Pardee School 2015 Student Awards Announced
During convocation ceremonies for the Inaugural Year class of 2015, the Pardee School of Global Studies will honor the achievements of some of its brightest and most talented students.
The Carole A. Chandler Award is given each year to recognize the spirit of citizenship and a commitment to the values and mission of what is now the Pardee School of Global Studies. The Award is open to graduate and undergraduate students who have demonstrated exemplary commitment to the School’s mission while maintaining academic excellence.
This year the Carole A. Chandler Citizenship award is shared by two students: Sidhanta Mehra, BA in International Relations, and Alba Balla, MA in International Affairs. “It was such a great surprise when I received the news,” said Alba Balla. “I’m honored to have received this award. It shows how dedicated to its students the School is.”
The Ambassador Hermann Frederick Eilts Thesis Awards are given to the best undergraduate and graduate theses written by students at the Pardee School. The Prize recognizes the value of good research and policy analysis at the Pardee School and celebrates the contribution of Ambassador Hermann Frederick Eilts, the founder of International Relations programs at Boston University.
On the graduate level, the Eilts Award will be shared between Lee Hekking (thesis advisor: Igor Lukes) for his thesis “The Polish Solidarity Movement and Tunisia’s Revolution of Dignity and Freedom: A Comparative Student of Cross-Group Cooperation in Revolutionary Movements” and Nyeleti Karina Honwana (thesis advisor: Michael Woldemariam) for her thesis “Social Movements in Africa: Mozambique and Civil Disorder.” The best undergraduate thesis honor will go to Fatima Mohie-Eldin (thesis advisor: Wilfrid Rollman) for her thesis “Egypt’s Salafi Vanguard.”
“My advisors, Professors Igor Lukes and Noora Lori, were very encouraging and gave me a great deal of freedom to explore a topic I was passionate about,” said Lee Hekking. “And now, to have that work recognized by the Pardee School faculty? It feels very rewarding.”
“It’s very rewarding to have the culmination of my work here at BU recognized,” said Nyeleti Karina Honwana. “This project was near and dear to my heart, so to win this award is great encouragement for my academic future.”
The winner of the College of Arts and Sciences Prize for Undergraduate Excellence at the Pardee School is Sophia Ann Qadir, who receives her BA in International Relations and Linguistics. The Prize is given to the undergraduate student at the Pardee School who has demonstrated the most outstanding academic achievement during their entire undergraduate program. “I am honored to receive a graduation award from the Pardee School in its inaugural year,” Qadir said.
The final category of awards is the Pardee School Academic Excellence Awards. These are given to graduate and undergraduate students who have demonstrated the highest levels of academic excellence in courses taken at the Pardee School.
The award for Graduate Academic Excellence is being given to Louisa May Klann, who is receiving her MA in International Relations and Religion. Undergraduate Academic Excellence Awards are given to Caroline Birsner, BA in International Relations and Environmental Analysis and Policy, and Brendon Bowdridge and Lauren Michael, both with BAs in International Relations. The award for Regional Studies Academic Excellence is given to Paola Peynetti Velazques, BA in Latin American Studies and International Relations.
“I just feel overwhelming gratitude to the Pardee faculty for nominating me for all three awards, and of course I’m flat-out thrilled to win the academic excellence award!” said Louisa May Klann. “It is such a gift to cap off my time at the School with the support of the Pardee community!”
“I am so thrilled and honored to be a recipient of this award from the Pardee School of Global Studies,” said Caroline Birsner. “As a member of its inaugural graduating class, I feel privileged to be able to contribute to the standard of academic excellence that will undoubtedly become characteristic of the Pardee School for years to come.”
“Personally, I’m ecstatic! Receiving a graduation award from the Pardee School is a true testament to the outstanding professors here at BU,” said Bowdridge. “Thanks to all of the Pardee staff, I am right now shaped and prepared to pursue further study in International Security.”
“I’m beyond honored to be receiving a graduation award from the Pardee School,” said Lauren Michael. “Getting my IR degree at BU has been incredibly rewarding.”
The student awards will be presented at the Pardee School Convocation ceremony on Saturday, May 16, at the Walter Brown Arena.