May 8, 2001

Five student organizations, a faculty advisor and several student leaders were recognized for their achievements in categories ranging from community service and humanitarian activities to student leadership during the annual Student Life Awards ceremony on April 25. The event was sponsored by the Division of Student Affairs.

President Philip E. Austin and Chancellor John D. Petersen addressed the student leaders and congratulated them on their accomplishments and contributions to the University.

The Inter-Fraternity and Panhellenic Councils received the Community Service Award for the Husky Midnight Marathon; the Air Force ROTC Drill Team won the Husky Pride Award; the Student Union Board of Governors received the Lifetime Achievement Award; the Asian American Student Association was honored with the Program of the Year Award for Asian Night; and the Student Organization of the Year Award went to the Vietnamese Student Association.

John Hall, photographer for the Institute of Materials Science and advisor to the Ballroom Dance Club, received the Booker/Wrobleski Outstanding Student Organization Advisor Award; and Joe Comerford an eighth-semester student received the 2001 Student Employee of the Year Award.

Students were also recognized for community service and humanitarian contributions. Stephanie Hardy and Xuan Chau were recognized as UConn's nominees for the Connecticut Higher Education Community Service Award; Meghan E. Kellogg received the 2001 Matthew B. Schecter Scholarship; and Ada Gonzales received the Spirer/ Dueker Student Humanitarian Award.

Vicky Triponey, vice chancellor for student affairs, also addressed the students and spoke about community and the valuable role students play. She expressed her pride in the students' accomplishments and thanked them for the special contribution they make to the University community.

Triponey also presented the 2001 Donald L. McCullough Award, the University's highest student leadership award. This year's recipients were Pablo Ortiz and Stephanie Hardy. Ortiz is an eighth-semester human development and family relations major and has been a member of PR/LACC since 1997. He is a student union manager and vice president for programming on SUBOG. Hardy is an eighth-semester nutritional sciences major. She has been involved with Habitat for Humanity and the Husky Nutrition Program, volunteers at St. Francis Hospital and Kinsella Elementary School, is a First Year Experience mentor, a member of Pi Beta Phi Sorority, and has headed the Habitat Husky House Project.