USM Gulf Park hosts Annual Awards Day Ceremony

Academic achievement, teaching, research, leadership and service by students, faculty, staff and community supporters were recognized April 23 at The University of Southern Mississippi's (USM) Gulf Park Campus in Long Beach during its annual Awards Day Ceremony, held at the Fleming Education Center Auditorium.

Among the ceremony's top awards is the Friendship Oak, given to an outstanding Gulf Coast community member and partner for their continued support and commitment to the USM Gulf Park Campus. This year's recipient of the award is Dr. John Kelly, chief administrative officer (CAO) for the city of Gulfport and a former senior executive with the U.S. Department of Defense.

A former adjunct professor at USM, Dr. Kelly also has a distinguished record of service to charitable organizations, including as chairman of the national board of directors of the American Cancer Society and as a former president and chief volunteer officer for South Mississippi's United Way. He is currently chairman of the National State Board of Education.

Other recipients of recognition at the ceremony include those in the following categories:

*Gulf Coast Faculty Council President: Dr. Westley Follett, honored for service during the 2018-2019 academic year

*Butch Oustalet Distinguished Professorship Research Award: Dr. Christopher Hayes

*Butch Oustalet Distinguished Professorship Service Award: Dr. Kelly Darnell

*Butch Oustalet Distinguished Professorship Teaching Award: Tom Rishel

ACUE Fellows: Dr. Francis Bozzolo, Mary Ann Holt, Dr. Robert Leaf, Dr. Rebecca Powell, Dr. Kelly Stricklin, Linda Hanson.

*Staff Awards and Recognition: Maryanne Anthony, Michelle Fleming, Robin Johnson.

*Students' Choice Award: Tiffany Kirsten.

*Who's Who Among Students at Southern Miss: Undergraduate: Chantel Gary, Lance Horton, Shelmon Moore, Brittany Hosey, Ashley Lossett, Lauren Slay, Kristen McGuire. Graduate: Felecia Bowens, Leila Mejdoubi.

*Hall of Fame: Melissa Estes, Sara-Lee Kidd, Elizabeth Snyder.

*Best Citizen: Laterrica Moore.

*Outstanding Student Organization: Student Alumni Association.

*College Awards:
Arts and Sciences
Outstanding Undergraduate Student: Kededra Brown, Anna Millender; Foreign Language Award: Victoria Snyder; Outstanding Senior: Hameed Abdul Rashid; Outstanding Service Award: Veronica White; Outstanding English Licensure Student: Jennifer Rickett; Outstanding Master's Student: Bethany Rittenhouse, Margaret Waldron; Outstanding Doctoral Student: Elizabeth Voorhees; John E. Wallace History Award: Kristen McGuire; Susan M. Ross Award: Joel Cagle; Drs. Jack and Patti Phillips Human Capital Development Analytics Award: Anna Parsons.

Business and Economic Development
Outstanding Accounting Student: Nhiem Nguyen; Outstanding Business Administration Student: Orlando Bradford; Outstanding Management Student: Dejan Duric; Outstanding Marketing Student: Elizabeth Snyder; Outstanding MBA Student: David Domonkos.

Education and Human Sciences
Outstanding Child and Family Studies Student: Toni Partin; Outstanding Education Student: Hannah Winchester; Outstanding Psychology Student: Shanique Harrison; Outstanding Graduate Student: Mary Castello; Social Work Award of Merit: Kiara Dixon, Brittany Hosey, Shelmon Moore, Sekayi Murray-Brown; Social Work Award of Excellence: Lance Horton.

Nursing and Health Professions
Outstanding Undergraduate Academic Award: Amy Talbot; National Dean's List Award: Chelsey Jones, Khloe Ohliger, Brandon Reynolds; National Collegiate Award: Brandon Reynolds; Elizabeth Harkins Award: Brandon Reynolds.

*Newly Chartered Student Organization Recognition: Education Majors Student Association; Women in STEM; National Society of Leadership and Success, Sigma Alpha Pi.

*Southern Connection Recognition: Chrisann Campbell, Kellie Childers, Ciara Clark, Christopher Diep, Chantel Gary, Sara-Lee, Kidd, Laterrica Moore, Sekayi Murray-Brown, Kimberly Richmond, Lauren Thomas.

*Student Government Association Recognition: Veronica White, president; Morgan Doukas, vice president; Hannah McDuffie, attorney general; Tiffany Cole, activities chair; Elizabeth Snyder, secretary; Joel Cagle, treasurer; Bethany Rittenhouse, graduate representative; Anna Millender, senator; Tiffany Cole, senator. 

For information about the Southern Mississippi Gulf Park Campus, visit https://www.usm.edu/gulfcoast/about.