2010 Robins Awards honor the best of USU
The legacy of Bill. E Robins, USU student graduate from 1948, was carried on through the Robins Awards ceremony, where 20 influential students, professors and other employees were recognized and awarded for their dedication to USU over the course of their affiliation.
Most coveted of all awards announced in Saturday’s ceremony was the Bill E. Robins Memorial Award, which was awarded to Dani Babbel, a senior in geography and anthropology. Upon receiving the award, Babbel said her five years at USU could not have been spent better because of the service, academic and research opportunities she engaged in. She said her five years at USU has left her feeling that they couldn’t have been spent better. The award was presented to Babbel by USU’s president, Stan Albrecht, who said she has been previously recognized by multiple departments for her research and work as a scholar.
Additional awards included Man of the Year, Woman of the Year, Professor of the Year and 16 others. Each awarded individual was selected from three or more nominees, all of who were recognized before the winner was announced. Entertainment selections of opera music, a capella group “Sonos” and a performance of Sweeney Todd’s “The Best Pies in London” broke up the award presentations. Hosting the event was Chase Casillas, junior English major and USU radio personality. Winners of the awards were given trophies presented by members of USU’s Greek chapters.
“The past three years, I’ve been on the Robins Awards committee, so I know what the Robins Award embodies and for me, to be nominate is huge,” said graduate student Ben Croshaw, ASUSU academic senate president and Man of the Year for the 2009-2010 school year.
The 2009-2010 Robins Awards recipients are as follows:
Bill E. Robins Memorial Award: Dani Babbel, senior, geography and anthropology major
Achievements: 2010 College of Natural Resources Scholar of the Year, 2010 College of Natural Resources Undergraduate Researcher of the Year, 2009 Outstanding Anthropology Senior, 2009 Helen O’Cannon Honors Scholarship, 2009 Hoopes Lillywhite Scholarship
Man of the Year: Ben Croshaw, graduate student, instructional technology and learning sciences major
Achievements: ASUSU Academic Senate President, Outstanding Student Leader Award, Dedicated Service Award, student representative in 24 USU committees
Woman of the Year: Josie Olsen, graduate student, human environments major
Achievements: ASUSU Senator for the College of HASS, Koch Scholars program participant, member of the Industrial Designers Society of America and American Society of Interior Designers, board member for the Sparrow Alliance and Union Bilingual Preschool, completion of master’s degree in one year
Organization of the Year: Val R. Christensen Service Center
Achievements: Mentor programs, such as Best Buddies and the Special Olympics Team, Stuff a Bus project, collected 13,000 pounds of food, Week of Welcome blood donations yielded 1,400 units of blood, Haiti disaster relief projects raised $20,000
Male Athlete of the Year: Brian McKenna, track and cross country team
Achievements: WAC athlete of the year, first-team all-WAC, school record in the 5,000 meter run at 14:20.09
Female Athlete of the Year: Kim Quinn, track and cross country team
Achievements: WAC female athlete of the year, set indoor record for 10,000 meter run at 35:29.82
Talent of the Year: Jennifer Ewell, senior, graphic design major
Achievements: Work with the Nora Eccles Harrison Museum of Art, created all promotional and advertising materials for the art department including brochures, posters, postcards, fliers and playbills
Achievement of the Year: Lance Larsen, senior, economics and finance major
Achievements: Huntsman Scholars Mentor Council President, Val R. Christensen programming board, Blood Battle chair
Val R. Christensen Service Award: David Knighton, senior, nutrition and food sciences major and pre-med student
Achievements: Val R. Christensen Student Center vice president, organized five-week Biggest Loser contest and facilitated service projects such as the Blood Battle, Stuff a Bus, Sub for Santa and the USU Service Learning Scholar
Legacy of Utah State Award: Andrew J. Hobson, senior, environmental engineering major
Achievements: Engineering Undergraduate Student Senator, member of the Society of Environmental Engineering Students, Engineers without Borders and Tau Beta Pi
Gerald R. Sherratt Award: Stephanie Baldwin
Achievements: ASUSU programming advisor, Greek advisor
Scholar of the Year: Angela Dixon, senior, biological engineering
Achievements: Outstanding Engineering Senior, Engineering Council president
Professor of the Year: Jim Cangelosi, professor of mathematics
Achievements: Spent 27 years at USU, strives to create classroom environments where students feel free to discuss and question, also works to create a classroom atmosphere where students are never afraid of being embarrassed or having their self worth judged
Graduate Teaching Assistant of the Year: Jessica Munns, graduate student, mathematics and statistics
Achievements: Master’s Student Researcher of the Year, graduated Cum Laude
Professional Advisor of the Year: Krystin Deschamps, retention and student services
Comments: “We have such great advisors and I’m just pleased to join their ranks. To be a good advisor means getting out of isolation.”
Faculty Advisor of the Year: Shannon Browne, HASS advisor
Comments: Carol Strong, dean of the College of Education, said, “He makes you feel like you could take on the world and chase any dream.”
Undergraduate Researcher of the Year: Carrie Young, biology major, Uintah Basin campus
Achievements: Engaged in significant undergraduate research, conducted research with white-tailed prairie dogs, secured the funding for her project
Graduate Researcher of the Year: Jon R. Olsen, graduate student, College of Natural Resources
Achievements: Advances in watershed science
Faculty Researcher of the Year: Brian Higginbotham, Extension Specialist and assistant professor of family, consumer, and human development
Achievements: Secured $4 million in external funding, published 19 scholarly articles, awarded 2007 College Undergraduate Research Mentor of the Year and the 2009 Department Researcher of the Year
– catherine.meidell@aggiemail.usu.ed
