SU names 12 as 2006 University Scholars

SU names 12 as 2006 University ScholarsMay 23, 2006SU News ServicesSUnews@syr.edu

Twelve graduating seniors have been designated as Syracuse University Scholars and four as State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry Scholars. This is the highest undergraduate academic honor bestowed by the universities. Scholars were recognized at Commencement, and they took part in an April 28 reception at the Chancellor’s Residence hosted by Chancellor and President Nancy Cantor, at which they received special medallions to be worn at Commencement.

The Syracuse Scholars Selection Committee — a subcommittee of the University Senate Academic Affairs Committee — considers the academic activities of the nominees.

Following are the 2006 University Scholars:

Lukasz Boral, an information management and technology major in the School of Information Studies, will graduate in three years instead of four and has already begun graduate classes in information management. Born in Poznan, Poland, Boral is an accomplished scholar-athlete, an NCAA championship competitor in swimming. A member of the Golden Key International Honor Society, he has provided Web design services for a paralegal services organization in Ontario, Canada, and for SU’s Office of Research Integrity and Protections. He also served as a teaching assistant for Visual Basic programming classes at SU and worked as an information technology consultant for the Civil Rights Connection program directed by New York State Sen. Nancy Larraine Hoffmann.

Sarah Dickens, a dual major in international relations and French language, literature and culture in The College of Arts and Sciences with a minor in Middle Eastern studies, has served two years as a supplemental instruction leader, tutors in the Learning Resource Center, and participates in Hillel Jewish Student Union.

Alison Forsyth is a bioengineering major in the L.C. Smith College of Engineering and Computer Science with a philosophy minor. She is a scholar-athlete and member of the SU women’s rowing team. A native of Cochrane in Alberta, Canada, Forsyth has served as an academic preceptor for bioengineering classes at the University.

Nicholas Jordan, with majors in finance and entrepreneurship and emerging enterprises in the Martin J. Whitman School of Management, is a member of the SU chapter of the national business honor society Beta Gamma Sigma. He studied abroad in London in spring 2004 through SU’s Division of International Programs Abroad. A member of the University 100, Jordan was also named a 2006 Whitman Scholar and an Outstanding Entrepreneurship Student.

Sheila Menz, a triple major in newspaper journalism in the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications and political science and international relations in The College of Arts and Sciences, is also a scholar-athlete, a member of and captain for the SU women’s soccer team. Twice voted Verhulst Sportswoman of the Year by teammates, she is a 2006 recipient of the Soladay Award. Named a 2005-06 Remembrance Scholar, Menz is also an SU Founder’s Scholar and an S.I. Newhouse Scholar. Serving as president of the Golden Key International Honor Society in 2005-06, Menz is also an inductee of the Sigma Iota Rho Honor Society. Active in Women in Communications, she volunteered for the New York Public Interest Research Group (NYPIRG), Success By Six and other programs. This semester, she interned in the Washington, D.C., office of U.S. Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton. Menz has been selected to speak at Commencement, representing the University Scholars.

Jason Rizzo, a biochemistry major in The College of Arts and Sciences, is a 2005-06 Remembrance Scholar. An orientation leader and resident advisor, he is the recipient of several honors, including the George Wiley and CRC Handbook awards in chemistry, the AJ Lombardi Award and a 2006 C.O.R.E. Award. Rizzo also sings as a member of Orange Appeal, the men’s a cappella group at SU.

Gregory Rommel, a bioengineering major in the L.C. Smith College of Engineering and Computer Science and scholar-athlete, is a 2006 recipient of the Soladay Award. A member of the SU men’s lacrosse team and team captain in 2006, Rommel is also a member of the Golden Key International Honor Society and Tau Beta Pi, the national engineering honor society. He served as an academic preceptor in bioengineering classes at SU and as a mentor to student-athletes at Henninger High School in Syracuse, where he was assistant varsity football coach and quarterbacks coach.

Paul Ronan, a dual major in geography and international relations in The College of Arts and Sciences, studied in Uganda in spring 2005. His work in Africa included a six-week independent study research project on land security and land rights of displaced people. Co-founder of the Uganda Conflict Action Network, an advocacy group working to support the peace movement in northern Uganda, Ronan is a member of the Golden Key International Honor Society, a 2006 inductee of the Sigma Iota Rho Honor Society and a volunteer with the SU Literacy Corps.

Rebekah Scotland, an art video major in the College of Visual and Performing Arts, is one of the art media students whose short-form video works were shown at the Everson Museum of Art in Syracuse. She has served as teaching assistant and has volunteered in the Westcott community, teaching young artists how to use video equipment. Scotland also has curated shows at the Spark Contemporary Art Space, bringing diversity to the exhibitions. She is developing, through her video artwork, a dialogic aesthetic founded in opposing views.

Rachel Silverman, a dual major in inclusive education and special education in the School of Education and American history in The College of Arts and Sciences, has worked with the Living Schoolbook (LSB). LSB is a research and development unit of the School of Education that serves as an incubator for creative approaches to the integration of technology in teaching and learning. Silverman is a member of Gamma Phi Beta sorority.

Emily Wiles, an architecture major in the School of Architecture, is a fifth-year senior and a member of the Golden Key International Honor Society. She studied abroad in Florence, Italy, in spring 2005, through the University’s Division of International Programs Abroad and has exhibited her work stateside. Wiles holds a first-degree black belt in tae kwon do.

Erin Wilson, a retail/marketing major in the College of Visual and Performing Arts, will receive a dual degree from VPA and the Martin J. Whitman School of Management. Wilson is a member of the Beta Gamma Sigma national business honor society and was named a 2006 Whitman Scholar. She is also a member of the Golden Key International Honor Society. Wilson is a member of the Fresh Cut Florals business concept team that recently took honors in three undergraduate business plan competitions in Colorado, Nebraska and Syracuse, earning more than $30,000 in prize money.

The four students who were named State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry Scholars are: Donald W. Clark, a major in construction management; Tia L. Hastings, a major in environmental resources and forest engineering; Timothy I. McAbee, a major in forest resources management; and Andrew A. Stergio, a major in environmental biology. They will be presented with medallions May 11 during the Board of Trustees’ Dinner at the residence of ESF President Cornelius B. Murphy.