Celebrating student and faculty achievement in the College of Liberal Arts.

2013 acCOLAdes
Thursday, April 18, 2012 - 4 p.m.
Irons Recital Hall, UT Arlington

View the 2012 event program (PDF)

 

2013 Nominees

Aguirre, Rafael - MODL /Non-seeking—undeclared - He has obtained the following academic degrees: B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Buenos Aires, Argentina; M.B.A. in Business Administration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; & M.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Southern Methodist University. He is a stellar student currently completing the Certificate in Spanish Translation offered by the Department of Modern Languages with a grade of A+.

Aragon, Rebecca – Art & Art History - She has been on the Dean's List and Honor's Roll for 8 semesters. She has maintained a 4.0 at UTA. She is also a part of Sigma Alpha Lambda (honors society) and NSCS – National Society of Collegiate Scholars. Rebecca is a very strong student in the Painting program and sets a fine example with an excellent work ethic and consistently excellent work.

Arenas, Karla – Sociology - She has a high GPA and has done important volunteer and paid work with the relationship violence center on campus. She is also a dual MA student in Sociology and Social Work.

Barakat, Hanaa – Political Science - Department of Political Science Outstanding Paper; Bilateral Model Arab League participant

Bennett, Bryce – Art & Art History (Photography) - Bryce is highly regarded by the photo faculty for his work and dedication to the program. He was awarded a 'special' honorarium from the department so that he could retain in-state tuition for his last year. He has worked as a lab tech for several years, has volunteered for many special events (lead site person for ATPI, workshops at Booker T. Washington Preview Day, darkroom workshop for a visiting chemistry club from a high school). His work is exceptional. He was also selected as a UTA student representative for the 2013 Regents’ Outstanding Student Awards in Arts and Humanities.

Burgardt, Emily – Theatre Arts - She is currently enrolled as a sophomore Theatre Arts B.F.A. major with a Performance Subplan. Upon her graduation from high school; she was honored as a 2011-2012 recipient of The UT Arlington’s Presidents Charter Scholarship, in recognition of sustained academic excellence. The scholarship was renewed for the 2012-2013 school year. Her GPA is 3.88 in overall coursework at UT Arlington with a 4.0 GPA in Theatre Arts courses. She received a UT Arlington Department of Theatre Arts scholarship award for the 2012-2013 academic year and an offer to begin the BFA Theatre Arts degree plan, which she accepted. She was included on the Dean’s List for the College of Liberal Arts for the Fall Semester 2011 and Spring Semester 2012. In her freshman year, she was competitively cast as an actor in UTA’s production of Paparazza written by Dr. Natalie Scroggins Gaupp, playing Max Stroheim. In her sophomore year, she was cast as Essie Miller in Eugene O’Neill’s Ah, Wilderness! and Yente the Matchmaker in Fiddler on the Roof. She has also been cast in the upcoming production of STUFF written and directed by Dr. Natalie Scroggins Gaupp and Steven Alan McGaw, as part of The Maverick Theatre Company's MavPlays spring festival. Emily is recommended by the Theatre Arts faculty for her scholarship, outstanding work ethic, attention to detail in her work, and overall collaborative spirit.

Cardwell, Rachel – History - She is a recipient of the 2013 Laverne Prewitt History Pre-Law Award, for outstanding student in the History-Pre-Law concentration. Ms. Cardwell will graduate from UTA with a near-perfect GPA in all courses. She is a member of the Honors College and an active volunteer with political and charitable organizations. She will enter law school in the fall of 2013.

Cervantes (Martinez), Michelle – Communication (COMSBA) - Michelle has demonstrated her academic accomplishments in a number of ways: 4.0 GPA, Centennial Endowed Scholarship at UTA, LULAC Scholarship, and Dean’s List. She has also volunteered on campus in The Big Event and has volunteered at Arlington Memorial Hospital. She plans to continue her studies in the Master of Arts in Communication at UT Arlington in Fall 2013.

Chow, Gladys – Art & Art History (Visual Communications) - My research and creative work through my academic studies has focused on the impact of cross-cultural designs and the design methodology of multi-cultural ideas, specifically the integration of eastern and western cultural elements and language. It has been invaluable to receive support and have the opportunity to present my work at different venues. Some of these significant opportunities are listed below: 1. Global Research Fellow May 2013-2014 - From the support of the UT Arlington College of Liberal Arts and the generosity of Mr. Mustaque Ahmed, this Fellowship will provide $1500 in support of allowable expenses related to my research and development of an interactive eBook story that introduces Canadian-Born Chinese (CBC) children to cultural experiences. 2. COLA Dean’s Award for Research Travel - Travel to Vancouver, British Columbia Summer 2013. This travel fund will support my ethnographic research in studying the daily experiences and behaviors of Canadian-Born Chinese (CBC) and their potential influence on design. 3. Creative Quarterly 30 Runner-Up - A graphic design piece completed for research project Inspiring Cultural Awareness in Canadian-Born Chinese was selected as a runner-up in the international competition Creative Quarterly 30. The work will be published online in Spring 2013 on Creative Quarterly: The Journal of Art & Design. 4. University College Galleries: studio, media arts and art history student exhibition. UT Arlington, Arlington, TX. Fall Semester 2012. Illustration pieces Chrysanthemum and Mandarin Ducks were selected for exhibition. 5. Mutualism Art and Design exhibition- Gallery West, UT Arlington. April 23-27, 2012. Publication design piece Much Luck and Much Prosperity was selected for exhibition. 5. The Annual Celebration of Excellence of Students Symposium - UT Arlington, Arlington, TX. March 2012. Selected as a participant to present poster for research project Inspiring Cultural Awareness in Canadian-Born Chinese.

Cardona, Mylynka – History - At the Walter Prescott Webb Lectures banquet in March, 2013, History Ph.D. student, Mylynka Cardona was honored with the Danny McQueen Graduate Teaching Award. Ms. Cardona was commended for her innovative and effective classroom leadership as a graduate teaching assistant in a variety of courses at UT-Arlington, while she was both an M.A. and a Ph.D. student. Ms. Cardona has been an active participant in the university’s transatlantic history program, and has been recognized, as well, by Who’s Who in American Colleges and Universities.

Dalton, Cody – History (Pre Law) - He was selected in 2013 as a Laverne Prewitt Award winner. This designated him as one of two outstanding students in the History Department who is concentrating on Pre-Law, Cory aims to enter law school in fall, 2014. He has special interest in U.S. legal history, and hopes to pursue a specialization in constitutional law. He is on pace to achieve a near-perfect grade point average in all of his course work at UTA

Devoll, Lauren – Communication (Public Relations) - She is an exceptional student. She is a member of the Honors Program at UTA and is working on her honors thesis which deals with the use of social media by the two primary presidential candidates during the most recent election. She is currently interning at Seacrest Studios at Children’s Medical Center in Dallas while also handling an intense class schedule. Lauren is a leader both in and out of the classroom. She served as UTA’s representative at the Republican National Convention last fall where she also provided live reports for UTA Radio. In addition, she is pursuing the Archer Fellowship and hopes to intern in Washington, D.C. during the fall semester.

Dunning, James – Communication - He has presented his research at the Annual Celebration of Excellence by Students (ACES) at UTA Arlington in both 2012 and 2013. In 2012 he won Honorable Mention for Graduate Oral Presentation. He has also presented his research at the “New Voices, New Perspectives Student Conference” held at UNT and at the “Texas Speech Communication Association Annual Convention” in October 2012. He is one of our top graduate students and is currently writing a thesis on “Negotiating Identity Creation through Personal Narrative in a Christian Recovery Group.”

Fuller, Robert - History - He is the 2013 recipient of the George Wolfskill Award for outstanding history student at the M.A. level, in the UT-Arlington Department of History. Mr. Fuller was honored at the 48th annual Walter Prescott Webb Lecture Series. Mr. Fuller wrote a masters’ thesis under the supervision of Dr. Joyce Goldberg, titled “In the Shade of the Mushroom Cloud: How Christian Fundamentalists Sabotaged Atomic Scientists’ Visions of Utopia.”

Gates, Ryan - Anthropology - 4.0 GPA; voted in first place by faculty

Hall, Dustin – Art & Art History (Visual Communications) - Dustin Hall brings forth the best work on a daily basis, which reflects his work ethic and dedication to the field of Visual Communication.; The following highlight Dustin's many accomplishments: Dean’s List (Fall 2007,2008, 2012); President’s List (Fall 2008); Phi Theta Kappa (Fall 2009); American Institute of Graphic Arts (AIGA), UTA Student Chapter - Junior Officer (Fall 2012), Secretary (Spring 2013); Winner of the AIGA Counterspace Exhibition - This is a competitive gallery show where the best Visual Communication is selected among entries (Spring 2013); Dustin is a solid example of the kind of high quality students our program produces. I fully support his nomination to be a COLA Scholar and would be happy to answer any questions regarding his candidacy.

Hicks, Charles – English - He is an outstanding student in our PhD program. His coursework reflects a mature intelligence and a dedication to his studies. His comprehensive exams were some of the finest I’ve read in the last ten years, earning him a grade of Pass with Distinction. He is currently under consideration for the O’Neill Excellence Award in Research. He has had several papers accepted at conferences and is preparing an article for publication.

Huq, Sayem - English – He is president of the English Honors Society, Sigma Tau Delta should be recognized for all his work with Sigma Tau Delta and Project Downtown Arlington, which has involved many students in helping under- privileged citizens in the city. He is also an honors student, with a strong academic record, and has his own radio show.

Johnson, Jeremy – Political Science - Pi Sigma Alpha (President, past Vice President); McNair Scholar (“Best McNair Thesis”: “Voters and Judges: How the Texas Public Chooses High Court Judges”); Presentation of research at academic conferences: “Variation on ballot format in low information judicial elections,” Presented at the Southwest Political Science Association Conference and “Voters and Judges how the Texas public chose high court judges,” Presented at the Southern Political Science Association Conference

Kantor, Nathaniel – Art & Art History (Film/Video) - Nate is a superior student and an excellent filmmaker, all while maintaining a 3.9 grade point average. Nate has already begun to garner festival awards, starting with Best Cinematography Award for his film My Child, at the annual UTA Art +Art History Underexposed Film Festival in May, 2012 at the Fort Worth Museum of Modern Art. His latest work, Latent, was chosen this year for inclusion in the Dallas International Film Festival (DIFF) in April. 2. A gifted team-builder, Nate is a sought after addition to the films of other students on both the under-graduate and graduate levels. Nate held the positions of Key Grip, Grip, Casting, and Post Sound Assistant on two other films that have been chosen for DIFF this year, To be Gray, and Filmer. 3. After graduation, Nate would like to continue his education at the University of Texas, Austin in their Radio, Film, and Television Program, while continuing to build his resume in terms of art direction and production design. 4. What Nate has enjoyed most about his time in our Film/Video/Screenwriting program is the high degree of hands-on filmmaking experience, in addition to the well-rounded classroom experiences the Art & Art History department provides. He states, “I’ve learned as much from my mistakes on set, as I have in the classroom.” Nate is a credit to UTA, and we have no doubt he’ll be a brilliant addition to the world of cinema.

Khelm, Iya - Linguistics - For this school year alone, Iya has presented at the DFW Metroplex Linguistics conference, twice at the UTA Student conference on Linguistics and TESOL (one oral presentation and one poster), at the CUNY Conference on Human Sentence Processing in South Carolina, and at ACES. For the CUNY conference, she received funding from COLA and the department but also external funding from the conference itself.

Lahue, Mason – Art & Art History (Visual Communications) - The following list some of Mason's accomplishments: a. - Second Place, Cartooning/Comic Strip, Associated Collegiate Press. b. - Third Place, Editorial Cartoon, Texas Intercollegiate Press Association c. - Honorable Mention, Illustration, Texas Intercollegiate Press Association. d. - James S. Barnett Memorial Ideas in Art Foundations Award e. - Outstanding Transfer Scholarship 2010, Tarrant County College f. - Dean's List at UTA (Fall 2011, Spring 2012, Fall 2012). g. - Dean's List at TCC (Fall 2009, Fall 2010); Mason shows solid academic interest and activity beyond the classroom. I fully support his nomination to be a COLA Scholar and would be happy to answer any questions regarding his candidacy.

Lanuza, Jorge – Theatre Arts (Design/Technology Subplan in Theatre Arts) - He is a junior pursuing a BFA in Theatre Arts with a Technical Production subplan. He has been heavily involved in the Maverick Theatre Company at UT Arlington since his freshman year having been involved in over 30 productions. In 2012, he won the Best Technician Award in the company. The past two years, he has held the office of treasurer for the student chapter of the United States Institute for Theatre Technology, an organization devoted to the technology used in the entertainment industry. He was recently elected as president-elect of the UTA student chapter for the 2013-2014 year. Jorge Lanuza is an excellent student and theatre artist. He currently has a 3.92 GPA in overall coursework at UT Arlington with a 3.891 GPA in Theatre Arts courses. He has been recognized on the Dean’s List. Jorge is recommended by the faculty for this award due to his scholarship, outstanding collaborative spirit, positive attitude, and commendable work ethic.

Lopez, Albert – Philosophy - Excellent student, nominated for many departmental awards.

Mariboho, Rachel – English - She is a very strong student in the English Phd program. She is progressing well on her dissertation, is serving as co-chair of the Graduate English Association, which includes this year organizing the graduate student conference, and has won the mentoring award last year.

McClendon, Letecia – Sociology - She was nominated because she has a high GPA and because she has served as President of the Sociology Student Association. To quote a colleague: “The Sociology Student Association (SSA) has absolutely thrived for the past two years under Letecia’s presidential leadership.”

McCown, Julie – English - Excellence in graduate course work and in independent research: in collaboration with Professor Cedrick May the discovery of a handwritten, unpublished poem written by Jupiter Hammon, who had been identified as the first African American to publish in English in the America

McGinley, Jared – Criminology & Criminal Justice - Deans List during Fall 2010, Spring 2012 and Fall 2012 at UTA; Deans List in Fall 2009 and Spring 2010 at TCC; Member of the Lambda Alpha Epsilon Criminal Justice Society – UTA; Member of the social board during the 2012 Spring Semester; Member of the Phi Delta Theta Fraternity at UTA; Scholarship Chair for new members - Spring 2012 Semester; Currently participating in an internship program with the Mansfield Police Department

Medina, Bianca - English - She is an academically strong student, and has also published two volumes of very imaginative poetry.

Miguel, Cameran - Criminology & Criminal Justice – She is nominated as a result of her leadership of Alpha Phi Sigma, the Criminal Justice Honor Society. She is bright and already vastly knowledgeable about issue specific to Criminology & Criminal Justice

Morgan, Carrie - Philosophy - Hard working & solid student; She is also one of the nominees for this year’s departmental Joel Feinberg Award

Nfodjo, Andrea - Criminology & Criminal Justice - She is a criminal justice major that plans on graduating Summer 2013. She was on the Dean’s list in the Fall 2012 semester and has an overall GPA of 3.338 and a Criminal justice GPA of 3.846. She is currently working full-time for a criminal defense firm, as well as, participating in the CRCJ internship program. She plans on studying for the LSAT and applying to law school after graduation. Ms. Nfodjo is one of the most dedicated students that I have encountered on campus. She is meticulous in her work and is always trying to understand the mechanics of how the criminal justice system in reality. She has a thirst for knowledge. I would like to nominate her for the Convocation for Academic Excellence.

Phillips, Lori – Anthropology - 3.96 GPA; selected by faculty vote

Qawem, Hana – Communication (Advertising) - She is an Advertising-Communication major and is completing her major courses with a cumulative 3.9 G.P.A. and an overall university G.P.A of 3.86. Additionally, she completed her minor coursework with a 3.67 G.P.A. in Business Administration. Ms. Hanan is also a member of the Department of Communication Honor Society. Ms. Hanan is an active member of the advertising sequence and a team leader for our AT&T IMC Campaigns project. The team routinely works directly with many senior officials from the AT&T Corporate Headquarters. The team is preparing a complete advertising marketing communication plan and campus event. Ms. Hunan was also a member of the IMC Case studies team and the American Natural Gas Association campaign project. Ms. Hunan has successfully contributed her applied scholarship to these client driven campaigns. It is my privilege to recommend Ms. Wong for COLA Scholars recognition.

Ramirez, Ana – Modern Languages (Certificate in Spanish Translation) - She has obtained the following academic achievements and recognitions: She was recognized as a Outstanding Junior Student in Spanish by the Department of Modern Languages; She was included in the Dean’s List in Fall 12; She was awarded the Toni Litsey Scholarship for outstanding students in Spanish offered by the Department of Modern Languages; She is among the best three students currently completing the Certificate in Spanish Translation with a grade of A.

Ray, Stephanie – Sociology - We have nominated Stephanie for several reasons. First, she has had a very high GPA as both an undergraduate and graduate student (I believe she has a 4.0 as a graduate student). Stephanie is one of our Fast Track Students. Second, Stephanie served as an EGTA and was very effective in that role. Third, she is conducting interesting research for her thesis project.

Reid, Maris - Linguistics - She was inducted into the Honors College and awarded the Robert D. Riley Honors Scholarship for 2011-2012. She is on the Dean’s list and currently has a GPA of 4.0.

Rodriguez, Rachel – Communication (Communication Technology) - She is one of the top performing students in the communication technology sequence. Her GPA for courses in the Communication Department is 3.92 and her overall GPA is 3.69. The excellence of her academic performance is also evidenced by her appearance on the Dean’s List (four times since Fall 2010) as well as her memberships in the following invitation-only, prestigious honor societies including the Golden Key International Honour Society, the Kappa Tau Alpha Honor Society, and the UTA Communication Honor Society. Additionally, she is a recipient of the four-year UTA Outstanding Freshmen Scholarship.

Ruvalcaba, Angela – Art and Art History (Art Certification) - She has proven to be a fantastic undergraduate student who not only is on the Dean’s List, but also has a strong intellectual capacity, creative commitments and insatiable curiosity. Angela’s work, whether it is writing a paper or creating art, is always to the highest standards. She thinks critically and solves problems in unique and interesting ways. She is consistently and continuously insightful during class discussion bringing a well-rounded perspective to the classroom. Lastly, Ms. Ruvalcaba always maintains a positive attitude while working with all people in the classroom, at the university, and in the community. She is a productive student with many positive qualities and accomplishments. I wholeheartedly and energetically support Ms. Ruvalcaba for the acCOLAdes Academic Excellence Award.

Smart, Katherine - Criminology & Criminal Justice - 4.0 GPA Overall - Dean’s List Award

Snyder, Rachel – Communication (Journalism) - Rachel has received the Murray C. and Nona Poston Journalism scholarship, the Charles Arrendell family scholarship, and the Phillip Lyn Hall Endowed Scholarship from the Department of Communication as well as the Academic Achievement Scholarship for Continuing Students from the University. ; A Dean’s list student since Fall 2010, Rachel has maintained an excellent GPA while participating in multiple extracurricular activities and internships. She has been a reporter and copy editor at the award-winning Shorthorn student newspaper and has served as secretary of the UTA student chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists. She also has interned for State Rep. Diane Patrick and College Lifestyles Magazine. ; Rachel will be inducted into the Kappa Tau Alpha honorary for students in journalism and mass communication at the Department of Communication Convocation this month.

Sours, Josh – Communication (BCMN) - He has demonstrated academic excellence in the Department of Communication with a GPA of 3. 83. Josh has also been an integral part of UTA Radio sports for over a year. He was chosen by the athletic department to host a sports show for their web site. The coaches of the various teams and the sports staff all speak very highly of his work. He will be the next Sports Director for UTA Radio in the fall.

Starr, Alison - Art and Art History (Intermedia) - She received the Ideas In Art award. The piece involved deconstructing and reconstructing plush toys, in order to create a performance costume. For the Ideas In Art Exhibition I wore the costume and interacted with the space both inside and outside of the gallery. At the same time a participatory event was held in my studio where visitors could give a donation for a fur “pelt” (deconstructed plush toy) and/or a photograph. All proceeds were given to Tarrant County Children’s Advocacy organization, located in Arlington. ; I’ve been invited to make work for 500X Performance series, OBJECT, Eastfield Community College’s Temporary Occupants as well as FOOD exhibitions, Bridged a collaboration with MFA students from various local Universities.; One of my strengths is that I work conceptually using various mediums, video, photo, sound, found objects, writing and performance.; Presently I am working on a project, Performance Southwest, with a fellow artist, with the mission of educating the North Texas public about performance art.

Thomas, Madeleine – English - is strong academically and a very engaged student. She is contributing substantially to the university by starting a student feminist society, SAGE.

Thornton, Sarah – History - She was honored by the History Department at UT-Arlington as the Outstanding Undergraduate history major, in an awards ceremony on March 7, 2013. The Undergraduate Merit Award is named in honor of longtime UT-Arlington history professor Kenneth Philp. Sarah compiled a 4.0 GPA at UT-Arlington, while concentrating on legal history and gender studies. She plans to earn a Ph.D. with the same emphasis. Sarah wrote several excellent research papers while an undergraduate, including an outstanding paper titled “Feasting with Panthers: An Assessment of Section 11 of the Criminal Law Amendment Act in London, 1886-1895.”

Vuksanovic, Milena – Political Science - Enhanced Graduate Teaching Assistant (2011-2013); Political Science Honor Roll (2011-12); Political Science Scholar (2012-13); Model NATO11-12)

Vivoni, Annie - Criminology & Criminal Justice - Academic excellence, US Federal Law Enforcement internship, Alpha Phi Sigma National Criminal Justice Honor Society

Whitwright, Kevin – Political Science - Highest GPA among Political Science Juniors (2011-12); Model NATO (2011-12); Outstanding Political Science Paper (2012-13)

Wong, Lucille - Communication (Advertising) - She is an Advertising-Communication major and completed her major courses with a cumulative 3.65 G.P.A. and an overall university G.P.A of 3.62. Additionally, she completed her minor coursework with a 3.63 G.P.A. in Speech-Communication and education certification with a 4.0 G.P.A. Ms. Wong is also a member of the Department of Communication Honor Society.; Ms. Wong was an active member of the advertising sequence and a team leader for our Advertising Campaigns project with the University Faculty Club on campus. The team prepared a complete advertising marketing communication plans and re-design of the physical menu. The UFC ARA marketing team was so impressed with the efforts of Ms. Wong that it resulted in a paid internship; It is my privilege to recommend Ms. Wong for COLA Scholars recognition.

Wooddell, Joseph – Political Science - Enhanced Graduate Teaching Assistant (2011-2013); Political Science Honor Roll (2011-12); Outstanding Paper Award (2011-12); Presented research: The Failure of Science as the Foundation for Political Science: A Study in Self-Referential Incoherence” at the 2012 meeting of the Midwest Political Science Association; Political Science Scholar (2012-13)