Two undergraduate students on Monday received the Spirer/Dueker Student Humanitarian Achievement Award at the Student Organizations Awards ceremony.

Barbara Schaffer, a Bachelor of General Studies major at the Torrington campus, and Alyssa Benedict, a junior psychology major, each will receive a $1,000 award.

Schaffer is involved with the American Red Cross. She was recognized for her coordination of the annual Halloween Haunted Hayride fund-raiser for the Greater Hartford Chapter. More than 400 volunteers worked to raise about $20,000 while educating children and adults.

Benedict is involved with UConnPIRG (Public Interest Research Group) on local, state and national levels. Her interests over the past three years have included homelessness, endangered species, higher education, toxins, consumer rights, voter registration, Students Against Political Corruption, recycling and Free The Planet. She was recognized for her role in organizing the UVote UConn coalition, a project last fall that involved more than 15 student organizations and ultimately registered over 1,200 students to vote.

The Spirer/Dueker award was established by Louise and Herbert Spirer and Marilyn Dueker, retired faculty members on the Stamford campus.

BG