Twenty-four graduate students have been selected as the recipients of two prestigious annual awards. Twenty graduate students have been chosen as this year's Outstanding Graduate Students, and four doctoral students are the recipients of the Merriwether Fellowship.
The Merriwether Fellowship is awarded to doctoral students who show great promise in their academic field and provides a $2,000 stipend. The Merriwether was first awarded in 1971 as a result of an anonymous donation in honor of Harry Merriwether, a 1943 Auburn graduate.
The Outstanding Graduate Student award is given to 10 students at the master's level, and 10 at the doctoral level.
Christy Blevins, doctoral student in psychology; Hamed Ghaednia, doctoral student in mechanical engineering; Graham McGinnis, doctoral student in kinesiology; and Hans Saint-Eloi Cadely, doctoral student in human development and family studies have been selected to receive the Merriwether Fellowship.
"The application process started at the departmental level and then moved to the graduate school," Blevins said. "(The nomination) was unexpected, and I was proud to be representing the psychology department at the graduate school level of the process."
Prospective candidates of the Merriwether foundation are nominated by faculty members of each department. The department chair then chooses one nominee to represent the department, and a special committee in the Graduate Council decides on the four winners.
Blevin's said she felt honored to have won.
"The award is about professional promise, and winning makes me feel deeply grateful to the important mentors in my life who have challenged and supported me," Blevins said.
Frank Weathers, professor of psychology and nominator of Blevins, said Blevins would have numerous peer-reviewed articles and book chapters by the time she completes her internship and receives her Ph.D.
"What is remarkable about Christy is that she has excelled in all aspects of her doctoral training. She is, of course, a standout in the classroom," Weathers said. "Beyond that, though, she is a very productive researcher and has already made important contributions to the scientific literature on psychological trauma, PTSD, and dissociation."
Many department faculty members looked for candidates who displayed competence in many facets of their field, instead of merely one.
"I think the diversity of research methods and the variety of topics that I worked on during my Ph.D. are important factors on my resume," Ghaednia said. "Since I began my Ph.D. at Auburn University I have had the opportunity to work on a variety of topics, and my research has been very successful in producing tangible results, which is another positive factor."
Some students believe their perseverance in less appealing focuses of study led to their nomination.
"Some of my work has also focused on psychological measurement, an area most people find supremely boring, so I may have received bonus points for that," Blevins said.
Recipients of the Merriwether Fellowship expressed that they were surprised and honored to be chosen.
"I am honestly thrilled. Comically, due to the recent move to our new building, my notification letter was mixed up in the mail, so a congratulatory email from a friend served as my unofficial award announcement," McGinnis said. "Receiving an award like this is extremely motivating and I look forward to my last year with Auburn University and the Department of Kinesiology."
Despite the recipients' surprise, faculty members felt like their nominees were the obvious choice.
"(Cadely) has multiple peer-reviewed publications, some that he wrote while still an undergraduate. He has written a grant proposal, and is a co-author on a book chapter," said Jennifer Kerpelman, professor of human development and family studies. "He has received recognition and honors during his undergraduate career and also as one of Auburn University's Outstanding Masters' Students."
Winners of the Outstanding Doctoral Student award include David Branscomb, polymer and fiber engineering; Yating Chai, materials engineering; Leanne Dillard, animal sciences; Ting Li, Entomology and Plant Pathology; Xiu-Lei Mo, Anatomy, Physiology and Pharmacology; Mahmoud Moeini Sedeh, mechanical engineering; Laura Morgan, human development and family studies; Benjamin Newcomer, pathobiology; Hema Ramsurn, chemical engineering; and Kimberly Smith, curriculum and teaching.
Winners of the Outstanding Master's Student award include Joel Abrahams, geology and geography; Lauren Behnke, forestry and wildlife sciences; Kristen Courtney, mathematics and statistics; Julie Davis, fisheries and allied aquacultures; Zach DeVries, entomology and plant pathology; Laura Elmer, English; Colin Haser, chemical engineering; Hyeon Lee, mechanical engineering; Elaine Norton, clinical sciences; and Allen Sabey, human development and family studies.
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