Each year we recognize one student from our incoming first-year engineering class as Freshman of the Year. Students may either self-nominate or are nominated by First-Year Engineering Program faculty, staff, or teaching assistants. The award recipient is selected based upon his/her academic excellence, leadership, and involvement as a first-year engineering student. The First-Year Engineering Program faculty and staff evaluate the nominees to select the finalists. A committee of faculty and staff representing the College of Engineering interview the finalists to select the Freshman of the Year.

 

The winner receives an award as well as a book scholarship at the Annual College of Engineering Student Awards Reception.

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Applications requires two letters of recommendation, one from your peer mentor, and a second from a University of Arkansas faculty or staff member outside of the First-Year Engineering Program.

 

Recommendation letters must be submitted online (see link below).

 

In order to qualify for this distinction all applicants must:

 

The following are quotes from the selection committee on Ananya:

 

“After an extensive review of the award applications and personal interviews, Ms. Ananya Vangoor was selected not only for showing a excellence in her education and academic life thus far but also for showing a desire to give back to her fellow students in the area of mentorship, leadership, and outreach. She is a driven and positive student, and the committee feels she would be an outstanding representative of the University’s Freshman of the Year Program.”

“Ananya was an outstanding candidate! She has attended many events within the College of Engineering and on the campus at large. Ananya spoke to us about the fascinating project she is developing with an engineering world health team that includes designing and building a machine to function on rough terrain to deliver medical supplies. Not only that, she is working with ACM to design an app that tracks clothing for Boss Hog Outfitters. Ananya has a wealth of knowledge and experience, and after graduation, she would like to focus on cybersecurity, penetration testing, and data science.”