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Honors

Below, you'll find a listing of some of the awards and recognitions Honors students have achieved.

2011-2012 Academic Year

Honors Students named 2012 Goldwater Scholars/Honorable Mentions!!

Honors students Sarah Mousley and Mitch Dabling were awarded the 2012 Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship, and Jordan Rozum received an honorable mention! "With this year's honorees, USU boasts 20 Goldwater Scholars and nine honorable mention recipients since 1998. Dabling is the only civil engineering student nationwide to receive the honor. Mousley was one of twenty mathematics majors to earn the honor." (To read the full press release by Mary-Ann Muffoletto, click here.)

Photo courtesy of Donna Barry.

Jeremy Wells' work to be featured in Scribendi 2012!
"Instance of Discovery," a piece by Honors student Jeremy Wells will be published in the 2012 edition of Scribendi. His piece was selected from a record-breaking 540 submissions of short stories, poetry, visual art, photographs, digital art, film and music from honors students across the western United States. Congratulations Jeremy!

 

The Honors Student Council won the USU Thank-A-Thon!
Congrats to the Honors Student Council for taking the prize at the Thank-A-Thon on October 12th for the second year in a row! Honors had the most people come and write thank you notes to USU alumni and friends who support the university through donations. Thanks to everyone who came out!

 

Dr. Ryan Moeller's Honors 3020 class, "Social Change via Gaming," raised $300 for Primary Children's Hospital in Salt Lake City through the XBOX 360: Gaming and Giving for Good (G3) charity event. The class gamed for 24 continuous hours in the lounge of Honors House, starting at 8:00am on October 1, 2011 and raised donations for each hour of gameplay. Way to go Dr. Moeller's class! Want to see more pictures of this event? Check out the Honors Photo Gallery.

 

 

 

Chance Christensen spent 10 weeks in La Ceiba, Honduras during the summer of 2011. He volunteered at a local orphanage as a caretaker and playmate for children ages 1-14, and at the local hospital emergency room, where he shadowed and generally assisted physicians. During his ten-week stay Chance lived with a Honduran family and completed an intensive Spanish training course. Chance says, "It was an amazing life changing experience, one that I know will help me become a better physician in the future."

 

 

 

Kirk Jackson, a senior in Civil Engineering, was invited to present his research at the Western Plains Consortium student research retreat in Snowbird. Kirk was the only undergraduate to present research at the conference, presenting along side 25 PhD and Masters students from 5 other schools. Attending students and faculty voted on the best presentations and Kirk's presentation, titled "Forecasting Remaining Service Life for Local Roads: A Critical Examination of a Popular Utah Methodology" was awarded 4th place. Well done Kirk!!

 

 

 

Jill Aoki, a Senior in Accounting, Finance and Economics, presented her senior internship and Honors thesis on September 7th. Congratulations Jill!

 

 

 

 

 

 

2010-2011 Academic Year

Honors Student wins NSF Fellowship!

Congratulations to Sarah Isert who received a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship! Sarah is a Mechanical Engineering students and will receive $30,000/year for up to 3 years to fund her research.

Honors Student earns 2010 USU Diversity Award!

Congratulations to Brooke Evans who received the 2010 USU Student Diversity Award! Brooke is working on a double major in geography and French and hopes to work in international development in Francophone Africa. 

Honors Student named Outstanding Undergraduate Researcher of 2010!

Amber Bowden received the Outstanding Undergraduate Research Award from the English Department. Congratulations Amber!

Honors Alumna Publishes in Prestigious Journal!

Congratulations to Tamara Jeppson, 2009 Honors Graduate in Physics and Geology, whose work was recently accepted for publication by the Journal of Geophysical Research. Tamara is first author on the paper, which was based on her Honors thesis work.

2009-2010 Academic Year

Congratulations to our Spring 2010 Honors Graduates!

Please join us in congratulating the Spring 2010 Honors graduating class!

Christine Arnold, Dani Babbel, Sherry Baker, Vikki Ballard, Austin Bowles, Lynsie Daley, Jeffrey Davis, Jennifer Day, Mary Dimmick, Courtney Edwards, Kelsey Eller, Jacob Erramouspe, Jennifer Ewell, Tasha Falsev, Kirianna Florez, Katie Fredrickson, Dione Garlick, Hyrum Gillespie, Vienna Goates, Anna Hegsted, Christina Howell, Melissa Jackson, Danielle Jensen, Jeremy Nelson, Lindsay Niedrich, Myles Powell, Brittany Sagers, Janae Sirrine, Christy Somsen, Cody Tramp, David Toribio and Grayson Weeks.

You can view a few more photos here.

"USU Alumna Kirianna Florez Accepted to Prestigious Grad Program"

"Kirianna Florez has been accepted to the prestigious Claremont School of Theology, in Claremont, California, for a Master's degree in Theology. This May Kiri graduated with Departmental Honors in English, with an emphasis in Literary Studies and a minor in Folklore. She has been offered a full-tuition scholarship for her MA degree, and she will begin her studies in the fall. When asked how her English and Folklore degree has helped her professionally, she stated, "I think English and folklore helped me expand my horizons. I'm far more open to differing opinions and experiences now. Also, being an English major helped me learn how to analyze and think critically." Kiri eventually plans to pursue a PhD in religion and literature."

"To help prepare for her future studies, this past semester Kiri traveled to Japan on a study-abroad program, where she took courses on Japanese religion and language. "Five years ago," she said, "I didn't think I would ever go to graduate school, but here I am getting ready to start school again in the fall. I'm going to miss USU, especially the English Department."

 

Honors Student turns Honors Thesis into a Worldcloud

Kirianna Florez used text from her Honors Thesis to make a word cloud using Wordle.net. The words used most often in the text of her thesis are given "greater prominence" in her word cloud. Check it out.

 

 

 

 

 

 

"The New Joyce Kinkead Outstanding Honors Scholar Awarded for the First Time"

"The Joyce Kinkead Outstanding Honors Scholar was awarded for the first time today to Katie Fredrickson of the department of English. The new award, made possible by David and Terry Peak, will be given annually to a graduating Honors student who has made significant progress on an Honors thesis of merit."

Visit http://research.usu.edu/htm/news-media-and-events/news/articleID=8932. to view the original article by Kinsey Love.

 

 

Honors Student Awarded Phi Kappa Phi Fellowship!

Cody Tramp (Goldwater Scholar 2009) has been awarded a Phi Kappa Phi Fellowship of $5,000 for graduate study during the 2010-2011 academic year. Congratulations to such an awesome student!!

 

 

 

Congratulations to the 2010 Goldwater Scholars!!!

Daniel Fenn and Justin Koeln were named 2010 Goldwater Scholars and Robert Call received an honorable mention. Congratulations to these hard-working students for their achievement! Well done!

 

 

 

 

 

Cyri Dixon Sworn in as RHA President!

Honors student Cyri Dixon was sworn in as the Residence Hall Association President for the 2010-2011 school year. The Resident Hall Association is the student government for on-campus residents. Congratulations Cyri!!

 

Honors Students Receive Student Researcher of the Year Award!

Congratulations to Darcy Stewart, Alex Hatch, Kayla Woodring, Danielle Babbel and Sherry Baker. These outstanding students were awarded the Peak Prize at the 2010 Student Showcase. Congratulations to these Student Researchers of the Year!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Congratulations to Krista Viau, Jessie Oliver, and Heidi Moss on their recent publication!

Krista, Jessie, and Heidi's article, "Warfarin Knowledge in Patients with Atrial Fibrillation: Implications for Safety, Efficacy, and Education Strategies" will be published in the international journal "CARDIOLOGY."

These Honors Alumni ( Spring 2009) originally presented their research on Warfarin at the 2009 National Conference for Undergraduate Research.

Alex Hatch wins EURP Award!!

Alex was among the first group of ten undergraduate researchers to receive the EURP Award. Alex is a Biological and Irrigation Engineering major and is working with Dr. Charles Miller "to identify algal species in the Logan Lagoons for biofuel production." For more info visit the Engineering webpage: https://www.engineering.usu.edu/index.cfm?news&articleID=8162.

Honors Students Present at Research on Capitol Hill

Fifteen of the thirty-one students from USU presenting their research at Research on Capitol Hill on January 28, 2010 were Honors students!! Congratulations to: Holly Anderson, Danielle Babbel, Sean K. Bedingfield, Jessop Boden, Joshua Clementz, Erin Fleming, Joshua Harms, Kayla Woodring, Spencer Jacobson, Tyler Larsen, Lance Peterson, Katherine Pike, Brittany Sagers, Darcy Stewart, and Michael Davis Wood!!

Honors Student Showcases Honors Work

English major Riley Lovendale has created an amazing website that showcases some of his work from Honors courses and Research Fellow projects. To take a look visit: www.rileylovendale.com. Awesome work, Riley!

Cyri Dixon wins award at the IACURH Regional Conference!

Cyri presented "Superman and the Traffic Jam: It Doesn't Take Super Strength," a program she developed on 'team building, communication and leadership,' at the Intermountain Affiliate of College and University Residence Halls (IACURH) Regional Conference at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff. Out of 70 programs presented at the conference, Cyri's program was selected as a Top 10 program! What an honor! Cyri will be applying to go to her second national conference at UC San Diego this June. Congratulations Cyri, and we wish you the best in June!

Honors Students Win Award as part of the iGEM team!

Honors students Sean Bedingfield, Cole Peterson and Alex Hatch are part of USU's International Genetically Engineered Machine (iGEM) team. The iGEM team competed against more than 110 other teams at MIT during the 2009 jamboree, bringing home a gold medal for its efforts. Team members included Garrett Hinton, Jody Jerez, Jeff Karren, Tyrel Rupp, Hyun-Jin Kim, Sean Bedingfield, Cole Peterson, Alex Hatch, Rachel Porter, Trent Mortensen, Brad Henrie, Libbie Linton and Junling Huo. Faculty advisors included Charles Miller, Scott Hinton and Ronald Sims.

Honors Alumnus' Work Selected for Publication

Honors Alumnus Cory Clawson recently had two creative works and an essay selected for publication in the Fall 2009 issue of Aisthesis, and undergrad Honors journal published by the University of Minnesota, Duluth. Congratulations Corey!

2008-2009 Academic Year

2009 Goldwater Recipient receives Prestigious Harvard Internship

Honors student Cody Tramp, 2009 Goldwater Scholar, was accepted into the Harvard Stem Cell Institute's Summer Internship Program for 2010. The HIP is a highly competitive program with many international applicants. We congratulate Cody on his achievement!

Honors Student Receives 2009 LLNL Internship

Congratulations to Robert Call who received an internship at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in Livermore, California over the 2009 summer!

Join us in congratulating these Honors students who were in the limelight of the Robins Awards this year!

Bill E. Robins Memorial Awards 2009 Recipients
Josh Kerkmann
Tabitha Lazenby--Winner! (first woman to win in 16 years!) 

Undergraduate Researcher of the Year Nominees included these Honors Students:

Katie Brown, College of Agriculture
Sydney Chamberlin, College of Science
Tanja Jensen, College of Education and Human Services
Trent Olsen, College of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences AND Robins Award Winner for Undergraduate Researcher of the Year!

2009 Scholar of the Year

Jennifer Albretsen Roth, College of Science AND Scholar of the Year Winner!
Kelly Sivy, College of Natural Resources
Krista Viau, College of Agriculture 

Woman of the Year

Dione Garlick
Brooke Evans--Winner! 

Man of the Year Nominees

Ryan Jackman (Honors Morse Scholar in 2008)
Christopher Hall 

2009 Goldwater Recipients

Join us in congratulating Honors students Cody Tramp and Taren McKenna who were awarded 2009 Goldwater Scholarships. BJ Myers, also an Honors student, was awarded a Goldwater Honorable Mention. These fantastic awards continue Utah State's track record of being a state leader in prestige fellowships. Utah State students were awarded more Goldwater Scholarships and honorable mentions than any other Utah university.

Green Chemistry Alternatives for an Introductory Chemistry Lab

Brooks Marshall, Christina Hansen and Sara Heufner have been part of a project done in conjunction with The USU Chemistry and Biochemistry Club's (American Chemical Society Student Affiliate) research on green chemistry. Their project was to redesign an entry level chemistry lab to be more environmentally friendly and less hazardous to the students. Brooks stated that "It was essential for us to teach the same chemical principles as the original lab which was the major struggle. We analyzed which chemicals needed to be eliminated, and found safe alternatives". The students put together a poster presentation on their research and the implementation of their new lab. They presented this poster at the American Chemical Society national meeting. 

Huntsman Scholars - Bronze Presidential Service Award Winners!

Congratulations to the Huntsman Scholars (most of whom are also Honors students) for winning the Bronze Presidential Service Award, which recognizes individuals, families, and groups that have achieved a certain standard - measured by the number of hours of service over a 12-month period or cumulative hours earned over the course of a lifetime.

Morgan Summers had this to say to students about taking English 2010H:

"To all those who are even a little apprehensive about having to take English 2010—I'm talking to you.  Why?  I was one of you.  I was so apprehensive, in fact, some thought it would be best for me to talk to someone in the counseling department about my anxieties over taking an English class.  I am here to tell you this:  I survived English 2010.  In fact, English 2010 may have been one of the best classes I have taken here in terms of opportunities it has opened up for me. 

"I am a Mathematics Education major—about as far from having anything to do with English as you can get.  I didn't think I really needed an English class.  As it is a University requirement, I reluctantly signed up for an Honors section of the class.  The class ended up being a specially themed section—Latino contributions to US culture.  For the final research paper, I wanted to tie this theme in with my major course of study.  I ended up writing a paper entitled :  "When are we ever going to need to use this?"  A look at why mathematics is important—especially to the Latino population.  Simultaneously, I was working on my departmental plan of study for my Honors Inquiry class.  I met with my advisor, who suggested I meet with a specific professor in the Math department to talk about possible research opportunities.  I made the appointment thinking "I'm a math ed major, there probably isn't really any research I can do."  In this meeting, we discussed my recent paper and the fact that there was a College of Science Minigrant available, but the application and proposal were due the following week.  I took several of my ideas from my research paper, and wrote a proposal.  I ended up receiving the grant and have begun the research process.  I have also developed my outline for my Honors Senior Project—also sparked by that same research paper.  This research opportunity is HUGE for me, and is opening up so many doors and windows to more opportunities.  This is all happening because of that dang English 2010 class that I was so reluctant and apprehensive to take. 

"As I am getting further along in my program, and working more on my research, I am realizing more and more that the lessons learned from English 2010 have completely become integrated into my life.  I am not only working on the research end of things, but also applying lessons elsewhere such as taking lessons learned about rhetoric and how to compose an argument, and using them as I write answers to homework questions in math classes in which I am required to write my thoughts, and WHY I am taking certain steps, and performing calculations, and why that is a correct approach.  English 2010 has, so far, contributed more to my overall education here at Utah State, than any other single class I have taken."

2007-2008 Academic Year

Jodie Barker-Tvedtnes was selected as an Outstanding Student for Undergraduate Research by the Society of Physics Students. As part of her award, Jodie will present her research at the 2008 International Conference of Physics Students in Cracow, Poland and have all of her expenses paid by SPS. Jodie will also recieve a $500 honorarium and a $500 award for her chapter of SPS. Read more about Jodie's award and her research here.

Joshua Pineault and Art Mahoney were honored as the 2008 Cannon Scholars. Courtney Hill received an Honorable Mention for the award.

Luke Hanks was awarded a scholarship under the Science, Mathematics, and Research for Transformation Program. His scholarship includes full tuition and fees, a book allowance, health insurance, and an annual stipend of approximately $25,000. Luke's scholarship also includes a paid internship and/or post-graduation employment with Ogden Air Logistics. Luke’s scholarship will total slightly more than $75,000. Read more about Luke here.

Joseph Irvine took third place at USU' s Entrepreneur Day competition for his idea of a device than would enable automobiles to use water as fuel. Joseph's prize was $1,300.

The following students were hired in Residence Life: Amy Shafer, Jon Adams, Derek Brenchley, Shayla Acor, Brooks Marshall, Cyri Dixon, Tasha Falslev, Myles Powell, Jeff Peterson, Anna Hegsted, Lindsay Anderson, and Chelsea Longhurst.

May 2007 Honors graduate, Katherine Shakespeare, was featured in the Hard News Cafe for her work with Teach For America.

Ryan Jackman was selected as the 2008 Morse Scholar.

Lenaye Howard, Sherry Baker, Natalie Watkins, Hyrum Gillespie, Katherine Hatch, and Brian Cook were recipients of the Honors Study Abroad Scholarship.

Corey Clawson, Muriel McGregor, Sarah Isert, Cameron Salony, Bryce Osborne, Aleene Jones, Kelsey Eller, Joshua Pineault, Kjersten Adams, Kate Rouse, and Cameron Bartlett served as Honors Fellows.

The following students served as members of the Honors Student Council: Brittany Morgan, Marketing Vice President, Vikki Carlisle, Service Vice President, Cameron Bartlett, Historian, Cameron Salony, President, and Alex Hatch, Secretary.

2006-2007 Academic Year

Congratulations to the 2006 Morse Scholar, Sarah Platt.

Jennifer Albretsen, Danielle Babbel, Katie Brown and Arthur Mahoney, all sophomores and USU Research Fellows, were named 2006 Governor's Scholars by Gov. Jon M. Huntsman, Jr. The quartet was honored at a November ceremony held at the Governor's Mansion.

Katie Brown, sophomore and USU Research Fellow, published a paper with H.J. Wengreen & C. Moncur.

Twenty-one Honors students were among those honored at college A-Pin awards ceremonies in Fall 2005. The A-Pin is one of Utah State's oldest and most prestigious academic awards, earned by students who earn a 4.0 GPA for two consecutive semesters, each of 15 or more graded credits.

Senior classics student Chuck Oughton was given "Best Paper" in the Ancient and Medieval History category at the Phi Alpha Theta regional conference at Westminster College.

Classics Honors students Scott Davis, Chuck Oughton, Daniel Robertson, and Tyler Pack swept the statewide Yengich Latin Translation, winning four of ten awards.

Congratulations to the 2007 Lawrence O. and Helen B. Cannon Awardees, Sara Huefner (Chemistry and Biochemistry), and Adam Kynaston (Psychology), who each received $800 toward the completion of an Honors degree. Cannon Award Honorable Mentions, in the amount of $200, went to Kaitlin Neville (Civil Engineering), Brianne Bartlett (Elementary Education/Early Childhood Education), James Meservy (Anthropology), and Boyd Reschke (Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning).

Congratulations, also, to Josh Kerkmann and Kelsey Hall, recipients of the 2007 Honors Study Abroad Scholarship, which awarded each student $700, thanks to the generosity of Art and Mary Heers.

Freshman chemistry major Christina Hansen ran the Boston Marathon in 3 hours and 35 minutes. This time put her roughly in the first third of runners who completed the race.

Jennifer Albretsen and Art Mahoney, both sophomores and Research Fellows, received the Barry M. Goldwater fellowship. Jodie Tvedtnes, a junior, received an Honorable Mention. This prestige fellowship provides tuition, fees, room and board (up to $7,500) for 1-2 years for undergraduates studying and planning a research career in math, natural science, or engineering.

Sophomore Danielle Babbel received an Honorable Mention for the Udall. This prestige fellowship offers up to $5,000 for one year for those with career plans related to environmental public policy.

Chuck Oughton and Katherine Shakespeare, both seniors, were honored as the Outstanding Greek Student and Outstanding Latin Student for 2006-07 by USU's Classics Program.

Honors students John Brinkerhoff (Animal, Dairy, and Veterinary Science), Aaron Anderson (Family, Consumer, and Human Development), Lenaye Howard (History), and Kelly Sivy (Wildland Resources) were named four of Outstanding Undergraduate Researchers during USU Research Week.

Among the 2007 Hinckley-Seely Scholarship recipients were Honors students Cindy Pitcher, Michael Bailey, and Adam Kynaston.

Holly Murdock, senior, won an interior design competition through the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) was recognized at a convention in San Francisco.

Lenaye Howard, sophomore and Research Fellow, and her History mentor, Dr. Michael Nicholls, published their findings online.  Lenaye also received the award for Undergraduate Researcher of the Year in the College of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences.

Holly Murdock, a senior in interior design, spent eleven days in Doha, Qatar, after winning a design competition sponsored by Qatar's Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts.

Honors students Uyen Lam, Amanda Marinello, Vikki Carlisle, and MaKenzie Martin were accepted to NCUR (National Conferences on Undergraduate Research) at Dominican University near San Francisco.

Melody Anderson (College of Science), Scott Davis (College of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences), and Cindy Pitcher (College of Agriculture) were honored as Valedictorians at the Spring 2007 Commencement.  

Honors students Michael Bailey (College of Business) and Elaine Watkins (College of Agriculture) were honored as Scholars of the Year.

John Brinkerhoff was received the award for Undergraduate Researcher of the Year in the College of Agriculture.

A Certificate of Area Studies in Women and Gender Studies was given to Brandi Harline.

Summer 2006

Mary Marie Austin, senior, presented at the Society for Research in Human Development and received an American Heart Association Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship.

Jennifer Albretsen and Kaitlin Neville took part in the 2006 Research Experience for Undergraduates. Jennifer was at Dartmouth and Kaitlin at the University of Oklahoma.

Dani Babbel, sophomore and USU Research Fellow, placed first in Utah State University's 2006 Summer Photography Competition in the bizarre/unusual category.

Adam Kynaston, junior, was selected from 300 people to attend the 2006 American Psychological Association Summer Science Institute at the U of Minnesota.

2005-2006 Academic Year

Honors students Steve Stoddard and Brooke Sorenson were the HASS and University Valedictorians, respectively, at the 2005 December Commencement.

Four Honors students were named Governor's Scholars: Brianne Bartlett, Amanda Mortensen, Kristen Mortensen, and Grayson Weeks.

Daniel Guy Schauerhamer presented at the Supercomputing 2005 Gateway to Discovery Conference in Seattle, WA. Daniel Guy has since graduated with Honors in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering and University Studies and will complete his master's degree in May 2007.

Thirty-four Honors students were among those honored at the annual A-Pin awards ceremony in October 2005.

Four Honors students were named Undergraduate Researcher of the Year: Katie Brown, College of Agriculture
Zachary Ames, College of Business
Brianne Bartlett, College of Education and Human Services

Melody Anderson, senior, received the Williard L. Eccles Undergraduate Research Fellowship.

Anna M. "Lindy" Bankhead was the College of HASS May 2006 valedictorian.

James Young, sophomore, presented at the Society of Anthropological Sciences in Savannah.

Katharine Webb, freshman, published a poem in the Anthology of Poetry for Young Authors.

Chris Robinson, senior, presented at the Photonics West Conference in San Jose, CA.

Rebecca Nudd, Spring 2005 graduate, returned to accept USU's Diversity Award.

Holly Murdock, senior, received an Honorable mention in the International Interior Design Association Student Sustainable Design Competition.

Brandi Harline, senior, received the Alison Cornish Thorne Scholarship from USU's Women and Gender Studies Program.

Eleven Honors students presented at the 2006 Posters on the Hill in at the Utah State Capitol. Twenty-five Honors students presented at Student Showcase in April during USU Research Week.

2003-2004 Academic Year

Click here to read a message from Lara Anderson, USU's 2004 Rhodes Scholar. Lara is currently at Oxford working on a PhD.

Katherine Shakespeare gave a speech to USU boosters at a reception before the 2004 USU homecoming game. Read what she says about Honors here.