students.”