Public Affairs honors celebrate Roanoke College students, alumna

Thirty-two students were honored for outstanding achievement by Roanoke College's Department of Public Affairs including 11 freshmen who were selected as the first recipients of the new Promise Award. 

Salem Mayor Renee Ferris Turk, an alumna with the Class of 1977, was also presented with an honorary award at the department’s end-of-year celebration luncheon. The event, which brought together students and faculty, capped off a busy year of research, internships, papers and exams. 

“As we race toward the end of the school year, this is a fun time because we get to celebrate you all. This is about you,” Todd Peppers, Henry H. & Trudye H. Fowler Professor in Public Affairs, said in welcoming remarks to the students. 

It’s also a time to reflect on the call to public service, a cornerstone of many of the department’s majors, he added. In the words of the oft-quoted Muhammed Ali: “Service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on Earth.”  

Turk, who was elected to public office in 2020 and made history as Salem’s first female mayor, expanded on that imperative in her own address at the event. 

“I prefer to be called a public servant, as opposed to a politician, because ego cannot be in the lead when you serve others,” she said. “Ethical leadership is so important … In order to determine how to vote, you must listen, ask questions, weigh all sides, research and evaluate how the outcome will affect all that are involved.” 

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Those are skills that her education at Roanoke College helped her hone, she added. “The constant challenge here to use critical thinking skills, the many in-depth classroom discussions,” she said. “Roanoke College holds a very dear place in my heart … Nothing can beat what you will be given at this institution.” 

Turk’s commitment to service and her work in municipal government spurred the Public Affairs faculty to select her for honorary induction into Pi Sigma Alpha, the national honor society for political science. 

The faculty also announced the winners of eight student honors recognizing high academic achievement, exemplary conduct and outstanding commitment to their fields of study. 

The Department of Public Affairs encompasses students in the criminal justice, international relations and political science majors as well as several minors and concentrations. Its programs are united by an emphasis on sharpening critical thinking skills and understandings of politics, governance and responsible citizenship in real-world settings.  

The 2022-2023 honors winners were: 

• Alpha Phi Sigma: Emma Calfee, Sophia Contini, Rhianna Gleason, Halie Higley and Blake Lutz were inducted into the Eta Omega chapter of Alpha Phi Sigma. The honor society brings together criminal justice students who’ve demonstrated high academic achievement and exemplary conduct.  
• C. William Hill, Jr. Criminal Justice Award: Kinsey Nguyen was presented with the C. William Hill, Jr. Criminal Justice Award reserved for a graduating criminal justice major who has demonstrated academic excellence and outstanding potential for continued scholarly growth. 
• Howard Warshawsky International Relations Award: Katherine Charbonneau was presented with the Howard Warshawsky International Relations Award reserved for a graduating international relations major who has excelled in the field and attained at least a 3.0 cumulative GPA. 
• Pi Sigma Alpha: Jake Berecz, Samantha Murphy, Megan Onofrei, Elizabeth Krull, Ethan Stevenson, John Schultz, Kaylee Miller and Jocelyn Snader were inducted into Pi Sigma Alpha. The national honor society brings together political science students who have demonstrated high standards of scholarship and a commitment to the ideals of service and citizenship. 
• Promise Awards: Carly Lundgren, Kyle Lee, Mackenzie New, Skyler Bartell and Timothy Conneway (criminal justice); Elizabeth Williams (international relations); Aidan Lacombe, Celia Walker, Damien Fellows, Viktoria Warweg and Zander Weber (political science) were celebrated with the inaugural Promise Awards for first-year students in recognition of the exceptional engagement and contributions in their fields of study. 
• Senior Scholars: Rachel Sirbaugh (criminal justice), Ashtyn Porter (international relations) and Michaela Johnson (political science) were named 2023 Senior Scholars in their programs for their exemplary work in their fields. 
• Sigma Iota Rho: Tess Harrington, Cameron McDonald and Ashtyn Porter were inducted into the Delta Epsilon Chapter of Sigma Iota Rho. The honor society brings together students whose academic record demonstrates a passion for world affairs and a commitment to promoting international studies. 
• Will Selzer Political Science Award: Tyler Hubbard was presented with the Will Selzer Political Science Award reserved for a graduating political science major who’s demonstrated academic excellence and outstanding potential for continued scholarly growth.