Eighteen students will receive financial awards and certificates that reflect their talent, hard work, dedication, service and academic excellence at the Department of Communication’s annual awards banquet on Saturday, April 9, from 2 to 3:30 p.m. in the Williams Center’s Horizon Room.
Kristen O’Connor, a third-year law student at the University at Buffalo and a SUNY Fredonia alumna, will deliver the keynote speech, "Adaptation through Communication: Setting the Foundation at Fredonia."
Ms. O’Connor graduated with honors with degrees in English, Communication: Public Relations, and Communication: Media Management in 2017. She previously worked as a copywriter and content marketing associate for a healthcare not-for-profit.
O’Connor’s faculty mentor, SUNY Distinguished Service Professor Ted Schwalbe, will also be in attendance. Family and friends will be attending to celebrate student winners. Several scholarship donors, including Richard and Pamela Ryan, will also attend. The scholarships were established through the Fredonia College Education Foundation.
New members of Fredonia's Lambda Pi Eta chapter (Alpha Beta Epsilon) will also be inducted at the ceremony by 2021-2022 chapter President Kelsey Wolfe and Faculty Advisor Amanda Lohiser. New inductees are: Hannah Barden, Alyssa Bump, Caitlan Dean, Jackson DiCarlo, Nicolas Dohre, Hunter Halterman, Trevor Hauer, Analise Healy, Mara Marsh, Brandon Martinez, Christopher Sill, Sarah Slack and Andrea Vélez-Davis.
Student recipients, areas of study, hometowns and respective scholarships include:
- Grace Quinlivan, junior, double majoring in Communication Studies and Interdisciplinary Studies, from Buffalo - Arthur R. Maytum Scholarship;
- Alex Giles, sophomore, Communication: Video Production, from Canisteo - Arthur R. Maytum Scholarship;
- Madison Velez, sophomore, Communication: Video Production, from New York City - Arthur R. Maytum Scholarship;
- Rosa Galavotti, junior, majoring Communication: Video Production, from Canastota - Arthur R. Maytum Scholarship;
- Erin McSweeny, sophomore, Communication: Communication Studies, from Buffalo - Arthur R. Maytum Scholarship;
- Chloe Kowalyk, junior, Communication: Journalism, from Buffalo - Louis C. & Dr. S. David Adler Scholarship;
- Trevor Hauer, senior, Communication: Audio/Radio Production and Childhood Education: Curriculum and Instruction, from Grand Island - Edward S. Edelman Scholarship;
- Alyssa Bump, senior, Communication: Journalism and Communication: Public Relations, from Cuba - Anne Bernstein Memorial Fund;
- Hunter Halterman, junior, Communication: Audio/Radio Production and Communication: Video Production, from Cattaraugus - Dan Berggren Excellence in Audio/Radio Scholarship;
- Hailey Cole, junior, Communication: Public Relations, from Geneseo - Anthony J. Ellis Scholarship;
- Natalie Wilks, junior, Communication: Public Relations and Communication: Audio/Radio Production, from Fayetteville - Richard & Pamela Ryan Scholarship, 2021 John Saulitis Friends Scholarship;
- Erin Mosher, sophomore, Communication: Journalism, from Orchard Park - Chilberg Applied Communication Award;
- Allyson Youngs, junior, Communication: Public Relations, from Allegany - The Ann Reynolds Carden Public Relations Star Award;
- Christopher Sill, junior, Communication: Video Production, from Hicksville - Kathleen McDonough Communication Scholarship;
- Elizabeth Weiglein, sophomore, Communication: Video Production, from Cheektowaga - Arlie Muller Parks Scholarship;
- Tamia Simmons, senior, Communication: Video Production, from Brooklyn - Academic Achievement Award (EOP/EDP);
- Josue Petion, senior, Communication: Video Production and Business Administration, from Brooklyn - EOP Ambassador Academic Achievement Award;
- Aliah Richards, senior, Communication: Public Relations, from Rosedale - Noman McConney Award for Student Excellence (EOP/EDP).
The Department of Communication, founded in Spring 1981, strives to foster understanding of the role, process and practice of communication through teaching, research/creative work and service. The department offers a comprehensive program with majors in Audio/Radio Production, Video Production, Communication Studies, Journalism, Media Management and Public Relations.
