Graduating seniors in NUCLEUS program honored during annual event

2:22 p.m., May 20, 2014--Seventy-nine members of the University of Delaware’s Class of 2014 were recognized at a special year-end ceremony celebrating graduating seniors in the NUCLEUS program.

The May 14 Senior Recognition Event marked a record number of new graduates for NUCLEUS, an academic support services program created to help UD retain and graduate academically talented students.

Honors Stories

National Medal of Science

President Barack Obama recently presented the National Medal of Science to University of Delaware alumnus Rakesh Jain.

Warren Award

Rosalind Johnson, assistant dean for student success in the NUCLEUS Program in UD's College of Arts and Sciences, was presented the John Warren Excellence in Leadership and Service Award during a May 26 ceremony.

• Warren Award
• Athletic training accolades
• Outstanding student teachers
• Library recognition

The program, which is part of the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS), expanded significantly in 2011. This year’s graduates include students in a variety of majors and colleges, from biological sciences and English education to exercise science and human services.

Students and guests were welcomed to the luncheon celebration by CAS Dean George Watson. John Jungck, director of the Interdisciplinary Science Learning Laboratories at UD’s ISE Lab and professor of biological sciences and of mathematical sciences, addressed the students and urged them to view life as an adventure and not to fear failure.

Four graduating seniors also spoke at the event, reflecting on their experiences at UD and on the impact NUCLEUS had on their academic lives. Selected to speak were:

• Omar Duran, who is graduating with a triple major in art history, foreign languages and literatures, and Latin American and Iberian studies, will begin graduate school in the fall at Columbia University, pursing a doctorate in Latin American and Iberian cultures;
• Alexandra Davis, with a double major in international relations and public policy and a minor in economics, will continue her education at UD, in the master’s degree program in urban affairs and public policy;
• Dylan Kahler, who has a major in biological sciences and minors in biochemistry and Spanish, plans to enroll in medical school in fall 2015; and
• Zara Chaudhary, with a major in biological sciences and a minor in psychology, will enroll this fall in the Kornberg School of Dentistry at Temple University.

Class of 2014 NUCLEUS seniors

Assem Abd El Khalik, Janet Akinola, Elnaz Arabian, Tyler Azevedo, Alex Bahary, Currine Brown, Monconjay Brown, Zara Chaudhary, Enoch Cheung, Steven Choi, Chelsea Cimino, Cameron Cowperthwaite, Alexandra Davis, Matthew Diamond, Neraliz Diaz, Shylah Duchicela, Omar Duran, Jenny Fei, Morgan Frechie, Katarina Garced, Lisa George, Brielle Gerry, Emily Gessman, Justina Girgis, Case Gregory, Logan Hayes, Shreya Jammula, John Jannelli, De’Jon Johnson, Zakkiyah Johnson, Dylan Kahler, Christopher Kaiser, Fanta Kalle, John Kieler, Maria Kim, Rebecca Krain, Christine Kurian, Arooj Latif; 

Hannah Lightcap, Kevin Locke, Breann Luff, Michelle Luta, Saleena Malik, Arpita Mandal, Irene Marwa, Crystal Mazarire, Courtney Mick, Kaitlin Mitchell, Nidhi Mody, Chelsea Mondock, Arianna Morton, Kavita Narang, Awet Negusse, Kristine Nguyen, Kaela Norman, N’Kosi Oates, Edna Ofori, Akash Patel, Rohan Patel, Gabrielle Perrotti, Stefanie Pierce, Dominic Prestipino, Md Rahman, Ayana Randolph, Alyssa Reyes, Alaina Robey, Shaky’Ra Robinson, Sergio Rodriguez, Kathleen Seip, Nicole Seymour, Tyler Sharp, Elizabeth Sobel, Ramya Sridharan, Kylee Stahlin, Justin Tennant, Stephy Thomas, Chauncey Watson, Chanel Weekes and Ashley Witzl.

Photos by Ambre Alexander Payne