Four UCSB Graduating Seniors Win Top Academic Awards

Four graduating seniors in the College of Letters and Science at UC Santa Barbara have been selected to receive awards for outstanding academic achievement at commencement exercises on June 13 and 14.

Justine Isadora Miller, of Walnut Creek, who has a double major in communication and Slavic Languages and Literature, will receive the Luis Leal Social Sciences Undergraduate Award for outstanding interdisciplinary achievement in the social sciences. The award was established in honor of Don Luis Leal, a distinguished visiting professor of Chicana and Chicano Studies, whose presence and scholarship have greatly enriched the Santa Barbara campus.

Danielle Mari Panelli, of El Sobrante, who is graduating with a degree in biochemistry and molecular biology, will receive the Francis Colville and Terry Dearborn Memorial Award for outstanding academic achievement as an honors student majoring in the sciences. The award was established in memory of Francis M. Colville and Terry H. Dearborn, associate professors of physical education at UCSB.

Mackenzie Paris Chapman, of Mill Valley, who has a major in linguistics, will receive the William R. Reardon Undergraduate Award for outstanding academic achievement in an arts or humanities discipline. The award is named for William R. Reardon, a UCSB professor emeritus of dramatic art and former associate dean in the College of Letters and Science.

Natasha Nicole Susoev, of San Jose, who has a major in business economics with an emphasis in accounting, will receive the Daniel G. Aldrich, Jr. Outstanding Senior Award in recognition of her outstanding scholarship and contributions to the campus community. The award was established in memory of Daniel G. Aldrich, Jr., who served as chancellor and professor of soils and plant nutrition at UC Irvine, and as acting chancellor at UCSB.

The College of Letters and Science is the largest college at UCSB and the third largest in the UC system. The college enrolls about 17,000 students – 80 percent of all UCSB undergraduates – and offers nearly 80 majors and interdisciplinary programs and more than 30 academic minors.

Issued: 6/9/09;

Updated: 6/10/09