April 19, 2009

Purdue students honored at annual awards convocation

Eric Michael Barnard, an agricultural finance major from Flora, Ind., received the $500 G.A. Ross Award for the outstanding graduating man. Barnard has been a dean's list student and was a teaching assistant for an agriculture course in addition to serving the past year as president of Purdue Student Government. His activities also included being an executive officer for the Purdue Greek Intervarsity Youth Fellowship and a member of Mortar Board and FarmHouse Fraternity, where he was on officeholder. He also has been involved in many philanthropic and service projects such as Boiler Blast and Martin Luther King Service Day. The G.A. Ross Award is made possible through a gift from Ross, a 1916 alumnus.

Lauren Michelle Mioton, a biology major from New Orleans, received the $500 Flora Roberts Award for the outstanding graduating woman. Mioton has been on the dean's list and semester honors list and was a Rhodes Scholar nominee. She was a four-year member of the Boilermaker women's basketball team, serving as co-captain the past two years. Last fall Mioton was Purdue's Homecoming queen. She was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa, Mortar Board, Golden Key, National Society of Collegiate Scholars, two academic sororities and was a finalist for the John Wooden Citizenship Cup. She also published and sold a cookbook that raised more than $8,000 to support the Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation's Save Our Coast campaign in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. She will be attending medical school at Vanderbilt University next year. The Flora Roberts Award is made possible through a bequest by Flora Roberts of the Purdue class of 1887.

Nimisha Bajaj, a junior in biomedical engineering from West Lafayette, Ind., received the $1,000 Bruce Helfert Memorial Award for outstanding junior majoring in science or engineering. She served as president of Purdue's Chapter of Engineering World Health that has created a medical device equipment repair team that refurbishes equipment to be donated to underserved regions. Bajaj traveled to Central America as a member or Raising Aim to volunteer in a free clinic and has led a service trip to New Orleans to provide hurricane relief. She also has been involved in research to improve drug-delivery systems for cystic fibrosis drugs. The Helfert Award is made possible through a gift from Sylvia Helfert in memory of her son, Bruce Helfert, a 1964 Purdue graduate. He was a surgeon at March Air Force Base in California when he died from injuries sustained in an automobile accident.

Andrew Damon, an aeronautics and astronautics major from Indianapolis, received the $1,000 Louis Sudler Prize in the Arts for an outstanding senior who has demonstrated excellence and the highest standards of proficiency in the visual or performing arts. Damon has played lead alto saxophone as a four-year member of the Purdue Jazz Band and also has played in the Symphonic Band and Jazz Combo. He spent two summers as an intern at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala. The award is endowed by the late Louis Sudler, a Chicago businessman and supporter of the arts.

Philippa A. Norton, a junior from Indianapolis majoring in fine arts, received the $1,000 Alpha Chi Omega Fraternity Arts Scholarship. Norton developed a passion for art when she was 14 and will carry that passion on to graduate school, where she plans to earn a degree in art and textile restoration. She is a member of the Purdue Chapter of Delta Phi Delta Fine Arts Club. The scholarship is endowed by the Purdue chapter of Alpha Chi Omega and presented annually to a freshman, sophomore or junior with a minimum grade-point average of 3.0 and whose life is enhanced by the visual or performing arts.

Three students, Emanuel Cuevas, Suzanne "Maggie" McKay and Ryan Trevithick, were recipients of the Amelia Earhart Scholarship, given to students who demonstrate exemplary leadership skills, determination and potential. Recipients of the $1,000 scholarship must have a minimum 3.2 GPA.

Cuevas is a junior from Fort Wayne, Ind., majoring in industrial technology, industrial distribution, and organizational leadership and supervision. He is a student ambassador for the College of Technology and has been a member of the Association of Industrial Distribution, Purdue Student Underground Concert Committee and the National Society of Collegiate Scholars.

McKay is a senior from Matteson, Ill., majoring in dietetics. She is a resident assistant at Hawkins Hall and does volunteer work at the student health center to promote proper eating habits. McKay also taught an adult health class at Evangelical Covenant Church in Lafayette.

Trevithick is a junior from Mitchell, Ind., majoring in pharmacy. He is a teaching assistant in the Department of Biological Sciences and has served as a team leader for Boiler Gold Rush and committee chairperson for Cary Volunteer Squad. Trevithick also is a member of Pharmacy Ambassadors, Campus House Christian Church and Purdue Outing Club.

Eight students received the Charles O. McGaughey Leadership awards, which were established by McGaughey, a 1939 Purdue graduate, to honor students with leadership potential. To be eligible for these awards, students must have completed at least two years of full-time study at Purdue with at least a 3.0 GPA. They are selected on the basis of their contributions to the university and community.

Recipients of the McGaughey Awards were Laura Kightlinger of Indianapolis; Michael Kraft of Noblesville, Ind.; Eric Lin of West Lafayette, Ind.; Lauren Misiewicz of Des Plaines, Ill.; Monica Randolph of Woodburn, Ind.; Joshua Ratcliff of West Lafayette, Ind.; Tom Seto of Evansville, Ind.; and Jill Steiner of West Berne, Ind.

The honorees each received $3,250 and a crystal paperweight commemorating the award.

Kightlinger is a senior majoring in accounting and management. She serves as president of Iron Key, president of internal affairs for the Management Ambassadors, leadership conference co-chair for Mortar Board National Senior Honor Society and vice president of events for the Purdue Foundation Student Board.

Kraft is a senior majoring in elementary education. He has served as president and director of philanthropy of Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity and director of philanthropy and "Greekvine" editor for the Interfraternity Council. Kraft also has been an officer with Skull and Crescent Leadership Honorary and was involved with Iron Key, Boiler Gold Rush, Mortar Board National Senior Honor Society, Order of Omega Greek Leadership Honorary, Purdue Dance Marathon, Greek Intervarsity and Dance 2XS. He also has been active with St. Thomas Aquinas as development intern and chair of the Student Stewardship Committee. He plans to pursue a master's degree in philanthropy and development.

Lin is a senior majoring in accounting, management and industrial management. He is chair of the ITaP Student Advisory Council and vice president of Beta Gamma Sigma business honor society. He also has been involved with the Libraries Advisory Council, Raising Awareness of International Medicine, Student Applications Advisory Council, myPurdue Advisory Committee, Phi Beta Kappa, Beta Alpha Psi business honorary and the President's Leadership Class. He has volunteered at St. Elizabeth Medical Center, as an assistant coach with the West Lafayette High School Swim Team, and as a violin and viola instructor for local children. This summer, Eric has an internship with Defense Finance and Accounting Services in Indianapolis.

Misiewicz is a senior majoring in organizational communication. She is serving as the Fraternity and Sorority Life intern, Student Leaders Retreat director and is treasurer for the Lambda Pi Eta communication honor society. Misiewicz has been vice president of operations with Panhellenic Association, senior class representative with Kappa Alpha Theta sorority, a mentor with the Leadership Journey and logistic coordinator with Undergraduate Interfraternity Institute. She also has volunteered with the Children's Oncology Services of Illinois and served as an Undergraduate Conference intern for Mid American Greek Council/National Black Greek Leadership Conference. After graduation, she will be working as an Educational Leadership Consultant for her sorority, Kappa Alpha Theta, and plans on pursuing a master's degree in higher education.

Randolph is a second-year professional student in pharmacy. She is vice president of administration and mentoring program coordinator for Mortar Board National Senior Honor Society and senator for the Schools of Pharmacy, Nursing and Health Sciences with Purdue Student Government. Randolph has been involved as a leader with the Learning through Experiences and Awareness Diversity Program and Boiler Gold Rush. She also has been involved with Kappa Kappa Gamma, Boiler Volunteer Network, Southern Care Hospice, Big Brothers Big Sisters and Child Services of Indiana. Randolph will complete her doctorate of pharmacy in 2011.

Ratcliff is a senior majoring in general health sciences with concentrations in premedicine and predentistry. He is tapping chair for the Mortar Board National Senior Honor Society and has served as president of FarmHouse fraternity and program arrangement co-chair for the Old Masters Central Committee. Ratcliff also has been a member of the President's Leadership Class, a mentor for College Mentors for Kids and the Emerging Leaders Program. He has volunteered for Tippecanoe County 4-H Development and served as a youth softball umpire for Battle Ground Summer Recreation Program. After graduation, Ratcliff will be attending the Indiana University School of Dentistry.

Seto is a second-year professional pharmacy student, who is pursuing a doctorate. He has served as president, vice president of administration and vice president of operations for the Interfraternity Council; president of the Pharmacy Student Council; and a senator for Purdue Student Government. Seto will complete his doctorate of pharmacy in 2011.

Steiner is a senior majoring in agricultural economics and agricultural communication. She is currently the student representative on the Purdue board of trustees, president of the Purdue Foundation Student Board, and president and treasurer of Glenwood Cooperative. She also has been the social chair with Mortar Board National Honorary Society, day scheduling co-chair with Old Masters Central Committee, secretary with Agriculture Student Council and publicity chair with Agriculture Communicators of Tomorrow. Steiner has been an Indiana FFA foundation intern and country market manager and was an agriculture coalition intern for Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels.

John Mazunda received the Martin C. Jischke Outstanding International Student Award, which includes a cash prize of $1,900. He was born in Malawi, completed high school in France and earned an associate degree from Danville Area Community College in Illinois. He is currently pursuing a degree in agricultural economics and has taken on leadership roles in Ag Ambassadors and Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources and Related Sciences. Mazunda serves as both the social and scholastic chairman of Marwood Cooperative and as ag adviser and translator for the Engineers for a Sustainable World. In addition, he volunteers to help with the orientation of transfer students.

Graduating seniors who maintained a 4.0 GPA also were honored during the convocation. Sixty-six of Purdue's graduates from May 2009 and August and December 2008 have achieved that honor.

Writer: Brian Zink, 765-494-2080, bzink@purdue.edu  

Source: Mary Dawson, administrative assistant, Office of the Provost, 765-494-5429, mdawson@purdue.edu

Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu

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