OUTSTANDING UAF STUDENTS AND ADVISERS NAMED
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 3, 1996
Fairbanks, Alaska - University of Alaska Fairbanks students April Blajeski, 21, and Greg Milles, 23, were doubly honored during a recent awards ceremony by being named 1996's outstanding graduating seniors and outstanding scholar athletes.
Each spring UAF holds ceremonies prior to Commencement to recognize and honor its best students for the academic year. Blajeski, from Delta Junction, was named the Outstanding Graduating Senior Woman and received the Marion Frances Boswell Memorial Award. She was also named scholar athlete of the year.
A member of the 1994 NCAA national championship rifle team and the 1995 NCAA air rifle national record-setting team, Blajeski has been an NCAA first team All-American in each of her four years at UAF. She is a chemistry major with an emphasis in biochemistry and molecular biology, and is the first UAF student athlete to publish an article in a major pharmaceutical journal. Blajeski will pursue graduate studies at Minnesota's Mayo Clinic, where she will also work as a research assistant.
Milles was named Outstanding Graduating Senior Man and received the Joel Wiegert Award. He is also the 1996 male student athlete of the year. Milles is an exercise science major and was Nanook ice hockey team captain. He was honored as the most improved player in 1994 and the winner of the Harris Shelton Spirit of Competition Award last season. After the regular season ended, Milles joined the professional Alaska Gold Kings hockey team. He will pursue a doctorate in a physical therapy.
This year's Gray Tilly Memorial Award to the graduating senior whose education was interrupted because of family responsibilities was given to Tonya
Brown, 41, who will receive a bachelor's degree this spring. Several students were recognized for their academic achievements and scholarship winners from departments across campus were honored at the awards banquet Saturday, April 27.
In the School of Agriculture and Land Resources Management, Jason P. Downing was recognized for his work in forest sciences, Kristine A. Kern for plant, animal and soil sciences, and Jerry A. Soplanda for resource management.
In the School of Engineering, David J. Misiuk was recognized for civil engineering, Elizabeth Gao for electrical engineering and Mariko Shirazi for mechanical engineering.
The School of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences presented an award to Michael T. McKinney for his work in fisheries. In the School of Management, Craig Green was recognized for accounting and information systems, Nevada Dangerfield for business administration and Susanne Cerven for economics.
In the School of Mineral Engineering, Ryan R. Hull was recognized for geological engineering, Brian T. Renninger for mining engineering and Bradley E. Gathman for petroleum engineering.
The College of Natural Sciences recognized Martin I. Bidartondo for biological sciences, Beverly Johnson for chemistry, Sarah A. Haug for geology and geophysics, Joseph Beach for physics, and Dominic Malenfant for wildlife.
The UAF College of Rural Alaska recognized Stephen J. Werle from the Chukchi Campus, Leanna Folan from the Interior-Aleutians Campus, Steve Bye from the Kuskokwim Campus, Barbara Oleson from the Northwest Campus, Gabriel Sam from the Rural Development Program and Vincent Okpealuk from the Rural Development Program.
From the Tanana Valley Campus, department awards were given to Richard Fox in airframe and powerplant, Elizabeth Fenno in applied business, Rose Vinegar in the associate of arts general program, Jon Senechek in auto electronics, Helen Barkley in computer applications, Brett S. Ayres in culinary arts, Ted E. Tisdale in diesel/heavy equipment, Christine Bernard in early childhood development, Kurt Koudelka in fire science, Patricia Haddon in human service technology, Linda Brady in office management and technology, and Susan Cox in paralegal studies.
The College of Liberal Arts recognized Ron Standlee for anthropology, Anne Duffy for art, Regina Davies for communication, Sperry Ash for cross cultural communication, Teriscovkya B. Smith for English, Mandi Wedin for foreign languages and literature, Gary Whitton for geography, Donald Z. Davis for history, Deborah Deaton for journalism and broadcasting, Richard Leach for justice, Cathi R. Bouton for linguistics, Ben Chamberlain for computer science, David Basham for mathematics and Gordon Bower for statistics.
Also receiving CLA awards were Matthew T. Stone in military science, Tabatha Easley in music, Sunna Fesler in northern studies, Edward Salmon in philosophy, Jake Ketscher in political science, Jennifer Wainright in psychology, Christy Pitts in physical education, Kari Call in exercise science, Marian Lundquist in elementary education, Kevin Watson in social work, Dee Ann Charles in sociology, Cindy Gere in student support services and Karl Kalen in theater.
Terrence Cole, UAF history department chair, was the recipient of the Associated Students of the University of Alaska Fairbanks (ASUAF) Outstanding Faculty/Staff Award. ASUAF President Joe Hayes presented the award.
Outstanding faculty advisers for 1996 have also been named. They are: Tom Bartlett, associate professor of accounting and information systems; Charlotte Basham, associate professor of anthropology; Rick Caulfield, assistant professor of rural development; Richard Farley, physical education and exercise science department head; Meriam Karlsson, associate professor of horticulture; Kara Nance, assistant professor of computer science; Madeline Schatz, professor of music; Janet Schichnes, coordinator of the Rural Human Services Certificate Program; and, Ron Smith, professor of zoology.
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CONTACT: Wanda Martin, Advising Center Director, (907) 474-6396; or Doug Sigler, University Relations, at (907) 474-7581.
DPD/5-3-96/96-74