2008 Chancellor's Scholars, 4.0 Scholars receive awards at afternoon ceremony

April 7, 2008 -- Dr. Robert L. Potts, chancellor of Arkansas State University-Jonesboro, today announced the winners of the Chancellor’s Scholar Awards for 2007-08.

At the Student Honors Awards ceremony, Potts introduced Dr. Dan Howard, Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Research, who presented the awards during the 75^th annual Student Honors Awards ceremony, which recognizes ASU’s most outstanding graduates.

The awards are presented to the graduating senior in each college who has the highest overall grade point average. Graduates from August and December 2007, as well as those graduating in May of this year, were eligible.

Recipients and their respective colleges were Chelsea Cheri Dowler, Agriculture; Melissa Griffin, Business; Candice Renee James, Communications; Patricia K. Smith, Education; Jon T. Skinner, Engineering; Grant Wheeler Harbison, Fine Arts; Barbara Ewa Combs, Humanities and Social Sciences;  Kara Taylor, Nursing and Health Professions;  Candy S. Lincoln, Sciences and Mathematics; and Heather McNamee, University College.

College of Agriculture
Chelsea Dowler
Dowler will graduate in May and will be awarded a bachelor’s degree in animal science with a pre-veterinary emphasis from the College of Agriculture. She minors in chemistry. Dowler is the recipient of the Dean's Scholarship and the Coy McBoyd Scholarship, and is a member of the National Society of Collegiate Scholars. Dowler hopes to gain admittance to veterinary school at LSU.

She is married to Dustin Dowler and is the daughter of Randy and Leslie Russom of Beech Grove in Greene County. Her advisor is Dr. Bud Kennedy.

College of Business
Melissa Griffin
Griffin will graduate in May with a bachelor’s degree in finance from the Department of Economics and Finance in the College of Business. She is the recipient of a University Honors scholarship and received the Arkansas Bankers Association scholarship. She was selected to join Beta Gamma Sigma, the international honor society in the College of Business which recognizes outstanding academic achievement by students enrolled in collegiate business and management programs. Griffin is currently working toward her MBA at A-State, and hopes to have a career in cash management or treasury management with a large corporation.

Melissa Griffin is the daughter of Charles and Karen Griffin of Jonesboro. Her advisor is Dr. Jim Washam.

College of Communications
Candice Renee James
James will graduate in May with a bachelor’s degree in graphic communications from the Department of Journalism in the College of Communications. She was a First Team Selection for ESPN Magazine's Academic All-America Track and Cross Country Team 2007; was 2006-07 chair of Gamma Epsilon Tau, the student professional printing organization, and designed A-State's GCOM recruitment materials 2005-08 as well as the ASU Print Services website and materials.

Candice James is the daughter of Sandy Miller of Bryant in Saline County.  Her advisor is Pradeep Mishra.

College of Education
Patricia K. Smith
Smith will graduate in May with a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education with an emphasis in special education from the Department of Teacher Education in the College of Education. She has served as president of the ASU branch of Phi Delta Kappa, the international honor society for professional educators.

Smith's hometown is Flippin in Marion County. Her advisor is Susan Davis.

College of Engineering
Jon T. Skinner
Skinner will graduate in May with a bachelor's degree in civil engineering from the College of Engineering. He plans to seek employment in New York City and ultimately to attend graduate school.  Skinner was named to the President's List each semester from fall 2004 through Spring 2007. He was named to the Chancellor's List in Fall 2007, and served as vice president of the A-State chapter of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE).

His mother is Christy Jones and his father is Mike Skinner of Malvern in Hot Spring County. Jason Stewart is Skinner's advisor.

College of Fine Arts
Grant Wheeler Harbison
Harbison will graduate in May with a bachelor's degree in instrumental music from the Department of Music in the College of Fine Arts.  After graduation, he plans to pursue a graduate degree in music with an emphasis in trumpet performance at the University of North Texas. He was a winner in the 2008 Delta Symphony Orchestra Young Artist Competition, received the 2005 Donald R. Minx Scholarship, and was the recipient of the John H. and Irene Neeley Music scholarship in 2005 and 2007.

Harbison's parents are Milton Harbison of Jonesboro and Brenda Harbison, also of Jonesboro. Richard Jorgensen is his advisor.

College of Humanities and Social Sciences
Barbara Combs
Combs graduated in August, 2007, with a bachelor's degree in Criminology from the Department of  Criminology, Sociology and Geography in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences. Also known as Bashia, she is a native of Poland, and has been in the United States since 1999. She began studying at ASU-Jonesboro with limited English. She was a member of Phi Kappa Phi and earned the Excellence in German award.

Barbara Combs is the daughter is Janina and Andrzej Kawa of Poland. Her advisor was Dr. Larry Salinger.
 
College of Nursing and Health Professions
Kara Taylor
Taylor will graduate in May with a bachelor’s degree in communication disorders, from the Department of Communication Disorders in the College of Nursing and Health Professions.  She plans to attend graduate school in North Carolina. She was named a program scholar in the communications program, was selected for the President's List for three consecutive years, and was chosen to deliver remarks on behalf of the students at the groundbreaking for the Donald W. Reynolds Center for Health Sciences in 2007.

Kara Taylor is the daughter of Dale and Myra Taylor of Jonesboro. Dr. Sherri Lovelace is her advisor.

College of Sciences and Mathematics

Candy Lincoln
Candy Lincoln graduated in December 2007, Magna Cum Laude, with a Bachelor of Science degree in biological sciences.  During the August 2007 meeting of the American Society for Microbiology's South-Central Branch, she won the “Best Undergraduate Poster” award. She was a member of several clubs and honors societies and named to the National Dean’s List.

Originally from Mountain Home in Baxter County, Candy is the daughter of DuWayne and Carolyn Thomas.  Her adviser is Dr. Roger Buchannan.  

University College
Heather McNamee
Heather McNamee will graduate in May with a Bachelor of Science degree in Interdisciplinary Studies.  She has been named to the Chancellor’s List every semester while studying at ASU-Jonesboro. Heather is a member of three Honor Societies, including the Phi Alpha Theta History Honor Society, and served as the secretary of ASU-Jonesboro's Pre-Law Club.

A native of Jonesboro in Craighead County, Heather is the daughter of Tim McNamee and Kim Rook.  Her adviser is Dr. Lynita Cooksey. 

4.0 Awards
The 4.0 Award recognizes the graduating senior with a 4.0 Grade Point Average.

In some instances, several students from the same college have a perfect 4.0 grade point average, but do not have as many credit hours as are required to be a Chancellor’s Scholar. Those students who have achieved the 4.0 perfect grade point average are as follows:

From the College of Business, the 4.0 Scholar is Renee Branker of St. Augustine, Trinidad.

From the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, the 4.0 Scholar is Leslie Larsen, a Spanish and Psychology major from Benton in Saline County. Leslie's advisor is Dr. Warren Johnson.

From the College of Nursing and Health Professions, the 4.0 scholar is Candace Coker, a social work major from West Memphis in Crittenden County, whose advisor is Dr. Patricia Guy-Walls.

From University College, the 4.0 Scholar is Haley Lagasse of Conway in Faulkner County.

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