UA Little Rock’s College of Social Sciences and Communication (CSSC) honored its students, faculty, and staff at its annual awards ceremony.

More than 230 guests attended the May 7 event at the Governor’s Mansion that celebrated the many achievements of CSSC’s students, faculty, and staff.

The college awarded $112,600 to 117 students through 71 scholarships.

“As one alum told us the next day, the ceremony was an uplifting celebration of academic excellence, rich in spirt and sense of community,” said Dr. Julien Mirivel, interim dean of CSSC. “I want to extend another round of congratulations to all of our award recipients and our gratitude to all who attended.”

The award winners include:

College Excellence Awards

Faculty Excellence Awards – Dr. Cheryl Johnston, Dr. Avinash Thombre, and Dr. Tusty ten Bensel

Above and Beyond Award – Dr. Belinda Blevins-Knabe

Chair of the Year Award – Dr. April Chatham-Carpenter

Student Engagement Award – Dr. Eric Wiebelhaus-Brahm

Champions for Service Learning Award – Dr. Eric Wiebelhaus-Brahm and Dr. Molly Smith

Staff Excellence Award – Christina Smith

CSSC Student Scholarship Recipients

Founding Dean Community-Engaged Research Scholarship – Amy King

Laverne Sheard-Britton Scholarship – BreAuna Bailey

Rose Pfeifer Isacson Endowed Scholarship – Jasmin Avery

September Fund Scholarship – Mollee Steely

Douthit Scholarship – Whitney Reuschlig

Julien and Margaret Mirivel Positive Research Scholarship – Nathan Jeffers and Trye Price

The Last Mile Scholarship – Elizabeth Dustonbekov, Samantha Kendrick, Rosalinda Roper, Christina Sanders, Raven Thompson, and Elvin White

Department of Applied Communication

Distinguished Graduate Student – Michael Nesbit

Distinguished Undergraduate Student – Derrick Newby

Making a Difference Award (Undergraduate) – Maggie Mencer

Making a Difference Award (Graduate) – Frankye Jimenez and Bonnie Ward

Making a Difference Award (Alumni) – Christy Standerfer

Community Partner Award – Bridgeway Hospital

Angela Brenton Endowed Scholarship – Tiffany Meeks

Department of Criminal Justice

Outstanding Undergraduate Student – Michael Meziere

Outstanding Graduate Student (MA) – Tyre Price

Outstanding Graduate Student (MS) – James Dorney

Outstanding Doctoral Student – Brooke Cooley

Rob Williams Memorial Scholarship – Brooke Cooley, Willie Horace, and Mollee Steely

Rick Finley Memorial Scholarship – Autumn Davis, Callie Gibson, Ronnie Loftis, Adielle Sadiq, and Luke Samaniego

Melissa Ma Memorial Scholarship – Kashayla Banks, Kristi Stovall, and Kristopher Weatherly

John A. Boyeskie Memorial Scholarship – Shay Gane

Correctional Leadership Challenge Endowed Scholarship – Sydney McEwen

Charles Chastain Founding Chair Scholarship Fund – Chelsea Barnett, Amy King, Cody McMunn, and Daniel Morris

Judge Lee Munson Scholarship – Autumn Davis

David. O. Dillinger Endowed Scholarship – Tanya Higgs, Trye Price, and Melissa Vachon

Harold R. Zook Endowed Scholarship – Heidi Perry

Randy and Diane Johnson Endowed Scholarship – Sarah Williams

Louis Caudell Rotary Club of Downtown Little Rock Scholarship – Brittney Heard

Department of Psychology

Marie Wilson Howells Outstanding Graduating Senior in Psychology Award – Laura Ruiz Astorga and Saiyeeda F. Hussain

Department of Rhetoric and Writing

David and Lucille Chandler Scholarship – Matthew Esteb

Clarence and Judy Albers Quality Writing Scholarship – Tasha Robinson

Luis Gabriel Award for Dedicated Service – Rira Zamani

Milton Stephens Award for Service – Chloe Moses

Write On Awards for University Writing Center Service – Andy Acker, Alyia Goudeau, Jan Jolly, Robert McCarville, Heather McFarlane, Erin Ross, Danny Wagner, and Gwen Williams

Oliver-Breeze-Kennedy Award – Brittany Bartlett, Anita Gipson, and Lee Steht

Bonna Barken Jensen Writing About Families Award – Nicole Zimmerman

Mickey Kamer Cyberspace Award – Kelly Robertson

School of Mass Communication 

The Golden Mike Award endowed by Steve Stephens and Belinda Shults – Renae Goddard

Dan and Johnnie Winn Memorial Scholarship – Jessica Franklin, Dorothea Greulich, and Ana Vujosevic

Herbert and Gertrude Latkin Scholarship Fund – Faith Okeh and Alexandria Trantham

Jerol Garrison Endowed Journalism Scholarship – Laquanda Cook

Arkansas Broadcasters Association Endowed Scholarship – Kelly Connelly and Madison Kilby

William K. Rutherford Freedom of Information Act Memorial Scholarship – Katherine McKee

TreDay.com Scholarships Project Endowment – Carl Bunch

THV 11 Media Scholarship – Adriana Fuentes and Keely Reeves

Television Broadcasters of Arkansas Scholarship – Christopher Banks and Zachary Edwards

Jason Irby Scholarship – Shelby Sites

R.D. Doubleday Endowed Scholarship – Brent Armstrong

Harry Ashmore Award – Madeline Ragan

Roy Mitchell Scholarship – Samantha Poe

Governor Orval E. Faubus Scholarship – Latosha Newman

Edith Woods Sweezy Memorial Scholarship – Willie LeBlanc

K.A. Engel Scholarship – Miram Battles, Remington Miller, Kolton Rutherford

Arkansas Fly Fishers Scholarship – Shakayla Zoss

Jane and John Thompson Endowed Scholarship – Samantha Poe

Patrick and Leslie Rhode Endowed Scholarship – Darrell Farmer and Wilson Hatcher

School of Public Affairs

Bill Gwatney Memorial Endowed Scholarship – Chevelia Benford, Nathan Davis, Landon DeKay, Ravan Gaston, and Madison Rogers

Jefferey C. Ledbetter Endowed Scholarship – Daisy Vasquez

Tim Massanelli Endowed Scholarship for Political Science – Austin Johnson

James R. Garrison Endowed Book Fund – Faith Madkins

Martha Sawrie Stephenson Scholarship – Faith Madkins

Outstanding Graduate in Political Science – Charlana Benefiel

Outstanding Graduate in International Studies – Rosalinda Roper

Department of Sociology and Anthropology

Katherine J. Hardy Memorial Award – Nicole Ursin

Mark Hartmann Anthropology Student Fieldwork Fellowship – Noah Currey

Outstanding Graduating Student Award in Sociology – Saiyeeda Hussain

Beth and Earl Richard Endowed Scholarship – Jessica Gonzalez and Latara Williams

In the upper right photo, Interim Dean Julien Mirivel, middle, congratulates recipients of the Last Mile Scholarship: Christina Sanders, Elizabeth Dustonbekov, Raven Thompson, and Rosalinda Roper.