Ashlie Prain Earns Marga Award

Pictured, from left to right, are Ashlie Prain and Dr. Richard A. Carvajal, university president.

VALDOSTA — Ashlie Prain is the recipient of Valdosta State University’s 2017 Sigma Alpha Chi Marga Award.
 
“I am so grateful to have received this award,” said the 31-year-old from Valdosta. “I would like to thank my professors and especially my mentor, Dr. Matthew Richard [a professor in the Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Criminal Justice], who has taught me so much about the world while inspiring me to excel and help others.”
 
Sigma Alpha Chi is the oldest honor society at VSU. To be considered for the Marga Award, Prain had to demonstrate academic superiority and an active participation in campus organizations. She was recognized during VSU’s annual Academic Honors and Awards Dinner.
 
Prain is a member of Alpha Kappa Delta: The International Sociology Honor Society and Phi Sigma Tau: The International Honor Society for Philosophers. She is president of the Anthropology Club and secretary of the Educational Animal Rights Organization. She served as president of the Sociology Club from 2015 to 2016.
 
A regular on the Dean’s List, Prain has earned numerous other accolades, including the 2017 Anthropology Student of the Year Award, 2016 Franz Boas Award for Excellence in Ethnographic Writing, 2016 American Association of University Women Award, and 2016 Who’s Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges Award. She presented research papers at the 2017 and 2016 Southern Anthropological Society Annual Meeting, the 2016 Georgia Sociological Society Annual Meeting, and the 2014 Southern Anthropological Society Annual Meeting.
 
Prain expects to graduate in December 2017 with a Bachelor of Arts in sociology and anthropology and a minor in environmental studies. She would like to pursue a Doctor of Philosophy in cultural or applied anthropology.
 
“I want to empower southern rural communities while educating youth on animal rights issues,” said the daughter of Jimmy and Michelle Bean.
 
On the Web:
 
http://www.valdosta.edu/colleges/arts-sciences/
 
http://www.valdosta.edu/administration/advancement/event-services/special-events/awards-honors.php