The NSU Farquhar College of Arts and Sciences hosted the annual Spring Honors Banquet on Apr. 11 at the Signature Grand in Davie, recognizing students in NSU’s Undergraduate Honors Program for their academic accomplishments and excellence. More than 350 people—including NSU Honors students, alumni, administration, faculty, family members, and friends—convened for the celebration.
Don Rosenblum, Ph.D., dean of the college, opened the formal dinner and ceremony by sharing insights about the Honors student experience at NSU. For example, Honors students participate in more than 115 student clubs and organizations and account for more than 630 memberships and nearly 100 officer positions; 18 Honors students are athletes in eight sports; more than half of the students in Dual Admissions are Honors students; and the average cumulative GPA for this year’s graduating Honors students is 3.66.
Following dinner, two guest speakers addressed the audience. Speaking on behalf of students, Marissa Hoffman, a graduating secondary mathematics education major at the Abraham S. Fischler School of Education, shared what the word “honor” means to her, her classmates, and alumni of the program who exemplify Honors Program values in professional and academic fields across the globe.
Representing the faculty, Dimitrios Giarikos, Ph.D., associate professor and assistant director of the college’s Division of Math, Science, and Technology, spoke about why he and his colleagues teach. Among several reasons, Giarikos said, “we want to make a difference in students’ lives.”
Next, more than 20 Honors Program alumni took the stage to share “where they are now.” Awards were then presented to the 2013–2014 Honors Advocates: Desiree Kennedy, Sheena Jain, Biana Modilevsky, Natalie Negron, Tam Nguyen, Roshni Patel, Neha Siddiqui, and Sanne Siska. Advocates are volunteer student leaders who serve as liaisons for the Honors student population and assist in organizing several Honors events throughout the year.
The evening also included the award of General Honors Citations to 39 students. These citations are granted to graduating seniors who have met the program’s GPA and Honors coursework requirements and maintained active participation in the Honors Program and related events.
Three students also received recognition for earning Divisional Honors Citations. This prestigious achievement includes the completion and successful defense of an honors thesis, akin to graduate-level work. Recipients were computer science major Jeremy Cantor, psychology major Katie Dabrowski, and accounting major Megan Mihalko, who is the first student from the H. Wayne Huizenga School of Business and Entrepreneurship to earn the citation.
To conclude the ceremony, seven students were awarded Honors Distinguished Student Scholarships chosen by the college’s Honors faculty members. The award represents outstanding accomplishment and future potential in Honors scholarship and involvement. Additionally, biology major Natalie Negron received the Honors Alumni Student Scholarship, an award co-funded by Rosenblum and Honors Program alumni.
Visit the college’s Photo Gallery to view pictures from the 2014 Spring Honors Banquet, as well as several events hosted by the Farquhar College of Arts and Sciences.