Scholarship/Award Recipients
Serene Vannoy, a senior in English, wins Helen "Jackie" DeClercq Poetry Prize
Serene Vannoy, a senior in English, creative writing option, was awarded $250 for her first place in the 2012 “Helen “Jackie” DeClercq Poetry Contest. Her entry, “Useless,” drew from a near-death expdrience in 1990 following a diagnosis of thyroid cancer two years earlier.
The second prize went to Lauren Galvin, a junior in liberal studies with a minor in human development, for "Mixing Paint," that preserves the memory and history of her family. Third prize went to Heidi Torkelson-Varian, a first year graduate student in English, for "jeep Guy," that grew from a class assignment to observe an object and consider what it brings to mind.
Honorable mentions went to Christopher Dizon, a junior in English, for "Dad's Birds, Mom's Bees," and to Sara Courter, a senior in English, for, "I Dropped By During Lunch."
Five Communication students receive awards in 2011
Melanie Strathada and Cheyann Elmore, both seniors, each received $675 from the John Gothberg Memorial Scholarship. The award is made to upper division students. Gothberg was a communication professor from 1960-1992, in the Department of Mass Communication, before Mass Communication and Speech Communication combined to form the current department. He received the 1989 California Newspaper Publishers Association Foundation “Outstanding Teacher Award.”
• Gregory Jackson, a graduate student, received the $300 Karl F. Robinson Scholarship for demonstrated excellence in scholarly achievement. Robinson was a professor of speech and drama from 1965-67, for whom Robinson Hall on the north side of campus is named.
• Lauren Lola, a sophomore, received the $300 Patricia Radin Scholarship, named for an assistant professor of communication who died suddenly in 2003. Radin entered academia in mid-life after a career as an award-winning journalist and editor.
• Lisel Brunson, a senior, received the $250 Mass Communication Alumni award. It is given to an upper division student specializing in journalism, advertising, public relations, broadcasting or photography.
Applications for next year’s awards will be accepted in May.
Social Work student Deborah Son receives three awards
Deborah Son, a second year Master of Social Work student, has received three scholarships totaling $3,500 in 2011.
The CSUEB Graduate Equity Fellowship of $2,000 is given based on a high GPA, letters of recommendation, and a statement detailing career goals, such as a career in academia, and overcoming disadvantages.
The 2011 Diana Ming Chan Scholarship Award of $1,000 is from the Asian and Pacific Islander Social Work Council of the National Association of Social Workers, California Chapter. It recognizes a bilingual, high-achieving student who scores well on two essays, one on advancement of social work in the Asian and Pacific Islander Community, and the second on helping others through bilingual skills.
Son also received $500 from the CSUEB Asian and Pacific Islander Faculty and Staff Association for planned service to the Asian/Pacific Islander American population upon graduation.
Bridget Wellerstein receives ASI Campus Leadership Scholarship
Bridget Wellerstein, a senior in Communication Sciences and Disorders, received the 2011-12 Associated Students, Inc. Campus Leadership Scholarship of $1,000.
Wellerstein’s selection was based on an essay and letters of recommendation from professors, supervisors and mentors in her field.
She has studied the assessment and treatment of speech and language disorders, traumatic brain injury, motor speech disorders, voice disorders, swallowing disorders, aphasia, dementia, cleft lip and palate, alternative modes of communication, and autism spectrum related language disorders, as well as speech and hearing sciences.
She has volunteered in early intervention, and is president of the CSUEB National Student Speech Language and Hearing Association (NSSLHA) chapter, which raises funds for Smile Train for cleft palate surgery. She also is a reader in the department and works on campus.
Amanda Scullion studies aphasia awarenss with ASI scholarship
Amanda Scullion, final year graduate student in speech language pathology, won a CSUEB ASI graduate student research scholarship in fall 2010 to conduct an independent, original research project spanning two CLASS programs: Communicative Sciences and Disorders, and Criminal Justice Administration.
The project looked improving awareness among East Bay police officers and CSUEB criminal justice majors of aphasia (a communication disorder resulting from stroke).
She will be presenting the findings from her study at the 2011 Annual Convention of the American Speech Language Hearing Association in November in San Diego
Maria Yajaira Lopez, Li Lei receive Social Work awards
Social Work students Maria Yajaira Lopez and Li Lei received scholarships for 2011.
Lopez was given a $2,500 conference scholarship to attend the 9th Annual Disparity in Health Summer Workshop, sponsored by MD Anderson, in Houston, TX. The scholarship covered her airfare, lodging, and also conference registration.
Lei was awarded $1,000 from the agency Culture to Culture as part of its Cultural Competence Initiative.
Trisha Angelica Malanyaon wins Markos poetry prize
Trisha Angelica Malanyaon took first prize in the 2011 annual Department of English Donald Markos Poetry competition with "As She Withers.” Malanyaon earned a BA in English, Language & Discourse option, in March and is now in the TESOL Master’s Program.
Second prize went to Elaine Reyes Bryce, a master’s degree candidate in English, for "Give me my baby;" and third to Michael Gonzales, a senior in English, Creative Writing option, for "Facebook Sonnet Number a Million."
Jason Beyer’s "Grocery Store Fashionista" took first honorable mention, Bob Palmer’s "Serpico," was second honorable mention, and Mary Sanchez’s "ER in Bloom" took the third honorable mention.
Chalia La Tour wins FOA theatre-dance award
Chalia La Tour has been given the Friends of the Art's 2011 award in the field of theatre and dance.
LaTour performed in such productions as, “Xtigone,” that was invited to the Regional Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival in February at Humboldt State University.
The senior will direct "Savage/Love," written by Sam Shepard and Joseph Chaikin, in this year's Highlands Summer Theatre, and will assist director Ulises Alcala with "Yerma" at the same theatre.
Roger Rayhbuck receives Boren Award to study in Africa
Roger Rayhbuck, a senior in International Studies, is among a very select group selected in 2011 to study from September through December at the State University of Zanzibar in East Africa as one of the first recipients of a Boren Award for International Study in the African Languages Initiative.
Boren scholarships provide American undergraduate students opportunities to study in areas of the world that are critical to U.S. interests and are under represented in study abroad programs.
The $10,000 African Languages Initiative, taught entirely in Swahili, will immerse Rayhbuck in the culture, economy and history of Tanzania. Within three years of completion, Rayhbuck will be obligated to work at least part-time for the federal government, which fits nicely into his long-range plans to work in foreign service or for international organizations in Africa.
Dexter Coleman selected for prestigious undergraduate history award
Dexter Coleman, a senior in history, has been selected to participate in the 2011 Gilder Lehrman Institute's History Scholars Program, one of the most prestigious award for undergraduate history majors in the country.
Coleman spent one week in New York City with leading American historians, such as Eric Foner and Steven Hahn, visit leading archives and historical landmarks related to the Civil War – the theme to this year’s program.
Coleman is a community organizer at the Center for Progressive Action in Oakland, where he does lobbying, outreach and participates in events to raise political awareness. Eventually, he hopes to teach high school history.
Elizabeth Zunino, Leslie Toki receive major art awards
In 2010, art students Elizabeth Zunino and Donghoon Han were awarded the Leslie Toki and Howard Slatoff awards, respectively, by the Art Department.
The Leslie Toki Award was established in 1988, to provide an award to a student in the Ceramic Arts. The fund was started with a donation from the Toki family to honor their mother, Leslie Toki. John Toki continues to contribute to the fund annually. In 2010, the guidelines for the award were changed to include any media that students submitted to the Annual Juried Exhibition. Zunino’s submission was a needlework Koi pond.
The Howard Slatoff Award was established in 2003 through an endowment established by Art Professor Howard Slatoff. The annual proceeds from the endowment provide an award to a student who enters work in the Annual Juried Exhibition. The guidelines state that the award is given to a Traditional Art student one year and to an Electronic Art student in the alternate year. When there are enough proceeds, an award is given in each of the areas in the same year.
Han creates electronic art.
Lily Sullivan earns Speech-language-hearing award
In 2010, Lily Sullivan, '09, second year graduate student in Speech, Language and Pathology, was awarded one of five $1,000 scholarships from the California Speech-language-Hearing Association, the state group supporting speech-language-pathologists, audiologists and families with communication and related disorders through information, education, advocacy, and professional collaboration.
This is the first year that CSHA has given this award. Selection was based on a rigorous application that considered academics, community involvement, and clinical potential.
Sullivan volunteered as a classroom aide at various schools and has participated in numerous clinical experiences here at CSUEB. She has taken course work pertaining to the assessment and treatment of childhood speech and language disorders, disfluency (stuttering), motor speech disorders, voice disorders, swallowing disorders, aphasia, dementia, alternative modes of communication, etc.
Sarah Vallejo wins English teaching scholarship
Sarah Vallejo is the 2011 recipient of the English Department’s Virginia F. Ireys English Teaching Scholarship. The senior from Antioch has been accepted into the Teach For America New York 2011 Corps, which she will join this summer in preparation for beginning to teach in the fall.
Vallejo will use this scholarship to help with New York state examination fees and other costs associated with her transition to NYC.
The focus of her winning essay was helping to close the education gap in America by serving in a high needs school – a perfect match to the Teach for America program.
Thomas Lyons takes first in annual Robert V. Williams Contest in Fiction
Senior English major Thomas Lyons, who goes by T.J., has taken First Prize with "Days Gone Febrile" in the 2011 Robert V. Williams Memorial Contest in Fiction, sponsored by the Cal State East Bay Department of English.
Second Prize has gone to Sharon R. Wolfe for "Relativity," and Third Prize to Jennifer Walters for "Kristina." First Honorable Mention has gone to Christopher Morgan for "Where the Mind Takes Him," Second Honorable Mention to Janet Burns for "The Fungus Amongus," and Third Honorable Mention to Sarah Gina Jones for "Double Winner.”
Thomas Rule wins Philosophy Department's 'Prestigious Prize'
Thomas Rule, a senior in philosophy, took first in the 2011 “Prestigious Bassen Prize” with his essay, "Genesis of the Individual: The True Original Sin?"
Erik Edgren’s essay, "The Near Death Experience," took second.
These essays will be featured in the 2011 edition of the Philosophy Department’s “Reflections” online journal, which will be published at the beginning of the fall quarter.
The first place prize is accompanied by a $1,000 scholarship and second prize is by a $500 scholarship.
Spenser Babyak wins one of two FOA English awards
Spenser Babyak is one of two English majors to receive the 2011 Friends of the Arts awards for achievement in English. His area of specialization is creative writing.
The other winner for English is Robert Palmer, whose achievement is also in creative writing.
Olga Singleton wins Sociology and Social Sciences award
Olga Singleton, a senior in sociology and social sciences, has been selected for the 2010-11 Lawton Award for outstanding student in the department.
The $250 award is based on the combination of grade point average and the quality of an essay on the importance of sociology.
The award was established in 1998 by Evelyn Lawton in memory of her late husband, William C. Lawton, who had been a CSUH professor of sociology for many years. The award is given in years when the endowment earns sufficient interest.
