Outstanding undergraduates acknowledged at Honors College ceremony

Competing for top national and international academic scholarships is a team effort, and the Honors College recently recognized endorsed candidates for these awards and other grants.

Biology major Heidi Cope was recognized for receiving a research Fulbright grant to India, where she will investigate the intersections of marriage culture and the sexual health of adolescent women; Diane Zablotsky from the Levine Scholars Program was her program director.

James Parkhill, Sanjana Prabhu and Jude Raj also received endorsements to apply for Fulbright awards. Parkhill is majoring in civil engineering with a concentration in transportation and a minor in child and family development. His mentor is Wei Fan, associate professor of civil and environmental engineering, and his merit scholar program director is Zablotsky. Prabhu, who is majoring in public health with minors in biology and Spanish, was mentored by Elizabeth Racine, associate professor, public health sciences, and her program director was Zablotsky. Raj is majoring in biology and mathematics and had Shan Yan, assistant professor of biological sciences, as a mentor and Didier Dreau, associate professor, biological sciences, for honors program director.

Jaden Barney, a major in mechanical engineering with a minor in women’s and gender studies, was lauded as an honorable mention in the Goldwater Scholarship competition, and Ghalia Kaouk was an endorsed nominee for the scholarship. Barney’s mentor was Stuart Smith, professor of mechanical engineering, and her program director was Zablotsky. Dan Jones, chemistry, mentored Kaouk. The Goldwater Scholarship, which honors the late Arizona senator, is considered the most prestigious undergraduate award given in the sciences.

Chemistry, economics and political science major Vincent Cahill received an endorsement to apply for the Truman Scholarship, granted to U.S. college juniors for demonstrated leadership potential and a commitment to public service. Ted Amato, economics, and Markus Etzkorn, chemistry, were his mentors; Zablotsky was his program director.

During the Honors College ceremony, 11 recipients of the Alumni Association Scholarship were recognized. They were Marrisa Allen (nursing, mentor John Szmer); Maiya Brown (marketing); Diane Gromelski (English, mentor John Szmer, program directors Jennifer Warner, Beth Whitaker and Kirk Melnikoff); Kamina Ham (elementary education, mentor Marlicia Hunt); Joseph Hinkle (computer science, mentor James Frazier, program director Jennifer Warner); Wendall Horton (civil engineering, mentor Joanne Robinson, program director Jennifer Warner); Kevin Johnson (criminal justice and criminology, mentor John Stogner); Sara Milam (marketing, mentors Tamara Cohen and Amy Riter, program director Ted Amato) Kathleen Sholtis (accounting, mentor and program director Ted Amato); and Emily Young (political science and public administration, mentor Mary Jo Shephard, program directors Jennifer Warner and Beth Whitaker). Two other scholarship recipients, Justin Badgett, a construction management major, and Lucas Flint, an architect major, were unable to attend the ceremony.

Horton also was named the inaugural recipient of the Al Maisto Honors College Scholarship; the award’s namesake served as director of the University Honors Program starting in 1994 and as associate dean of the Honors College from 2003-12. Joanne Robinson and Jennifer Warner were Horton’s mentor and program director, respectively.

Christina Gullo received the Avenir Foundation Scholarship, which provides financial aid to a deserving undergraduate student who has a relationship with a mentor, most typically a faculty member, and who is completing an honors capstone project. Gullo is majoring in elementary education with a minor in urban youth and communities. Cynthia Baughan is her mentor, and Michael Matthews, her program director.

The University Honors Program Study Abroad Scholarship was given to Sarah Crawley, a double major in international studies and Japanese. Giseung Lee and Jennifer Warner were her faculty mentor and program director, respectively.

Diane Gromelski, a double major in English and political science, received the Delbridge Narron Scholarship and the Narron Travel Fund award. The scholarship funds annual enrollment expenses for a rising junior or rising senior who is enrolled full-time in the University Honors Program and/or is pursuing departmental honors. Recipient must present evidence of character as demonstrated through his or her involvement in community service work or reasonably similar extracurricular activities; recipient must present evidence of a commitment to learning, an open mind and an acceptance of diverse cultures, genders and sexual orientations. The travel award supports international studies, usually through a formal study abroad program.

Narron, founding chair of the inaugural Honors College Advisory Board, also was acknowledged; he was presented a customized gavel in “honor of your transformational service to the Honors College.”