College of Basic Sciences students and professors packed the Lod Cook Assembly Center Monday night to recognize 493 students with certificates of excellence.
The College of Basic Sciences, which is comprised of biological sciences, chemistry, computer science, geology and geophysics and astronomy, hosted the 29th annual Choppin Convocation.
According to John Grubb, the director of communications for Basic Sciences, students who were awarded certificates have a minimum of 60 hours of credit, have maintained at least a 3.5 GPA and were full-time Basic Sciences students in fall 2003.
Grubb said one or two students are awarded the R. Greg Hussey Achievement Award each year for excelling both academically and in the community.
According to Grubb, an outstanding sophomore, junior and senior are selected by the Admissions, Standards, Honors and Scholarship Committee each year to compete at the University level.
Grubb said the department chairs and representatives gave departmental awards to students.
Grubb said during the ceremony, which was led by the Interim Dean of the College of Basic Sciences, Kevin Carman, several graduate and undergraduate professors were recognized with a $1,000 stipend.
According to Carman, the professor awards were chosen by a professor panel within the college and were sponsored by the Tiger Athletic Foundation.
Carman said the honored professors were Ms. Ann Jolissaint, an instructor of freshman biology, and Dr. Grover Waldrop, associate professor in biological sciences.
Dr. John Taylor was the recipient of the Basic Science Award, recognizing his computer science teaching at the graduate level.
According to Carman, the college gave one research award to a non-tenured junior faculty member.
“The Basic Sciences Convocation provides a unique opportunity to formally recognize our many outstanding students and present special awards to a few truly exceptional students,” Carman said.
Carman said that he does not see the awards ceremony expanding in the near future. He said he believes that the right number of awards are given, and that to keep expanding the ceremony would diminish the meaning of the awards given.