1.

To whom should writing acknowledgment

A. Start with the most important teachers

In general, the most important person to thank in the

acknowledgment is your thesis advisor or major professor
overseeing your project, followed by any members of the
thesis committee and other supervising academics directly
involved with your project.
In general, it's helpful to think in groups, even going to far as
to format all the thank-yous of a particular group in a single
sentence: "I would like to thank Dr. Stevens, Dr. Smith, and
Professors Clemons for their extraordinary support in this
thesis process."
B. List other helpers

This might include lab assistants, or anyone who helped you

with coursework or contributed to the project itself in any
way. Other classmates who you feel like contributed to the
project directly would also be appropriate to thank in this
category.
C. Address financial aid you might've received
If your project received any financial support from a
foundation or research group, such as a grant, a fellowship,
or a scholarship, it would be appropriate to thank the
foundation or organization by name and list any personal
contacts you might've had with the group.
If your scholarship at the University was supported by any
fellowships or scholarships, it would also be appropriate to
name them in this section: "This project would have been

impossible without the support of the Katherine G. Katherine

Foundation, the Reese's Peanut Butter scholarship, and the
Guggenheim Group."
D. Put more personal thank-yous and emotional supporters last.
Many people like to thank their parents personally, as well as
any friends, partners, or other acquaintances who
contributed to your emotional well-being throughout the
completion of the project at hand.
Remember that your friendships and romances may change
over the years, so it might be best to keep particularly
mushy romances and declarations of love out of your
acknowledgment page, so you won't have to see it later if it

doesn't work out.

It's generally best to avoid overtly personal anecdotes and
inside jokes in an academic acknowledgements page. If you
want to reference other students' constant joking around in
the lab, say, it would be better to say, "Thanks to Joe and
Katherine for their friendship in the lab."