Award Recipients

The Philip J. Lee Honor Award
Galway Traynor, recipient

The Philip J. Lee Honor Award is presented to the senior student whose scholarly achievements at Eckerd College have demonstrated both exceptional accomplishment and superior promise.

This year's recipient is from St. Petersburg, Florida. He has completed a double major in Sociology and East Asian Studies with a perfect 4.0 GPA.

He is a Ford Scholar and is a member of Phi Beta Kappa.

After graduation, he expects to spend a year in East Asia to further develop his language skills and do independent research before starting graduate school, to pursue a Ph.D. in Chinese social history.

This year's Phillip J. Lee Honor Award Recipient is Galway Traynor.

The Irving G. Foster Award
Jonathan Tennis, recipient

The Irving G. Foster Award is given to a graduate of the Program for Experienced Learners who demonstrates excellence in overall academic achievement.

This years recipient of the Irving G. Foster award attended college for one year before joining the United States Army. He was trained as a Russian linguist at the Defense Language Institute in Monterey, California and as a Signals Intelligence Analyst, and later served in Iraq. Today he continues to serve his country as a consultant for the Department of Defense working at U.S. Central Command.

He is graduating with high honors with a double major in American Studies and a Concentration in Information Management Analysis.

After graduation he plans to attend law school.

This years Irving G. Foster Award Recipient is Jonathan Tennis.

The James H. Robinson Award
Aleisha Odessa Austin, recipient

The James H. Robinson Award is presented to the senior student who has, by leadership and example, contributed significantly to the minority experience at Eckerd College and to a fuller appreciation
of cross-cultural values throughout the whole Eckerd community.

This year's recipient is from Deltona, Florida. Today she will be graduating with a major in music.

She has served as the President of the Afro American Society, Director of the Palmetto Production Student Activities Board, a volunteer tutor for Academy Prep, and a volunteer teaching music to developmentally disabled adults at the Louise Graham Regeneration Center of St. Petersburg. She has been an exemplary student committed to making a difference and raising awareness of the minority experience.

This year's James A. Robinson Award Recipient is Aleisha Odessa Austin.

The David and Blanche Colgan Memorial Prize
Lynn Townsend, recipient

The David and Blanche Colgan Memorial Prize is awarded to a graduate of the Program for Experienced Learners who has demonstrated extraordinary determination and perseverance in achieving a solid academic record and who exemplifies the spirit of life-long learning.

This year's recipient is from Tampa. She received her AA from Hillsborough Community College and today is graduating with high honors with a major in Human Development and a minor in Anthropology.

She has a 17 year old son, Matthew, with Down Syndrome and has been intensely involved with Special Olympics for the last 10 years at the local and regional level.

She is also a standout volunteer as a Guardian ad Litem, advocating for abused and neglected children, through the Sixth Judicial Court for Pinellas County.

After graduation she will pursue a dual Masters Degree in social work and public health at the University of South Florida.

Please recognize the 2009 David and Blanche Colgan Memorial Prize Recipient, Lynn Townsend.

The Ronald Wilson Memorial Award
Robert Blake Johnson, recipient

The Ronald Wilson Memorial Award is presented to a senior student who has made a significant contribution to the College community.

This year's recipient is from Indiana and will soon be an alumnus with a double major in Communications and Political Science. He is the first Bevan Scholar Award winner at Eckerd College, has made the Dean's List every semester, and is graduating with a 3.89 cumulative GPA.

He is the 2008-2009 President of the Eckerd College Organization of Students.

After graduation, he will serve in Teach for America in the Indianapolis Public School system, during which time he will seek a Masters in Teaching. Following that, he will attend the Indiana University School of Law.

The 2009 Ronald Wilson Memorial Award Recipient is Robert Blake Johnson.

The Miller Award
Stephanie Wolfe, recipient

The Miller Award is presented to the senior student whose life activities best exemplify the ideal of unselfish and public-spirited service to the community, off campus as well as on campus.

This year's recipient is from Ohio and graduates with a Bachelor of Arts in Women's & Gender Studies. She is a Ford Apprentice Scholar and a member of Phi Beta Kappa.

An exemplar of public service, she has volunteered with local projects such as Habitat for Humanity, Best Buddies, and Community Action Stops Abuse. She participated in several fall and spring break service projects: In Chicago she worked with a homeless agency; in Georgia she worked at a sustainable farm, in Miami she worked on AIDS issues, in Puerto Rico she worked for a food pantry and at the San Juan Ronald McDonald House, and in the Dominican Republic she helped build a school.

This year's Miller Award Recipient is Stephanie Wolfe.

The John Satterfield Outstanding Mentor Award
Tom Oberhofer, recipient

The John Satterfield Outstanding Mentor Award is named in honor of a beloved member of the founding faculty. This award honors the special and vital role of the mentor in a student's life at Eckerd. The selection of the recipient is based on the impact on students the mentor has had in the areas of academic programming, career planning, and personal growth.

The John Satterfield Outstanding Mentor Award is presented this year to Tom Oberhofer.

For thirty-five years as mentor to Eckerd students, alumni, and professional colleagues;

For guiding generations of students in economics into rewarding careers;

For fostering an appreciation for the value of a liberal education by encouraging students to think beyond their major and to pursue study abroad;

For success in building your students' confidence by virtue of your skills as a sympathetic listener and wise counselor;

For combining high expectations and rigorous standards in the classroom with tremendous pride in your students' achievements;

For serving as a model of what it means to be a good college citizen;

And for exuding a philosophy that celebrates life, especially the life of a college professor, and deep affection for this campus community,

Eckerd College Presents The John Satterfield Outstanding Mentor Award to Tom Oberhofer, Professor of Economics.

Robert A. Staub Distinguished Teacher Award
Harry W. Ellis, recipient

The Robert A. Staub Distinguished Teacher Award emphasizes the primary importance of teaching in the College, recognizes teaching excellence in an individual faculty member, and encourages the pursuit of teaching excellence by the faculty as a whole.

Selection of the recipient by the faculty is based upon the instructor's knowledge of the subject matter and ability to communicate and inspire student enthusiasm about the subject, develop student skills relevant to the subject, stimulate independent thinking and creative approaches, evaluate student progress and achievement, and respond to both individual and group needs and levels of preparation.

The award is made possible by the generosity of a distinguished former member of the College's Board of Trustees, Robert A. Staub, whose concern for excellence in teaching reflects his understanding of and commitment to the central role of faculty members in a liberal arts education.

The Robert A. Staub Distinguished Teacher Award is presented this year to Harry Ellis.

For 30 years of consistent student ratings of your courses in physics as excellent;

For introducing generations of first year students to college level work through your Autumn Term projects;

For your ardent and generous support of the interdisciplinary, values oriented core courses that distinguish the College's general education program;

For making Western Heritage in a Global Context and Quest for Meaning life-changing experiences for students;

For consistently reaching out to faculty colleagues across disciplinary and collegial lines to offer guidance and support;

For unfailing availability as a mentor and your careful tracking of your student associates after graduation;

And for embodying in your intellectual breadth and depth, your character and compassion, and your commitment to excellence, the best of liberal education,

Eckerd College Presents The Robert A. Staub Distinguished Teacher Award to Harry W. Ellis, Professor of Physics.