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Undergrads in the News
2007 Slatt Fellows named
Five University of Notre Dame students are the recipients of the 2007 Vincent P. Slatt Fellowship awards for undergraduate research in the field of energy systems and processes, according to Joan F. Brennecke, Keating-Crawford Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering.
They are: Joseph Basconi and Shawn Coleman, both sophomores in the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering; Patrick Brown, a sophomore from the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry; Kyle Kron, a sophomore in the Department of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering; and Felipe Witchger, a junior pursuing energy studies and economics.
Currently in its second year, the Vincent P. Slatt Fellowship was created by 1980 Notre Dame graduate Christopher Slatt and his wife, Jeanine Slatt, in honor of Christopher's father, Vincent P. Slatt, a 1943 alumnus and the founder of the National Rural Utilities Finance Corporation (CFA). CFC provides financing for more than 1,050 electric cooperatives which serve more than 39 million people nationwide (12 percent of U.S. consumers) and account for approximately 5 percent of the country's electricity generating capacity.
Michael Rossmann 2007 Valedictory address
Mr. Immelt, Fr. Jenkins, faculty and staff, family, friends, and fellow graduates:
Just under four years ago, we students left this building at the end of freshman orientation unsure of what awaited us at Notre Dame. And parents, you said your goodbyes and returned to our old homes, similarly uncertain of what we would encounter here at school. Some expectations, such as northern Indiana winters, late-night trips to the grotto, and obsessed football fans, were confirmed, but other preconceived notions were later modified.
After reading about students at other universities placing cars on top of buildings, I expected similar rebelliousness here. And, during my freshman year, I heard about students climbing atop our very own Stepan Center. Yet, I soon discovered the uniqueness of rebellion at Notre Dame. Instead of placing large items atop Stepan or any other building, I heard of numerous friends ascending our geodesic and decidedly un-golden dome... to... pray the rosary. "What?" I asked. I likewise was taken aback when I noticed in my dorm that the most popular weekend spot was the chapel for Sunday night Mass. The University's faith foundation was instrumental in my decision to come here, though only after arriving as a student did I start to realize the distinctiveness of this place and the role faith plays in that distinctiveness.
Michael Rossmann Named 2007 Valedictorian
Michael Rossmann, a double major in theology and economics from Iowa City, Iowa, has been named valedictorian of the 2007 University of Notre Dame graduating class and will present the valedictory address during Commencement exercises at 2 p.m. May 20 (Sunday) in the Joyce Center arena.
Rossmann earned a 4.0 grade point average and was a member of the Dean's List each semester. He also is a member of Notre Dame's Arts and Letters Honors Program, International Scholars Program sponsored by the University's Kellogg Institute for International Studies, Theology Honors Program, and Omicron Delta Epsilon Economics Honors Society.
2006 News
Sujal Pandya awarded Indiana Governor's Fellowship
Governor's Fellowship Program
The Governor's Fellowship provides a unique experience in Indiana state government. The program is highly selective, recruiting talented young men and women from across the state who will serve in various state agencies on a rotating basis over the course of twelve months. Fellows participate in the daily activities of state government, complete special projects, travel to observe how work in the Capitol translates into action throughout the state, and experience firsthand how policy is made.
Governor's Fellows work in a variety of settings including the Governor's Office, Lieutenant Governor's Office, Office of Management and Budget, the Family and Social Services Administration, Department of Environmental Management, Department of Natural Resources, and the Indiana Economic Development Corporation, to name a few.
Many of those who have participated as Governor's Fellows over the past two decades have gone on to successful careers in both the public and the private sector - some serving at the highest levels of local, state and federal government. They have taken from their fellowship experience a solid understanding of the workings of government and have honed their research, writing, communication and management skills. At the same time, they have given back to the state through their year in public service.
Steven Cartwright awarded the Richard J. Wood Student Community Commitment Award by Indiana Campus Compact.
Steven Cartwright, a University of Notre Dame junior from Pittsburgh, has been awarded the Richard J. Wood Student Community Commitment Award by Indiana Campus Compact.
Cartwright was honored for his record of service and determination to positively affect the Notre Dame and South Bend communities at the fifth annual Student and Faculty Service Learning Conference held at Purdue University. He was nominated for the Wood Award by Notre Dame’s president, Rev. John I. Jenkins, C.S.C.
Cartwright has been involved in a variety of service activities in both his campus and local communities. Most notably, he is the founder and director of Lead-ND, a student initiative that provides leadership programs for South Bend youths. Lead-ND volunteers currently are working with some 100 seventh- and eighth-graders in a yearlong service learning and leadership development program at three South Bend schools.
The Wood Award is presented by Indiana Campus Compact, a consortium of 31 Indiana higher education institutions. Nationally, Campus Compact is a coalition of more than 800 college and university presidents that encourages the expansion and support of educational programs involving students in volunteerism and social service.
2006 Departmental Award Winners
Leah Cogswell- Lawrence J. Lewis Award
The Lawrence J. Lewis Award is named in honor of Lawrence J. Lewis, a successful businessman and very active community volunteer whose first retirement project was to enroll at Notre Dame and receive his undergraduate degree at age 67 in 1983. The award is given to the graduating economic major who has best distinguished himself/herself in community service. The 2006 award winner is Leah Cogswell.
Colin Taylor- John Sheehan Award
The John Sheehan Award is named in honor of Professor John Sheehan, former chair of the Economics Department. This award is given to the graduating economics major who writes the best senior honors essay. The 2006 winner of this award is Colin Taylor for his essay “Producing Education in South Bend: The Potential Effects of Redistricting and Restructuring on Outcomes.” Professor Jennifer Warlick was the director.
Christopher Gehring- Weber Award
The Weber Award is named in honor of Mr. and Mrs. Theodore S. Weber, University Benefactors from San Francisco, CA. The award is given to the graduating economics major with the highest academic average. The 2006 winner of this award is Christopher Gehring.
Leah Cogswell Christopher Gehring Colin Taylor
The formal presentation of the awards, which includes a certificate and an honorarium, will take place at the Economic Faculty Reception for Graduating Majors on Friday May 19, 2006 in the Notre Dame Room of the Morris Inn at approximately 5 p.m. The award winners will also be recognized at the College of Arts and Letters Honors Convocation. Finally, the names of the award winners will be included among other award winners in the official Notre Dame Commencement Bulletin.