SOC Awards Recognize Achievements of 41 Emersonians

AWARD CEREMONY PHOTOS

What fun to be back in the same room (and at the Ritz Carlton!), as we celebrated an incredible field of nominees and award recipients!

AWARD FOR LEADERSHIP

Patrick Williams ’23

Marketing Communication

Additional nominees for Leadership

• Shiraz Itzhaki ’25 & Kayla Armbruster ’25, Political Communication
• Diti Kohli ’22, Journalism
• Victoria Sci ’22, Communication Sciences & Disorders

“Let me tell you about Eryn’s 3.95 GPA, but more importantly about her work, beginning in 2020, to establish (as co-founder) and grow (as editor-in-chief)  The Intersectionalist to answer multiple student needs to address gender, racial, cultural and social concerns was both inspirational and aspirational.  She found an innovative way to use journalism to give voice to those in the Emerson community who thought their viewpoints were not being heard. She remains committed to new ways of promoting diversity outreach through POWER, the Young Scholars Program, Student Government Association, among other programs.” — Janet Kolodzy, Professor and Chair of Journalism

“With a 3.98, Sophia Giordano maintains one of the highest GPAs in the Journalism Department while also being one of the most engaged and hard-working all-around leaders.  She is co-news director of WEBN television for 2021-22, even while studying in ELA in Fall 2021.  She spent three weeks working for NBC Winter Olympics coverage while maintaining all her course work in her final semester at Emerson. (I was pretty insistent on that one.) She is a member of the Purple Key Leadership Society and also has worked for the Emerson Channel.“ — Janet Kolodzy, Professor and Chair of Journalism

Additional nominees for Academic Excellence-Undergraduate

• Logan Clark ’22, Communication Sciences & Disorders
• Bo Feekins ’22, Sports Communication
• Caelynn Marie Trimbreza ’22, Political Communication

Return to Awardee list

“Lucero! What a journey it has been! From those first beginnings in Fall 2020, when we were cautiously navigating our emotionally charged way through campus life in pre-vaccine pandemic, to the incredibly accomplished, soon-to-be clinician you are now.

You have always, always been unfailingly committed to the learning process, to giving it everything you’ve got, to thoughtful reflection and feedback. All of us who have worked with you in classrooms and clinic spaces are the beneficiaries of your profound engagement with every aspect of this program. We can always count on you to be ready to learn, to make connections that go beyond the surface, to consider multiple perspectives, and thoughtfully craft your contributions, whether they are in writing or verbal.

You have navigated telehealth, in-person clinical placements, online learning, and classroom learning. You’ve created a fascinating and important thesis project titled, “The Story of My Name: A Qualitative Exploration of Latinx Names and Identities” And you’ve done it all with style!

Lucero, you enhance all of our learning spaces with your wisdom, thoughtfulness, empathy, and generosity of spirit. It has been a pleasure and an honor to learn alongside you. Congratulations and we will miss you. —Dr. Ruth Grossman, Professor and Chair of Communication Sciences and Disorders

“As Emily is coming up, what I would like to say is everything she does—whether it be leading in the capstone project or in any other endeavor—she’s always been there smiling and saying, ‘Yes, I can.’

That included last year when I said we would like to send a bag of popcorn to every student, regardless of where they are with a handwritten note, and she said, “OK. Yes.” Last week, we said we’re going to send some sweets and envelopes too, and you looked at me and said, “OK, OK.”  She has been incredible. She works very well with [Administrative Associate] Shepard [Vargo] and all the ambassadors.

She also is an incredible assistant for the American Behavioral Scientist, a journal that I edit, and Emily, we’ve done at least how many issues? Too many?

As an undergraduate, she keeps things professional. I would say, we’re going to miss you a great deal, and I know that someone is going to gain someone who I would say epitomizes the Emersonian Renaissance woman.” – Dr. Greg Payne, Associate Professor and Chair, Communication Studies

“Meghan, I don’t even know where to start; there are so many wonderful things about you.

You are – obviously – a stellar student, mastering complex material across a wide-ranging curriculum and making it all look easy. You are that student—the one who exudes positive energy, is always ready and willing to tackle a new challenge, and – most importantly – you make others want to do that, too.

Despite your consistently strong clinical and academic performance, you are humble. Always assuming that there is more to learn, another insight to gain, and another perspective to learn from. This enthusiastic and humble approach to learning is what draws your peers and other members of this learning community to you. We just all want to be a part of what you do!

You have supported countless peers as a neuro tutor – and the students in your tutoring sessions tend to walk away with greater clarity, gratitude, and a smile on their faces. You are unfailingly kind and generous with your time, supporting and empowering those around you.

Your thesis on how people perceive gender expression and social skills in adolescents with autism lifts up a community of autistic girls that has not received nearly enough attention in research or clinical spaces.

Please don’t leave! (Just kidding.) Thank you for everything you do to enrich our learning community through your presence, your enthusiasm, your thoughtful humility. Congratulations.” —Dr. Ruth Grossman, Professor and Chair of Communication Sciences and Disorders

“I call on the Beast of the NEWMAC to come up! (As you see, ladies and gentlemen, he’s almost 7 feet tall and that’s why he’s referred to as the Beast of the NEWMAC.)  But as I the other day, he also got Emerson’s Resident Assistant of the Year, so he is really a gentle giant.

So just the name off some of the other awards that Jarred has earned —the 2021-22 NEWMAC Player of the Year and the NEWMAC Defensive Player of the Year. He won both!

He earned Emerson College’s first ever D3hoops.com All-American (third team) the Business of Creative Enterprises Student Athlete of the Year, and most recently National Association of Basketball Coaches Division III Double-Double of the Year, racking 21 games with doubles in points and rebounds. He also entered the ranks of the 1,000 Point Score Club, limited to just three years because of COVID, which is amazing. He’s also a member of the first Emerson team to win a NCAA at-large bid, which is when you make it to the national tournament without winning the conference championship. Please join me in congratulating the big guy!” – Stanford Nance, senior associate director of Athletics

“This scholarship was established through the efforts of current and former Emerson community members to honor the memory of Dr. Charles Klim, beloved former chair of the Communication Science and Disorders Department, and a professor here for 33 years. Dr. Klim received both his undergraduate and graduate degree in CSD from Emerson College and the scholarship is dedicated to an outstanding CSD undergrad who will be continuing on to obtain a master’s degree at Emerson.  

I am delighted to announce that the inaugural Charles Klim scholarship is awarded to Logan Clark.

Logan, this may sound creepy, but we’ve had our eye on you since you were a freshman. You attended an event where faculty talked about their research and brought so much enthusiasm and energy to each topic that several of us stood in the back and said: ‘We want him!’ In our labs, in our classrooms. 

Four years later, nothing has changed. Your enthusiasm for learning, your deep engagement with every topic are readily apparent in classrooms and clinical spaces. You’ve even learned to sometimes hold back and NOT be the first one to provide a profound bit of insight, which is hard, I know. And we’re all grateful that you don’t hold back for long, because we all benefit from what you have to say. We’re thrilled that you decided to join our graduate program this fall. This scholarship is given in the name of a man who loved teaching and learning and is simply perfect for you. Congratulations and we can’t wait to see you in the fall.”—Dr. Ruth Grossman, Professor and Chair of Communication Sciences and Disorders