Celebrating student excellence

Students and faculty came together on April 12 in the Center for the Arts to recognize outstanding academic achievement at the ninth annual Celebration of Student Academic Excellence.

In the atrium, hundreds of students stood beside their poster presentations, sharing and explaining the research project they had undertaken a semester or two ago. Fourteen of the 160 poster submissions received Undergraduate Awards for Excellence in Research, Scholarship and Creativity as the best examples of scholarly and creative work.

“The research presented by our students displayed tremendous range, creativity and good promise,” President Satish K. Tripathi said in his opening remarks at the celebration ceremony. “Our students are doing cutting-edge research to improve the quality of life locally and globally—from examining infrastructure and transportation challenges on our Buffalo streets to studying major global health issues like HIV and exposure of environmental contamination,” he said.

Charles Zukoski, provost and executive vice president for academic affairs, noted that those students being honored “already know a thing or two about hard work, wisdom and the curious relationship between education, inspiration and outcome.”

"The recipients today have been creative at an exceptional level, a level that is unusual and a level that is worthy of honor,” Zukoski said.

Although most of the students who presented research did not receive awards, the process itself was very enriching, said Rowena Chin, a senior psychology major who conducted neurology research. “I really like in here at UB. I always ask the psychology students from Singapore Institute of Management (SIM-UB) to come over to UB. There are so many more chances here and the professors are really nice,” she said.

Students added that their mentors gave them the motivation to participate and showcase their research. “Our research is and has been an on-going process for two years now, but each year our mentor will encourage us to participate in this event,” said Jessica Lemons, a sophomore communication and English major who worked on a project called “Strategic Communication for HIV Allies.”

Among the students being honored at the ceremony were:

• Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship, awarded to sophomores and juniors who have outstanding potential and intend to pursue advanced degrees in mathematics, the natural sciences or engineering: Christopher Dundas and Phillip Tucciarone
• Fulbright Scholarship: Amanda Buonopane
• National Science Foundation Graduate Fellowship: Sourobh Ghosh and Daniel Salem
• SUNY Chancellor’s Awards for Student Excellence: Jay Amin, Maxwell L. Bileschi, Elise N. Blasingame, Paul D. Garman, Sourobh Ghosh, Sharlene M. Green, Megan E. Klyczek, Matthew G. Leibowitz, Peter J. Oldani, Daniel P. Salem, Marlee E. Sroka, Paul M. Stephan, Lauren B. Stutzman and Jessica J. Walts
  
• UB Graduate Student Excellence in Teaching Awards: Prentiss B. Clark, Nicole A. Dunham, Nicholas D. Hoffman, Peter M. Koch, Olivier LeBlond, Laura A. LeVon, Shannon P. Lupien, Alice Mitchell, Rae L. Muhlstock, Deborah A. Naybor, Nicholas P. Nicoletti, Michael A. Rosas, Scott Simpson, Stephen J. Tulowiecki and Ariana F. Young
  
• Clifford C. Furnas Scholar-Athlete Award: Brittney J. Kuras
• UB Student Organization Award for Excellence in Academics and Service, which recognizes clubs that take what they learn in the classroom and apply it to assist others: Student Affiliates of the American Chemical Society (SAACS)