Some of HSU's most outstanding undergraduates, nominated in eight categories of excellence by faculty, staff and fellow students, were recognized at the recent Outstanding Student Awards ceremony in the Kate Buchanan Room on April 23.
Social work major Melanie E. Shaw was honored as HSU's Woman of the Year. Melanie, has been an active member of the Black Student Union and Queens of Distinction, and for three years served as the appointed African American Community Coordinator with the Multicultural Center. She even took on the task of coordinating the campus Soul Food Dinner. Melanie has been a leader with the Humboldt Orientation Program, as a peer counselor, and the Educational Opportunity Program, as a peer mentor.
The title of Man of the Year was awarded to James J. Thompson, who is a child development major. He demonstrated outstanding achievements through his work in community service initiatives. James is a member of the Youth Educational Services governing body and the director of its New Games program. He also serves on HSU's Service Learning/Experiential Education Advisory Committee and is the only student representative to the CSU Chancellors Office for Community Service Learning Design Team. His dedication to service has led to his earning the national Presidents Student Service award consecutively from 2003 to 2007.
Awards were also given to students from each of the three academic colleges for maintaining at least a 3.5 cumulative grade point average in their academic discipline: Geology major Emily H. Astley spent six weeks in Tanzania last year as an NSF-funded intern, assists fellow undergrads with projects in the high-temp, high-pressure lab. She was honored for the College of Natural Resources and Sciences.
Political science major, Jed H. DAbravanel, who is the president and a founding member of Books Building Bridges, which assisted in raising over $5,000 and collecting more than 4,000 books for those affected by Hurricane Katrina, and also a founding member of the Association for Political Discussion, received the academic excellence award for the College of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences.
Presidential scholar Rebecca A. Prosser, a child development elementary education major received the academic excellence award for the College of Professional Studies. She is a member of Vox (Voices for Planned Parenthood), a member of the YES governing body, and a volunteer intern with congressman Mike Thompson.
Margaret M. Campbell, an anthropology major, received the award for outstanding contribution to a campus club, program or organization. She is the president of the Indian Teacher and Educational Personnel Program and assisted in planning, directing, and organizing HSU's 2006 Indigenous Peoples Week.
Shyama R. Kuver, a journalism major, was given the award for outstanding contribution to an Associated Students program. She was the Asian Pacific Islander Community Coordinator for the Multicultural Center, and helped organize Qross Qultural Queer Film Festival, Black Liberation Month, Celebracion Latina, and Asian Pacific Islander Heritage Celebration.
Fernando F. Paz, an ethnic studies and history major, received the Al Elpusan Award for student activism. He is an active member of Accion Zapatista de Humboldt and was the co-coordinator for the 2007 Education Encounter and annual Diversity Conference.
For her volunteer work with the Emma Center (a local womens resource center for survivors of abuse and trauma), Tiffany R. Newton, a journalism and women's studies major, was recognized for her excellence in community service. She is also a founding member and volunteer for the Humboldt County Gender Project.
Kevin D. Johnson, a communications major received the award for excellence in intercollegiate athletics and sports clubs after helping lead the mens basketball team to a 26-4 record and a number-one ranking going into the Division II West Region Championships here on our own court. He was voted the CCAA Player of the Year. He has also been a local youth basketball camp counselor for four years.
For demonstrated excellence in the fine arts, studio art major Victor H. Hernandez earned the award. He is the HSU Sculpture Club president, and organized the 2007 Sculpture Walk on campus. One of his sculptures from his series "Where will the children play?" was chosen by the Committee for Art Downtown to be permanently installed on the Arcata Plaza.
Social work major Jessica L. Fox was honored with the Brian Lorensen Living Group Advisor Award. She is a Living Group Advisor in the Willow building of the residence halls and previously earned the Best Community Development Award for a living group advisor. Jessica is also a volunteer with the YES House.
The Patricia O. McConkey Awards, for students who demonstrated outstanding efforts on a masters thesis or project, were awarded to English major J. Josephine Rebecca Johnson, for her project "Property and Whiteness on the Klamath River: A Rhetorical Analysis of How U.S. Policy and Statutes Devalue Tribal Equity," Daniel Bert Kanewske, who is earning an environmental systems math modeling master's degree, for his thesis "A Mathematical Model for the Onset of Water Flooding in the Cathode of a Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell," and psychology master's student Joanna Christine Rocco, for her thesis "Purpose in Life, Religiosity, Social Support and Program Involvement as Predicators of Sobriety in Adult Members of Alcoholics Anonymous."