Department Honors

Department Honors

Communication Student Honors Spring 2024

Anthony Meister
Highest Distinction
Anthony Meister is awarded Highest Distinction for his compelling narrative project about his father's life, demonstrating his talent in storytelling. As a Communications major with a Digital Filmmaking track, Anthony discovered his filmmaking passion while creating videos with his brother. His military service not only honed his discipline but also set the stage for pursuing film education at UCCS, transforming his lifelong passion into a viable career path, supported by military benefits. During his time at UCCS, Anthony engaged in producing various short films and interned with S-5!'s video marketing team, creating educational content and further broadening his cinematic skills. Beyond the classroom, he enjoys motorcycle riding and creating content for social media. Eager to deepen his expertise, Anthony is set to continue his education in narrative film editing in Los Angeles, aiming to weave compelling and inspiring stories in the film industry.
Cody Standridge
Highest Distinction
Cody is being honored with the Highest Distinction for his oral and creative virtual workshop titled “Cultivating Cross-Cultural Strength: Understanding the Team You Lead.” As he prepares to graduate, Cody holds a degree in Professional Communication with a specialization in Leadership. His honors project provides organizational leaders with a well-rounded perspective on the power of effective cross-cultural communication. By understanding these dynamics, leaders can enhance performance, leverage existing strengths, and address weaknesses within their organizations. Cody’s passion for leadership has been nurtured through both his education at UCCS and his 13-year service in the United States Army. Following graduation, he will continue to serve as an Officer in the U.S. Army. Looking ahead, Cody aspires to establish his own leadership coaching consultancy. His vision is to empower organizations to communicate effectively, break down cross-cultural barriers, and unlock the true potential of their most valuable asset: people.
Jimmy Wang
High Distinction
Jimmy is graduating with a degree in leadership communication with a minor in military science. He has been awarded the honor of graduating with High Distinction for his honors project examining communication theories and principles applicable within the Real Estate industry. In his project, he emphasized the significance of prioritizing the development and mastery of soft skills over technological expertise, highlighting that success in the real estate industry relies largely on interpersonal skills. Jimmy has always been a person who firmly believes in exploring his curiosities and being a life-long learner. Jimmy exemplifies the essence of resilience and ambition as a young entrepreneur in real estate while simultaneously serving in the United States Army on Active Duty and as a full-time student. He nurtured a passion for real estate, recognizing its potential for financial growth and stability. Leveraging his military discipline and strategic mindset, he continues to help change the lives of those around him in all things real estate. Aside from his professional career, he is a loving husband, avid paratrooper, dedicated dog daddy, and lover of food. Today, Jimmy continues to serve as an inspiration to aspiring entrepreneurs, showcasing that with determination and perseverance, one can thrive in numerous career fields simultaneously.

Honors Program Criteria & Overview

To qualify for departmental honors in Communication, students are expected to have completed a senior audit and must have maintained an overall GPA of 3.5 in their UCCS coursework. Students who qualify for departmental honors will be contacted via e-mail by the Department of Communication Honors Committee approximately one month into their final semester and invited to test for honors by completing an honors project.

Evaluation Process:

The honors evaluation process provides an opportunity for you to select a project for submission in accordance with the guidelines below. It is important to recognize that additional work must be completed during your final semester but achieving this goal will provide you with a unique distinction of honors as well as the opportunity to complete work intended to help your career growth upon graduation. Additionally, the process is intended to provide you with critical feedback from members of the Communications department faculty.

Once a student elects to complete an honors project, they will be asked to share the status of their capstone coursework (current enrollment or successful completion) and a brief summary/description of their project. Once a project has been approved the student will have approximately two weeks to complete and submit their project. Students may not submit projects or project ideas they have done for other classes or assignments. Students will be notified of their awarded honors designation and will be given instructions to pick up their honors cord for commencement.

Quality of work submitted will be evaluated for the following three merits: Distinction, High Distinction, and Highest Distinction. Finally, those who accept our invitation will also be eligible to be nominated as the UCCS LAS Outstanding Undergraduate Student. 

Members of the Honors Committee include Dr. Liesl Eberhardt (Chair), Dr. Maja Krakowiak, Dr. Carmen Stavrositu, Dr. Sophia Sah, Matthew Morgan, and M.J. Arjomandi.

Project Selection & Submission Process:

Please select an option from one of the three categories below: Written, Oral, or Creative. Provide a summary of your project choice and option on your honors contract along with a summary of your current or completed capstone project. Submit via email for approval before the deadline to begin your honors project.

Choice #1 (WRITTEN): For this category, you will write a paper/essay meant to synthesize information from a minimum of two-three courses in your degree program. Considering the courses and their respective topic areas, you should provide a clear introduction, a well-organized body (must include scholarly references cited in APA format), and a meaningful conclusion. (10-pg. minimum and 5 scholarly sources/references minimum). Written topic options

Choice #2 (ORAL): For this category, you will prepare and deliver a recorded video presentation meant to synthesize information from your cumulative coursework/research interests as appropriate. Recorded presentations should be shared via a playable link so the committee members can access your work. The finished presentation should include visuals (video clips, portions of your interview – with permission, PowerPoint slides). (20 min. +/- 5 minutes and 5 scholarly sources/references minimum on slides). Oral topic options

Choice #3 (CREATIVE): For Digital Film/Media students. For creative project submissions, students should complete one of the following creative documents demonstrating technical proficiency in your field of study. The body of work must exhibit both technical and artistic merits that demonstrate an advanced level of skill and understanding in your primary major or area of discipline. Works may be either fiction or non-fiction within any genre of your choosing. Creative topic options

Project restrictions: Previously developed work may not be submitted for honors credit.