Student Awards
Nearly 100 undergraduate and graduate students were recognized for academic and personal achievements in 2013-2014.
Department of Kinesiology and Community Health
Joanne M. Carraway and Charles M. Carraway Scholarships
Olatoyosi Grace Akinrotimi
Grace is a student in the combined BS/MPH program and will leave Illinois in 2015 with both an undergraduate degree in Community Health and a Master of Public Health degree. She plans to pursue both a medical degree and a Ph.D. in International Health with a focus on Sub-Saharan Africa.
Sarah Hovey
Sarah completed her undergraduate degree in Kinesiology in May and has started graduate studies in Kinesiology with a focus on biomechanics. She will pursue research on strategies for minimizing the occurrence injuries related to athletics without compromising performance. Her ultimate goal is to open an athletic training facility.
Claire Stahl
Claire will complete her degree in Community Health in 2016, with a dual concentration in Health Education and Promotion, and Health Planning and Administration. She plans to obtain a Master of Public Health degree and hopes to work for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization.
Jeffrey Steinberg
Jeff will complete his bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology in 2015, with certification in teaching K-12 physical education. He plans to complete a master’s degree in Pedagogy while pursuing research on the decisions youth make regarding physical activity and nutrition. He hopes to teach physical education at the elementary or secondary level, and to coach high school volleyball.
Carol L. Chittenden Scholarships
Danielle Rossi
A junior in Kinesiology, Danielle plans to pursue a Doctor of Physical Therapy degree after completing her undergraduate studies.
Patrick Schultz
Patrick will complete his degree in Community Health in 2015, with concentrations in both Health Planning and Administration and Health Education and Promotion. His goal is to play a role in the transformation of the healthcare system in the U.S. through the integration of technology.
Community Health Leadership Awards
Mohammad Abdelfattah
Mohammad graduated in May with concentrations in both Health Planning and Administration and Health Education and Promotion. He plans to attend law school and would like to work in corporate law, with a particular focus on contracts.
Victoria Zeman
Victoria graduated in May and plans to become an occupational therapist. She intends to pursue a doctoral degree in the future in order to conduct research related to occupational therapy.
F. Patricia Cullen Scholarship
Erica Brady
Erica will complete her degree in Kinesiology in 2016. Her goals are to obtain a Doctor of Physical Therapy degree from Northwestern University and to practice at Lurie Children’s Hospital in Chicago.
Helga M. Deutsch Scholarship
Cory Buenting
Cory graduated in May. After studying family medicine at an osteopathic medical school, she hopes to have her own practice that emphasizes wellness and prevention through diet and exercise.
Beulah Drom Scholarships
Kirsten Bork
Kirsten will complete her degree in Kinesiology in 2015. She hopes to pursue graduate studies in Occupational Therapy at Colorado State University, and plans to practice in a hospital’s out-patient unit.
Grace Harmon
Grace plans to enroll in a Physician Assistant master’s program after completing her degree in Kinesiology in 2016. She hopes to practice within a hospital setting.
Aurelio E. “Joe” Florio Scholarship
Katrina Vogel
After completing her degree in Community Health next year, with a concentration in Health Education and Promotion, Katrina plans to attend a Physician Assistant master’s program.
Floyd and Etta McAfee Award
Jia Xin Fang
Jia Xin will complete her degree in Community Health with a concentration in Health Planning and Administration in 2015. After working abroad for a few years, she plans to return to school to pursue either a Master of Public Health or Master of Business Administration degree.
Carita Robertson Physical Education for Women Scholarships
Victoria Andros
Victoria graduated in May with her degree in Kinesiology. In the fall, she will continue her education in medical school and plans to become a pediatrician.
Amy Pesch
Amy will complete her degree in Kinesiology and her teacher certification program in physical education next year.
Seward C. Staley Scholarship
Vivian Villegas
A first-year student in Kinesiology, Vivian already has her sights set on attending graduate school in Occupational Therapy. She would like to work with adolescents in a school setting.
Marianna Trekell Scholarships
Ramin Amirsoltani
Ramin plans to attend medical school after completing his degree in Community Health with a concentration in Health Education and Promotion next year. His ultimate goal is to focus on the orthopedic rehabilitation of athletes, possibly working with a professional sports team.
Kristin Lanxon
Kristin completed her Kinesiology degree in May and will begin studies toward a Doctor of Physical Therapy degree in the fall. Her dream is to own a private physical therapy practice.
Agnes Radich Vidovic Awards
Imran Kazmi
Imran completed his degree in Community Health in May, with a concentration in Health Planning and Administration. He will begin working as a consultant with MedeAnalytics in June. In the future, he plans to pursue either a Master of Business Administration or a Master of Healthcare Administration degree.
Morgan Swingler
A first-year student in Kinesiology, Morgan plans to apply her passion for the field to helping those whose lives have been interrupted by physical injury.
Roger Morse Most Promising Graduate Student Award
Jacob Allen
Jacob is pursuing his Ph.D. in Kinesiology. In his doctoral work, he plans to research the mechanisms underlying the pathogenesis of chronic diseases and how exercise may modulate these systems.
Ibrahim Darwish
Abe will complete the practicum and capstone project for his Master of Public Health degree this summer. He plans to pursue a career in medicine.
Harriet and Ludwig T. Stoyke Outstanding Graduate Student Award
Caitlin Clarke
After completing her Ph.D. in Kinesiology in 2015, Caitlin hopes to continue her career in academia in the Southern California area. She would like to pursue research that addresses the cultural and social aspects of Kinesiology as well as the more traditional aspects.
Sandra Asantewaa Darfour-Oduro
Sandra will complete her Ph.D. in Community Health in 2016. She hopes to teach and conduct research on global health issues within a university setting, and to work closely with the World Health Organization’s Ghana branch and the Ghana Health Service on women’s health issues.
Department of Recreation, Sport and Tourism
John Bruce Capel Memorial Scholarship
Chad Beyler
Chad is a sophomore in the Sport Management concentration. He plans to pursue graduate studies and hopes eventually to become sports information director within a prestigious athletic department.
Ralph Geeseman Scholarship for Veterans
Sean Hible
Sean will complete a double concentration in Recreation Management and Tourism Management before graduating in 2015. He plans to become an outdoor adventure guide.
Margaret K. and Edward W. Harvey Scholarship
Delaney Cherveny
A junior in Recreation Management, Laney plans to complete a master’s degree in the Department of Recreation, Sport and Tourism before pursuing her career goal of executive director of a park district in the Chicago suburbs.
George and Mary Lowrey Memorial Scholarships
Meridith Bradford
After graduating with a concentration in Sport Management in 2017, Meridith plans to work in competitive adaptive athletics.
Claudia Christy
Claudia will graduate in 2015 with a concentration in Recreation Management. She will pursue graduate studies in facilities management and hopes to become a director of a multi-purpose arena.
Rachel Cordano
Rachel would like to start her own wedding planning business after completing her degree, with a concentration in Recreation Management, in 2015.
Mary and Duke Regnier Scholarships
Thomas Campos
Thomas will graduate in 2016 with a concentration in Sport Management. He hopes to work with the Olympics or professional tennis after completing either a Master of Business Administration or law degree.
Eriel Davis
After graduating with a concentration in Sport Management next year, Eriel plans to attend law school and pursue a career as a sports agent.
Charles K. Brightbill Memorial Scholarship
Aimee Gottlieb
Amy graduated in May with a dual concentration in Recreation Management and Sport Management. She has begun studies toward her master’s degree and hopes to work internationally for a nonprofit organization that uses sport for community development.
Ronald H. Dodd Award
Stacy Dally
Stacy completed her master’s degree in May with a concentration in Sport Management. She plans to work with young athletes.
Christine Ziebarth Howe Graduate Student Award
Mariela Fernandez
Mariela will complete her doctoral degree in2015 and hopes to secure a position as a social science research analyst for the federal government or for a nonprofit organization.
Department of Speech and Hearing Science
Joan Good Erickson Award
Emily Zimmerman
Emily begins studies toward a master’s degree in Speech-Language Pathology after completing her undergraduate degree in May. She plans to become a certified speech-language pathologist.
Sylvia Wacker Herzog Scholarship
Clare Rogers
After graduating in 2015, Clare plans to pursue a master’s degree in Speech-Language Pathology before embarking upon a career in a school setting or rehabilitation facility.
Barbara Williams Hodson Scholarship
Meghan Schassler
Meghan graduated in May and has begun work toward a master’s degree in Speech-Language Pathology. She plans to work with children.
Peter J. and Ella Montaleone Scholarship
Kylie Ritter
After completing her bachelor’s degree in Speech and Hearing Science next year, Kylie will pursue a master’s degree in Speech-Language Pathology and a career working with children in schools.
Bob Bilger Graduate Student Award
Jake Carpenter-Thompson
A student in the Medical Scholars program, Jake will complete his Ph.D. in Speech and Hearing Science, with a focus on Neuroscience, in 2015 and expects to complete his medical degree in 2018.
Phyllis Ariens Burkhead Memorial Fellowship
Megan Brette-Hamilton
Megan-Brette is pursuing a doctoral degree in Speech and Hearing Science, which she plans to complete in 2016. She hopes to work with students and clinicians in Speech-Language Pathology to educate them about cultural and linguistic differences.
Dean C. and Kathleen R. Garstecki Audiology Scholarship
Ashley Hughes
Ashley completed her doctoral degree in Audiology in May and plans to go into private practice.
Nancy S. Hager Graduate Student Award in Speech and Hearing Science
Lindsey Rapinchuk
Lindsey completed her master’s degree in Speech-Language Pathology in May and plans to work in a high school.
H. William Porterfield, M.D., and Linda Obenauf Porterfield Speech and Hearing Science Graduate Fellowships
Maeve McCartin
Maeve will complete her master’s degree in Speech-Language Pathology in 2015. She hopes to work in a school setting with students who use assistive technologies to communicate.
Theodora Papastratakos
Theo will complete her master’s degree in Speech-Language Pathology in 2015 and hopes to work with children in early intervention.
Ehud and Janie Yairi International Graduate Student Award
Ning Hsu
Ning plans to complete her Ph.D. in Speech and Hearing Science in 2017. Her research will focus on identifying the trait markers of developmental language disorders in Mandarin Chinese.
Interdisciplinary Health Sciences
Academic Achievement Award
Alyssa Niemark
After completing her studies focused on Health Diversity, Alyssa would like to pursue both a medical degree and a Ph.D.
Community Service Award
Cassandra Levitske
Cassie will complete her studies focused on Health Behavior Change in 2015 and plans to attend medical school.
Grace Geremias
Grace plans to pursue graduate studies in Global and Public Health after completing her undergraduate degree focused on Health Diversity.
Interdisciplinary Award
Hashim Zaghloul
Hash graduated in May with a concentration in Health Behavior Change. He plans to pursue a career in healthcare advertising and marketing.
Optimist Award
Nicole Fremarek
Nicole graduated in May and begins studies toward her medical degree this fall. She plans to specialize in sports medicine.
Transfer Student Award
Eric Ferrell
Eric earned his associate’s degree at Lincoln Land Community College before transferring to Illinois. He plans to become a physician assistant.
Rising Star Award
Haley Hagopian
In addition to Interdisciplinary Health Sciences, Haley is completing a major in Molecular and Cellular Biology. She plans to attend medical school.
Division of Disability Resources and Educational Services
Dianne Bartz Berthold Scholarship
Kendra Zeman
Kendra is a sophomore majoring in Agricultural and Biological Engineering. She plans to obtain a master’s degree before pursuing a career in designing sustainable waste treatment systems.
Pamela Borelli and Family Achievement Awards
Meridith Bradford
After graduating with a concentration in Sport Management in 2017, Meridith plans to work in competitive adaptive athletics.
Chez Family Foundation Scholarships
David Kirby
David will complete a master’s degree in the School of Social Work next year. He hopes to go into private practice focused on the emotional health of young people with physical disabilities.
Mark McCarthy
Mark will complete his bachelor’s degree in East Asian Languages and Culture in 2016 and hopes to work in community outreach.
Alexis Wernsing
Alexis will pursue a master’s degree in Art History after completing her undergraduate degree in the field next year. She hopes to teach at Lincoln Land Community College.
Silvio and Loreta Corsetti Scholarships
Hanna Bansley
Hanna is a junior in the Interdisciplinary Health Sciences program and plans to pursue a master’s degree in a health-related field.
Elliott Borchardt
Elliott is a sophomore in the Department of Recreation, Sport and Tourism, focusing on Sport Management. He hopes to work for the Chicago Cubs.
Kelly Goetz
Kelly will complete her bachelor’s degree in Urban and Regional Planning in 2015 and plans to continue on to graduate school.
Maxwell R. Garret Scholarships
Megan Blunk
Megan completed her undergraduate degree in Psychology in May. She will begin studies toward a master’s degree in Social Work this fall and hopes to become a counselor.
Helen Freeman
Helen graduated in May with her degree in Kinesiology. She plans to pursue graduate education in business.
Glenn Hebert Scholarships
Joe Benassi
Joe will complete his undergraduate degree in Computer Science in 2015 and plans to become a software developer.
Kathleen Downes
Kathleen is a junior in Community Health, focusing on Rehabilitation and Disability Studies. She plans to attend graduate school and to become an advocate for people with disabilities.
Anne Hopkins Scholarship
Megan Kirby
Megan graduated in May with a Community Health degree focused on Health Education and Promotion. She will begin studies toward a master’s degree in Nursing this fall at DePaul University.
Carol Ann Kostka Award
Michael Colucci
Michael is completing a double major in English and Political Science. He plans to attend law school after graduating in 2015 and hopes to work in international law.
Donald W. Krumrey Scholarships
Antonio Castillo
Antonio will complete his bachelor’s degree in Computer Engineering in 2015. He hopes to become a project leader for a leading firm within the technology industry.
Alexis Miles
Alexis is a sophomore in the School of Molecular and Cellular Biology. She plans to become a physician assistant in pediatric cardiology and oncology.
Joseph R. Larsen Award
Alexandra Kelly
Alexandra is pursuing a Ph.D. in Neuroscience. She also hopes to complete a medical degree, followed by a residency in pediatric neurology.
Jeffrey I. and Lisa Livovich Award
M. Sima Finy
Sima is working on her doctoral degree in Clinical/Community Psychology. Her goal is to work with children and adolescents as a licensed clinical psychologist.
Irl H. Marshall Scholarships
Yu-Ju Chen
Yu-Ju will complete her undergraduate degree in Dietetics next year and plans to become a registered dietitian within the food industry.
Andrew Morris
Andrew is a junior in Political Science who plans to go on to law school and specialize in international and immigration law.
Michelle Singh
Michelle graduated in May with her degree in Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences. She hopes to become a caretaker at a wildlife sanctuary or wildlife rescue center.
Courtney Weisman
Courtney will complete her Ph.D. in Rehabilitation and Disability Studies in December. She hopes to go on to a faculty position at a research university.
Morse-Hedrick Scholarship
Jacob Tyree
Jacob completed his undergraduate degree in Communication in May. He focused on technology and is hoping to secure a position that will allow him to make military equipment accessible to people with disabilities.
Timothy J. Nugent Award
Amanda Sisson
Amanda graduated this year with a bachelor’s degree in Social Work. She will return to complete a master’s degree in the future.
Matthew Allan Odelius Award
Meridith Bradford
After graduating with a concentration in Sport Management in 2017, Meridith plans to work in competitive adaptive athletics.
Herbert G. Schaefer Scholarship
Sydney Pesko
Sydney is a freshman in Mechanical Science and Engineering. She eventually hopes to start her own company.
James E. Seybold Scholarship
Erik Jenkins
Erik will graduate next year with a bachelor’s degree in Advertising. He plans to attend law school and hopes to work for the Walt Disney Company.
Bill Steward Memorial Awards
Kevin Chowaniec
Kevin is a sophomore in Nuclear Engineering. He plans to pursue a Master of Business Administration degree and hopes to start a nuclear consulting firm.
Gabrielle Riccio
Gabrielle will graduate in 2016 with a degree in Animal Science. She hopes to obtain both a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree and a Master of Public Health degree.
Donald W. Swift Scholarship
Jaime Thissen
Jaime is working on his Ph.D. in Agricultural and Biological Engineering and hopes to work in the area of international sustainable development.