Current Students
Dean's Circle of Merit
A prestigious award recognizing select Judy Genshaft Honors students upon graduation,
the Dean's Circle of Merit commemorates students who have actively taken part in and
contributed significantly to the Honors College and/or Office of National Scholars'
(ONS) community and legacy.
The Dean's Circle of Merit recognizes students in the Judy Genshaft Honors College for their outstanding achievements in four distinct areas, which embody the core values of the college:
Leadership
Has demonstrated considerable leadership within the Judy Genshaft Honors College community (including ONS) with a dedication to guiding others through the Judy Genshaft Honors College experience.
Service
Has dedicated a significant amount of time and energy to volunteering on campus, in the Tampa Bay area, or on a global scale through the Judy Genshaft Honors College community.
Research
Has pursued extensive research within the Judy Genshaft Honors College (including ONS), such as through completing exemplary thesis, working with the Office of Undergraduate Research, and/or presenting at conferences.
Global Citizenship
Has shown a significant presence in the global community, actively working to become a more accomplished global citizen through study abroad, learning of culture, and/or taking advantage of the numerous opportunities through the Judy Genshaft Honors College.
ELIGIBILITY
Each fall and spring semester, Judy Genshaft Honors College faculty and staff are responsible for actively nominating graduating Honors students for this prestigious award.
Towards the end of the semester, nominated students will receive an email from the Dean of the Judy Genshaft Honors College and will be asked to submit additional application materials for further consideration.
The application will be reviewed by a panel of representatives from the Judy Genshaft Honors College Student Council, the Judy Genshaft Honors College LLC, the Office of National Scholars, and the Judy Genshaft Honors College Faculty.
Awardees will be announced at the Honors commencement ceremony at the end of the semester. Students who receive the award are encouraged to wear their stoles at their USF university-wide graduation commencement ceremony.
2022-23 DEAN CIRCLE OF MERIT RECIPIENTS
Spring 2023
Leadership | Naziza Bhuiyan for exemplifying the values of inclusive leadership as President of the Judy Genshaft Honors College Student Council and going above and beyond to lead the Council during a temporary absence of the graduate assistant advisor to ensure diverse programming that managed to bring student engagement back to pre-pandemic levels. Naziza is the first international student to serve as President of Council and encouraged students to be proud in their identities while finding their place on campus.
Leadership | Stephanie DeVlieger for re-shaping the Honors Foundations curriculum and connecting student leaders with effective multicultural instructional methods to enhance student learning outcomes in the Foundations program. Stephanie empowered first year Honors students to maximize their opportunities at USF and gave them the tools to be successful college students while also serving as a mentor to other Honors Foundations Peer Mentors to ensure their success as teachers and leaders.
Research | Dang Nguyen for utilizing his experiences as a winner of the Judy Genshaft Honors College Grand Challenge Competition and the connections made with faculty members in the Honors College and other academic departments to develop and participate in numerous health-oriented research projects in Pakistan, Tanzania, the Dominican Republic, Germany, the Philippines, and his home country of Vietnam. Dang also presented at multiple national and international conferences, co-authored over a dozen peer-reviewed publications, and developed his own medical engineering company to design and distribute low-cost medical devices.
Research | Keven Espinet-Pizarro for completing impactful psychological research through both an Honors capstone research project and Honors thesis. Keven built on his thesis while working as a Virtual Clinical Research Coordinator at Harvard Medical School's Psychiatry Department and represented the JGHC by presenting psychological research at multiple national conferences and was among the first USF undergraduate students to have their research published by Johns Hopkins' academic journal.
Service | Mandy Chuor for serving and supporting countless members of the Honors College community as an Honors Ambassador, Honors Orientation Mentor, Honors Foundations Peer Mentor, Judy Genshaft Honors College Student Council executive board member, and student lead of the Honors Orchestra. Mandy also served the global community by conducting service projects in conjunction with the Kerolle Initiative in the Dominican Republic through an Honors study abroad program and with primary schools in Cambodia for her Honors thesis.
Fall 2022
Leadership | Giovanni Crumbie for exemplifying the value of leadership throughout his undergraduate career and improving the experiences of those in the Judy Genshaft Honors College community and beyond as Volunteer Committee Co-Chair of the Judy Genshaft Honors College Student Council, Honors Orientation Mentor, Honors Living Learning Community Resident Assistant, and Honors Foundations Peer Mentor and Peer Mentor Lead.
Leadership | Shalini Subramanian for a strong commitment to building community in the midst of the challenging circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic as Volunteer Committee Co-Chair, providing vision and direction for the Judy Genshaft Honors College Student Council as President, and guiding prospective students and families as well as supporting current students, faculty, and staff as an Honors Ambassador.
Service | Claire-Marie Rocke for serving the Judy Genshaft Honors College and larger USF community as an Honors Foundations Peer Mentor, an Honors Peer Sex Educator and subsequently an organizer of USF's Queer Prom to provide an inclusive opportunity for LBGTQ+ students, and a student member of the Judy Genshaft Honors College Public Arts Selection Committee as a photographer with a mission to celebrate Black culture and bring awareness to issues prevalent in the community.
Global Citizenship | Ryan Shargo for utilizing the insights gleaned from multiple intercultural experiences to Costa Rica and the Dominican Republic to conduct international research and produce informative public service graphics aimed at preventing illness in underserved Haitian batey communities and improving global health equity and to develop an unwavering commitment to taking action on a local level to meaningfully address global challenges.