FAU Hosts 54th annual Honors Convocation

honors convocation

FAU recently hosted the University’s 54th annual Honors Convocation at the University Theatre in the Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters, Boca Raton campus.

By lisa metcalf | 4/12/2023

FAU President Stacy Volnick and Interim Provost Michele Hawkins recently hosted the University’s 54th annual Honors Convocation at the University Theatre in the Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters, Boca Raton campus. The ceremony recognized the University’s most outstanding students and faculty.

Awards and recognition included eight University scholars; the Distinguished Student award; the University Club Merit award; the Hersker, Shaw, Gosser Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi scholar; the Stan and Renee Wimberly scholar; the Undergraduate Researchers awards; the Student-Athletes of the Year awards; and the Fraternity and Sorority scholars. Faculty honors include the FAU Alumni Association’s Degree of Difference Award; Researchers and Scholars of the Year awards; Teaching and Advising awards; as well as the Distinguished Mentor of the Year in Undergraduate Research award and the Presidential Awards for Engaged Faculty.

The winner of the Distinguished Teacher of the Year award is determined by FAU students. This year’s recipient is Lincoln Sloas, Ph.D., associate professor in the College of Social Work and Criminal Justice. He conducts research in the areas of problem-solving courts including drug courts and how individuals navigate substance abuse treatment services. As a result of his research interests, he was the first faculty member in his college to design and implement a research intensive course for students.

2023 Florida Atlantic University Honors Convocation Awardees

University Scholars

Maria Emilia Santander, Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters
Maria Ducharme, College of Business
Sierra R. Van Dreason, College of Education
Victor Zauder, College of Engineering and Computer Science
Ashley Bobnar, Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College
Lillian Wakeman, Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing
Luis Carrillo, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science
Erin Pyper, College of Social Work and Criminal Justice

Distinguished Student Award

Casey Leary, College of Social Work and Criminal Justice

Fraternity and Sorority Scholars

Srihith Narahari, Pi Kappa Alpha
Eden Greene, Delta Phi Epsilon

Hersker, Shaw, Gosser Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi Scholarship Award

Haven Gray, Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College

Student-Athletes of the Year

Maddison “G” Krstec, Women’s Soccer
Jackson Ross, Baseball

University Club Merit Award

Valentina Rodriguez Ramirez, College of Engineering and Computer Science

Stan and Renee Wimberly Scholar

Nicole Neginsky, Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing

Undergraduate Researchers of the Year

Ciara O’Neill, Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters
Mya Barsoum, College of Business, Allen E. Smith Awardee
Daylenis Mendez, College of Education
Lusnel Ferdinand, College of Engineering and Computer Science
Esther Peramune, Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College
Steven Shatkhin, Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine
Cecilia Malafia, Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing
Carolina Hernandez Burgos, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science
Briana Thomas, College of Social Work and Criminal Justice

Gilman Scholarship

Eureka Appolon, Finalist

Genesis Del Castillo, Finalist

Goldwater Scholarship

David Baldwin, Finalist
Michael Green, Finalist
Camila Rimoldi Ibanez, Nominee

National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program

Kate Maier, Awardee
Ivan Riveros, Awardee
Casey Hudspeth, Awardee

Fulbright Student Scholarship

Haley Davis, Fulbright Future Scholarship, Australia, Semi-Finalist
Irene Gatimi, English Teaching Assistantship, Taiwan, Finalist
Elisha Myers, Open Study, Ireland, Semi-Finalist

Rangel Graduate Fellowship

Irene Gatimi, Alternate

Udall Scholarship

David Baldwin, Environmental Nominee

Rhodes Scholarship

Satviki Singh, Nominee

Mitchell Scholarship

Helen Peluso, Nominee

Luce Scholarship

Irene Gatimi, Semi-FInalist

Coro Fellowship in Public Affairs

Irene Gatimi, Finalist

Princeton in Asia Fellowship

Irene Gatimi, Eko-in Temple School, Tokyo, Japan, Finalist

Alumni “Degree of Difference” Award

Mary Ann Gosser-Esquilín, Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters

Researchers of the Year

Aditya Nayak, College of Engineering and Computer Science

Waseem Asghar, College of Engineering and Computer Science

Frederick Bloetscher, College of Engineering and Computer Science

2021-2022 Researchers of the Year

Lawrence Toll, Professor, College of Engineering and Computer Science

Scholars of the Year

Danielle Groton, College of Social Work and Criminal Justice

Sofia Johan, College of Business

John Renne, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science

Excellence and Innovation in Undergraduate Teaching

Mara Schiff, College of Social Work and Criminal Justice

Mehrdad Nojoumian, College of Engineering and Computer Science

Chitra Chandraskekhar, Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College

Bianca Nightengale-Lee, College of Education

Excellence and Innovation in Undergraduate Advising

Monica Martinez, University Advising Services

Sita Ramnarace, College of Education

Jessica Meith, College of Engineering and Computer Science

Distinguished Mentor of the Year in Undergraduate Research

Maré Cudic, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science

President’s Award for Career Achievement

Isaac Elishakoff, College of Engineering and Computer Science

Presidential Awards for Engaged Faculty

Ayse Torres, College of Education

Lisa Wiese, Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing

Myeongsub Kim, College of Engineering and Computer Science

The Distinguished Teacher of the Year

Lincoln Sloas, Ph.D., associate professor, School of Criminology and Criminal Justice,

College of Social Work and Criminal Justice

-FAU-