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Each year, the Department of Sociology and Criminology recognizes outstanding student achievements with several honors and awards.

Given to a senior or seniors with a high grade point average who also is/are motivated, enthusiastic, and involved in sociological activities. To be considered, students must have a 3.0 minimum grade point average; be dependable and cooperative; exhibit good citizenship, leadership, school support, and enthusiasm; be an example to other students; have a positive attitude, and act responsibly.

2019: Elizabeth Nies

2018: Amy Kato and Kelsey Sprenger (co-awardee)

2017: Marina Leanne Giannirakis

2016: Justin R. Carbone
2015: Aubrey A. Zupancic (co-awardee)
2015: Kenneth A. Farona (co-awardee)
2014: Rachael A. Greuber
2013: Lyn Lawson
2012: Francisco J. Lopez
2011: Janice M. McGowan (co-awardee)
2011: Amanda M. Papa (co-awardee)
2010: Joseph J. Merry
2009: Samantha L. Cocco
2008: Alison Cyperski
2007: Mary Ellen Madden
2006: Alia M. Almashni (co-awardee)
2006: Lea R. Ogand (co-awardee)
2005: Cara E. Nikolajski
2004: Zachary R. Hooker
2003: Caitlin J. Rohrer
2002: Jessica L. Margoc
2001: Melissa B. Garba
2000: Elaine F. Hocevar
1999: Kathleen R. Catanese
1998: Erica Dinger
1997: Erin E. O’Brien
1996: Marnie M.Salupo
1995: Jacquelin M. Liautaud

 

Robert B. Carver was a sociology professor at John Carroll University for 30 years before retiring in 1985.

Given to Sociology & Criminology major/s in the junior class with a high grade point average who also is/are motivated, enthusiastic, and involved in sociological activities. To be considered, students must have a 3.0 minimum grade point average; be dependable and cooperative; exhibit good citizenship, leadership, school support, and enthusiasm; be an example to other students; have a positive attitude, and act responsibly.

2019 Brianna Sweeney

2017 Amy Iiyra Kato / Ethan Robert Moeller (co-awardee)

2016 Marina L. Giannirakis / Kelsey R. Sprenger (co-awardee)
2014 Eugene G. Claridge III / 2014 Drew C. Mestelske (co-awardee)
2013 Rachael A. Greuber
2012 Tara C. Knight
2011 Madeline M. Presper
2010 Sarah A. Narkin
2010 Michael J. Schmitt
2009 Joseph J. Merry
2008 Theresa Prabucki
2007 Laura Siciliano
2006 Scott A. Adams
2005 Nicholas J. Bartolotta (co-awardee)
2005 Kelly L. Johnson (co-awardee)
2004 Meredith Block
2003 Alexandra M. Canalos
2002 Robert H. Baum
2001 Jill M. Connors
2000 Catherine T. Wentz
1999 Kristy M. Mullen
1998 Mathew T. Bowles
1997 Erica Dinger
1996 Heather L. Barbus
1995 Allison McCallum

 

Robert B. Carver was a sociology professor at John Carroll University for 30 years before retiring in 1985.

Given for outstanding Academic and Field Work in Criminology

2019 Elizabeth Price

2018 Jillian Gibson

2017 Rebecca Lynn Barsa and Tristan A. Bourdess (co-awardee)
2016 Noble K. Churovia
2015 Matthew D. Blevins
2014 Emily A. Heath
2013 Kyle A. Hutnik and Stephanie A. Wojtasik (co-awardee)
2012 Ryan J. Pischel
2011 Michael J. Schmitt
2010 Andrew S. Johnson
2009 Jessica A. Shephard
2008 Jacqueline Hicks
2007 Dana Marcum
2006 Kelly L. Johnson
2005 Stephen M. Cielinski
2004 Erin M. Sullivan
2003 Tracy A. Olszowy
2002 Maryanna Moore and Raven L. Lugo (co-awardee)
2001 Bryan D. Lewis
2000 Ross Carbone
1999 Siegmund F. Fuchs
1998 Erica Dinger
1997 Ryan Miday
1996 Deborah DeChellis
1995 Timothy M. Gill

 

John R. Carpenter was a sociology professor at John Carroll University for 37 years before retiring in 1989.

Given to a senior for outstanding undergraduate achievement in human service:

2019 Caitlin Matthews

2018 Kaleigh Wagner and Victoria Williams

2017 Madison Marie Chickos and Maria Angela Mangione (co-awardee)

2016 Breahna Phillips
2015 Samantha C. Bailey
2014 Joshua D. DePaul and Shannon O. Doyle (co-awardee)
2013 Tara Knight
2012 Jacqueline E. Wyman
2011 Elizabeth H. Castellano and Juana J. Padilla (co-awardee)
2010 Nikita L. Stange
2009 Jillian T. Kaltenbach and Allison N. Werner (co-awardee)
2008 Boris Bosnjak and Laura Siciliano (co-awardee)
2007 Rachel Mihna
2006 Meagan K. Weiss
2005 Katie L. Bretz
2004 Kathleen S. Glass
2003 Lindsay E. Fello and Mary Patricia Jolivette (co-awardee)
2002 Julie M. DiGello
2001 Anne C. Fildes
2000 Sara A. Caesar
1999 Laura G. Malone
1998 Ann M. Slota
1997 Bridget A. Maloney
1996 Melissa A. Winberry
1995 Maria T. Naso

Ruth P. Miller was a sociology professor at John Carroll University for 12 years before retiring in 1989.

Given to the Sociology and Criminology major who has demonstrated outstanding persistence and perseverance as an undergraduate student at John Carroll University.

2019 Grace Taylor

2018 Kelsey Coach

2017 Shanna Dolores Etchison
2016 Jade K. Clay
2015 Miguel A. Sanchez
2014 Michael L. Floravit III
2013 Emilie Wyszynski

To be invited into Alpha Kappa Delta (AKD), the Sociology honor society, students are required to hold an overall cumulative 3.5 GPA. In addition:  

  • To be inducted as a graduating Senior, students must achieve a 3.5 GPA within the major. 
  • To be inducted as a Junior, students must achieve a 3.75 GPA within the major and have completed four courses in the major at John Carroll University.

2019 Beaudry Award

Caitlin Matthews is the daughter of Jim and Mary-Beth Matthews from Toledo, OH. She is studying Sociology/Criminology on the Human Service, Health and Social Justice track, and has a double minor in Political Science and Peace, Justice and Human Rights. After graduation, she will be doing a year of service with the Jesuit Volunteer Corps.

Leadership

During her four years at John Carroll, Caitlin has served as a Student Liaison in the Center for Service and Social Action. Her role there has been to be the point person between CSSA and the service partner and to lead student participants through reflection related to their experience, as well as serving as a site leader for both Living the Mission Day and Jesuit Day of Service. During her four years as an Arrupe Scholar, Caitlin has also served as chair for the Fatima Family Food Drive. Caitlin has also served as a campus tour guide for three years, and through that experience was part of the leadership team for both the Class of 2021 and Class of 2022 Celebrations. Through Campus Ministry, Caitlin was able to serve on the Manresa 37 Team as well as serve as a student coordinator for the immersion experience to the U.S.-Mexico Border.

Commitment to Christian Values

Throughout her time at Carroll, Caitlin feels lucky to have been a part of many of the faith-based activities that JCU has to offer. In 2017, Caitlin was a participant on the immersion experience to Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota, and in May 2018 Caitlin served as a student coordinator to the U.S.-Mexico Border immersion. Through Campus Ministry, she has also been a participant on many retreats including the 2015 First Year retreat, Crossroads Retreat and Manresa 33, and served as a leader for the 2017 First Year retreat and Manresa 37. She has also been a member of organizations like Carroll Faith Communities and Students for Social Justice, as well as participated in Campus Ministry nights of worship and been a regular attendee of Sunday and Wednesday night masses on campus. Finally, Caitlin’s experiences interning at the Gateway Center in Atlanta, GA and at the West Side Catholic Center in Cleveland have both allowed her to live out Christian values as she works to serve individuals experiencing homelessness.

Academic Achievement

Caitlin has made the Dean’s List all seven semesters during her time at Carroll. She is also a member of Alpha Kappa Delta, the International Honor Society of Sociology, as well as the Arrupe Scholars program. For her capstone project in the Arrupe Scholars program she worked to create a panel analyzing the legal issues of the immigration system, and she will be presenting on this project at Celebration of Scholarship this spring. In 2016 she spent a week in Boston, MA with Oxfam America as one of 50 student leaders from across the country chosen as a CHANGE Leader, working to transform their passions for social justice into meaningful action on campus. She also presented on the Carroll Ballers program at the 2018 National IMPACT Conference, historically the largest annual conference focused on the civic engagement of college students in community service, service-learning, community-based research, advocacy and other forms of social action.

Service to the University And/or Civic Community

Through Caitlin’s involvement with the Arrupe Scholars, Campus Ministry, and CSSA, she has been able to serve in a wide variety of roles throughout her four years. During her four years as a student liaison in CSSA, Caitlin has committed to service activities at the Fatima Family Center, the Boys and Girls Club, Building Hope in the City, and a variety of schools in the Cleveland area. She has also been a participant and student coordinator of the Carroll Ballers program, which consisted of building relationships with kids in the Juvenile Detention Center. Finally, she completed the Shepherd internship, a poverty studies internship, in Atlanta, GA at a homeless services agency and has continued her commitment to people experiencing homelessness through her current internship at the West Side Catholic Center.

 

2018 Beaudry Award

 

KTB is the daughter of Frank and Brenda English. She is a double major in Sociology & Criminology and Peace, Justice & Human Rights from Washington, D.C. After graduation, she will be traveling to Mandeville, Jamaica for a year of accompaniment.

Leadership

KTB has been a Student Liaison in the Center for Service and Social Action for the past three years, two of which she served as a member of CSSA’s Student Leadership Team, leading service as well as Jesuit Day of Service and Living the Mission Day. During the past four years, KTB has been a co-chair for the Fatima Family Food Drive, a food drive that feeds 150 families with a Thanksgiving meal and a week’s worth of groceries every November. She was a part of Manresa 32 Team and was a co-leader for Manresa 34. KTB was a student coordinator for two of Campus Ministry’s Immersion experiences, held a position on the Students for Social Justice Executive Board, and is a Tour Guide. KTB was the recipient of the 2016 Outstanding Student Leader Award.

Commitment to Christian Values

KTB has participated in four immersion experiences throughout her time at John Carroll, the first to Immokalee, the second to El Salvador and her third and fourth to Honduras. She served Campus Ministry as the liturgy intern and Fair Trade Intern, and has continued her involvement through Carroll Faith Communities and various retreats such as the Guidance Retreat, Crossroads Retreat, Manresa 30, Manresa 32 and Manresa 34. KTB also completed the 8-day silent retreat in both 2017 and 2018. She was a finalist for the Franciscan Mission Service Award in 2017, a national award recognizing faithful and dedicated service oriented young leaders. KTB had the opportunity to live out her Christian Values throughout her summers as well. She interned at DeSales Service Works in Camden, NJ after her freshman year, CrossRoads Ministry in Louisville, KY after her sophomore year and Catholic Community Connection in Cleveland after her junior Year. KTB is a regular attendee to Sunday night and Wednesday night Murphy mass.

Academic Achievement

KTB is a double major in Sociology & Criminology and Peace, Justice and Human Rights. She was a presenter at the 2017 National IMPACT Conference, historically the largest gathering in the country focused on the civic engagement of college students in community service, service-learning, community based research and advocacy. She was a presenter at Celebration of Scholarship in 2017 and will be presenting her research on Transnational Gangs this spring at the 2018 Celebration of Scholarship. KTB is a member of the Arrupe Scholars Program and she has connected her academic research to various advocacy projects, including the Mock Border Wall and a Food Security advocacy project. KTB is currently completing her senior academic internship at US Together, a refugee resettlement agency in Cleveland Heights. KTB has made the Dean’s list on various semesters throughout her time here.

Service to the University and/or Civic Community

KTB was recognized by Mayor Frank Jackson for her work with fellow students on food insecurity in the Hough Neighborhood. She was the recipient of the 2017 Ohio Campus Compact Charles J. Ping Service Award, which honors undergraduate students for their leadership and contributions to community service and service learning throughout Ohio. KTB encountered social justice issues in Cleveland as a member of Youth for Justice, We the People, Carroll Ballers and as a volunteer at Catholic Charities and the Fatima Family Center. She also had the opportunity to encounter people visiting JCU’s campus on Danie’s Day and Through the Eyes of the Child, two service events that happen in the student center. KTB had the opportunity to gain global perspectives during her immersions to El Salvador and Honduras. In her most recent immersion to Honduras, she helped fundraise and collect over one ton of medical supplies to bring to rural villages for medical brigades. KTB has peacefully protested for a variety of issues and was a part of the 3-day Hunger Strike to raise awareness for the Coalition of Immokalee Farmworkers.

Amy Kato’17 Collerean- Weaver Research Award

Kelsey Sprenger ’17 – Honors Student, DC Refugee Lobbying

 

Adam Chaney ’17, (Sociology major) He is an Arrupe scholar and the recipient of the 2016 Charles J. Ping Student Service Award in recognition of his outstanding leadership, advocacy work, and commitment to service both on John Carroll University’s campus and beyond presented by Ohio Campus Compact. His service commitment has totaled more than 160 hours. He has also worked as co-chair of the Workers’ Rights Committee in the group, Students for Social Justice, where he designed an educational campaign advocating for worker rights and fair wages. To read more articles on him simply click the following link:

Grace Donnelly ’16, (Double major: Sociology, and Peace, Justice, and Human Rights) She was recently named a Beaudry Award Finalist. Grace is the recipient of the Campion Award for Service in the spring of 2014 and the Ohio Campus Compact Charles J. Ping Student Service Award and Serretta Saylor Legacy Grant in the spring of 2015. Grace has been on the National Steering Committee for the organization Fair Trade Campaigns since 2013 to establish JCU as a Fair Trade University. After graduation, Grace plans to commit to a year of service with the Jesuit Volunteer Corps and plans to go to graduate school for public policy. To read more articles on her simply click the following link:

Marina Giannirakis ’17, (Sociology and Criminology major) She is an Arrupe scholar and also one of the 2016 recipients of the Campion Scholarship. Marina is a member of the Students for Social Justice Group, co-chair of the Human Trafficking committee, a leader of the Cleveland Neighborhood Project, the vice-president of her sorority, and one of six students who was selected to serve as on the Center for Service and Social Action student leadership team. Marina was one of four students selected to participate in the 2015 Shepherd Internship Program. To read more articles on her simply click one the following link: