UNC Asheville presented academic and leadership awards to students, faculty and staff at a campus ceremony on Thursday, April 19. The 21st annual Academic and Leadership Awards Celebration was sponsored by UNC Asheville’s Division of Student Activities and Integrative Learning.

Campus Leadership Awards: Leader of the Year Awards to Katie Combs and Devin Walsh; Emerging Leader Awards to Andrea Mariategui and Paulina Mendez; Carolyn Briggs Diversity Award to Liam Littrell-Rowland; Community Service Award to Megan Graham; Student Organizations of the Year Awards to Active Students for a Healthy Environment and Students for a Democratic Society; Student Organization President of the Year Award to Lauren Fox of the National Society of Collegiate Scholars; Student Organization Advisor of the Year Award to Mark P. Gibney; and Leadership Committee Special Recognition to Rachel Beach

Art: Leadership and Service Awards to Benamin Crofoot, Dennis Fogg and Hayden Wilson

Atmospheric Science: Department Distinction to Justin (Jake) Crouch, Sarah Davis, Adrian Dozier and Michael Erb; Academic Excellence Award to Justin (Jake) Crouch; Departmental Service Award to Brandon Cromer; Research Excellence Award to Michael Erb; and Research Aptitude Award to Charles (Chip) Helms

Biology: Harry Johnston Awards for Excellence in Biology to Kylie Allen and Davis Tarrer; Bernhardt-Perry Undergraduate Research Awards to Maya Goklany and Anna Huntley

Chemistry: American Chemical Society Western Carolinas Section and Department Award for Outstanding Chemistry Senior to Jay Simmons Jr.; Most Valuable Senior Award to Anna Goldstein; Award for Outstanding Performance in Analytical Chemistry Award to Laura Friederich; Award for Outstanding Performance in General Chemistry to Juliana Duncan; Award for Outstanding Performance in Organic Chemistry to Kyle Messier; Award for Outstanding Performance in Inorganic Chemistry to Daniel Lucas; Awards for Outstanding Performance in Physical Chemistry to Anna Goldstein and Daniel Lucas; Award for Outstanding American Chemical Society Student Affiliate to Alexander Graettinger

Classics: Guy Cooper and Elizabeth Ray Awards to Allyson Blomeley and Daniel Kostin.

Drama: Student Leadership Awards  to Chip Davis, Sarah Forbes, Jessica Short and Matt Fuhs

Economics: Outstanding Performance Award to Alicia Love; Keith and Kevin Davis Research Award: to Hillary Hunter; Morgan Stanley Award for Excellence in Finance to Hillary Hunter; David Reiner Award to Elif Unlu; David Reiner Award to Emily Renfroe; and Dana Zimmerman  Award to John Noor

Education: Academic Awards to Kylie Allen, Kimberly Borden, Allison Cooper, Garvin Deters, Leslie Dickerson, Stephanie Johnston, Leslie Klein, Laura Miller, Erin O'Neal, Bridget Robinson, Melissa Sullivan and Daniel Withrow; Leadership Award to Kathryn Mashburn

Environmental Studies: Audubon Scholarships to Brandi Veltri and Philip Kleisler; Environmental Studies Alumni Scholarship to Rhonda MacKenzie; Environmental Studies Scholarship Roy Legaard Jr.; Friends of the Earth Garden Club Scholarship Kathryn Blanchard-Reid; and Katherine Souris

Foreign Languages: Travis Bradley Book Award in French to Kevin O'Hanlon; AATF Outstanding Senior in French Award to Nicole Udriot; Department Scholarship to Isaac Newsome; Dan Edwards Book Award in German to Mark Deaver; Andrade Scholarship to David Hance; Lawrence Little Book Awards in Spanish to Margaret Paige and Alyssa Hernandez; Ruth Campbell Reynolds Scholarships to Katie Blanchard-Reid, Justin Holt and Caitlin Nelligan

Humanities: Scholarly Achievement Awards to Kylie Allen, Maria Blakeman, Andrew Buddenberg, Jaime Caldwell, Leslie Chapman, Emily Cullen, Carolina Davis, Kathryn Descieux, Krista Dourte, William Farley IV, Laura Friederich, Jenna Gold, Caroline Harkins, Alyssa Moore Hernandez, Elizabeth Holdsworth, Sarah Houdek, Anna McClintock Huntley, Adam Hutchins, Victoria Jones, Francis Kelly, Robert Kennedy, Tod Leaven, Alicia Love, Jana Maxcy, Kari Metcalf, Margaret Paige, Kamala Parker, Glenn Roberts, Julia Robinson, Deborah Signorile, Eric St. Clair, Jaclyn Stacy, Justin Wagner, Mary Welton, Amy White and Lauren Woodard 

Management and Accountancy: Dixon Hughes Award for Academic Excellence in Accounting to Holly Barker; Department Award for Academic Excellence in Management to Jana Maxcy; WCI Inc. Award for Outstanding Internship to William Hager; Department Awards for Outstanding Research Project to Joel Allen and Elizabeth Warren; Awards for Outstanding Service to the Department and Community to Karen Nehnevajsa and Faith Ross; and Robert D. Williams Award in Recognition of Outstanding Leadership, Service and Scholarship to Samantha Childers

Mass Communication: Morton S. Cohn Outstanding Scholar Award to Sarah Giavedoni; Morton S. Cohn Rising Senior Award to Kelly McIntyre; Journalism Excellence Awards for Outstanding Feature Reporting in the Blue Banner to Daniel Hartis, Aaron Dahlstrom and Devon Dow; Journalism Excellence Award for Outstanding Photography in the Blue Banner to Clinton Lathinghouse; Research Award to Kelly McIntyre; and Outstanding Broadcast Video Awards to Rebecca Taylor and Nealy Bernard

Mathematics: Top Student Award to Daniel Robinson; Achievement in Mathematics Award to Kyle Anderson and Sandy Rogers; Joe Parsons Scholarships to Anna Castelaz and Thomas Teravainen; and Martha Game Scholarship to Danny Coleman

Philosophy: Outstanding Student Leader Awards to Joseph Barcia and Amanda Lusky

Physics: Sigma Pi Sigma National Honors Society memberships to Matt Brown, Cacey Peters and Jay Simmons

Political Science: Outstanding Student Research Awards to Peter Haschke and Ann Lancaster; Gene Rainey Service Awards to John Noor and Tim Laughlin; Academic Excellence Awards to Matt Freeze and Devon Helfmeyer; and Chair's Award for Overall Excellence to Julia Robinson

Women's Studies: Awards for Excellence to Deborah Signorile and Jennifer Herget

** Note to Students: you may submit an online request form to have your award announced in your hometown newspaper. Click here for more information.