UCO Liberal Arts Honors Its Exceptional Students

May 6, 2022

The UCO College of Liberal Arts honored its exceptional students at the 2022 Honors and Awards Ceremony on April 29 at the UCO College of Liberal Arts South Wing Lecture Hall.

 

Letter from the Interim Dean

It is one of my greatest privileges as interim dean of the College of Liberal Arts to welcome you to the 2022 Liberal Arts Honors and Awards Ceremony, at which we shall celebrate the outstanding accomplishments of our students.  

This evening’s ceremony has a special significance both because it marks the first time since the spring of 2019 that we have been able to gather in person to congratulate our Liberal Arts scholarship and award recipients and because we are honoring students who have excelled despite the extraordinary challenges that we have experienced during the past two years.

Our students are our heroes, and their dedication to excellence, their resilience in the face of adversity, and their belief in the transformative power of education is both exemplary and inspirational.

The Greek historian and philosopher Plutarch claimed that, “the mind does not require filling like a bottle, but rather, like wood, it only requires kindling . . . to create an ardent desire for the truth”; the British essayist and critic Walter Pater argued, in another context, that, “to burn always with this hard, gemlike flame . . . is success in life.”  

The lamp of learning, which graces the University of Central Oklahoma’s official seal, has burned all the brighter during these dark days because of our students and their achievements.

I look forward to joining you as we honor this extraordinary group of student leaders. 

Yours, truly,
J. David Macey, Ph.D.
Interim Dean, College of Liberal Arts

 

Award Winners

College Awards

Cully-Peteteketv Endowed Scholarship
Evelyn Enriquez Baez

Grant Aguirre Endowed Liberal Arts Outstanding Undergraduate Award
Taylor Baker

Liberal Arts Civic Engagement Scholarship
Ana Savva Garcia

Liberal Arts Honor Society Officer Scholarship
John Sadler

Liberal Arts Student Organization Officer Scholarship
Jahlana Williams

Liberal Arts Study Tour Annual Fund Awards
Arden Boydstun, Philip Dyer, Kaitlyn Mannis, Ethan Tartsah

Mary Elizabeth Morelli Outstanding Graduate Student Award
Melissa Rosenfelt

Nathanial Martinez Endowed Scholarship
Mariah Webb

Panera Bread Liberal Arts Student Organization President Scholarship
Izabel Barry

Richard and Helen Peters’ Scholarship for Outstanding Academic Achievement in Applied Liberal Arts Award
Saen Hokenson

Sorosis Club Scholarship
Julia Moser, Emma Stewart

College of Liberal Arts Symposium Awards

Be the Light Award
“Environmental Injustice and Class Inequality in The Devil We Know” by Audrey DeCelle

Best Symposium Paper from an Honor Society
“How Should the U.S. and International Community Effectively Handle the China-Taiwan Dispute” by Clarence Long

Best Symposium Paper in English Written by a Non-native Speaker
“Living the Epicurean Way” by Ana Savva Garcia

Best Symposium Presentation
“Menstruation and the Media: A History of Hysteria” by Emma Stewart

Symposium Best Paper First Place
“The Creation Myth of Incels” by Heidi Reust

Symposium Best Paper Second Place
“Lloyd Rader Sr., Hissom Memorial Center, and the Deinstitutionalization of Oklahoma” by Paige McCracken

Symposium Best Paper Third Place
“Shakespeare: Ghosts of the Past and Present” by Renee Haddad

 

Debate Awards

Doug Duke Endowment for Excellence
Zachary Huffman

H.B. Mitchell Endowed Scholarship for Debate
L Smith

The Lee Sherman Endowed Debate Scholarship
L Smith

The Tyler Henry Memorial Endowed Scholarship for Debate
Kyle Wendland

School of Criminal Justice Awards
Dr. Jaime Burns Scholarship in Criminal Justice
Brayan Medrano Miramontes

Dr. Sid Brown Excellence in Criminal Justice Award
Jose Ibarra

Finney Scholars Scholarship for Criminal Justice
Grayson Briley

W. Roger Webb Endowed Scholarship for Criminal Justice or Counter-Terrorism
Adyson Therkelsen

William D. Parker Outstanding Criminal Justice student award
Adyson Therkelsen

William D. Parker Outstanding Criminal Justice Student Award
Aspen Sutherland

 

Department of English Awards

Adam Luke Worden Memorial Endowed Scholarship
Brandon Allen, Kari Hampton

Barbara Kay Gilmore Endowed Scholarship for English
Brandon Allen, Wendell Davis, Stuart Gleichman, Kari Hampton, Kobi Hampton, Tabor Haws, Heidi Reust, Mary Grace Robertson, Mason Robinson, Gerardo Santillan, Robyn Thornton

Bob Burke Endowed Scholarship in Creative Writing Program
Na’imah Abdul Al-azeez, Maigan Rari

Carol Hamilton Creative Writing Endowed Scholarship
Merry Green (Davis)

Clara Kessler and Paul Walters Endowed Memorial Scholarship
Tabor Haws, Gerardo Santillan

Dale Edward McConathy Scholarship
Brandon Allen, Najah Hylton

Danielle Lelene Barnes Endowed Scholarship
Sloane Merrick

Dr. Claude Arnold Scholarship
Katharine Wray

Dr. Clif’ Warren Writers Endowed Scholarship
Merry Green (Davis)

Dr. Dean Everett Outstanding English Student Award
Brandon Allen

Dr. Loree M. Rice Scholarship
Tabor Haws

Dr. Martin R. Ausmus Outstanding Graduate Student Award
Sydney Vance

Dr. Pamela Washington Scholarship for Liberal Arts Outstanding Sophomore Award
Wyatt Olson

Dr. Sandra Malin Mayfield Endowed Scholarship
Gerardo Santillan

English Department Scholarship
Jessica Jones

Finney Scholars Scholarship for English
Robyn Thornton

Geoffry Bocca Outstanding Graduate Student in Creative Writing Award
Sydney Vance

Lorraine K. Bell Scholarship
Brandon Allen

Marilyn Harris Outstanding Undergraduate Student in Creative Writing Award
Melody Coco

Martin, Wilson, and Associates Endowed Scholarship in Creative Writing
Kobi Hampton, Heidi Reust

Professor Grady C. Watkins Outstanding Undergraduate Student in English Award
Audrey Decelle

Professor Regina Woodberry Award for Outstanding Work in Women’s or Ethnic Studies
Monica Hernandez

 

Department of History and Geography Awards

Angie Debo Award for Scholarship and Civic Engagement
Maria Raygoza

Caffee-Chesebrough Family History Scholarship
Matthew Friscic

Dr. Carolyn Pool Scholarship in Museum Studies
Maya Fitch

Dr. Churchill Gender and Sexuality Student Scholarship
Jessica Addai, Monica Hernandez, Alexis McKernan, Emma Stewart

Dr. Jere Roberson Scholarship in Social Justice
Tyson Anderson, Ethan Tartsah

Dr. Stan Hoig Endowed Memorial Scholarship in History
Trista Wilmot

Dr. W. David Baird Endowed Scholarship in Oklahoma and Native American History
Ethan Tartsah

Edward Everett Dale Outstanding Graduate Student Award
Lydia Perez

Edward J. Pugh Outstanding Graduating Geographer Award
Elizabeth Carroll

Finney Scholars Scholarship for History & Geography
Emma Stewart

Kenneth Rees Endowed Scholarship in American History
Andrew Rosko

LeRoy Long IV Graduate Student Research Award for History and Geography
Skyler Harms, Ashlan Brionne Johnson

Phi Alpha Theta Outstanding Undergraduate Student Award
Trista Wilmot

Pugh Family Pioneer Endowed Scholarship for Geography
Tyson Anderson, Joshua Friscic

 

Department of Humanities and Philosophy Awards

Alumni and Faculty Scholarship for Philosophy
Taylor Baker

Finney Scholars Scholarship for Humanities & Philosophy
Taylor Baker

Humanities and Philosophy Student Leadership Award
Aliessia Jones

Outstanding Academic Achievement in Humanities
Aliessia Jones

Outstanding Academic Achievement in Philosophy
Taylor Baker

Outstanding Tutor of the Year
Deb Voyles

The Arete Award in Philosophy – For Excellence in Scholarship and Work/Life Balance
Vivian Lanier Endowed Scholarship for Humanities
Rylan Vanlandingham

 

Department of Mass Communication Awards

Al McLaughlin Scholarship in Mass Communication
Carson Clay

Al McLaughlin Scholarship in Mass Communication
Aleve Mathew

Barbara Norman Scholarship
Logan Boyd

Brock Warren Memorial Scholarship Jessica
Dyann Morales

Daniel Smith Photography Scholarship
Lacie Montgomery

Dr. Ray Tassin Endowed Scholarship in Mass Communication
Allison Miller

Dr. Stan Hoig Endowed Memorial Scholarship in Mass Communication
Logan Boyd

Finney Scholars Scholarship for Mass Communication
Promise Hill

Gean B. Atkinson Scholarship for Advertising Excellence
Lilian Smith

Jack Deskin Professional Media Scholarship
Taylor Chase McArthur

Jill Kelsey Outstanding Public Relations Student Award
Kyel Harwell

Joe Hight Award
Majia Cottrell

Media Studies Scholarship
Robyn Thornton

Milton R. Reynolds Most Professional Advanced Student Award
Ashley Jones, Madalyn Nix

Outstanding Broadcast News Award
Dylan Stieber

Outstanding Broadcast Production Award
Trey Guzman

Outstanding Documentary Student Award
Trey Guzman

Outstanding Interpersonal Communication Student Award
Sarah Ingalsbe

Outstanding Media Studies Student Award
Mara McCarty

Outstanding News Editorial Student Award
Ainsley Martinez

Outstanding Organizational Communication Student Award
Destiny Cheek, Allison Ornelas

Outstanding Photography Student Award
Manuela Soldi

Outstanding Service to The Vista Award
Madalyn Nix

Photographic Arts Award – Creative Photography
Brooklin Layman

Photographic Arts Award – Editorial Fashion
Hailey Goodman

Photographic Arts Award – Film Photography
Tomeka Lampkins

Photographic Arts Award – Landscape/Architecture
Rani Peoples

Photographic Arts Award – Outstanding Editing
Cameron Abel

Photographic Arts Award – Outstanding Use of Black and White
Manuela Soldi

Photographic Arts Award – Outstanding Use of Lighting
Madalyn Nix

Photographic Arts Award – Photojournalism
Jessica Juarez

Photographic Arts Award – Portraiture
Faith Ashford

Photographic Arts Award – PSA Scholarship
Emma Barrett, Graycee Hubbard, Aleve Mathew, Madalyn Nix

Reba Collins Endowed Scholarship
Kendall Walton

Robert J. Illidge Oustanding Advertising Student Award
Kyel Harwell

Stanley W. Case Endowed Memorial Scholarship in Mass Communication
Braden Gray, Jocelyn Schifferdecker

The McLaughlin Family Endowed Scholarship in Photography
Allison Miller, Morgan Nelson

Wendell and Pauline Simmons Memorial Scholarship
Ashton Joyner, Taylor Chase McArthur

Woody Gaddis Photography Endowed Scholarship
Graycee Hubbard

 

Department of Modern Languages Awards

Dr. Cathy Stults Scholarship in French Studies
Gerardo Santillan

Finney Scholars Scholarship for Modern Languages
Rachel Lewis

Jeanne Marie (Jean) Barthell Endowed Memorial Scholarship
Caitlin Alexander

Nollert Family Scholarship in German Studies
Sophie Hagy

Outstanding French Student
Daniela Cardona

Outstanding German Student
Chase Compton

Outstanding Spanish Student
Machela Leathers

Samuel Henry and Elizabeth P. Mitchell Foundation Scholarship for Modern Languages
Sloane Merrick

Steve and Carol Barrymore Endowed Spanish Scholarship
Brianna Jennings

 

Department of Political Science Awards

Barbara Webster Endowed Scholarship in Political Science
Izabel Barry

Carl F. Reherman Endowed Scholarship in Political Science
Erica Canete

Dr. Brett Sharp Scholarship for Public Administration
Brogan Feeley, Joshua Minner

Dr. James Caster Scholarship in Legal Studies
Saul Perez, Mariah Webb

Dr. Randall Jones Endowed Outstanding Political Science Scholarship
Beverlee Caraway

Finney Scholars Scholarship for Political Science
Zachary Hope

Joe E. White Jr. Endowed Scholarship in Political Science
Beyonce Hammond

Nance Family Scholarship
Evelyn Enriquez Baez

Outstanding First Year Graduate Student Award in Political Science
SinSuk Wang

Outstanding Second Year Graduate Student Award in International Relations
Shadrach Kelfa Fofanah

Outstanding Second Year Graduate Student Award in Master of Public Administration
Michelle Blasquez

Outstanding Second Year Graduate Student Award in Political Science
Regino Adkins

Pi Sigma Alpha Honor Society Award
Marina Jones

Political Science Graduate Paper Award
Joshua Minner

Political Science Leadership Award
Joshua Chao

Political Science Undergraduate Paper Award
Saul Perez

Sandra Mackey Endowed Scholarship
Shadrach Kelfa Fofanah, Stephen Hochstetler

Undergraduate Transfer Student Scholarship for Political Science
Reaghan Briggs

 

Department of Sociology, Gerontology and Substance Abuse Studies Awards

Department of Sociology, Gerontology and Substance Abuse Studies Scholarship
Jacquelyne Day

Edmond Senior Community Foundation Scholarship in Gerontology
May Frances Johnson

Elizabeth A. Berger Award
Lisa Howard

Finney Scholars Scholarship for Sociology, Gerontology and Substance Abuse Studies
Alexandria Godwin

Gene McBride Community Service
Mikayla Nicewander

Judge William S. Myers Award for Academic Excellence and Service in Sociology
Leah Maier

Judy Leitner Endowed Scholarship in Gerontology
May Frances Johnson

Odom Outreach Scholarship in Sociology
Alexandria Godwin

Outstanding Research in Sociology Award
Sara Ashley

Outstanding Student in Addictions Counseling
David Martin, Darian Smith

Outstanding Student in Gerontology
May Frances Johnson

Outstanding Student in Human Services
Amy Nelson

Outstanding Student in Sociology
Lauren May

Richard P. Rettig Award
Courtney Nix

Robert C. Jones Outstanding Student in Substance Abuse Studies
Leigh George

Steward Family Endowed Scholarship in Sociology
Mary Hernandez

 

Harry S. Truman Scholarship Foundation

2022 Truman Scholar
Beyonce Hammond

 

Presidential Partners Awards

Allison Martin-Pumphrey Leadership Scholarship
Joshua Chao, Jessica Jobey

Forensic Science Institute Endowed Scholarship
Saen Hokenson, Trasey Ramirez

George & Donna Nigh Scholarship
Marina Jones, Zain Whitlock

Jones/Harris Scholarship for Public Service
Joshua Chao

Julian and Irene Rothbaum Student Achievement Awards – College of Liberal Arts
Wendell Davis, Tabor Hawks, Lizeth Torres

LTC Oren Lee Peters Endowed ROTC Scholarship
Stephen Hochstetler

Parman Foundation Scholarship
Cecilia Alali, Michael Gomes, Myles Melson

Robert Aldridge Armed Forces Scholarship
Stephen Hochstetler

The C. Hubert Graff Endowed Scholarship
Jessica Addai, Beyonce Hammond

The C. Hubert Graff Endowed Scholarship
Gareth Morton

The Kirkpatrick Family Scholarship
Izabel Barry, Emma Burch, Carson Clay

UCO Foundation Board of Trustees Scholarship
Abigail Ball