First Year Finale is a celebration held at the end of the first year to allow students to reflect on their first-year experiences and recognize outstanding members of the university community who contributed to their first-year success.
We invite all first-year students to celebrate the closing of your first year by joining us for this celebratory event on Wednesday, April 17, 2024 from 5-7 p.m. at the Swamp on the South 40. The event includes free BBQ, giveaway items, photos with friends, music, and more.
2024 Award Winners
Outstanding Faculty Member: Joe Steensma, Professor of Practice of Public Health & Environmental Studies for the Brown School and Faculty Fellow in the William Greenleaf & Eliot (WGE) Residential Community
Outstanding College Writing Instructor: Kasey Grady
Outstanding Academic Adviser: Peter Monahan, Director of the College Writing Program & Teaching Professor in College Writing for the College of Arts and Letters
Outstanding Residential Advisor (RA): Andrew Rudolph, Brookings Residential Community
Outstanding WashU Student Associate (WUSA): Maria Dilbeck, Kermode Bears
Outstanding Dining Services Staff: Deborah Clark
Outstanding Housekeeping Staff: Draga Orescanin
Outstanding Mechanic: Rick Keune
Past Award Winners
Delores K. Kennedy Award
2020: Dr. Jill Stratton
2019: Jeffery Matthew, Professor of Practice in Performing Arts
2018: Andrew Reeves, Associate Professor & Director of Graduate Studies for the Department of Political Science
2017: Melanie Osborn, Assistant Dean, Engineering Student Services
2016: Kris Kerth, Director of Four-Year Advising, College of Arts & Sciences
2015: Megan Daschbach, Lecturer in Department of Chemistry
2014: Professor Brian Carpenter, Associate Professor of Psychology and Faculty Fellow in Eliot Residential College
2013: Professor Joseph Loewenstein, Professor of English
2012: Professor Joseph Schraibman, Professor of Romance Languages
2011: Professor Ian MacMullen, Faculty Fellow for Brookings Residential College
2010: Delores K. Kennedy, Associate Dean in the College of Arts & Sciences
Sharon Stahl Service Award
2020: Miriam Silberman
2019: Rachel Wang
2018: Nathanial Rodriguez
2017: Emma Reusch
2016: Nathaniel Bernstein
2015: Sara Miller
Outstanding Floor Community
2020: Koenig 3
2019: Park 4
2017: Park 1
2016: Dardick 2
2015: Rubelmann 2
2014: Beaumont 3
2013: Lien 2
2012: Beaumont 3
Outstanding Faculty Member
2023: Audra Hubbell, Senior Lecturer in the Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts; Karl Schaefer, Lecturer in Mathematics
2022: Karl Schaefer, Lecturer in Mathematics
2021: Jody Doran, Senior Lecturer in Spanish
2020: Ke Nie, Lecturer in Chinese
2019: Wei Wang, Senior Lecturer in Chinese
2018: Jeffery Matthews, Professor of Practice in Performing Arts
2017: Dr. William Wallace, Professor of Art History and Archaelogy
2016: Dr. Colin Burnett, Assistant Professor of Film and Media Studies
2015: Dr. Kasey Wagoner, Professor of Physics
2014: Dr. William Bubelis, Assistant Professor of Classics
2013: Dr. Ron Cytron, Computer Science and Engineering
2012: Dr. Durai Sundaramoorthi, Olin Business School
2011: Dr. Claude Bernard, Professor of Physics
2010: Dr. Richard Loomis, Associate Professor of Chemistry
Outstanding College Writing Instructor
2023: Michael Sanders
2022: Tarrell Campbell
2021: Ian Clark
2020: Beth Windle
2019: Deanna Benjamin
2018: Kate Bloomquist
2017: Erik Strobl
2016: Kasey Grady
2015: Dustin Iler
2014: Eileen G’Sell
Outstanding Academic Adviser
2023: Corine Jones, TRIO Academic Services Coordinator
2022: John Early, Senior Lecturer, Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts; Undergraduate Academic Advising Coordinator
2021: Anthony Smith, Assistant Dean & Academic Coordinator, College of Arts and Sciences
2020: Kris Campa, Assistant Dean, McKelvey School of Engineering
2019: Matt Devoll, Assistant Dean in the College of Arts & Sciences
2018: Dr. Joan Downey, Assistant Dean in the College of Arts & Sciences and Director of the University Scholars Program in Medicine
2017: Georgia Binnington, Associate Dean of Students, Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts
2016: Kris Kerth, Associate Dean, College of Arts & Sciences
2015: Dirk Killen, Associate Dean, College of Arts & Sciences
2014: Jami Ake, Assistant Dean, College of Arts & Sciences
2013: Dirk Killen, Associate Dean, College of Arts & Sciences
2012: Jennifer Romney, Assistant Dean, College of Arts & Sciences
2011: Raymond Arvidson, James S. McDonnell Distinguished University Professor
Outstanding Residential Advisor (RA) or RA Pair
2023: Zoe Al-Tawiti, Wayman Crow Residential College
2022: Cassie Jeng, Park and Mudd Residential College
2021: Cameron Tate, Eliot
2020: Eudora Anyagafu and Ali Elganzouri, Eliot
2019: John Almeida and Cheryl Mensah, William Greenleaf Eliot (WGE)
2018: Gabby Bloom and Jessica Qian, Lee/Beaumont
2017: Grigg Schneider and Rishi Jaswaney, Brookings
2016: Tobi Alawode and Stephen Trudeau, Park
2015: Divya Rayapati, Eliot
2014: Rahul Aggarwal and Hilary Brownstead, Rubelmann
2013: Ethan Goldstein, Lee
2012: Shanet Stefanos, Park
2011: Taz Ahmed, Eliot
2010: Whitney Parnell
Outstanding WU Student Associate (WUSA) or WUSA Pair
2023: Andrew Rudolph, Grizzly Bears
2022: Aminah Mostafa, Moon Bears
2021: Emille Taylor, Bear Cubs
2020: Spencer Derthick, Emily Gerber, and Nathaniel Holmes, Danforth
2019: Keishi Foecke, Chipo Raranje, and Ben Moore, Shandeling, Dauten, and Rutledge (JKL)
2018: Eddie Xie and Sarah Thornton, Danforth
2017: Nathaniel Bernstein and Mesha Bisarya, Umrath
2016: Daniel Knudsen and Shaarada Srivatsa, Umrath
2015: Adam Hoffman and Neena Wang, Danforth
2014: Julia Burns and Danny Sales, Lien
2013: Divya Rayapati, Lien
2012: Lori Schlatter, Lien
2011: Lydeah Negro, Rutledge
2010: Austin Wilmot, Umrath
Outstanding Dining Services Staff
2023: Donna Grice
2022: Lillie Westbrooks
2021: Connie Johnson
2020: David Graden
2019: Loretta Smith
2018: Dorothy Chandler
2017: Gil Grigsby
2016: Bill Jackson
2015: Deshawn Andrews
2014: Arthur Curtis
2013: Dorothy Chandler
2012: Phillip Southerland
2011: Angela Ford
2010: Boyd Davis
Outstanding Housekeeping or Mechanic Staff
2023: Housekeeping: Rafija Begovic, HIG Residential College; Mechanic: Rich Bartholome, WGE Residential College
2022: Housekeeping: Angela Mitchell, WGE Residential College; Mechanic: Rich Bartholome, WGE Residential College
2021: Houskeeping: Mario Harvey, Shandeling, Dauten, and Rutledge (JKL); Mechanic: Yondell Bass, Liggett/Koenig (LK)
2020: Housekeeping: Christina Newble, Umrath; Mechanic: Ken Pinnington, South 40
2019: Housekeeping: Amira Petonjic, Lee/Beaumont; Mechanic- Gene Russell, Park & Mudd
2018: Housekeeping: Fadila Becic, William Greenleaf Eliot (WGE); Mechanic- Rich Bartholome, William Greenleaf Eliot (WGE)
2017: Theresa McGeehan, Dardick
2016: Fatima Muratovic
2015: Draga Orescanin
2014: Yondell Bass
2013: Amra Salihovic, Umrath
Outstanding Staff Member
2011: Jeff Grim, Residential College Director for Liggett/Koenig
2010: Dr. Harvey Fields, Assistant Director, Academic Programs, Cornerstone