May 19, 2010

History students earn scholarships, awards

by Andrea Hahn

CARBONDALE, Ill. -- The Department of History at Southern Illinois University Carbondale ended the academic year with awards for several of its outstanding students.

The William A. Pitkin Memorial Scholarship, granted to an upperclassman or a graduate student in history demonstrating outstanding potential for future success in the field, went to two students this year. They are Lana Gosnell (Naperville) and Alena Pirok (Rolling Meadows).

Glenda Sullivan (Murphysboro) earned the Norman Caldwell-James R. Sanders Award, which goes to a graduating senior with the highest grade point average among history majors who have completed all their baccalaureate work at SIUC.

Ashley E. McRaven, currently of Carbondale, claimed the Edward J. O’Day Prize for the best research paper, and two students,John Helmly (Marion) and Rachel Wolters (Percy) claimed the John Leason Scholarship, for those who plan to teach history in the secondary school system.

Three students earned the History Alumni Award, which goes to students based on grade point average requirements and evidence of “special promise as a historian.” Those students are: Gain Betzelberger (Delavan), Melanie Gilbert (Chester) and Felicia F. Morris (Eldorado).