April 25, 2024 — The University of Houston Law Center recognized the achievements of students, faculty and staff during its annual Dean’s Awards Ceremony. UH Law Center Dean Leonard M. Baynes and Assistant Dean for Student Affairs Monica Mensah co-hosted the event at the John M. O’Quinn Law Building on Friday, April 19.
Dean Baynes welcomed a packed room of recipients, friends and family, “Today, we extend our appreciation to our students, emphasizing how talented and special they are as well as our faculty for their teaching expertise and our hard-working staff.”
More than 160 scholarships and awards were distributed to students, faculty and staff for their academic excellence and service to the Law Center.
“Each year we host a Dean’s Awards Ceremony to recognize students for their service, academic merit, and stellar accomplishments,” said Mensah. “These students are some of the Law Center’s best and brightest.”
The Lex Awards recognized students who earned the highest grade in their first-year courses, which include Constitutional Law, Contracts, Criminal Law, Procedure, Property, Statutory Interpretation & Regulation, Torts, Introduction to American Law, and Lawyering Skills and Strategies.
Recipients included: Sameer Abdali, James Adams, Nurain N. Ali, Oluwatamilore Bankole, Justin D.K. Bui, Michael P. Burger, Grace Burgert, Catherine Cleary, Nadin Fallah, Samier Farmer, Obateniola O. Fayiga, Gisell Gaviria Florez, Ross A. Galansky, Aaron C. Garrett, Akhil George, Julia F. Harriman, Adam Harrison, Andrew Hrabar, Inkar N. Imanbaeva, Amalia M. Jaeck, Heather K. Jager, Tanner J. Jarrell, Philip John, Megan D. Kibler, Hanna Koval, Vishaal Kuruvanka, Jeffrey B., Langemeier, Joseph B. Lipper, Stephanie Martinez, D. Lachlan McLeod, Sophie McNamara, Graysen C. Mechler, Brady Mills, Erika Morrill, Zachary Mouton, Madison L. Oswald, Cindy Patricia Peters, Caroline Peterson, Apollo Pham, Nadia Posluszny, Kaleick Pullam, Duncan Reedyk, Caroline Rodriguez, Usmon Shaikh, Wyley Sharp, Blake Slinkard, Justin P. Smook, Douglas E. Steinman, Jillian Stewart, Katherine, Szymanski and Sofia A. Winograd.
The 2024 distinguished faculty and staff awards included: