Kristie Thudium Presented Silver Chambliss Student Academic Achievement Award

2014 Apr 8

Kristie Nicole Thudium of Lititz, is the recipient of the Silver Chambliss Student Academic Achievement Award. The award is one of the most prestigious honors given at Kutztown University.

Thudium, a psychology major from Lititz, Pa., will graduate this May. She is receiving a Silver Chambliss Student Academic Achievement Award 2014 in the categories of original writing in literature or meritorious writing in other fields and successfully completed research projects. Kristie has been an active student in the psychology department, and works as a research assistant for Dr. Avidan Milevsky and Dr. Stephen Oross. She is the co-author of "Cross Cultural Variations in Parenting Challenges" and "A Qualitative Examination of Dating Partnerships in Emerging Adulthood," with Dr. Milevsky. Kristie has presented her research at the 2013 Eastern Psychological Association annual conference, and will present at the Association for Psychological Sciences this May. Additionally, she is a co-author for the upcoming book, "The Transitory Nature of Parent, Sibling and Romantic Partner Relationships in Emerging Adulthood," which has been accepted for publication with Springer Publishing. Kristie has achieved Dean's List every semester and was recently the recipient of the psychology department's Academic Achievement Award. She currently serves as the president of the Psi Chi International Honor Society in Psychology and the Alpha Kappa Delta International Sociology Honor Society. In summer 2013, Kristie was selected to work at the Summer Treatment Program for Children with Behavioral Problems at Florida International University's Center for Children and Families. Extensive volunteer work with Schreiber Pediatric, the Special Olympics, the Boys and Girls Club and Big Brothers Big Sisters has prepared her for work as a child counselor and researcher. After graduation, she hopes to travel abroad and teach English in children's orphanages. In the future, she plans to attend graduate school and work for a nonprofit organization to assist underprivileged youth and their families.

Faculty members nominate students after they have met one or more of the six areas of achievement. Areas in which achievement can occur include: successfully completed research projects, original artwork of high quality, artistic performances (music, chorus, drama, etc.) of high quality, original writing in literature or meritorious writing in other fields, noteworthy athletics, and outstanding service to the KU community.

The Academic Achievement Award was established through a donation provided by Chambliss, KU faculty member from 1970-2003. The purpose of the awards is to recognize the exceptional individual achievements of a select group of KU graduating seniors. Specially designed coin medallions of gold, silver, and copper were presented to the students.