UAF to honor the year’s outstanding students

Submitted by Marmian Grimes
Phone: (907) 474-7902
04/27/06

More than six dozen students will be honored at the University of Alaska Fairbanks’ annual student awards breakfast Saturday, April 29, 2006 at 9:30 a.m. in the Wood Center Carol Brown Ballroom. Each spring UAF honors students who have distinguished themselves throughout their academic careers.

Among those to be honored are the winners of the Joel Wiegert Award, the Marion Frances Boswell Memorial Award and the Gray S. Tilly Memorial Award. The awards recognize the accomplishments of three top graduating seniors each year.

Brandon Ilgen will receive the Joel Wiegert Award, which recognizes the outstanding graduating senior man. Ilgen is slated to earn a bachelor’s degree in linguistics in May and a second bachelor’s degree, in English, over the summer. Throughout his academic career, Ilgen has been involved in a wide range of campus activities while maintaining a GPA of 3.77. He is president of the UAF chapter of the International English Honor Society, Sigma Tau Delta, a volunteer program assistant for the UAF Leadership Program, a UAF student ambassador, has been an orientation leader and was a presenter at the fall 2005 UAF leadership conference. He has earned numerous honors and awards during his time at UAF and has been on both the deans’ and chancellor’s list for the last four years. After graduating, he plans to travel to Russia for two months with his wife as she works on her graduate research in environmental chemistry.

Tania Deisher is this year’s recipient of the Marion Frances Boswell Memorial Award, which recognizes the outstanding graduating senior woman. In May, she will receive a bachelor’s degree in chemistry. Deisher has earned a GPA of 3.97 while playing with the UAF’s women’s basketball team, pursuing an interest in music, preparing for medical school exams and interviews, and working about 20 hours per week. In addition, she has been active in Big Brothers/Big Sisters and the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. She has tutored UAF athletes, worked with students at Howard Luke Academy, is the founding president of the UAF chapter of the National Society of Collegiate Scholars and has been an orientation leader. Deisher plans to attend medical school at either the University of Washington or the University of Rochester. She will graduate with honors and leadership honors.

Joyce Billups will receive this year’s Gray S. Tilly Memorial Award, which recognizes a graduating senior whose education has been interrupted by family responsibilities. Billups is the mother of four children and the grandmother of two. Her desire to attend college began right after high school, however, her plans changed when she married a military man. Her husband served in the U.S. Army, and his job took the family throughout the country and world. As a result, Billups was never able to start her college education. In 1994, she began attending classes at UAA. Her family moved to Fairbanks after a single semester and she decided to home school her children, once again putting off her own education. It wasn’t until she took a job as a teacher’s assistant, which required her to have a child development associate certificate, that Billups returned to school. She earned her certificate and an associate’s degree in early childhood education. In May she will graduate with leadership honors and receive a bachelor’s degree in child development and family studies. She plans to pursue a position where she can use her education and experience to give back to the community.

Two UAF employees will also be recognized for student advocacy. The Associated Students of the University of Alaska Fairbanks will present the outstanding faculty award to Channon Price, associate professor of physics and faculty advisor for KSUA-FM. Joe Hayes, executive director of the UAF Alumni Association, is the recipient of this year’s outstanding staff member award.

Student athletes Jamie Beyerle from the rifle team and Erik Wickstrom from the men’s cross country skiing and running teams will also be recognized for their accomplishments.

After the university achievement awards are presented, deans and directors will recognize students by colleges and professional schools. Following is the list of students to be honored:

School of Education: Kelly J. Davies, elementary education, and Edna Ahmaogak, rural elementary education.

College of Engineering and Mines: Elizabeth A. Binning, civil and environmental engineering; David Giessel, electrical and computer engineering; Andrew Schultz, geological engineering; B. Graham Wichman, mechanical engineering; Carolyn Curley, mining engineering; and Erik Leman, petroleum engineering.

School of Management: Scott Seigmund, accounting; Randy S. Griffith Jr., business administration; and Jessie Lyle Janes, economics.

School of Natural Resources and Agricultural Sciences: Jason Mercer, forest sciences; Maria Anastario, geography; Jennifer Hack, plant, animal and soil sciences; and Zachary Baer, resources management.

School of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences: Jonathan Richar, fisheries.

College of Rural Alaska: Rose Fisher, Bristol Bay Campus; Kurt Cleary and Jeanette Ness, Interior-Aleutians Campus; Alison Kassel, Kuskokwim Campus; Greta Willie, Northwest Campus; Ulric Ulroan, rural development; and Robin K. Cowles, developmental education.

Tanana Valley Campus: Marcie Hunt, applied accounting and applied business; Regina Whitney, allied health medical assistant program, Bill Allen, airframe and powerplant; Jennifer Nichols, culinary arts; Teresa Chandler and Joyce Billups, early childhood education; Skyler Gallien, emergency services; Tonya D. Esmailka, local human service technology; Rosemary Allen, statewide human service technology; Sarah Snow, microcomputer support specialist; Brandon Emmett, paramedic program; Gary Lee Moore, applied business; Jennifer R. Costello, paralegal studies; and Emanueliano Bennalley. process technology

College of Natural Science and Mathematics: Kristine Niles, biological sciences; Zachary Hill, chemistry and biochemistry; Edward J. Trochim, computer science; Jeremiah Drewel, geology and geophysics; Michael Hazlett, mathematics; Rachael Shoulder, physics; and Nicole Phillips, wildlife biology.

College of Liberal Arts: Andrew Tremayne, anthropology; Igor Pasternak, art; Jennifer Glenday, communication; Bryr Ludington, English; Gavin Piercy, foreign languages; Lacie Schubert, history; Kristine Niles, honors program; Casey Grove, journalism; Alexsis Maas, justice; Brandon Ilgen, linguistics; Christopher J. Eby, military science; Hannah Bjornstad, music; Nate Raymond, political science; Genevieve Harper, psychology; Juanita Smith, social work; Caroline Webster, sociology; Rachel Blackwell, theater; and Annie Krenzer, women’s studies.

CONTACT: Lydia Anderson, Wood Center director, at (907) 474-7037. UAF Public Information Officer Marmian Grimes at (907) 474-7902 or via e-mail at marmian.grimes@uaf.edu

If a student or department is not listed in this release, it may be that the outstanding student for that department has a confidential hold on their academic record.