Tamara Durant G’15 is the runner-up recipient of the NASPA (National Association of Student Personnel Administrators) Melvene D. Hardee dissertation of the Year Award. Durant’s dissertation titled, “Is Faith On the Campus Tour? Rural, Public College Students’ Exploration of Spiritual and Religious Identity,” was one of top four dissertations reviewed by a committee of faculty members from around the country.
“I am simultaneously stunned, excited, and appreciative of this award,” says Durant, who thanks her dissertation committee Dawn Johnson, Timoth Eatman, and her chair, Cathy Engstrom for their guidance and support.
As a runner-up recipient, Durant receives $250 from the NASPA Foundation, a complimentary registration for the NASPA Annual Conference, and two tickets for the NASPA awards luncheon. Durant, who received her Ph.D. from the Higher Education Department at SU, is currently a director in the Student Success Center at SUNY Potsdam.