Thesis of the Year Awarded to High School Teacher

Posted by: Elizabeth Richardson on May 22, 2018, No Comments

Before the end of the spring 2018 semester, East Stroudsburg University announced the Thesis of the Year Award. The award was given to Jeremy Goff for his thesis “The Ethnic Succession of Gangs and Organized Crime in Chicago, 1846-1933.” Goff earned a Master of Arts in history in 2017.

“Mr. Goff’s work dives deep into the cultural background surrounding and facilitating the evolution of organized crime in Chicago from the middle of the 19th century right on through the Great Depression and beyond,” said William Bajor, Ph.D., director of graduate and extended studies. “He has managed to expertly and eloquently weave stories of survival, tragedy and triumph into a thoroughly engaging and scholarly reading experience.”

A committee spends the months following commencement reviewing students’ work and selects the best of the best to be awarded ESU Thesis of the Year during the academic year following their graduation.

“As always, choosing a winning thesis from the excellent work nominated for the award was difficult.  Mr. Goff’s thesis was chosen over “Two-Phase Symmetric Key Criptographic Algorithm” by Bose Omo-Ekpadi a graduate student studying computer science, and “The Effects of Artificial Sweeteners and Probiotics on the Gut Microbiome and Immune System of Mice” by Andrew Bischer a graduate student studying biology, by a slim margin,” said Martin Wilson, Ph.D., associate professor of history and member of the Thesis of the Year selection committee. “The committee was impressed with the high quality of the scholarship produced by ESU’s graduate students.”

Jeremy Goff earned a Bachelor of Science in education in social studies/sociology from Shippensburg University in 2002 and began teaching history at Pleasant Valley High School. Goff currently teaches AP psychology, sociology, Pennsylvania history, modern U.S. and world history. He earned a Master of Science in classroom technology from Wilkes University in 2009. Goff began graduate level coursework at ESU in 2010. In 2015 he became part of the P.E.T. program – a program that allows partner school districts to pay the cost of tuition for their employees pursing graduate study.