Awards
Students in the Department of Communication Studies are among the most active and lauded at UNCW. It's quite common for our majors to occupy elected and voluntary leadership positions, including service as student body officers or student government association legislators. Others choose to become active members of one or more of our student organizations: Communication Studies Society, Lambda Pi Eta Honor Society, Storytelling in the Community Program, and UNCW Advertising Chapter (for more information about these organizations navigate to Clubs of Interest on the left side column).
COM majors often complete the Honors Scholars Program and/or Departmental Honors Projects. They regularly graduate with academic distinction (magna cum laude, summa cum laude, cum laude).
Student, alumni, and staff recipients of campus-wide or departmental honors are as follows:
| Spring 2018 Departmental Honors | |
|---|---|
|
Katie Solinski |
Academic Achievement Award |
|
Morgan Garrett |
Academic Achievement Award |
|
K. Layne Smith |
Undergraduate Research Award |
|
Group Recognition: Farzona Usmanova, Katie Kromer and Nia Crerar |
Outstanding Leadership Award |
|
Jacob Sugg |
Cunningham Department Exemplar |
|
Kara Pike Inman |
Department Service Award |
|
Daniel Mansson |
Distinguished Alumnus |
|
Ryan McPherson |
Digital Media Production Student Award |
|
Sarah Tamer |
Digital Media Production Student Award |
|
Cameron Abresch |
Outstanding Performance Achievement Award |
|
Stephanie Spencer |
IMC Achievement Award |
|
Olivia Nilsson |
IMC Achievement Award |
|
Betsy Aguirre |
Achievements in Journalism Award |
|
Jacob Sugg |
Graduation Speaker |
| Fall 2017 Departmental Honors | |
|---|---|
|
Corin J. Sponsler |
Academic Achievement Award |
|
Rebecca M. Fernandez |
Outstanding Leadership Award |
|
Will A. Ryman |
Undergraduate Research Award |
|
Kathryn Holiday Tucker |
Cunningham Department Exemplar |
|
Damien A. Capps |
Cunningham Department Exemplar |
|
Robert C. Seagle |
Department Service Award |
|
Damien A. Capps |
Digital Media Production Student Award |
|
Gilbert Niez |
Outstanding Performance Achievement Award |
|
Benjamin L. Yerby |
IMC Achievement Award |
|
Rebecca M. Fernandez |
Graduation Speaker |
| Spring 2017 Departmental Honors | |
|---|---|
| Taylor A. Vaughan | Academic Achievement Award |
|
Laura J. Rojas |
Outstanding Leadership Award |
| Nicole C. Licari | Undergraduate Research Award |
| Mary C. Benton | Cunningham Department Exemplar |
|
Holly McGrory |
Cunningham Department Exemplar |
|
Meghan M. Black |
Digital Media Production Student Award |
|
Inga R. Delts |
Outstanding Performance Achievement Award |
| Kyndall S. DySard | IMC Achievement Award |
| Mandy Smith | CSS Ryan Alea Young Achievement |
| Alexandra “Lexi” Annamaria Forrester | Graduation Speaker |
| Fall 2016 Departmental Honors | |
|---|---|
|
Bethany H. Milford |
Academic Achievement Award |
|
Kirk A. Robertson |
Outstanding Leadership Award |
| Jonathan T. Callahan | Undergraduate Research Award |
| Jared C. Daye | Department Exemplar Award |
|
Digital Media Production Student |
Digital Media Production Student Award |
|
Marle A. Mattingly |
Performance Achievement Award |
| Jacob D. Norris | Achievements in Journalism |
| Bethany H. Milford | Graduation Speaker |
| Spring 2016 Departmental Honors | |
|---|---|
| Aki Suzuki | Academic Achievement Award |
|
Tabitha Barth |
Outstanding Leadership Award |
| Meleah Lewis | Undergraduate Research Award |
| Davey Hatcher | Department Exemplar Award |
|
Trahern MacLean |
Department Service Award |
|
Morgan Huffman |
CSS Ryan Alea Young Achievement |
|
Mikaela Fleming |
Performance Achievement Award |
| Kristin Crawford | Digital Media Production Student Award |
| Tess Bargebuhr | Achievements in Journalism |
| Luke Matheney | Graduation Speaker |
| Fall 2015 Departmental Honors | |
|---|---|
|
Alexandra Greene |
Academic Achievement Award |
|
Patrick Wagner |
Outstanding Leadership Award |
| Hunter Vay Houtzer | Undergraduate Research Award |
| Whitney Freeman | Department Exemplar Award |
|
Kaitlin Baird |
Performance Achievement Award |
| Joseph Lowe | Achievements in Journalism |
|
Nolan Hardy |
Graduation Speaker |
| Spring 2015 Departmental Honors | |
|---|---|
|
Esme Fussell |
Academic Achievement Award |
|
Laura Garmany |
Outstanding Leadership Award |
| Olivia Sadler | Undergraduate Research Award |
| Tiffany Capps | Department Exemplar Award |
|
Amy Jackson |
CSS Ryan Alea Young Achievement |
|
Blake Cissel |
Outstanding Performance Achievement Award |
| Trahern MacLean | Digital Media Production Student of the Year Award |
| Kaitlyn Russell | Achievements in Journalism |
| Trahern MacLean | Graduation Speaker |
| Fall 2014 Departmental Honors | |
|---|---|
|
Jenna Drescher |
Academic Achievement Award |
|
Karina Villalobos |
Outstanding Leadership Award |
| Lauryn Justice | Undergraduate Research Award |
| Bobby Huckabee | Department Exemplar Award |
| Summer Saunders | Performance Studies Achievement Award |
|
Summer Saunders |
Graduation Speaker |
| Spring 2014 Departmental Honors | |
|---|---|
|
Autumn Brown |
Academic Achievement Award |
|
Casey Milliken |
Undergraduate Research Award |
|
Heidi Stecher |
Core Skills Award |
|
Patrick McCarthy |
Distinguished Alumnus |
| Jessica Coleman | CSS Ryan Alea Young Achievement |
|
Logan Cobb |
Studio Video Production Student of the Year |
|
Connor Buss |
Field Video Production Student of the Year |
|
Hannah Brewer |
Performance and Community Engagement Award |
| Fall 2013 Departmental Honors | |
|---|---|
|
Erin Churchill |
Academic Achievement Award |
|
Chad Darrah |
Core Skills Award |
| Cortney Aherron | Outstanding Leadership Award |
| Lauren Busch | Undergraduate Research Award |
| Chelsea Gloria | Storyteller's Achievement Award |
| Spring 2013 Departmental Honors | |
|---|---|
|
Trevor Bray |
Academic Achievement Award |
|
Matthew Heiniger |
Academic Achievement Award |
| Julianna Andrews | CSS Ryan Alea Young Achievement |
| Lauren Habig | Department Exemplar |
| David P. Cordle | Department Service Award |
| Joy Ellis | Outstanding Leadership Award |
| Ryan Kramer, Alexandra Nevill, Elaine Petitgout, Alyssa Portera & Andrew Wahlund | Performance and Community Engagement |
| Kelsey Barbour | Perseverance Award |
| Alexandra Huss | Undergraduate Research Award |
| Carly Tanner | Field Video Production of the Year |
| Anthony Hughes | Studio Video Production of the Year |
| Fall 2012 Departmental Honors | |
|---|---|
|
Sarah Sinese |
Academic Achievement Award |
|
Katharine Fiorentino |
Academic Achievement Award |
| Susan Claire Outlaw | Outstanding Leadership Award |
| Caroline Merrill | Undergraduate Research Award |
| Hannah Miller | Undergraduate Research Award |
| Stacey Pinno | Video Student of the Year |
| Spring 2012 Departmental Honors | |
|---|---|
Tara Hardy |
Academic Achievement Award |
Teal TV |
Departmental Service Award |
| Justin Queen | Distinguished Alumnus |
| Micaela Fouhy | Outstanding Leadership Award |
| Max Lit | Undergraduate Research Award |
| Nate Galluppi | Video Student of the Year |
| Fall 2011 Departmental Honors | |
|---|---|
Lisa Huynh |
Academic Achievement Award |
Catherine Gray |
Departmental Service Award |
| Allison Day | Outstanding Leadership Award |
| Mary Katherine Magnuson | Perseverance Award |
| Lisa Huynh | Undergraduate Research Award |
| 2010-2011 Departmental Honors | |
|---|---|
William Alex Moore, Kelsey Myers, Brittany Mossop |
Academic Achievement Award |
Jerry Bagnell |
Departmental Service Award |
|
Matt Zeher |
Departmental Service Award |
| Joy Davis | Distinguished Alumnus |
| Nishtha Sharma, Rachel Kaylor | Outstanding Leadership Award |
| Lam Trong Tran | Perseverance Award |
| Anna Kate Babnik | Undergraduate Research Award |
| Andy Siravanta | Video Student of the Year |
| 2009-2011 Departmental Honors | |
|---|---|
Rachel Kaylor |
Academic Achievement Award |
Lisa Williams |
Departmental Service Award |
Robb Mann |
Departmental Service Award |
| Allyson Corbin | Outstanding Leadership Award |
| Jessica Patterson | Perseverance Award |
| 2008-2009 Departmental Honors | |
|---|---|
Amanda Frasca |
Academic Achievement Award |
| Jonathan Guggenheim | Distinguished Alumnus |
| Chip Bobbert & Dustin Miller (UNCW-TV) | Outstanding Professional Service |
| Joe Browning, Sports Information UNCW | Outstanding Internship Director |
| Beth Averett Tunstall | Undergraduate Research Award |
| 2007-2008 Departmental Honors | |
|---|---|
Amanda Cloninger |
Academic Achievement Award |
Amanda Frasca |
Communication Studies Society Achievement Award |
| James Fulcher | Distinguished Alumnus |
| Chris Carlton | Outstanding Leadership Award |
| Dana Wardt (ITSD) | Outstanding Professional Service |
| Blair Fetner | Outstanding Student of the Year: Storytelling in the Community |
| Lanira Murphy | Perseverance Award |
| 2006-2007 Departmental Honors | |
|---|---|
| Thomas Miers | Academic Achievement Award |
| Steven Nelson & Chris Reavis | Alumni Service |
| Hayley Lovitt | Communication Studies Society Achievement Award |
| Kiara Jones | Distinguished Alumnus |
| Ashleigh DiPaulo | Outstanding Leadership Award |
| Debbie Whiting & Hayley Lovitt (COM Studies) | Outstanding Professional Service |
| Linda Adkins (College of Arts & Sciences) | Outstanding Professional Service |
| Paula Greene (Registrar) | Outstanding Professional Service |
| Trina Mintern | Outstanding Student of the Year: Storytelling in the Community |
| Megan Cross | Perseverance Award |
| 2005-2006 Departmental Honors | |
|---|---|
| Heart Song Fowler Foxworth | Academic Achievement Award |
| Shane Fernando | Outstanding Alumnus |
| Mimi Cunningham (UNCW University Relations) | Outstanding Internship Supervisor |
| Aaron Whitesell | Outstanding Leadership Award |
|
Dr. Randy Bobbitt, Faculty Advisor Public Relations Student Network (PRSN) |
Outstanding Professional Service |
|
David Bollinger, Faculty Advisor Lambda Pi Eta Honor Society (LPH) |
Outstanding Professional Service |
|
Jennifer Chin, Faculty Advisor Communication Studies Society (CSS) |
Outstanding Professional Service |
|
Dr. Hana Noor Al-Deen, Faculty Advisor UNCW Advertising Chapter (UAC) |
Outstanding Professional Service |
|
Richard Pezzuolo, Faculty Advisor Student Body Television (SBTV) |
Outstanding Professional Service |
|
Dr. Carole Tallant, Drirector Storytelling in the Community |
Outstanding Professional Service |
| 2004-2005 Departmental Honors | |
|---|---|
| Molly Seidler | Academic Achievement Award |
| Shana Dellinger MacEwan | Outstanding Alumnus |
| Missy Andrus (NextMedia Group Wilmington) | Outstanding Internship Supervisor |
| Megan Coffren | Outstanding Leadership Award |
|
Linda Peay & Susan Lanier (COM Studies) |
Outstanding Professional Service |
|
Molly Seidler |
Communication Studies Outstanding Achievement Award |
|
Erin Bidwell |
UNCW Advertising Chapter Leadership Award |
|
Colleen Screen |
UNCW Advertising Chapter Newsletter Editor Award |
|
Malia Collins, Robin King, Cari Rafal and Christie Rhodes |
UNCW Advertising Chapter Service Appreciation Awards |
|
Jensen Adams |
Cornerstone Pandion Society Woman of the Year |
| Matthew Cox | Cornerstone Linda Moore Award |
|
Rhonda Aldridge, Megan Coffren, Matthew Cox, Emmy de Visser, Kacey Gaumer and Dayna Hairston |
Cornerstone Distinguished Service Awards |
|
Jensen Adams, Keturi Delong & Jessica Jones |
Cornerstone Senior Medallion Awards |
| Mark Esposito, Larry Pakowski, Laura Smith and Jennifer Vieira | Cornerstone Leadership Excellence Awards |
| Megan Coffren | UNCW Outstanding Student Organization Leader |
