University Honors and Awards Program Recognizes Outstanding Students, Faculty and Staff

Each year the University of Kentucky pauses to recognize the achievements of its students at the annual University Honors and Recognition Awards Program. Hosted in the Frank H. Harris Grand Ballroom in the Student Center, students were recognized with university-wide awards at a ceremony Monday, April 14. The ceremony boasted several of the university's brightest and hardest working students. Dean of Students Victor Hazard shared his praise and thanks to these outstanding young adults and offered them his advice for their futures moving forward. The evening culminated with the awarding of the Otis A. Singletary Outstanding Senior Award. Given to a senior man and woman, this award, named after the former UK president, was established in 1978 and was the first award recognizing overall student leadership at UK. Students nominated for this award have shown outstanding leadership while attending the University of Kentucky, made significant contributions to academics and are dedicated to service through campus and community involvement. The 2014 Outstanding Senior Male Award was given to Alex Wade, a Lexington native majoring in agricultural biotechnology and who will be attending UK College of Medicine in the fall. Wade served as the 2013-14 DanceBlue family relations chair after serving on the Family Relations Committee for two years. Wade was also president of his fraternity, Sigma Chi, was president of Wrap Up America - UK Chapter, and was named the 2013 Homecoming king. Drew Ritzel, a finalist for the Outstanding Senior Male Award, is from Bellbrook, Ohio. Ritzel is a biology and Spanish pre-med major who serves as the executive director of the Center for Community Outreach. He has also served as the director of Alternative Service Breaks in the CCO for two years. Ritzel is active in many student organizations. The 2014 Outstanding Senior Female Award was given to Lindsay Steller, from Fort Thomas, Ky. Steller serves as the editor of the K Book, the new student guide to campus, as a UK 101 peer instructor and was president of her sorority, Kappa Kappa Gamma. She is an active member of the DanceBlue Morale Committee and Wrap Up America - UK Chapter. The Spanish major will begin her professional career this fall serving as a leadership consultant for Kappa Kappa Gamma Fraternity. Claci Ayers, a finalist for the Outstanding Senior Female Award, is from Bowling Green, Ky., and is majoring in agricultural biotechnology. She was the 2013-14 DanceBlue overall chair and is an active member of her sorority, Alpha Delta Pi. She was named the 2013 Homecoming queen and will attend UK's College of Medicine in the fall. Major fellowships were also awarded at the recognition ceremony. Given by The Graduate School and UK Athletics, UK awards both the Otis A. Singletary Fellowship and Charles Wethington Fellowship. The quasi-endowment fund in memory of Otis A. Singletary provides a fellowship of $12,000 to be awarded annually to a UK graduating senior who plans to continue in one of the university’s graduate or professional programs. The fellowship is awarded for a first year of graduate or professional study at UK and is not renewable for subsequent years. The Otis A. Singletary Fellowship recipient this year was Cyrus Hettle. The Charles T. Wethington Jr. Fellowship, named in honor of the former UK president, is awarded annually for graduate or professional study and was presented to Adam Carrico. The $20,000 fellowship is awarded to a UK graduating senior who plans to continue in one of UK's graduate or professional programs. The fellowship is awarded for a first year of graduate or professional study and is not renewable for subsequent years. Preference is given to Kentucky residents who are first-generation college students. Since 1929, the University of Kentucky is one of several southern schools to present the Sullivan Medallion Award. The award was named after Algernon Sydney Sullivan, a southern businessman who became successful as a lawyer and philanthropist in New York in the late nineteenth century. Sponsored by the Algernon Sydney Sullivan Foundation, the award recognizes faculty, staff or students who exhibit Sullivan’s ideals and character. Debra Hensley received the Citizen Sullivan Medallion Award. Katharine Skarvan received the Senior Woman Sullivan Medallion Award, and Drew Ritzel received the Senior Man Sullivan Medallion Award. Three students were awarded the Shane Carlin and Annie Sit Inclusion Award. The Shane Carlin and Annie Sit Inclusion Award recognizes the achievements of students that have made strides in assisting to move our campus forward. Carlin is a 1995 graduate of the University of Kentucky and has been a student affairs professional since that time. While at UK, Carlin was involved in many student organizations. He and his wife want to celebrate and appreciate students who strive to make the University of Kentucky more inclusive. The Carlins developed this award to recognize students who work in social justice, diversity and inclusion in the most impacting and discerning manner, which transcends race. This year’s awardee was Jasmine Pulce. The Spirit of King Award presented by the Martin Luther King Center honors undergraduate students at UK who demonstrate fellowship, scholarship and service. The recipient is a student who is not only committed to academics, but one who also shows exemplary behavior for their community and peers. This year’s award was presented to Llord Brooks. UK's Student Development Council (SDC) annually awards scholarships to deserving students. Joseph P. Kennedy, owner of Kennedy’s Book Store, helped create the fund from which SDC makes these scholarship awards. The group paid tribute to Joseph P. Kennedy for his continuing support by renaming the Student Development Council Scholarship Fund the Joseph P. Kennedy Student Development Council Scholarship Fund in the summer of 2002. The 10 recipients of this award were Raevti Bole, Andrew Parks, Sibi Rajendran, Forrest Miller, Lee Foster, Corinna Hughes, Matthew Fahrbach, Alex Wade, Jacob Sword and Lauren Hatfield. UK's Student Government Association recognized five students and a staff member. Allison Ferguson received the Association Constitutional Scholarship. Allyson Lough received the Academic Excellence Scholarship. Alex Wade was awarded the Lyman T. Johnson Odyssey Award, bestowed each academic year on a student who has, by their actions, exemplified a high degree of personal integrity and a commitment to the betterment of the community or campus. Wade received a $1,500 academic stipend in both the fall and spring semesters of the following academic year. The award is in honor of Lyman T. Johnson, the first African-American student to be admitted to the University of Kentucky. Kaitlyne Motl received the Graduate Scholarship Award. Eriauna Stratton and Heather Wagoner were each awarded a Robert G. Zumwinkle Student Rights Award. The Zumwinkle Student Rights Award is bestowed on students, faculty and staff members who have done the most to promote and protect student rights on campus during each academic year. A $300 gift accompanies this award. The award is in honor of Robert Zumwinkle, former vice chancellor of Student Affairs. The Honors Program bestowed two awards. Drake Jackson received the Raymond Betts Crystal Award for Service. This was first awarded in 1986 and is for outstanding service to the Honors Program and the University community at large. Sarah Hayden received the Diachun Award. The Stephen Diachun Award, named after the first director of the Honors Program, has been presented since 1982 to a graduating senior who has “demonstrated outstanding research talent in the form of his/her Independent Project and who holds high promise for further professional development in graduate school.” The Diachun Award comes in the form of a check for $1,000 to be used for expenses in graduate or professional school. The Maurice A. Clay Award is sponsored by the UK Chapter of Omicron Delta Kappa and is presented to graduating seniors based on leadership. The 10 awardees this year were Kyle Smith, Connor Appleman, Emily Ralenkotter, Anthony Carney, Cassie Cox, Mel Simon, Kellie Owen, Jessica Griffitt, Nicole Brown and Paxton Roberts. The Viji Jeganathan Award for Cross-Cultural Understanding presented by the International Center was presented to Yasuka Miura. UK's Greek community honored their highest achieving chapters and leaders. The highest academic achievement awards were handed out for fraternities, sororities and UK's historically African-American fraternities and sororities. Beta Theta Pi received the Highest Academic Achievement Interfraternity Council Award. Chi Omega received the Highest Academic Achievement Panhellenic Council Award. Alpha Phi Alpha received the Highest Academic Achievement National Pan-Hellenic Award. Roshan Palli, a member of Delta Sigma Phi, won the Outstanding Greek Man Award. Claci Ayers, a member of Alpha Delta Pi, won the Outstanding Greek Woman Award. The Division of Student Affairs and Office of Student Involvement honored students and staff. Dr. Todd Cheever was named Student Organization Advisor of the Year. Three outstanding members of our community received the Robert and Freda Carlin Unsung Hero Award presented by Student Affairs. The awardees were Karen Doyle, Robert Cardom and Elena Shulgina. The award honors quiet leaders without whose contributions UK would not be the institution that it is today. 2014 marks the 23rd year the University of Kentucky recognizes the outstanding volunteer service achievements of Darrell A. VanMeter, through the presentation of an undergraduate award named in his honor. VanMeter, a sophomore at the time of his death in 1991, was recognized by the university community and his home community for his positive contributions and his dedication to serving others. The impact of his "good samaritan" approach to helping others was apparent to faculty, staff and students alike. This year’s winner is Drew Ritzel. The Office of Residence Life honored several of their student staff. The Robert A. Clay Scholarship was awarded to Claire Crawford and Alexa Pettyman. The Robert A. Clay Scholarship is named for a former director of Residence Life and recognizes resident advisors who have outstanding job performance and have shown evidence of financial need with a $1,000 scholarship. Allyson Lough, Keisha Dawson and Caroline Davis were named recipients of the Rosemary Pond Leadership Award. The award is named for a former dean of students at UK for over 20 years. The award recognizes residence hall staff and hall government members who have consistently demonstrated exceptional leadership and have made significant contributions to the Office of Residence Life, particularly in the areas of programming, advising, student development or departmental operations. Duke Pettit II and Morgan Jasko were awarded the Carol S. Adelstein Outstanding Student Award. The award, given by the Disability Resource Center, was first presented in 1984 and is annually presented to the student with a disability who best serves as an inspiration to the UK community through excellence in any or all of the following: academics, leadership, extracurricular activities and social and personal qualities. It is named for Carol Adelstein who was a successful person with a disability and wife of a UK professor. The University of Kentucky is proud of the accomplishments of all their outstanding students. MEDIA CONTACT: Katy Bennett, katy.bennett@uky.edu, 859-257-1909