Religious Studies Blog

by Jane Terry

Samantha Nichols with her Citizen Scholar award

Congratulations to Religious Studies major and Ozark Studies minor, Samantha Nichols, on being one of the six winners of the MSU Board of Governors Citizen Scholar Award, 2014-2015 Recipients! Attending the award breakfast on December 12, 2014, were the nominators of the winners, including Samantha’s nominator, Dr. Stephen Berkwitz, REL Department Head, as well as MSU President Clif Smart, the Board of Governors, Citizen Scholars’ guests, and others.

Samantha Nichols, right, with Dr. Stephen Berkwitz, Religious Studies department head and the professor who nominated Samantha for the award

Samantha Nichols, center, with her parents, Joel and Jessica Nichols

In the nomination, Dr. Berkwitz wrote, “I believe her contributions to the Department of Religious Studies and Missouri State University as a whole will still be felt long after she graduates. The projects and organizations that she has launched address important issues and challenges that face our community. She is an outstanding young woman whose tremendous stores of intellect, energy, and compassion enable her to make a positive difference on our campus and throughout the Springfield region.”

The Citizen Scholar Award was initiated in 2007 as a special Board of Governors program to recognize outstanding citizen scholars at Missouri State University for their stellar achievements with academics, community engagement, and leadership.

For more information on the award and how to nominate students for the next cohort, please see http://studentaffairs.missouristate.edu/citizenscholaraward.htm.

All photos by Kevin White, MSU Photographic Services.