Each year, Amos C. Sawyer College of Social Sciences and Humanities, University of Liberia recognizes and celebrates outstanding faculty, students, and administrative staff with special honors and awards.
Over the last one-half century, Amos C. Sawyer College, formerly Liberia College has worked to build an institution with the adroitness to directly address the fluctuating academic challenges that the youthful population faces, and the college has grown over the century.
During the institution’s 103rd convocation ceremonies on Monday, May 29, 2023, several distinguished faculty, staff, and students were recognized for their valuable services and commitment to academic excellence and innovation in implementing educational standards and positive impact on the College, particularly the University of Liberia. Members of the College’s thesis panel were also recognized for their outstanding and professional achievements.
During each convocation, the Dean of the College, Prof. Dr. Josephus M. Gray, and the academic team, with nominations from the various departments, faculty, and students, recognize faculty, staff, and students in the College for their excellence in teaching and learning, research, creative activity, and peer-reviewed publications.
The awards include the: Most Academic Faculty, Distinguished Chairperson, Best Student Organization, Outstanding Student Leader, Most Deserving Student, Outstanding Academic Department, Outstanding Thesis Oral Defense and Presentation, Most Versatile Faculty, and Most Deserving Chairperson. The winner of the “Philip N. Wesseh Academic Excellence Print Journalism Award” was also recognized.
During the College’s convocation, the Dean of Amos C. Sawyer College, Dr. Gray lauded the academic team, faculty, staff, and students for the successful academic year. Dr. Gray said it was a pleasure to share the latest news of faculty, students, and staff awards and honors.
The honorees are placed in various categories including the best-performed students in thesis oral defense and presentation. The six best-performed students are Danielle T. Wornee, BSW in Social Work; Rosetta Fardolo and Grace D. Moleyeaze, BA in Communication and Media Studies; M. Hamzat Kiazolu, Sr., BA in Political Science; Juma Patricia Sando, BA in Geography and D. Wilson Kokulo Zawu, BA with honor in English.
While Mr. Benjamin G. Sumo, a Teaching Assistant in the Department of English and Language Studies was recognized as the Most Distinguished Faculty of the Year. The Chair of the Department of Geography, Rev. Jethro S. Tamba was recognized as the Most Outstanding Chairperson of the year.
A veteran Liberian journalist, legal expert, and instructor of the Departments of English and Language Studies, Political Sciences, Communication and Media Studies, and Social Sciences, Cllr. Mark Bedor-Wla Freeman was recognized as the Most Versatile Faculty of Amos C. Sawyer College.
Another renowned Liberian journalist and adjunct faculty in the Department of Communication and Media Studies (formerly Department of Mass Communication) of the Amos C. Sawyer College of Social Sciences and Humanities, University of Liberia, Mr. Frank Sainworla has been recognized as the winner of the Philip N. Wesseh Academic Excellence Print Journalism Award introduced at Amos C. Sawyer College.
Other honorees are Prof. Dr. Moses C.T Jarbo, Faculty of Social Work; J. Nyema Woart, Faculty of History; Abraham A. Fofana, Faculty of Political Science; Danicius Kaihenheh Sengbeh, Faculty of Communication and Media Studies; Charles Dickerson, Faculty of Arts and Crafts; James K. Mulbah, Faculty of Geography; Mohamed K. Bengeh, Faculty of Physical Education; Gautier Bou, Faculty of French Studies; Emmanuel J. Toe, Faculty of English and Rev. Lemuel Harris, Faculty of Religious Studies.
A physically challenged student, Mr. Siaka Kanneh was named as the Most Deserving Student, while the Association of Students with Disability won the Student Group of the Year award. The Student Leader of the Year award went to Rosetta Fardolo of the Department of Communication and Media Studies, while Mr. Richard Reginald Mensah, Chairperson of the Fine and Performing Arts was named Most Deserving Chairman.
Several other students were recognized for most academic excellence. They include Jennifer M. Scott, Magna Cum Lunde in Sociology; Jumamah Jackson Kesselee, Cum Lunde, Social Work and Masan Swen Jahwee, Cum Lunde, Social Work; Eric Kolleh, Cum Lunde, Demography; Mark Yeah, Cum Lunde, Demography; D. Wilson Kokulo Zawu, Cum Lunde, English; Francis Johnson, Cum Lunde, Sociology; Ada Leemu Sharkor, Cum Lunde, Sociology.
The Most Dedicated Staff of the Year award went to Mr. Emmanuel D. Wallace of the Department of Religious Studies; Christiana Bellah, Department of Communication and Media Studies; Mohammed Kamara, Office of the Dean of Sawyer College, and Francis Kamano, Department of History.
Members of the thesis panel were recognized for their professional standards and the value that they brought to the exercise. The committee members include Assistant Prof. Alex O. Teaway, Chair; Roseline Tomah-Wiah, Co-chair and members are Prof. Dr. D. Elliot Wreh-Wilson, Cllr. Mark Bedor-Wla Freeman, Prof. Dr. Nathaniel G. Gbessagee, Mr. Ernest Winderburk, Mr. Abraham A. Fofana, Mr. Roosevelt G. Tule, Rev. Tehpamubo M. Sayeh, and Rev. Leviticus O. Kollie.
Meanwhile, on May 29th Amos C. Sawyer College conferred BA and BSW degrees on 214 graduates including 115 females and 99 males. The 133 from the Department of Sociology and Anthropology, 20 from the Department of Communication and Media Studies, 19 from the Department of Demography, 14 from the Department of Political Science, 14 from the Social Work Unit, 8 from the Department of Geography, 4 from the Department of the English and Language Studies, and 2 from the Department of History.
