SPRING '22 CONVOCATION AWARDEES

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David Cantillo

Outstanding Senior, Spring 2022

David Cantillo is a W.A. Franke Honors College senior studying geosciences with minors in planetary sciences and mathematics. Since middle school, David has been enamored with astronomy, exploring the night sky with his telescope and quickly discovering an interest in geology as an intern at the Applied Physics Laboratory. At the University of Arizona, David began working with Dr. Vishnu Reddy, bridging his passion for astronomy and geology by studying the link between asteroids and meteorites. He also served as the President of the Astronomy Club, where he enjoyed giving back to the Tucson community with star parties. In the fall, David will continue his studies as a graduate student at the Lunar and Planetary Laboratory.

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Sierra Ornelas

Outstanding Transfer Student, Spring 2022

Sierra Ornelas transferred from Pima Community College with an Associate’s Degree with Honors. She came to the University of Arizona and declared a major in family studies & human development (FSHD) with a minor in business administration. Once at UArizona, she joined the FSHD Ambassadors and shortly after became co-vice president of the club. Upon graduation, Ornelas plans to pursue a Master’s in psychology and then a doctoral degree in sport psychology from Florida State University, in order to achieve her career goal of becoming a sport and performance psychologist. She credits her faculty—Mrs. Fite, Dr. Vorndran, and Dr. Ottusch—with having significant impact on her academic career, and, in addition to becoming a psychologist, she hopes to become a teacher so that she can do the same for her students. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family, going on adventures with her dog Oso, and volunteering in the community.

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Andrew Le

Dean’s Award of Excellence, Spring 2022

Andrew Le is graduating this spring semester from the W.A. Franke Honors College majoring in physiology and minoring in psychology. Some of the most meaningful experiences he has had during his undergraduate years include leading the Rotaract Club of the University of Arizona as the president, researching mild traumatic brain injuries at the College of Medicine, teaching refugee students as a student tutor, and connecting with hospice patients as a volunteer. In his free time, he likes to draw, explore what forms of entertainment other cultures have to offer, and spend time with family and friends. Upon graduating, he hopes to use his passion for the health sciences and humanitarianism to make a difference in the field of dentistry.

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Gaby Gubka

Dean’s Award of Excellence, Spring 2022

Gaby Gubka is graduating this spring as a physiology major with Honors and minors in both English and biochemistry. She currently works with a psychiatric physician group as a medical scribe, working alongside physicians to diagnose and treat substance abuse and mental health disorders. She explored this route of behavioral health through research with Dr. Patricia Haynes in the ADAPT sleep lab, cleaning and interpreting data from Actigraphy and Actical data collected in a larger study. Through UArizona, she was a TA for introductory biology labs for several years and has worked as a preceptor for Dr. Miesfeld in the biochemistry department. She combines her love for science and aspirations to become a physician with her passion for English literature, exploring the intersection between these two in her thesis, entitled Pandemics Through the Lens of Art: Envisioning a New Humanism. She will spend her time post-graduation continuing to scribe and pursue research, attending medical school in the following years in pursuit of a career in medicine.

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Nhat Nguyen

Dean’s Award of Excellence, Spring 2022

Nhat Nguyen is a senior at the W.A. Franke Honors College, majoring in physiology with a minor in critical languages. Throughout his undergraduate years, he conducted research on Parkinson's disease, looking at various factors that lead to the disease onset and potential therapeutic treatments to slow its progression. Nguyen has been active in the UArizona chapter of Rotaract (the University arm of the local Rotary Club), and engages in other volunteer opportunities, as well. He enjoys hiking and hanging out with friends in his free time. During the pandemic, he learned how to cut and style his own hair; cutting hair has become a new hobby.

Ethical Reasoning Awardees

Hannah Boese
Honors Thesis Ethical Reasoning Award

Audrey Pado
Honors Thesis Ethical Reasoning Award

Veronique Villalba
Honors Thesis Ethical Reasoning Award

Seniors Graduating with the Health and Human Values Minor

Rue Arce
Health and Human Values Minor Graduate

Alissa Hafezi
Health and Human Values Minor Graduate

Giovanni Hernandez-De La Pena
Health and Human Values Minor Graduate

Jax Purwins
Health and Human Values Minor Graduate