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2008 Student Art Awards Presented at Campus
Celebrations
(5/21/2008)
Students who received awards for their accomplishments in the arts at MIT
span disciplines and cultures. The following students received awards for their
artistic accomplishments at the Awards Convocation on Tuesday, May 6.
YeeKwan (Anna) Lo, a senior from Hong Kong, China,
who is earning a degree in linguistics and philosophy,
received the Louis Sudler Prize in the Arts, presented
to a graduating senior who has demonstrated excellence or the highest standards
of proficiency in music, theater, painting, sculpture, design, architecture
or film. The prize is made from a fund established by Louis Sudler, a performer
in the arts and an arts patron from Chicago. Lo won the award for her proficiency
in music.
Payal Agrawal
--photo by Chris Brady
 "Jumbled Tubes" by Sarah Dunbar (G)
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Three Laya and Jerome B. Wiesner Awards, presented to students (graduate
or undergraduate), organizations and/or living groups for achievement in the
creative and performing arts were bestowed. Payal Agrawal, a
senior in electrical engineering and computer science from Dracut, MA was
recognized for her choreography and community engagement; Suelin Chen, a
graduate student in materials science and engineering from Sudbury, MA for
her music, dance, writing, visual arts; and Sarah Dunbar,
a graduate student in architecture from Cambridge, MA for architecture/ visual
arts.
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Suelin Chin
--photo by Mat Laibowitz
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Detail from: "Knit Virus" (2008)
by Caitlin Berrigan.
--photo by Alia Farid
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The Harold and Arlene Schnitzer Prize in the Visual Arts recognizes
artistic talent and creative concepts based on a body of
work and written personal statements. First prize was won
by Caitlin Berrigan, a graduate student in Architecture from Cambridge,
MA for her art that explores topics in public health. Architecture
graduate student Mary Hale, from Bedford,
TX won second prize; and third prize was shared by architecture
graduate student Sabrina Kleinenhammans from
Kevelaer, Germany and Comparative Media Studies graduate
student Talieh Rohani from Tehran, Iran.
The Schnitzer Prize-winning works will be on view May 27 through June
30 at the Wiesner Student Art Gallery, on the 2nd floor of the Stratton Student Center.
An opening reception will be held on Tuesday, May 27 from 4-6 p.m.
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MUSIC AND THEATER ARTS AWARDS
In a separate ceremony held on Tuesday, May 13, students who
have made outstanding contributions to the cultural life of
MIT were recognized by the Music and Theater Arts Section.
Jeffrey Easley
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Jeffrey Easley, a senior in chemical engineering
from Spring, TX won the Epstein Award in recognition of distinguished service
and musical contribution to the MIT Symphony Orchestra. |
Collin Johnson
--photo by Omari Stephens
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Gregory Tucker Memorial Prizes in recognition of exceptional
ability in performance and overall contribution to the
Music
and Theater Arts Section went to Thaned Pruttivarasin, a senior in physics from
Bangkok, Thailand in recognition of the exceptional insights he manifested
in discussions and essays for Music and Theater Arts Section and to Collin
Johnson,
a graduate student in electrical engineering and computer
science from Layton, UT, in recognition of exceptional ability in jazz
performance and composition. |
Aseem Kishore, a senior in electrical engineering
and computer science from East Amherst, NY and Matthew
Abrahamson, a graduate student in aeronautics and
astronautics from Cambridge, MA won the Everett Longstreth
Jazz Award in recognition of distinguished service and musical
contribution to the MIT Festival Jazz Ensemble.
Simone Ovsey
--photo by Omari Stephens
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Simone Ovsey, a
sophomore in humanities, arts and social sciences (music)
from Northridge, CA and Philip
Ilten,a senior majoring in physics from Stevens Point, WI received Richard
and Jody Nordlof Awards in recognition of distinguished service and musical contribution
to the MIT
Wind Ensemble.
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Philip Loew Memorial Awards in recognition of creative accomplishment
in music went to Sinan Keten, a graduate
student in Civil and Environmental Engineering from Istanbul,
Turkey, for performance on drums; Geoff Sheil, a
junior in physics from Dublin, Ireland, for jazz composition;
and Jodie-Marie Fernandes, a junior in electrical
engineering and computer science from St James, Trinidad and
Tobago for vocal contributions.
Sasha Devore, a graduate student in health
sciences and technology from Cambridge, MA, is the recipient
of the Brad and Dorothea Endicott Award in recognition of distinguished
service and musical contribution to world music.
Ragnar and Margaret Naess Awards in recognition of exceptional
talent and commitment to private performance study as an Emerson
Fellow went to Lindy Blackburn, a graduate
student in physics from Encinitas, CA; Crystal Chao, a
senior majoring in electrical engineering and computer science
from Edison, NJ; Jeffrey Easley, a senior
in chemical engineering from Spring, TX; Elisabeth
Hon Hunt, a graduate student in electrical engineering
and computer science from Fort Myers, FL; Yang Yang,
a graduate student in electrical engineering and computer science
from Acton, MA; and Joey Zhou, a graduate
student in electrical engineering and computer science from
Richardson, TX.
Ragnar and Margaret Naess Award in recognition
of exceptional talent and commitment to private performance
study as Exceptional Emerson String Scholars were awarded to
violinist Katherine Choi, a freshman from
Columbus, OH; violinist Lori Ferriss, a junior
in architecture from Asheville, NC; violinist Tanya
Goldhaber, a sophomore in mechanical engineering
from Boulder, CO; violinist and composer Justin Lo,
a senior in biological engineering from Chapel Hill, NC; cellist Daniel
Roy, a graduate student in electrical engineering
and computer science from Cambridge MA; and violinist Angela
Yen, a junior studying electrical engineering and
computer science from State College, PA.
Ragnar and Margaret Naess Awards in recognition of exceptional
talent and commitment to private performance study as Exceptional
Emerson Vocal Scholars were presented to Yelena Bagdasarova,
a sophomore in physics from Twin Falls, ID and to Jason
Ku, a junior in mechanical engineering from Decatur,
GA.
Bassoonist Jeffrey Easley, a senior
in chemical engineering from Spring, TX was awarded a Ragnar
and Margaret Naess Award in recognition of exceptional talent
and demonstrated excellence in public performance as an Exceptional
Emerson Wind Student.
Simone Ovsey, a sophomore in humanities,
arts and social sciences (music) from Northridge, CA was awarded
a Ragnar and Margaret Naess Award in recognition of exceptional
talent and commitment to private performance study as a percussionist.
Thomas Carr, a junior in music and theater
arts from Fredericksburg, VA received a Ragnar and Margaret
Naess Award in recognition of exceptional talent and commitment
to private performance study as an Exceptional Emerson Piano
Scholar and for continuing support of other Emerson students.
Ragnar and Margaret Naess Awards in recognition of exceptional
talent and commitment to private performance study as Exceptional
Emerson Piano Scholars were presented to Alvin Chen,
a sophomore from Irvine, CA; Hattie Chung,
a sophomore in management from Cary, NC; Bogdan Fedeles,
a graduate student in biological engineering from Cambridge,
MA; Nathan Haouzi, a sophomore studying mathematics
from Hummelstown, PA; Nicholas Joliat, sophomore
in physics from Lexington, MA; Pavitra Kumar,
a graduate student in management from London, UK;
Jennifer Lai, a freshman from Honolulu, HI; Andrew
Wang, a freshman from Sugarland, TX and Xiao
Xiao, a junior in electrical engineering and computer
science from Metairie, LA.
 Jonas
Kubilius as Tim in "SubUrbia," Dramashop's
February 2008 production.
--photo by Hayden Taylor
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The Joseph D. Everingham Award, which recognizes a single creative outstanding
performance or notable creative accomplishments in theater arts by a graduating
senior, went to Jonas Kubilius,
a mathematics major from Vilnius, Lithuania and Hui Ying Wen,
an aeronautics and astronautics major from
Bala Cynwyd, PA. |
Hui Ying Wen as Parveen in "The Slap," by
Huma Yusef presented in Playwrights in Performance
2007.
--photo by Hayden Taylor
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 Maura
Cordial
--photo by Eric Levenson
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Edward S. Darna Awards, presented to a graduating student
who has demonstrated excellence in theater arts and made a
substantial contribution to the health of theater life on the
MIT campus went to Maura Cordial, an electrical
engineering and computer science major from Beaufort, SC and Susan
Wilson, a literature major from Rocky River, OH.
|  Susan
Wilson as Fairouz in Dramashop's April 2008 production
of "In the Heart of America."
--photo by Hayden Taylor
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OTHER AWARDS
Two I. Austin Kelly III Essay Prizes of $800 were awarded
for best undergraduate essays: Jamie Edwards,
a senior in political science from Readfield, ME for her essay
entitled "The Military Commissions Act of 2006" and Dugan
Hayes, a senior in chemistry from Marstons Mills,
MA for his essay entitled "A Paradise Within: Internalization
of Heaven and Hell in 'Paradise Lost.'" An Honorable Mention
($400) was awarded to Erin Fitzgerald, a
sophomore studying literature from Concord, NH for her essay
entitled "Paralysis, Gnomon, Simony: The Inheritance of
the Bereft."
Kelley-Douglas Summer '08 Traveling Fellowships were awarded
to Katharine Chu, a junior in materials science
and engineering from Dallas, TX to travel to Iceland to work
on an art installation project; Sarah Cooper-Davis,
a junior in mechanical engineering from Nördlingen, Germany
to travel to Vietnam to work with a local factory on wheelchair
design and production; Xin He, a chemical
engineering junior from Newton, MA to travel to Bolivia to
work on a tuberculosis prevention and treatment campaign; Danbee
Kim, a
junior in brain and cognitive sciences from Starkville, MS
who will travel across the US video-blogging; Samuel
Kronick,
a sophomore studying architecture from Chaska, MN to travel
to Denmark to study the N55 artistic community; Long
Lam, a sophomore studying mechanical engineering
from San Jose, CA will study German at the University of Leipzig; Matthew
Lord, a senior in literature from Columbus, GA to
Dortmund, Germany to deliver a paper at an international conference
on Walt Whitman; Mahalia Miller, a junior
in civil and environmental engineering from Stevens
Point, WI to go to Leipzig, Germany, to learn German technical
and professional terminology; Roxana Safipour,
a junior in earth, atmospheric and planetary sciences from
Saratoga, CA to travel to Bolivia to teach English at a
rural high school; Justin Tan,
a junior in biology from Westmount Quebec, Canada and Austin
Tzou, a sophomore studying chemical engineering from
Lexington, KY to travel to Malaysia to develop Nintendo Wii-based
games to aid stroke rehabilitation; and Stephanie Wu,
a sophomore in biology from Boca Raton, FL to
travel to Shanghai to develop music therapy programs for patients
suffering from Alzheimer's. |
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