April 13, 2006
Doctoral students honored for teaching, research
CARBONDALE, Ill. -- Southern Illinois University Carbondale will honor Tammy E. Bahmanziari, a doctoral student in business administration, and Brian W. Benscoter, a doctoral student in plant biology, for superior achievement in this year's "Excellence Through Commitment Awards Program." Each will receive $1,000.
These prizes reward ongoing contributions by tenured and term faculty, staff and graduate assistants throughout the University and reflect the University's aim of encouraging outstanding work, one of the goals of Southern at 150: Building Excellence Through Commitment, the blueprint for the development of the University by the time it celebrates its 150th anniversary in 2019.
SIUC Chancellor Walter V. Wendler will host a dinner to honor all award recipients Thursday, April 27.
Bahmanziari won her award for teaching. Classes she has taught include accounting information systems, enterprise networks and communication, auditing, principles of accounting, and business statistics. Students praise both her classroom performance and the fact that she cares about them.
Bahmanziari, who has worked professionally as an accountant, earned two bachelor's degrees from the University of Tennessee at Martin, one in 1986 and one in 1996. She has a master's in business administration received in 1988 from Murray State University. She expects to finish her doctorate this May and will begin teaching accounting at Middle Tennessee State University in the fall.
Bahmanziari, a native of Greenfield, Tenn., is married to Nader Bahmanziari. They and their two children, Christopher and Layla, live in Carbondale.
Benscoter won his award for research, results of which have already appeared in three peer-reviewed international journals. Benscoter is looking at the effects of fire on northern peatlands, hoping to learn more about the hows and whys of carbon accumulation in those areas. Thus far, his results have contradicted some conventional wisdom about these effects. He believes this work will add to the understanding of carbon cycling (the movement of carbon between plants, animals, the air and the physical environment), which could have implications for environmental regulations globally. He has reported on his work at both national and international conferences.
A Pennsylvania native, Benscoter earned both his bachelor's and master's degrees from Pennsylvania's Villanova University in 2000 and 2002 respectively. He expects to finish his degree next spring.
Benscoter is the son of Donna Benscoter of Roebling, N.J. (130 Eighth Ave.), where he grew up, and Ronald Benscoter of Franklinville, N.J. (748 Proposed Ave.).
Tammy E. Bahmanziari
Download Photo Here
Brian W. Benscoter
Download Photo Here