COMPUTER SCIENCE MAJORS TOP STUDENT AWARDS

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 19, 2000

Fairbanks, Alaska - More than 60 students will be honored as the best and brightest of the University of Alaska Fairbanks' Class of 2000 during the annual Student Awards Breakfast on Saturday, April 22 at the Wood Center Ballroom. Each spring UAF honors students who have distinguished themselves during their academic careers.

Among the award-winners are Eric Davis, a computer science/mathematics double major who will receive the Joel Wiegert Award for outstanding senior man, and fellow computer science major Erin Boyd, who will receive the Marion Frances Boswell Memorial Award for outstanding senior woman.

Davis, who has earned national recognition through several math competitions, is well-known for his community involvement on campus with the UAF Honors Program and student government. When Boyd wasn't calculating derivatives or serving as this year's IBM Campus Ambassador for UAF, she spent time encouraging female high school students to pursue higher education goals in mathematics. Both of this year's top grads plan to pursue master's degrees in computer science at UAF.

Communications senior Maria Sauer will receive this year's Gray Tilly Memorial Award, given to the outstanding graduating non-traditional student. Sauer began pursuing a degree at UAF just two days after graduating from high school in 1971, but her college education was put on hold for employment and family responsibilities. Sauer has been named to the Chancellor's List for a straight-A grade point average every semester since she returned to classes at UAF in 1997.

Two UAF employees will be recognized for continued student advocacy this year. Student senator Walter Ledesma will present awards to business systems technology professor Charlie Dexter and student employment coordinator Tonya Trabant from the Associated Students of the University of Alaska Fairbanks.

NCAA championship rifle team member Kelly Mansfield and Nanook Hockey playerDarren Tiemstra will receive UAF Scholar-Athlete awards for excellence in the classroom and competition. After the university acheivement awards are presented, deans and directors will recognize students by colleges and professional schools.

In the School of Education, Robert Griffith will be recognized in elementary education and Vivian Beaver for work in rural education. In the School of Mineral Engineering, Andrea Dasovich will be recognized for geological engineering, Albert Beck for mining engineering and Busba Wongnapapisan for petroleum engineering.

In the School of Management, Janice Coker will be recognized for accounting and information systems, Katrina Klassen for business administration and Melinda Bruno for economics.

In the School of Agriculture and Land Resources Management, Daniel Jordan will be recognized for his work in forest sciences, Kelleigh O'Brien for geography, Amy Davis for plant, animal and soil sciences, and Marcus Bingham for resource management.

UAF College of Rural Alaska will recognize Elsie Ann Nelson from the Chukchi Campus, Selina Sam from the Interior-Aleutians Campus, Mitzi Watson from the Kuskokwim Campus, Angela Hansen from the Northwest Campus and Judy Bauman from rural development.

From the Tanana Valley Campus, department recognition will go to Sarah Jahn in applied accounting, Robert Callahan in applied business, Michael John Vasconcellos in aviation maintenance technology, and Luis Manuel Martinez in culinary arts.

Stephen Tryon will receive recognition in diesel/heavy equipment, Carmen Clavel in early childhood development, Barbara Michael in fire science, Cynthia Mooney in health technology and Delores Cropley in human service technology. TVC will award William Powley in the microcomputer support specialist program, Sarah Miller in office management and technology and Tanya Zuniga in paralegal studies.

The College of Science, Engineering and Mathematics will recognize Daniel Beistline in biological sciences, Tanya Bailey in chemistry and biochemistry, Samuel Lauber in civil and environmental engineering and Eric Davis in computer science. Other outstanding CSEM students include Timothe Conrad in electrical engineering, Simone Montayne in geology and geophysics, Emily Shroyer in physics, Jason Tedor in mathematics, Carmen Watkins in mechanical engineering, Jane Smith in statistics and Sadie Wright in wildlife biology.

The College of Liberal Arts will award Denise Wartes for Alaska Native studies, Michael Glore in anthropology, Tatiana Piatanova in art, Maria Sauer in communications, Jennifer Early in English, Heather Maas in foreign languages-

French, Dale Anderson in history and Christina Janssen in journalism and broadcasting.

Also recognized by the CLA are Terry Zastrow in justice, Kathy Sikorski in linguistics, Wayne Mitchell in military science, Heather Janes in music, Nathan McCowan in philosophy, Lincoln Parrett in political science, Teisha Simmons in psychology, Lori Learned in social work, Gwenda Gilbert in sociology and Tracy Campbell in theater.

The awards breakfast will begin at 9:30 a.m. and presided by Dean of Student Services Carla Kirts.

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CONTACT: Lydia Anderson, UAF Wood Center Associate Director, at (907) 474-6026 or Jillian Swope, University Relations, at (907) 474-7778.

JCS/4-20-00/00-070