A Celebration of Excellence in Community Service and Scholarship
Presented by
Service-Learning Initiative
Service-Learning Scholars Roundtable
in collaboration with
The Ohio Union
additional sponsors
John Glenn School of Public Affairs
Office of the Vice Provost for Enrollment Services and Dean for Undergraduate Education
Office of University Outreach and Engagement
Winners of the Awards for Excellence in Community Service and Scholarship 2007-2009
See the main Awards page for a description of each category.
2009
Student Award for Excellence in Community Service
Alena Neton, Medicine
As a member of a nine-person team of medical students that runs the Columbus Free Clinic, Alena addressed the social needs of clinic clients. She worked with drug companies, pharmacies, employment agencies, counseling services, and other organizations to take care of the nonmedical factors that have profound effects on overall health.
Eric Reynolds, Engineering
Eric volunteered at Montaña de Luz, an orphanage in rural Honduras for children with HIV/AIDS; developed a service-learning opportunity in Guatemala for OSU students; and worked to create a resource network for students seeking to develop their own international service opportunities.
Faculty Award for Excellence in Community-Based Scholarship
Katey Borland, Comparative Studies, College of Humanities, Ohio State Newark
Led four delegations of students to Nicaragua to collaborate with and learn from grassroots community organizers.
Karen Hutzel, Art Education, College of the Arts
Developed four service-learning courses in just 3 years at Ohio State. These courses have resulted in ongoing partnerships with the University District and Weinland Park neighborhoods, collaborative artpieces for the community, and a growing body of scholarly publications that have contributed to the field of service-learning.
Staff Award for Excellence in Community Service Engagement
Patricia Schmitt, James Cancer Hospital
Forged a partnership with Ohio State’s Theatre Department that helps cancer survivors explore their experiences by using the arts to communicate and to heal.
Student Organization Award for Excellence in Community Service Programming
University Area Enrichment Association Student Chapter. Partnered with UAEA on several projects to improve quality of life in the neighborhoods around Ohio State University, including free valet bike parking at large community events, youth mentoring, community gardening, and community discussions about global and local issues.
Community Award for Excellence in Community Partnership Building
Columbus Literacy Council
Provided numerous volunteering, collaboration, and learning opportunities for Ohio State students and faculty while helping thousands of central Ohio adults develop critical skills for work and daily living.
Excellence in Volunteer Community Service
Awards presented to recognize students who contributed at least 100 hours of service during the past year
Colleges of the Arts and Sciences: Victoria Bussey (Biology), Tracee Huffman (History)
College of Pharmacy: Jason Chou, Michelle Cpak, Virginia Duvall, Kelli Glazer, Brittany Haudenschild, Allyson Kessel, Adelodun Lawal, Van Mai, Carrie Mitchell, Adam Quisno, Amy Sapola, Dennis Sperle, Jennifer Timmons, Heidi Trautwein
College of Medicine: Benjamin Abramoff, Stephen Barman, Hillary Bashaw, Brian Bello, Rachel Bensman, Alok Bhatt, Andy Cheng, Kimberly Cheong, Jeremy Davis, Colby Day, Bradley Demeter, Nicole Dubosh, Laura Eisenmenger, Janice Esker, Blair Glasgo, Wes James Halderman, Sara Higginson, Kevin Hollis, Laura Holzer, Melissa Hudson, Mary Hughes, Matthew Imm, Harrison Jackson, Joshua Jones, Kara Keplinger, Alexandra King, Rein Lambrecht, Michael Larsen, Linden Lee, Jessica Li, David Lustenberger, Sara Maguire, Paul Marcus, Benjamin Martini, Joseph Meyerson, Stephen Morrical, Alena Neton, Nicholas Nowacki, Shantha Parameswaran, Reena Patel, Jeffrey Peck, Mark Price, Nathan Richards, Paul Saridakis, Andrew Schaffrinna, Sharon Schreiber, Andrew Stacey, Rachael Sullivan, Trevor Thompson, Mu Chun Tsai, Rachel Voss, Laura Wallace, Sara Wiegratz, Ashley Zielinski
Charles J. Ping Student Community Service Award
(presented by Ohio Campus Compact)
Lea Madry, Sociology, served as president of the SERVICE Squad, a group of student leaders who connect volunteers with community agencies, and site liaison for student volunteers at the League of Women Voters and has been involved in Leadership Ohio State.
David Hoch Memorial Award for Excellence in Service
(presented by Ohio Campus Compact)
Karen Hutzel, Art Education
(see above)
2008
Student Award for Excellence in Community Service
Sarah Hilkert, Medicine, was a health education coordinator with the student-created organization, Aprovechando Salud y Education; prepared Spanish educational materials and translated during medical screenings in Columbus area parishes.
Sara Kolhoff, Humanities, tutored and mentored homeless children at the Dowd Center and, as a leader in Serving with Honor, the University Honors and Scholars service program, recruited volunteers and plans activities for the center.
Faculty Award for Excellence in Community-Based Scholarship
Jennifer Evans-Cowley, City & Regional Planning, College of Engineering, a campus champion of service-learning, who teaches her students community empowerment approaches to service in the University District and the Mississippi Gulf Coast.
Staff Award for Excellence in Community Service Engagement
Vicki Pitstick, University Honors and Scholars, who created Serving with Honor, a community service program for honors students, and the Social Immersion Project, which enables students to learn about social justice issues by volunteering in the community.
Student Organization Award for Excellence in Community Service Programming
Engineers for Community Service (ECOS) members have traveled to Honduras every Spring Break since 2005 to test water quality and conduct service projects at an orphanage for children who are HIV positive. They have also completed several wheelchair ramp projects for homes in low-income neighborhoods in Columbus.
The SERV Team (Joseph Barone, Chelsey Baughard, Kyle Brewer, Leah Bunck, Andy Caputo, Mike Cengia, Holly Coats, Mike Eizyk, Antoinease Herring, Priyanka Joshi, Justin Parsons, Quiana Pollock, Carri Pryor, Lindsey Sadd, Chris Smith, Nikki Staples, Scott Surovjak, Katie Travers, Elliot Walker, Sam Warren), student leaders who plan and coordinate large-scale, campus-wide service events in partnership with many community organizations. In the past year, a total of 4,777 students served 28,815 hours in 12 events, such as Community Commitment Day, the Feast on Hunger Banquet, and Shadow a Student Day.
Community Award for Excellence in Community Partnership Building
City of Columbus Neighborhood Services Division has partnered with the City & Regional Planning program for more than 20 years to provide service internships in which Ohio State students assist community organizations in reaching community goals.
Lowe’s Home Improvement Stores and
Dave Fox Remodeling made extensive contributions that helped turn Ohio State’s Universal Design Project into a national educational program.
Recognition of The SERVICE Squad
Barbara Herrera, Andrea Jimenez, Danielle Justice, Bethany Lehman, Natalie Lima, Lea Madry, Rishi Patel, Adenike Omoyosi, Ashley Schelske, Sara Smith
Excellence in Volunteer Community Service
Awards presented to recognize students who contributed at least 100 hours of service during the past year
College of Pharmacy—Deanna Bilinovich, Laura Clark, Jessica Kramer, Jennifer Moore, Timothy Parnell, Julie Peh, Jessica Richards, Kristen Sobczak, Trang Truong
College of Medicine—Rachel Bensman, Andy Cheng, Meenal Desai, Angela Douglas, Janice Feng, Fatima Garuba, Aaron Gerstenmaier, Sara Higginson, Ashley Holland, Kevin Hollis, Elizabeth Huffman, Jennifer Hunnicutt, Katelyn Krivchenia, Rein Lambrecht, Michael Larsen, Margaret Liang, Qihui Liu, Matthew Lomeli, Benjamin Martini, Kathryn Mueller, Emily Nurre, Shantha Parameswaran, Elizabeth Renard, Kathryn Richards, Andrew Stacey, Rachael Sullivan, Cara Texler, Kiersten Walther, Amy Yau, Alicia Zha
Charles J. Ping Student Community Service Award
(presented by Ohio Campus Compact)
Ashley Schelske, International Studies, served as site liaison for student volunteers at the Columbus AIDS Task Force, was an undergraduate representative on the Service-Learning Initiative advisory board, and worked on sustainable community projects at Montaña de Luz.
2007
Student Award for Excellence in Community Service
Aimee Gall, Engineering, vice president of Engineers for Community Service, a student organization that supports Montaña de Luz (MdL), a home for children with HIV/AIDS in rural Honduras. On service-learning trips to Honduras, Aimee served on a team that worked to improve water quality at MdL, co-led a team to construct a 12-ton concrete pad for a satellite dish to provide Internet access at the home, and headed the design of a rainwater harvesting system design.
Corrie Ziegler, Optometry, served as vice president and president of Ohio State Volunteers for Optometric Services to Humanity, which provides optometric medical care to developing countries each summer. Through this program, patients in Masatepe, Nicaragua received free eye exams, prescription glasses, medications, and sunglasses at no charge.
Faculty Award for Excellence in Community-Based Scholarship
Vesta Daniel, Art Education, College of the Arts, recognized for her focus on community-based research and teaching and for being a bridge builder between university and community.
Jacqueline D. Goodway-Shiebler, Sport & Exercise Sciences, College of Education and Human Ecology, recognized for her teaching, research, and mentoring as well as advocacy for service-learning.
Student Organization Award for Excellence in Community Service Programming
Ohio State University College of Pharmacy Academy of Student Pharmacists partnered with Columbus area elementary schools in Katy’s Kids, an interactive program in which a student pharmacist dressed as a kangaroo teaches kindergarten through second-grade children about the safe use of medications and the work of a pharmacist.
Student National Medical Association developed a partnership with the Columbus Public Health Department to increase awareness of HIV/AIDS among teenagers; organized and managed three HIV/AIDS Awareness Conferences for high school students from the Columbus City Schools that prepared the teens to lead and promote HIV/AIDS awareness in their schools.
Community Award for Excellence in Community Partnership Building
Catherine Girves, president, University Area Enrichment Association, partners with the university and TECH CORPS Ohio, which helps girls and women learn about technology; provides opportunities for students in TWiCE (The Women in Computer Engineering) to learn from and work with a nonprofit organization; and is an active participant in community work.
CAPA and its president and CEO Bill Conner developed a mutually beneficial with university students, faculty, and staff of the College of the Arts that supports Ohio State’s presence downtown, builds audiences for both partners, and provides students the opportunity to work with professional crews in professional venues.
Junior Achievement of Central Ohio partnered with the Fisher College of Business to provide service opportunities for the Honors Cohort undergraduate students and MBA students.
Recognition of The SERVICE Squad
Jean Boyle, Anjie Chavan, Kylie Davis, Scott Dudis, Lauren Koepke, Nick Linkenhoker, Lea Madry, Libby Nelson, Kylie Opelt, Rishi Patel, Ashley Schelske, Jessica Shepherd, Dustin Sleesman, Kaitlyn Spychala, Tada Yamamoto
Excellence in Volunteer Community Service
Awards presented to recognize students who contributed at least 100 hours of service during the past year
College of Education and Human Ecology—Megan E. Reed
College of Humanities—Donna Kennedy
College of Medicine—Mary Acree, Zachary Bryan, Peter Croft, Mary Fleming, Kirsten Hansen, Ashley Holland, Christopher Jason, Benjamin Kaffenberger, Angela Lawson, Christopher Marret, Scott McClintic, Christopher Ouellette, Laura Pence, Emily Pennington, Charles Rhoads, Benjamin Scheier, Rachael Sullivan, Magali Tshiamala, Matthew Victor, Danette M. Warner, John Welling, Eric Zelman
College of Pharmacy—Angela S. Bates, Martha E. Davidson, Brynn Hannay, Debra L. Mullet, Jeffery W. Steckman, Jennifer E. Tyo
College of Public Health—Kevin Weber
Colleges of the Arts and Sciences—Ashley Schelske
Charles J. Ping Student Community Service Award
(presented by Ohio Campus Compact)
Randal Scott Dudis, Zoology/French/International Studies, was co-founder and president of the SERVICE Squad, the student organization that has assumed responsibility for the service-learning site liaison program. Site liaisons are student leaders who act as bridges between the student body and local community organizations in need of volunteers.

