Rohnert Park, CA - The School of Business and Economics (SBE) at Sonoma State University (SSU) announced today that two of its students, Bozhidar Chakalov and Edward D'Emidio, both seniors and Economics Majors, were each awarded a $500 scholarship by the Department of Economics for strong academic performance. The scholarship is named after former SSU Department of Economics faculty members, Sue Hayes and Steve Lewis, and allocated annually to offset student textbook costs.
"This scholarship motivates me to continue doing my best, to not give up, and to give back to the community and the school with the same generosity. I want to extend my gratitude to the Economics Department for all their help and support," Bozhidar Chakalov said.
"I'm very excited to be one of this year's recipients of the Hayes-Lewis scholarship. Not just because it's a monetary reward for good academic performance, but also because it serves as validation that dedicating time and effort to academics produces great results," Edward D'Emidio said.
"Professors Hayes and Lewis were strong advocates for excellence in learning, teaching, and student development. This scholarship in their names underscores the dedication among all faculty to helping our students succeed and excel. We congratulate Bozhidar and Edward on this honor, and for their outstanding proficiency and commitment to the study of economics," Michael Visser, Chair of the Department of Economics said.
Sue Hayes began teaching at SSU in 1974 and retired in 2012. She received her PhD in Agricultural Economics from University of California at Berkeley, and taught courses in microeconomics, macroeconomics, labor, agriculture and natural resource economics, U.S. economic history, and other field courses. She was also involved in archeological field study courses throughout Central America with her husband, Bill Poe, Professor Emeritus of the SSU Department of History.
Steve Lewis began teaching at SSU in 1982 and retired in 2004. He was previously at University of Alberta. He taught macroeconomics, money and banking, mathematical economics, history of economic thought, and other macroeconomic topics.
Bozhidar Chakalov and Edward D'Emidio were formally recognized by faculty today during a meeting of the Department of Economics. Photos of the event are available for editorial use. For more information about the award, its recipients, or the School of Business and Economics, please visit Sonoma.edu/sbe or call (707) 664-2377.