Featured Student Awards

At the Spring Informance, the chair reads a breathtaking laundry list of faculty, staff and student awards received during the academic year. The astonishing accomplishments are celebrated with a single “conference clap”, or we would literally be there all day giving each other shout outs. Here are a few highlights of a few of our student awards and activities this year. You can catch up on more on our department news page and @osudance our social media channels.  

MFA Dance Students Emily Craver, Davianna Green, Yildiz Güventürk, and Kylee Smith have been awarded the Global Arts + Humanities Society of Fellows’ Small Grant for Cross-Disciplinary Graduate Research. In addition, BFA Dance Student Thaliayah Cools-Lartigue received the Global Arts + Humanities Undergraduate Society of Fellows Research Fellowship. They will all be developing research within a cohort of fellows across the campus and attending a number of specialized cross disciplinary seminars and workshops. The Society of Fellows program provides support for faculty and student research on an annual cross-disciplinary theme. The theme for the inaugural 2020-2021 cohort is Human Rights: Pasts and Futures.

MFA Students Tara Lee Burns and KJ Dye both received the Graduate Associate Teaching Award, Ohio State’s highest recognition of the exceptional teaching provided by graduate students serving as Graduate Teaching Associates. "Approximately 2,000 graduate students serve as GTAs each year. Ten recipients are selected each year, making this one of the most competitive awards at Ohio State," says Vice Provost for Graduate Studies and Dean of the Graduate School Alicia L. Bertone. "We are thrilled to be able to recognize your exceptional ability to demonstrate your knowledge and enthusiasm for your subject, creatively use a variety of teaching techniques, willingness to accept feedback, and ability to constantly improve and develop greater understanding in your students."

The Council of Graduate Students awarded Ph.D. Student Alex Christmas with the Larry M. Lewellen Award for Distinguished Service. This award is presented to faculty, staff, students, and community members who have rendered exceptional service to the Ohio State graduate student community. Christmas was also one of the recipients of the 2020-2021 Graduate Associate Leadership Award (GALA) Ohio State’s recognition of the exceptional leadership provided by graduate students. The Graduate School defines GALA worthy leadership qualities as:

• leading others through passion and vision, produced by conviction,
• having strong communication and listening skills, 
• assuring that team members have the skills and abilities to do their jobs and rise to their full potential,
• giving feedback, coaching and training,
• motivating and inspiring others to work toward achieving common goals and innovations.

Burns, Christmas and Dye attended the Graduate School’s Annual Award Ceremony on Friday, April 23, 2021, where they were recognized for their awards and received certificates and cash awards from the Graduate School in appreciation of their teaching and leadership excellence. Recipients of the GATA and GALA were honored by President Johnson and Provost McPheron at the award ceremony. Dean Bertone also presented these accomplishments to guests live.