Distinguished Staff

This award for distinguished staff member was given out at 5:48pm. I just uploaded the picture.
A mediocre picture that I took of Chemayn Gray of International Student Services presenting the award to Eddie Diaz, an HR specialist at AU. Gray said: "He's the man."

6:30pm: Awards ceremony is done

6:10pm That's it. The ceremony moved very quickly. They presented about 25 awards in under an hour.

Now everyone is off to sample the buffet, which features tandoori chicken, vegetarian spring rolls, beef empanadas and barbecue chicken. (Also: cookies and punch).

I'm not sure if it's unethical for me to sample the fare, but as I pay tuition here, and for the sake of fact-finding, I shall sample it.

Edited to add at 6:30pm:

Tandoori chicken is surprisingly decent (although not in the least authentic). There's also a crostini with tomatoes and basil, and that was outstanding.

No comment on the rest of the food. And because Professor Eisman wanted to see a strikethrough, here you go professor Eisman!

6:06pm: Outstanding underclassmen awards

These awards are from freshmen and sophomores. The first winner, Noor Kapoor, was there to accept her award.

The second is presented to Justin Bibb, by Issam Khoury, the resident director at Letts Hall.
Khoury said: "Well the first thing you notice about Bibb is that he's a black man at AU, that’s a good way to start.” That remark got a reaction-- some laughs, some calls of "oooh." Khoury said that Bibb had distinguished himself by being a true gentleman and starting his own non-profit.

He presents the award to Bibb. Photographer Jeff Watts pipes in "You should think of a career in modeling." Bibb is certainly statuesque, so the remark is merited.

6:01pm: Joyprada Swain

"Man that catering staff is ready to go!" said Chad Kee, the program coordinator at Multicultural Affairs. The audience laughs in relief. At least the smoke wasn't a fire.

He's there to present an award to Joyprada Swain, an undergraduate student who served as a mentor in the Multicultural affairs mentorship program.

Kee says that one former mentee called her "the most incredible peer mentor ever." Awws and cheers from the crowd.

more picture taking.

6pm: Is Mishri's Laptop on Fire?

I smell smoke.
So does everyone else.
The woman behind me thinks it's my laptop. I'm mortified, so I just unplugged it. Turns out, it was the catering staff who turned on a pilot light, to heat the food. I'm relieved. The live-blogger should never draw attention to herself by starting a fire.

5:50pm: Distinguished professor

Keith Leonard, a literature professor, won this award. Leonard teaches African-American literature, and is also actively involved in campus activities, according to Tiffany Sanchez, Director of New Student Programs.

Sanchez said that she appreciated Leonard because, among other things, he made sure to thank Sanchez for her work. "So this is my chance to say I appreciate you, Keith," Sanche said, before presenting the award to Leonard.

5:46pm: Distinguished Alumna

Fanta Aw said that she nominated Bernadine Karunaratne because "the notion of first is always her case."

Karunaratne, a partner at the Gallup organiation, is:

• The First woman partner in her group
• First woman of color
• First foreign national.
  

Aw also added, to laughter and cheers: "I want to thank her husband and parents for letting us share her!”

5:43pm: Scholar-Athelete Award

Rick Treter, Director of Resident Life nominated Christina Wright, a public comm major and a track athelete.

"My apologies.. they institute the 2 min warning for me" he said, waving his two page speech. (The nominators were limited to a 3 minute speech. )

Treter said: "When Christina first started AU, she hated it, as many of us did," Treter said to laughter. " Instead of letting that hold her back, it fueled her fire," Treter said.

5;30PM: Striving for Excellence Award

This award is given to students involved in raising cultural awareness.

Assen Assenov, who manages the Social Science research lab nominated Vassia Gueorgueiva, a PhD student in Public Administration.

He said that Assenov was good at bringign together Getting east European students, Bulgarian and Balkan students together. Creating friends and communities.

"She'll carry award with dignity and give extra value to the award.”

5:22pm Student Leadership awards

Manan Shah and Anisa Ismail won the leadership awards.


Manan Shah isn't there to collect his award. Honors Director Michael Mass is accepting it on his behalf.

Mass: "He’s ‘Mr Volunteerism’ he has done everything,” Mass says. "When I asked him 'How was your weekend', he said he was mulching at the FDR memorial.”

Ismail is Malaysian, and participated in several international student leadership activities. Senem Bakar, Assistant Director of International Student Services, said that she nominated Ismail because she showed grace under pressure.

After her speech, Bakar looked around and said "where's the award?" The audience laughed. Then one of the other organizers gave Bakar the award-- a a hardbound cover with a certificate inside. She and Ismail posed for pictures. Should note that university photographer Jeff Watts is taking pictures of every winner.

5:17pm: Academic Excellence, Graduate students

The graduate students are Jean Accius, a PhD in Public Administration and Saltanat Liebert of SPA won the graduate awards.

Liebert is from Kyrghstan. Liebert is headed to Virginia Commonwealth University.
"A tenure track position," said professor Christine Chin, who nominated her.

5:13pm: Academic Excellence awards, Undergraduate

The awards started at 5:10pm, ten minutes behind schedule.

Fanta Aw, the Director of International Student and Scholar Services, is hosting the ceremony. Aw explained to students how they have to pose in front of the AU banner along with the person who nominated them.

The original plan was to give the graduate excellence awards first, and then to the undergraduates. But the graduate students haven't showed up yet, so the undergraduate awards are being given out first.

The two undergraduates are Sergio Garcideuenas-Sease and Joshua Su-Ya Wu.

Anne Kaiser, academic counselor from SPA who nominated Wu, said "he sounds like he's from New Jersey but he's from Taiwan." Kaiser said she'd followed Wu's work throughout. Wu has participated in several research conferences and won the honors capstone conference.

5PM: Welcome to the Multicultural Affairs Award

This is the 21st annual awards. The awards are more like the Nobel prize than the Oscars in that the winners were announced ahead of time (see the previous entry). This ceremony is an opportunity for the persons who nominated the winners to give a brief speech on the winner and why they nominated them.

People nominated students and faculty members by using a nomination form (look at links in sidebar for the form).

So far, the room is full… I see about 60 chairs, and nearly all are full. I see some people standing in the back.

Awardees list announced

The university has already announced the winners. Here they are:

The university has already announced the winners. Here they are:

ACADEMIC

• Graduate – Jean Accius
• Graduate – Saltanat Liebert
• Undergraduate – Sergio Garcidueñas-Sease
• Undergraduate – Joshua Su-Yu Wu

SCHOLAR-ATHLETE

• Christina Wright
• Andre Ingram

LEADERSHIP

• Undergraduate – Anisa Ismail
• Undergraduate – Manan Shah
• Graduate – Davina Minnix

TRAILBLAZER

• Daniel Rogers
• Efrat Dvir

SOARING EAGLE

• Graduate – Grisella Martinez
• Ebony Duncan

STRIVING FOR EXCELLENCE

• Vassia Gueorgiuieva LLM (ILSP)

OUTSTANDING SOPHOMORE

• Noor Kapoor
• Justin Bibb

IDEAS INTO ACTION

• Sunny Shin

SPECIAL RECOGNITION

• Tenzing Lahdon
• Nadia Trowers

DISTINGUISHED STAFF

• Eddie Diaz

DISTINGUISHED FACULTY

• Keith Leonard

ALUMNA

• Bernadine Karutan