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The University of New England’s 2016 Annual Biddeford Campus Awards Ceremony, held on April 19, recognized graduate and undergraduate students and faculty who have excelled in scholarship and in their contributions to the University’s collegiate community.

Amy Keirstead, Ph.D., associate professor in the Department of Chemistry and Physics, received the Debra J. Summers Award for Teaching Excellence.   Created by students and named for a former Business Department faculty member, the yearly award is given by the Undergraduate Student Government (USG) to a professor who has inspired and motivated students to realize their full potential.  Undergraduate students from across the Biddeford Campus submit nominations for the award, and nominees are asked to submit personal statements and a curriculum vitae.  A USG committee selects the recipient.  Keirstead also received this award in 2011. Other nominees for this year’s award were Susan Bell, Sarah Gorham, Richard Peterson, David Sandmire and Courtney Vannah.

The prestigious Jacques Downs Award for Academic Excellence went to Megan E. Perry (Biochemistry and Applied Mathematics).    Named for a beloved history professor whose career spanned years at both St. Francis and É«ÏãÊÓƵ, the award is given yearly to the most accomplished student in the senior class. Perry’s award history is unprecedented, as she won all three Awards for Academic Excellence in her sophomore, junior and senior years.  At this ceremony, she was also honored with Outstanding Student Awards for the Departments of Chemistry and Physics and Mathematical Sciences. Her parents, Dawn and Kevin Perry, were able to watch the event on-line from their home in Derby, Vermont. Other nominees were Shannon Cardinal, Meghan Gribbin, Jotham Illuminati, Gwendolyn Pelletier and Peter Swan.

Awards for Academic Excellence in the junior and sophomore years went to Jessica Colpoys (’17), a Sport and Recreation Management major/Business Administration minor, and to Kayla Burgess (’18), a Marine science-Marine Biology major/Applied Mathematics minor, respectively.

The Undergraduate Research and Scholarship Awards were presented to the students most accomplished in their research activities in their chosen disciplines. Janelle Sherman (’16), who double majored in Psychology and English, won the award for the Social Sciences, Humanities, Business or Arts category, while Emily Warner (Neuroscience major/ Sociology minor, ’16) received the award for the Natural Sciences, and Kaylee Pobocik (Athletic Training major, ’16) won for Medicine or Public Health.

Aidan McParland, a student in the Master of Biological Sciences program (’17) received the Graduate Student Award for Excellence in Research.

Other awards presented at the ceremony included the Graduate Student Award for Excellence in Research and Teaching (Christopher Powers; Master of Marine Sciences ’17); the Student Leader Award (Carlos Aguero; Applied Mathematics major/Political Science minor, ’16); the Community Service Award (Samantha Cottone; Health, Wellness and Occupational Studies major/Nutrition minor, ’16); the Global Education Award (Morgan Hill; Medical Biology major/Art Therapy minor, ’16); the Experiential Education Award (Sarah Hoover; Social and Cultural Studies major/Education and Latin American Studies minors ’16); and the Scholar Athlete Awards (Lauren Hayden; Psychology major/Mathematics and Art Therapy minors, ’16; and Cameron Vallie Athletic Training major ’16).

Winners of the Alumni Scholarship Essay Contest and inductees into various Honor Societies were also recognized in the ceremony as were the winners of Academic Department Awards:

Department of Creative and Fine Arts

Emily Corey (’16) Marine Sciences-Marine Biology major; Art minor

Department of Biology—Aquaculture and Aquarium Science

Britni Harris (’16) Aquaculture and Aquarium Science major; Animal Behavior minor

Department of Biology – Medical Biology

Rebecca Green (’16) Medical Biology major; Neuroscience and Nutrition minors

Department of Business – Business Administration

Kristin Dechene (’16) Psychology major

Department of Business – Communications

Liam Granucci (’16) Communications major

Department of Business – Sport and Recreation Management

Meghan Gribbin (’16) Sport Management major

Department of Chemistry and Physics

Megan Perry (’16) Biochemistry major

Department of Education – Elementary Level

Blake Reidy (’16) – Elementary Education K-8 major

Department of English

Halie Pruitt (’16) Marine Science-Marine Biology major

Department of Environmental Studies – Environmental Science

Sarah Fleischmann (’16) Environmental Science major

Kate Hruby (’16) Environmental Science major; Marine Science-Oceanography and Biophysics minors

Catherine Santarpio (’16) Animal Behavior major

Alexander Batcheller (’16) Environmental Studies major

Department of History and Philosophy -- History

Shannon Cardinal (’16) History and English majors; Education and Women’s and Gender Studies minors

Department of History and Philosophy -- Philosophy

Benjamin Harwood (’17) Liberal Studies major

Department of Marine Sciences

Gwendolyn Pelletier (’17) Marine Science-Marine Biology major

Department of Marine Sciences-Marine Biology

Jessica Antonez (’16) Marine Science-Marine Biology major; Environmental Studies minor

Department of Marine Sciences – Oceanography

Ethan Wester (’17) Marine Science-Oceanography major

Department of Marine Sciences –Ocean Studies and Marine Affairs

Abigail Doane (’16) Ocean Studies-Marine Affairs major; Environmental Studies and Latin American Studies minors

Department of Mathematical Sciences

Megan Perry (’16) Biochemistry major

Department of Political Science

Megan Swenton (’16) Marine Science-Marine Biology major

Department of Psychology – Animal Behavior

Catherine Santarpio (’16) Animal Behavior major

Department of Psychology – Neuroscience

Emily Warner (’16) Neuroscience major; Sociology minor

Department of Psychology – Psychology

Janelle Sherman (’16) Psychology and English majors

Department of Society, Culture and Languages

Jotham Illuminati (’16) Medical Biology major

Women’s and Gender Studies Program

Shannon Cardinal (’16) History and English majors; Education and Women’s and Gender Studies minors