Undergraduate Awards

Alumni Award for Undergraduate Academic Achievement in Anthropology

Alumni Award for Undergraduate Academic Achievement in Anthropology

Each spring, the School of Human Evolution and Social Change awards this honor to a graduating student who best exemplifies academic excellence during the past calendar year. This award is directed towards a person who exhibits high academic achievement in anthropology courses and displays important related interests. 

2022-2023 Madeleine Oricchio
2016-2017 Lea Gleason
2014–2015 Faye McGechie
2013–2014 Anne Beyens
2012–2013 Madeline Sands
2011–2012 Jake Lulewicz
2010-2011 Mara Steinhaus
2009–2010 Amy Karabowicz
2008–2009 Meridith Masoner
2007–2008 Jessica Joganic
2006–2007 Laura Burghardt
2005–2006 Noah Theriault
2004–2005 Penny Wagner
2003–2004 Linda Davis, Carrie Veilleux
2002–2003 Angela Watts
2001–2002 Catherine M. Haradon, Lydia V. Pyne
2000–2001 Michelle Speck
1999–2000 Alexandra A. DeSousa
1998–1999 Wendy Potter, Thalia Gonzalez
1997–1998 Wayne M. Boyd
1996–1997 Julia A. Sommerfeld
1995–1996 Patricia M. Hodges

Cynthia Lakin Award

Cynthia Lakin Award

Established by the parents of Cynthia Lakin, an undergraduate major in anthropology, in her memory, this award is given to graduating seniors who have majored in anthropology. The primary purpose of the award is to recognize the recipient’s sustained contribution to anthropology at Arizona State University’s Tempe campus. It is not limited to persons with high academic achievement. Students in good academic standing who participate in the Undergraduate Anthropology Association, volunteer for research with anthropology faculty, participate in field schools or execute independent research and projects related to anthropology are examples of candidates for this award. We urge the faculty, graduate students and undergraduates to bring such persons to our attention and nominate them for this award. The Undergraduate Committee decides on the recipient after all nominations are received.

2022-2023 Mackenzie Wright
2016-2017 Alexandra Norwood
2014–2015 Rebecca Harkness
2013–2014 Megan Best
2012–2013 Erik Thunberg
2011–2012 Benjamin Snow
2010–2011 Nicholas Banovich
2009–2010 Meagan Rubel
2008–2009 Jason Stokes
2007–2008 Arianne Peterson
2006–2007 Lara Lloyd
2005–2006 Andrew Somerville
2004–2005 Angela Ruggles
2003–2004 Michelle Fiedler
2002–2003 Brenda Rason
2001–2002 Marie C. Verleure
2000–2001 Heather Smith
1999–2000 Jennifer A. Thompson
1998–1999 Annette Smith
1997–1998 Lara A. Altizer
1996–1997 Donna Jacques
1995–1996 April Henry Clark, Shauna Moore
1994–1995 Cynthia Bates, Brenda Bradley
1993–1994 Jane Briesemeister, Indiana Jones
1992–1993 Maria Coyle, Bryan Brown, Jewel Touchin
1991–1992 Louis Apricella, Dawn Frost, Matthew Pridemore
1990–1991 Christine Kaye, Dori Ranck, Mark Werner
1989–1990 Bradley Ensor, Melisssa Grieves, Mary Schulte-Dawn
1988–1989 Andrew Crawford, William Harrison
1987–1988 Kathy Moyer, Korri Turner, John Ziker
1987–1988 Scott Cunningham, Ricardo Gonzales, Louisa Morris
1986–1987 Donna Cheung
1985–1986 Bethel Brown
1984–1985 Carolyn Smith
1983–1984 Tammy Ledington, Sylvia McCullough, Shirley Robling

Dean's Medal

Each department and school within The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences selects one outstanding student who has demonstrated a steadfast commitment to academic excellence during their time at ASU. These students are awarded a prestigious Dean’s Medal during convocation ceremonies in honor of their scholastic achievements.

Undergraduate Research Award

Every semester, the School of Human Evolution and Social Change grants research award(s) in the amount of $1,000 to select undergraduate students in its majors. The awards allow students to explore a topic close to their interests, giving them unique experience for graduate school in any field in addition to building and strengthening their resumes. Students are awarded a stipend for 9 hours of supervised study each week (of the semester that they have been awarded) to carry out their own research.

Eligibility

The student must:

be an undergraduate major in anthropology, applied math for the life and social sciences or global health

be in good academic standing (there is no minimum GPA requirement)

have at least one semester left at ASU before graduation

not have received a research award from the school previously

conduct research overseen by an ASU faculty member

Application Materials

Research projects should be well thought out and align with the student's research interests. These projects must be overseen by an ASU faculty member; however, independent research projects are desirable. Ideally, the faculty supervisor should be within the School of Human Evolution and Social Change because the money for these awards is generated by our faculty's research initiatives. If a student has a primary faculty advisor s/he would like to work with outside the school, we will accept those applications. However, we suggest that the student should minimally arrange for co-supervision with someone who is associated faculty within our school, in addition to their other faculty advisor.

Students must submit a 2-page proposal (double spaced) that states the goal(s) and relevance of the project, the methodology to be used and the project's expected outcome. A student's advising professor can help with ideas, but the student will want to show his/her own ingenuity in the proposal. The student must include the following information in the top right-hand corner: name, address, affiliate ID and e-mail address. A current, unofficial transcript must be included in the student’s submission. All application materials should be submitted through this form.

Students must have a letter of support from a faculty member that outlines how the faculty member will mentor the student through the project, the goals of the project and a timetable for its completion, a contextualization for the research design, the reasons for the analysis, and the goals/significance of the student's work. Faculty should e-mail this to shesc.undergrad@asu.edu with the following subject line: RAship + your name.

Selection Process

Because these awards are funded through faculty research initiatives, the number of awards varies from semester to semester. Selection is competitive and recipients are chosen by the School of Human Evolution and Social Change's undergraduate committee.

Decisions are based on the following:

the quality of the proposal;

the letter of support from the faculty member; and

the student's academic record.

Once decisions have been made, students will be notified in writing whether or not they have received the award.

Questions should be directed to the undergraduate advising office at Undergraduate Inquiries.

Fall 2014 Christina Balentine, Hana Alkahlout
Spring 2014 Lawrence Fatica, Faye McGechie
Fall 2013 Megan Best, Kelsey Vaughan
Spring 2013 James McGrath, Rebecca Harkness
Fall 2012 Danielle Johnson, Madeline Sands
Spring 2012 Mirna Hodzic, Tom Sprynczynatyk
Fall 2011 Rebecca Coleman, Wilman Vergara
Spring 2011 Jacob Harris, Mara Steinhaus
Fall 2010 Nick Banovich, Jessica Goodsell
Spring 2010 Cinthia Carvajal, Jesus Villa
Fall 2009 Mitch Darnell
Spring 2009 Merideth Masoner, Margaret Watjen
Fall 2008 Katrina Johnston, Amelia Villasenor
Spring 2008 Sarah Elsasser, Jennifer Guida, Meagan Ruebel
Fall 2007 Will Russell
Spring 2007 Catlin Buthrie, Paul Wren
Fall 2006 Stephanie Gresham
Spring 2006 Andrew Sommerville
Fall 2005 Nawa Sugiyama, Melanie Tluczek
Spring 2005 Leshana Leslie
Fall 2004 Catherine Bird, Melissa Wilkens, Cherie Larkin
Spring 2004 Maya Murakami
Fall 2003 Cynthia Atencio
Spring 2003 Linda Davis, Patrick Kaup
Fall 2002 Erick Steinback
Spring 2002 Amy Hallock
Fall 2001 Michelle Fiedler, Catherine Haradon, Lydia Pyne
Spring 2001 Daniel Temple
Fall 2000 Chelsea Klein, Ian Wheeler
Spring 2000 Gail Bleakney, Anthony Kegley
Spring 1999 Mary C. DeVriese, Amy Moreno, Jason Prichard
Fall 1998 Brandeis McBratney, Wendy Potter
Spring 1998 Linda Countryman, Thalia Gonzalez

Graduate Awards

Bob Bolin Award Environmental Social Sciences

Bob Bolin's academic background is interdisciplinary in sociology and geography with a focus on socioenvironmental transformations and was the director of environmental social sciences.  This award is presented to honor the academic excellence of our most outstanding graduate student in environmental social sciences. The recipient of this award is announced at the spring awards and graduation reception in the school.

To be eligible, you must have completed at least one full year in the program, must possess an outstanding academic record and must not have received the award previously. There is no requirement for nominations, since this honoree is selected by the relevant faculty committee.

Donald H. Morris Award for Outstanding Doctoral Student in Evolutionary Anthropology, and for Outstanding Doctoral Student in Bioarchaeology

The Donald H. Morris Award is presented to honor the academic excellence of our most outstanding graduate student in evolutionary anthropology and bioarchaeology. The recipient of this award is announced at the spring awards and graduation reception in the school.

To be eligible, you must have completed at least one full year in the program, must possess an outstanding academic record and must not have received the award previously. There is no requirement for nominations, since this honoree is selected by the relevant faculty committee.

Excellence in Graduate Achievement-Archaeology

This award is presented to honor the academic excellence of our most outstanding graduate student in archaeology. The recipient of this award is announced at the spring awards and graduation reception in the school.

To be eligible, you must have completed at least one full year in the program, must possess an outstanding academic record and must not have received the award previously. There is no requirement for nominations, since this honoree is selected by the relevant faculty committee.

Excellence in Graduate Achievement, Global Health

This award is presented to honor the academic excellence of our most outstanding graduate student in global health. The recipient of this award is announced at the spring awards and graduation reception in the school.

To be eligible, you must have completed at least one full year in the program, must possess an outstanding academic record and must not have received the award previously. There is no requirement for nominations, since this honoree is selected by the relevant faculty committee.

Philip Mason Thompson Award

The Philip Mason Thompson is presented to honor the academic excellence of our most outstanding graduate student in sociocultural anthropology. The recipient of this award is announced at the spring awards and graduation reception in the school.

To be eligible, you must have completed at least one full year in the program, must possess an outstanding academic record and must not have received the award previously. There is no requirement for nominations, since this honoree is selected by the relevant faculty committee.

Reynold Ruppé Prize in Archaeology and Ruppé Prize Honorable Mention

The Reynold Ruppé Prize in Archaeology is awarded each year to the best paper in archaeology by a graduate student at Arizona State University.

This prize is limited to current students in graduate degree programs in the School of Human Evolution and Social Change at Arizona State University. You may make one submission every year you are eligible, as long as you submit a different paper each year.

Papers about, or directly relevant to, archaeology, which were completed or published during the 18 months preceding the deadline are eligible. Papers being considered for submission for publication are particularly welcome.

Faculty may submit for students with the approval of the student, and faculty may nominate multiple students.

The submitting student must be the lead author on the paper, but co-authored papers are welcomed.

Please see the details of the submission process and the format criteria in the announcement below. All submissions must include a completed Cover Sheet, also found below.

Submission directions | Cover sheet

Past Years

2023 STUDENT AWARDS

Alumni Award for Academic Achievement in Anthropology

Mackenzie Wright
The school awards this honor to a graduating student who best exemplifies academic excellence during the past calendar year. This award is directed towards a person who exhibits high academic achievement in anthropology courses and displays important related interests.

Cynthia Lakin Award

Madeleine Oricchio
Established by the parents of Cynthia Lakin, an undergraduate major in anthropology, in her memory, this award is given to a graduating senior to recognize the recipient’s sustained contributions at Arizona State University’s Tempe campus.

The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Dean's Medal

Catalina Alvarez Flores (fall semester)
Madeleine Oricchio (spring semester)
Each department and school within The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences selects one outstanding student who has demonstrated a steadfast commitment to academic excellence. This student receives the prestigious Dean’s Medal during convocation ceremonies.

Reynold Ruppé Prize in Archaeology

Jayde Hirniak
Honorable Mention: Robert Bischoff
This honor is awarded each year to the best paper in archaeology by a graduate student at Arizona State University.

Donald H. Morris Award for Outstanding Doctoral Student

Marcos de la Rosa Martinez (bioarchaeology)
Shannon Roivas and Rebecca Siford  (evolutionary anthropology)
The school each year recognizes the academic excellence of our most outstanding graduate student in evolutionary anthropology and bioarchaeology.

Philip Mason Thompson Award

Mirtha Garcia Reyes
The school each year recognizes the academic excellence of our most outstanding graduate student in sociocultural anthropology.

Bob Bolin Award

Tashi Garung
The school each year recognizes the academic excellence of our most outstanding graduate student in environmental social science, in honor of Professor Emeritus Bob Bolin's service.

Excellence in Graduate Achievement in Global Health

Camila Tompkins
The school each year recognizes the academic excellence of our most outstanding graduate student in global health.

Excellence in Graduate Achievement in Archaeology

John Murray
The school each year recognizes the academic excellence of our most outstanding graduate student in archaeology.

Graduate Teaching Award

John Murray
The school each year recognizes a graduate teaching assistant for excellence in the classroom.

2022 STUDENT AWARDS

Alumni Award for Academic Achievement in Anthropology

Paul Penna
The school awards this honor to a graduating student who best exemplifies academic excellence during the past calendar year. This award is directed towards a person who exhibits high academic achievement in anthropology courses and displays important related interests.

Cynthia Lakin Award

Tiffany Cove 
Established by the parents of Cynthia Lakin, an undergraduate major in anthropology, in her memory, this award is given to a graduating senior to recognize the recipient’s sustained contributions at Arizona State University’s Tempe campus.

The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Dean's Medal

Ellianna Lederman (spring semester)
Each department and school within The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences selects one outstanding student who has demonstrated a steadfast commitment to academic excellence. This student receives the prestigious Dean’s Medal during convocation ceremonies.

Reynold Ruppé Prize in Archaeology

John Murray 
Honorable Mention: David Sandeford
This honor is awarded each year to the best paper in archaeology by a graduate student at Arizona State University.

Donald H. Morris Award for Outstanding Doctoral Student

Tisa Loewen (bioarchaeology)
The school each year recognizes the academic excellence of our most outstanding graduate student in evolutionary anthropology and bioarchaeology.

Philip Mason Thompson Award

Julia Ivanova 
The school each year recognizes the academic excellence of our most outstanding graduate student in sociocultural anthropology.

Bob Bolin Award

Kelly Claborn 
The school each year recognizes the academic excellence of our most outstanding graduate student in environmental social science, in honor of Professor Emeritus Bob Bolin's service.

Excellence in Graduate Achievement in Global Health

Alexandria Drake 
The school each year recognizes the academic excellence of our most outstanding graduate student in global health.

Excellence in Graduate Achievement in Archaeology

Robert Bischoff
The school each year recognizes the academic excellence of our most outstanding graduate student in archaeology.

Graduate Teaching Award

Jessica Rothwell
The school each year recognizes a graduate teaching assistant for excellence in the classroom.

2021 STUDENT AWARDS

Alumni Award for Academic Achievement in Anthropology

Nicolas Hansen
The school awards this honor to a graduating student who best exemplifies academic excellence during the past calendar year. This award is directed towards a person who exhibits high academic achievement in anthropology courses and displays important related interests.

Cynthia Lakin Award

Navneet Kumar
Established by the parents of Cynthia Lakin, an undergraduate major in anthropology, in her memory, this award is given to a graduating senior to recognize the recipient’s sustained contributions at Arizona State University’s Tempe campus.

The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Dean's Medal

Nora Martinez (spring semester)
Each department and school within The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences selects one outstanding student who has demonstrated a steadfast commitment to academic excellence. This student receives the prestigious Dean’s Medal during convocation ceremonies.

Reynold Ruppé Prize in Archaeology

Patrick Fahey
Honorable Mention: Kelly Blevins
This honor is awarded each year to the best paper in archaeology by a graduate student at Arizona State University.

Donald H. Morris Award for Outstanding Doctoral Student

Jessica Rothwell (bioarchaeology)
Minhua Yan (evolutionary anthropology)
The school each year recognizes the academic excellence of our most outstanding graduate student in evolutionary anthropology and bioarchaeology.

Philip Mason Thompson Award

Brittany Romanello
The school each year recognizes the academic excellence of our most outstanding graduate student in sociocultural anthropology.

Bob Bolin Award

Mahir Yazar
The school each year recognizes the academic excellence of our most outstanding graduate student in environmental social science, in honor of Professor Emeritus Bob Bolin's service.

Excellence in Graduate Achievement in Global Health

Elizabeth Kurtz
The school each year recognizes the academic excellence of our most outstanding graduate student in global health.

Excellence in Graduate Achievement in Archaeology

Jayde Hirniak
The school each year recognizes the academic excellence of our most outstanding graduate student in archaeology.

Graduate Teaching Award

Shannon Roivas
The school each year recognizes a graduate teaching assistant for excellence in the classroom.

2020 STUDENT AWARDS

Alumni Award for Academic Achievement in Anthropology

Molly Corr
The school awards this honor to a graduating student who best exemplifies academic excellence during the past calendar year. This award is directed towards a person who exhibits high academic achievement in anthropology courses and displays important related interests.

Cynthia Lakin Award

Kelsi Stroebel
Established by the parents of Cynthia Lakin, an undergraduate major in anthropology, in her memory, this award is given to graduating seniors who have majored in anthropology. The primary purpose of the award is to recognize the recipient’s sustained contribution to anthropology at Arizona State University’s Tempe campus.

The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Dean's Medal

Julia Phelps (spring semester)
Annaliese Pickett (fall semester)
Each department and school within The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences selects one outstanding student who has demonstrated a steadfast commitment to academic excellence. This student receives the prestigious Dean’s Medal during convocation ceremonies.

Reynold Ruppé Prize in Archaeology

Jayde Hirniak
Honorable Mention: Sofia Pacheco-Forés and David Sandeford
This honor is awarded each year to the best paper in archaeology by a graduate student at Arizona State University.

Donald H. Morris Award for Outstanding Doctoral Student

Kelly Blevins (bioarchaeology)
Kevin Lee and Amanda McGrosky (evolutionary anthropology)
The school each year recognizes the academic excellence of our most outstanding graduate student in evolutionary anthropology and bioarchaeology.

2019 STUDENT AWARDS

Alumni Award for Academic Achievement in Anthropology

Sara Rodriguez

Cynthia Lakin Award

Jane Koistinen

The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Dean's Medalist

Dean Blumenfeld (spring semester)
Jennifer Blech (fall semester)

Reynold Ruppé Prize in Archaeology

John Murray and Jacob Harris
David Sandeford
Honorable Mention: Christopher Schwartz

Philip Mason Thompson Award

Christine DeMyers

Donald H. Morris Award for Outstanding Doctoral Students

Bioarchaeology: Sarah Hall
Evolutionary Anthropology: Sam Patterson

Graduate Teaching Award

Charlayne Mitchell
Jose B. Rosales Chavez

Directorate Teaching Award

April Kamp-Whittaker
Sofía Pacheco-Forés
Irene Smail
Christopher Schwartz

2018 STUDENT AWARDS

Alumni Award for Academic Achievement

Brittany Hale

Major: Double major in global health and justice studies

Research interests: Hale became interested in mental health and social stigma within a health context after working with doctoral student Ashley Hagaman on her research on suicide surveillance in Nepal. Hale’s honors thesis looked at better understanding student experiences and impacts in global health study abroad, and she is interested in both improved and standardized evaluations of these programs.

Accomplishments: Hale received a Killam Fellowship through Fulbright Canada and was able to study abroad in Toronto during fall 2017, where she learned about the Canadian health system and international development.

What’s next: Hale is currently applying for public health fellowships and internships, and she hopes to spend a year working and learning in the health sector before going to graduate school.

Cynthia Lakin Award

Kari Guilbault

Major: Anthropology

Research interests: Guilbault studies the connections between biology and culture as seen through human osteology. Specifically, she is interested in quality of life and violence as evidence of inequality, as well as morphological variation, body modification and funerary practices.

Accomplishments: Guilbault has worked collaboratively with school faculty and students as a research apprentice in the Bioarchaeology of Nubia Expedition Laboratory and the Archaeological Chemistry Laboratory. She also assisted with research projects around the development of children's altruistic preferences and how the sella turcica (the part of the skull that holds the pituitary gland) anatomy compares and relates to life history in different mammals.

What’s next: Guilbault plans to begin graduate school in 2019. During her time off from formal academics, she will be attending the Blackfriary Archaeology Field School in Ireland to take part in an intensive bioarchaeology course. She has also been invited to join the Bioarchaeology of Nubia Expedition team for the 2018 field season.

College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Dean’s Medal, Spring 2018

Jessica Roberson

Major: Double major in anthropology and English literature

Research interests: Roberson is interested in applied anthropology. Specifically, she focuses on communication and expressions of meaning, memory and resistance in marginalized communities, as well as the processes by which communities construct narratives about their place in the world.

What’s next: After graduation, Roberson plans to participate in the Teach for America program in Alabama, where she will teach secondary English and pursue a master’s degree in secondary education.

Reynold Ruppé Prize in Archaeology

Sofía Pacheco-Forés

Program: Anthropology PhD candidate, bioarchaeology approach

Research interests: Pacheco-Forés uses biogeochemical and biodistance methods to investigate identity-based violence in pre-Hispanic Mesoamerica. More broadly, she is interested in past mobility and migration, ritual violence, and if and how perceptions of social difference may predispose people to violence.

Accomplishments: Pacheco-Forés is proudest of the fact that she has mentored 14 undergraduate students through the course of doing her own dissertation research, and that many of those students have gone on to pursue their own research interests in anthropology and the life sciences.

What’s next: Pacheco-Forés is currently writing her dissertation and plans to apply for postdoctoral positions to continue her research.

Reynold Ruppé Prize in Archaeology Honorable Mention

Sarah Klassen

Program: Anthropology PhD, archaeology approach

Research interests: Klassen’s interests include geographic information systems analyses, water management, adaptive capacity and resilience in medieval Southeast Asia.

Accomplishments: Klassen’s research projects have successfully garnered national funding, including a National Science Foundation Dissertation Improvement Grant and an Endeavour Fellowship from the government of Australia.

What’s next: This fall, Klassen will be a Mellon Fellow in Urban Landscape Studies at Dumbarton Oaks in Washington, D.C. In January 2019, she will begin a two-year Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) Postdoctoral Fellowship at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver.

Philip Mason Thompson Award

Melissa Beresford

Program: Anthropology PhD candidate, sociocultural approach

Research interests: Beresford studies the ways people adapt to structures of power and inequality in economic systems. She is interested in questions such as how people understand the economy and their role in it, and how diverse economic practices allow people to secure fundamental resources and strive for social change.

Accomplishments: Beresford believes that completing her dissertation research and finishing up her dissertation has been her biggest academic accomplishment. Her research, based in Cape Town, South Africa, examines how South African entrepreneurs are attempting to develop new economic realities in the wake of the country's post-apartheid economic transformation.

What’s next: During Beresford’s fieldwork, Cape Town experienced one of the most severe droughts the city has seen in over 100 years. As a result, a host of new “water entrepreneurs” emerged, some working on water-saving technology and others developing water delivery businesses. Beresford is developing her next research project, which will ethnographically examine these new, market-driven resource approaches.

Donald H. Morris Award for Outstanding Doctoral Student, Bioarchaeology

Emily Sharp

Program: Anthropology PhD candidate, bioarchaeology approach

Research interests: Sharp analyses skeletal trauma to understand how violence is produced, perpetuated and ultimately becomes a culturally sanctioned behavior in human groups. Her regional focus is on non-state societies that lived 1,000 – 1,900 years ago in the Andes.

Accomplishments: In 2017, Sharp co-directed archaeological excavations at a site in highland Peru as part of the Proyecto de Investigación Arqueología de Jecosh. The project formed out of a collaborative partnership with Elizabeth Grávalos from the University of Illinois Chicago and Peruvian archaeologist Denisse Herrera Rondan, and Sharp’s responsibility was to direct excavations in and around tombs at the site.

What’s next: This summer, Sharp and the research team will present a museum exhibit of their work at the Museo Arqueológico de Ancash in Huaraz, Peru. Her long-term plans include continuing her research in Peru and writing her dissertation.

Donald H. Morris Award for Outstanding Doctoral Student, Evolutionary Anthropology

Joel Bray

Program: Anthropology PhD candidate, evolutionary approach

Research interests: Bray studies social relationships among male chimpanzees. He is particularly interested in how early social experiences during infancy and juvenility — a period in which mothers exert substantial influence over an offspring's social opportunities — affect adult social behavior and fitness.

Accomplishments: Bray considers his continuing perseverance throughout graduate school to be his greatest accomplishment.

What’s next: Bray is currently finishing up a year of fieldwork in Gombe National Park, Tanzania. For the next two years, he will be analyzing data and writing his dissertation.

2017 STUDENT AWARDS

Alumni Award for Undergraduate Academic Achievement in Anthropology

Lea Gleason

Major: Anthropology, with a minor in biology

Research interests: Gleason is interested in gene-culture co-evolution and large-scale cooperation. She plans to investigate how cooperation “scales up,” especially in high-stakes scenarios like warfare. She is also interested in the evolution of post-traumatic stress disorder.

Inspiration to pursue her field: Gleason was inspired after listening to a guest lecture by School of Human Evolution and Social Change Assistant Professor Sarah Mathew, whose research examines humans’ ability to cooperate with millions of genetically unrelated individuals, and how that ability relates to the origins of morals, prosocial behavior, norms and large-scale warfare.

“I thought the entire topic was really interesting and had important implications. Additionally, with my military background, I saw a way to connect what I had already done to future ideas,” Gleason says.

Accomplishments: Due to her incredible work ethic and dedication to research, Gleason was singled out by the SHESC Undergraduate Committee as the graduating student who best exemplified academic excellence this year.

She was also selected for the NSF Fellowship because of her “demonstrated potential to contribute to strengthening the vitality of the U.S. science and engineering enterprise,” says Dean Evasius, NSF division director of graduate education.

In addition to assisting Mathews with her research, Gleason has worked extensively with various faculty, including Assistant Professor Chris Morehart in the Paleoethnobotany Lab recording the historical use of plants by the Maya, and with Professor Bill Kimbel in the Institute of Human Origins managing the digital archive.

She is also a research assistant on the projects of Dr. Hillary Lenfesty, Dr. Bailey House and Dr. Matt Zefferman.

What’s next: Gleason says the NSF grant and Alumni Award will help with her current and future financial constraints, allowing her more time to focus on her research, rather than worry about other distractions in her life.

“I am extremely grateful to have received these two awards and know they will help me tremendously as I progress through my career,” she says.

After graduation, Gleason plans to remain at Arizona State University for graduate school and work with Mathew, as well as SHESC Professor Robert Boyd. One day, she would like to become a professor.

College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Dean’s Medalist

Alexandra Norwood

Major: Double-major in anthropology and geology

Research interests: Norwood is interested in reconstructing paleoenvironments to understand the context of human evolution. 

Accomplishments: Norwood has won many previous awards, including two NSF Research Experiences for Undergraduates and several from ASU institutions. During her undergraduate career, she’s done a variety of research on Mesoamerican archaeology, comparative urbanism, prehistoric Southwestern ceramics, oceanic nitrogen cycles and paleoecology. She also helped establish the “Ask an Anthropologist” resource while working at the ASU Institute of Human Origins. In her spare time, Norwood has served as a volunteer for the Arizona Museum of Natural History and the Pueblo Grande Museum, as an elementary school student mentor at the Tempe Public Library, and as the president of the Undergraduate Anthropology Association.

“I am probably most proud of the diversity and robustness of my research, as well as my work getting children and the public excited about science and mentoring the SHESC students who have come after me,” Norwood says.

What’s next: Norwood will go on to pursue her PhD in biological anthropology at another prestigious university.

Cynthia Lakin Award

Alexandra Norwood

Reynold Ruppé Prize in Archaeology

Grant Snitker

Program: Anthropology PhD candidate, archaeology approach

Research interests: Snitker researches prehistoric uses of controlled fire, settlement history and environmental change using methods such as geoarchaeology, archaeological survey, GIS modeling and landscape/fire ecology. He is currently working in Valencia, Spain to investigate early farming communities’ origins, evolution and agricultural use of fire.

Accomplishments: Snitker’s recent work, “Identifying Natural and Anthropogenic Prehistoric Fire Regimes through Simulated Charcoal Proxy Records,” was named the year’s best paper in archaeology authored by an ASU graduate student. In the past, archaeologists’ ability to study how past peoples managed landscapes with fire was limited by the scanty record of tiny charcoal particles. Snitker solved the problem by developing a computer model, CharRec, which allows researchers to generate expectations for different fire-use scenarios that they can compare to observable data.

What’s next: After graduation, Snitker will continue his research on man-made fire and landscape change though either academic or governmental employment.

Phillip Mason Thompson Award

Ryan Bleam

Program: Anthropology PhD candidate, sociocultural approach

Research interests: Bleam studies “sense of place” and other aspects of the human-environment relationship.

Accomplishments: Bleam was awarded as the year’s most exceptional graduate student in sociocultural anthropology. His dissertation work is a partnership with the local McDowell Sonoran Conservancy, an environmental nonprofit that manages Scottsdale’s McDowell Sonoran Preserve. The project explores how engagement in conservation volunteerism helps foster a sense of place for residents, particularly retirees. 

What’s next: Bleam’s goal is to continue in academia as a professor while also remaining engaged in community-focused research.

Donald H. Morris Award for Outstanding Doctoral Student in Bioarchaeology

Elise Alonzi

Program: Anthropology PhD candidate, bioarchaeology approach

Research interests: Alonzi uses isotopic analysis, or biogeochemistry, to study where ancient people lived and how they may have moved to new areas during their lifetimes.

Accomplishments: Alonzi was recognized as the year’s most outstanding graduate student in bioarchaeology. She is currently in Ireland on a Fulbright Student Research Award, where she is collecting samples for her dissertation, which investigates the mobility of monks and lay people who were buried in early- and late-medieval Irish monasteries. She will analyze around 100 individuals from five different sites that date from the ninth to 16th centuries. She is also working with Irish researchers to create a radiogenic strontium isotope baseline from Irish plant samples, which they will use to better understand human isotopic data. Read the ASU Now article on her work.

What’s next: Alonzi hopes to continue her research uncovering Irish history.

Donald H. Morris Award for Outstanding Doctoral Student in Evolutionary Anthropology

Ignacio Lazagabaster

Program: Anthropology PhD candidate, evolutionary anthropology approach

Research interests: Lazagabaster is interested in the paleoecological and paleoenvironmental reconstruction of fossil hominin sites.

Accomplishments: Lazagabaster was named the year’s most outstanding graduate student in evolutionary anthropology. His paper, “Inferring diet from dental morphology in terrestrial mammals,” was published in the journal Methods in Ecology and Evolution last November. He and his research team created a new method – the multidimensional multi-proxy dental morphology analysis – which can tell which one of eight different diet types a given mammal had based on the physical characteristics of its teeth. His work has applications for ecological, paleoecological and evolutionary research.

What’s next: Lazagabaster plans to remain in academia and apply for post-doctoral positions.

2016 STUDENT AWARDS

College of Liberal Arts and Science Dean's Medal

Anna Carson (spring semester)
Emma Hawkins (fall semester)

2015 STUDENT AWARDS

College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Dean's Medal

Hannah McAtee

Cynthia Lakin Award

Rebecca Harkness

Alumni Award for Undergraduate Academic Achievement

Faye McGechie

Undergraduate Research Awards

Christina Balentine
Hana Alkahlout

Reynold Ruppé Prize in Archaeology

Kent Johnson
Kathleen Paul
Nicolas Gauthier

Philip Mason Thompson Award

Joseph Hackman

Donald H. Morris Award for Outstanding Doctoral Student in Bioarchaeology

Katelyn Bolhofner

Donald H. Morris Award for Outstanding Doctoral Student in Evolutionary Anthropology

John Rowan

2014 STUDENT AWARDS

College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Dean's Medal

Lawrence Fatica

Cynthia Lakin Award

Megan Best

Alumni Award for Undergraduate Academic Achievement

Anne Beyens

Len and Gordon "Spunky" Award

Elija Flores 

Undergraduate Research Awards

Megan Best
Lawrence Fatica
Faye McGechie
Kelsey Vaughan
 

Reynold Ruppé Prize in Archaeology

Simen Oestmo

Reynold Ruppé Prize in Archaeology Honorable Mention

Adrian Chase

Philip Mason Thompson Award

Alissa Ruth

Donald H. Morris Award for Outstanding Doctoral Student in Bioarchaeology

Allisen Dahlstedt

Donald H. Morris Award for Outstanding Doctoral Student in Evolutionary Anthropology

Genevieve Housman

School of Human Evolution and Social Change Graduate Student Teaching Award

Ryan Bleam

2013 STUDENT AWARDS

Alumni Association's Outstanding Social Science Graduate

Blake Thomson

College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Dean's Medal

Blake Thomson

Pitchfork Award for Outstanding Undergraduate Student Leader

Holly Vins

Cynthia Lakin Award

Erik Thunberg

Dons of Arizona Award

Rebeca Suarez
James McGrath

Alumni Award for Undergraduate Academic Achievement

Madeline Sands

Spring 2013 Undergraduate Research Assistantships

James McGrath
Rebecca Harkness

Reynold Ruppé Prize in Archaeology

Christopher R. Caseldine

Reynold Ruppé Prize in Archaeology Honorable Mention

Emily Sharp

Philip Mason Thompson Award

Ryan Bleam

Donald H. Morris Award for Outstanding Doctoral Student in Bioarchaeology

Kathleen Paul

Donald H. Morris Award for Outstanding Doctoral Student in Evolutionary Anthropology

Emily Hallett

School of Human Evolution and Social Change Graduate Student Teaching Award

Terry Ritzman

ASU Graduate and Professional Student Association Teaching Excellence Award

Terry Ritzman

2012 STUDENT AWARDS

College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Medal

Mirna Hodzic

Sun Angel Funk Scholarship

Blake Thomson

Cynthia Lakin Award

Benjamin Snow

Dons and Doñas of Arizona Award

Monica Algara
Paige Owen
Benjamin Snow

Alumni Award for Undergraduate Academic Achievement

Jake Lulewicz 

ASU Alumni Association Outstanding Graduate Award

Mirna Hodzic

Spring 2012 Undergraduate Research Assistantships

Mirna Hodzic
Tom Sprynczynatyk

Fall 2012 Undergraduate Research Assistantships

Danielle Johnson
Madeline Sands

Reynold Ruppé Prize in Archaeology

Sean Bergin
Christopher Roberts

Reynold Ruppé Prize in Archaeology Honorable Mention

Josh Watts

Philip Mason Thompson Award

Ben Jewell

Donald H. Morris Award for Outstanding Doctoral Student in Bioarchaeology

Kelly Harkins

Donald H. Morris Award for Outstanding Doctoral Student in Physical Anthropology

Amy Shapiro

School of Human Evolution and Social Change Graduate Student Teaching Award

Sotiria Anagnostou

ASU Graduate and Professional Student Association Outstanding Mentor Award

Juliana Novic

ASU Graduate and Professional Student Association Teaching Excellence Award

Allain Barnett