UMC Hosts Annual Student Awards Reception

The University of Minnesota, Crookston (UMC) honored students with achievement and service awards at the annual Student Awards Reception on Thursday evening, April 15, in Kiehle Auditorium on the UMC campus.  The ceremony is held each year to honor those who have made outstanding leadership and service contributions or who have achieved high academic standing at the University’s Crookston campus.

Among the recognitions and honors, student organization presidents and members of the Crookston Student Association were recognized for their work during the year.

For 2003-2004 twenty students received Student Achievement Awards, which UMC presents to recognize those students who have excelled not only academically, but also through leadership and service to the University and local community.  Those students included:

Front row (from left) Alison Stone of Lakeville; Cheryl Isder of Little Falls; Jay Tupa of Fargo; Cathryn Moe of Springfield
Middle row (from left) Jennifer Goeller of Morris; Candi Lee of Aitkin; Cheyenne Syverson of Bagley; Andrea Hoff of Ada; Karen Ballou of Barnum;
Back row (from left) Juli Maurice of Crookston; Steve Kongsjord of Talmoon; DeAnn Ebert of Fairmont; Kyle Rollness of Langdon, ND; Jessica Sathoff of Dunnell; Gavin Leake of Lebaon, WI; Nathan Hines of Alberta; Jonathon Gorentz of Dent; Cathy Behr of Willmar; Ryan Tripp of Alexandria; Kelly Bisek of Mahnomen.

From that group, two students were recognized with the year’s top academic, service and leadership award:  “Man and Woman of the Year.”  The UMC Man and Woman of the Year for 2004 are Jay Tupa, a senior majoring in business management and marketing, and Cheryl Isder, a senior double majoring in water resource management and natural resource management.  Kari Thompson, representing the Crookston Noon Day Lions, presented Tupa and Isder each with a cash award of $100 for their achievements.  Tupa is the son of Michael and Teri Tupa of Fargo.  Isder is the daughter of Ken and Arlene Isder of Little Falls, Minnesota.

Pictured (from left) Kari Thompson, representing the Crookston Noon Day Lions, Cheryl Isder, Jay Tupa, and UMC Chancellor Velmer S. Burton, Jr.  The two students received UMC's highest student achievement honor at the annual Student Awards Reception on April 15.

Students also honored selected faculty and staff members with special awards.  These awards are significant in that the entire UMC student body votes to select the award recipients.  Faculty and staff awards were presented in four categories: 

Outstanding Educator—John Loegering, assistant professor of natural resources; Outstanding Service to Students—Pam Holsinger-Fuchs, director, Student Activities and Service Learning; Most Creative Use of Technology—Bill Peterson, professor of math; and Most Supportive of Students—Jerry Knutson, associate professor of biology.

Other students receiving awards included:

Outstanding Student Tutors:  (from left) Jessica Yates of Clarissa; Jonathan Roffers of Green Bay, WI, Ashley Peterson of Battle Lake, Nathan Hines of Alberta, Jessica Larson of Dassel, Abdul Mugni Mukit-Ul Alam of Uttara, Dhaka, Bangladesh, April Berggren-Thorstad of Edmore, ND, pictured with Bruce Ramstorf, master tutor

Student Support Services Scholars:  Karolyn Joop Award – Patti Carlson of Thief River Falls; Outstanding Adult Learner Award – Hector Santellanes of Crookston and Kenneth Wayne Armstrong of Fisher; Leadership Service Award – Nathan Hines of Alberta; UMC Aspire Award – Maria Garza of McAllen, TX; Minnesota Association of Education Opportunity Program Personnel (MnAEOPP) Award – Bernadina Arias of Crookston.

Outstanding UMC Ambassador:  
Amber Hoyhtya (left of Crookston

 

 

 

Cooperative Campus Ministry Service Awards:  Ben Loll of Campbell, Sara Krippner of Kimball, and Jonathan Roeffers of Green Bay, WI, and Sara of Crookston

Outstanding First-Year Biology Student:  Thor Vettleson (left) of Trail, pictured with Wendell Johnson, associate professor of biology

Outstanding Achievement in Math-Physics:  S. Andrew Sheppard (right) of Elk River, pictured with David DeMuth, assistant professor of math and physics

Outstanding Business Management and Marketing Students: (from left) Jay Tupa of Fargo, Ryan Tripp of Alexandria, and Steve Kongsjord of Talmoon,  pictured with Eric Burgess, instructor of business management

Outstanding Hotel, Restaurant, and Institutional Management Students:  (from left) Jessica Smith of Middle River and Phil Seibel of Morris, pictured with Ken Myers, associate professor of hotel restaurant and institutional management

Horticulture Club Service Award: Liz Knowlan (left) of Forest Lake, pictured with Melinda McVey McCluskey, assistant professor of horticulture

Outstanding Turf Management Student:  Jimmy Hagge (left) of Brooks, pictured with Alex Ellram, assistant professor of turf science

Cabela’s Conservation Award:  Jessica Larson of Dassel

Pankratz Memorial Conservation Award:  (from left) Russell Kleinschmidt of Long Prairie and Jessica Larson of Dassel, pictured with Dan Svedarsky, professor of natural resources

John Polley Soil and Water Conservation Award:  Adam Wink (left) of Cyrus, pictured with Dan Svedarsky, professor of natural resources

Outstanding Equine Science Student: Cathryn Moe (left) of Springfield, pictured with Nicky Overgaard, teaching specialist - equine industries management

Outstanding Animal Science Student:  Leo Kenny (left) of St. Andrews, Manitoba, Canada, pictured with Ron Del Vecchio, professor of animal science

Outstanding Achievement by an International Student:  Shashanka Acharya (left) of Kathmandu, Nepal, pictured with Claudia Barton, co-advisor to the UMC International and Multicultural Club

Diversity Awards - Black Association of Students (BLAST):  (from left) John Oketch of Fridley and Sam Sele, Jr. of North Minneapolis, pictured with Marcia Walker, diversity coordinator

Outstanding Music Awards:  Carrie Koplin of Campbell and Phil Seibel of Morris
Outstanding Theater Awards:  Matthew Burdick of Coon Rapids and Noelle Jarvis of Eden Prairie

(above from left) Phil Seibel, Carri Koplin, Matthew Burdick, pictured with George French, associate professor of music and theater

Achievement in Information Technology Awards:  Richard Breton of the U.S. Virgin Islands, Thaddeus Hogan of Blaine, and Kelly Nelson of Middle River

(above from left)  David DeMuth, assistant professor of physics and math, Kelly Nelson, Richard Breton, Thaddeus Hogan, and Bruce Brorson, associate professor of marketing and information technology

Computer Help Desk Service Award:  Petter Lovaas of Sandefjord, Norway

Best Student Organization Websites: 
First place – International and Multicultural Club, webmaster: Shashanka Acharya of Kathmandu, Nepal; Second place –UMC Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE), webmaster: Abdul Mugni Mukit-Ul Alam of Uttara, Dhaka, Bangladesh; Third Place – Ag-Arama, webmaster: Theresa Wortel of Mankat

(above from left)  Shashanka Acharya, Abdul Mugni Mukit-Ul Alam, Theresa Wortel

Dale Knotek Community Service Award:  Zeta Chapter of Clovia

Members of the Zeta Chapter of Clovia (above from left) Sherry Zurn, Alison Stone, Jess Smith, Paige Eskelson, Candi Lee, Tara Tweten, Anna Anderson, Laura Culver, pictured with Dale Knotek (back right)

President’s Student Service Award:  Bronze Level – Ryan Tripp of Alexandria, Steve Kongsjord of Talmoon, Amanda Willger of Rice Lake, WI, and Tiffany Anderson of Grand Rapids;  Silver Level – Stephanie Powell of St. Albans, VT, and Cheryl Isder of Little Falls

(above from left) Steve Kongsjord, Cheryl Isder, Ryan Tripp, Tiffany Anderson, Amanda Willger, Stephanie Powell, pictured with Lisa Loegering, assistant director, Service Learning

Outstanding Student Volunteer Award:  Cheryl Isder of Little Falls

Student Programmer Award:  Ann Wigdahl of New Brighton

Outstanding Crookston Student Association (CSA) Senators:  (from left) Sara Campbell of Cando, ND and Paul Christensen of Elk River, pictured with CSA Vice President Cheryl Isder

Outstanding Crookston Student Association (CSA) Student Voting Delegate:  Jay Tupa of Fargo

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