April 17, 2009 — This year's Seven Society Graduate Fellowship Award winners and honorees were celebrated in a Rotunda Dome Room ceremony on April 17.

The Seven Society Fellowship is unique among teaching awards at the University of Virginia in that nominations come solely from undergraduates, who may only nominate teaching assistants whose classes they have taken. More than 80 nominations were submitted this year.

The $7,000 fellowship, funded through an anonymous bequest to the Seven Society, recognizes a teaching assistant who embodies the highest ideals of teaching at the University: dedication to students, substantial knowledge of the subject matter and skill in conveying passion for that knowledge.

Diana Morris in the mathematics department received the award.

Two $5,000 fellowships were also given: the Dr. Frank Finger Graduate Fellowship went to Lydia Brandt in art history, and the Class of 1985 Fellowship for Creative Teaching went to Evan Pivonka in the politics department.

The other graduate teaching assistants honored as finalists were: Ajay Chandra, mathematics; Carli Conklin, history; Rachel Farr, psychology; Caroline Flournoy, biology; Harriet Livesay, classics; Paul Nedelisky, philosophy; Marina Omar, politics; Amanda Sigler, English; Tyler St.Clair, education.