FAU Hosts 49th Annual Honors Convocation

Florida Atlantic University President John Kelly and Provost Gary W. Perry hosted the University’s 49th annual Honors Convocation on Wednesday, April 18 at 4 p.m. at the University Theatre in the Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters, 777 Glades Road, Boca Raton campus. The ceremony recognized the University’s most outstanding students and faculty.

Awards and recognition include nine University scholars, the Distinguished Student award, the University Club Merit award, the Phi Kappa Phi scholar, the Stan and Renee Wimberly scholar, the Undergraduate Researchers awards, the Student-Athletes of the Year awards, and the Fraternity and Sorority scholars. Faculty honors include the FAU Alumni Association’s Degree of Difference Award, Researchers and Scholars of the Year awards, Teaching and Advising awards, as well as the Distinguished Mentor of the Year in Undergraduate Research award, and the Presidential Awards for Engaged Faculty.

The winner of the Distinguished Teacher of the Year award, which is determined by FAU students, will present the keynote speech. This year’s recipient is Laura Vernon, Ph.D., associate professor of psychology in the Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College. As a clinical psychologist, Vernon’s research is on psychological disorders and their treatment. Her lab broadly examines anxiety disorders, emotion, cognition, and mindfulness. Specifically, some of her recent research projects have examined the effectiveness of a mindfulness-based, equine-assisted therapy for different clinical disorders, as well as the usefulness of brief mindfulness interventions for college students, the contributions of fear and disgust to spider phobia, and the cognitive processes of emotion and phobias.

“Honors Convocation is a longstanding and important tradition,” said Perry. “This ceremony allows us to spotlight the academic excellence of our best faculty and students.”

For more information about the Honors Convocation, call 561-297-3068, and to read the full University article click here.

2018 Florida Atlantic University College of Engineering and Computer Science Honors Convocation Awardees

	University Scholar Ignacio Jimenez-Ruiz Ocean Engineering Major
	Phi Kappa Phi Scholar Lisandre Meyer Civil Engineering Major
	Undergraduate Researcher of the Year Vithulan Suthakaran College of Engineering and Computer Science
	University Researcher of the Year Sarah Du, Ph.D. Assistant Professor Department of Ocean and Mechanical Engineering
	Excellence and Innovation in Undergraduate Teaching Oge Marques, Ph.D. Professor Department of Electrical Engineering & Computer Science
	Excellence and Innovation in Undergraduate Teaching Ramesh Teegavarapu, Ph.D. Associate Professor Department of Civil, Environmental and Geomatics Engineering
	Presidential Award for Engaged Faculty Fred Bloetscher, Ph.D. Professor Department of Civil, Environmental and Geomatics Engineering
	Excellence and Innovation in Undergraduate Advising Jessica Meith Undergraduate Advisor Division of Engineering Student Services and Advising