Top students honored by College of Engineering, Computing and Applied Sciences

Some of the top students in the College of Engineering, Computing and Applied Sciences were lauded Tuesday in a ceremony recognizing them for accomplishments in a number of areas, including scholarship, character and service.

Family, friends and supporters joined the students in the Madren Conference Center ballroom for the annual Honors and Awards ceremony.

Anand Gramopadhye, the college’s dean, thanked the parents, congratulated the students and urged them to continue seeking truth and knowledge and to strive to make the world a better place.

“In the end, the mark of an educated man or woman is measured by their contributions that benefit society,” Gramopadhye said. “I look forward to living in the world you create. Exceed our expectations!”

This year’s honorees included two who are also Goldwater Scholars, Arabella Hunter and Jennifer Briglio, and one who has received a Graduate Research Fellowship from the National Science Foundation. The awards, both highly competitive, underscore the caliber of student honored at the ceremony.

This year’s college-level awards and their winners are listed below. You can also hear from the winners themselves in a series of videos that were shown at the ceremony and will be posted on the college’s social media channels here: Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn.

SAMUEL B. EARLE AWARD

Maria Elizabeth Christenbury, Senior, Mechanical Engineering

Dr. Samuel B. Earle was director of the Engineering Department from 1911 to 1933 and dean of the School of Engineering from 1933 to 1950. The Samuel B. Earle Award is given in his honor to the most outstanding senior in engineering on the basis of scholarship and character.

OUTSTANDING UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCHER AWARD

Josh Arrington, Senior, Mechanical Engineering

The Outstanding Undergraduate Researcher Award is given to one undergraduate researcher who has been recognized by faculty for having shown outstanding research potential in their field of study.

ROBERT W. MOORMAN AWARD

Arabella Rose Hunter, Senior, Materials Science and Engineering

Dr. Robert W. Moorman was the son of Commandant Thomas Moorman, a graduate in civil engineering and head of the Engineering Mechanics Department from 1958 to 1974. The Robert W. Moorman Award is given in his honor to the most outstanding junior in engineering on the basis of scholarship and character.

OUTSTANDING SENIOR IN THE SCHOOL OF COMPUTING OR APPLIED SCIENCES

Jennifer Briglio, Senior, Geology

This award is given to the outstanding senior in the School of Computing or Applied Sciences and recognizes scholarship, character and other factors demonstrating the recipient’s integrity in the field of Computing and Applied Sciences.

PHI KAPPA PHI CERTIFICATE OF MERIT

Nicholas Isaiah Deas, Senior, School of Computing

The honoree must be a graduating senior with a GPA of 3.4 or above and have made noteworthy contributions in areas such as leadership, service and creative endeavors to his or her department, college and Clemson University.

J. WESLEY DAVIS LEADERSHIP AWARD

Ashley Babinchak, Senior, Bioengineering

The J. Wesley Davis Leadership Award is given in memory of Dr. J. Wesley Davis, a graduate of Clemson University in electrical engineering and a former president of the Clemson University Engineering Foundation. This award is given to a senior engineering student for outstanding scholarship, leadership in a student engineering organization, and high potential for success in the engineering profession.

BLUE KEY ACADEMIC AND LEADERSHIP AWARD

Douglas Keith Stewart, Senior, Civil Engineering

As a result of funds generated from Tigerama, an endowment has been established to give an award to one student in each of the seven colleges at the university who has distinguished himself or herself in academic scholarship and campus leadership.

OUTSTANDING GRADUATE TEACHING ASSISTANT AWARD

Di Nguyen, Industrial Engineering

The Outstanding Graduate Teaching Assistant Award is given to graduate assistants who have been recognized by the faculty, students and fellow graduate teaching assistants as exemplary in undergraduate teaching.

OUTSTANDING GRADUATE RESEARCHER AWARD

Moses Namara, School of Computing

The Outstanding Graduate Researcher Award is given to one graduate researcher who has been recognized by faculty for having conducted outstanding research during the school year.

ROBERT W. SNELSIRE DIVERSITY PRIZE

Maddy Counts, Senior, Mechanical Engineering

The Robert W. Snelsire Diversity Prize honors the memory of Dr. Bob Snelsire, a professor of electrical engineering who was also a champion of underrepresented students in the college. This award recognizes a student who has been of service to PEER, Programs for Educational Enrichment and Retention, or WISE, the Women in Science and Engineering Program.

JACQUELWYN WILLIS ANTHONY AWARD

Jourden Brown, Senior, Materials Science and Engineering

This award, established by alumna Janine Anthony Bowen, honors her mother as a source of inspiration and encouragement during her college career. This award is presented to a student for distinguished service to PEER, which is the support network for minority students in the College of Engineering, Computing and Applied Sciences.