Clark School Honors Undergraduate Excellence

At the 2013 Undergraduate Honors and Awards Ceremony held on April 9, the Clark School of Engineering recognized more than 70 students for their exemplary contributions to the school, the University of Maryland and the campus community. Highlights are below.

Clark School Student Awards:

Kevin Fries, a senior Civil and Environmental Engineering major with a 4.0 GPA, received the A. James Clark School of Engineering Dean’s Award for scholastic excellence and outstanding service and leadership to the Clark School. While at the University, Kevin worked extensively with engineers without Borders as a Brazil team subgroup leader and he currently serves as president of the chapter. Kevin also served the Clark School and the University by working as a Clark School Ambassador, an Images Tour Guide and a teaching fellow for Mechanics I and II. He has participated in research through both the Gemstone Program and the Engineering Honors Program. He plans to attend graduate school in the fall.

Chris Berkey, a junior in the Materials Science and Engineering Department, received the Dinah Berman Memorial Award, which recognizes a student who has combined academic excellence with demonstrated leadership or service to the Clark School. He is a member of the University Honors Program and has maintained a 4.0 GPA while remaining active in his honors society, Tau Beta Pi. Outside of the classroom, Chris volunteers in the MindSET program, where he works with other Clark School students to teach engineering concepts to kids at local middle schools and encourage them to pursue careers in STEM fields. Currently, he is working in a faculty lab, researching the possible role of unique nanostructures in new high energy density batteries.

Gregory Barr, a senior Mechanical Engineering student, received the A. James Clark School of Engineering Leadership Award for his above and beyond leadership to the Clark School in activities that impact all engineering majors. He is an Undergraduate Teaching Fellow for the Keystone Program, assisting first and second year engineering students in their fundamental coursework. Gregory is involved with the University’s Club Baseball and Sprint Football teams and is President of the Mechanical Engineering Honor Society, Pi Tau Sigma. He is also a Clark School Ambassador and a member of the University Honors Program and the QUEST program. He will be working full time at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory following graduation.

Sylvie DeLaHunt, junior Aerospace Engineering student pursuing a minor in International Engineering, received the A. James Clark School of Engineering International Student Award for her significant involvement in international engineering activities. She is a member of the University Honors Program and Aerospace Engineering Departmental Honors Program. On campus, she is a part of Human-Powered Helicopter Team, a member of Tau Beta Pi and AIAA, and actively involved within the Honors College. Sylvie is completing her undergraduate research in the Composites Research Lab and has studied abroad twice with the GEA summer Aerospace Program in Toulouse, France. Sylvie is a Banneker Key Scholar and recently won the Delta Airlines Engineering Scholarship from Women in Aviation International.

Santiago Miret, a senior Materials Science and Engineering major, received the Kim Borsavage and Pamela J. Stone Student Award for Outstanding Service. He is a member of two multidisciplinary programs, the Quality Enhancements Systems and Teams (QUEST) program, which focuses on systems innovation, and the Hinman CEOs program, which focuses on entrepreneurship. Santiago did a semester abroad at Fudan University in Shanghai, China, and he has used his experiences in China to help assist in international Clark School efforts. He has also been an active member of the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE) for four years, where he has held multiple leadership positions, and has served as a Clark School Ambassador since his second semester.

See the complete program for more information about the 2013 Honors and Awards Ceremony and a complete list of awardees by department.

See photos from the Honors and Awards Ceremony taken by Al Santos.

Published May 1, 2013