CHBS honors graduate students

John Brummette, associate professor of communication, acting associate dean for the college of graduate studies and research and the interim research compliance manager, delivers the keynote remarks.
John Brummette, associate professor of communication, acting associate dean for the College of Graduate Studies and Research and the interim research compliance manager, delivers the keynote remarks.

Outstanding graduate students in the College of Humanities and Behavioral Sciences (CHBS) were honored for their work in research, teaching and academia in an intimate ceremony on April 27.

Faculty mentors and fellow graduate students gathered as each of the recipients were honored for their work. Each recipient shared the traits of commitment to academic success, personal drive and dedication to their field, and to the faculty and students.

“I’m so pleased and proud to be with you here today,” said CHBS Dean Katherine Hawkins. “We’re so proud of our graduate students.”

Recipients of the 2018 Graduate Student Awards

  • Lauren Sledd, Outstanding Student in Strategic Communication
  • Stefani Szkalak, Outstanding Student in Strategic Communication
  • Emily Armstrong, Outstanding Graduate Teaching Fellow in Strategic Communication
  • Breyuana Smith, Outstanding Graduate Research Assistant in Strategic Communication
  • Marti Williams, Outstanding Graduate Student Award in English
  • Jessica Mattox, Outstanding Teaching Fellow in English
  • Ashley Youngs, Outstanding Graduate Teaching Fellow in Psychology
  • Danielle Gesmondi, Outstanding Graduate Student in School Psychology
  • Kaylah Galloway, Outstanding Student in Industrial/Organizational Psychology
  • Rebecca Cain, Outstanding Graduate Student in Experimental Psychology
  • Cassandra Homick, Outstanding Graduate Student in Clinical-Counseling Psychology
  • Anna Vandevender, Outstanding Doctoral Student in Counseling Psychology
2018 Graduate Student Award recipients (left to right): Emily Armstrong, Stefani Szkalak, Breyuana Smith, Jessica Mattox, Ashley Youngs, Rebecca Cain, Michelle Williams and Kaylah Galloway.

2018 Graduate Student Award recipients (left to right): Emily Armstrong, Stefani Szkalak, Breyuana Smith, Jessica Mattox, Ashley Youngs, Rebecca Cain, Marti Williams and Kaylah Galloway.

John Brummette, associate professor of communication, acting associate dean for the College of Graduate Studies and Research and the interim research compliance manager, delivered the keynote remarks.

“Theory and research have given you the ability to understand some of the complex issues we have as a society,” Brummette said. “You are now armed with the intellectual capacity and advanced skillset to make the world a better place. The qualities which you now possess will help you inspire and lead others around you. The time you’ve spent at this university has taught you that anything is possible when you apply yourself.”

Youngs, one of the psychology graduate students, said that she was “honored to receive the Graduate Teaching Fellow award.”

“I wasn’t expecting it,” Youngs said. “To find out that I was being given an award for something I’ve enjoyed doing is really special to me. I feel overwhelmed with gratitude and joy.”

Youngs said that some of her favorite moments in the classroom were when she saw the lightbulb go off in a student’s head.

“It was a proud moment when I could see that a student was getting something I was teaching,” she said. “I also enjoyed watching them improve over the course of a semester.”

After the Graduate Hooding on May 4, Youngs hopes to join a consulting firm in Northern Virginia where she can apply her IO knowledge.

The College of Humanities and Behavioral Sciences serves more than 2,000 students and has more than 125 faculty members. The mission of the college is to provide its students with the individualized attention of a liberal arts college coupled with the resources and opportunities of a comprehensive university.

Apr 30, 2018
Max Esterhuizen
540-831-7749
westerhuizen@radford.edu