Keynote speaker Abdul-Malik Muhammad addresses those attending the Graduate Students of Distinction event.

Grad students honored

Graduate Students of Distinction event honors 130 for academic achievements

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1:46 p.m., May 8, 2015--More than 130 underrepresented graduate students with grade point averages of 3.75 or higher were recognized for their academic achievements at the University of Delaware Graduate Students of Distinction Luncheon held Friday, May 1.

The special event, which was hosted by Carol Henderson, vice provost for diversity, celebrated the accomplishments of the University’s African-American, Latino and multi-racial students.

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Keeley Powell, director of graduate diversity initiatives, joined Henderson in congratulating the talented group of students. 

The event was attended by 30 graduate students, who were joined by guests and UD faculty and staff members.

UD alumnus Abdul-Malik Muhammad, who earned his doctor of education degree in educational leadership in 2014, served as keynote speaker. 

Muhammad is vice president of Providence Service Corp., Human Services Division, as well as consultant, trainer and president of Akoben LLC, and has served at-risk youth and adults for more than 15 years.

Muhammad shared his educational journey as a first-generation college student who overcame poverty and the loss of his parents to earn a doctorate and build a successful career. 

“My own journey is a testimony to the strength of raw determination and love from family and community supporters,” he said. “It was only these two ingredients that would help me fight against the gravitational pull of institutional racism and poverty.” 

Muhammad reminded students of their obligation to honor those who came before them and to give back to society, saying, “We have achieved success in school not because we are special. We have achieved because we have worked tremendously hard and been tremendously supported by others.”

Following are students who were recognized:

College of Agriculture and Natural Resources

Gabrielle Herbert, statistics

Keith Nevison , public horticulture

Ericka Veliz, plant and soil sciences

College of Arts and Sciences

Atnreakn Alleyne, political science and international relations

Michelle Anderson, history

Gabriel Andrade, chemistry and biochemistry

Daniel Arbucias, political science and international relations

Latanya Autry, art history

Maima Badio, school psychology

Carrie Barnum, biological sciences

Jessica Boatwright, criminology

Leighann Bogner, fine arts

Justin Brown, art history

Kendra Brumfield, urban affairs and public policy

Alyssa Bruner, energy and environmental policy

Adria Buchanan, urban affairs and public policy

Megan Carpenter, biological sciences

Talisa Carter, criminology

Claudia Caruso, urban affairs and public policy

Christopher Castillo, mathematics

Lauren Coffua , biological sciences

Madeline Corona, art conservation

Alexandra Davis, urban affairs and public policy

April Davison, urban affairs and public policy

Kiley Dhatt, English

Caitlin Duckett, psychology

Michael Fajardo, bioinformatics and systems biology

Daryl Fried, social studies in world history

Bianca Garcia, art conservation

Rachel Garcia, political science and international relations

Andrew Garcia, psychology

Cinsley Gentillon, biological sciences

Katrina Greene, art history

Nalleli Guillen, history

Reza Hammond, bioinformatics and systems biology

Isaac Harris, mathematics

Michael Harris-Peyton, English

Jared Hasbrouck, energy and environmental policy

James Haughom, music

Katherine Holmes, school psychology

Jordan Howell, English

Allan Hungria, mathematics

Kelly Jordan, psychology

Jose Luis Lazarte Luna, art conservation

Sarah Lockman, urban affairs and public policy

Colin Macfarlane, sociology

Jimmy Miranda, English

Laura Monico, sociology

Barry Moore, urban affairs and public policy

Ronel Namde, art conservation

Chiedo Nwankwor, political science and international relations

Faith Okpotor, political science and international relations

Galina Olmsted, art history

Sarah Patterson, English

Rachel Pupillo, chemistry and biochemistry

Barbara Romero, biological sciences

Santiago Suarez, biological sciences

Kimi Taira, art conservation

Joy Taylor, school psychology

Lemir Teron, energy and environmental policy

Emilio Valadez, psychology

Jessica Williams, music

Arline Wilson, English

Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics

Megan Carpenter, business administration

Eugene Ebanja, business administration-international business

Eric Hoober, business administration

Ida Hudson, business administration

Renae Myrie, business administration

Mariame Siby Epse Sanogo, business administration

Paul Smith, business administration

College of Earth, Ocean, and Environment

Emily Bryant, marine policy

Kenneth Hoadley, marine studies

Cassandra Sadler, geographic information science

Kristin Yoshimura, marine studies

College of Education and Human Development

Deirdra Aikens, educational leadership

Fatoumata Bah, human development and family studies

Alexis Bigelow, exceptional children and youth

Keisha Brinkley, educational leadership

Justin Coger, economic education

Helene Delpeche, education

Justin Hicks, exceptional children and youth

Arielle Johnson, teacher leadership

Akisha Jones, education

Maria Fernanda Marquez Adrianza, teaching English as a second language

Robert Mixell, education

Roberto Muniz, human development and family studies

Ariel Perez, exceptional children and youth

Michele Rawls, educational technology

Alexandra Reid, educational leadership

Shanta Reynolds, educational leadership

Teresa Rush, educational leadership

Michelle Spencer, educational technology

Michelle Spencer, leadership/early childhood and human services

Kayla Vanderbeek, exceptional children and youth

Shari Watkins, education

Latoya Watson, educational leadership

Chanelle Wilson, educational leadership

Lisa Wilson, educational leadership

Jordana Woodford, education

Siobahn Young, education

College of Engineering

Nuha Ahmed, electrical and computer engineering

Michael Berti, civil engineering

Christopher Cerezo Falco, electrical and computer engineering 

Patricia Chardon-Maldonado, civil engineering

Craig Davis, civil engineering

David Eng, electrical and computer engineering

Jacqueline Gonzalez, chemical engineering

Christopher Jackson, electrical and computer engineering 

Emmanuel Martey, civil engineering

Axel Moore, biomedical engineering

Marcel Nunez, chemical engineering

Bradford Paik, materials science and engineering

John Ruano-Salguero , chemical engineering

Michael Vaughan, civil engineering

Tayler Wennick, civil engineering

College of Health Sciences

Onazi Agbese, exercise science

Sandra Alarcon, dietetics and nutrition

Angela Carson, dietetics and nutrition

Marisa Cheng, health promotion

Whitney Coleman, health promotion

Susana Finkbeiner, human nutrition

Zaynah Henry, health coaching

Zaynah Henry , health promotion

Hillary Macias, dietetics and nutrition

Dana Mathews, physical therapy

Caitlin McEwen, human nutrition

Tamara Myles, dietetics and nutrition

KaWansi Newton Freeman, nursing

Samuel Roda, physical therapy

Justin Tennant, physical therapy

Adara Tognozzi, physical therapy

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