By Michelle Hines, University Relations
UNCG presented 45 Student Excellence Awards, the university’s top honor, at the 44th annual Undergraduate Honors Convocation held May 3 on campus.
Only seniors are eligible to receive excellence awards, and winners represent a select group. Nominees for the awards must have overall grade point averages of at least 3.5 on a 4.0 scale as well as recommendations from at least two faculty members.
Speaker for the event was Dr. Christopher Hodgkins, professor of English, whose speech was entitled “Honor Bright!”
Winners and their academic majors are:
• Buncombe County — Lynette Tracy James, anthropology and Spanish, of Asheville.
• Burke County — Gina Tai Childress, communication sciences and disorders, of Morganton.
• Davidson County — Paula Hach, communication sciences and disorders, of Lexington.
• Davie County — William Alexander Evans, biology, of Mocksville.
• Gaston County — Lisa Marie Clear, international business and business administration, of Gastonia; and Sharon Diane McLeod, business administration, of Kings Mountain.
• Guilford County — Omar Karim Ali, biology, Benjamin Hunter Anderson, political science, Natassaja Maria Chowthi, broadcasting and cinema, Caitlin Elizabeth Cornwell, theatre, Kari Leigh Fine, biology, Heather Leigh Gibson, nursing, Lisa Koury Johnson, human nutrition and dietetics, Amber Marie King, biochemistry, Robin Jo Knapp, psychology, Gregory Alexander Leggett, biochemistry and music, Aubrey Veronica Lenahan, English, Amie Leigh Martin, philosophy, Maiko Masuda, biology, Ashley Ann Melvin, exercise and sport science, Matthew Henry Pender, broadcasting and cinema, Brittany Andersen Reich, chemistry, Melissa Erin Wooten, communication studies, all of Greensboro; Cynthia Patricia Blanco, English and linguistics and Spanish, Yoon-Na Cho, business, Mary Kathleen Connor, public health education, Vivian Ann Jones-Johnson, religious studies, Matthew Jordan Winslow, political science, all of High Point; and Tracie Stewart Rowe, nursing, of Jamestown.
• Iredell County — Sharon Lee Tucker, political science, of Statesville.
• Mecklenburg County — Megan Walker Latta, history, of Charlotte.
• New Hanover County — Jonathan Kuuskoski, music and business administration, of Wilmington.
• Orange County — Patrick Hart Currin, exercise and sport science, of Chapel Hill; and Michael Joseph Shiver, mathematics and classical studies, of Hillsborough.
• Randolph County — Colin Joseph Douglas, biochemistry, of Asheboro; Erin Elizabeth Slate, communication sciences and disorders, of Trinity.
• Rockingham County — Graeme Charles Wright, anthropology, of Ruffin.
• Stokes County — Rebecca Diane Newsome, special education, and April Elizabeth Reece, English, both of King.
• Union County — Billy Daniel Deason, media studies, of Monroe.
• Wake County — Lauren Catherine Aiello, media studies, of Wake Forest; and Carlita Victoria Ector, dance, of Raleigh.
• Florida — Stephanie Marlene Byrnes, dance, of Port Charlotte.
• Maryland — Heather Elise Ayella, human nutrition and dietetics, of Ellicott City.
• Pennsylvania — Nicole Elizabeth Stanley, interior architecture, Lititz.
The awards recognize creativity, originality, motivation, analytical ability and communication skills. Each year, the UNCG Honors Council, the advisory body to the Lloyd International Honors College, invites departments and faculty members to nominate students from their programs. The council studies the nominations and selects winners.
