Students recognized May 1 for academic and leadership accomplishments
By Staff | May 5, 2015
Photo Gallery: Spring Honors Convocation & Academic Fair
Students’ academic and leadership accomplishments were recognized Friday, May 1 at Virginia Wesleyan College’s annual Spring Honors Convocation, held in the Convocation Center inside the Jane P. Batten Student Center.
“This day is for students with good hearts and impressive brains,” said VWC President Billy Greer, as he welcomed guests to the event. “To you students, I say trust that the pool of possibilities is boundless. Keep diving in and finding more."
The event recognized 70 students for their outstanding contributions to VWC’s academic community. Individual departmental award recipients were acknowledged along with undergraduate research participants, students on the Dean's List, graduating PORTfolio students, honor society members, student executive council and senators, and the Class of 2015. President Billy Greer, Dean Timothy O'Rourke and Chaplain Gregory West were joined by VWC faculty, staff and members of the community, who presented the awards.
The Wesleyan Singers, led by Director of Choral Music Michael John Trotta, brought the event to a close with a singing of the College’s alma mater. An Honors Convocation reception and the 10th Annual Academic Fair immediately followed in Hofheimer Library.
This year’s winners include:
- The Rotary Club of Town Center Virginia Beach Citizenship Award - Jonathan Snow
- Heritage Bank Annual Scholarship - Tianna Garland
- 2015 Campus Compact Newman Civic Fellows Award - Melinda Bertram
- The Birdsong Community Service Leadership Award - VWC President Billy Greer
- Adult Studies Program Academic Achievement Award - Rebecca McNeely
- Judith Vinson Klein Award - Amiee Jo Gallagher
- Phoenix Award - Charity Wilder
- Outstanding Artist Award - Nathanael Avery
- Outstanding Art Major Award - Shawn Riley
- Outstanding Visual Art Research Award - Terri Gorman
- Biology Department Awards - Nancy Kelly, Tanya Puccio, Amanda Hyre, Whitney Symons
- CRC Freshman Chemistry Achievement Award - Lemar Callaway
- Classical Studies Award - Elizabeth Quamme, Christopher Merrell
- Latin Award - Douglas Lowry, Divine “Anne” Dey
- Communication Awards - Kerri-Leanne Taylor, Kelly Marvel
- Journalism Awards - Thomas Mills, Aoife Branco
- Dora H. Dobrin Awards for Excellence in Social Work - Michele Johnson
- Earth and Environmental Science Department Award - Erin Smith
- Education Department Outstanding Achievement, Elementary - Jessica Gartman
- Education Department Outstanding Achievement, Secondary - Gina Arney
- Education Department Outstanding Achievement, Transfer - Kathryn Scruggs
- Education Department Outstanding Achievement, Special Education - Jenny Wilkins
- Delta Kappa Gamma Virginia Scholars Award - Catherine Amasia
- Distinguished Graduating English Major Award - Morgan Stroyeck
- Creative Writing Award - Abigail Putnam
- Criminal Justice and Sociology Distinguished Student Awards - Phillip Smith, Renee Ellis, Alexa Higbee, Keith Mycek, Christina Reynolds, Jonathan Snow
- History Department Award - Jonathan Hill
- Ledeboer Family Scholarship - Aimee Haywood
- Award for Excellence in Library-Based Research - Melissa Hazen, Jennifer Panton
- Outstanding Student in Calculus - Dustin Ogburn
- Outstanding Student in Programming - Dustin Ogburn
- Outstanding Students in Mathematics - Samantha Eanes, Michael Moran
- MBE Sophomore Award - Samantha Eanes
- Robert H. Cass Memorial Outstanding Senior Awards - Joshua McNamara, Phillip Smith
- Marlin Ministries Servant-Leader Award - Sarah Nworkie
- Music Department Award for Musical Excellence - Laura Glickman
- Political Science Distinguished Student Award for Academics - Jessica Mackey
- International Studies Distinguished Student Award – Melinda Bertram
- Political Science Distinguished Student Award for Practical Application - Amanda Mikajlo
- Distinguished Graduating Seniors in Psychology - Morgan McKenzie, Ciara Lawton
- Research Award in Psychology - Courtney Jones
- Outstanding Recreation & Leisure Studies Major Awards - Samiah Griffin, Morgan Posewitz
- Center for the Study of Religious Freedom Distinguished Character Award - Riley Conrad
- Religious Studies Departmental Award - Morgan Stroyeck
- William “Tree” Rountree Monarch Bank Young Life Scholarship - Summer Moore, Rebecca Lazzeri
- Senior Class Scholarship - Audrey Thames
- Spanish Honor Awards - Tanya Puccio, M. Elizabeth Wade, Jonathan Burke
- Hite Award for Outstanding Service to VWC Theatre - Paul Kaufmann
- S. Diane Guadalupe '03 Award - Sarah Wilson
- Sharon L. Payne Award for Excellence in Women’s and Gender Studies - Sarah Nwokorie, Tyler Taylor
- Undergraduate Research Program Awards for the Division of Humanities - Stephanie Harron, Christopher Merrell, Morgan Stroyeck, John Davis, Terri Gorman, Alexa Higbee
- Undergraduate Research Program Awards for the Division of Natural Sciences and Mathematics - Keane Dye, James Griczin, Tanya Puccio, Thomas Simmons
- Undergraduate Research Program Awards for the Division of Social Sciences - Courtney Jones, Sydney Covey, Sarah Wilson, Tenley Scott