ECONOMICS MAJOR WINS KAUFMAN PRIZE
Hud Williams, a senior economics major from Danville, Va., was awarded Old Dominion University's highest student honor, the Kaufman Prize, at the Student Awards Dinner last night.
Created through an endowment from Landmark Communications Inc., the $7,500 prize is named in honor of the late Charles L. Kaufman, a prominent Norfolk attorney and civic leader. The award is presented to a student who has "exerted an exceptional and constructive influence on the university, its students or the community by demonstrating the highest qualities of leadership and service."
The son of Carl Williams of Greensboro, N.C., and Maryum Funches of Gaithersburg, Md., he has a 3.88 grade point average and cited Martha Hofler, economics lecturer, as his most inspiring faculty member.
During his tenure at Old Dominion, Williams was a resident assistant and a student ambassador, as well as president and vice president of Phi Eta Sigma, vice president of the Black Student Alliance, a Student Senate committee chair, office manager for the Laureate yearbook and secretary of the Muslim Student Association.
His community service includes being a mentor for the Access Program, working as a committee member for the Black Male Summit, and participating with INROADS Inc. and Norfolk Emergency Shelter Team (NEST).
After graduation Saturday, Williams will begin work as a technology consultant at Price Waterhouse Coopers, a position he landed through Old Dominion's Career Advantage Program (CAP), a comprehensive series of programs, services, workshops and work assignments geared toward helping students determine their future careers.
Last summer, Williams interned with Landmark Communications at The Virginian-Pilot newspaper in Norfolk, building a Web site for the paper's internship program. He also developed an online manual of operating procedures for the company's ad sales representatives. Previously, he interned with the Washington Metropolitan Transit Authority benefits department and the U.S. Airways special market sales department.