Students, Faculty and Staff Honored with 2020 One University Awards

Syracuse University announces its 2020 One University Awards, honoring members of the University community for their scholarship, teaching, academic achievement, leadership and service.
The annual ceremony was scheduled to take place on April 17 in Hendricks Chapel, but was canceled due to COVID-19 guidelines.
This year鈥檚 awards include the Chancellor鈥檚 Citations for Excellence, 50 Years of Service Awards, Annual Milestone Years of Service Recognition, the Teaching Recognition Award, the Teaching Recognition Continuing Excellence Award, the Chancellor鈥檚 Award for Public Engagement and Scholarship and the Student-Athlete Award. All award winners will receive their recognitions by mail in the coming weeks.
Other honorees include the University Scholars, Remembrance and Lockerbie Scholars, Senior Class and School and College marshals, new emeriti faculty and faculty completing Meredith Professorships.
鈥淭he students, faculty and staff we are honoring through the One University Awards have made notable and exceptional contributions to the mission of Syracuse University and to our global community,鈥 says Chancellor Kent Syverud. 鈥淭hrough scholarship or research, teaching or service, their lasting contributions serve as examples of the best aspects of our University and its Orange values.鈥
Chancellor鈥檚 Citation Awards
These awards are given in recognition of outstanding achievement in teaching, scholarship and creative work. This year, Chancellor鈥檚 Citations are presented in four categories: Excellence in Student Research; Outstanding Contributions to the Student Experience and University Initiatives; Faculty Excellence and Scholarly Distinction; and a Lifetime Achievement Award.
The award recipients are:
Chancellor鈥檚 Citation for Excellence in Student Research
Undergraduate Awards
- Matthew Ambalavanar 鈥20, a biology major in the College of Arts and Sciences
- Naiya Campbell 鈥20, a communication and rhetorical studies major in the College of Visual and Performing Arts
- Tatiana Hernandez-Mitchell 鈥20, a psychology and forensic science major in the College of Arts and Sciences
- Megan Hu 鈥20, a marketing management major in the Whitman School of Management
- Julia Riley 鈥20, a biochemistry and neuroscience major in the College of Arts and Sciences
Graduate Awards
- Adrienne Atterberry, a doctoral student in sociology in the Maxwell School
- Emily Judd G鈥20, a graduate student majoring in Earth sciences in the College of Arts and Sciences
Chancellor鈥檚 Citation for Outstanding Contributions to the Student Experience and University Initiatives
- Rebecca Kelly, assistant professor of communications design in the College of Visual and Performing Arts (faculty)
- Kalpana Srinivas, interim executive director for student success in the Division of Enrollment and the Student Experience (staff)
Chancellor鈥檚 Citation for Faculty Excellence and Scholarly Distinction
- Robert Doyle, professor of chemistry and Meredith Professor for Teaching Excellence in the College of Arts and Sciences
Chancellor鈥檚 Citation Lifetime Achievement Award
- Charles T. Driscoll Jr., University Professor of environmental systems engineering, College of Engineering and Computer Science
50 Years of Service to Syracuse University
- William Coplin, professor and chair of the Department of Public Affairs in the College of Arts and Sciences and the Maxwell School
- Geraldine Williams, staff member in Food Services
Annual Milestone Years of Service Recognition
Members of the Syracuse University community are recognized for achieving Years of Service milestones in academic year 2019-20. View the full list of this year’s honorees.
Teaching Recognition Awards
The Teaching Recognition Award is sponsored by the Meredith Professors to benefit non-tenured faculty members. It recognizes excellence in teaching and fosters a culture of collegial mentoring among faculty members. The recipients are:
- Walter Freeman, assistant teaching professor of physics in the College of Arts and Sciences
- Juliet Golden, director of Syracuse Abroad鈥檚 Central Europe program
- Fatma Sonmez-Leopold, assistant teaching professor of finance, Whitman School of Management
- Shannon Sweeney, assistant teaching professor of psychology in the College of Arts and Sciences
- Pun To (Douglas) Yung, assistant teaching professor of biomedical and chemical engineering in the College of Engineering and Computer Science
- Jennifer Grygiel, assistant professor of communications in the Newhouse School
- Teng Zeng, assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering in the College of Engineering and Computer Science
Teaching Recognition Award for Continuing Excellence
- Jonna Gilfus, assistant teaching professor of writing studies, rhetoric and composition in the College of Arts and Sciences
- Robert Nassau, teaching professor in the College of Law
Chancellor鈥檚 Award for Public Engagement and Scholarship
This award recognizes graduate and undergraduate students who have significantly contributed to their communities through innovative public scholarship and community engagement. The recipients are:
Undergraduate Award
- Brianna Howard 鈥20, a public health major in the Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics
Graduate Award
- Breanna LeCompte, a graduate student majoring in higher education in the School of Education
Student-Athlete Award
This award is given to the male and female senior student-athlete with the highest overall career grade point average. The recipients are:
- Amanda B盲ckebo 鈥20, a communications and rhetorical studies major in the College of Visual and Performing Arts and a member of the women鈥檚 ice hockey team
- Jamie Trimboli 鈥20, a biology major in the College of Arts and Sciences and a member of the men鈥檚 lacrosse team
University Scholars
University Scholar is the highest form of academic recognition Syracuse University bestows on an academically outstanding graduating senior in a baccalaureate degree program. This year鈥檚 University Scholars are Alexander Aguirre, Nicholas Barba, Adam Bayer, Margaret Garber, Lara Hicks, Natasha Liston-Beck, Bethany Murphy, Serena Omo-Lamai, Natalia Rice, Nicole Stallings-Blanche, Morgan Trau and Tyler Youngman.
Remembrance Scholars
The Remembrance Scholarships were founded as a tribute to, and means of remembering, the 35 students who were killed in the December 21, 1988, bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland. The students, who were returning from a semester of study abroad in London and Florence, were among the 270 people who perished in the bombing. Scholarships are awarded on the basis of distinguished academic work, citizenship and service to community.
Current Remembrance Scholars are: Hassina Adams, Adam Bayer, Mamoudou Camara, Gabrielle Caracciolo, Sarah Crawford, Lauren Crimmins, Michael DiNardo, Charlene Fowajuh, Erin Gavle, Julia Gregoire, Cleo Hamilton, Ahlam Islam, Taylor Krzeminski, Rachel Lange, Joann Li, Marshall Lipsey, Sabrina Maggiore, Aliz茅e McLorg, Bethany Murphy, Molly Murphy, Hanna Nichols, Francesca Ortega, Anna Poe, Daniel Preciado, Alex Rouhandeh, Sally Rubin, Ghufran Salih, Gaelyn Smith, Izmailia Sougoufara, Morgan Trau, Hanz Lionel Valbuena, Mary Kate Washburn, Allison Westbrook, Azarius Williams and Tyler Youngman.
Lockerbie Scholars
Each year two students from Lockerbie, Scotland, are selected to study in Syracuse for one year. To our communities, these students represent the 11 people who died in Lockerbie in the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 and our commitment to Remembrance. The 2019-20 Lockerbie Scholars are Brodi Chambers and Rowan Chisholm.
Senior Class Marshals
The Senior Class Marshals are distinguished individuals who exemplify the spirit of the senior class, exhibit excellent critical-thinking skills, and have excelled during their time at Syracuse. This year鈥檚 Senior Class Marshals are Serena Omo-Lamai and Kyle Rosenblum.
School and College Marshals
Marshals for each of the University鈥檚 schools and colleges are selected for their distinguished achievement in scholarship, academic honors, student organization involvement, leadership and collegiality, as well as campus and community engagement and service. This year鈥檚 School and College Marshals are:
- College of Arts and Sciences
Matthew Ambalavanar, Paige Bernecker and Jessica Holman - College of Engineering and Computer Science
Courtney Davis and Isabela Ramirez Velez - College of Law
Omar Mosqueda - College of Visual and Performing Arts
Michael Fernandes and Katherine Skafidas - David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics
Rachel Brennan and Tess Harper - Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs
Lauren Sutkus - S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications
Madeleine Davison and Sam Rothman - School of Architecture
Anthony Bruno and Natasha Liston-Beck - School of Education
Kylie Walter and Isabel Reedy - School of Information Studies
Adam Bayer and Ghufran Salih - The Graduate School
Shaundel Sanchez - University College
Katherine O. Veley - Martin J. Whitman School of Management
Nicholas Barba and Warren Johnson
Class of 2019 Emeriti
Syracuse University faculty who have been honored upon retirement for their past and expected future contributions to the University and to their fields of study: James Bellini, Howard Blair, Mark Bowick, Lorraine Branham (posthumously), Michael Burkard, Donald Dutkowsky, Frederick Easton (posthumously), James Fawcett, Janet Ford, Ann Gold, Roberta Gwilt, Lucinda Havenhand, Randall Jorgensen, Elizabeth Liddy, M. Cristina Marchetti, Lawrence Mason Jr., Linda Milosky, John Robertson, James Royer, Tapan Sarkar, Maureen Schwarz, David Sutherland, John Ucci, Susan Wadley, Barbara Walter, Lydia Wasylenko, Michael Wasylenko, John Western and Stephen Zaima.
Meredith Teaching Professor
Jackie Orr, associate professor of sociology in the College of Arts and Sciences and the Maxwell School and a 2017-20 Meredith Professor for Teaching Excellence, is recognized for the completion of her Meredith project, the development of a course focused on the emergent field of arts-based research practice.