Newman University honored student scholars and leaders for their outstanding academic achievements and accomplishments at the 2012 Academic Honors and Awards Convocation, held April 20 on the Newman campus.
The university-wide event is presented each year to acknowledge superior performance by students, and includes recognition of honor society inductees, campus leaders, students selected for this year’s Who’s Who Among Students in American Colleges and Universities, and top scholars in business, information technology, education, science, nursing and other academic disciplines.
Melissa Baalmann of Colwich, Kan., received the prestigious St. Catherine Medal, which is awarded annually to a sophomore or junior who has demonstrated outstanding service to the university, and has established an excellent record for scholastic achievement. Baalmann is a junior nursing student.
The Newman Academic Honors and Awards Convocation also featured awards to several Newman faculty members, including Associate Professor of Biology Michael Bradley, Ph.D., who received the Teaching Excellence Award. The award is presented each spring to a full-time faculty member who has demonstrated an innovative or dynamic approach to courses, course revisions, and teaching techniques. The recipient has the honor of speaking at the following fall and spring commencement ceremonies.
Other faculty and staff who received top awards were Instructor of Communication and Interdisciplinary Studies Program Coordinator Teresa Raehpour, M.A., who received the Retention Leadership Award, Associate Professor of Chemistry John Leyba, Ph.D., who received the Academic Advising Excellence Award, and Professor of English Bryan Dietrich, Ph.D. who received an Excellence in Scholarship Award for his books The Assumption and Monstrance.
Student award recipients are listed below by award, with students’ hometowns.
2012 NEWMAN UNIVERSITY HONORS AND AWARDS
STUDENT SERVICE AND LEADERSHIP
Who’s Who Among Students in American Colleges and Universities
Brice Albert – Colwich, Kan.
Adelita Aldava – Wichita, Kan.
Melissa Baalmann – Colwich, Kan.
Rebekah Baldridge – Wichita, Kan.
Lauren Benning – Wichita, Kan.
Megan Birdsey – Dunstable, Bedfordshire, UK
Kathryn Cole – Wichita, Kan.
Christina Farid – Wichita, Kan.
Adrienne Fox – Colwich, Kan.
Rachel Girrens – Wichita, Kan.
Jesse Gray – Wichita, Kan.
Monica Hill – Cunningham, Kan.
Amber Klaver – Wichita, Kan.
Nicholas Ojile – Andale, Kan.
Mary Phillips – Wichita, Kan.
Kiel Pratt – Haysville, Kan.
Heather Ranney – Colwich, Kan.
Yanely Rocha – Wichita, Kan.
Rachel Siegwarth – Wichita, Kan.
Kristen Simpson – Wichita, Kan.
Jon Spexarth – Andale, Kan.
Rachel Stanley – Wichita, Kan.
Jasmine Ware – Oklahoma City, Okla.
Melissa Wilbert – Wichita, Kan.
Logan Winter – Mount Hope, Kan.
Graduating ASC Community Leader Scholars
Angelina Banh – Wichita, Kan.
Bridget Boyum – Andover, Minn.
Kara McIntyre – Wellington, Kan.
Rebecka Miller – Newkirk, Okla.
Taylore Nguyen – Wichita, Kan.
Ashley Ramos – Murphy, Texas
Alexandra Reis – Wichita, Kan.
Christopher Taylor – Wichita, Kan.
Brea Teeter – Oakley, Kan.
Michelle Wessling – Beloit, Kan.
Graduating Cardinal Newman Scholars
Emily Gerber – Conway Springs, Kan.
Cole Gillenwater – Wichita, Kan.
Meghan Jost – Hillsboro, Kan.
Jordan Lesperance – Hutchinson, Kan.
Adrianne Lessard – Wichita, Kan.
Nicholas Ojile – Andale, Kan.
Heather Ranney – Colwich, Kan.
Ablah Award Nominees
Bridget Boyum – Andover, Minn.
Nicholas Ojile – Andale, Kan.
Ton-Vinh Nguyen – Bel Aire, Kan.
Ashley Ramos – Murphy, Texas
Heather Ranney – Colwich, Kan.
Nidia (Angie) Trujillo – Andover, Kan.
(Shannon) Lyle Valentine – Derby, Kan.
St. Catherine Medal
Melissa Baalmann- Colwich, Kan.
SCHOOL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES
Social Sciences Achievement Award
Ashley Ramos – Murphy, Texas
Ian Cummings – Gillette, N.J.
Lauren Benning – Wichita, Kan.
SCHOOL OF ARTS AND HUMANITIES
Humanities Achievement Award
Jakub Voboril – Wichita, Kan.
Creative Achievement Award
Yanely Rocha – Wichita, Kan.
Freshman History Prize
Shaughnessy Stockemer – Garden Plain, Kan.
for “Ancient Women: the Good, the Bad and the Ugly”
Joyce Suellentrop Prize for Distinguished Scholarship in History
Jakub Voboril – Wichita, Kan.
for “Political Science Perspectives on European Integration”
Randall Austin Award
Francisco “Pancho” Fields – Newton, Kan.
SCHOOL OF SOCIAL WORK
Outstanding Master of Social Work Graduate Award
Kansas Award: Kathryn Cole – Wichita, Kan.
Colorado Award: Jennifer VandeWeg – Colorado Springs, Colo.
MSW Student Leadership Award
Mary Phillips – Wichita, Kan.
SCHOOL OF BUSINESS
Outstanding Business Traditional Student Award
Nidia Trujillo – Andover, Kan.
Jonathan Buckert – Rochester, N.Y.
Outstanding Information Technology Student Award
Heather Ranney – Colwich, Kan.
SCHOOL OF EDUCATION
Outstanding Internship (Student Teacher) Awards (Wichita Sites)
Spring 2012: Kristen Simpson – Wichita, Kan.
Fall 2011: Heather VanNatta – Derby, Kan.
Outstanding Internship (Student Teacher) Awards (Off-Campus Sites)
Fall 2010 (Western Kansas): Lindsay Torres – Garden City, Kan.
Kansas Teachers of Promise
Wichita Campus
Spring 2012: Kali Stein- Spearville, Kan.
Fall 2011: Melissa Wilbert- Wichita, Kan.
Outreach Site
Western Kansas
Spring 2012: Kari Sutton- Liberal, Kan.
Fall 2011: Joy Boyd- Great Bend, Kan.
Graduate Achievement Award
Wichita Campus:
Travis Wight – Fannystelle, Manitoba, Canada
Outreach Site:
Jennifer Workman – Liberal, Kan.
Graduate Student Citizenship Recognition
Marta Fernandez – Wichita, Kan.
Sister Vivian Miller Award
Stephanie Basham – Wichita, Kan.
Sister Sylvana Schulte Award
Morgan Ratts – Dodge City, Kan.
Sister Susan Reeves Award
Western Kansas: Shadra Thomas – Liberal, Kan.
SCHOOL OF NURSING AND ALLIED HEALTH
Distinguished Bachelor of Science in Nursing Graduate Award
Jeffery Knisley – Wichita, Kan.
Meghan Jost – Hillsboro, Kan.
Outstanding Occupational Therapy Assistant Student Award
Lynette R. Hofer – Wichita, Kan.
SCHOOL OF SCIENCE AND MATHEMATICS
Outstanding Mathematics Student Award
Alejandra Gonzalez – Wichita, Kan.
Outstanding Calculus Student Award
Jonathan Segovia – Wichita, Kan.
Outstanding Senior Chemistry Student
Nicholas (Nick) Ojile – Andale, Kan.
Surendra P. Singh Outstanding Freshman in Biology
Max Sherard – Wichita, Kan.
Steve Palubicki Outstanding Sophomore or Junior in Biology Award
Emily Chastain – Wichita, Kan.
Sister Claudine Axman Award in Biology
Emily Gerber – Conway Springs, Kan.
Sister Margaret Knoeber Outstanding Lower Division Chemistry
Cliff Kissling – Wichita, Kan.
STUDENT AFFAIRS AWARDS
Creative Initiative Award
Yanely Rocha – Wichita, Kan.
Dedication and Service Award
Heather Ranney – Colwich, Kan.
HONOR SOCIETIES
Kappa Gamma Pi (Scholarship and Leadership) – Baccalaureate
Bridget Boyum – Andover, Minn.
Stephanie Fleming – Cherryvale, Kan.
Kaitlyn Griggs – Tulsa, Okla.
Heather Ranney – Colwich, Kan.
Kappa Gamma Pi (Scholarship and Leadership) – Graduate
Kathryn Cole – Wichita, Kan.
Tammy Eady – Mulvane, Kan.
Mary Phillips – Wichita, Kan.
Lambda Iota Tau (English)
Linzi Allan – Dalry, Ayrshire, Scotland
Rebekah Baldridge – Wichita, Kan.
Christine Barragree – Andale, Kan.
Megan Birdsey – Dunstable Bedfordshire, UK
Meagan Brandt – Bel Aire, Kan.
T.J. Manion – Wichita, Kan.
Paul Manning – Wichita, Kan.
Taylore Nguyen – Wichita, Kan.
Jasmine Turner – Wichita, Kan.
Lamba Nu (Radiologic Technology)
Tianna L. Lazzers – Fall River, Kan.
Carrie L. Looney – Wichita, Kan.
Nuredin Omar – Wichita, Kan.
Michael Edward Mace – Wichita, Kan.
Lambda Pi Eta (Communication)
Peter Abella – Kansas City, Mo.
Bridget Boyum – Andover, Minn.
Monica Hill – Cunningham, Kan.
Adrianne Lessard – Wichita, Kan.
Yamir Lozada – Wichita, Kan.
Phi Alpha (Social Work)
Adelita Aldava – Wichita, Kan.
Jill Baxa – McPherson, Kan.
Jeremy Chisum – Colorado Springs, Colo.
Adriana Figueroa – Castle Rock, Colo.
Christy Foos – Wichita, Kan.
Beverly Hammersmith – Wichita, Kan.
Cynthia Johnson – Wichita, Kan.
Crystal Milliken – Wichita, Kan.
Valerie Peters – Colorado Springs, Colo.
Christopher Phillips – Wichita, Kan.
Brittany Schmidt – McPherson, Kan.
Anneliese Shaw – Colorado Springs, Colo.
Nina Shaw-Woody – Wichita, Kan.
Rachel Siegwarth – Wichita, Kan.
Kimberly Simmons – Colorado Springs, Colo.
Theresa Sly – Nickerson, Kan.
Libertee Thompson – Hutchinson, Kan.
Erika Walker – Wichita, Kan.
Susan Weigel-Wise – Hutchinson, Kan.
Jenna Wellemeyer – Wichita, Kan.
Heather Wilson – Colorado Springs, Colo.
Pi Gamma Mu (Social Sciences)
David Adolf – Wichita, Kan.
Angela Alexander – Wichita, Kan.
Mandy Baalman – Wichita, Kan.
Cecilia Bates – Edmond, Okla.
Jill Baxa – McPherson, Kan.
Cindy Bohn – Colorado Springs, Colo.
Cory Borsdorf – Wichita, Kan.
Kaleb Brewer – Corinth, Texas
Heather Burke – Pueblo, Colo.
Laura Cassity – Goddard, Kan.
Jeremy Chisum – Colorado Springs, Colo.
Deana Dacosta-Thompson – Fountain, Colo.
Jared Ferris – Wichita, Kan.
Adriana Figueroa – Castle Rock, Colo.
Alaina Garrett – Wichita, Kan.
Tamberlyn Hendrix – Wellington, Kan.
Jared Hunsaker – Wichita, Kan.
Rachel Johnson – Wichita, Kan.
Andrea Martires – Punta del Este, Uruguay
Gloria Mayanado-Campbell
Jill Miller – Wellington, Kan.
Crystal Milliken – Wichita, Kan.
Deborah Molik – Colorado Springs, Colo.
Brian Murphy – Colorado Springs, Colo.
Krista Norris – Haysville, Kan.
Sara Ross – Norton, Kan.
Luke Somes – Goddard, Kan.
Malinda Sylvester – Wichita, Kan.
Jennifer VandeWeg – Colorado Springs, Colo.
Jenn Villarosa – Wichita, Kan.
Kaytlin Zimpfer – Rose Hill, Kan.
Pi Lambda Theta (Education)
Amber Barrett – Oxford, Kan.
Megan Becker – Holcomb, Kan.
Sarah Forster – Wichita, Kan.
Kaitlyn Griggs- Tulsa, Okla.
Kamisha Howe – Independence, Kan.
Whitney Poell – Viola, Kan.
Morgan Ratts – Dodge City, Kan.
Kristen Simpson – Wichita, Kan.
Kali Stein – Spearville, Kan.
Tiffany Taylor – Wichita, Kan.
Psi Chi (Psychology)
Stacey Brand – Wichita, Kan.
Ian Cummings – Gillette, N.J.
Andrea Martires – Punta del Este, Uruguay
Sigma Theta Tau (Nursing)
Megan Barbur – Abilene, Kan.
Kristina Brewster – Wichita, Kan.
Bridget Bugner – Wichita, Kan.
Amanda Curtis -Mount Hope, Kan.
Anna Davis – Wichita, Kan.
Ashley Dunham -Newnan, Ga.
Meghan Jost – Hillsboro, Kan.
Jeff Knisley – Wichita, Kan.
Kristen Knowles – Derby, Kan.
Nicholas Kraus – Colwich, Kan.
Sarah Logan – Haysville, Kan.
Stephanie Maes – Maize, Kan.
Melissa Martinez Huckleby – Wichita, Kan.
Crystal Moore – El Paso, Texas
Ryan Roberts – Wichita, Kan.
Margaret Rogers -Wichita, Kan.
Lindsey Stewart – Wichita, Kan.
Catherine Truong – Wichita, Kan.
Linda Whiteman – Wichita, Kan.
