UMD Honors BSOS Merrill Scholars, Faculty Mentors
The College of Behavioral and Social Sciences (BSOS) proudly congratulates five of its students who were recently honored as Merrill Presidential Scholars. Representing a broad range of disciplines, these students each embody the College’s mission to Be the Solution to the world’s great challenges.
The Merrill Presidential Scholars Program pays tribute to the University’s most successful seniors, and also recognizes their designated faculty and K-12 teachers for their mentorship.
On Nov. 14, this year’s cohort of Merrill Scholars and their mentors participated in a special ceremony and in a workshop that was designed to create stronger collaboration between the University and K-12 schools. The BSOS student and faculty honorees were supported at the program by the presence of Dean Gregory Ball and Associate Dean Katherine Russell, among many other members of the College community.
The legacy of academic excellence, teaching, and mentoring continues as scholarships were awarded in the K-12 teacher’s name to a new first-year student from that teacher’s high school or school district. The Merrill Presidential Scholars Program builds a community of scholars, faculty members, and K-12 teachers who recognize and celebrate the importance of teaching and mentoring the next generation.
Meet the 2014–15 BSOS Merrill Scholars
[[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_large","fid":"1389","attributes":{"alt":"","class":"media-image","height":"210","style":"width: 100px; height: 150px; margin: 5px; float: left;","width":"140"}}]]Lindsey Benjamin is a senior psychology major and a Spanish minor. She took advantage of the Maryland Spanish language immersion program in Seville, Spain; is a member of BSOS’s Global Communities Living-Learning program; and has been a campus tour guide. She is currently serving as a dialogue coordinator for the service organization Terps for Change. Passionate about Education, Lindsey has been working with the Breakthrough Collaborative, a national nonprofit that hires undergraduates to teach high potential, underserved middle school students during intensive summer sessions.
Lindsey honored Assistant Professor Jonathan Beier of the Department of Psychology as her faculty mentor.
[[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_large","fid":"1390","attributes":{"alt":"","class":"media-image","height":"210","style":"width: 100px; height: 150px; margin: 5px; float: right;","width":"140"}}]]Tony Belton is a senior sociology major and a member of the University Honors program. Tony is a research assistant in the Department of Sociology, where he investigates sociological issues relating to the military. He is the Undergraduate Coordinator of the Office of Rights & Responsibilities where he adjudicates non-academic student misconduct cases. Tony is also the Director of Security for Student Entertainment & Events and is the Communications Coordinator of Omicron Delta Kappa. After graduation, Tony is planning to attend law school and study criminal law.
Tony honored Assistant Professor Rashawn Ray of the Department of Sociology as his faculty mentor.
[[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_large","fid":"1391","attributes":{"alt":"","class":"media-image","height":"210","style":"width: 100px; height: 150px; margin: 5px; float: left;","width":"140"}}]]Lilybelle Davis is an economics major, a member of the Honors College, a Banneker/Key scholar, and an Honors Ambassador. As a member of the Honors Digital (now Design) Cultures and Creativity Living and Learning community, she worked as a student assistant to improve recruitment strategies with the program's directors. As a freshman, Lilybelle researched the persistence of partisan politics for the Department of Economics. She interned at Google during the last two summers in their engineering programs and patent litigation teams, respectively. She studied at the London School of Economics for her junior year. With a passion for service, Lilybelle tutors local high school students in math.
Lilybelle honored Director of Undergraduate Studies of the Department of Economics Cindy Clement as her faculty mentor.
[[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_large","fid":"1392","attributes":{"alt":"","class":"media-image","height":"210","style":"width: 100px; height: 150px; margin: 5px; float: right;","width":"140"}}]]Mackenzie Burnett, a government and politics and international relations double major, is a former Chair of the BSOS Dean's Student Advisory Council, and is a member of the Honors College and a Banneker/Key Scholar. In her junior year, she co-founded University of Maryland's student hackathon, Bitcamp, and currently co-directs the campus Startup Shell, a student-run startup incubator and coworking space. She really values the impact her mentors have had on her education, and she currently mentors several other GVPT students as part of the Banneker-Key Scholar mentoring program.
Mackenzie honored Professor Paul Huth as her faculty mentor.
[[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_large","fid":"1393","attributes":{"alt":"","class":"media-image","height":"210","style":"width: 100px; height: 150px; margin: 5px; float: left;","width":"140"}}]]Margaret Kahwaty is a hearing and speech sciences major, a member of the University Honors Program and an Honors Ambassador. She has conducted research in a child language development research lab and spent a winter break working in a hospital in Tanzania with AIDS victims. She has served as an undergraduate teaching assistant in both hearing and speech and biology courses.
Margaret honored Assistant Professor Yi Ting Huang of the Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences as her faculty mentor.
Also honored at the ceremony was Dr. Sue Briggs, director of the CIVICUS Living and Learning Program, who served as the faculty mentor for School of Public Health student Charlotte McCafferty. BSOS double majors Chelsea Brown and Emily Cheung were honored by the College of Arts and Humanities.
Published on Tue, Nov 18, 2014 - 11:59AM