Release date: March 20, 2007

KSU College of the Arts names outstanding seniors

Contact: Cheryl Anderson Brown, Assistant Director of Public Relations, 770-499-3417 or cbrown@kennesaw.edu

 

KENNESAW, Ga.—The College of the Arts at Kennesaw State University is pleased to announce its 2007 Outstanding Seniors who were recognized during a university-wide ceremony on March 16.

One student from each of the college’s degree programs was selected by the for this recognition. Each student then selected one member to as his or her honoree.

The 2007 KSU College of the Arts Outstanding Seniors are:

Gale Connelly of Talking Rock, for art education. Her honoree is Diana Gregory. After completing a bachelor of fine arts degree at Reinhardt College, Connelly enrolled in the KSU art education program. She had previously served as a paraprofessional in the Pickens County School System and worked with Club Hero, a United Way after-school program in Cobb. At KSU, she served as co-president of the student chapter of the National Art Education Association. She collaborated with other art education students to create and implement thematic and comprehensive art units that the team presented at the 2006 Georgia Art Education Association Fall Conference and the 2007 National Art Education Association National Conference.

Gates Luck of Woodstock, for visual arts. His honoree is Joseph Remillard.  After taking a drawing class, Luck abandoned his business major. An avid reader and researcher, he studied the techniques of the old masters and participated in the Montepulciano (Italy) Studies Abroad Program to experience Italian art and architecture first-hand. His are combines classical techniques with new mediums, surfaces and forms of presentation. He has promoted arts on campus by taking leadership roles in activities in activities such as the Java Chalk Walk Show. He has also participated in group exhibitions both on and off campus. After graduation, he will pursue a full-time career in art and is currently seeking gallery representation in the Atlanta area.

Michael New of Kennesaw, for music performance. His honoree is Mary Akerman. A multiple scholarship recipient, New composes new music for guitar, piano, chorus and chamber music; he has had three of his music compositions premiered in Atlanta and was recently invited to the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra’s “Meet the Composer” seminars with Osvaldo Golijov and Michael Gandolfi.  A guitarist, he has performed in master classes with Dale Kavanagh, Paul Galbraith and Roland Dyens and performs standard guitar repertoire through organizations like Guitar Atlanta. He teaches at Woodward Music Academy. He plans to continue teaching while pursuing master’s and doctoral degrees in music.

Fonda Riley of Acworth, for music education. Her honoree is Karen Parks. After teaching music at private schools and working as a children’s choir coordinator, Riley come to KSU to pursue a music education degree. Currently an instructor in music and movement at New Beginnings Christian Academy, she also has taught music at the Alpharetta Christian Academy, worked with the music staff of First Baptist Church of Alpharetta and served on the board of directors for the Gwinnett Young Singers. At KSU, she performs with the KSU Chorale and is active in the student chapter of the National Association of Music Educators. She is a recipient of the Hope Promise Teacher Scholarship and is a member of the Pi Kappa Lambda, Pi Lambda Theta and Golden Key honor societies.

Lauren Tatum of Cartersville, for theatre and performance studies. Her honoree is Ivan Pulinkala. Tatum has been acting and dancing for more than 19 years. At KSU, she has performed in several theatre productions including “The Monkey King,” a production that toured in China. She is a member of the KSU Dance Company, with whom she performed at the American College Dance Festival. A choreographer, she choreographed for the KSU production of “As You Like It,” which received a commendations from the American College Theatre Festival. She also performed at the Southern Order of Storytellers’ Winter Storytelling Festival as a member of the KSU Tellers. She has taught at the Holly Rocks Dance Company and The Georgia Ballet Conservatory. She has been offered scholarships to New York’s Broadway Dance Center and Los Angeles’ Edge Dance Studio.

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A member of the 35-unit University System of Georgia, Kennesaw State University is a comprehensive‚ residential institution with a growing student population approaching 20‚000 from 132 countries. The third largest state university in Georgia‚ Kennesaw State offers more than 60 graduate and undergraduate degrees‚ including a new Doctorate of Education in Leadership.

The KSU College of the Arts is one of only four Georgia institutions to have achieved full national accreditation for all of its arts programs.

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The College of the Arts at Kennesaw State University supports, defends and promotes academic freedom in artistic expression, as outlined by the American Association of University Professors, and diversity of all kinds as outlined by the university's Human Relations Position Statement.

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