HASS honors students, faculty
The various departments of the College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (HASS) came together Friday for a collaborative awards ceremony honoring a year’s worth of outstanding students and faculty. The ceremony, held in the Morgan Theatre of the Chase Fine Arts Center, recognized four outgoing department heads, 10 A-pin recipients, Students of the Year for individual departments and other students and faculty members that demonstrated excellence in research, teaching and creativity.
“Let us not forget that even in these difficult times the excellence continues,” Dean Yolanda Flores Niemann said. “It’s a privilege to be the dean of this college.”
Outgoing department heads Mike Sweeney, Jeffrey Smitten, Colin Johnson and Daniel McInerney received a standing ovation from the crowd. Each was presented with a piece of artwork and Niemann thanked them for their service to the school.
“We are so grateful for their vision and leadership,” Niemann said. “I could always count on them for their creative ideas and dedication.”
Mac Christensen and Stan Parrish were named as this year’s Friends of HASS; Adrianne Moore of the department of theatre arts was awarded Teacher of the Year. Star Coulbrook, director of the Writing Center, received the award for HASS Outstanding Professional Employee as well as being named as the university-wide Professional Employee of the Year. The Writing Center staff gives 6,000 peer consultations each year, Niemann said.
USU’s Fry Street Quartet, comprised of William Fedkenheuer, Rebecca McFaul, Russell Fallstad and Anne Francis, received the award for Creative Artists of the Year. Last semester, the quartet performed the complete Beethoven string cycle, a performance that Niemann described as a marathon.
Ten Aggies recieved USU A-pins, an award given to students who achieve straight A’s for two consecutive full-time semesters. Recipients included Danielle Babbel, Elise Doney, Ian Graham, Aubrey Hill, Lenaye Howard, Jodi Knight, Jenny Lake, Shaundra Secrist, Tessa Ryser and Shae Tervort.
Among the Students of the Year was men’s basketball center and WAC MVP Gary Wilkinson, who represented the department of sociology. Other students of the year were Danny Crump, Trent Olsen, Brittny Goodsell Jones, Sarah Bredthauer, Christopher Blythe, Victoria Janine Jackson, Amanda Callister, Yu Zhou, Megan Pearce, Jessie Reeve, JoEllen Grandy, Maren Jacobsen, Landon Buie, Mark Rasmuson, Vanesa Webb, Natalie Nyman, Angela Garrett, Tatiana Scott, Stephanie Hugie, Nathan Whitaker, Tyler Pack,Danielle Babbel, Halie Boardman and Melisa Pereyra Stowe.
Connie Radke-Kurian, assistant to the dean, said in the past the college’s awards were spread out over different ceremonies throughout the year. This year is HASS’s first to hold a conglomerate event.
Other winners for the event included: Charlie Huenemann, researcher; Atsuko Neely, faculty undergrad adviser; Felix Tweraser, humanist; Jason Leiker and Jilda Yap, lecturers; Annie Nielson, Outstanding Classified Employee; Trent Olsen, Outstanding Undergrad Researcher; Bonnie Pitblado, Outstanding UG Research Mentor; Sita Bell, graduate instructor and Stephanie Malin, graduate researcher. The efforts and services of John Allen, Darren Brooks, Bob Winward, Tyson Bybee and Associate Deans Christine Hult, Ed Glatfelter and Jeanie Thomas were also recongized.
–b.c.wood@aggiemail.usu.edu