ELEVENTH ANNUAL HONORS AND SCHOLARS
AWARD CEREMONY
Welcome Remarks
Special Recognition of National Scholarship Recipients
and Finalists
Special Recognition of Honors and Scholars Advisory
Committees and Student Representative Boards
Presentation of Student Awards
Closing Remarks
NATIONAL SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS AND FINALISTS
David L. Boren Undergraduate Scholarship
Megan Crowley (alternate), Emilie Litsas, Alexander Young
Critical Language Scholarship
Nkemdilim Chukwima, Denise Paarlberg, Rachael Rosenberg
Fulbright Research Grant
Starr Brainard, Meaghan Cuddy (finalist), Janetta Deppa, Emily Gallagher
Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship
Pauline Adams, Kathleen Calcerano, Daniel Chen, Anjali Mehta,
Mariel Stratford (alternate)
Fulbright Grant- United Kingdom Summer Institutes Program
Molly Gormley
Fulbright Mexico Binational Internship Program
Antonio Rivera-Martinez
Benjamin A. Gilman Scholarship
Aqsa Arain, Marina Kelly
Barry Goldwater Scholarship
Natalie Konerth (honorable mention), Valerie Rennoll (honorable mention), Tara Shreve
Killam Fellowship
Catalina Calachan, Eric Vignola
Thomas R. Pickering Undergraduate Scholarship
Marina Kelly
Public Policy and International Affairs Fellowship
Aqsa Arain, Sakari Ishetiar, Daniel Marks, Cullen Moran, Nausheen Rajan
Harry S. Truman Scholarship
Dyáni Brown (finalist)
Morris K. Udall Scholarship
Jessica Balerna (honorable mention), Dyáni Brown, Anthony Torres
STUDENT AWARDS
Outstanding Honors and Scholars Sophomore
Benjamin Goldstein, Jonathan Kaufmann, Danielle Siegel
Outstanding Honors and Scholars Junior
Megan Crowley, Kate Pashby, Kaitlyn Ross, Aria Wiseblatt
Outstanding Honors and Scholars Senior
Carley Chavara, Brian Hamel, Nausheen Rajan, Valerie Rennoll
Outstanding Leadership in AU Scholars
Luke Theuma
Outstanding Leadership in Community-Based Research Scholars
Saagar Gupta, Mary-Margaret Koch
Outstanding Leadership in Honors
Rain Freeman, Benjamin Goldstein, Austin Morgan, Justin Morgan, Aaron Torop, Matthew Waskiewicz, Isabel
Zayas
Outstanding Leadership in AU Community
Mary-Margaret Koch, Shannon Scovel, Matthew Waskiewicz
Community Service Award
Isobel Araujo, Dyáni Brown, Meenal Goyal
Academic Achievement Award
Magda Borgarelli, Catherine Harlos, Natalie Konerth
RECOGNITION OF HONORS AND SCHOLARS ADVISORY COMMITTEES AND
STUDENT REPRESENTATIVE BODIES
The following faculty volunteered to serve on this year’s Honors and Scholars Award Selection Committee. We thank them for their service.
Joseph Graf, Douglas Klusmeyer, Robin Lumsdaine, Mirjana Morosini,
Walter Park, and Kathryn Walters-Conte
The Honors Advisory Committee is charged with developing guidelines and procedures for all honors programs at AU as well as overseeing
and monitoring all Honors programs
at the University. The committee conducts annual assessment and provides advice as
needed.
Vikki Connaughton, Laura Field, Maria Gomez, David Keplinger, Douglas Klusmeyer, Wendy Melillo, Mary
Mintz, Ayman Omar,
Walter Park, Virginia “Lyn” Stallings, Christopher Tudge (Chair) and Paula Weissman
Student Representative (Fall 2015): Carly LaRoche
Student Representative (Spring 2016): Molly Gormley
The Student Honors Board represents junior and senior Honors students, serves as a liaison to the Director and staff of the University
Honors Program, and plans events, service projects, and other activities for all students in the Honors community.
2015-2016 Student Honors Board
Fifi Baleva, Emily Dalgo, Benjamin Goldstein (Vice President),
Kyle Graczyk (Secretary), Emily Hanson,
Austin Morgan (Communications), Dennis Murphy, Kaitlyn Ross,
Jake Stone, and Matthew Waskiewicz (President)
The Honors Student Advisory Committee represents freshman and sophomore Honors students, and meets with the Director and staff of the
AU Honors Program to share recommendations on programming and the new curriculum.
Christopher Abbott, Pooja Aier, Molly Gormley, Carley LaRoche (Fall 2015 member), Emmanuelle Palikuca
The Community-Based Research Scholars Advisory Council consists of AU faculty and staff and student representatives from both cohorts of
CBRS. The Council advises the Director on CBRS program development, activities, evaluation, and the CBR certificate program.
Meredith Bartley (CBR Scholar), Marcy Campos (CCES Staff),
Mary Ellen Curtin (CAS faculty), Lewis Faulk (SPA faculty),
Terra Gargano (SIS faculty), Ariel Gomez (CBR Scholar),
Garrett Graddy-Lovelace (SIS faculty), Saagar Gupta (CBR Scholar), Mary-Margaret Koch (CBR Scholar),
Jane Palmer (Director),
Marlena Reese (CDI staff), and Emily White (VPUG Staff)
________________________________
The Community-Based Research Scholars student-led Advisory Board designs and implements social and community service activities along
with outreach activities for CBRS prospective and admitted students.
Madison Henry, Alana Kessler, Andrew Litzenberg,
Margaret McCarthy, Jason Mejia, and Brandan Persaud
The Frederick Douglass Distinguished Scholars Program Advisory Committee consists of AU faculty and staff who advise the Faculty
Director and Director of Leadership and Professional Development on admissions, program development, activities, and assessment.
Robin Broad, Greg Grauman, Sonya Grier, Leena Jayaswal, Alan Kraut, Constance Lindsay, Paula Warrick,
Rachel Watkins
CITATIONS
STUDENT AWARDS
Outstanding Sophomore
This selective award recognizes sophomores in the Honors, AU Scholars, and Community-Based Research Programs who have a strong
academic record and who demonstrate exemplary leadership or service.
Benjamin Goldstein (Environmental Science and Philosophy) has excelled at interdisciplinary study both
within and outside his Honors coursework. He worked as a laboratory technician at the University of
North Carolina Center for Environmental Medicine where he co-authored a presentation on baseline
sputum parameters which will be delivered at the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and
Immunology. Benjamin is a weekend retreat staff coordinator for the Washington Hebrew Congregation
and leads programs in youth development and Jewish values. He is Vice President of the Student Honors
Board and Music Director for Dime a Dozen, AU’s only co-ed a cappella group. Benjamin also worked
as producer for American University Television where he wrote, directed, and edited American TV’s
only sitcom, The American Dream.
Jonathan Kaufmann (Economics and International Studies), an AU Scholars and SIS Olson Scholar student,
researches the reintegration of child soldiers, working with existing datasets and statistical analysis to
explore the efficacy of the aid that NGOs offer to former combatants. Jonathan is a teaching assistant
for Western Legal Tradition and recently interned at the Office of U.S. Senator Robert Menendez where
he researched local issues regarding healthcare, disaster relief, and tourism. He presented his research
“The Case of Dominic Ongwen: The Child Warlord” at the AU Scholars Research Symposium in April
2015. Jonathan also serves as an AU Ambassador and is captain of a regional competition team for AU
Mock Trial.
Danielle Siegel (International Studies) is a superb writer and deep thinker, according to her professors. An
alumna of the AU Scholars Program, she is passionate about international studies and has interned at
Issue One, working on the organization’s Strategic Initiatives team to build a bipartisan coalition of
former members of Congress to raise awareness about the need for campaign finance reform. Danielle
also conducted research on issues relating to money in politics, including campaign finance reform
legislation. Her work at Issue One has fueled her passion for studying the intersection of domestic
institutions and how the U.S. behaves on the global stage. Danielle is President of American University
Amnesty International and has planned a number of events concerning human rights activism
Outstanding Junior
This selective award recognizes juniors in the Honors, AU Scholars, and Community-Based Research Programs who have a strong academic
record and who demonstrate exemplary leadership or service.
Megan Crowley (Justice and Law) has conducted research on developmental criminology and modern
criminological theory and is a member of the SPA Leadership Program where she participated in a
freshman social action project on campus-wide domestic sex-trafficking awareness. An Honors student,
she is a teaching assistant in the Department of Justice, Law, and Criminology and an intern at the
Family Online Safety Institute. Previously, Megan interned at DeHeng Law Office in Chengdu, China,
where she composed and edited professional documents in both English and Chinse. She also served as
a teaching assistant for the SPA Leadership Program. Megan was Vice President of the Residence Hall
Association, coordinating programming for thousands of residents and collaborating with council and
partner organizations to plan events. She is a member of the AU Women’s Initiative and staff member
of the American Literature Magazine.
Katelyn Pashby (Anthropology), an Honors student, has had her research published in AU’s
undergraduate research journal Clocks & Clouds as well as in Nexus: The Canadian Student Journal of
Anthropology. She also presented at the 2015 SIS Undergraduate Symposium. Katelyn worked in Job
Corps acquisition as a Pathways Intern at the Department of Labor. She previously researched naval
acquisition history with Naval History and Heritage Command and also worked in the Rare Book
Collection at the Middle East Institute’s library.
Kaitlyn Ross (History and Business Administration) plans to present her work on the USS Panay incident at
the Robyn Rafferty Mathias Student Research Conference and serves as treasurer for the Student
Historical Society. An Honors student, Kaitlyn works as a student archive assistant at the AU Archives
where she processes archival materials and creates digital and physical files to aid researchers. Kaitlyn
volunteered at the Musical Instrument Museum and also worked as a summer camp counselor, leading
tours and educating the public on the respect of historical artifacts. She served as an Honors Program
peer mentor and is a member of the National Society of Collegiate Scholars as well as the Student
Honors Board. Kaitlyn is currently a teaching assistant for the Kogod Road Scholars Disney Leadership
trip. Her article on 1920s newsreel cameramen and their impact on visual journalism will be published in
the May 2016 edition of the History Matters research journal.
Aria Wiseblatt (Psychology and Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies), an Honors student, is a recipient of
the AU Summer Scholars & Artists Fellowship and a member of Phi Beta Kappa. She is conducting
research in the Psychology department on the effects of coping mechanisms for women faced with the
stressor thin-ideal images in the media and will present her findings at a conference later this year. Aria is
a research assistant and processes participants through the protocol of an eleven-day NIDA-funded
smoking study to study placebo factors in drug effects and relapse. She was a program associate for the
University College and teaching assistant for a first-year political philosophy course. Aria works with the
Wellness Center at AU as a Step Up Leader and intern where she leads presentations on bystander
intervention to Greek organizations, clubs, and other campus groups.
Outstanding Senior
This selective award recognizes seniors in the Honors, AU Scholars, and Community-Based Research Programs who have a strong academic
record and who demonstrate exemplary leadership or service.
Carley Chavara (International Studies), an Honors student, is currently pursuing a Master’s degree at AU
in Global Environmental Policy and has excelled in internships at the Woodrow Wilson International
Center for Scholars and the Center for International Environmental Law. At the Woodrow Wilson
Center, she contributed to the award-winning New Security Beat blog and conducted research on health,
environment, population, and security topics. She was an observer to the 21st Conference of Parties at
the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in Paris, France, where she conducted
research for her Honors thesis on global climate governance. Carley is also a young professionals
member of the United Nations Association of the United States of America.
Brian Hamel (Political Science), an Honors student, researches voter turnout and political participation in
the United States and is co-authoring or contributing to papers on these topics with faculty from
American University, Fordham University, Washington University in St. Louis, and University of
Wisconsin-Madison. He has also presented his work at conferences of the Midwest Political Science
Association, Southern Political Science Association, and the Society for Political Methodology. Brian
completed research assistantships at Yale University, the Congressional Research Service, and the
University of Wisconsin-Madison. He has also participated in the Advanced Empirical Research on
Politics for Undergraduates Program and received the Prestage-Cook Travel award from the Southern
Political Science Association.
Nausheen Rajan (International Studies and Asian Studies), an Honors student, works as a Project Assistant
for the Pakistan Women Entrepreneurship Program and as a Research Assistant at The Woodrow
Wilson International Center for Scholars. She serves as president of the SIS Undergraduate Council and
the U.S.-Pakistan Women’s Council Student Chapter, the latter of which she co-founded. Nausheen
established and directs Moqah Mentorship Program for teenage girls in Pakistan. This past summer, she
was a Public Policy and International Affairs Fellow at the Woodrow Wilson School of Public Affairs.
She has previously worked at the U.S. Department of State, Middle East Institute, Koc University in
Istanbul, and East-West Center.
Valerie Rennoll (Audio Technology and Physics), an Honors student, conducted research this past summer
onboard the Arctic exploration ship Fairweather as a Research Intern for the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Office of Coast Survey. A NOAA Hollings Scholar, she is
designing demonstrations to teach acoustics concepts for her senior Physics thesis, which she will
present at the American Physical Society Meeting in March. Valerie’s work has been published in the
Journal of the Advanced Undergraduate Physics Laboratory Investigation. On campus, she is active in
the Women in Science and Society of Physics Students organizations.
Outstanding Leadership in the AU Scholars Program
This highly selective award recognizes an AU Scholars student who has served their living-learning community with distinction while
maintaining a record of high academic achievement.
Luke Theuma (International Studies), a sophomore and alumnus of the AU Scholars Program, has
demonstrated outstanding leadership in his participation in admissions presentations to both prospective
and admitted AU Scholars students. Luke served as a valuable ambassador for the program in helping
to answer questions from admitted students and promoting the program. Luke has provided helpful
feedback on the program and has consistently participated in all program activities. Luke continues to
be involved in the AU Scholars Program as a peer mentor and has helped to build community among
the first-year AU Scholars students.
Outstanding Leadership in the Community-Based Research Scholars Program
This highly selective award recognizes a Community-Based Research Scholar who has served their living-learning community with distinction
while maintaining a record of high academic achievement.
Saagar Gupta (CLEG), a sophomore, has demonstrated exemplary leadership in assisting CBRS staff to
plan and implement program activities. As a CBRS Research Assistant, Saagar took the initiative to
review all program evaluation data and provided recommendations for improvement of program
activities and structure. He volunteered to serve as the lead peer mentor for the program and took the
initiative to co-lead summer info sessions for admitted CBRS students which helped build community
among the students. Saagar has participated in many admissions events where he discusses the program’s
benefits with prospective students. Additionally, Saagar offered his skills to lead two public speaking
workshops for the first-year CBRS students and provided feedback on their draft posters for the CBRS
fall poster symposium. He continues to provide excellent support for program activities as a CBRS
Program Specialist and currently serves on the CBRS Advisory Council.
Outstanding Leadership in Honors
This highly selective award recognizes the students who have served the Honors community with distinction while maintaining a record of high
academic achievement.
Aaron Torop (CLEG and Jewish Studies), a sophomore in Honors, has exhibited commendable
leadership and dedication. While serving as the Teaching Assistant in the Honors core inquiry course,
Climate Change: Science, Politics and Policy, Aaron went above and beyond his role to build community
within the program and help all fifty-five students in the freshman class transition to life at AU. He has
provided recommendations to AU Honors staff for the improvement of program marketing and
communication, and will soon serve as an Honors Student Ambassador to prospective students and
families. He is a member of the SPA Leadership Program and serves as a Teaching assistant for the first
year students, helping design and implement a leadership development curriculum and mentoring
students. He is also the Director of Academic Affairs for AU Student Government, where he is creating
and implementing policy solutions on student needs related to academic issues. In the community,
Aaron also serves as a debate judge and coach and a 5th grade Sunday School teacher. As a school
teacher, he helps design and create innovative learning experiences on Jewish values and holidays.
Organizers of Symposium on Mental Health as a Social Justice Issue
On September 26, the Student Honors Board created a new kind of event, hosting a daylong symposium
on mental health. While mental health has been a rising concern on campuses across the nation, the
Student Honors Board wanted to explore the subject as a social justice issue, and they wanted to pursue
a different way of event planning that would engage others on campus. Thus, the event planners
included people not on the board, such as Rain Freeman, an Honors student who had inspired the idea
of discussing mental health; Mary-Margaret Koch, a Community-Based Research Scholar who serves as
Director of Mental Health Advocacy for the student government; Justin Morgan, an Honors student
and Frederick Douglass Distinguished Scholar who serves as president of the AU Public Health
Association;
Isabel Zayas, an Honors student who has served as president of Active Minds. Working with Board
members Ben Goldstein, Austin Morgan, and SHB President Matthew Waskiewicz, this team
created panels that featured such on-campus experts as Traci Calandrillo, Jimmy Ellis, and Jolynn
Gardner, as well as leaders from DC mental health organizations, including Richard Bebout, CEO of
Green Door; Leah Harris; Taylar Nouvelle; AU alumna Kelly Davis, and Honors alumna, Lindsey
McDaniel. In keeping with the theme of social justice, the planning committee also asked AU student
Ashley Jarvis and Honors student Tatiana Laing to conclude the symposium with a microagressions
workshop.
Rain Freeman (Justice and Public Health), an Honors junior, is a passionate and dedicated advocate for
girls’ education, mental health issues, and public health within the justice system.
Ben Goldstein (Environmental Science and Philosophy), an Honors sophomore, is Vice President of the
Student Honors Board and Music Director of Dime a Dozen.
Mary-Margaret Koch (Political Science and Communications), a CBRS sophomore, is the Director of Mental
Health Advocacy for the AU Student Government.
Austin Morgan (Computer Science), an Honors junior, is Director of Communications for the Student
Honors Board and Director of Information Technology for the AU Student Government.
Justin Morgan (Public Health), a senior Frederick Douglass Distinguished Scholar, serves as a Research
Assistant at the AU Center on Health, Risk, and Society and as President of the AU Public Health
Association.
Matthew Waskiewicz (Economics and Political Science), a senior Honors student, has served for two years
as the President of the Student Honors Board.
Isabel Zayas (Justice and Law), an Honors sophomore, is the President of Active Minds at American
University and a member of the editorial board for BleakHouse Publishing Literary Review.
Outstanding Leadership in AU Community
This highly selective award recognizes students in the Honors, AU Scholars, and Community-Based Research Scholars Programs who have
served the AU community with distinction while maintaining a record of high academic achievement.
Mary-Margaret Koch (Political Science and Communications), a CBRS sophomore, recently partnered with
AU’s Counseling Center for her community-based research capstone to conduct a mixed methods study
on AU mental health needs and AU’s response. She will present her research at the SPA Undergraduate
Research Symposium in the spring. Mary-Margaret serves as s student representative to the CommunityBased Research Scholars Advisory Council. She also conducted a community needs assessment with the
United Planning Organization. She is Director of Mental Health Advocacy for the AU Student
Government, serving as a liaison between students and the Counseling Center. Mary-Margaret is a
member of the SPA Leadership Program and a teaching assistant through the Office for Honors and
Scholars Programs. She will also be a presenter at the 2016 National Conference of Undergraduate
Research.
Shannon Scovel (Journalism), a junior Honors student, is a student ambassador for the School of
Communication and the current editor-in-chief of The Eagle. During her tenure as editor-in-chief, The
Eagle has received a number of awards, including recognition at the prestigious Hearst Awards for the
December issue cover story. She works with prospective and current students as an SOC ambassador
and recently organized a series of panels called “Pizza and a Professor” that brought faculty together to
answer student questions about careers, research, and academics. Shannon is also a member of the
varsity swim team and is a Patriot League Honor Roll Member. She is a collegiate contributor for
AOLSports.com and previously served as a collegiate contributor for USA Today. Shannon is also a
member of the USA Triathlon World Championship team.
Matthew Waskiewicz (Economics and Political Science), a senior Honors student, is the Director of
Student Worker Advocacy for the AU Student Government where he created and now chairs a group of
student leaders to debate and reform student employment positions. He is editor-in-chief of Clocks &
Clouds, managing a review, production, and marketing staff of 25 students and promoting undergraduate
research among students, faculty, and administrators. Matthew is president of the Student Honors Board
and recently helped to plan and implement a symposium on mental health. He also facilitated a peer
mentorship program, gathering upperclassmen to serve as mentors for first-year Honors students. He is
also a resident assistant and has collaborated with other RAs to create, plan, and implement curriculumbased programming as well as acting as a mediator to resolve student disputes. Matthew was a participant
in the Wales Summer Institute through the US-UK Fulbright Commission. He is also an alternate for the
Marshall Scholarship. He is a Dean’s Undergraduate Scholar in the department of Economics and
worked as a research assistant to Karen O’Connor in the School of Public Affairs. Matthew is a recipient
of the Benefactor’s Award from the AU Center for Congressional and Presidential Studies and was
inducted into the National Residence Hall Honorary, an honor society for the top 1% of campus leaders
where he received the Leadership and Service Pin.
Community Service Award
This highly selective award recognizes students in Honors, AU Scholars, and Community-Based Research Scholars programs who have
performed community service with distinction while maintaining a record of high academic achievement.
Isobel Araujo (Environmental Studies), a sophomore Honors student, and Frederick Douglass
Distinguished Scholar, is a dedicated agent of change and passionate advocate for sustainability. Working
with the Coalition for Smarter Growth, she has conducted research on bus rapid transit systems around
the globe and attended public forums on these issues for Montgomery County citizens. Isobel currently
works as a research assistant for SIS professor Malini Ranganathan on a project regarding the
disproportionate impacts of climate change on low-income, marginalized communities along the
Anacostia River. She was a research assistant for the Metropolitan Planning Council as well as an intern
at Voto Latino where she researched potential partners, assisted with logistics, and organized Power
Summits and fundraisers around the country, in addition to promoting online campaigns.
Dyáni Brown (Public Communication), a senior Honors student, is deeply involved in social justice work
on diversity and representation both on and off campus. She served as elected chair of the Shinnecock
Nation Tribal Council on Long Island and is Vice President of Student Advocates for Native
Communities at AU. Dyáni helped to unite the Native community on campus and planned numerous
events that help bring awareness to the relevance of Native American culture and issues. She organized
and advocated for events and campaigns related to Native mascot names, awareness of Native issues and
has brought members of her own tribe to campus for cultural exchanges. She was a contributing
author/artist and dialogue panelist for Gasping for Air: Letters about Race and Social Injustices in America at the
AU School of Communication and a dialogue panelist at Humanities DC discussing “Washington
Redskins—More Than Just a Name?” Dyáni’s Honors capstone will result in a public and international
database of international media in the U.S., Canada, and Australia. She produced a documentary for First
Nations Experience (FNX) about the Pamunkey Tribe, Virginia’s first federally recognized Native tribe.
The documentary, entitled “The Pamunkey Tribe: The Plight of Virginia’s First People to Claim Their
Place in History,” is scheduled to air on FNX in the coming months. Dyáni is a recipient of the 2015
Udall Scholarship as well as the 2015 Native American Journalists Fellowship and was a finalist for the
Truman Scholarship. She has published numerous papers on and off campus and participated in a variety
of panels and dialogues. She wrote a short memoir for which she won the 2015 Louise M. Young
Memorial Prize from AU Literature Department. Dyáni is currently advocating for the AU General
Education task force to include race education in the revamp of its foundational requirements for the
next generation of AU students.
Meenal Goyal (Psychology), a junior, serves the community as a Crisis Intervention Counselor for
RAINN, a national organization that provides aid, resources, and empathy to survivors of rape, abuse,
and sexual assault. She previously worked with Iona Senior Services, setting up meeting spaces to
provide meals and socialization for senior citizens. Meenal is a teaching assistant at Child Development
Center, working on the development of child literacy and cognitive processes. As a Community-Based
Research Scholar, Meenal has worked with the United Planning Organization to conduct a needs
assessment in the different wards of D.C. She presented at the SPA Undergraduate Research Symposium
on Educational Disparities in D.C.’s wards.
Academic Achievement Award
This highly selective award recognizes the students in the Honors, AU Scholars, and Community-Based Research Scholars Programs who
have distinguished themselves through a record of high academic achievement and outstanding scholarship.
Magda Borgarelli (International Studies and Economics), an Honors senior, has produced interdisciplinary
research that faculty describe as “brilliant” and “insightful.” Magda’s research on how societal gender
issues influence the efficacy of microfinance in Uganda and Tanzania as well as her ongoing capstone
research into colonial and “green grabbing” narratives of Sub-Saharan Africa. Magda has excelled
academically at both AU and the London School of Economics. She worked as a Research Assistant at
King’s College London, as a volunteer for Oxfam, assisting with marketing strategies, and as a legal
administrative volunteer with FINCA International, gathering and drafting litigation reports. Magda is a
member of the Alpha Kappa Psi Professional Business Fraternity and treasurer of the Chapter V
Business Fraternity. She is currently applying for a Critical Language Scholarship in Swahili.
Catherine Harlos (International Studies), a sophomore, alumna of AU Scholars, and an SIS Olson
Scholar, conducts research on educational paradigms and discourses regarding gender empowerment in
global contexts. Her ongoing research focuses on the social reality of gendered education discourse in
youth feminist spaces. Cat interns at Machik, where she assists with donations, communications,
women’s rights materials, and educational programming. She also works with the American University
Women’s Initiative as a “Stopping Violence against Women” co-coordinator and has helped organize
RAINN Day to support survivors of sexual violence. Cat is an organizer in AU’s Student Worker
Alliance and helps coordinate events on campus to increase worker justice and build the student-worker
community.
Natalie Konerth (Applied Mathematics), an Honors junior, has conducted research with Professor John
Nolan on a clarified proof for the Lasserre-Avrachenkoy Theorem for evaluating integrals over
simplices. She wrote a paper based on this research entitled “Exact Multivariate Integration on Simplices:
An Extension of the Lasserre-Avrachenkov Theorem” and presented the work at Towson University’s
Undergraduate Research Expo. She has interned at the Uniformed Services University of the Health
Sciences, performing research on the permeability of the blood-brain barrier and has also worked at the
NIH Office of Human Subjects Research Protections. Natalie is a Division I field hockey player at AU.
She also works with the Washington Wolves Field Hockey Club, managing their website, coaching teams
at national tournaments, and teaching athletes problem-solving, leadership, and tactical skills. Natalie has
been recognized as Patriot League Scholar-Athlete of the Year and as a National Field Hockey Coaches
Association Scholar of Distinction. She received the AU Math Department Frank Cox Jones
Scholarship, is a Goldwater Scholar Honorable Mention, and recipient of the AU Math Department
Book Award.
A Note on the
Annual Honors and Scholars Awards
The Honors, FDDS, AU Scholars, and Community-Based Research Scholars Programs welcomes and
invites nominations for Honors and Scholars Awards from all members of the American University
community, including students, faculty, and staff. In addition, lists of Honors and Scholars students are
distributed to departments, schools, and university offices. These entities are invited to decide—as a
group—to nominate individual students.
A faculty selection committee recommends the finalists for Outstanding Sophomore, Junior, and Senior
as well as the awards for Outstanding Leadership, Community Service, and Academic Achievement.
Program staff recommend the finalists for the other awards.
Honors and Scholars Programs
at American University
Over a half-century old, the Honors Program has consistently aspired to provide an unsurpassed
educational community for some of the university’s most talented and motivated students. Most of the
students honored today for their accomplishments will graduate from the University Honors Program.
This third version of the Honors Program was inaugurated in 1989. Rooted in the assumption that highachieving students desire autonomy in choosing their own educational paths, this program offered three
innovative features. It offered special Honors sections of the university’s then new and award-winning
General Education program, it created Honors colloquia in which faculty could explore new ideas and
topics with some of the university’s most engaging students, and it required a capstone that would
develop student scholarship to a very high level.
Inaugurated in 2009, the Frederick Douglass Distinguished Scholars Program (FDDS) is the
premier academic community for American University's most ambitious student and alumni leaders.
FDDS students are dedicated to excellence, social justice, and the sustainable advancement of underresourced and underserved communities. Bringing together the best of AU—world-class education,
leadership development, and active citizenship—the FDDS Program elevates the college-to-career
experience of some of our highest achieving students and propels them into successful careers in
domestic and international health, business, government, law, communications, and education. All FDD
Scholars are members of the Honors Program.
In the fall of 2014, American University debuted a new vision of Honors education. The American
University Honors Program (AU Honors) is a rigorous, hands-on, four-year living-learning
community dedicated to exploring real world issues through an interdisciplinary lens. It is a liberal arts
program for creative thinkers and problem solvers, providing them with advanced skills in research,
communication, and innovation. AU Honors students are dedicated, hard-working, intelligent, and
committed to expanding their worldview. The program is designed to challenge students who performed
and continue to perform in the top of their classes in high school and at AU.
Also debuting in 2014 were the AU Scholars and the Community-Based Research Scholars Programs.
The AU Scholars program is a selective, two-year living-learning community that fosters creativity,
critical thinking, and problem solving through transformative research experiences and other scholarly
activities. In the first year of the program, students will participate in a first-year seminar and an
experiential research lab that explores the foundations of research within the seminar course discipline.
In the second year of the program, students have the opportunity to deepen their learning through
exclusive scholars research seminars and to conduct a wicked problem challenge project with a faculty
mentor.
The Community-Based Research (CBR) Scholars programis a selective, living-learning community in
which students partner with a local non-profit organization to learn how to conduct research that will
help local communities solve pressing social problems. CBR Scholars receive a full year of training in
cultural competency, research methods, research ethics, and issues that affect the residents of the District
of Columbia.the spring of their first year, the CBR Scholars conduct a large-scale research project with a
local non-profit. In the second year of the program, students have the opportunity to deepen their
learning through exclusive seminars and conduct a wicked problem challenge project with a non-profit
partner and a faculty mentor.
AU Scholars Program
Dr. Kiho Kim, Director
Emily White, Program Manager
Anna Gill, Program Assistant
Community-Based Research Scholars Program
Dr. Jane Palmer, Director
Emily White, Program Manager
Marla Larrave, Graduate Assistant
Maria Rodis, Graduate Assistant
Frederick Douglass Distinguished Scholar Program
Dr. Keith D. Leonard, Faculty Director
Larry P. Thomas, Director of Professional and Leadership Development
Mariam Ernesta-Savy Staff Assistant
AU Honors Program
Dr. Christopher Tudge, Director
Stephanie Ricardo, Program Coordinator
Molly Lennon, Staff Assistant
University Honors Program
Dr. Michael L. Manson, Director
Michael Youngborg, Honors Counselor
Marlee Clayton, Honors Counselor
Ariel Griffin, Staff Assistant
Office for Honors and Scholars Programs
Hughes Hall, Room 105
202-885-6194