2023 CAS Celebration of Students
On April 28th, the College of Arts and Sciences hosted the second annual CAS Celebration of Students in the Fine Arts Recital Hall. In the presence of friends and family, CAS honored one student from every department with a $1000 scholarship for the 2023-2024 academic year. These students were selected by their respective departments in recognition of their academic excellence. At the event, the College also recognized recipients of CAS Named Scholarships.
CAS Dean McNulty, opened the short ceremony, by discussing the accomplishments of the selected students both in and out of the classroom. Chancellor Sean Parnell and UA President Pat Pitney were both in attendance to congratulate and recognize the scholarship recipients. The College recognized students like Katie Scoggin, a junior pursuing her BA Political Science with minors in legal studies and Spanish, who serves as student body president, working to amplify student voices; Cierra Brassfield, a first-generation college student pursuing her BS in Biochemistry who serves as an officer of the American Chemical Society Club and is engaged in multiple student-initiated research projects; Matthew Schmitz, a student pursuing his bachelor’s degree in Journalism and Public Communications with a minor in Political Science, who serves as the executive editor of the Northern Light (the student newspaper).
Dr. Becky Patterson Bunde, a professor emeriti and longtime supporter, was in attendance at the event. She says, “… the Celebration of Students is one of the best things CAS has done...honoring students for the excellent things they've done. I think the ceremony is inspiring and would encourage all faculty and retired faculty to attend.”
“I continue to be amazed by our students, as they excel both in and out of the classroom. They are involved in co-curricular activities, whether it is conducting research, creating artistic works, or participating in student organizations. This event is centered on honoring our students, but I want to make sure to thank the faculty and staff, and the family and friends that are instrumental in our students' continued success. I also want to thank our donors whose generous contributions make these scholarships possible.” states Dean McNulty.
The ceremony was followed by a reception where the recipients, their friends and family, and the others in attendance were able to mingle and learn more about each other. The reception featured entertainment provided by the Jazz Ensemble.
Names of each of the scholarship recipients, in addition to a brief biography of their academic success to date are below. You can also download a PDF version of the event program using this link.
Download the CAS Celebration of Students Program
Anthropology & Geography
![Maureen Meyer photo](/academics/college-of-arts-and-sciences/_images/Maureen%20Meyer%20Photo.jpeg)
Art
![Amber Richardson photo](/academics/college-of-arts-and-sciences/_images/Amber%20Richardson%20Photo.jpg)
![Cierra Brassfield photo](/academics/college-of-arts-and-sciences/_images/Cierra%20Brassfield%20Photo.jpg)
![Micaiah Anderson-Michaud photo](/academics/college-of-arts-and-sciences/_images/Micaiah%20Anderson-Michaud%20Photo.png)
![Rachel Shiffer photo](/academics/college-of-arts-and-sciences/_images/Rachel%20Shiffer%20Photo.jpg)
![Shelby Fuller photo](/academics/college-of-arts-and-sciences/_images/Shelby_Fuller%20Photo.jpg)
![Gavin Taylor photo](/academics/college-of-arts-and-sciences/_images/Gavin%20Taylor%20Photo.jpeg)
![Matthew Schmitz photo](/academics/college-of-arts-and-sciences/_images/Matthew%20Schmitz%20Photo.jpg)
![Patrick Wisdom photo](/academics/college-of-arts-and-sciences/_images/Patrick%20Wisdom%20Photo.jpg)
![Gretchen Larsen photo](/academics/college-of-arts-and-sciences/_images/Gretchen%20Larsen%20Photo.jpg)
![Apryl Cardwell photo](/academics/college-of-arts-and-sciences/_images/Apryl%20Cardwell%20Photo.jpeg)
![Linsey Cullen photo](/academics/college-of-arts-and-sciences/_images/Linsey%20Cullen%20Photo.jpg)
![Ludek Wojtkowski photo](/academics/college-of-arts-and-sciences/_images/LudekWojtkowskiPhoto_crop.jpg)
![Katie Scoggin photo](/academics/college-of-arts-and-sciences/_images/Katie%20Scoggins%20Photo.jpg)
![Janelle LaPlante photo](/academics/college-of-arts-and-sciences/_images/Janelle%20LaPlante%20Photo.jpg)
![Albiona Selimi photo](/academics/college-of-arts-and-sciences/_images/Albiona%20Selimi%20Photo.jpeg)
2022-2023 CAS Scholarship Recipients
Over $100,000 in CAS scholarships were awarded in academic year 22-23 thanks to the generosity of our donors.
Audrey Hunt
Eljsa Papraniku
Hezekiah Reeder
Tristan Rude
Angelica Firmin
Christina Ezell
Kaitlyn Lee
Braedyn Thomas
Mark Zimmerman
Taylor Heckart
Kellie Richmond
Aren Rosholt
Kellie Richmond
Amy Schilling
Orin Pierson
Khyla Chasse
Eric Chase
Alexander Soboleff
Eljsa Papraniku
Feng-Ching Chang
Tressa Wood
Lauren Kohntopp
Gage Traylor
Joseph Barranco
Austen Hardy
Sarah Baktuit
Sarah Baktuit
Katherine Schroeder
Talia Leauanae
*Other students in CAS received scholarships for athletics, financial aid, community scholarships, performance scholarships, etc., but are not recognized here. The scholarship recipients recognized here are because of philanthropy to CAS. Thank you!
Special thanks to our event supporter:
UA is an AA/EO employer and educational institution and prohibits illegal discrimination against any individual: www.alaska.edu/nondiscrimination.