Biology and Math Major Named a Goldwater Scholar
Ashlyn Grace Kelly, ’23, received the prestigious Goldwater Scholarship for the 2021-2022 academic year. Granted to approximately 400 undergraduates each year, the national award recognizes accomplishments in natural science, engineering and mathematics. It includes a monetary award and the chance to connect with students at top institutions across the country. Ashlyn’s area of study is neurodegenerative diseases. She performs her research in the lab of Dr. Ken Adams of the Department of Biological Sciences.
Another Posters on the Hill Honoree
Social work major Abby Smargon, ’21, was invited to present her research at Posters on the Hill, the most competitive undergraduate research showcase in the country. Only 60 students across the nation are selected each year to present before U.S. House and Senate legislative staff as well as other federal and non-staff members. The title of her research project is “Mental Health in College Students: Disclosure & Seeking Support.” This marks the 11th consecutive year that at least one BSU student has been accepted to Posters on the Hill. Normally, presenters travel to Washington D.C., but due to the pandemic, Abby shared her research at a virtual event held April 27-28.
Education/Spanish Major Awarded Newman Fellowship
Jasmine Won, ’24, will spend the next academic year representing BSU in the Newman Civic Fellowship program, which brings together students from across the country motivated to solve problems and spark change. The fellows attend trainings and work with mentors to devise strategies to improve their communities. Jasmine says she is driven to foster equity and promote civics education in her hometown and on campus.
Student, Administrator Recognized by Honors Association
Gabriella Rivera, ’22, was one of only three students nationwide elected to the board of directors of the National Collegiate Honors Council (NCHC). As a board member, she will share responsibility for the activities, policies and values of the only national organization of college and university honors programs and colleges in the country. NCHC board members are elected by faculty and administrators of its 900 member institutions. Jennifer MacCallum, administrative assistant for Bridgewater State University’s Honors Program, received honorable mention in the National Collegiate Honors Council’s Award for Administrative Excellence.
‘‘COVID’ Theater Production Chosen for Regional Showcase
The Department of Theatre’s virtual production Antigone Ablaze was one of 10 works showcased in January’s Region One Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival (KCACTF) in Washington D.C., which showcases the best in collegiate theater from schools in New England and parts of New York. To meet pandemic physical distancing requirements, actors presented their new take on the ancient Greek play from their homes and residence hall rooms, with each showing streamed live.
Also at the KCACTF, William Sexton, ’20, received the Region One Award for Excellence in Scenic Design for his work on BSU’s spring 2020 production of The Bald Soprano. As the recipient of this award, he will represent the region at the KCACTF National Festival, competing with regional winners from across the country. Kyle Imbeau, ’23, and Aya Khoury, ’21, were both awarded Dramaturgy Regional Recognition Awards for their dramaturgical work on last fall’s BSU production of The Totalitarians. Jordan Daniel Smith, ’23, was recognized with an award for Outstanding Performance in a New Play Reading. Erika Fay Greenwood, ’21, received an Achievement in Costume Design Award for her designs for The Totalitarians.
Graduate Student Awarded Athletic Training Scholarships
Sungwan Kim, G’21, was awarded the National Athletic Trainers’ Association Paul Grace Scholarship, as well as the Athletic Trainers of Massachusetts Charles J. Redmond Scholarship. He earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in physical education from Kyung Hee University in Korea, and is completing his Master of Science degree in athletic training at BSU. He has presented his research at a number of U.S. conferences.
Graduate Student’s Paper on Ulysses Earns Honorable Mention
Carl Olson, ’18, G’23, received honorable mention from the judges of the Irish Studies Graduate Student Essay Award at the Southern Regional American Conference for Irish Studies for his paper, Odyssey of the Mind: Exploring Memory, Gender, and Sexuality in ‘Penelope.’ His project dealt with his experience reading James Joyce’s Ulysses for the first time. His mentor is Dr. Ellen Scheible of the Department of English.
Physics Graduate Student Receives Research Award
Robert Stanton, ’18, received the 2020 Graduate Students Award from the American Chemical Society’s Division of Environmental Chemistry. He is enrolled in the physics graduate program at Clarkson University in Potsdam, New York. Over the past two years, Mr. Stanton has been working with a group at Clarkson in the area of host-guest interactions in the metal organic framework with application heavily toward healthy world solutions. For those who don’t study physics, what this means — in the simplest of terms — is that Mr. Stanton identifies materials that help to remove toxins from water.
Alumna Earns State Award for Her Teaching Initiatives
Victoria Cameron, ’12, was named the 2020 Massachusetts STEM Teacher of the Year, an initiative of the Patriots Hall of Fame and presented by Raytheon Technologies. Lieutenant Governor Karyn Polito honored Ms. Cameron at a virtual event, and she is serving for a year on Governor Charlie Baker’s STEM Council. Ms. Cameron, who studied sociology at BSU, with a minor in psychology, teaches at East Bridgewater’s Gordon W. Mitchell School. She also hosts the podcast STEAM Up the Classroom and wrote a book, Awesome Brain Games for Kids: STEAM Puzzles and Facts for Curious Minds.
Professor’s Contributions Recognized With Top State Award
Dr. Kevin Duquette, professor of counselor education, earned the Massachusetts School Counselors Association’s Counselor Educator of the Year award. The association works statewide for the promotion, improvement and expansion of guidance and counseling. The award recognizes a counselor educator who has made outstanding contributions in teaching, research and/or service, and is making significant contributions to the school counseling field.
Dean Elected to National Board
Dr. Lisa Krissoff Boehm, dean of the College of Graduate Studies, was elected to a
three-year term on the executive board of the Urban History Association, which supports and encourages the historical study and teaching of cities, suburbs and metropolitan regions in all time periods throughout the world.
Athletics Department Earns LGBTQ Award
BSU’s Department of Athletics and Recreation was named the 2020 Division III LGBTQ Athletics Department of the Year. This was the first year the NCAA has given the award, which recognizes a Division III athletic department or conference office that has demonstrated proactive efforts to create and sustain an LGBTQ-inclusive culture. Through collaboration with the university’s Pride Center, a new student-athlete diversity inclusion committee was created that will focus on education and programming to create a more inclusive experience for all student-athletes.