Lander University Honors Top Scholars

More than 60 Lander University students were honored recently for scholastic accomplishments during the 2014-15 academic year, receiving the top discipline and special awards from the university's four colleges. Lander's annual Academic Awards Ceremony, which also included recognition for Honors College graduates and Alpha Chi Honor Society inductees, took place in the university's Josephine B. Abney Cultural Center at the conclusion of the spring semester.

Receiving awards at the ceremony were:

College of Arts and Humanities

Discipline awards: Presented by the faculty of each academic department to the student or students demonstrating the most outstanding academic achievement, leadership, contributions and commitment to the program, and promise for future success in their disciplinary field.

• Art Award - Emily Brogan, of Greenwood; and Mia Salley, of Orangeburg.
• English Award - Katherine Pearson, of Greenwood; and Jana Wilson, of Taylors.
• French Award - Orlandria Finkley, of Columbia.
• History Award - Na'Shima Carter, of Williston.
• Mass Communication Award - Kalyn Harbin, of Greenville.
• Music Award - Kelsie Detweiler, of Abbeville.
• Philosophy Award - Mara Sholette, of Summerville.
• Spanish Award - Melody Williams, of Anderson.
• Theatre Award - Nikolas Blocker, of Greenwood.

Special awards:

• L'Alliance Française Award - Michele Naranjo Tabares, of Greenville. The award honors the French student who has demonstrated the highest scholastic achievement in French language and literature.

• Barbara A. Jackson Award - Mara Sholette, of Summerville. Established in honor of former Lander First Lady Barbara Jackson, the award recognizes the senior history major who best demonstrates scholarly excellence in his or her history thesis.
• Dessie Dean Pitts Humanities Award - Nicole Quigley, of Anderson. Named in honor of Lander alumna Dessie Dean Pitts, the award is given annually to the student who writes the best nonfiction essay published in New Voices, Lander's essay journal.
• Margaret M. Bryant Award - Anna Lagrone, of Greenwood. The award recognizes a senior majoring in a humanities discipline who plans to enroll in graduate school and who will represent Lander University well.
• Theatre Award for Excellence - Tessa Moody, of Orange Beach, Ala. The award is based upon academic record, leadership, dedication and commitment to the theatre program.
• Turner Music Award - Cody Beard, of Greenwood. Established by 1954 alumna Gladys Winchester Turner, the award recognizes high scholastic standing and potential for making an outstanding contribution to the field of music.

College of Business and Public Affairs

Discipline awards: Presented by the faculty of each academic department to the student or students demonstrating the most outstanding academic achievement, leadership, contributions and commitment to the program, and promise for future success in their disciplinary field.

• Accounting Award - Adam Jonsson, of Umea, Sweden.
• Finance/Economics Award - Taylor Harlow, of Greenwood.
• Health Care Management Award - Maya Martin, of Abbeville.
• Management/Marketing Award - Diego Zegarra, of La Paz, Bolivia.
• Political Science Award - Jamison Nicklaus, of Simpsonville.
• Sociology Award - Michael Lee, of Lansing, Ill.

Special awards:

• Alan Jones Award - Kimberly Modica, of Waterloo. Named in honor of a former international visiting professor, the award is presented to the junior or senior majoring in political science who has demonstrated the most outstanding promise since entering the program.

• Display of Outstanding Sociological Imagination Award - Victoria Jones, of Greer. The award is presented to sociology majors who have amply demonstrated potential for success in graduate school.

College of Education

Discipline awards: Presented by the faculty of each academic department to the student or students demonstrating the most outstanding academic achievement, leadership, contributions and commitment to the program, and promise for future success in their disciplinary field.

• Athletic Training Award - Rochelle Richard, of Sumter.
• Early Childhood Education Award - Randi Rhodes, of Greenwood.
• Elementary Education Award - Kayla Chrisley, of Greenwood.
• Exercise Science Award - Virginia Christine Watson, of Greenville.
• Graduate Education Award - Robert Les Brown, of Greenwood.
• Montessori Graduate Education - Mary-Margaret Anderson, of Columbia (29206).
• Physical Education Award - Brandy Ellis, of Kershaw.
• Psychology Award - Rebecca Garner, of Waterloo.
• Secondary Education Award - Phillip Bannister, of Abbeville.
• Special Education Award - Amanda Pennington, of Summerville.

Special awards:

• Excellence in Exercise Science Award - Sarah Parks, of Lexington. The award recognizes the graduating senior majoring in exercise science who best exemplifies academic achievement, moral character, leadership and service activities for the department.

• Outstanding Departmental Services Award - Zachary Wilson, of Aiken. The award is presented by the Department of Psychological Sciences to students who demonstrated outstanding leadership in service activities for the department.
• Psi Chi Undergraduate Research Award - Reid Devin, of Rock Hill; Ashley Hudson, of Greenville; and Zachary Wilson, of Aiken. The award is given annually by psychology faculty to one or more psychology majors who have demonstrated outstanding ability in conducting an independent research project.

College of Science and Mathematics

Discipline awards: Presented by the faculty of each academic department to the student or students demonstrating the most outstanding academic achievement, leadership, contributions and commitment to the program, and promise for future success in their disciplinary field.

• Biology Award - Brian Riehl, of Douglasville, Ga.
• Chemistry Award - Anna Gibson, of Lexington.
• Chemistry/Engineering Dual Degree Award - Christopher Brewer, of Greenwood.
• Computer Information Systems Award - Kyle Williams, of Jonesville.
• Environmental Science Award - Brian Davis, of Greenwood.
• Mathematics Award - Brittany Queen, of Anderson.
• Mathematics or Computer Science/Engineering Dual Degree Award - Rachel Geer, of Abbeville.
• Physics-Algebra Award - Mariana Martins, of Coimbra, Portugal.
• Physics-Calculus Award - Travis McCormick, of Simpsonville.
• Prelicensure Nursing Award - James Boggs, of Donalds; and Kaitlyn Rector, of Lexington.
• RN-BSN Award - Robert Hindall, of Columbia (29203).

Special awards:

• Barbara T. Freese Scholarly Development Award - Tammy Mathis, of Greenwood. Established by nursing professor emeritus Dr. Barbara Freese in memory of her parents, the award is presented to a senior nursing major with a high cumulative GPA and who is enrolled in honors study.

• Nell Henry Award - Kelly Farmer, of West Columbia. Established by Gwendolyn Burton Caldwell, the award honors a student possessing the qualities of character and achievement exemplified by professor Nell Henry, and who has potential for future achievements and contributions to the field of biology.
• Lander Science Scholar Award (Biology) - Blair Harmon, of Saluda; and William Hall, of Iva. The award is given annually by the faculty of the Department of Biology to the most promising science majors.
• Lander Science Scholar Award-Freshman (Physical Sciences) - Heather Hembree, of Ware Shoals. The award is given annually by the faculty of the Department of Physical Sciences to the most promising science majors.
• Lander Science Scholar Award-Upperclassman (Physical Sciences) - Kara Harris, of Ware Shoals. The award is given annually by the faculty of the Department of Physical Sciences to the most promising science majors.

Lander ROTC/Military Awards

• Col. James A. Lander Award - Louis Jackson, of Greenwood. The award is presented to the outstanding senior ROTC cadet who has demonstrated moral character, high military and general academic standing, extracurricular involvement and leadership qualities.
• Lt. Col. Walter Roark Award - Creighton Whitmire, of Fountain Inn. The award is presented to the junior ROTC cadet who has demonstrated a high degree of proficiency in military science and in overall academic studies, and who exemplifies high qualities of leadership, devotion to duty and patriotism.

Honors College