ODU STUDENTS HONORED AT CEREMONY
Ten Old Dominion University graduating seniors were recognized for their academic achievement Thursday at Old Dominion's Student Honors and Awards ceremony. University faculty members and administrators who most inspired the award recipients were also honored at the May 8 banquet.
Established in 1989, the Presidential Scholarship is the university's most prestigious academic scholarship awarded. Eligible students must have a minimum SAT score of 1280 and a 3.8 GPA. Krishna Chaudhuri, of Hampton, a graduating senior in biology, with a 3.93 grade point average was selected as the Presidential Scholar. Chaudhuri named Ralph Stevens, associate professor of biology as the professor that most inspired him.
The following students were presented with trophies as recipients of the Alumni Association Outstanding Scholar Awards, given to the graduating seniors with the highest grade point averages from each college.
Arts and Letters-Kelly Bashford of Portsmouth, sociology, 4.0; Leon Bouvier, visiting professor of sociology.
Business and Public Administration-Thu Tran of Hanoi, Vietnam, finance and accounting, 3.99; Patricia Doherty, lecturer in accounting.
Education-Emily Rodriguez of Virginia Beach, speech-language pathology, 3.98; Nicholas Bountress, professor of early child, speech pathology and special education.
Engineering and Technology-David Corsar of Virginia Beach, environmental engineering, 3.99; Gary Schafran, professor of civil and environmental engineering.
Health Sciences-Elizabeth Spencer of Pensacola, Fla., medical technology, 4.0; Faye Coleman, associate professor of medical laboratory and radiation science.
Sciences-Candice Gabriel of Norfolk, biology, 4.0; Nancy Wade, associate professor of biological sciences.
Dominion Scholars Kristina Burri, David Corsar and Lindsay Fairfax who are graduating this May were also honored. Dominion Scholarships are awarded to entering freshmen who are residents in Virginia, rank in the top 10 percent of their class, have performed at the highest levels of the Scholastic Assessment Test and demonstrate potential for leadership.
Gabriel was also awarded a Phi Kappa Phi Graduate Fellowship for 2003-04. She will receive $8,000 toward pursuit of a medical degree at Eastern Virginia Medical School. She was also honored as the second place winner of the Kaufman Prize, named for the late Charles Kaufman in the amount of $2,000.
Corey Staten was honored as Old Dominion University's Kaufman Prize winner, which includes a $10,000 award.
The $10,000 and $2,000 Kaufman awards were established by Landmark Communications Inc. to acknowledge graduating seniors who have exerted exceptional and constructive influence on the university, its students or the community by demonstrating the highest qualities of leadership and service.
Kaufman was well known in Hampton Roads as a community leader, philanthropist and friend to Old Dominion. Following Kaufman's example, prize winners must have demonstrated sustained participation in leadership of campus or community groups, an outstanding record of volunteer activities, academic achievement or the achievement of a major task affecting the campus or the community.