HIGH POINT, N.C., June 26, 2019 – High Point University faculty and students recently received the following academic and professional awards and recognition.
HPU Junior Wins Gilman Scholarship
Avery Moon, a rising senior international relations and sociology/anthropology major, received a Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship to help fund her summer study abroad trip to Ukraine, where she will advance her Russian skills. Moon will study intermediate Russian in Kharkiv, Ukraine, and experience Eastern European culture first-hand.
“This prestigious award not only will solidify Avery’s Russian language skills, but it also will allow her to live and study in a region that is central to European-Russian relations,” says Dr. Mark Setzler, professor of political science at HPU. “When she graduates, Avery is going to stand out from her peers because of this recognition and the hands-on learning it provides.”
Pharmacy Student Named 2019 Walmart Scholar
Christopher Houpt, a fourth-year student in the Fred Wilson School of Pharmacy at HPU, was named a 2019 Walmart Scholar by the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy. The scholarship program supports students who are interested in careers in academic pharmacy. Houpt received a $1,000 scholarship to attend the AACP Annual Meeting and Teachers Seminar in Chicago in July along with his faculty mentor, Dr. Courtney Bradley, assistant professor of clinical sciences.
“I am very excited to attend the AACP Annual meeting to learn skills that will prepare me to be an excellent teacher and to network with members of the academy,” says Houpt. “I am proud to represent HPU as the first Fred Wilson School of Pharmacy Walmart Scholar. My mentor, Dr. Bradley, as well as countless other faculty members have truly inspired me to pursue a career in academic pharmacy by showing me first-hand the impact they can have on their students. Dr. Bradley has not only served as a research and career mentor, but I would also consider her to be a friend and someone from whom I can seek advice for anything.”
PA Program Chair Receives Service Award
Dr. Linda Sekhon, founding chair of HPU’s Physician Assistant Studies program, received the House of Delegates Outstanding Service Award from the American Academy of Physician Assistants. As the policymaking body of the American Academy of Physician Assistants, this award honors House of Delegates leaders who have provided exemplary service to the House of Delegates as well as to the academy. Sekhon has served the organization as chair of the Governance Commission, chair of the Elections Committee and numerous reference committees through the years. She is also a member and leader of the North Carolina Academy of Physician Assistants.
“I am proud to join the ranks of the impressive list of recipients who shaped our profession and provided direction for our growth and development through the years,” says Sekhon. “Many of these recipients served as role models and mentors for those who followed, and I am honored to carry on the proud traditions of our profession.”
HPU Student Receives National Study Abroad Scholarship
Brooke Smith, a rising junior biology and exercise science major, received the James G. Stemler Study Abroad Scholarship from the Alpha Lambda Delta National Honor Society. The $2,000 scholarship supports students in pursuing study abroad programs that enhance their academic studies. Smith traveled to Nepal during a “Maymester” HPU Global Experience, where she conducted exercise science research at 15,000 feet above sea level.
“As a double science major, it can be challenging to go abroad with timing and the class requirements, but it was great to be able to go on a Maymester that applied to both of my majors and have the same type of experience I would get in a full semester program,” says Smith. “I know it’s something that will set me apart. Not everyone gets to do research abroad, but HPU makes opportunities available for students to have experiences like that.”
Music and Theatre Students, Faculty Selected for International Performance Tour
Four HPU music and theatre majors have been selected for the Promising Artists of the 21st Century Program, an invited performance tour sponsored by the Centro Cultural Costariccense Norteamericano in Costa Rica. Rising juniors Demetria Hale and Jerry Hurley and rising seniors Madison Steiner and Corbin Elliott have been tapped for the highly selective program that brings U.S. students to the country for a week of performance and cultural experiences. They will perform popular selections from musicals written within the last 20 years and will be accompanied by pianist Rachel Bennett, an adjunct music instructor at HPU. They will be led by Dr. Scott MacLeod, associate professor of music. Bennett and MacLeod will also work with students at La Colmena, a musical theater training program in San José, prior to the tour.
“This is HPU’s fourth accepted invitation to participate in the Promising Artists program, which recruits talent from top-tier arts programs across the U.S.,” says MacLeod. “We have an outstanding group this year, they will be excellent ambassadors for the university.”
American Chemical Society Student Chapter Receives Honorable Mention
The student chapter of the American Chemical Society at HPU was awarded an honorable mention for the 2017-2018 academic year from the American Chemical Society Committee on Education. This special recognition is reviewed and awarded by peer universities and is based on the chapter’s programs, activities and outreach. The HPU chapter of the ACS engages in numerous outreach activities, including hosting the homeschool science fair and doing experiments and demonstrations with the YWCA and the Latino Family Center of High Point.
“This award from the American Chemical Society recognizes the outstanding work of our science majors,” says Dr. Todd Knippenberg, associate professor of chemistry. “Our students plan and execute experiments for many outreach events every year. They also network with similar student chapters, businesses and universities at seminars and conferences. The student chapter is a wonderful organization for anyone interested in chemistry or biochemistry to become involved in fun and fulfilling experiences outside of the classroom.”
HPU Service Learning Hosts Community Partner Barbecue
HPU’s Service Learning program hosted an annual community partner barbecue with roughly 75 faculty, students and community leaders. At the event, students presented posters highlighting the work they completed with community agencies throughout the academic year. The following awards were also announced:
Rosie Tarara, instructor of health education, was named Service Learning Professor of the Year for her work teaching a course for Education Fellows. The course engaged the students through working in local community gardens.- The Community Clinic of High Point was named Service Learning Community Partner of the Year for the number of students trained and mentored in health care work through the Bonner Leader program and internships.
- Sarah Leonard, a 2019 HPU graduate, was named Service Learning Student of the Year and the first Service Learning Scholar. She was recognized for completing multiple courses and an independent service learning project.
- Kayla Quick, a rising senior, was named Bonner Leader of the Year for her work organizing and leading the program throughout the year.
“Each year, we gather to celebrate the work we have accomplished together in building up the High Point community,” says the Rev. Dr. Joe Blosser, Robert G. Culp Jr. director of service learning. “Through these rich partnerships, our students come to feel a part of the larger community. As our students build their life skills by tackling real world challenges, they contribute to the common good of a community that helps to nurture, mentor and guide them in their personal and professional growth.”
HPU Hosts State, National Student Employment Events
HPU recently hosted two events for student employment professionals from across the U.S. The Carolina’s Chapter of the Southern Association of Student Employment Administrators met at HPU on June 3. Representatives from 35 colleges and universities in North Carolina and South Carolina attended. Following that event, 20 professionals from the National Student Employment Association met for a two-day training course on June 4-5. They discussed topics such as employment law, federal work-study regulations, job development, community service and other areas related to managing a successful student employment program. Whitney Neal, manager of HPU’s Student Employment Program, serves as the organization’s vice president of professional development and led the training. She recently received the 2018 NSEA Margene Ozalli Memorial Award for her work.
“I was honored to host both the conference and Student Employment Essentials Training here at High Point University,” says Neal. “The HPU Student Employment Program exemplifies HPU’s commitment to being the Premier Life Skills University, and the participants at both events were able to see these high impact practices in action.”