2020-21 Departmental Awards
Acknowledging excellence in a specific field of study, these Kent State Stark students are honored by faculty members within the discipline.
2020-2021 DEPARTMENTAL AWARDS
SEAN DICK
Biological Sciences
The faculty of the Department of Biological Sciences is pleased to present our Academic Achievement Award to Sean Dick. Sean is an outstanding student who has shown an interest in many areas of Biology. A top student in the classroom, Sean is also an active researcher, gaining experience in the process of science by participating in ongoing projects. Sean is active in extra curricular activities with Biology Club and was instrumental in the formation of the new Wildlife Club; always ready to lend a hand when needed. We have no doubt that Sean will be successful in his chosen career path, and we are honored to present him this award.
-- Dr. Greg Smith
SARA HAIDET
Communication Studies
Sara Haidet carries excellence with her everywhere she goes. She consistently demonstrates an advanced ability to understand and apply important course concepts. She is among the best undergraduate writers we have encountered in our program, with a particular talent for clearly articulating her position and then supporting it with appropriate evidence. Sara is both student and teacher – eager to learn and enthusiastic to pass on the knowledge. Beyond her evident academic capabilities, Sara has increasingly emerged as a leader both inside and outside of the classroom. We are often impressed at her invitation for others to join the journey. She is always quick to offer encouragement to her classmates in a kind and supportive manner; she also pushes everyone – including her instructors – to be at their best. Sara has also been a wonderful ambassador for the Communication Studies program in her internship and various roles at the Stark Campus. She is the type of student that whenever her name comes up or we see her around campus, we are eager to note, “You know she’s a Communication major, right?” to anyone who is willing to listen. We have a number of excellent students in our program, but Sara has clearly set herself apart in a way that makes her eminently deserving of being our Departmental Award Winner. We look forward to tracking her future success.
-- Dr. Patrick Dillon and Prof. Lisa Waite
DONOVAN BYLER
Computer Science
Donovan Byler is being recognized with the Computer Science Departmental Award for his school performance and for his commitment and contribution to the Computer Science discipline and to Kent State at Stark. Donovan is an excellent student with a double major in Computer Science and in History. With an almost perfect 4.0 GPA, he excels in both disciplines and is always on the Dean's and President's Lists. Donovan is smart, hard-working, very precise, always prepared, and performs beyond expectations in all his Computer Science courses. He unites great practical skills, as his past job of painter and renovator prove, with a brilliant mind always sparked by multiple interests. His contribution is never limited to the classroom work that, by the way, is not devoted to a single discipline, but he always seeks opportunities to contribute to the university life and to give back to other students.
- Just to mention some of the most important activities he was involved in this past year, he helped facilitate the organization of an invited speaker event from industry for the Computer Science discipline to help students to prepare for the job market.
- He also participated in the creation of an advertisement of the Computer Science discipline for the Campus Preview.
- He worked as a member of the Student Complaint Committee where he helped find resolution to solve six complex students' complaints.
- He was nominated President of Revive, a Christian Student Organization where he has shown great leadership capabilities and helped fulfill the mission of the organization to guide other students to be united in love, encouraged in heart, and to discover the mystery of Jesus Christ.
- He participated as a member of the DTA/OTA selection committee to the selection of the DTA/OTA award.
- He was a member of the Students Conference Presentation Selection Committee of our student conference this year as well as for the past two years.
I could continue on, but by now I am sure that you know that I am talking about an outstanding student and human being. Precise, motivated, a self-learner and confident a strong young intellectual man, devoted to work at his best and to be at the top of his discipline, no wonder he has already a job ready to start by the end of this semester when he will graduate. They are super lucky to have him!
Donovan, the Computer Science Department is very proud of all your accomplishments and it is my honor to present you with the Computer Science Departmental Award. I and my colleagues wish you all the best in the future endeavors that lie ahead in your life! ""Ad majora!"" CONGRATULATIONS!!!
-- Dr. Angela Guercio
VALENTINE SPANGLER
Criminology & Justice Studies
Valentine is an exceptional student that deserves recognition. Valentine not only excelled in course work, but also demonstrated intellectual curiosity, active engagement with course material, and classroom contributions that warrant recognition. For example, Dr. Gallagher writes that Valentine, “was among the top students in the class in terms of his performance on exams and the term paper. However, it was his intellectual curiosity and creativity that set him apart from other students. He consistently raised interesting points and asked thought-provoking questions during class.” In addition, Valentine excelled in his position as an Undergraduate Research Assistant. He actively contributed to shaping the direction of the research project. Instead of passively accepting assignments, he offered insight on the type of data that could be collected and the types of analysis that could be done with that data. In addition to classroom engagement, Valentine also contributes to the campus by serving as a tutor at the Academic Success Center.
The Sociology Department is pleased to give Valentine Spangler this year’s Criminology and Justice Studies student of the year. As Dr. Shura writes, Valentine deserves to be “recognized for strong academic performance, growth, and future potential.”
-- Dr. Katrina Bloch
ALEX THOMPSON
Economics
I have known Alex as a student in three of my classes: Principles of Macroeconomics, Business Analytics II, and Introduction to Managerial Economics. Alex excelled in all three classes. His comments were always clear and well-reasoned. He was diligent about meeting his obligations. Alex's written work was always timely submitted, and he addressed the pertinent material with great skill and insight. I have been consistently pleased with the quality of his class discussions and other course-related tasks. Alex is worthy of the outstanding student award from the Department of Economics.
-- Dr. Deepraj Mukherjee
ASHLEE SLUTZ
Education
The Middle Childhood Department award requires the individual to be a great student but also demonstrate qualities of a great teacher. Ashlee was chosen because she demonstrated strong leadership skills, persistence and creativity in both arenas. Ashlee is a born leader and it was obvious that she was going to be a leader in the cohort even from her initial interview with faculty. What has always stood out to me about Ashlee is her persistent fight for the underdog. If she sees injustice, she is not shy about talking about it and, more importantly, fixing it. Who else would you want as a future teacher?
-- Dr. Shelly Heron
TESSA SNYDER
Education
Tessa has been an exceptional student, her work is creative, student-centered, and consistent. But she is always exceptional as a teacher. Tessa is adaptable to new situations, she is always ready to learn something new, and her compassion inspires those around her. Some of Tessa’s first (apologetic) words to me were, “I’m sorry, but I’m not a reader but I want to become one.” I lent her one book and it sent her on her own journey to being a reader. This is Tessa in a nutshell. She is the kind of student who sets her mind on a goal and is not afraid to make it happen. She brings that same passion to the classroom, making science and math exciting for her future students.
-- Dr. Shelly Heron
RADLEY TAN
English
Radley is a superb critical thinker, a meticulous researcher, a talented writer – she is truly an outstanding student. Outside of the classroom, she has been a strong presence in our student organizations. She has been the VP of English Club, and is now the President, and she is the President of Sigma Tau Delta. She has taken the lead with both student organizations in promotion, planning, and outreach. Her peers look up to her, and she is a very strong and outspoken advocate for English. Every year this decision is difficult because we are lucky enough to have many meritorious students. Radley is one that stands out even amongst our best.
-- Dr. Mary Rooks
JENNIFER DARING
Environmental Studies
With all of the challenges college students face—debt, social pressures, inclusion, academic success…pandemics(!)—enthusiasm may be hard to conjure. Jennifer Daring brings an infectious energy to every class she is in. She is very knowledgeable about class topics and has an innate ability to link class discussions between courses within the ENVS program. She is respectful and encouraging to other students and brings an infectious energy to the classroom that provides an environment for other students to engage in class discussion. We welcomed Jennifer to ENVS with open arms as a transfer from Biology (fear not bio colleagues, she’s minoring in both BSCI and GEOG). Jennifer’s enthusiasm also seamlessly lends itself to her coursework. The last two years have shown excellent improvement in Jennifer’s writing, participation, and analysis on all assessments. In the past month, Jennifer organized a cleanup of Summit Lake, a volunteer effort sponsored by several local companies and that attracted media attention, including by WEWS in Cleveland that interviewed Ms. Daring and aired it on their 11pm broadcast. Combining her hard work (two jobs and school!), love for Earth, volunteerism and advocacy, and enthusiasm makes Ms. Daring a student we will never forget—a model student for our program.
-- Dr. Chris Post and Dr. Gordon Cromley
TONI BOLING
Geography
Toni Boling has performed excellently in our Geography program. While Toni majors in Environmental Studies, she minors in Geography, where she’s earned a perfect 4.0 GPA. These classes have applied to ENVS, and beyond, particularly her Introduction to Geography and May 4 classes, the latter which Dr. Post co-taught with Dr. Leslie Heaphy. Toni most exemplifies the mission of critical thought in today’s world. She’s attracted to complex social theories always with an eye toward theory in all its spatial forms—racial, environmental, economic, and social. Ms. Boling actively engages in class discussions and brings a unique and well measured perspective to course discussion topics. She has adopted a leadership role in the program at stark and serves as a role model to other students. Toni also writes incredibly well. Her compositions—exemplified by her speaking over a recorded presentation for our May 4 class and the Student Conference last spring—always express organization, depth of thought, and clarity. Her participation in class reinforces all these qualities and reinforces her preparedness for whatever she wants to do—graduate school, environmental advocacy, anything—she will succeed.
-- Dr. Chris Post and Dr. Gordon Cromley
CAILIN BROOKS
Geology
Cailin has done an excellent job juggling her school work and family responsibilities. She has held GEODES meetings, even during Covid, and helped plan a research field trip. GEODES had a movie night as well. Thus, she has maintained good grades as well as serving our student organizations.
-- Dr. Carrie Schweitzer
SETH HARBERT
History
I first met Seth when I was a guest in his methods class. Based on the questions he asked that day, I could tell how serious he was about conducting historical research, and I have had the pleasure to observe and read his work over the last year as Seth has taken a number of different classes with me. He has a remarkable ability to apply information and research methods he has learned about in one context to other contexts, thereby enriching class discussions and deepening his own engagement with course materials. I have also learned so much from Seth about pre-Christian Germanic cultures, which I appreciate a great deal. His work on this topic has serious potential to make an impact on this field. For example, his Senior Seminar paper urges a change both to our understandings of Norse conceptions of wealth as well as the methods through which scholars study Germanic peoples more generally. I congratulate Seth on being the recipient of the Stark Campus History Department’s award, and I cannot wait to read his future work.
-- Dr. Lindsay Starkey
I have had the pleasure of having Seth in classes during his time at Kent State Stark. Where I truly got to see Seth’s potential as a historian was in my China and Japan class. The insights, questions and resources he brought to class raised the level of discourse and discussion for everyone. Seth has strong analytic and critical thinking skills that he applies to all he reads and studies. I am excited to see where his studies take him and know we all will be learning from him as he grows as an historian. Congratulations on being the recipient of the Stark Campus History Department Award.
-- Dr. Leslie Heaphy
Seth has been described as quite brilliant and sharp. His desire to study Norse mythology and Germanic people’s will help this field grow. Seth was chosen to serve as a tutor for Dr. Menning’s history classes in 2020 based on his strong performance in World history. Congratulations, Seth, from the Kent State Stark history faculty.
EVANGELINE AGUM
Honors Program
Evangeline is a true leader for the Honors Program and for students on campus. Since the day she started her educational career, Evangeline has found opportunities to be involved and to lead. She has become a true leader, exhibiting all the best characteristics of leadership--compassion, vision, communication and collaboration. She listens to others and really hears them, providing opportunities for growth for everyone. Whether it is through her classes, her work, or her volunteer service, Evangeline leads and inspires everyone around her. She is already beginning work on her master's degree while completing her B.A. She has completed two internships, served as student government president and as an accounting tutor. I am truly excited to see where her life journey takes her and I'm honored to be able to present her with the Kent State Stark Honors Program Award.
-- Dr. Leslie Heaphy
SONJA NANCE
Human Development & Family Studies
Sonja was selected for her dedication to the field and reflection of the basic values that HDFS is based upon. Sonja is a non-traditional student who has been married for 37 years. To quote Sonja's husband "they have known each other 40 years and she has been going to school ever since they met". She knew she wanted a college degree and persevered to that end. The tenacity could be seen through many personal and family challenges. She worked on her course requirements while taking care of her family and working midnights. She reared 2 children and is involved in the lives of 9 grandchildren. Her passion is working with disabled individuals, an area which she has worked for 14 years. With her HDFS degree she would like to be employed at the Stark County Board as a service and support administrator.
-- Prof. Alicia Pieper
ABIGAIL THOUVENIN
Department of Management
The Department of Management faculty is proud to recognize Abbey Thovenin as the recipient of this year’s Department Award. Abbey is a business management with a minor in marketing and insurance studies. She distinguishes herself for her steadfast diligence and commitment to leaning. Abbey exemplifies the character of a scholar in her desire to question, challenge, and discover new knowledge. She is curious and engaged in the classroom, always ready to contribute and debate. Abbey is not only committed to her own learning, she is also engaged on campus activities through the honors program. Abbey has always shown character, an outstanding work-ethic, professionalism, and kindness not only as a student, but also and as a peer. She is willing to advocate for herself, and for others, always with respect and professionalism. Abbey is a student with strong values, she is willing to guide herself and her decision with such values, but always with an open mind, and with a willingness to listen, learn, and grow. The Department of Management faculty is very proud of Abbey, and we are very exited to see where her professional journey takes her, we are sure you will continue to be proud of her and her achievements in the future.
-- Dr. Claudia Gomez
JENNA (WILLIAMS) JOHNSTON
Marketing and Entrepreneurship
Through several classes, I witnessed the excellence that Jenna portrayed throughout her work and interactions with others. She was able to produce a 4.0 GPA for entire college career which is a testament to her intelligence and discipline to her studies. In addition, Jenna took on several leadership positions, deriving a marketing campaign for SARTA, the local transit authority, as well as leading a team of students through a sales management simulation national competition, earning Kent State University the opportunity to compete in the in-person sales management scenario competition at the International Collegiate Sales Competition. Jenna is a very dynamic and intuitive individual, always yearning and seeking more through education and experiences. She will make a great team member and leader as she pursues her new role with the Sherwin Williams Company.
-- Prof. Don Thacker
I came to know Jenna in many of my marketing classes. Jenna is a brilliant and very hard-working student. Her academic performance in the marketing program is noteworthy. The quality of her work is outstanding. Jenna is meticulous and has constantly demonstrated her fervent interest in the marketing field. Her work shows an exceptional ability to creatively perform marketing projects. Jenna is a good team worker. She has a very pleasant and affable personality. Her peers have always expressed enthusiasm and interest to work with her.
-- Dr. Haithem Zourrig
AMANDA MILLER
Mathematical Sciences
Amanda Miller is one of the two recipients of the Mathematical Sciences department award because of her outstanding academic achievements and perseverance in mathematics. She is a Choose Ohio First (COF) scholar in the STEMM program at Kent State University at Stark. She has worked as a part-time mathematics teacher at the Legacy Christian School while continuing to take a full course load each semester. Amanda is acutely aware of the power and pay inequities for women and is determined to change that by using her education as an empowering tool.
Through observations made during groupwork in his classes, Dr. Relja Vulanovic, summarized his reflections by adding “I was able to conclude that Amanda’s mathematics background is very strong. Her mathematical thinking and problem-solving skills are fully developed, she communicates mathematics with the necessary precision, and her writing is mature, well-organized, and neat. I would put Amanda in the top 10% of all my mathematics students at this level.
Likewise, Dr. Gro Hovhannisyan is complementary when he describes Amanda as “hardworking, diligent, responsible, trustworthy student, who loves Mathematics, and is careful of her precise mathematical writing.”
All members of the Mathematical Sciences department agree that Amanda Miller embodies the characteristics of an excellent student in mathematics.
-- Dr. Bathi Kasturiarachi
ETHAN ARMSTRONG
Mathematical Sciences
It is with great pleasure that we have decided to present two awards in Mathematical Sciences after evaluating a very strong pool of students. Ethan Armstrong’s superior mathematical ability and passion for the subject has earned him one of these prestigious spots. As an Actuarial Sciences major, Ethan has quickly gained the admiration of many faculty members in our department.
In her evaluation, Dr. Cindy Barb accurately captured Ethan’s mathematical abilities in her comments: “Ethan has an enormous amount of natural mathematical ability and often came up with creative and different (correct) ways of solving problems. We had several conversations about how he progressed in learning more and more mathematics.” Dr. Oliver Ruff agreed with this assessment by adding “Ethan Armstrong, was absolutely able to knock Proofs in Discrete Mathematics out of the park last semester.”
Drs. Relja Vulanovic and Gro Hovhannisyan both ranked Ethan’s mathematical abilities at a significantly higher level than his peers. I have had the pleasure of having Ethan in my Decision-Making Under Uncertainty class this semester and agree with these observations.
Ethan Armstrong’s desire is to become an actuary. He is already planning to complete the first two, highly competitive, actuarial exams this year. He was also selected as a Summer Undergraduate Research Experience (SURE) scholar at Kent State University in Summer 2021. He will be working under my direction on an undergraduate research project in Number Theory. Our department congratulates Ethan Armstrong on this well-earned distinction.
-- Dr. Bathi Kasturiarachi
BRITTANY ROUSH
Modern & Classical Languages
It is an honor for me to present the Departmental Award for MCLS (Spanish and French) to Brittany Roush. She is intelligent, responsible, participatory, hardworking, and self-motivated. She also has considerable interest in and curiosity about people from different cultures and backgrounds around the world. In addition, she has excellent communication skills in Spanish. Brittany’s nomination to receive this award was also supported by Professor Paula Sato (French) who commented “Brittany Roush is also taking Elementary French 2, and she has been an excellent student all year--always prepared, always asking questions, always ready to participate. I had to tell the other students to stop making Brittany answer all the questions.”
-- Dr. Daniel Castaneda
TRISTAN FORD
Music
Tristan is one of the most skilled keyboard players to come through our program. Watching his growth in jazz improvisation and in ensembles has been a great pleasure. His knowledge of gospel, R&B, jazz, and soul has been a benefit to his fellow students. I look forward to working with him professionally in the years to come!
-- Prof. Erin Vaughn
Tristan is an amazing student that upholds the high standard of Kent State University. He is passionate about life, music, and academics.
-- Prof. Michelle Bagwell
Tristan is one of the best pianists we have had in many years. He is the de facto role model of the keyboard department and the one that the other students look up to. Not only is he technically proficient but has a wonderful way of expressing himself through the music. It is always a pleasure to hear him play and I look forward to his future growth and performances.
-- Dr. Sebastian Birch
SAM MERENDINO
Music Technology
From the moment he walked in as an enthusiastic high school senior and gave us a great audition, we were optimistic about Sam. Since becoming a student for us he has excelled in his technology classes, provided the percussive backbone to many an ensemble, and has grown in leaps and bounds in both his technical ability and musical creativity and craft. Aside from his excellent work as a student, he has also volunteered on multiple occasions to be the student face of our program for visitors and prospective students, most recently as a student ambassador. We’ll be sorry to see him go, but are certain that his work ethic and character will carry him far.
-- Dr. Mark Nowakowski
I have had the pleasure of working with Sam in several campus settings. In ensembles, he is a committed band member that is a natural leader. His work ethic and ability as a player inspires and elevates those around him. In the classroom, Sam was always engaged and enjoyed lively discussions and debates with fellow students. As a student ambassador, he has been a friendly face for prospective students and a helpful collaborator for the music faculty and our colleagues in advising. This mix of ability, dedication, and personality will serve him well as he takes his first steps into his career.
-- Prof. Erin Vaughn
Sam has really matured into a fantastic college student who is very passionate about learning and caring for others. He is an outstanding student, consistently outscoring his peers on tests, quizzes, and exam. He spends countless hours studying, with his focus not primarily on his grade, but on learning and understanding every piece of information that is presented to him.
-- Prof. Michelle Bagwell
Sam has been a role model and a leader in the music department. He has excelled both academically and as a musician. It has been fantastic to see him grow and blossom as a drummer in the various ensembles.
-- Dr. Sebastian Birch
LEAH MILLER
Nursing
Leah is one of those students that we as faculty would like to clone. She radiates with professionalism and a genuine, caring demeanor. She is hard working and always willing to lend a helping hand. She is dedicated, conscientious, intelligent, respectful, kind, honest, and able to anticipate needs. She can critically think, she is thoughtful, special, gifted, and continually goes beyond what is expected.
She actively served as the President of SCRUBS, while sharing her passion for nursing. While serving, she achieved optimal levels of personal performance and accomplishments. Leah initiated good conceptual ideas with practical applications. She strongly supported community service projects. Leah excels in developing team momentum, enthusiasm, and pride. As a student, Leah was a strong mentor and leader for all students. In addition to being a full-time student and SCRUBS president, she was a tutor in many subjects, the nursing lab assistant, and the student level representative.
It has been a pleasure watching Leah grow from a sophomore to a soon-to-be graduate ready to join the nursing profession. She has shown an ability to communicate with credibility and confidence, be a team player and a leader all at the same time. She has been a pleasure to have in class. She will be an amazing nurse. Leah is going to be ""THAT"" nurse that every patient deserves!
-- Dr. Chrissy Kauth and the Kent State Stark Nursing Department
MARIE KAPLAN
Political Science
The Political Science Department at Kent State Stark congratulates Marie Kaplan for the 2020-2021 Political Science Department Award. Marie has excelled in her academic studies as well as engaged in a variety of campus and departmental programs such as the Columbus Program, Honors Program, and Geneva Program. In the classroom, she has done very well on the exams and assignments. In addition, Marie has consistently participated and engaged in class discussions and presentations. She often times presents a well-balanced perspective on government-society relations and policy issues. Congratulations, Marie!
-- Dr. Joel Carbonell
KEVIN COBLENTZ
Political Science
The Political Science Department at Kent State Stark congratulates Kevin Coblentz for the 2020-2021 Political Science Department Award. Kevin has taken a range and diversity of courses in the political science program. In the classroom, Kevin is consistently prepared for class and actively participates in the discussions and presentations. He challenges himself to look at and understand the different approaches and perspectives in political science. Kevin has the analytical capacity to engage in both the qualitative as well as the quantitative areas in political science. This is reflective in his excellent academic performance and record. Congratulations, Kevin!
-- Dr. Joel Carbonell
SARAH WEINSTOCK
Psychological Sciences
Sarah Weinstock is the winner of the Psychological Sciences Department Award. The psychology department faculty agree that Sarah has been a consistently outstanding student in all her psychology classes. This is a pattern in her academic work more generally as she has consistently been on the Dean’s and President’s lists during her time at Kent State.
Sarah was also part of the Honors College and recently defended her honors thesis on the topic, “Patterns of LGBTQ+ Victimization from High School to University.” It was an empirical exploration of how members of the LGBTQ+ community perceived their treatment in high school versus how they perceive their treatment as they are moving through their university experience. The results were interesting and pointed the way to further possibilities for research exploration when Sarah enters graduate school.
With all of this on her plate, Sarah has also managed time to be president of Continuum, where reports of her leadership include community outreach efforts and successful fundraising. She also served as a tutor in the tutoring center for psychology, sociology, and Spanish. As one professor noted, “She has tutored some of my … students - what a difference it made. She directly contributed to their success in the course.”
Overall, Sarah has forged an impressive academic pathway and the Department of Psychological Sciences predicts a bright future for her. We wish Sarah the very best in the future!
-- Dr. Lee Fox-Cardamone
SARAH WEINSTOCK
Sociology
Sarah Weinstock is a truly exceptional student who deserves to be recognized for both their academic achievement and active contribution to the broader campus community. I think it would be accurate to state that their Sociology classwork has always more closely resembled a graduate student’s scholarship than their undergraduate peers’. One of my colleagues, Dr. Anne Haas notes that they “would read Sarah's writing several times to appreciate how well put together it was,” noting that, “They can summarize and evaluate the most complicated writing in a clear, correct, insightful way.”
Their broader engagement and contributions to the campus extend beyond the classroom. Since 2019, they have served as a tutor in the Stark Campus Academic Success Center for Sociology, Psychology and Spanish. Their ability to tutor across three different disciplines speaks to their excellence as a scholar. Additionally, for the 2019-2020 academic year, they served as the president of a student organization. They even volunteered their time during the summer and represented the student group, campus and University at the Health and Wellness event at the Belden Village Mall in North Canton.
In conclusion the award is well deserved for academic achievements and community engagement. Congratulations.
-- Dr. Katrina Bloch
EMMA R. JOHNSON
Theatre
There are two words that come to mind when I think about Emma ... Fantastically Talented! There was a creativity, sensitivity and dedication to the work covered in class that shone clear as a bell. You could always see the careful thought and consideration put into every detail and the judicious application of the techniques we covered in ways that always felt right for the role. I believe Emma is very deserving of recognition for the outstanding work I was witness to. The future is very bright for this talented artist. Congratulations Emma! Well done and well deserved!
-- Prof. Jim Weaver