Outstanding students, staff and a special alumna were honored on Friday, April 17th at Michigan Tech’s 21st Annual Student Leadership Awards Ceremony. The event’s keynote speaker was also the winner of, perhaps, the most prestigious award presented. Britta Jost, ’02, ’04 received the 2015 Outstanding Young Alumna Award. Jost is senior engineer in large structures design engineering for Caterpillar. In her remarks, Jost recalled the changes that have occurred since her days as a student, most of them in technology and social media.
“Back then, if a speaker looked out and saw the audience looking down, she would have thought they were bored or disinterested,” she said. “Now I know you’re posting my remarks on Twitter.”
Jost said the most important aspects of a Michigan Tech education have not changed since her time here a decade and half ago.
Perhaps the most prestigious undergraduate award, the Presidents Award for Leadership, was presented to Kim D’Augustino, a double major in Materials Science and Engineering and Biomedical Engineering. President Glenn Mroz cited D’Augustino’s numerous accomplishments including serving as vice president of the biomedical engineering society, mentoring students through the Wahtera Center and the ExSEL program and acting as event coordinator at the recent, highly-successful, campus Relay For Life.
Dallas Linville, was the recipient of the Vice President for Student Affairs and Advancement Award for Service, Nate Peterson received the Exceptional Leadership in Student Governance Award, the Exceptional Enthusiasm as Student Leader Award was presented to Luke Dalton and the Student Employee of the Year was awarded to Taylor Driscoll.
The Rising Star of the Year, presented to a first or second year student showing great potential for leadership, was awarded to Keagan Fortier. Britta Anderson was named Outstanding Future Alumnus or Alumna. The award is presented to a student already living the Alumni Association’s motto of “Celebrating Traditions, Creating Connections.”
Other awards handed out included:
Exceptional Program of the Year: Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program
Most Improved Student Organization: Mu Beta Psi
Exceptional Community Service Project: Society of Women Engineers, Homecoming Spirit Sprint
Claire M. Donovan Award: Susan Liebau, Director of the Waino Wahtera Center for Student Success
Student Organization of the Year: Broomball Committee
Student Organization Advisor of the Year: Jeremiah Bauman, Broomball Committee
The Provost’s Award for Scholarship was selected from the Departmental Scholars. This year’s recipient was Melissa Michaelson, Departmental Scholar from Social Sciences.
Award recipients who received their awards at previous ceremonies were also recognized. They include:
Percy Julian Award: Taylor Driscoll
Exceptional Graduate Student Leader: Abhilash Kantamneni
Exceptional Graduate Student Scholar: Xu Yang
Outstanding Graduate Mentor: Dr. Gregory Odegard
Greek Man of the Year: Jonathan Iafrate
Greek Woman of the Year: Erica Morley
This article was originally written by Mary Wilcox and posted in the April 22, 2015 edition of Tech Today.