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Annual awards shine spotlight on university’s outstanding women students, faculty, staff

April 18, 2011

Photo of a medal on a red, white and blue ribonThe 2011 Outstanding Women Student Awards have been presented to 48 women from across all disciplines at Northern Illinois University and representing undergraduates, graduate students and law students.

NIU’s Presidential Commission on the Status of Women gave out the awards during its April 17 reception on campus.

The recognition program was created in 1980 and is held annually to:

  • encourage the full participation of women students in all facets of the university experience and in their communities;
  • to support their development of corresponding strengths, both cooperative and competitive; and
  • to celebrate their achievements and contributions.

Award winners include the following:

Nicole Arteaga (women’s studies), Caitlan Ayala (chemistry), Katrina Bade (elementary education), Shannon Barnaby (law), Katherine Haskins Becker (law), Valerie Berg (allied health and communicative disorders), Elizabeth Anne Bowman (English), Adoree Bryant (business administration),

Courtney Crombleholme (communication), Sharon A. Erickson (nursing education), Deidre Evans (business administration), Jessica Fiocchi (law), Julia Funke (Spanish), Mia Gormandy (music in performance), Kathryn Green (political science/economics), Katie Haft (family and child studies),

Tracy Hartley (early childhood studies), Amanda L. Irions (communication), Kathleen Johnson (accountancy), Kimberly Johnson (counselor education and supervision), Michele Johnson (general public health), Natalie Celeste Johnston (early childhood studies), Mary E. Kassir (romance languages), Amy Caye Kauth (instructional technology),

Andrea Kovalsky (kinesiology), Lauren Melina Kuta (biological sciences), Caley Lanahan (psychology), T.J. Lusher (instructional technology), Andrea Messing-Mathie (political science), Ashley Michels (English studies/ journalism), Candis Nikolic (family and child studies), Solanlly Ochoa-Angrino (educational psychology),

Jessica Parmenter (art history), Katherine A. Ruffo Petriz (Spanish), Madelaine Plewacki (Spanish), Brianna Lynn Pursell (communication), Kylie Revelle (business administration), Heather Samariniotis (sport management), Laura Schutte (meteorology), Brittany Dawn Sheldon (elementary education/Spanish),

Karen Stoutenburg (English/ communication), Kathleen M. Turner (film and literature), Reneka Turner (nursing), Alisa Von Hagel (political science), Kaylee Walters (biological sciences/French), Robin Waters (political science), Kathryn Wiencek (public health) and Zhenzhen Yang (chemistry).

Additionally five presentations were made to faculty and staff:

  • Amy Levin, director of Women’s Studies, received the Wilma D. Stricklin Award for enhancing the climate on campus for women;
  • Deborah Haliczer, director of Employee Relations, and Glenda Jones, of the NIU Bursar’s office, each received the Women Who Make A Difference Award; and
  • sociology professor Kristen Myers and Becky Harlow, assistant director of Student Involvement and Leadership Development, each received the Outstanding Mentor Award.