Value added - USG serves Georgia [Apr. 2010]

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April 2010

Scores of High-Achieving USG Students Earning National Recognition

Fulbright scholars, Truman scholars, Goldwater scholars, Udall scholars, Mitchell scholars, New Century scholars, Coca-Cola Foundation scholars the University System of Georgia (USG) can include all of these and much more on the list of national-level academic honors earned by its students this year.
"We are very proud of and not at all surprised by the many outstanding achievements of University System of Georgia students as they pursue their goals in their chosen fields of study," said Chancellor Erroll B. Davis Jr. "Our top students can and do compete with their counterparts at the most prestigious institutions in the nation and around the globe."
"We salute the hard work and intellectual drive that has earned many of our gifted graduate and undergraduate students recognition from top-notch organizations both here and abroad," added Dr. Susan Herbst, the USG's executive vice chancellor and chief academic officer.
A roundup of recent notable achievements by USG students includes the following prestigious academic awards, scholarships, internships, residencies and fellowships:
SCHOLARSHIPS
George J. Mitchell Postgraduate Scholarship Sponsored by the U.S.-Ireland Alliance, this program is designed to introduce and connect generations of future American leaders to Ireland, while recognizing and fostering intellectual achievement, leadership and a commitment to

public service and community. This year, just nine U.S. students were chosen to receive a year of postgraduate study in Ireland or Northern Ireland.
Stephen Dorner, University of Georgia An honors student, who will earn bachelor's degrees in microbiology and environmental health this spring, Dorner will use his fellowship to pursue a master's degree in global health at Trinity College in Dublin during the 2010-11 academic year.
New Century Scholarship This program, administered by Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society in cooperation with the American Association of Community Colleges, honors the top-scoring student from each state in the Coca-Cola All-State Community College Academic Team program. New Century Scholars receive Stephanie Llanes a $2,000 stipend from the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation and the CocaCola Foundation.
Stephanie Llanes, Gainesville State College Phi Theta Kappa also selected the secondyear sociology major as one of 20 outstanding community college students around the nation that comprise the USA TODAY 2010 All-USA Community College Academic Team, based on academic achievements, campus leadership and service to her institution and the community. Recipients each receive $2,500 from USA TODAY and will be featured in this national publication on April 19.
See "National Recognition," p. 2...

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National Recognition Continued from p. 1
Coca-Cola All-State Gold Scholarship Based on their scores in the All-USA Community College Academic Team competition (see above), Phi Theta Kappa selects 50 additional outstanding community college students from around the nation to receive $1,500 stipends sponsored by the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation and the Coca-Cola Foundation.

Muktha Natrajan, University of Georgia Natrajan is the sixth UGA student to receive this scholarship. She is pursuing a combined bachelor's/ master's program in which she

Benjamin Wentworth, Gainesville State

will earn a

College Wentworth, a second-year sociology bachelor of

major, will have his name listed in USA TO-

science de-

DAY on April 19.

gree in ge-

Harry S. Truman Scholarship This award recognizes outstanding juniors who are planning careers in government or other public service by providing them with up to $30,000 in graduate study. This year's applicant pool consisted of 576 candidates, and two of the

netics and Muktha Natrajan a master of public health degree in environmental health science. After graduation, Natrajan plans to enter a Ph.D. program in neuroscience, focused on toxicology.

60 scholarship recipients hail from Georgia.

HONORABLE MENTION: Stephen Pettigrew,

Tracy Yang, University of Georgia An anthropology major, Yang hopes to enter a master's-in-public-health/doctor-of-medicine program and pursue a career as a physician
policy-maker or health program administrator.

University of Georgia A third-year honors student pursuing a combined bachelor's/master's degree in political science and a bachelor's degree in history, Pettigrew would like to pursue a Ph.D. in political science and then a law degree with a focus on environmental law.

Yasmin Yonis, University of Georgia Yonis, who is pursuing bachelor's degrees in international affairs and journalism (newspapers), would like to pursue a master's degree in public affairs

Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship This award annually recognizes exceptional undergraduates in mathematics, science and engineering. This year, 278 recipients were selected from an applicant pool of more than 1,000 candidates to receive up to $7,500 for either one or two years toward tuition, fees, books, and room and board.

and a law degree, focusing on Christine Akoh, University of Georgia

a career in human rights law

Akoh, a sophomore, is pursuing bachelor's

and policy in the U.S. and

degrees in food science and interdisciplinary

Yasmin Yonis

African nations, including her applied science. After earning her degrees in

homeland.

2012, Akoh plans to pursue a Ph.D. in interna-

Udall Foundation Scholarship This award recognizes sophomores and juniors

tional nutrition, focusing on global nutrition and health.

who are pursuing careers focused on environ-

Meagan Cauble, University of Georgia

mental or Native American issues. The Morris K. Cauble, a junior, is pursuing a bachelor's de-

Udall and Stewart L. Udall Foundation awarded

gree in biochemistry and molecular biology.

80 $5,000 scholarships to students nationwide

She would like to pursue a Ph.D. in chemical

this year and 50 honorable mentions.

and biomolecular engineering after graduating

from UGA in 2011.

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See "National Recognition," p. 3...

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National Recognition Continued from p. 2

Fulbright Scholarship This program provides participants chosen for their academic merit and leadership potential
with the opportunity to study, teach and conduct research, exchange ideas and contribute to finding solutions to shared international concerns.

Charles Bauch, University of

West Georgia After graduat-

ing this May, Bauch a philoso-

phy major minoring in German

and English will spend a year

in Germany teaching high-

school English.

Charles Bauch

FINALIST: Katherine Bundy,

Kennesaw State University

Bundy, a senior in the honors program who is

pursuing a degree in modern languages with a

concentration in Spanish education, also was

named the 2009 U.S. Student Ambassador of

the Year from the Embassy of Spain's Study-

in-Spain program.

Fulbright-Garcia Robles Scholarship, Bi-National Business Program The U.S. Department of State grant provides American students the opportunity to acquire professional experience and cultural understanding working for companies or non-profit organizations in Mexico.

Kathleen "Katie" Steffen, Valdosta State University Steffen, a 2007 summa cum laude graduate of VSU, began the 10-month program with Nestle Mexico, in Mexico City, in September 2009. She is working on a project to introduce a new Nestle product into the Mexican market.

Rotary Ambassadorial Scholarship The purpose of this program is to further international understanding and friendly relations among people of different countries and geographical areas. Since 1947, more than 40,000 men and women from about 100 nations have studied abroad under its auspices.

Erinn King, Georgia State University King, a junior communication major and honors student, received $25,000 to spend the 2010-11 academic year at Massey University Wellington in New Zealand.
Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship This scholarship provides awards for U.S. undergraduate students who are receiving Federal Pell Grant funding at two-year or four-year colleges or universities to participate in study abroad programs worldwide.
Cadet Ashley Duffins, North Georgia College & State University Duffins, a sophomore majoring in international affairs with an Asian concentration, is spending a semester at Sogang University in Seoul, South Korea. She is the first student to attend Ashley Duffins Sogang as part of a fledgling bilateral agreement between the Korean institution and North Georgia.
Mattie Stepanek Caregiving Scholarship The Rosalyn Carter Institute for Caregiving launched this program to provide financial assistance to family, professional, or paraprofessional caregivers who are seeking training or education in specific skills, procedures and strategies that lead to more effective care, while also protecting the health and well-being of the caregiver. Only four $2,500 scholarships are awarded each year.
Stacy Creighton, Medical College of Georgia Creighton, who will earn a bachelor of science in nursing degree this year, hopes to work at a local hospital in adult care upon her graduation. Creighton and a friend at the University of Georgia are currently collaborating in

See "National Recognition," p. 4...

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National Recognition Continued from p. 3
launching a caregivers training and support program for Northeast Georgia.
Sidney D. Rodenberg Memorial Scholastic Award The Alpha Eta Honor Society gives this award to outstanding students from graduate programs in the allied health professions.
Trisha Marie McCulloch, Armstrong Atlantic State University McCulloch is on track to earn a doctor of physical therapy degree in 2012.
Ortho-McNeil Janssen Scientific Affairs, LLC Student Scholarship Administered by the American Psychiatric Nurses Association (APNA), this program provides a one-year membership to the APNA and funding to attend the APNA Annual Conference.
Tranika Eaton, Medical College of Georgia Eaton is a senior at MCG.
Michelle Morris, Medical College of Georgia Morris is a 2009 graduate of the college.
OTHER AWARDS AND DISTINCTIONS
First Place Finish National Conference Poster Competition
Hevil Shah, Medical College of Georgia Shah's study of the effectiveness of instant messaging in helping medical students develop patient interviewing skills won him first place at the American Academy of Family Physicians Family Medicine Residents and Medical Students National Conference this past fall.

U.S. Department of Defense Internship
Chad Maddox, Kennesaw State University Maddox, an honors student and an international affairs major, received one of only 10 DOD internships awarded this year.
George C. Marshall ROTC Award This award is presented to approximately 270 cadets nationwide who have demonstrated leadership and scholastic qualities that epitomize the career of Gen. George C. Marshall and who have demonstrated outstanding leadership potential. Recipients attend three days of roundtable discussions on national security issues led by experts from the Department of Defense, other federal government agencies and academia.
Cadet Jessica Carlock, North Georgia College & State University Carlock, a senior, was the seventh-ranked cadet out of more than 4,700 students Jessica Carlock on the Army's 2009 National Order of Merit List, which ranks all Army ROTC cadets in the country based on scholastic achievement, leadership skills, physical fitness and performance in the Army's annual Leadership Development and Assessment Course.
ESPN Academic All-America Team (Women's Soccer) Presented by ESPN the Magazine in conjunction with the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA), this program salutes highachieving student athletes in 12 different sports.
Kristin Burton, Armstrong Atlantic State University Burton, a senior, became the first student athlete at AASU to earn this distinction three times when she was named to the first team of the 2010 ESPN the Magazine Academic All-American Team in Women's Soccer.

Hevil Shah

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National Recognition Continued from p. 4
Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE) National Competition Sponsored by the Goldman Sachs Foundation, a global philanthropic organization that promotes excellence and innovation in education.
Gainesville State College 2009-10 SIFE Team The foundation named this 33-member team's Teaching Capital Markets program one of the top five such programs in the nation and awarded the students prize money and a trip to Berlin, Germany, to attend the SIFE World Cup this past fall. The team also placed second nationally in the Campbell Soup Let's Can Hunger Business Plan Competition last summer and has been a national finalist in several other events.
Presidential Management Fellowship This two-year program is designed to attract to federal service outstanding men and women from a variety of academic disciplines and career paths. Fellows are placed with a variety of federal agencies and are fast-tracked into top management in the public sector.
Rebecca Halloran, Georgia State University Halloran is a student in the master's in computer information systems program.
Merage American Dream Fellowship Each year, the Merage Foundation for the American Dream selects a number of promising immigrant senior college students to receive mentoring, access to leadership networks and up to $20,000 to spend over two years on graduate education; travel related to professional development; training, etc. Twenty-two partner universities nominate up to three candidates per year for these fellowships.
Lindel Cecilia Krige, University of Georgia Honors student Krige, who emigrated from Johannesburg, South Africa, when she was 10 years old, is preparing for a career as a physician and clinical researcher. She will graduate in May with bachelor's degrees in biology and psychology. She is the fifth consecutive UGA recipient of the Merage American Dream Fellowship.

Invitation to Perform at the National American College Dance Festival

Works from about 30 different colleges and universities are presented at this biennial festival, which will be held at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., in May.

Shawn Evangelista, Kennesaw State University Evangelista, who will earn his degree in dance this spring, will perform at the Kennedy Center with nine Shawn Evangelista other members of the KSU Dance Company.

Veterans Affairs Post-graduate Administrative Fellowship

Brittany Pesak, Armstrong Atlantic State University Pesak, a senior in AASU's master of health services administration program, will begin her fellowship with the Veterans Affairs Sunshine Healthcare Network Office in St. Petersburg, Fla., in June.

Johns Hopkins Health System Post-Graduate Administrative Residency

Zahi Jurdi, Armstrong At-

lantic State University

Jurdi, a senior in the

master of health services

administration program

at AASU, will begin his

residency with the Johns

Hopkins Health System of Baltimore, Md., in July.

Zahi Jurdi

Best Actor Award International Casablanca Theatre Festival This festival is held annually at Casablanca University in Morocco.

Phillip Justman, Kennesaw State University Scheduled to graduate this summer, the theater and performance studies major won this honor for his performance as Ahab in "Moby Dick" at the festival. Q

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