2014 Senior Superlative Awards!

To honor the hard work of the contributors and public relations teams at the higher learning institutions, The Academic Minute team is proud to announce the Fourth Annual Senior Superlative awards.

Mister(s) Congeniality

• Dr. Radu Sporea – University of Surrey
  Dr. Radu Sporea has become The Academic Minute’s resident technology & engineering expert. He contributed several fabulous segments in 2014 showcasing his ability to affably communicate complex concepts in an engaging manner.

• Dr. Nicholas Leadbeater – University of Connecticut
  Dr. Leadbeater is The Academic Minute’s go-to chemist. He remains one the program’s top contributors communicating his extensive knowledge of chemistry with wit and enthusiasm.

Most Likely to Change the World

• Dr. Russell Johnson – Michigan State University
  Dr. Russell Johnson won the Most Likely To Change The World Senior Superlative Award for an enlightening analysis of the harm our smartphones might be doing to us.

Most Likely to Blow Your Mind

• Dr. Craig Vierra – The University of The Pacific
  Dr. Craig Vierra, a professor of biological sciences, takes home the Most Likely To Blow Your Mind Senior Superlative Award for his intriguing entomological research. Dr. Vierra is working to replicate spider silk synthetically, a project that may revolutionize engineering in the coming years.

The Meta Award

• Dr. Stephen Trumble – Baylor University
  Dr. Stephen Trumble, professor of biology, won The Meta Senior Superlative Award for his profile of the ear wax of whales.

Most Likely to Take Over the World

• Dr. Phillip Sponenberg, Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine at Virginia Tech
  Dr. Phillip Sponenberg wins the Most Likely To Take Over The World Senior Superlative Award for his profile on an internet sensation: the fainting goat.

World Traveler

• Dr. Jeremy Mould – Swinburne University of Technology
  Over 10,000 miles separate Albany, NY and Melbourne Australia. As a result, Dr. Jeremy Mould’s profile of gravity’s constant wins our World Traveler Senior Superlative Award.

Best Couple

• The University of The Pacific – Keith Michaud and Claudia Morain
  Keith works media relations for The University of The Pacific. There, Claudia serves as director of communications. Together, they form a media team that helps ensure Pacific researchers get their media due. Thanks to their skills and hard work, The Academic Minute has proudly showcased a number of their faculty.

Best Press

• Katherine Cinnamond – Tufts University
  Without Katie’s hard work, Tufts University would not be as well represented on The Academic Minute. With her assistance, Tufts University features have been consistently fabulous in terms of content and quality. Congratulations to her on winning the Best Press Senior Superlative and thank you so much for your ongoing support of the program.

Most School Spirit

• Jill Shockey – Penn State University
  As manager of PSU’s news bureau, Jill has exemplified school spirit throughout her relationship with The Academic Minute. Her pride shines through her work and helps keep Penn State researchers active on the program. Congratulations to her on winning the Most School Spirit Senior Superlative Award.

Social Butterfly

• Dr. Andrew Timming – University of St. Andrews
  Because this segment garnered the most internet traffic, Dr. Timming’s provocative profile of how visible tattoos influence the outcome of job interviews won the Social Butterfly Senior Superlative Award

The President’s Choice Award

• Dr. Luis Zayas – The University of Texas at Austin
  Dr. Luis Zayas, professor and dean of the department of social work at UT Austin takes home our President’s Choice Senior Superlative Award. Dr. Pasquerella selected this stirring analysis of the troubling trend of teenage suicide in the Latino community.

Listener’s Choice Award

• Dr. Jason Kalirai – Johns Hopkins University
  The people have spoken and they’ve selected an astonishing astronomy segment as the Listener’s Choice Senior Superlative Award. Dr. Kalirai’s stunning discussion of exo-planets took us to deep space and garnered nearly one-third of the total votes.

All segments aired between 9.1.2013 and 7.1.2014 were considered