KNOXVILLE — University of Tennessee students were honored Wednesday at the 2002 Provost’s Honors Banquet.
The highest honor UT gives to its students is the Torchbearer Award, presented for outstanding academic achievement and service to the university and the community.
This year’s Torchbearer Award winners are:
— Joseph Walter Bechely IV, a human services and psychology major from Midlothian, Va., who was president of Beta Theta Pi social fraternity, and was named Outstanding Greek Senior of the Year by the UT Interfraternity Council. He was a two-time Orientation Leader, a resident assistant in UT housing, a member of the Pride of the Southland Marching Band, and active in the Student Organization for Deaf Awareness.
— Bradford Bricken, past president of the Student Government Association, a Tennessee Scholar from Tullahoma, Tenn., a member of the Scholarship Selection Committee, a peer mentor in First Year Studies, and a soloist for All Sing.
— Nan Dickerson, a Bicentennial Scholar from Union City, Tenn., and president of the Student Alumni Associates, who has been president of Chi Omega sorority, a UT Ambassador, Orientation Leader, and a member of the UT Singers.
— Christen Fox, a College Scholars major from Bruceton, Tenn., vice chair of the Undergraduate Academic Council, UT Ambassador and resident assistant who has also participated in Alternative Fall and Winter Break programs and the UT Dance Marathon.
— Ciara Gould, a College Scholars major from Memphis, who has worked at St. Jude-s Hospital as a student research assistant, established a clinic for students at Beaumont Elementary School in Knoxville, served as a resident assistant, and also is active in Alpha Epsilon Delta Pre-Health Fraternity, TeamVols, and the Student Government Association.
— Cody Hudson, a marketing major from Aurora, Colo., who volunteers her time for TeamVols, the Love Kitchen, and UT Ambassadors and coordinated the Alternative Spring Break trip to Mobile, Ala.
— Cindy Jones, a Knoxville nuclear engineering major, who does work for TeamVols, the Student Government Association, local Girl Scout troops, and the American Museum of Science and Energy in Oak Ridge. She has been president of the student chapter of the American Nuclear Society and helped to plan the Society-s national student conference. She has also assisted TVA in filling student internship positions.
— Travis Lowe, a logistics and transportation major from Beckley, West Va., who helped lead this year-s Dance Marathon. He has twice served as an Orientation Leader, is a UT Ambassador, and was co-director of an Alternative Spring Break trip to New Orleans.
— Jimmie McKinley, a music education major from Memphis and member of the Pride of the Southland Marching Band, the UT Concert Band, the UT Percussion Ensemble, and the UT Symphony Orchestra. He has served as a resident assistant for three years, and has offered his time in the community as a music instructor at Boys and Girls Clubs.
— Meghan Morgan, a Knoxville native and political science major, vice president of the Student Government Association, member of Alpha Delta Pi, and volunteer for the Florence Crittendon Center and the Ronald McDonald House.
— Tiffani Saxton, a broadcasting major from Pinson, Ala., an active member of F.O.C.U.S., the campus diversity awareness organization, a peer mentor in the Honors Program, who has served as an Orientation Leader and as a resident assistant. She is currently vice chair of the Black Cultural Programming Committee, and a member of the Black Cultural Center Task Force.
— Erin Senter, a Birmingham, Ala., native majoring in psychology, a resident assistant, an orientation leader, and peer mentor. She has been active in Dance Marathon, F.O.C.U.S., and the Student Government Association. She cooks meals for the Volunteers of America and the Love Kitchen and volunteers for Boys and Girls Clubs.
— Lisa White, a food science major from Pelham, Tenn., who as president of the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources Student Council initiated a Christmas party for local Boys and Girls Clubs. She has also served as president of Mortar Board, a UT Ambassador, and volunteer for the Horseplay Clinic for handicapped children, East Tennessee Children-s Hospital, and the UT Medical Center.
— Lydia White, also a food science major from Pelham, Tenn., and president of the Class of 2002 Senior Gift Campaign who helped create the “Leave Your Mark at UT” gift program which allows seniors to make contributions to programs of their choice. She has also been a UT Ambassador, an active member of Student Government, and a volunteer at the Horseplay Clinic for handicapped children, Fort Sanders Hospital, and the Manchester Medical Center.
Other student awards also were presented Wednesday.
Citations for Campus Leadership and Service were presented to: Brittany Miller, a psychology major from Hendersonville, Tenn.; Ashleigh Emmitt, an early childhood education major from Columbia, Tenn.; Brooke Leahy, an early childhood education major from Germantown, Tenn.; Matthew Moore, an engineering science major; Nathanael Hammer, a graduate student in chemistry from Franklin, Tenn.; Adrienne Holtsford, an arts and sciences major from Columbia, Tenn.; Brad Akard, a logistics and transportation major from Kingsport, Tenn.; Jarrod Cruz of Lakeland, Fla.; Jamelie Kangles, a psychology major from Signal Mountain, Tenn.; and Melissa Patrick, a political science and broadcasting major from Nashville.
This year’s Volunteer of the Year is Diane Slinden, of Menomonie, Wisc., a rising senior majoring in Biochemistry, Cellular and Molecular Biology.
The Gene Mitchell Gray Pioneer Award, named for the first African-American graduate student at UT and awarded to students for outstanding contributions to cultural diversity on campus, went to Sharon Rodriguez-Alicea, a junior in broadcasting from Clarksville, Tenn.