UGA to recognize academic excellence at Honors Day April 26

The University of Georgia will pay tribute to its best students, teachers, advisers and mentors, including several at the College of Education at the annual Honors Day program April 26.

The program will be held in Hugh Hodgson Hall in UGA's Performing Arts Center beginning at 2 p.m. Undergraduate classes scheduled for sixth, seventh and eight periods ( 1:25-4:25 p.m.) will be dismissed so students and faculty can attend.

John Maltese, a political science professor who has won awards for teaching, will be the Honors Day speaker.

Several hundred students, including 58 First Honor Graduates who have maintained a perfect 4.0 grade point average while at UGA, and students who rank in the top 5 percent of their schools and colleges, will be recognized for academic excellence. Other student honorees include recipients of top national scholarships and those elected to scholastic and leadership honor societies.

Honors Day also recognizes faculty members who are receiving awards for teaching excellence; faculty and staff who are being recognized as outstanding advisors and mentors; and graduate students who are receiving awards for teaching.

Honors Day, which was started 76 years ago, is particularly timely this year in light of current efforts to enhance the academic climate at UGA, said Del Dunn, vice president for instruction.

“We are implementing recommendations made by the task force on undergraduate education last year, and taking other steps to ensure the highest level of academic quality at UGA,” said Dunn, who co-chaired the task force with Jere Morehead, vice provost for academic affairs. “Honors Day is a time to celebrate our progress and recognize outstanding students and faculty members who are helping attain a higher standard of excellence.”

Five faculty members will be presented as new Josiah Meigs Distinguished Teaching Professors, UGA's highest recognition of superior instruction at the undergraduate and graduate levels. This year's Meigs Professors are Karen P. Carmichael, veterinary medicine; Karl Espelie, entomology; Edward C. Halper, philosophy; Robert L. Shewfelt, food science and technology; and Janice Simon, art.

Recipients of the Richard B. Russell Award, which recognizes junior faculty for outstanding teaching, will also be presented. They are Marguerite C. (Peggy) Brickman, biological sciences; Audrey A. Haynes, political science; and David B. Mustard, economics.

In addition, two faculty who have been appointed to special professorships will be recognized. They are John Inscoe, University Professor of history, and Judith Ortiz Cofer, Regents' Professor of English.

Maltese, this year's speaker, is an authority on the federal judicial appointment process, the American presidency and president-press relations. His book “The Politics of the Presidency” is in its sixth edition, and he won the American Political Science Association's 1996 Best Book award for “The Selling of Supreme Court Nominees.”

A member of UGA's Teaching Academy, Maltese was named a Meigs Professor in 2004 and that same year was chosen Georgia Professor of the Year by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and the Council for Advancement and Support of Education. He developed a study abroad program in Oxford, England, for students in the School of Public and International Affairs and was named UGA's Study Abroad Director of the Year.

The following faculty members will be recognized as outstanding teachers in the schools and colleges:

Franklin College of Arts and Sciences: Norris Armstrong, genetics; Peggy Brickman, biological sciences; Andrew Cole, English; George Contini, theatre and film; Freda Scott Giles, theatre and film; Edward Halper, philosophy; Steven Lewis, physics and astronomy; Adam Parkes, English; Linda Renzulli, sociology; Janice Simon, art; Susan Thomas, music; Frances Van Keuren, art; Lance Wells, biochemistry;

College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences: Karl Espelie, entomology; William Kisaalita, biological agricultural engineering; Joseph McHugh, entomology; Sidney Thompson, biological agricultural engineering; Fred White, agricultural and applied economics;

School of Law: Lonnie Brown, Dan Coenen, Anne Dupre;

College of Pharmacy: Keith N. Herist, clinical and administrative pharmacy;

Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources: Pete Bettinger, Todd Rasmussen;

College of Education: Richard Boon, communication sciences and special education; Malcolm Butler, mathematics and science education; Kathryn Roulston, lifelong education, administration, and policy;

Terry College of Business: Allen Amason, management; Linda Bamber, J. M. Tull School of Accounting; Fred Bateman, economics; Dennis Beresford, Tull School of Accounting; Mark Huber, management information systems; Henry Munneke, insurance, legal studies and real estate; Karen Napoleon, management; Vanessa Patrick, marketing and distribution; John Scruggs, banking and finance; Peter Shedd, insurance, legal studies and real estate; E. Daniel Smith, Tull School of Accounting; David Sommer, insurance, legal studies and real estate;

Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication: Leara Rhodes, journalism; Steve Smith, telecommunications; Spencer Tinkham, advertising and public relations;

College of Family and Consumer Sciences: Brenda Cude, housing and consumer economics; Kristin Deckard, textiles, merchandising and interiors; Jerry Gale, child and family development; Silvia Giraudo, food and nutrition;

School of Social Work : Thomas Artelt, Larry Nackerud, Trisha Reeves;

College of Environment and Design: S. Georgia Harrison, School of Environmental Design; David Nichols, School of Environmental Design; Ronald Sawhill, School of Environmental Design;

School of Public and International Affairs: Christopher Allen, international affairs;

College of Veterinary Medicine : K. Paige Carmichael, Marc Kent;

College of Public Health : David Hayes, health promotion and behavior; and

Division of Academic Enhancement: Barry Biddlecomb.

Several faculty members will be honored for teaching excellence in the Honors Program. The J. Hatten Howard Award, which recognizes faculty who exhibit special promise in teaching Honors courses during their first term as an Honors Program instructor, will be presented to Richard Morrison, chemistry, and David Mustard, economics.

The Lothar Tresp Outstanding Honors Professor Award is given to Honors faculty based on course evaluations. This year's recipients are Ronald Bogue, comparative literature; Frederic Dolezal, English; Marisa Pagnattaro, insurance, legal studies and real estate; and Albert Parker, geography.

Winners of the university's annual award to a faculty member and a staff member for excellence in academic advising and mentoring are Sidney Thompson, biological agricultural engineering, and Freida Thornton, elementary and social studies education.

The university also recognizes outstanding efforts to involve undergraduate students in research with the Undergraduate Research Mentoring Award. This year's faculty recipients are Patricia Hunt-Hurst, textiles, merchandise and interiors, and Rodney Mauricio, genetics.

The Graduate School also recognizes faculty members with the Outstanding Mentoring Award. This year's winners are Ronald L. Blount, psychology, and Juanita Johnson-Bailey, lifelong education, administration, and policy.

The Graduate School recognizes graduate teaching assistants for outstanding performance with the Excellence in Teaching Award. This year's recipients are Marie del Puig Andres, Romance languages; Anita DeRouen, English; Tracy Lambert, psychology; Kristy Maddux, speech communication; and Uttiyo Raychaudhuri, Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources.

Four students who received the prestigious Goldwater Scholarship will be recognized. They are Phillip B. (Ben) Ham, Douglas M. Jackson, Teerawit (Tim) Supakorndej and Yunjiang (John) Jiang.

UGA began recognizing First Honor Graduates in 1978 instead of designating a graduating senior as valedictorian. Students who qualify as First Honor Graduates, and their hometowns and majors, are:

Laura E. Agnew, Summerville, microbiology; Lisa E. Akullian, Dunwoody, criminal justice and psychology; Gabriel M. Allen, Marietta, international affairs; Lindsay M. Allen, Roswell, foreign language education; Christina J. Boddiford, Sylvania, exercise and sport science; Karen M. Brown, Lilburn, biology; Beau T. Bryan, Cochran, biochemistry and molecular biology and cellular biology; Melissa A. Cabinian, Cumming, microbiology and environmental health;

Christopher M. Campbell, Carrollton, marketing and risk management and insurance; Kevin J. Champion, religion and psychology; Justin T. Cheeley, Lawrenceville, biology; Matthew T. Cole, Gainesville, Spanish; Lindsay K. Connell, Rome, psychology; Julia M. Diaz, Alpharetta, biology; Morgan E. Duncan, Cumming, German; Amy E. Edgerton, Norcross, psychology and magazines; Simon F. Ferrari, Alpharetta, philosophy and film studies;

Felicia C. Fountain, Mount Vernon, biology; Kristina R. Gillen, Brooks, international business; Sherri R. Gilpin, Marietta, foreign language education; Dylann H. Gould-Bowring, Mount Pleasant, S.C., fashion merchandising; Anna R. Griffith, Newnan, accounting; Maria T. Halaschek-Wiener, Marietta, early childhood education; Bryan I. Hartley, Chattanooga, Tenn., genetics;

Lauren V. Hawkins, Millersville, Md., biology; April E. Hills, Kennesaw, international business and French; Jeffrey S. Hornyak, Cordele, risk management and insurance; Jess B. Johnson, Snellville, political science and sociology; Katy E. Larson, Marietta, Spanish and public relations; Stephanie E. Laster, Conyers, risk management and insurance; Andrew J. Lavoie, Spanish and international affairs; Joseph R. Lecates, McDonough, economics;

Emily W. Leonard, Alpharetta, biology and psychology; Nicole M. Leyland, Suwanee, pharmacy; William M. Lynch III, Alpharetta, Spanish and political science; Joel D. McLean, Athens, telecommunication arts and sociology; Yvette M. McNett, Snellville, special education; Michael L. Miller, Stone Mountain, management; Katherine L. Morgan, Brandon, Miss., biology and psychology; Christian C. Morrison, Marietta, finance;

Carrie A. Nalisnick, Hinesville, biology and mathematics; Anna E. Papa, Gainesville, criminal justice; Alpesh D. Patel, Atlanta, chemistry; Jolee Porter, Kennesaw, English and Spanish; Radhika Prabhakar, Albany, political science and international affairs, and German; Cheryl E. Reese, Atlanta, Honors interdisciplinary studies; Angela P. Rubin, New Orleans, La., marketing; Elizabeth A. Siwy, Roswell, exercise and sport science; Brandon S. Smith, Marietta, finance; Hannah E. Smith, Augusta, child and family development; Robert A. Speir, Dawson, water and soil resources; Matthew J. Stewart, Atlanta, microbiology and cellular biology; Evan C. Sussenbach, Upatoi, forestry; Brendan J. Thomas, Martinez, accounting;

Tyson E. Turner, Lincolnton, biochemistry and molecular biology; Jennifer L. Vanairsdale, Peachtree City, history and Romance languages; Ashley C. Watkins, Commerce, early childhood education; and Marissa A. Yurko, Lilburn, art/art education.

Honors Day was started in 1930 by Chancellor S. V. Sanford to give recognition to UGA students for scholastic achievement.

Thursday, April 13, 2006
Writer: Larry B. Dendy, 706/542-8078, ldendy@uga.edu
Contact: Susan Landrum, 706/542-0415, slandrum@uga.edu