History Dissertation Deemed Ohio's 'Best'

The Ohio Academy of History (OAH) will award its prize for the best dissertation of 2000-2001 to University of Cincinnati alumnus Sanjam Ahluwalia, who completed her PhD in history at UC in late 2000.

Her dissertation, "Controlling Births, Policing Sexualities: History of Birth Control in Colonial India, 1871-1946," marks the first time a UC history student has won the Ohio Academy of History award. Students at both public and private universities in Ohio are eligible for the competition, and this year each institution was permitted to submit only two dissertations for consideration.

The award will be officially presented at an OAH luncheon on Saturday, April 20, in the Losantiville Cafe at Cincinnati Museum Center. Because of her teaching duties, the UC winner may not be able to attend.

Ahluwalia is a native of India who serves as visiting assistant professor at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff. She teaches world history, Asian women's history, gender and nationalism, and women's studies courses.

The award winner thanks her dissertation committee, which was headed by history department head Barbara Ramusack, for helping to make her dissertation stronger. Other committee members were Maura O'Connor and Ann Twinam of the history department and Laura Jenkins of political science. "It sure feels good to have my work recognized and appreciated by senior historians in the field," says the PhD alumna.