FMU presents 2021-22 academic awards

Francis Marion University’s highest academic achievers were honored during the school’s annual awards celebration.

FMU’s Academic Awards Program, which took place in Chapman Auditorium on the university’s main campus Monday night, is an annual recognition of the university’s top students. The awards are selected by appointed committees and faculty of each academic department.

FMU presented six university-wide awards recognizing overall academic performance across all disciplines. Taylor Boatwright received the President’s Undergraduate Research Award, which was presented by FMU President Dr. Fred Carter. 

Other university-wide honors included the Marlboro Pee Dee Electric Cooperative Scholars Award, presented to Payton Russo. Four students received the Duane P. Myers Honors Award: Elizabeth Henry, Dalisay Aldrete, Andrew Howle, and Ashley Prescott. 

Jacob Ballington was presented the Honors Student Advisory Council Award, and the Phi Kappa Phi Award was presented to Dalisay Aldrete. 

Eleven students earned Scholastic Achievement Awards, presented by FMU Provost Dr. Peter King: Dalisay Aldrete, Taylor Boatwright, Rylee Bodny, Jessica Butler, Elizabeth Henry, Alex Hweitt, Andrew Howle, Sophia Mitropoulos, Greson McIntyre, Ashley Prescott, and Sierra Sconzo.

The winners of FMU’s academic department awards are categorized below:

College of Liberal Arts

Department of Biology

Outstanding Senior Biology Award – Ke’Ziyah Williamson

Excellence in Biology Research Award – Connor Purvis

Promising Sophomore Biology Award – Clayton Tiller

Department of Chemistry

General Chemistry Award – Kaitlyn Robinson & Thinh Tran

Organic Chemistry Award – Jessica Butler

Analytical Chemistry Award – Daivon Pressley

Outstanding Chemistry Major – Rylee Bodony

W.H. Breazeale Chemistry Major Award – Rylee Bodony

Department of English and Modern Languages

English Award – Avniel Duncan & Ja’Leese Castro

McCrimmon Writing Award – Tabitha Modrell

Playwriting-Screenwriting Award – Ethan Wasche

Katharine S. Boling Memorial Award in Fiction – Daelin Tripp

Richard B. Larsen Memorial Award – Stephen Josey

Robert R. Parham Poetry Award – August Stelzer

Donna H. Goodman Community Service Award – Chastity Johnson

Modern Language Award – Lux Reynolds

Peggy Love McLaughlin Art Award – Ada Smolen-Morton

Department of Fine Arts

Music Industry Award – Taiya Aldridge

Department of History

History Award – Elizabeth Henry

Department of Mass Communication

Mass Communication Award – Lesley Willard

Department of Mathematics

Mathematics Award – Taylor Boatwright, Dalton Buffkin, and Sarah Harkins

Department of Physics and Engineering

Engineering Technology Award – Miguel Arellano-Guevara

Health Physics Award – Anilu Diaz

Computational Physics Award – Garrett Terry

Industrial Engineering Award – Justin Addison

Mechanical Engineering Award – Devin Warren

Department of Political Science

Neal D. Thigpen Award in South Carolina Politics and Government – Kennedi Thomas

Eileen L. Kirley-Tallon Political Science Award – Jonathan Chase Murray

Department of Psychology

Douglas A. Mandra Memorial Award in Applied Psychology – Alyssa Beall and Hallsy Kellar

L.A. Hoff Psychology Research Award – Ethan Wasche

Mike Jordan Psychology Award – Andrew Howle

Linda M. Summer Social Work Award – Hannah Braddock

Sociology Award – Aaliyah Covington

School of Education

Thomas W. Sills Memorial Award – Amber Solis

James E. Potterfield Award – Dalisay Aldrete

Art Education Award – Emily Thompson Viering

Secondary Education Award – Taylor Boatwright

School of Business

Accounting Award – Julianna Barfield

Computer Science Award – Roland Vu

Economics Award – Michael Rials

Management Award – Sophia Mitropoulos

Management Information Systems Award – Ryan Taylor

Marketing Award – Alvaro Zamora-Sanchez

Finance Award – Jacob Ballington

School of Health Sciences

Healthcare Administration Award – Jacob Tootle

Undergraduate Nursing Award – Nicolette Falvey

Graduate Nursing Award – Julia Sauls

Speech-Language Pathology Award – Velma Mewborn-Bender