UA Grad Student Council garners national awards

The University of Arizona received awards in three of 11 categories from the National Association of Graduate and Professional Students.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology also won three awards.

Graduate Orientation '97, which integrated new graduates with the UA and the Tucson community, received the award for excellence in new student activities.

The award for excellence in research symposiums was won by the UA's annual Student Showcase, which has highlighted undergraduate and graduate research projects during Homecoming week for the past five years. Bryan Hannegan, the national association's president, said the UA continues to do impressive things for its graduates.

"They continually do things that warrant awards," he said. "It's not just one great thing, but many things."

Kathleen Fernicola, the UA's GPSC president, said the awards proved they could effectively spend the money allotted to them by the Associated Students.

"These awards reinforced the idea that the split was a good thing," Fernicola said.

GPSC made an official split from ASUA last fall after the council felt they could better serve graduates as a separate group. ASUA still represents all students at the UA, while GPSC represents only graduate students.

In addition to the group awards, 1996-97 GPSC President Alex Sugiyama was given the President's Award for outstanding service to graduate and professional students.

During the association's annual conference in New Orleans, Oct. 30-Nov. 2, award recipients were given certificates for their achievements. Three GPSC members made the trip, including Lisa Rashotte, GPSC administrative vice president, Jonathan Hartman, College of Agriculture representative, and Melanie Ayers, events chairman, Fernicola said.

The awards given out annually by the national organization are voted on by a panel of judges including Hannegan and the organization's board members. Hannegan said they receive nominations from about 25 schools.