Vice President for Student Affairs and Chief Diversity Officer Glenn McIntosh, left, and Oakland University President Ora Hirsch Pescovitz, right, present Mickey McGlinnen with an Undergraduate Distinguished Achievement Award at commencement ceremonies on Dec. 15, 2018.
Graduating student Jake Farnsworth, left, accepts an Undergraduate Distinguished Achievement Award from Vice President for Student Affairs and Chief Diversity Officer Glenn McIntosh as President Ora Hirsch Pescovitz looks on during commencement ceremonies held on Dec. 15, 2018.
commencement, student awards, farnsworth, mclinnen
December 17, 2018
New Oakland University graduates Jake Farnsworth and Mickey McGlinnen were selected as recipients for fall 2018 Undergraduate Distinguished Achievement Awards presented during commencement ceremonies this weekend.
Established in 1986, the Undergraduate Distinguished Achievement Awards recognize extraordinary academic accomplishment beyond superior grades. A student’s scholarly publication in the arts, sciences, or a professional field; the creation of performance of an artistic work; or the construction of a device or instrument are representative criteria for this award.
Farnsworth is a chemistry major from the College of Arts and Sciences.
He was the lead author of scientific journal articles and presented his work at academic conferences, most notably at the national meeting of the American Chemical Society. That presentation earned Farnsworth the American Chemical Society Undergraduate Award in Inorganic Chemistry.
Farnsworth has also identified and arranged a potential research collaboration with a group from the University of Virginia, a commendable action for any student at the undergraduate level.
Professor Evan Trivedi, from the Department of Chemistry, notes that “Jake is among our most promising scholars in Chemistry and he will go on to be an excellent ambassador for our Department and University.”
McGlinnen is an English major and theatre minor from the College of Arts and Sciences.
McGlinnen was cited for creativity, passion and interdisciplinary work in poetry and choreography that helped enhanced the student production of “Plateau” in a profound way.
The selection committee said it was McGlinnen’s investment of time and talent, crossing the boundaries between dance choreography and poetry, and engaging with other students, that stood out as going above and beyond the usual academic experience.
Professor Thayer Jonutz from the Department of Dance, who nominated McGlinnen along with Professor Kathleen Pfeiffer from the Department of English, noted, “(The poems) were so well done that I ended up having dancers memorize them and vocalize them as part of the end performance product. The dance company members elevated their performance because of the passion Mickey offered with the poetry and reported feeling honored and validated by reading and speaking Mickey’s interpretation of their stories as poetry.”