Department Awards

The Communication Studies Department honors the top students in the junior class by recognizing them as Sophomore Scholars. Selection for this accolade requires a grade point average in the top quarter of the class, and the formal recommendation of a faculty member. Students do not apply for this award, but rather are selected by the faculty. The Sophomore Scholars are announced at The Annual Communication Studies Honors Banquet.

2023 SCHOLARS

Leila Allen • Kayla Alltucker • Addie Bassin • Sofia Beardsley • Carol Beyda • Julia Block • Mary Calabria • Mia Cespedes Padilla • Vienna Chang • Jiale Chen • Emily Chung • Claire Coffman • Hillary Diaz Castillo • Marli Dorn • Gage Duchon • Sofia Erdman • Gabriela Fernandez • Daliah Gurin • Katherine Hill • Susan Howard •Katelin Kerl • Daphne Korcuska • Madison LaMachia • Xiaorong Luo • Liam MacMahon • Joseph Maple • Frances Mazlish • Luke Medalla • Devon Muldoon • Naz Ozturk • Caitlin Prinos • Nicole Ramenda • Noa Russo • Armaan Sarao • Carli Seigelstein • Finn Shiely • Yanhui Sun • Isabella Tronco • Ziyi Yin • Eliana Zahalsky

2022 SCHOLARS

2021 SCHOLARS

Graham Adams • Allison Albach • Emma Baranowski • Xinyue Bian • Lily Blaustein • Tess Caldwell • Justine Chen • Vivian Chong • Annabelle Chung • Isabella Ciaramitaro • Nelvia Clark • Kennedee Cox • Emily Greenberg • Ava Hancock • Chiara Jurczak • Karissa Korman • Nira Kotay • Gabrielle Law • Serena Lee • Yun Liang • Hannah Lienert • Jazmine Marsalis • Isabelle McNamara • Giulia Pugliese • Aureliane Quiniou • Mia Rapella • Annunziata Rich • Alaina Robie • Anna Sacknowitz • Nicholas Stolte • Amy Tey • Ethan Wayne • Greta Westcott • Kelsey Zhen

2020 SCHOLARS

Maria Barrett • Simon Barrett • Alise Boal • Jimena Chavez • Leah Cussen • Nikita Dilwali • Chloe Evans Danielle Feinstein • John Fuchs • Arianna Gaffney • Mary Galbreath • Richard Gallos • Ghalia Ghuniem • Christian Gomez • Sabrina Gribbel • Minh Hoang • Ellis James • Cameron Jamison • Desmond LaFave • Sarah Lamodi Angelina Leach • Tiffany Lee • Jovanne Li • GuoZhang Mou • Tiana Mudzimurema • Jazmyn Nam-Krane • Giulia Pugliese • Bonnie Reading • Gabriel Reid • Sabrina Rigby Katharine Rogerson • Annie Schindel • Sydney Somerville • Roxanne Welch • Jeffery Yu • Artie Zhang

2019 SCHOLARS

Catherine Argyrople • Lauren Baiza • Simon Barrett • Sullivan Barrett • Chloe Berger • Gillian Brown • Kylie Burkus • Julia Fanelli • Leif Fosse-Greiner • Elodie Geltzer • Samantha Gernat • Mallory Gray • Abigail Hembree • Michael Henshaw • Ho Yan Ho • Wyatt Hornstein • Pierre Karam • Nicole Kraemer • Casey Leffers • Orla Levens • Zhuolin Li • Meredith Lineman • Anna Macek • Ruhani Nigam • Kaitlin O’Sullivan • Leah Otner • Tuan Pham • Tara Powell • Christina Recchi • Alaina Robie • Yael Sheinfeld • Dara Sostek • Suzanne Tello • Lauren Walsh • Stephanie Wango • Lilly Wilcox • Sasha Wodtke • Tianze Zhang • Jiayu Zhang

2018 SCHOLARS

Isabella Biel • Ines Camino Majluf • Samantha Cohen • Justin Crowe • Marian Gallo • Bridget Gautrau • Molly Gillligan • Benjamin Harris • Alex Johnson • Annabelle Kearney • Yiting Ma • Casey Martin • Ariana Matos • London Pace • Christina Philippides • Jacob Proctor • Jaime Ryan • Dalia Sadaka • Janaia Skibitcky • Victoria Specht • Ashley Stacy • Adriana Yozzi

2017 SCHOLARS

Stacy Andryshak • Paulina Argana • Nathan Caldwell • Thomas Catenacci • Andrew Cherry • Erika Christiansen • Hannah Crotty • Emily Harris • Nina Jacobs • Julia Karam • Alexa LaVersa • Maria Beatriz Ribeiro • Samuel Lubell • Tess MacCurdy • Sarah Ogando • Samantha Pike • Samantha Rose • Zoe Unverferth • Jessica Weiss • Olivia Whitaker

2016 SCHOLARS

Scott Adelberg • Eliana Ballin • Ludovica Cestarelli • Alexandra Driscoll • Cassidy Gray • Marta Gryb • Megan Ingram • William Lefkovich • Natalie Mauch • Kimberly Mecca • Lila Milgrom • Joanna Odorisio • Bakari Olivetti • Emma Paquette • Nabila Rizek Acebal • Antonia Schenk • Qianmeng Shao • Olivia Tedesco • Sean Yarolin

2015 SCHOLARS

Ashleane Alabre • Rebecca Bashaar • Krista Caproni • Hannah Cumler • George Flynn • Adrian Forrest • Leah Gold • Olivia Guidotti • Katherine Harker • Megan Ingram • Julie Jochem • Jameson Johnson • Brittany Joline • Dami Kim • Kaitlyn Labich • Olivia Poulin • Dominique Ryan • Zachery Speed • Sarah von Oldenburg • Corlyn Voorhees

2014 SCHOLARS

Kitty Cheung • Katherine Cokorinos • Blake Divitto • Emily Feltault • Meredith Flynn • Andrea Guerrero Villanueva • Michaela Holland • Michael Katoni • Paloma Magana • Casey Matsumoto • Liss Mendez • Sara Perry • Meredith Peterson • Timothea Pham • Kevin Priolo • Sara Rodas • Sara Shaker • Margaret Soper • Maria Soto Casado • Olivia St. Martin • Rebecca Stoolman • Paris Theodosakis • Christopher Todd • Madeline Vesey • Kathryn Walter • Christina Warriner

2013 SCHOLARS

Alexandria Bosenberg • Gillian Brody • Stephanie Eisemann • Jordan Federman • Meghan Gannon • Casey Geddes • Lauren Hayden • Eric Jaugey • Heather Jensen • Melissa Kiddie • Kathleen Liu • Larissa Maruoka Saliba • Jane McGinnis • Macey Miller • Stephanie Peterson • Maïca Pichler • Amanda Schwartz • Hope Wierzbicki

The Communication Studies Department honors the top students in the junior class by recognizing them as Junior Scholars. Selection for this accolade requires a grade point average in the top quarter of the class, and the formal recommendation of a faculty member. Students do not apply for this award, but rather are selected by the faculty. The Junior Scholars are announced each April at the annual Communication Studies Honors Banquet.

2023 SCHOLARS

Roya Baalbaki • Hope Belvit • Leila Ben Abdallah • Parker Beyersdoerfer • Kira Briggs • Indigo Cabrol • Anna Chalnick • Derrick Chen • Lauren Chiasson • Katherine Copeland • Michael Curtis • Madeline DeGraff • Danna DeKay • Isabella DeRiso • Jack Deutsch • Ashley DiLorenzo • Clara Duthoit • Elizabeth Fitton • Clara Folkebo • Karen Gallagher • Srishti Gummaraju • Sangya Gupta • Bella Hartman • Ruiqi Hong • Caroline Horn • Liam Huff • Benjamin Hussey • Madison Ikeya • Morgan Isbitts • Lilianna Johnson • Karissa Korman • Julia Krupp • Anna Lai • Rachel Lee • Nathan Lorge • Mallory McQuaid • Adeline Muller • Marissa Munoz • Claire O’Neill • Jonah O’Brien • Peter Olds • Sophia Pava • Robert Pereira • Snehaa Ram • Emily Recchia • Kyle Silverio • Rachel Solomon • Abigail Urbin • Andrew Valianti • Sarah Waggoner • Jessica Wax • Rachel Young • Jiaqi Zhang

2022 SCHOLARS

2019 SCHOLARS

Olivia Abele • Isabella Biel • Michelle Birch • Ines Camino • Jasmine Chan • Andrew Cherry • Samantha Cohen • Keely Craig • Hannah Crotty • Justin Crowe • Emma Cubellis • Joseph DeSomma • Kara DiOrio • Caleb Driesman • Gretchen Elder • Helaina Ferraioli • Victoria Freeman • Marian Gallo • Bridget Gautrau • Benjamin Harris • Julia Kempner • Polina Mateo • Carolina Morales Oyola • Avinash Navani • Samantha Rosa • Jaime Ryan • Ashley Stacy • Amanda Sturm • Tamia Sutherland • Madison Waldron • Ryan Wallis • Josie Wiltse • Hannah Wong • Also honored in 2018: Stacy Andryshak • Catherine Barna • Thomas Catenacci • Erika Christiansen • Janette Ebbers • Karisma Garg • Jalan Gatchell • Emily Harris • Kalah Karloff • Tess MacCurdy • Alexander Martin • Jake McConnell • Logan Meyer • Gabriela Montenegro • Sarah Ogando • Brenda Velez • Benjamin Weingart • Jessica Weiss

2018 SCHOLARS

Raimundo Almenara • Stacy Andryshak • Paulina Maria Argana Zaldivar • Caroline Auger • Brennan Balasubramaniam • Tierney Banco • Catherine Barna • Nathan Caldwell • Thomas Catenacci • Jenna Chalfonte • Erika Christiansen • Janette Ebbers • Joshua Eng • Kristen Flaherty Ellen Foley • Isabella Fuentes • Fiona Galey • Karisma Garg • Jalan Gatchell • Alexis Hamner • Emily Harris • Alexandra Hurlburt • Nina Jacobs • Kalah Karloff • Jocelyn Kaza • Amanda Kopen • Maria Lins Albuquerque R Medeiros • Elizabeth Loughridge • Tess MacCurdy • Alexander Martin • Zachary McCabe • Jake McConnell • Logan Meyer • Gabriela Montenegro • Sarah Ogando Dominguez • Liliana Pina • Kelly Regan • Jennifer Seabolt • Brenda Velez • Benjamin Weingart • Jessica Weiss • Olivia Whitaker • Also honored in 2017:  Scott Adelberg • Madison August • Eliana Ballin • Gabrielle Che • Victoire Cointy • Julia Davidoff • Amber Delotsang • Emma Gammons • Marija Inesa Luneckaite • Natalie Mauch • Carolyn Melley • Carolyn Noyes • Bakari Olivetti • Austin Roth-Eagle

2017 SCHOLARS

Scott Adelberg • Madison August • Eliana Ballin • Jordan Bashaar • Gabrielle Che • Victoire Cointy • Julia Davidoff • Amber Delotsang • Meredith Dietz • Kayla DiPilato • Alexandra Driscoll • Emma Gammons • Isabella Gross • Marta Gryb • Megan Ingram • Madison Irons • Samantha Lavelle • Marija Inesa Luneckaite • Natalie Mauch • Kimberly Mecca • Carolyn Melley • Carolyn Noyes • Bakari Olivetti • Julia Palmer • Ethan Parets • Jenna Pestotnik • Austin Roth-Eagle • Lauren Shelton • Olivia Tedesco • Danielle Weingartner • Michelle Weth • Jennifer Whitley • Also honored in 2016: Kwabena Agyare • Chelsea Bernard • George Flynn • Leah Gold • Florence Grant • Willamina Hadley • Sawyer Hammond • Brittany Joline • Catherine Mooney • Olivia Poulin • Renee Powell • Seth Queeney • Ellen Sciales • Margaret Soper

2016 SCHOLARS

Kwabena Agyare • Stacy Alabre • Chelsea Bernard • Casey Bonilla • Krista Caproni • Emma Carleton • Hannah Cumler • George Flynn • Katherine Gilmore • Olivia Giorlandino • Leah Gold • Florence Grant • Olivia Guidotti • Alicia Guyton • Willamina Hadley • Sawyer Hammond • Katherine Harker • Julie Jochem • Jameson Johnson • Brittany Joline • Rosemarie Kay • Kaitlyn Labich • Dana Landman • Devin Lane • Khloe Lewis • Catherine Mooney • Cassandra Moreno • Matthew Pollack • Olivia Poulin • Renee Powell • Seth Queeney • Ellen Sciales • Brianna Sedor • Margaret Soper • Zachery Speed • Courtney Utsey • Also honored in 2015:  Nathan Botelho • Jennifer Fasulo • Erin Hock • Marina Mano • Casey Matsumoto • Meghan Murphy • Hope Oje • Kathryn Walter • Liuqian Wu

2015 SCHOLARS

Nathan Botelho • Theresa Bruderer • Kitty Cheung • Katherine Cokorinos • Katherine Desrosiers • Jennifer Fasulo • Emily Feltault • Meredith Flynn • Anna Glina • Andrea Guerrero Villanueva • Christine Hernandez • Erin Hock • Michaela Holland • Michael Katoni • Nadia Kelley • Isabella Kirsch • Devin Lane • Paloma Magana • Marina Mano • Casey Matsumoto • Liss Mendez • Meghan Murphy • Halle O’Conor • Hope Oje • Sara Perry • Meredith Peterson • Timothea Pham • Noah Pilchen • Kevin Priolo • Sara Shaker • Maria Soto Casado • Olivia St. Martin • Rebecca Stoolman • Christopher Todd • Rachel Van Heteren • Madeline Vesey • Kathryn Walter • Christina Warriner • Liuqian Wu  •  Also honored in 2014: Malia Bachesta • Megan Duero • Jordan Federman • Meghan Gannon • Jessica Mahler • Amanda Schwartz • Shelby Sih • Samantha Stoakes • Sarah Urbonas

2014 SCHOLARS

Allison Anastas • Malia Bachesta • Gabriella Dasilva • Gabrielle Desonne • Kelsie Dodier •  Connor Doherty • Megan Duero • Stephanie Eisemann • Jordan Federman • Meghan Gannon • Casey Geddes • Lauren Hayden • Bianca Illion • Nicole Lonergan • Jessica Mahler • Jane McGinnis • Maïca Pichler • Jessica Retrum • Amanda Schwartz • Shelby Sih • Alex Snyder • Lilly Stairs • Samantha Stoakes • Kelley Sullivan • Sarah Urbonas • Natalie Warther •  Larissa Weinstein • Also honored in 2013: Courtney Byer • Austin Gaquin • Alexandria Gicas • Elissa Narowski • Emily Trautwein • Samantha Wasserman

2013 SCHOLARS

Sonia Banaszczyk • Courtney Byer • Emily Delaney • Risa Fujie • Austin Gaquin • Alexandra Gicas • Shelby Levinson • Matthew Mariano • Christine Mikiewicz • Elissa Narowski • Ryanne Olsen • Tyler Petersen • Gina Quagliata • Sarah Silverstein • Laura Sims • Haley Steele • Elizabeth Sullivan • Emily Tebbetts • Emily Trautwein • Samantha Wasserman • Bristol Whitcher

Alpha Gamma Alpha Chapter

Lambda Pi Eta (LPH) is the National Communication Association’s official honor society at four-year colleges and universities. As an accredited member of the Association of College Honor Societies (ACHS), Lambda Pi Eta has more than 400 active chapters at four-year colleges and universities worldwide.

LPH represents what Aristotle described in The Rhetoric as three ingredients of persuasion: logos (Lambda), meaning logic; pathos (Pi), relating to emotion; and ethos (Eta), defined as character credibility and ethics. The Society recognizes, fosters, and rewards outstanding scholastic achievement while stimulating interest in the communication discipline.

The Alpha Gamma Alpha Chapter at Northeastern University was chartered in March 2013. Senior majors are selected for membership based on their grade point average and faculty recommendations. Members are formally inducted into the Society at the Annual Communication Studies Honors Banquet.

2023 INDUCTEES

Nicholas Abbatiello • Grace Aulisa • Kyle Baker • Marti Bennett • Alise Boal • Maya Bravo • Tess Caldwell • Cali Cardenas • Jimena Chavez • Justine Chen • Kelly Chen • Tingyi Chen • Vivian Chong • Martina Colzi Risaliti • Lucas Cooperman • Kennedee Cox • Nikita Dilwali • Jane Doucette • Lucas Durand • Augustin Escandon • Emma Fairbanks-Lee • Erin Fitzpatrick • Lacie Foreht • John Fuchs • Sabrina Gribbel • Maya Harel • Minh Hoang • Austin Hu • Eu Dahm Jahng • Jennifer James • Hongli Jiao • Chiara Jurczak • Hana Kabira • Sarah Lamodi • Jin Lee • Tiffany Lee • Emma Lindwall • Isabella Malkani • Grace Marderosian • Jazmine Marsalis • Isabelle McNamara • Aubrey Nash • Eunjin Park • Marina Polios • Giulia Pugliese • Adam Regenstreif • Isabel Reynes • Kylee Roberts • Jacqueline Sauer • Valentina Segura • Mitra Sharif • Carsyn Shuey • Marie Siopy • Nicholas Spinnler • Radhika Srivastava • Emma Stoloff • Amy Tey • Brenna Thornton • Lila Vogel • Ethan Wayne • Remi Wiseblatt • Kelsey Zhen

2022 INDUCTEES

2021 INDUCTEES

Maxine An • Sasha Anantakrishnan • Catherine Argyrople • Kasey Arko • Katya Awar • Daniel Berg • Chloe Berger • Susannah Berlowe Binder • Kylie Burkus • Grace Carolonza • Sofia Ciprian • Jenna Clark • Joseph DeSomma • Julia Fanelli • Leif Fosse-Greiner • Marian Gallo • Elodie Geltzer • Samantha Gernat • Benjamin Harris • Ana Hecht • Wyatt Hornstein • Maura Intemann • Cameron Jamison • Sarah Kim • Nicole Kraemer • QiRui Lin • Katherine Luttmann • Anna Macek • Casey Martin • Ariana Matos • Tess McCallum • Lauren Mensch • Julia Moore • Carolina Morales Oyola • Ruhani Nigam • Kaitlin O’Sullivan • Leah Otner • Nancy Piliponis • Clementina Livia Putrinegoro • Jaime Ryan • Katherine Sele • Yael Sheinfeld • Inika Shetty • Jaime Si • Saakhi Singh • Rachael Snodgrass • Dara Sostek • Mia St. Angelo • Suzanne Tello De Janon • Elisa Ternynck • Madison Waldron • Ryan Wallis • Lauren Walsh • Hao Wang • Stephanie Wango • Brandon Wasserman • Lilly Wilcox • Amy Wong • Tianze Zhang

2020 INDUCTEES

Olivia Abele • Sara Alarcon • Stacy Andryshak • Catherine Barna • Angela Bersani • Michelle Birch • Josephine Brennan • Jasmine Chan • Andrew Cherry • Erika Christiansen • Riley Cohen • Justin Crowe • Emma Cubellis • Kara DiOrio • Tyler Dolph • Janette Ebbers • Julia Eckstein • Gretchen Elder • Helaina Ferraioli • Kristen Flaherty • Alexandra Fryman • Gabriel Garcia Combs Morris • Karisma Garg • Jalan Gatchell• Bridget Gautrau • Marta Gryb • Emily Harris • Mariam Kamal • Kalah Karloff • Joseph Kim • Elizabeth Lonergan • Yiting Ma • Tess MacCurdy • Jake McConnell • Logan Meyer • Gabriela Montenegro • Avinash Navani • Sarah Ogando • Hailey Otero • Claire Pettit• Tara Powell • Malathi Reddy • Kathryn Richards • Samantha Rosa • Samantha Rose • Gabrielle Shilcusky • Amanda Sturm • Brenda Velez • Audrey Wang • Claire Webster • Jessica Weiss • Hannah Wong

2019 INDUCTEES

Scott Adelberg • Raimundo Almenara Unten • Caroline Auger • Madison August • Eliana Ballin • Tierney Banco • Nathan Caldwell • McKenzie Carver • Jenna Chalfonte • Gabrielle Che • Boutayna Chokrane • Victoire Cointy • Julia Davidoff • Joshua Eng • Ellen Foley • Isabella Fuentes • Emma Gammons • Nina Jacobs • Rhea Joseph • Amanda Kopen • Bianca Liriano • Elizabeth Loughridge • Marija Inesa Luneckaite • Sarah Lytle • Natalie Mauch • Zachary McCabe • Emma McDonald • Carolyn Melley • Madison Mitteness • Bakari Olivetti • Ethan Parets • Christina Philippides • Liliana Pina • Kelly Regan • Maria Beatriz Ribeiro • Cayley Ross • Austin Roth-Eagle • Jennifer Seabolt • Olivia Tedesco • Zoe Unverferth • Olivia Whitaker

2018 INDUCTEES

2017 INDUCTEES

2016 INDUCTEES

Malia Bachesta • Theresa Bruderer • Kitty Cheung • Katherine Cokorinos • Megan Duero • Emily Feltault • Adrian Forrest • William Galante • Meghan Gannon • Andrea Guerrero Villanueva • Christine Hernandez • Jessica Iocca • Michael Katoni • Wisse Kodde • Cristina LaPenna • Maureen McInerney • Liss Mendez • Tyler Petersen • Meredith Peterson • Timothea Pham • Noah Pilchen • Kevin Priolo • Amanda Schwartz • Sara Shaker • Shelby Sih • Rebecca Sirull • Maria Soto Casado • Olivia St. Martin • Rebecca Stoolman • Sarah Urbonas • Rachel Van Heteren • Sarah Von Oldenburg • Christina Warriner • Hope Wierzbicki

2015 INDUCTEES

Allison Anastas • Courtney Byer • Isabelle Celentano • Haylee Conradi • Gabriella Dasilva • Rose DeMaio • Sarah Desimas • Gabrielle Desonne • Kelsie Dodier • Connor Doherty • Stephanie Eisemann • Austin Gaquin • Casey Geddes • Alexandra Gicas • Lauren Hayden • Olivia Hebrand • Bianca Illion • Heather Jensen • Nicole Lonergan • Jane McGinnis • Elissa Narowski • Acacia Olschwang • MaÏca Pichler • Jessica Retrum • Tessa Rose • Hannah Rothman • Alex Snyder • Lilly Stairs • Kelley Sullivan • Emily Trautwein • Natalie Warther • Samantha Wasserman

2014 INDUCTEES

2013 INDUCTEES

In collaboration with our production faculty, the Department of Communication Studies sponsors an award for the best achievement in video production. This award acknowledges exceptional skill and creativity used by our students in production. The winner of the Production Achievement Award will receive a check for $300 and a plaque to honor their achievement.

PAST RECIPIENTS

2023

Rachel Solomon, Maya Abel, Marie Siopy, Hannah Wong, Paige Stern, Sydney Schechter, Adam Regenstreif, Jane Doucette

2022

2021

Jaime Si

2020

Ryan Chau

2019
Boutayna Chokrane, William Smith, Hao Zheng

2018
Clair Tan

2017
Lia Griffin, Zoe Gregoric, Nathan Botelho

2016
Olivia Hebrand, Chelsea Storino & Elizabeth Johnson-Wilson

2014
Elena Guy

2013
Elena Guy

2012
First Place: Joel Marsh
Second Place: Turner Poth
Third Place: Alex Sandberg-Bernard

2011
First Place: Doug Quill
Second Place: Sabrina Chammas
Third Place: James Philbin

2008
First Place: Mike Quill, Doug Quill, Lily Rosenblum & Nathan Doherty
Second Place: Megan Redman

2007
First Place: Bryan DeBlasio
Second Place: Tim Avery

2006
First Place: Bryan DeBlasio
Second Place: Zachary Pentoney

2005
First Place: Rachel Willard
Second Place: Andronica Pandaru

The Michael Woodnick Award honors a senior Communication Studies Major (or combined major) who has exhibited outstanding scholarship and who shows a clear understanding of how authentic communication informs and influences their quality of life. The award is based on the strength of an applicant’s academic performance, extracurricular and/or work related activities, and a personal essay. A Committee comprised of two members of the Communication Studies faculty and a member of the Woodnick family will review applications and select the winner of the 2013 Award, which includes a cash prize and plaque to honor their achievement.

About Professor Woodnick

Professor Emeritus Michael Woodnick devoted forty-five years to helping his students come face to face with their authentic selves; walking them through the maze of life and helping them do the work of sifting out what really matters. He joined Northeastern University in 1964 as one of the founding members of the Speech Communication track in the Department of Drama, Music and Speech, teaching courses in Business & Professional Speaking, Voice and Articulation and Mass Media. Beginning in the 1970s, Professor Woodnick’s interests began to focus on Interpersonal Communication, which became his major work for the rest of his tenure at Northeastern, including the addition of courses in Communication & the Quality of Life and Authentic Communication. In 1980, Communication Studies became a department of its own and Professor Woodnick served as its first Chair; soon after, he was the recipient of one of the University’s first Excellence in Teaching Awards. In 2000, he was appointed the University’s first Director of Spiritual Life, a position he held for three years until his return to the Communication Studies department from which he retired in 2009.

Professor Woodnick has been described as a man who has an “intuitive sense of engagement” with each student, reflecting his innate capacity to “draw out the reticent ones, encourage the risk takers and support the ones who needed a little extra understanding.” Whether in his role as Professor, Department Chair, or Director of Spiritual Life, he always created a “warm, comfortable, and open environment” where students felt respected and deeply cared for. One of the hallmarks of his tenure at Northeastern was his constant effort to be authentic with himself, his students and all who came into his life.

PAST RECIPIENTS

2023

Hannah Wong

2022

2021

Malathi Reddy

2020

Erika Christiansen

2019
Jennifer Michael

2018
Megan Ingram

2017
Grace Fernandez

2016
Katherine Cokorinos

2015
Kathryn Waxman

2014
Madeline Heising

2013
Nicholas Fe

The Curtis Lemar Haigh Scholarship honors the memory of an exceptional Communication Studies major who contributed to Northeastern despite a series of daunting physical challenges. Past recipients have been students who have exemplified Curtis’s commitment to Northeastern University, both in the classroom and outside, and who have responded in an exemplary way to the challenges of higher education.

About Curtis Lemar Haigh

There are Communication Studies majors who impress through their academic achievements. There are, however, also students who inspire us with their ability to overcome adversity. We are especially touched by those who, despite physical limitations, use everything else they have to become the best at what they do.

Curtis Lemar Haigh was a Communication Studies major who died in 1985. He is remembered as a courageous student who, despite daunting physical challenges, made tangible contributions to the Communication Studies Department and to Northeastern University.

Someone with less character might have been daunted by the obstacles that Curtis confronted on a daily basis. Rather than growing angry or discouraged, Curtis responded with perseverance and good cheer. This was most evident in his steadfast devotion to WRBB, the campus radio station.

Curtis was a friend, teacher, and role model to all who knew him. Although he passed away thirty years ago, Curtis’ spirit and memory lives on through the scholarship that bests his name.
 

PAST RECIPIENTS 

2023

Michael Curtis

2022

2021

Naomi Silver

2020

Catherine Argyrople

2019
Karisma Garg

2018
Sarah Yaffe

2017
Michael Passarelli

2016
Willamina Hadley

2015
Sarah Urbonas

2014
Nicholas Marini

2013
Brandon Challener

2012
Robert Taylor

2011
Joel Marsh

2010
Amy Osborne

2009
Elizabeth Tashash

2008
David Brodsky-Porges

2007
Arminé Nalbandian

2006
Leanora Giametta

2005
Renee Wright

2004
Kelly Martin

2003
Brian Bacher

2001
Elise Zieminski

2000
Elizabeth Von Euw

The Richard Katula Academic Achievement Award honors a senior Communication Studies Major (including combined majors) for exceptional academic achievement. Scholarship is measured by grade point average, but also by demonstrated excellence in written or oral scholarship in the area of human communication.

About Professor Richard Katula

Professor Richard Katula came to Northeastern University in 1990 to chair the Communication Studies Department. An accomplished researcher and Fulbright Scholar, Katula was also a master teacher and patient mentor beloved by a generation of students. In addition to his popular courses on Classical Rhetoric, Public Speaking, and Argumentation and Debate, Katula led a popular Dialogue of Civilizations trip to Greece during the summer months. Through these expeditions, Katula introduced hundreds of students to Greece’s culture and rich history.

Katula earned a B.A. from Western Michigan University (1966), an M.A. from Northern Illinois University (1968), and a Ph.D. from the University of Illinois (1974). His first academic appointment was at the University of Rhode Island (1973-1987), where he rose from Instructor to Professor and Chair of the Speech Communication Department. Katula left URI to serve as Chair of the Communication Department at DePaul University (1987-1990). He returned to New England in 1990 to Chair of the Communication Studies Department at Northeastern University (1990-2013). After serving in this role for nearly a decade, he returned to the faculty as a professor. Throughout his career, Katula was active in faculty governance and he served on the Faculty Senate at both URI (where he also served as Senate Chair) and at Northeastern along with dozens of other different committees.

Among his many accomplishments, Katula is the author or co-author of scholarly books, dozens of book chapters and articles, and a long list of scholarly presentations. Katula is also the recipient of more than $1 million in federal grants. Eloquence was a consistent theme in his scholarship and he wrote about a diverse collection of public figures, ranging from Quintilian to Edward Everett to Richard Nixon. Among his many awards and honors, Katula received the Everett Lee Hunt Award from the Eastern Communication Association, a Fulbright Scholarship to Greece (twice), the Governors Medal for Citizenship (Rhode Island), and many accolades for his academic advising and teaching.

PAST RECIPIENTS

2023

Alise Boal

2022

2021

Alexandra Fryman

2020
Brooke Stanley

2019
Meredith Dietz

2018
Renee Powell

2017
Katherine Cokorinos

2016
Samantha Wasserman

2015
Sonia Banaszczyk

2014
Elizabeth Sullivan

2013
Katie Adams

2012
Samantha Roach

2011
Emma Bloomfield

2010
Elizabeth Tashash

2009
Allison Stryker

2008
Alexandra Anweiler

2007
Lia Vallesio

2006
Christina Lepre

2005
Diana Dopfel

Through a generous donation to Northeastern University, the Tashash Family Fund has been created to provide Communication Studies students the opportunity to become Service-Learning Teaching Assistants (S-LTAs) for courses in the Department of Communication Studies in order to further develop skills in their field and as civic leaders.

The inspiration for this gift came from their daughter Liz Tashash’s (NU Class of 2011) experience through two courses with Assistant Professor Greg Goodale. Liz’s interest in becoming an S-LTA was sparked by her experience in Political Communication. She wrote in her application:

I worked harder in this class than any other course I have taken at Northeastern University and produced a body of work that I am the most proud of by far. By the end of the semester, instead of looking forward to finishing, I was searching for a way to continue with this work. When Greg offered me the opportunity to work as his TA, I could not say no…. I not only learned about political communication in Greg’s class; I learned about what goes into teaching a college-level course, as well as what I am capable of achieving when faced with a challenge. My desire to continue with a course that has impacted my life so greatly is my reason for wanting to be Greg’s TA.

Liz served as the first S-LTA for Professor Goodale’s Advocacy Workshop course in the spring 2010 and helped to not only mentor her peers through their service-learning projects with The Home for Little Wanderers, but also helped to shape the course for students in semesters to come. Liz’s experience led Mr. and Mrs. Tashash to wish for their gift to support other Communication Studies students in having the opportunity to engage in an experience as impactful as their daughter’s.

The Tashash Family fund will aid in cultivating student leaders through service-learning courses for many semesters to come. We are grateful to the Tashash family for their dedication to student success, academic excellence, and community engagement through Service- Learning and Communication Studies at Northeastern!

PAST RECIPIENTS

2015

Maria Sofia Soto Casado

2014

Shelby Sih

2013

Lauren MacLean