University Honors student and Biological Sciences major, Reem Sheikh and her faculty mentor, Dr. Carol Jones, visited Washington D.C. to present Reem's research poster on Capitol Hill. The Council on Undergraduate Research (CUR) welcomes nearly 80 undergraduate students from across the nation to Capitol Hill to present the results of their independent research in science, mathematics and humanities. The students were competitively chosen from just under four hundred applicants. Their research has been funded by the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, NASA, and many other agencies --- federal, state, and private.
University Honors student and Biological Sciences major, Umair Iqbal, has been named the winner of the highly coveted Truman Scholarship, one of the nation's most esteemed undergraduate awards. Iqbal will receive the $30,000 merit-based grant which is given annually by the Truman Scholarship Foundation in recognition of students with exceptional leadership potential who are committed to careers in government, non-profit or advocacy sectors, education, or pubic service.
University Honors student, Summer Engler, will be attending medical school next fall. She has been accepted to the University of Washington School of Medicine WWAMI program. The University of Washington School of Medicine has been ranked #1 in the nation for primary care by U.S. World and News Report for over a decade. She will be spending her first year of medical school taking classes at UAA and then her second year will be at the UW campus in Seattle, WA. Summer is well on her way of fulfilling her life-long goal of becoming a physician.
University Honors student, Umair Iqbal, is a finalist for the Elie Wiesel Prize in Ethics Essay Contest. His essay, The One, Daniel Pearl, is one of 13 going on to the final round. The Elie Wiesel Prize in Ethics Essay Contest is an annual competition designed to challenge college students to analyze the urgent ethical issues confronting them in today's complex world. Students are encouraged to write thought-provoking personal essays that raise questions, single out issues and are rational arguments for ethical action. Thousands of students from hundreds of colleges and universities across the nation have participated.
University Honors student Jared Kettler is spending spring semester in Washington DC participating in an internship program through The Washington Center. Jared will be interning for J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. in their Global Trade Management Solutions division. He will also be attending seminars with Congressional leaders. Jared received a full ride scholarship including airfare, tuition, housing, and a weekly stipend.
University Honors students Nataliya Udovyk (Economics), Cami Woolam (Economics) and Brit DelMoral (Sociology) have been named the recipients of the 2006 Policy Research Internship Award. This award is presented to exemplary students in the social sciences and other applicable fields interested in the analysis of public policy issues. Each recipient will be contributing research and analysis skills to forthcoming publications published by the Institute of Social and Economic Research (ISER) and will be awarded a $1500 stipend. Nataliya will be assisting Dr. Vic Fischer and Andrew Crow in various aspects of rural development projects, Cami will be assisting Dr. Sharman Haley on projects concerned with jobs and economic development in rural Alaska, and Brit will assist Dr. Diane Hirshberg on a study of recent graduates of Mt. Edgecumbe High School in Sitka, Alaska.
University Honors senior Michelle Steffens (Economics) has been selected as UAA's delegate to the 58th Student Conference on United States Affairs (SCUSA) to be held this month at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. SCUSA is a four day conference bringing together students from around the world, the largest such conference of its kind, and is an excellent opportunity to meet future leaders and policy makers. Delegates participate in round table discussions on a variety of current issues and on the problems faced by all the major world regions.
Honors student Summer Engler has been invited to speak this October at the United States Business Leadership Network’s National Conference (USBLN) in Minneapolis, MN. The USBLN recognizes and promotes best practices of employers in hiring, retaining, and marketing to people with disabilities. There is also a career fair that is a national effort that focuses on promoting disability as a central component of diversity recruitment and offers students the chance to explore career opportunities in their area of study. Nationally recognized speakers include U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzeles and The Honorable Bob Dole.
Honors student Summer Engler (Biological Sciences) was recently named “Alaskan of the Year” by the Governor's Committee on Employment and Rehabilitation of People with Disabilities. This award honors a person with a disability who has overcome significant hardships and whose achievements are an inspiration to all. Summer traveled to Juneau, AK in September to accept the award.
University Honors student and Biological Sciences major Umair Iqbal was selected as UAA's student representative to Oxford University's Conclave on Ethical Leadership. Umair accompanied UAA Chancellor Elaine Maimon to Oxford University in England this past September for this event.
"The Honors classes I took brought me in contact with top students from all different disciplines. The diversity and high quality of the students, faculty and classes gave me an edge in my other classes. I highly recommend the program to any students seeking an academic challenge."
- Nick Szymoniak, University Honors Program Student
