Best and brightest students honored

Several exceptional students from the College of Engineering and Science were honored in April at the annual Honors and Awards ceremony in the Madren Conference Center ballroom.

The awards were aimed at honoring the college’s best and brightest students. Many are engaged in service projects that are improving the quality of life not only for themselves and their families, but also for others around the world.

Jens Oberheide, a physics professor and the chairman of the Honors and Awards Committee, presided over the ceremony.

A listing of the awards and their winners are below, followed by a list of members of the Honors and Awards Committee.

 

COLLEGE AWARDS

SAMUEL B. EARLE AWARD

Dr. Samuel B. Earle was director of the Engineering Department from 1911 to 1933 and dean of the School of Engineering from 1933 to 1950. The Samuel B. Earle Award is given in his honor to the most outstanding senior in engineering on the basis of scholarship and character. The recipient receives a medal and a cash award.

Cassidy Laird

Fleming Island, Florida

Biosystems Engineering

OUTSTANDING SENIOR AWARD IN THE SCIENCES

This award is given to the outstanding senior in the sciences or textiles on the basis of scholarship and character. The recipient receives a certificate and a cash award.

Emily Thompson

Rochester, New York

Physics and Astronomy

ROBERT W. MOORMAN AWARD

Dr. Robert W. Moorman was the son of Commandant Thomas Moorman, a graduate in Civil Engineering and Head of the Engineering Mechanics Department from 1958 to 1974. The Robert W. Moorman Award is given in his honor to the most outstanding junior in engineering on the basis of scholarship and character. The recipient receives a handbook, a certificate, and a cash award.

Sarah Donaher

Mint Hill, North Carolina

Environmental Engineering

OUTSTANDING JUNIOR AWARD IN THE SCIENCES

This award is given to the outstanding junior in the sciences or textiles on the basis of scholarship and character. The recipient receives a certificate and a cash award.

Gary Vestal

Kingsport, Tennessee

Physics and Astronomy

WESLEY DAVIS LEADERSHIP AWARD

The J. Wesley Davis Leadership Award is given in memory of Dr. J. Wesley Davis, a graduate of Clemson University in electrical engineering and a former president of the Clemson University Engineering Foundation. This award is given to a senior engineering student for outstanding scholarship, leadership in a student engineering organization, and high potential for success in the engineering profession. The recipient receives a medallion and a cash award.

Shannon Kay

Gastonia, North Carolina

Industrial Engineering

PHI KAPPA PHI CERTIFICATE OF MERIT

Each college is invited to select four students to receive this award. The student must be a graduating senior with a GPA of 3.4 or above and have made noteworthy contributions in areas such as leadership, service, and creative endeavors to his or her department, college, and Clemson University. The recipient receives a framed certificate.

Meredith Clemmens

Aiken, South Carolina

Industrial engineering

BLUE KEY ACADEMIC & LEADERSHIP AWARD

As a result of funds generated from Tigerama, an endowment has been established to give an award to one student in each of the five colleges at the university who has distinguished himself or herself in academic scholarship and campus leadership. The recipient receives a certificate and a cash award.

Sarah Stafford

Clemson, South Carolina

Bioengineering

OUTSTANDING GRADUATE RESEARCHER AWARD

The Outstanding Graduate Researcher Award is given to two graduate researchers who have been recognized by faculty for having conducted outstanding research during the school year. The recipients each receive a certificate and a cash award.

Xinyu Lu

Central, South Carolina

Mechanical Engineering

 

Girish Sharma

Clemson, SC

Physics and Astronomy

OUTSTANDING GRADUATE TEACHING ASSISTANT AWARD

The Outstanding Graduate Teaching Assistant Award is given to two graduate assistants who have been recognized by the faculty, students, and fellow graduate teaching assistants as exemplary in undergraduate teaching. The recipients each receive a certificate and a cash award.

Dhruva Kulkarni

Central, South Carolina

Physics and Astronomy

Robert Emmett

Clemson, South Carolina

Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering

The Robert B. (’70) and Susan B. Hambright Annual

Leadership Program in Engineering

The Robert B. (’70) and Susan B. Hambright Annual Leadership Program in Engineering is being established by Mr. Robert Benjamin Hambright, Class of 1970, and Mrs. Susan Bindseil Hambright. The mission of this merit-based leadership program is to create awareness of the power and impact that can be achieved through leadership. It is the donors’ desire that students who benefit from this program demonstrate leadership qualities in the areas of learning agility, humility, strong character, and demonstrated leadership characteristics in academic areas, student organizations, and community activities. The annual program awards $4,000 to eligible junior and senior engineering students to attend leadership conferences and programs (at Clemson and at other institutions) that encourage accelerated leadership development and awareness for the candidate(s), of which $3,000 will be used to fund leadership related activities and $1,000 will serve as a merit award.

Elizabeth Zanin

Charleston, South Carolina

Biosystems Engineering

 

DEPARTMENT AWARDS

Automotive Engineering

M.S. Student of the Year

Vasileios Bardis

Greenville, South Carolina

BoschFellow

Lauren Mims

Greenville, South Carolina

BIOENGINEERING

THE POLY-MED OUTSTANDING SENIOR AWARD IN BIOENGINEERING

This award, established in 2009, is made annually to a promising graduating senior in the Department of Bioengineering. It places primary emphasis on scholarship and creativity, with additional emphasis on professional and extracurricular activities. The student’s name will be engraved on a permanent plaque in Rhodes Engineering Research Center.

Megan Skelly

West Chester, Ohio

CHEMICAL & BIOMOLECULAR ENGINEERING

WESTERN SOUTH CAROLINA SECTION AIChE SCHOLASTIC ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

This award is presented by the regional section of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers to the graduating senior in the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering with the highest scholastic average.

Allen Payne

Irmo, South Carolina

CHEMISTRY

MARK BERNHARD PRIZE IN CHEMISTRY

This award is given to an outstanding chemistry major with high scholastic rating and outstanding qualities of character and leadership. The award consists of a medallion and a cash gift.

Garret Gotthelf

Mountain Lakes, New Jersey

CIVIL ENGINEERING

HERBERT W. BUSCHING OUTSTANDING JUNIOR AWARD

These awards are given to the outstanding students in the junior and senior class as determined by the faculty of the Glenn Department of Civil Engineering. The awards memorialize Dr. Herbert W. Busching, who taught for many years in the department and also served as department chair.

Aaron Gordon

Bethesda, Maryland

SCHOOL OF COMPUTING

OUTSTANDING Ph.D. STUDENT IN HUMAN-CENTERED COMPUTING

Tania Roy

Clemson, South Carolina

ELECTRICAL & COMPUTER ENGINEERING

M. RIGGS AWARD

ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING

This award is given to the most outstanding senior in electrical engineering. Recipients are chosen based on their outstanding academic achievement, character, and leadership.

Jonathan Oakley

Woodruff, South Carolina

RHODES MOST OUTSTANDING SENIOR AWARD

COMPUTER ENGINEERING

This award is given to the most outstanding senior in computer engineering. Recipients are chosen based on their outstanding academic achievement, character, and leadership.

Patrick Dynes

Goose Creek, South Carolina

ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING & EARTH SCIENCES

THOMAS M. KEINATH ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING AWARD

This award is presented to a student majoring in environmental engineering with outstanding achievements in the discipline and possessing personal attributes necessary for success as an environmental engineer.  The award is given in honor of Dr. Thomas M. Keinath, who served as a faculty member, department chair, and dean of the College of Engineering and Science during his 37-year career at Clemson University. Each award is $500.

Jacob Tracy

Cincinnati, Ohio

THOMAS F. LOGAN, JR. GEOLOGY MERIT AWARD

This award is presented to a senior majoring in geology with outstanding achievements in the discipline and possessing personal attributes necessary for success as a geologist. The award is given by the geology faculty in memory of Thomas F. Logan, Jr., a 1965 geology graduate of Clemson University.

Merritt Earle

Greenville, South Carolina

GEORGE B. NUTT (SENIOR) AWARD

Biosystems

Presented to a senior student majoring in biosystems engineering with outstanding achievements and possessing personal attributes necessary for successful accomplishments in this discipline. The award is given in honor of Dr. George B. Nutt, the first chair of the Department of Agricultural Engineering at Clemson, who served from 1932 to 1955.

William Davis

Greenville, South Carolina

INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERING

JIM CHISMAN OUTSTANDING SENIOR AWARD

Recipients of this award are selected for their “all-around” excellence. The award winners are selected by a faculty committee.

Shannon Devlin

Clemson, South Carolina

SCHOOL OF MATERIALS SCIENCE & ENGINEERING

The Hugh Wilson Award

Hugh Wilson was a highly respected Professor in Ceramic Engineering. He taught here from 1954 until his death in 1980. Dr. Wilson was a skilled experimentalist and held students with strong experimental skills in high esteem. The first award was presented to Worth Henley in 1981 and has since been given annually. The awardee is selected by the faculty and is awarded to the most outstanding senior experimentalist.

Nathaniel Huygen

Greer, South Carolina

MATHEMATICAL SCIENCES

SAMUEL MANER MARTIN AWARD

This award is the highest departmental award, given to the outstanding graduating senior in the Department of Mathematical Sciences, based on overall achievements in the study of mathematical sciences. The award consists of a certificate and a check.

Sarah Hicklin

Rock Hill, South Carolina

MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

EASTMAN CHEMICAL AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE

The purpose of the Eastman Chemical fund is to provide awards to outstanding students, faculty, and staff of the Department of Mechanical Engineering. A $1,000 award is provided.

James Noel

Greer, South Carolina

PHYSICS & ASTRONOMY

Samantha Erin Cawthorne ’10 Annual Award

The Samantha Erin Cawthorne ’10 Annual Award provides student awards to outstanding Physics and Astronomy students in the College of  Engineering and Science.

Jaclyn Schmitt

Greer, South Carolina

 

2015–2016 HONORS & AWARDS COMMITTEE

Automotive Engineering

Robert Prucka

Bioengineering

Dan Simionescu

Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering

Doug Hirt

Chemistry

Sean O’Connor

Civil Engineering

Ronnie Chowdhury

School of Computing

Wayne Goddard

Electrical & Computer Engineering

Carl Baum

Engineering and Science Education

Cindy Lee

Environmental Engineering & Earth Sciences

Biosystems

Tom Owino

Industrial Engineering

David Neyens

Materials Science & Engineering

Gary Lickfield

Mathematical Sciences

Neil Calkin

Mechanical Engineering

Richard Miller

Physics & Astronomy

Jens Oberheide

Committee Chair

Dean’s Office

Melody Huitt

Ron Grant