April 24, 2000

BIRMINGHAM, AL — Several students were honored recently by the UAB School of Engineering for their academic achievements, research activities, service to school and community, and leadership.

Anna Marie Simpson, 20, of Springville, Alabama, a civil engineering student, and Cynthia Ann Wilson, 22, of Chancellor, Alabama, a student in materials engineering, were named Outstanding Undergraduate Students of the Year.

Letitia J. Hayes, 29, of Vestavia Hills, Alabama, a graduate student in materials engineering, was named the Outstanding Graduate Student for the School of Engineering.

Neelaksh Varshney, 21, of Huntsville, Alabama, UAB's first Rhodes Scholar and a member of the 2000 USA Today All Academic First Team, won a special School of Engineering Achievement Award in recognition of his outstanding accomplishments as an engineering student and for his selection as a Rhodes Scholar.

Varshney and Igor Nikolic, 24, of Belgrade, Serbia, both were nominated for Outstanding Undergraduate Student in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering.

Other undergraduate students who were honored in their departments were Erin Jessica Williams, 21, of Gadsden, Alabama, named Outstanding Undergraduate Student in the Department of Materials and Mechanical Engineering; and Chris Taylor, 24, of Birmingham, Alabama, named Outstanding Student in the Department of Materials and Mechanical Engineering.

Other graduate students honored by their departments included Isabelle Banville, 27, originally of Montreal, Canada, in Biomedical Engineering; Christopher Snow in Civil and Environmental Engineering, 25, Gardendale, Alabama, and John Sloan, 25, of Birmingham, Alabama, in Electrical and Computer Engineering.

All the students honored were selected using a broad range of categories that evaluated their scholarship, communicative skills, employment history, research activities, leadership, and school and civic service.