Emily Anderson Honored as RIAIAW Distinguished Student-Athlete

May 2, 2007

PORTSMOUTH, R.I. -- Emily Anderson, a member of the URI women's track & field and cross country teams, was honored as a Distinguished Student-Athlete by the Rhode Island Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women at their Annual Reception on Wednesday, May 2 at Roger Williams University.

Emily Anderson has demonstrated her talents and successes in the classroom, on the track, and in her community for the University of Rhode Island.

Anderson earned her undergraduate degree in May, 2006, with a BA in political science and economics. Anderson was a member of URI's Honors Program in her four years as an undergrad and won both the President's Award for Student Excellence in Economics -- which honors the top student in her department -- and the Grace B. Scherrer Award -- which recognizes outstanding Honors Program students.

In each of her eight undergraduate semesters, Anderson was a member of the URI Dean's List. She graduated with a 3.97 grade-point average, earning Summa Cum Laude honors, while also being inducted into Rhode Island's chapter of Phi Beta Kappa as a junior. During the Summer of 2006, Anderson studied at Oxford University in England, as part of the Washington International Studies Council Program.

The 2005 Atlantic 10 Cross Country Student-Athlete of the Year and ESPN The Magazine/CoSIDA First Team Academic All-Conference selection, Anderson is currently pursuing her master's degree in political science.

On the track, Anderson has also enjoyed a fine career. A member of three A-10 Championship teams (2003, 2005 outdoors; 2005 indoors), Anderson was the 2005 individual conference champion in the 1,000m indoors. She was the A-10 runner up in the 1,000m in 2003, 2006 and 2007. Anderson also finished second at A-10's in 2003 in the outdoor 1,500m and in the 2005 indoor mile. She has also been a part of several successful URI relay teams at the A-10' s. Anderson was a member of the 2005 indoor distance medley and 2007 indoor 4x800m relay teams, which both finished second overall. In total, Anderson has garnered seven second-place/runner up finishes in her career at the conference level.

She has captained the Rams' track and cross country squads for the past two years, during the 2005-06 and 2006-07 seasons.

Anderson is widely respected by the campus academic community and served during both summer and fall 2005 as an intern in the URI Office of the Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs during which she assisted the Vice Provost with daily activities and projects; researched summer sessions, distance education, and scholarships; wrote speeches for the Provost, and served as a member of Financial Aid Leveraging Committee, General Education Learning Outcomes Assessment Committee. Additionally, Anderson has served on URI's ndergraduate and Graduate Research Award Review Panel, Honorary Degree Search Committee, Council of Research, Honors Director Search Committee, President's Committee on the SAT, and Teaching Excellence Committee. Anderson had previously served as a teaching assistant for a freshman seminar course, an introductory economics course, and the Mentor-Tutor Internship.

In addition to Anderson, other 2007 recepients of the 2007 RIAIAW Distingushed Student Athlete Award were Daisy Ames (Brown), Jessica Cegarra (Bryant), Michelle McNamee (CCRI), Samantha Cowens (Johnson & Wales), Aine Hoban (Providence), Caitlin Gavin (Rhode Island College), Jenny Dill (Roger Williams), and Kacie Gallo (Salve Regina).