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April 28, 2010

Marmian Grimes

Marmian Grimes
907-474-7902
4/28/10

More than six-dozen students were honored at ������’ annual student awards breakfast Saturday in the Wood Center Carol Brown Ballroom.

Each spring, ������ honors students who have distinguished themselves throughout their academic careers.

Among those honored were the winners of the Marion Frances Boswell Memorial Award, the Gray S. Tilly Memorial Award and the Joel Wiegert Award. The awards recognize the accomplishments of three top graduating seniors each year.

After earning 177 credits in four years, Christina Hardman graduates this spring with a bachelor’s degree in music education. She is this year’s winner of the Marion Frances Boswell Memorial Award. Hardman came to ������ as a UA Scholar. She was named Music Student of the Year for the 2008-2009 academic year and serves as the Northwest Division student representative for the Collegiate Music Educators National Conference. Along with almost constant schoolwork and involvement in more than five performing groups, Hardman also teaches Sunday school and is the organist for her church. “All of the faculty members in the music department are proud of Christina and are looking forward to her career as a music educator,” said Jun Watabe, assistant professor of woodwinds. “Communities in Fairbanks and Alaska will be delighted to have her work with our children.”

Each year a nontraditional student is presented with the Gary S. Tilly Memorial Award. The 2010 award goes to Barbara Blake, who first entered a University of Alaska classroom in 2001. At age 21, she had to leave school to run her family’s building supply business. In the past nine years, Blake has been called away from school repeatedly due to family and business responsibilities. During that time, she has always forwarded her education and will receive two degrees at this year’s commencement ceremony: a bachelor’s degree in rural development and an associate degree in tribal management. Blake has worked as an intern in the federal Department of Agriculture and currently is involved in rural affairs at the state level as an intern for Sen. Albert Kookesh. Not content simply to advance her own self and career, Blake has also worked as a peer advisor to students with Rural Student Services and the Alaska Native Science and Engineering Program. “I am on the road to making a better life for me, my family and my people,” Blake said.

This year’s winner of the Joel Wiegert Award is Alaska Nanooks hockey player and School of Management standout Dion Knelsen. During his time at ������, Knelsen has amassed a heap of hockey awards while at the same time staying on top of the GPA stack. Knelsen graduates with a bachelor’s degree in business administration, as well as being awarded a coveted spot on the 2010 Lowe’s All-Senior All-American First Team, a first for ������’s hockey program. On the ice, Knelsen has been the Alaska Nanooks’ top scorer for three consecutive seasons. He has been on constant on the ������ chancellor’s list throughout his ������ career. Knelsen also spends time off campus, where he volunteers at a local horse farm and helps the physically challenged learn to ride. “Dion is a responsible, conscientious, engaging young man who serves as a great role model to his classmates, the ������ community, and the citizens of Fairbanks,” said professor Jacob Joseph.

Following is a list of student award winners from throughout ������:

College of Engineering and Mines


Dustin Molle, civil and environmental engineering; Tim Theurer, electrical and computer engineering; Kyle Obermiller, geological engineering; Aurelia Korthauer, mechanical engineering; John King, mining engineering; Joseph Patz, petroleum engineering.

College of Natural Science & Mathematics 

Kyoko Okano, biological sciences; Bronwyn Lee Harrod, chemistry and biochemistry; James W. Halliday III, computer science; Laurel Gangloff, general science; Angelica Floyd, geology; Catherine Atkinson, mathematics; Brita Irving, physics; Deven Barnett, statistics; James Smith, wildlife biology.

College of Rural and Community Development

Monica Thomas, allied health rural; Heidi Lynn Steinberg, Bristol Bay Campus; Lindsey Wells, Chukchi Campus; Lina Motawe, developmental education; Rebecca Schuerch, human services rural; Darrel Alfred Felix, construction trades technology; Deborah S. Webb, educator paraprofessional; Kathleen Sam, rural human services; Barbara Blake, tribal management/rural development; Nikki Pollock, Kuskokwim Campus; Lisa Haugen, northwest campus.

School of Education

Jennifer V. Ruis, elementary education.



School of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences
Matthew Catterson, fisheries.

School of Management
Abigail Scannell, accounting; Dion Knelsen, business administration; Camilla Kennedy, economics.

School of Natural Resources & Agricultural Sciences
Cassie Wohlgemuth, forest sciences; Matthew Balazs, geography; Taylor Beard, high latitude agriculture; Charles Caster, resources management.

Tanana Valley Campus
Desiree Lee, allied health dental hygiene; Nicole Willey, allied health medical assisting; Suzanne Wolf-Sedberry, applied accounting; Brandon Stauner, applied business; Adam Fogelman, auto technology; David Unruh, aviation airframe and powerplant; Lisa Fidino, child development and family studies BA; Steven C. Baskin, construction management/drafting technology; Travis Fricks-Culbreath, culinary arts; Chelsea Kowallis, early childhood education; Matthew Hall, fire science; Alexis Hills, human service technology; Tyler Toth Jr., information technology specialist; Edward Paxson, instrumentation; Brenda Shilanski, paralegal studies; Nicholas Wood, paramedic program; Alton Pendergrass, power generation; Matthew Varga, process technology; Adam Rushing, safety, health and environmental awareness.

College of Liberal Arts
Juliana Springer, Alaska Native languages; Robert Bowman, anthropology; Sakura Koretsune, art; Elizabeth Rossi, communication; Jasmine A. Johnson-Kennedy, English; Michael Farrell, foreign languages; Kerry Lawrence , history; Molly Dischner, journalism; Ingrid Johnson, justice; Jeremy L. Wegner, linguistics; Emerson Eads, music; Heather Sinclair, northern studies; Simon Suchland, philosophy; Stephanie Johnson, political science; Anthony Aponte, psychology; Rosalie Stockwell-White, social work; Nanae Ito , sociology; Katherine Sousa, theatre; Sean D'Alessio, women's studies.

NOTE TO EDITORS: If a student or department is not listed, it may be that the outstanding student for that department has a confidential hold on his or her academic record.

MLG/4-28-10/212-10