D. Wynne Thorne Career Research Award
Named after USU’s first Vice President for Research, the D. Wynne Thorne Career Research Award is given to an individual on the USU campus who has completed outstanding research in his or her career.
The award is given annually to one outstanding university senior researcher who is recommended by a committee of peers, many of them previous award recipients. Nominees are evaluated for the significance, impact, and quality of their research, scholarly, or creative achievement and recognition by national and international experts. Thorne Research Awardees have produced a significant portion of their work while at Utah State University.
Joyce Kinkead, recipient of the 2018 D. Wynne Thorne Career Research Award
Joyce Kinkead joined USU in 1982, taking on the role of director of the Writing Center and then director of the Writing Program. Since then, she has served extensively at the university, as creator and director of the Writing Fellows program, associate dean for the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, vice provost, and associate vice president for research, among other roles. Kinkead led the USU undergraduate research program for 11 years as the associate vice president for research, from 2000 to 2011. During her time, she brought about many advances in the program, including Research on Capitol Hill and the Undergraduate Research Fellows program. She also established the Utah Conference on Undergraduate Research (UCUR). Kinkead has helped increase the number of students participating in undergraduate research, as well as increased the number of those students winning awards for their research. With 13 books, 15 book chapters and numerous articles, her publication count is the highest in the Department of English. Over the years, she has mentored 20 undergraduates, served on 20 master’s and doctoral candidates’ committees and headed the initiative to provide research funding to those in the humanities, an overlooked area in the research world.