News Releases
Indiana University honors five seniors with Stahr Awards
May 24, 2006
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Five Indiana University students were honored with the Elvis J. Stahr Distinguished Senior Award on April 23.
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| The recipients of the 2006 Elvis J. Stahr Distinguished Senior Awards are, left to right, Deepam Rusia, Kirk T. Walda, Owen Sutkowski, Kathleen Gettelfinger, and Molly Brooks (not pictured). |
Established in 1966 by Stahr, Indiana University’s 12th president, the award honors seniors who have excelled academically while serving as active student leaders. Nominations are accepted from IU faculty, staff, and students, and selection is based upon achievement and excellence in academic growth and leadership and contribution to the campus community.
This year’s awards were presented to Molly Brooks, Kathleen Gettelfinger, Deepam Rusia, Owen Sutkowski, and Kirk T. Walda. All five graduated from IU Bloomington in May 2006.
Brooks, of Terre Haute, Ind., double majored in business economics and international studies. She served as president of the Alternative Spring Break program, which coordinates volunteer opportunities for students during spring break. Brooks was also president of Phi Eta Sigma National Honor Society and was a vice president of Alpha Gamma Delta sorority.
Gettelfinger, of Indianapolis, majored in English and received a teacher certification from the School of Education. As director of lectures for Union Board, she helped bring distinguished speakers such as Gen. Wesley Clark and James Earl Jones to the IU campus. She was a committee chair for IU Dance Marathon and served as co-president of IU Beginnings Community Plunge, a volunteer service program for incoming freshmen.
Rusia, a finance major from Munster, Ind., served as president of Teter Quadrangle and was a founder of the IU Debate Team. He helped lead a revival of the Student Coalition, an organization that works to defend the rights of minority students on campus.
Sutkowski, of Chesterton, Ind., double majored in communications and culture and English. He was president of the Residence Halls Association in 2005-06 and previously served as president of Collins Living-Learning Center. He chaired the GLBT Student Support Advisory Board and gave presentations on diversity issues around campus.
Walda, of Fort Wayne, Ind., was president of the Student Alumni Association and previously served as its vice president of leadership development. He was a vice president of the Student Recreational Sports Association and was selected as IU’s Homecoming King in 2005. Walda majored in psychology and participated in the Liberal Arts and Management Program.
In an open letter to award recipients, the late President Stahr wrote: “You have already distinguished yourselves and honored your Alma Mater, and I encourage you to continue to aim high in both your personal and your professional lives. I am confident that your futures hold ever-increasing opportunity, challenge, distinction, and reward.”
The students were honored at the annual Spring Recognition Banquet on April 23 at the DeVault Alumni Center. Their names will be engraved on a permanent plaque which hangs in the Indiana Memorial Union on the Bloomington campus.
The Spring Recognition Banquet is hosted by the Student Alumni Association and the Office of the Provost.
The Indiana University Alumni Association is dedicated to serving the university and its diverse alumni, students, and friends. As one of the nation’s largest alumni organizations, serving more than 481,000 graduates worldwide, the IUAA provides many programs and services to its members, non-member alumni, and the university. For information, visit www.alumni.indiana.edu or call (800) 824-3044.