AWARDS AND HONOR SOCIETY
Each year, the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences recognizes the top graduate from each major by conferring upon them a Medallion Award for Distinguished Academic Achievement during its Recognition Ceremony. The Dean of the College formally presents these awards. Our Department has three such awards:
- the Rachel Carson Award for Excellence in the Environment which recognizes the top student in the environmental science major
- the Alexander von Humboldt Award for Excellence in Geography recognizes distinguished academic achievement by a Geography major
- the Robert Bullard Award for Excellence in Environmental Studies, awarded for the first time in 2020, recognizes distinguished academic achievement by an Environmental Studies major
The Department of Geography and the Environment also recognizes the top Geography major in each graduating class with the Delaware Valley Geography Association Award for Distinguished Academic Achievement in Geography, and additional outstanding Geography students are invited to join Gamma Theta Upsilon, an international honor society in geography.
Rachel Louise Carson was an American marine biologist and nature writer whose writings are credited with advancing the global environmental movement, and thus a fitting role model for this award. The award is conferred upon an Environmental Science major who has achieved the highest cumulative GPA in courses in the environmental program. However, the award also recognizes consistent performance in the classroom and laboratory and indicates a student’s commitment to continued intellectual development and citizenship in the Department, and thus is decided on a formal vote by the Department faculty.
- 2022 - Alex Henderson
- 2021 - Lauren Sage
- 2020 - Josephine Papotto
Alexander von Humboldt is widely regarded as one of the founders of modern geography. His travels, experiments, and knowledge transformed Western science during the Nineteenth Century. The Alexander von Humboldt Medallion Award for Excellence in Geography is conferred upon the Geography major who has achieved the highest cumulative GPA in the Geography program and, like the previous award, also recognizes consistent superior performance in the classroom and laboratory, leadership, and indicates a student’s commitment to continued intellectual development and citizenship in the Department. It is decided based on a formal vote by the Department faculty.
- 2022 - Peter Nikitin
- 2021 - Annelise Laughlin
- 2020 - Gabriella Giordano
Robert D. Bullard, PhD, is Distinguished Professor of Urban Planning and Environmental Policy at Texas Southern University and a leading scholar on issues around environmental racism. He is often described as the ‘father of environmental justice.’ The Robert Bullard Medallion Award for Excellence in Environmental Studies, first awarded in 2020, is conferred upon the Environmental Studies major who has achieved the highest cumulative GPA in the Environmental Studies program and also recognizes consistent superior performance in the classroom and laboratory, leadership, and indicates a student’s commitment to continued intellectual development and citizenship in the Department. It is decided based on a formal vote by the Department faculty.
- 2022 - Dana Fahey
- 2021 - Delaina Castillo
- 2020 - Katherine Feenan
The Delaware Valley Geography Association (DVGA) Award for Distinguished Academic Achievement in Geography recognizes the top performing Geography major in each graduating class. Winners of this award consistently demonstrated the highest levels of scholarship, collegiality, and commitment to academic service as a student in Villanova’s Geography Program.
- 2022 - Jonathan Ung
- 2021 - Leah Eastment
- 2020 - Alexander Saad and Lloyd Willis
Gamma Theta Upsilon (GTU) is an international honor society in geography. Gamma Theta Upsilon was founded in 1928 and became a national organization in 1931. The Eta Lambda Chapter was founded at Villanova University in 1988 and reinstituted in 2009. Members of GTU have met academic requirements and share a background and interest in geography and the environment. GTU chapter activities support geography knowledge and awareness.