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Wilder School faculty, students recognized with end-of-year awards

With the closing of another academic year imminent, VCU’s L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs recognized many of its exemplary students, faculty, and staff at annual year-end awards ceremonies held in April.

Five faculty and staff were recognized for distinguished teaching and early career scholarship during an All Personnel Meeting on April 19, and more than 100 students were honored during a Student Recognition Ceremony and Reception held on April 25. Dean Susan T. Gooden, Ph.D., and Senior Associate Dean of Faculty and Academic Affairs RaJade M. Berry-James, Ph.D., presided over both ceremonies. Congratulations to our faculty, student honorees, and scholarship recipients! 

The following faculty and staff members were honored during the All Personnel Meeting on April 19. 

Distinguished Adjunct Award

Sean DesJardins, Ph.D.

Distinguished Service Award

Sarah Raskin, Ph.D.

Excellence in Teaching Award

Benjamin Young, Ph.D.  

Service Excellence Award

Deborah Taminger

New Employee Award

Rachel Zeeve 

 

The following students were honored during the Wilder School Student Recognition and Awards Ceremony held on April 25. 

Student Program Awards 

Outstanding Scholar Award 

Thomas Meade, MPA  

 

Outstanding Public Service Award 

Amy Wight, MPA

 

Outstanding Leadership Award

Elizabeth Harden, MPA

 

Outstanding Graduate Award

Charles Perdue, HSEP

 

Undergraduate Award

Abigail Houchin 

Outstanding Criminal Justice Undergraduate

Sophia Macchiarolo, CRJS

Outstanding Criminal Justice Graduate

Meredith Short, CRJS

Outstanding Doctoral Student

Amy Clifton-Mills, PPAD

Marijean Hawthorne Excellence in Writing Award

Julia Tracy, MURP

American Planning Association, Virginia Chapter, Outstanding Student Award (Undergraduate)

Diana Hall, USRSP

American Institute of Certified Planners Outstanding Student Award

Molly Frey, MURP

American Planning Association, Virginia Chapter, Outstanding Student Award (Graduate)

Alessandro Ragazzi, MURP

Peter Schultz Award for Outstanding Performance (Undergraduate)

Ashley Brown, URSP

Peter Schultz Award for Outstanding Performance (Undergraduate)

Ethan Wright, URSP

Black History in the Making 

Te-ah Washington, CRJS

Derek Brown, MPA

JaQue Patterson, HSEP

 

Graduate Scholarship Recipients 

Leigh E. Grosenick Scholarship

Amidu Kalokoh, PPAD

Excellence in Virginia Awards Scholarship

Sean Sukol, MPA

Eva S. Hardy Scholarship in Public Administration

Charles Miller, MPA

Eva S. Hardy Scholarship in Public Administration

Tyrrah Rock, MPA

John Marlles Scholarship

Andrew Bunn, MURP 

VLGMA Temple Scholarship in Public Administration

Stephanie Collins, MPA

Jeffrey S. Cribbs, Sr. Scholarship in Philanthropy

Aldhibi Meelad, HSEP

Jeffrey S. Cribbs, Sr. Scholarship in Philanthropy

Katie (Kathleen) Brown, MURP

Edward E. Willey Graduate Award for Excellence

Henry Bendon, MPA

Edward E. Willey Graduate Award for Excellence

William Teeples, MURP

Karen Lynn Becker MURP Student Scholarship

Katherine Miller, MURP

Wilder Merit

Kamal Alhassan, PPAD

Elizabeth Roderick Scholarship in Public Administration

Jessica Gonzalez, MPA

John J. Accordino Scholarship

Daniel Rafferty, MURP

Thomas C. and Cathleen C. Burke Scholarship

Katherine Hines, MPA

Robert Holsworth Graduate Student Enrichment Fund

Tucker Keener, MURP

Jacobson Family Planning Scholarship

Daniel Rafferty, MURP

Wilder School Racial Equity & Action Paper & Internship

Charles Miller 

Wilder School Racial Equity & Action Paper & Internship

Isaac Yeboah

Undergraduate Awards & Scholarship Recipients 

Wilder School Racial Equity & Action Paper & Internship

Kelsey Ewell

Lindsey and Larry Bowman Scholarship in Criminal Justice

Caleb Orr

Lindsey and Larry Bowman Scholarship in Criminal Justice

Jada Whitley

James Hooker Memorial Scholarship

Makayla Green

James Hooker Memorial Scholarship

Kiyah Sloane

Tillett Scholarship in Government & Public Affairs

Martha Guerrero

Excellence in Virginia Government Awards Scholarship

Han Vu

Wilder Merit

Sofhia Pineda

Kohlbeck Memorial Scholarship for Service & Excellence

Laila Barnes

Eric W. Witzig Scholarship in Criminal Justice

Leyla Morrison

Eric W. Witzig Scholarship in Criminal Justice

Olivia Wilbourne

Schulz-Porter Endowed Scholarship

Thomas Mendoza

Schulz-Porter Endowed Scholarship

James Faulstich

2023 Virginia Capitol Semester Interns 

Aasha Manns

Ariana Surkes

Arianna Harbert

Christine Cook

Christopher Walz

Edvard Evans

Gia (Pranjal) Goswami

Harper Reed

Isa Merritt

Jacqueline Taube

Kimberly Cortez Lopez

Laila Barnes

Mariam Al-khafaji

Sofhia Pineda

Stephanie Mora

Zachary FitzPatrick

Zoe Cann

2023 Wilder School Student Ambassadors 

Afsheen Ali

Michael Alley

Megan Baker

Emma Baller

Hezha Barzani

Anjewel Bland

Cheyanne Brown

Anthony Burley

Taryn Clemons

Deja Cooke

Alex Crisp

Aynsleigh Escher

Meredith Farmer

Symone Gibbs

Trinitee Gramblin

Diana Hall

Evan Hirsh

Alyssa Holland

Audrey Hovermale

Kayla Howard

Fatima Jaafar

Sarah Kamara

Declan Kilrain

Brittiny Kirkpatrick

Sara Lainez

Darian Lambert

Hannah Pilli

Shawn Rosalez

Riley Rose

Kelsey Russell

Pritesh Singh

Mariah Summers

Nadya Syazsa

Emma Tilley

Israel Torres-Castellanos

Khari Vance

Nahomy Velasquez

Janielle Walker

Justin Wallace

Lauren Waller

Jada Whitley