GSA Awards

We are excited to announce another GSA Award Ceremony! This event will feature the award recipients in a semi-formal award presentation format and be proceeded by a pizza and ice cream social presented by the graduate school directly after.

Award Categories Include:

Qualifying/Comprehensive Exam - This award recognizes the milestone of completing a qualifying exam.
4.0 Award - Automatically earned if you have reached your final semester as a graduate student and have maintained a 4.0.
Celebrate Student Success - This award recognizes student accomplishments including publications, conference presentations, student leadership, and community service. (3 recipients)
Community Excellence Award - This award recognizes graduate students who have excelled academically and have either overcome tremendous odds to be successful or have consistently made contributions that benefit others. (3 recipients)
Program/Track Outstanding Student Award - This award recognizes students who have excelled academically and have made significant contributions to benefit others.
Mentor Award - This award recognizes administrative and faculty members who have shown tremendous commitment to mentoring, advising, and supporting graduate students during the academic year. This award will be given to administration or faculty members who have made significant efforts in mentoring and advising graduate students to become professionals in their field, shape the graduate work of a graduate student, and/or provide exceptional personal support and development to a graduate student. (3 recipients)
GSA 20 under 35 - Recognizing how difficult it is to complete graduate degrees consecutively or concurrently, this award recognizes 20 graduate students below age of 35 who have made a significant mark on the campus community through excellent teaching, innovative research, service to the campus and community, or general dedication above and beyond their performance in the classroom. (20 recipients)
The Graduate Student Association Executive Service Award - This award recognizes GSA Executive Board members who have best combined high academic and leadership achievements. (2 recipients from the GSA Executive Board)

The location is currently under review. Our tentative date is the afternoon of April 21st, live and on Zoom.

You can submit nominations for yourself or someone else, here. Nominations open March 20th, 2023 and close on April 3, 2023.

Graduate Student Association Award Recognitions Spring 2022

Qualifying/Comprehensive Exam - This award recognizes the milestone of completing a qualifying exam.

Department of Communication & Film
Tami Sawyer, MA, Comprehensive Exam: 3/2/22

Biology
Maryam Shahrtash, PhD, Exam: 5/2/22, Microbial ecology of the invasive plant Kudzu (Pueraria montana var. lobata) in the Southeast United States: Toward a framework of integrative weed management

Felice Murden, PhD, Comprehensive Exam: 1/8/22

Sidney Brenkus, MS, Exam: mm/dd/yy

Celebrate Student Success - This award recognizes student accomplishments including publications, conference presentations, student leadership, and community service.

George Langford, MPA - Public & Nonprofit Administration
Juan Chen, PhD - Applied Physics
Md Mohsan Khudri, PhD – Economics
DiArron M., PhD – Communication & Film
Cole Harrell-Morris, Law Student
Arjun Sreedhara Panikar, DEGREE – Economics
Maryam Shahrtash, PhD - Biology
Prachi Jadhav, MS - Computer Science
Courtney Peters, PhD – Marketing
Jared Carter, DEGREE - CSD (Neuro)
Jane Brown, DEGREE CSD
Della Gardner, PhD – Marketing
Mahbubul Hasan, PhD - Applied Statistics
Babasoji Oyemakinde, PhD - Economics
Bryan Krause, PhD - DEPARTMENT
Hami Tohidi, PhD Candidate/Adjunct Faculty DEPARTMENT
James Barney, PhD – History
Lauren Hayes, Ph.D. - Counseling Psychology
Krunal Pardasani, MS - Information Systems
Md Jabir Rahman, PhD – Business Information Technology
Clarion Harris, PhD - Social and Behavioral Sciences (Sociology/Public Health)
Natonya Listach, PhD - Communication & Film

The Dean's Award - This award recognizes graduate students who have excelled academically and have either overcome tremendous odds to be successful or have consistently made contributions that benefit others.

George Langford, MPA - Public & Nonprofit Administration
Macon Bullock, MA - History
Md Mohsan Khudri, PhD – Economics
Juan Chen, PhD - Applied Physics
Cole Harrell-Morris, Law Student
Arjun Sreedhara Panikar, DEGREE – Economics
Maryam Shahrtash, PhD - Biology
Prachi Jadhav, MS - Computer Science
Courtney Peters, PhD – Marketing
Mahbubul Hasan, PhD - Applied Statistics
Ashlie Daniels, PhD – Liberal Studies
Hami Tohidi, PhD Candidate/Adjunct Faculty
James Barney, PhD – History
Krunal Pardasani, MS - Information Systems

4.0 Award - Automatically earned if you have reached your final semester as a graduate student and have maintained a 4.0.

Macon Bullock, MA - History
Thomas Fuerst, PhD - Communication
Janay Jeans, MA - Journalism and Strategic Media
Amber Winborn, MA - Journalism and Strategic Media
James Barney, PhD - History
Lauren Hayes, PhD - Counseling Psychology, Counsel Education Psych Research

Provost’s Program/Track Outstanding Student Award - This award recognizes students who have excelled academically and have made significant contributions to benefit others.

Macon Bullock, MA - History
Juan Chen, PhD in Applied Physics
Md Mohsan Khudri, PhD – Economics
Cole Harrell-Morris, Law Student
Favour Olarewaju, PhD - Economics
Maryam Shahrtash, PhD - Biology
Prachi Jadhav, MS - Computer Science
Courtney Peters, PhD – Marketing
Tori Wolfe, PhD – Audiology
Mahbubul Hasan, PhD - Applied Statistics
Ashlie Daniels, PhD – Liberal Studies
Hami Tohidi, PhD Candidate/Adjunct Faculty DEPARTMENT
James Barney, PhD – History
Krunal Pardasani, MS - Information Systems
Md Jabir Rahman, PhD – Business Information Technology
Clarion Harris, PhD - Social and Behavioral Sciences (Sociology/Public Health)

Mentor Award - This award recognizes administrative and faculty members who have shown tremendous commitment to mentoring, advising, and supporting graduate students during the academic year. This award will be given to administration or faculty members who have made significant efforts in mentoring and advising graduate students to become professionals in their field, shape the graduate work of a graduate student, and/or provide exceptional personal support and development to a graduate student.

Dr. Andre E. Johnson, Associate Professor, Department of Communication & Film, Associate Professor
Dr. Chenhui Peng, Assistant Professor, Applied Physics
David Kemme, Professor, Economics
Dr. Christi Moss, Assistant Professor, Department of Communication & Film
Dr. Xiao Shen, Associate Professor and Coordinator of Graduate Students, Applied Physics
Regina Hillman, Assistant Professor of Law, Legal Methods Coordinator
Dr. Albert Okunade, Professor, Department of Economics; George Johnson Fellow in Research
Dr. Deepak Venugopal, Faculty Advisor and Associate Professor – Computer Science
Dr. Joy V. Goldsmith, Communication & Film
Dr. George Deitz, University Research Professor & Coordinator, Marketing Doctoral Program -Marketing & Supply Chain Management
Dr.Sarah Warren, Assistant Professor -School of Communication Sciences and Disorders
Dr. Gavin Bidelman, Professor – Communication Sciences and Disorders
Dr. Dale Bowman, Faculty Advisor and Associate Professor – Applied Statistics
Lakesha Moore, Manager of Graduate School
Dr. Robin Poston, Vice Provost and Dean of the Graduate School
Dr. Lih-Yuan Deng, Professor and Graduate Coordinator - Statistics
Emerson Keith Bowers, Assistant Professor and Station Director Edward J Meeman Biological Station
Dr. Jeni Loftus, Associate Professor - Sociology

GSA 20 under 35 - Recognizing how difficult it is to complete graduate degrees consecutively or concurrently, this award recognizes 20 graduate students below age of 35 who have made a significant mark on the campus community through excellent teaching, innovative research, service to the campus and community, or general dedication above and beyond their performance in the classroom.

George Langford, MPA - Public & Nonprofit Administration
Macon Bullock, MA - History
Md Mohsan Khudri, PhD – Economics
Juan Chen, PhD - Applied Physics
DiArron M., PhD – Communication & Film
Lionnell "Badu" Smith, PhD – Communication & Film
Favour Olarewaju, PhD - Economics
Prachi Jadhav, MS - Computer Science
Courtney Peters, PhD – Marketing
Mahbubul Hasan, PhD - Applied Statistics
Babasoji Oyemakinde, PhD - Economics
Ashlie Daniels, PhD – Liberal Studies
Hami Tohidi, PhD Candidate/Adjunct Faculty DEPARTMENT
Melissa (Rin) Pell, PhD - Biological Sciences

The Graduate Student Association Executive Service Award - This award recognizes GSA Executive Board members who have best-combined high academic and leadership achievements.

Kaitlyn Flint, VP of Student Engagement, MS - Business Administration
Christy Dyer, VP of Innovations, PhD - Chemistry

Graduate Student Association Award Recognitions Spring 2021

Qualifying/Comprehensive Exam - This award recognizes the milestone of completing the qualifying exam

Lipika Sarangi, Communication Sciences Disorders
Kelsey Mankel, Communication Sciences Disorders
Courtney Peters, Marketing
Louvisia Conley, Special Education
Sharmin Atique, Mathematics
Helen Long, Communication Sciences Disorders
Rachel Scott, Historical Musicology
Juan Cardona-Ospina, DMA Composition
Md Mohsan Khudri, Economics
Kishor Datta Gupta, Computer Science
Samia Noor, Earth Science
Shima Farhesh, Applied Linguistics.

Celebrate Student Success - This award recognizes student accomplishments including publications, conference presentations, student leadership and community service

Lipika Sarangi, Communication Sciences and Disorders
Roland Malcolm Charles III, Chemistry
Rachel Amelia Stark, Journalism and Strategic Media
Katie Grace Sartain, Public Administration
Helen Long, Communication Sciences and Disorders
Devalina Nag, Management (Organizational Behavior)
Jessica Johnson, ABA Therapy/ Department of Instructional & Curriculum Leadership
Maryam Shahrtash, Biology
Rachel Elizabeth Scott, Historical Musicology
Neecole Alisia Gregory, Art History/Museum Practices
Md Mohsan Khudri, Economics
Ann Walton Sieber, Liberal Studies
Kayla Hubbard, Educational Leadership and Policy Studies
Kishor Datta Gupta, Computer Science
Saraswati Jha, IMBA
Cordara Xavier Harper, Music Education
Rachel Wiley, Chemistry
Aniruddha Rathod, Epidemiology
Rutu Hemant Patel, Epidemiology
Paige Castleman, Chemistry
Mahbubul Hasan, Applied Statistics

The Graduate Student Association President Service Award- this award recognizes graduate students who have best-combined high academic and leadership achievements

Katie Grace Sartain- Public Administration-Nonprofit Management
Jennifer Tatara, Marketing
Helen Long, Communication Sciences and Disorders
Meera Patel, Counseling Psychology
Shelby Roberts, Educational Psychology and Research
Paige Castleman, Chemistry
Ashley Rosen, Nursing
Maurice Goldstein, Economics
Courtney Peters- Marketing