Doctoral student's dissertation about African girls' issues earns special recognition

The Graduate School at Virginia Tech has bestowed the 2010 Outstanding Dissertation in the Social Sciences, Business and Humanities Award to Heather Switzer of Blacksburg, who graduated in December with a doctorate in planning, governance, and globalization from the School of Public and International Affairs, College of Architecture and Urban Studies, and research associate in Virginia Tech's Institute for Policy and Governance.