The GSS Awards Ceremony and Breakfast took place during Graduate and Professional Student Appreciation Week (GPSAW) on Friday, April 5, 2019 from 8:00-9:30 am.
Please join us in congratulating all of our award winners!
Excellence in Graduate Research
Description: The “Excellence in Graduate Research” award is presented to graduate and professional students who have received national and/or international recognition in their field and show promise in their area of research and/or creative achievement.
Kylee Ault, Kinesiology, Recreation, and Sport Studies
Shawn Butler, Plant Sciences (not pictured)
Miranda Chen, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Kayley Davis, Child and Family Studies
Rui Feng, Materials Science and Engineering
Songyee Hur, Retail, Hospitality, and Tourism Management
Kate Kleinkopf, History
Deepika Karu Nambiar, Biochemistry & Cellular and Molecular Biology (not pictured)
Ravi Pamu, Mechanical, Aerospace, and Biomedical Engineering
Zachary Sims, Bredesen Center (not pictured)
Jiani Tan, Civil and Environmental Engineering
Excellence in Graduate Student Teaching
Description: The “Excellence in Graduate Student Teaching” award is presented to graduate teaching assistants and associates for extraordinary performance in teaching.
Kylee Ault, Kinesiology, Recreation, and Sport Studies
Jesse Buffaloe, Physics & Astronomy
Brenna Berry Butler, Educational Psychology and Counseling
Samantha Collins, Large Animal Clinical Sciences (not pictured)
Clay Daniel, Business Analytics and Statistics (not pictured)
Farnaz Foroughian, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
Elina Geut, Civil and Environmental Engineering
Gabriel Fuente Gomez, Biochemistry & Cellular and Molecular Biology (not pictured)
Theresa Kwon, Retail, Hospitality, and Tourism Management
Jayne Lampley, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology (not pictured)
Samuel Cuauhtli-Olli Trevino Martinez, Industrial and Systems Engineering (not pictured)
Edward Mitchell, Mathematics (not pictured)
Liam Mueller, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology (not pictured)
Tricia Phillips, Mathematics
Tyler Poppenwimer, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology & Mathematics (not pictured)
Naomi Rinehold, Philosophy (not pictured)
Farshid Tamjid, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
Excellence in Service
Description: The “Excellence in Service” award is presented to graduate and professional students who are extraordinary campus leaders, participate in service learning or other community initiatives, and/or provide service leadership to their academic discipline through service in professional organizations.
Marie Bliss, Child and Family Studies (not pictured)
Emily Cagen, Business Analytics and Statistics (not pictured)
Tylor Cunningham, Philosophy (not pictured)
Samantha Collins, Large Animal Clinical Sciences (not pictured)
Shahram Hatefi Hesari, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
Cole Nypaver, Earth and Planetary Sciences
Jenny Patel, Mechanical, Aerospace, and Biomedical Engineering
Arden Szepe, Educational Psychology and Counseling
Graduate Student Organization of the Year
Description: The “Graduate Student Organization of the Year” award recognizes graduate and/or professional student organizations or councils for their extraordinary contributions to graduate student life or to their respective academic department or program.
Child and Family Studies Graduate Student Organization
Mathematics Graduate Student Council (MGSC)
Graduate Professor of the Year
Description: The “Graduate Professor of the Year” award recognizes faculty and staff members who have shown outstanding commitment to teaching graduate and professional students.
Jedediah Blanton, Kinesiology, Recreation, and Sport Studies
Jessica Grieser, English (not pictured)
Anne Ho, Mathematics (not pictured)
Graduate Research Mentor of the Year
Description: The “Graduate Research Mentor of the Year” award recognizes faculty and staff members who have shown outstanding commitment to mentoring graduate research students.
Joshua Fu, Civil and Environmental Engineering (not pictured)
Susan Groenke, Theory and Practice in Teacher Education
Lynn Liao Hodge, Theory and Practice in Teacher Education
Lisa Reyes Mason, Social Work (not pictured)
Gary Skolits, Educational Psychology and Counseling
Graduate Director of the Year
Description: The “Graduate Director of the Year” award recognizes Directors of Graduate Studies who have shown outstanding commitment to mentoring and leading graduate students in their department.
Amy Broemmel, Theory and Practice in Teacher Education
Ian Down, Political Science (not pictured)
GSS Staff of the Year
Description: The “GSS Staff of the Year” award recognizes a UT staff member who goes beyond their required duties to ensure that graduate and professional students feel welcome and matriculate successfully.
Eric Cagley, Art (not pictured)
Bernice Koprince, History
Josh Price, OIT (not pictured)
Judith Welch, English (not pictured)
Amanda Worsham, Mathematics
Preparing the Professoriate Graduate Program of the Year
Description: The “Preparing the Professoriate Graduate Program of the Year” award recognizes campus-wide, departmental, and/or off-campus programs or organizations that promote innovative professional development opportunities for graduate and professional students.
Mathematics Department Mentorship Program
Graduate Student Senate Outstanding Contribution
Description: The “Graduate Student Senate Outstanding Contribution” award recognizes graduate student senators and/or members of the GSS executive board who go above and beyond their regular duties to serve and promote the mission of the Graduate Student Senate.
Finalists
Sue Choi (Winner)
Amanda Lake Heath
Jonathan Johnson (not pictured)
Brandy Mmbaga
Grace Pakeltis (not pictured)
GSS Person of the Year Award
This award recognizes the person who has shown the highest
level of commitment to graduate students.
Dr. Dixie Thompson