Southern Illinois University System - Edwardsville
10/27/2025 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 10/27/2025 08:19
SIUE Graduate School Awards Honor Outstanding Students and Faculty Research Contributions and Support
SIUE Graduate School Awards Honor Outstanding Students and Faculty Research Contributions and Support
October 27, 2025, 9:00 AM
The SIUE Graduate School held their annual Fall Awards Reception on Tuesday, Oct. 21, honoring recent graduate student awardees as well as faculty excellence in supporting graduate students.
Graduate student awardees included the 2025 recipients of the Outstanding Teaching Assistant Award and the Outstanding Thesis Award. Maria Zahoor, current student in the Master of Arts in English Literature, received the Outstanding Teaching Assistant Award at the master's level for her demonstrated commitment to student engagement and success in teaching first-year composition courses. Bonan Yang, current cooperative PhD student in Computer Science, was honored with the Outstanding Teaching Assistant Award at the doctoral level for his innovative and research-based approaches to pedagogy in introductory computer science coursework. Parker Light, a 2025 graduate of the Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology program, received the Outstanding Thesis Award for his project "To Disclose or Not to Disclose: The Impact on Referral Rates Following a Disclosure of Mental Health Treatment."
Graduate student recipients of the Competitive Graduate Award and Graduate Scholar Award scholarships for the 2025-2026 academic year were also recognized.
Two graduate faculty members were celebrated for their commitment to graduate student learning and support. Trish Oberweis, PhD, professor of Criminal Justice, was recognized for receiving the 2025 Paul Simon Teacher-Scholar Award, in recognition of her years of excellence in incorporating her scholarship into the classroom. Valerie Griffin, DNP, Emerita Assistant Professor from the School of Nursing, received the inaugural Graduate Faculty Mentor Award for her decades of exceptional support to graduate students' academic and professional development.
Congratulations to all.
PHOTOS: (left to right) Provost Denise Cobb, PhD, Bonan Yang, Maria Zahoor, Parker Light, Chris Slaten, PhD, Dean of the Graduate School; (left to right) Cobb, Trish Oberweis, PhD, Valerie Griffin, DNP, Slaten
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