Many congratulations to Supuni Dhameera Silva, who has received the 2023 Golden Eagle Award, the most prestigious award that UNT bestows on a student leader! Supuni is a PhD candidate in the department of biological sciences.
"I am honored and excited to be a recipient of this award!" said Supuni. "The time I have spent at UNT has been remarkably satisfying, and I celebrate this award as a significant milestone in my graduate life. My experiences at UNT helped me calibrate myself to serve a purpose and gave me confidence and skills relevant to my future career as a science educator and mentor."
During her time at UNT, Supuni has represented the College of Science by serving as a senator for the Graduate Student Council (GSC), and was the first place winner of the 2021 Three Minute Thesis Competition (3MT). She said that getting involved in and winning first place in 3MT restored her confidence in her talents for public speaking and science communication.
"It helped me become a public speaking coach, and now, I have trained over 500 students in public speaking via webinars," she said.
For her PhD research, Supuni is working with Dr. Rudi Thompson on STEM education research, specifically Biology Education. She is also collaborating with Dr. Molly Atkinson in the Department of Chemistry and Dr. Danielle Keifert of the College of Education.
"Supuni is a joy to work with," said Dr. Thompson. "She shows continual responsibility and enthusiasm, along with a keen interest in learning all there is to learn about Discipline Based Education Research (DBER). I look forward to her continued success."
Supuni is passionate about mentoring and mental health awareness. After completing her PhD, she has her mind set on a career in teaching, continuing her academic path as a professor. She is interested in becoming a science communicator and motivational speaker as well, and is already a social media influencer in her homeland of Sri Lanka, with over 37,000 followers on Facebook.
Supuni said that she is forever grateful to UNT for helping her grow as a strong and empathetic person who could leave a lasting impact at UNT and beyond in many aspects.
From the UNT Division of Student Affairs:
In connection to UNT's 125th anniversary celebrated in 2015-2016, the Center for Leadership and Service and Student Activities created the Golden Eagle Award. The Golden Eagle Award is the most prestigious award that UNT bestows on a student leader. Any student who has been a leader in campus life, student organizations, athletics, research, activism, mentorship, etc. and has had a positive and meaningful impact on the UNT community is encouraged to apply for the 8th class of the Golden Eagle. The recipients are those who show a tremendous commitment to co-curricular activities and enhancing campus life at UNT by engaging in considerable service and displaying great leadership, all while achieving excellence in the classroom.
Supuni wanted us to include a note of gratitude for those who have helped her along the way:
"I sincerely thank my PI, Dr. Rudi Thompson, for planting a seed of love for STEM Education in me and showing me what we can do as women. Despite her busiest schedule, she is always there to help me whenever I need her. Her way of mentoring allowed me to participate in co-curricular activities while doing my Ph.D. work at UNT. I am so blessed to have Dr. Molly Atkinson on my Ph.D. dissertation committee, and I thank her for always going the extra mile to encourage, teach, and help me conduct meaningful research at UNT. She inspires me daily to be more organized and productive in what I do. Also, I thank Dr. Aaron Roberts, Dr. Art Goven, and Dr. James Kennedy for serving on my Ph.D. committee and providing constructive suggestions for my research. I am grateful to Dr. Carrie Allen and Dr. Teo Keifert from the UNT College of Education for believing in me and continuing to have me as a research collaborator. They taught me the ABCs in qualitative research and highlighted the importance of conducting such research in STEM Education.
I am forever grateful to Dr. Joseph Oppong, whom I got to know during my 3MT journey. As a Person of Color and an immigrant from a developing country, I am inspired by his incredible charisma and intelligence. His mentorship helped me realize my leadership and public speaking potential, which paved my path to receive this Golden Eagle Award 2023. I thank Ms. Vesta Stacy and Ms. Ipsita Lahiri for the generous and constant support I receive when performing my duties as a senator at the GSC and a Teaching Assistant (TA) at the Department of Biological Sciences, respectively. Ms. Stacy goes above and beyond to support the graduate student community at UNT, and Ms. Lahiri ensures her TAs a rewarding teaching experience.
Finally, yet importantly, I thank my family, friends, and readers on my social media platform for their enduring love and support. Thank you for being there for me and cheering me on throughout. I am extremely excited to see what the future holds for me!"