by Joy Esiemokhai
Family, friends and faculty filled the main hall of the Townsend Center for the Performing Arts for the 2014 edition of the University of West Georgia Academic Honors Convocation. The annual event, a university tradition since 1964, is organized by a 13-member committee of the UWG Honors College and recognizes the superior scholarship of the undergraduate students that make up the UWG Honors College.
The event began with the processional of UWG faculty, dressed in academic regalia, and the student awardees. This was accompanied by a performance of William Walton’s “Crown Imperial,” performed by the UWG Wind Ensemble. Dr. Kyle Marrero, UWG president, gave a welcome address to the audience, providing a background history of the Honors Convocation and Honors College and expressing pride in the academic success of the honors students. His address was followed by performances by the students from the UWG music department including the brass and woodwind ensembles, the Chamber Singers and the Opera Workshop, as well as a poetry presentation titled “Migration” by UWG student Kelsey Fleming and an art presentation titled “Before the Beauty Standard” by Amanda Dennis.
UWG colleges and academic departments awarded the academic awards to the outstanding students. Several university awards were also presented to deserving students. Dr. Marrero gave a brief synopsis of each student while Dr. Don Rice, UWG’s interim provost and vice-president for academic affairs, handed the awards to recipients. Ms. Elvina Ganbarova, the president of the UWG Student Honors Council and a recipient of the Outstanding Honors College Students Award for seniors, presented the Dr. Donald R. Wagner Honors Faculty of the Year Award to Dr. Patrick Erben, UWG associate professor of English. Dr. Erben taught the honors American Literature course in the fall 2013 semester. Students cited Erben’s enthusiasm, humor and dynamic teaching as some of the reasons why they nominated him for the award. “I truly cannot think of anyone more qualified or deserving of this award,” said one of his students.
The UWG Honors College is the first of its kind in the state of Georgia. It started out as the Honors Program in the spring 1975 semester and was elevated to its current status by the Board of Regents in June 1999. The Honors College seeks to provide intellectually gifted students with an educational experience commensurate with their abilities.
Below is the full list of award recipients:
The James Emory Boyd Awards – College of Science and Mathematics
Joanna Kara Denton- Chemistry
John Godfrey- Geology
Ashley Nicole Childress- Computer Science
Matthew Todd Stucki- Computer Science
Daniel Sanchez Carretero- Physics
The Tom Herndon Awards – College of Social Sciences
Richard Van Gilder III- Geography
Nicole Falene Desireé Roper- Criminology
Scharrah Sylvester- Sociology
Scott Martin Oudendyk- Economics
Cody S. Doegg- History
Victoria Elizabeth Doris- Political Science
Elizabeth Elaine Watson- Psychology
The Gordon Watson Awards – College of Arts & Humanities
Amanda Nicole Dennis- Art
Diamond Jenai Forde- English
Anthony Michael Duffey- Philosophy
Victoria Diane Williams- Foreign Language (French)
Kaitlyn Noelle Baker- Foreign Language (German)
Molly Katherine Anderson- Foreign Language (Spanish)
Christopher Matthew Mannings- Mass Communications
Jennifer Anne Sargent- Theatre Arts
Amber Denise Harling- Music
The Outstanding Senior in Biology Faculty Award
Tashana Haye
Joshua Griffith
The Carole E. Hill Award in Anthropology
April Shawn Boatwright
Nursing Award of Excellence – Tanner Health System School of Nursing
Manon Roy
Amanda Dawn Collins
Frank R. Hunsicker Award in Management – Richards College of Business
Salvador Jose-Lopez Sampson
Richards College of Business Awards in Excellence
Michael Tyler Bearden- Accounting
Micah David Smith- Finance
Caleb Carter- Marketing
Cambria Shay Neese- Management Information Systems
Jordanian D. McEnery- Real Estate
Departmental Awards of Excellence – College of Education
Allison P. Thornton- Early Childhood Education
Kimberlee Hathcock- Middle Grades Education
Ryan Gordon- Physical Education
Micah Lee Denny- Sport Management
Emily Rebecca Lamb- Speech Language Pathology
Julie Ritchie Cole- Special Education
Juanita M. Biggs- Secondary Education
Mrs. Jewell Miles Burson Calculus Award
Anna Catherine Sewall
Marion Crider Awards
Dana Nicole Collins
Joseph Virgil McCord
Detong Song
Outstanding Women’s Studies Award
Sydney Nicole Wright
Outstanding Honors College Students
Trisha Dalapati- Freshman
Adam Kotter- Freshman
Leonoa Popken- Freshman
Jovan Jonhson- Sophomore
Austin Richardson- Sophomore
Brittany Groves- Sophomore
JongMin Baek Sophomore
Amaan Kazerouni- Junior
Ayaan Kazerouni- Junior
Tai Truong- Junior
Elvina Ganbarova- Senior
Tashana Haye- Senior
Emily Lamb- Senior
John J. Pershing Award for Scholarship
Hannah Torres- Sociology
Academic Recognition Day Scholar
Joanna Kara Denton
