RSAI Dissertation Award

Call for submissions

2024 RSAI Best Dissertation in Regional Science

The Regional Science Association International (RSAI) invites submissions for the annual competition for the Best Doctoral Dissertation in Regional Science. Regional science is an interdisciplinary field concerned with theory, method, and application of regional, urban and rural, geographic and spatial investigations and analyses.

The winner will be decided by the Selection Committee and will receive a cash award of 750 Euros. Award announcements will be made at the North American Meetings of the RSAI, where participants in the competition are strongly encouraged to be present. The Selection Committee reserves the right to not make an award. Decisions made by the Selection Committee are final.

Eligibility:

  1. A dissertation completed in any PhD program in any country is eligible,
  2. A dissertation written in English,
  3. A dissertation successfully defended, with official graduation date between July 1st 2023 and June 30th 2024,
  4. A dissertation on a single or multiple general regional science topics. The Selection Committee reserves the right to determine whether a dissertation is relevant to the field of regional science. 

Application (in either PDF or MS Word format):

  1. A two-page curriculum vita;
  2. A letter of support and nomination from the major professor (also known as a dissertation committee chairperson or supervisor) on stationary paper and with signature. The letter should clearly explain the dissertation’s originality and contributions to the field of regional science;
  3. The dissertation.

Applications should be submitted electrically by August 31, 2024, to the Chair of the Selection Committee, Dimitris Ballas (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.). Large submissions can be uploaded to a cloud file-sharing site. Questions regarding the dissertation competition may be sent to him too. 

 

Winners 

2023

                   

Tian CV Yunyu Tian 2pageDr Yunyu Tian is chosen as the winner of the RSAI dissertation award in 2023 for her PhD dissertation entitled “Earth Observation data for assessing global urbanization-sustainability nexuses”, which was successfully defended (with a cum laude distinction) on 6 June 2023 at Wageningen University and Research.

The cum laude distinction (only given to around 5% of all PhD students at Wageningen University) was awarded by an extended evaluation committee of nine persons.  Dr Tian’s PhD dissertation made significant contributions towards the knowledge of urbanization and environmental changes at the global scale. The thesis included highly innovative methodological features such as the use of multi-source (and high quality) Earth Observation data and social data, contributing to academic and policy knowledge relating to global urbanization and sustainability as well as their nexus at the neighbourhood level. Part of the thesis has already been published in the form of academic peer-reviewed papers in the journals Landscape and Urban Planning (2022) and Environmental Research Letters (2022). 

The RSAI congratulates Dr. Tian and her supervisors Professor Martin Herold and Professor Eveline van Leeuwen (Wageningen University).

                   

2022

                 

 2021

I Gede Nyoman Mindra Jaya CVThe selection committee for the RSAI Best Dissertation award has unanimously agreed to declare the PhD thesis of I Gede Nyoman Mindra Jaya entitled ‘Bayesian Spatiotemporal Modeling and Mapping of Infectious Disease: Methodology and Application to Dengue disease in Bandung and COVID-19 in West Java, Indonesia’ as winner of the 2022 RSAI Best Dissertation Award.

This thesis has already been published in the form of four academic peer-reviewed papers in the Journal of Regional Science (2021), Geographical Analysis (2021) and the Journal of Geographical Systems (2020 and 2022).  It was also unanimously awarded the cum laude (honours) distinction (for outstanding ability to conduct independent research) by the assessment and review committee (comprising Professors P. McCann, R. Bivand, A. Anshory Yusuf,J. LeSage, M. Fischer)  as well as the Tiebout Price of the Western Regional Science Association in 2019.

The RSAI congratulates Dr. Jaya and his supervisors, Prof. L.J.G. van Wissen and Prof. H. Folmer (Groningen University).

                 

 andreasdAndreas Diemer is chosen as the winner of the RSAI dissertation award in 2021 for his work "Essays in the Spatial Economic Analysis of Social Interactions." The dissertation develops an interdisciplinary approach to identify the role of social networks in determining economic outcomes of both people and places, and discusses how social and geographical spaces interact to shape the fortunes of individuals and regions, using big data. The committee found his dissertation to be novel and creative in the research framework, analysis and implications. He received his Doctorate from London School of Economics, and was supervised by Professor Simona Iammarino and Prof. Michael Storper. Dr. Diemer is now at Swedish Institute for Social Research. Congratulations!

2020

                 

2019

dariIn 2020 the winner of the RSAI dissertation prize was Daria Denti for his Thesis entitled “Essays on the Economic Geography of Oppressive Violent Deviant Behaviours". She was supervised by Professor Alessandra Faggian (GSSI), and Professor Simona Iammarino (London School of Economics and Political Science). Congratulations!

                 

Mingshu WangIn 2019 the winner of the RSAI dissertation prize was Mingshu Wang for his Thesis entitled “Polycentric Urban Development in China”. He was supervised by Professor Marguerite Madden from the University of Georgia. Congratulations!

2018

                 

2017

Justin DelloyeIn 2018 the winner of the RSAI dissertation prize was Justin Delloye for his Thesis entitled “Urban Morphodynamics: Reconciling Location Theory and Complex”. He was supervised by Professor Dominique Peeters and Professor Isabelle Thomas from Université Catholique de Louvain. Congratulations!

                 

Mirjam Schindler2In 2017 the winner of the RSAI dissertation prize was Mirjam Schindler for her dissertation entitled “Spatial modelling of feedback effects between urban structure and traffic-induced air pollution - Insights from quantitative geography and urban economics”. She was supervised by Professor Geoffrey Caruso, Institute of Geography and Spatial Planning, University of Luxembourg. Congratulations!

2016 

 

 

 

           

2015 

Van Meeteren Michiel2In 2016 the winner of the RSAI dissertation prize was Michiel van Meeteren for his dissertation entitled “From Polycentricity to a Renovated Urban Systems Theory: Explaining Belgian Settlement Geographies”. He was supervised by Professor Ben Derudder, Department of Geography, Ghent University. Congratulations!

                 

Twinam TateIn 2015 the winner of the RSAI dissertation prize was Tate Twinam for his dissertation entitled “The Economics of Zoning”. He was supervised by Professor Arie Beresteanu, University of Pittsburgh and Professor Randall P. Walsh, University of Pittsburgh. Congratulations!

 2014

 

 

 

           

 2012

Zhenhua chenIn 2014 the winner of the RSAI dissertation prize was Zhenhua Chen for his dissertation entitled “Transportation and Regional Output in the Northeast Megaregion: A Spatial Econometric Computable General Equilibrium Assessment”. He was supervised by Professor Kingsley Haynes, George Mason University. Congratulations!

                 

In 2012 the winner of the RSAI dissertation prize was Carlianne Elizabeth Patrick for her work "Essays in Economic Growth and Development Policy". She was supervised by Prof. Dr. Mark Partridge. Congratulations! 

 2011

 

 

 

           

 2010

In 2011 the winner of the RSAI dissertation prize was Tijs Neutens for his work "Space, time and accessibility: Analyzing human activities and travel possibilities from a time-geographic perspective". He was supervised by Prof. Dr. Philippe De Maeyer, Prof. Dr. Frank Witlox and Dr. Tim Schwane. Congratulations!

                 

In 2010 the winner of the RSAI dissertation prize was Frank Neffke from Erasmus School of Economics for his dissertation “Productive Places: The Influence of Technological Change and Relatedness on Agglomeration Externalities” at Utrecht University. Congratulations!

 2008

 

 

 

           

 2006

In 2008 the winner of the RSAI dissertation prize was Maarten Bosker of Groningen University. Runner-up was Nancy Lozano of Arizona State University. Congratulations to both!

                 

The RSAI presented its annual Dissertation Competition award at the 2006 North American meetings in Toronto to Dr. Eric Delmelle for his thesis entitled “Optimization of Second-Phase Spatial Sampling Using Auxiliary Information.” Dr. Delmelle received his Doctorate from the State University of New York at Buffalo and was supervised by Prof. Peter Rogerson. Honourable Mentions were awarded to Drs. Georgeanne Artz (PhD: University of Iowa) and Julie Hwang (PhD: SUNY at Buffalo).

 2005

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 2004

The RSAI presented its annual Dissertation Competition award at the 2005 North American meetings in Las Vegas to Dr. Ikuho Yamada Analysis for her work "Spatial Clusters when the Phenomenon is Constrained by a Network Space". Dr. Yamada received her Doctorate from the State University of New York at Buffalo, and was supervised by Prof. Jean-Claude Thill.

                 

Sjoerd Beugelsdijk received the 2004 RSAI dissertation competition award for his work "Culture and Economic Development." Dr. Beugelsdijk received his Doctorate from Tiburg University and was supervised by Professor Noorderhaven.

 2003

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2002

Jun Koo received the 2003 dissertation competition award for his work "When Technology Spillovers Are Localized: Importance of Regional and Industrial Attributes." Dr. Koo received his Doctorate from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, and was supervised by Professor Harvey Goldstein. Koo is now at Cleveland State University.

                 

Adelheid Holl received the 2002 dissertation competition award for her work entitled "Transport Infrastructure in Lagging European Regions."

About Us

The Regional Science Association International (RSAI), founded in 1954, is an international community of scholars interested in the regional impacts of national or global processes of economic and social change.

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