ODU HONORS TOP SCHOLARS, KAUFMAN PRIZE WINNER AT COMMENCEMENT

Anshita Kumar of Kitwe, Zambia, a graduating senior with a degree in finance, was honored as Old Dominion University's Kaufman Prize winner Thursday, May 3 at ODU's Student Honors and Awards ceremony. She and six other Old Dominion graduates were recognized as outstanding scholars during commencement ceremonies.

Kumar, who maintained a 3.5 GPA, was a resident assistant on campus and served in various roles in the student government. She recently served as the student representative for the State Council on Higher Education.

Kumar cited Don Stansberry, director of student activities and leadership, as her most inspiring faculty member noting his guidance, leadership and confidence in her abilities.

The Kaufman award, which carries with it a $10,000 prize, was 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.

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. University faculty members and administrators who most inspired the award recipients were also honored at the banquet.

Arts and Letters- Sharon Cortland Osborne of Norfolk, a music education major with a 4.0 GPA (Patti Watters, adjunct professor of music);

Business and Public Administration-Michael Loftus of Yorktown, finance major with a 4.0 GPA (Mohammad Najand, professor of finance);

Education-Stephanie Mavredes of Midlothian, a human services major with a 4.0 GPA (Jill Jurgens, associate professor, teletechnet planning);

Engineering and Technology-Benjamin Keesee of Chatham, Va., a mechanical engineering and technology major with at 3.93 GPA (Nathan Luetke, instructor of mechanical engineering and technology);

Health Sciences-Denise Quattlebaum of Suffolk, a medical technology major with a 3.99 GPA (Faye Coleman, associate professor of medical laboratory and radiation sciences); and

Sciences-Vassiliki Pravodelov of Cyprus, a biochemistry major with a 4.0 GPA (Ralph Stevens, associate professor of biology).