2016 awards reception honors students, faculty and staff

The School of Geographical Sciences and Urban Planning is fortunate to have many talented and energetic students, faculty and staff.  The annual awards reception, now in its 25th year, gives an opportunity to recognize some outstanding individuals in all three groups.

Incoming school director Dr. Trisalyn Nelson
welcomes reception participants.

This year’s reception took place May 6, 2016 at ASU’s Karsten Golf Course.

A highlight of this year’s event was a welcome by incoming school director Trisalyn Nelson. As part of her comments she described the pivotal impact of a scholarship on her own career.

This year’s reception for the first time featured two student-driven faculty awards.  SGSUP students voted lecturer Scott Kelley as Geography Professor of the Year, and chose as Joochul Kim as Urban Planning Professor of the Year. Selection of the awardees was coordinated by the Student Planning Association at ASU and the ASU chapter of Gamma Theta Upsilon, the geography honor society.

Professor Breandán Ó hUallacháin served as emcee, and the reception was organized by Amy Mercado, assistant to the director, with guidance from assistant director Nick Ray.

Awards and awardees included:

Undergraduate Student Awards

• Dean’s Medal Award for the Dec. 2015 Graduation: Emily Kaba, Justin Peterson
• Dean’s Medal Award for the May 2016 Graduation: Andrew Rogge
• Ray Henkel Award for Scholastic Excellence: Kira Frost

Masters’ Student Awards

• AICP Outstanding Planning Student Award: Bailey DuBois
• APA – Federal Planning Division Award: Trevor Hawkes
• Andy Soesilo Environmental Planning Award: Adenike Opejin
• Balling Family GIS Fellowship: Madison Davis
• Gage Davis Associates Urban Planning Travel Scholarship: Cara Nassar & Allison Shinn
• Mary R. Kihl Leadership Award: Rebecca Santiago
• SGSUP Urban Planning Travel Awards: Saud AlKhaled, Catherine Musili, Cara Nassar, Allison Shin

Research Awards

• Anthony J. Brazel Research Award: Taylor Oshan & Melissa Wagner
• Matthew G. Bailey Scholarship Award: Shalae Flores & Jonathan Bratt
• Melvin G. Marcus Memorial Fellowship: Renee Elder & Beth Tellman