Senior Awards Recognize Class of 2020 Standouts
One of more anticipated moments of a traditional Commencement Week at Endicott College are the Baccalaureate and Awards Ceremonies, events intended to celebrate the graduating class and influential faculty of the year prior to their formal commencement.
The COVID-19 pandemic has forced Endicott to postpone Commencement to a later date, to be determined, when state and local regulations make it possible for large gathering events to occur. However, as the College honors and pays tribute to the Class of 2020, the following awards have been announced:
Presidential Award
Founders Medallion
Deans Awards
Academic Excellence Award
Thesis Awards
Campus Leadership Awards
Faculty of the Year
Presidential Award
Honoree: Rob Ackerman, liberal studies/education (concentration in elementary teacher licensure)
Award Description: The Presidential Award is given to an outstanding graduating senior who exemplifies the Endicott College ideals. Through their engagement in and outside the classroom, the recipient has had a significant impact on and for Endicott College. They have represented themselves with integrity, have assumed responsibility, and have enriched their peers, faculty, and administration by their actions.
Qualifications: Rob has been a recognizable presence on campus and in the greater community throughout his undergraduate career. Through his academic, leadership, and service achievements, he exemplifies the very best of Endicott. His commitment to leadership in the field of education can not only be seen in the classroom, but in his inspirational fundraising for ALS, working with students as an orientation leader and resident assistant, and serving as an articulate ambassador for the institution. Rob represents the essence of Endicott, and the community is better because he has been part of it.
Founders Medallion
Honoree: Angela Daley, 4.0, business management
Honoree: Taylor Downey, 4.0, athletic training
Deans Awards
Award Description: The Deans awards are given to students who have excelled academically, have engaged in the school/department and/or major by participating above and beyond the classroom experience. The Deans Award recipients are leaders in their discipline and offer inspiration to others in their major, department, and school.
| Academic School | Honoree | Program |
| Arts & Sciences | Abdourrachid Sow Shannon Marschall Mackenzie Judd |
International Studies Psychology Applied Mathematics |
| Gerrish School of Business | Victoria Stefanelli Karina Tomlinson |
Business Management Accounting/Finance |
| Communication | Taylor Wildrick | Marketing Communication |
| Education | Kylie Orszulak | Liberal Studies/Education |
| Hospitality Management | Zoe Rowland-Simpson | Hospitality Management |
| Nursing | Rachel Pereira | Nursing |
| Sport Science & Fitness Studies | Taylor Downey Kate Latassa Maximilian Chabot |
Athletic Training Exercise Science Sport Management |
| Visual & Performing Arts | Emily Shaw Danielle Mann Noelle Pagliei |
Interior Design Art Therapy Graphic Design |
Academic Excellence Award
Winner: Dr. Anna McAlister, associate professor of marketing, Gerrish School of Business
Award Description: The Academic Excellence Award recognizes an exemplary member of the faculty for outstanding teaching, scholarship, and service to the college over the past year.
Winner Qualifications: Dr. McAlister is an associate professor who teaches courses in marketing and business research. She enjoys advising 25 undergraduate students and serves as faculty advisor for the Charity Craft Club, faculty advisor for Mortar Board Honor Society, and serves as co-chair of the faculty Professional Development Committee. Dr. McAlister has published dozens of journal articles in her discipline and is highly engaged with the American Academy of Advertising and has recently been elected to the position of Chair of the Communications Committee. This level of service in an international organization provides great visibility for her and Endicott. Dr. McAllister is an exemplary faculty member who excels in teaching, scholarship, and service.
Thesis Awards
Award Description: The Thesis Awards are given to the top projects who are exemplary in five elements: a) identifying and framing the problem or central idea, b) thorough exploration and elucidation by documentation c) clear and executable strategy using techniques, d) executes the strategy appropriate to the discipline e) and presentation of original work in a professional manner befitting the field.
| Honoree | Thesis | Program |
| Samantha Barney | Effects of Flexible Seating on Early Childhood Classrooms | Liberal Studies/Education |
| Taylor Downey | Athletic Identity & Mental Health Symptomatology in Current Athletes | Athletic Training |
| Brianna Knight | New Graduate Nurse Preparedness to Educate & Care for Patients with Diabetes | Nursing |
| Jillian Perrone | EMPOWHER: Power to Her, A Feminist Magazine to Inspire Young Women | Graphic Design |
Campus Leadership Awards
| Award | Award Description | Honoree |
| Career & Internship | The Career & Internship Campus Leadership Award is given to students who have demonstrated extraordinary commitment and excellence in their pursuit and completion of internship requirements. | Emily Graham Hayley McDine |
| Community Service | The Community Service Campus Leadership Award is given to students who have demonstrated a commitment to volunteerism through their involvement in community service or service learning throughout their Endicott career. | Brendan Carpenter Tyler Comito Brittany Corson |
| Cultural Ambassador | The Cultural Ambassador Campus Leadership Award is given to students who have demonstrated a commitment to learning about other cultures, and sharing their culture with others. | Eduardo Kreimerman Morgan Faisal-Williams Abdourrachid Sow |
| Endicott Spirit | The Endicott Spirit Campus Leadership Award is given to students who have demonstrated a commitment to the Endicott community through student advocacy, peer support, and pride for the institution. | Jeana Alfano Julie Champigny Sydney Riu |
| Student Involvement | The Student Involvement Campus Leadership Award is given to students who have held student leadership positions and demonstrated an exemplary commitment to student involvement activities throughout their Endicott career. | Tacy Cresson Nick Grace Victoria LeBlanc |
| Scholar-Athlete | The Scholar-Athlete Award is given to students who have demonstrated scholarly commitment and achievement and an ability to excel athletically. | Jade Meier Evan Couchot |
Faculty of the Year Award
Winner: Todd Wemmer, Ph.D., associate professor of communication, School of Communication
Award Description: Voted on by the graduating class, the recipient must teach in some capacity at Endicott and have had a significant academic impact on the current graduating class.
Winner Qualifications: Todd Wemmer, Ph.D., is an associate professor in the School of Communication at Endicott. He earned his Ph.D. from the Department of Communication at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, where his dissertation work focused on the social and narrative life of personal photography. At Endicott, he teaches courses on podcasting, digital storytelling, documentary film, script writing, and media aesthetics. He has presented on personal archives, voicemail as a tool for storytelling, and death and photography. Todd works primarily on audio storytelling projects that blend his academic research and teaching interests. He has won the Third Coast International Audio Festival Audio Short Doc Award, his audio has been on NPR and ABC Australia. In addition, he is the faculty adviser to the Film Club. He has worked at Endicott for 15 years.