AU’s 2024 Academic Recognition Day Scholar celebrates success

Riley Kublin, a graduate of the Honors Program, was recently selected as Augusta University’s 2024 Academic Recognition Day Scholar.

Kublin, who received a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology degree during the 10 a.m. Undergraduate Commencement Ceremony on May 10, plans to continue her journey to becoming a physician assistant through the College of Allied Health Sciences at Augusta University.

“I learned about being chosen as the Academic Recognition Day Scholar for Augusta University like a week before I found out that I got into the physician assistant program here at AU,” Kublin said. “So, it was a lot of information all at once. I think it’s a big honor, and I’m really grateful.”

Academic Recognition Day is a 35-year-old tradition in which the University System of Georgia recognizes one undergraduate student from each of the system’s 26 institutions for his or her academic achievements. Every year, each USG institution selects a student with a 4.0 GPA who strives for excellence in a variety of areas and best represents the high standards of the system.

Steven Page, EdD, chair of the Department of Kinesiology in the College of Education and Human Development, was the first to let Kublin know she had been chosen as this year’s Academic Recognition Day Scholar for Augusta University.

“When Dr. Page came into the wet lab at Christenberry Fieldhouse and told my whole class in front of me, I didn’t know what to think,” Kublin said. “He named all the qualifications and said only one student from every university gets picked and then he announced, ‘Riley! Come up here!’ It was very informal, but I like that because I don’t like to be the center of attention.”

The news of being selected as the Augusta University student to be recognized by the Georgia General Assembly came as quite a surprise, Kublin said.

Her fiancé, Ryan Harley, who is a current student in the occupational therapy program at Augusta University, and her parents answered their phones with excitement, initially expecting to hear whether Kublin had been accepted into the physician assistant program. Once she explained her selection for USG Academic Recognition Day, they were so proud to hear of this honor, Kublin said.

During spring break, Kublin made a trip to the Gold Dome in Atlanta to officially be recognized by University System of Georgia Chancellor Sonny Perdue, DVM. Accompanied by her future mother-in-law, Kublin received an official resolution from Perdue and had lunch with Augusta University President Brooks A. Keel, PhD.

First choice: Augusta University

Originally from Rincon, Georgia, near Savannah, Kublin said she set her sights on AU earlier than most students.

“I had toured Augusta University actually whenever my older sister was touring colleges,” Kublin said. “And I liked that Augusta was smaller.”

It was close enough to home, but just far enough away to where the campus felt “homey,” she said. So, when the time came for her to choose a college, she immediately knew she wanted to attend Augusta University.

Kublin also knew exactly what she wanted to accomplish after completing her undergraduate degree: She wanted to be accepted to the physician assistant program at AU.

“I wanted to become a physician assistant, and I love Augusta University’s graduate program,” Kublin said. “They have a lot of attractive qualities, and it’s public. They just do a really good job.”

After looking at her JagTrax with her adviser during her first year on campus, Kublin realized she wanted to tailor her undergraduate experience more toward studying the human body and how it works.

Originally a biology major, this new focus quickly led Kublin to the Department of Kinesiology.

“Knowing how to fuel your body and how to move your body is going to last for the course of your life and not only is it going to impact my patients as a future PA, but it’s also going to apply to myself and family members,” Kublin said. “So, I wanted to be able to apply that knowledge to not only myself and my family members, but also my future career.”

Because of her hard work and dedication, Kublin is heading down the path to becoming a PA by starting in The Graduate School just three days after earning her undergrad degree.

Making a difference

From the beginning of her collegiate career, Kublin has been an active member of the Honors Program. Early on, she recognized the importance of the core classes, Breaking Boundaries seminars and the honors thesis sequence.

Not afraid to shy away from a challenge, Kublin thoroughly researched a topic for her honors thesis which has been a keen interest of hers for some time – food insecurity.

She worked on her research for the thesis with guidance from Nicole Peritore, PhD, associate professor and director for the Bachelor of Science in Health Promotion program in COEHD.

Peritore connected with Kublin after learning she was interested in researching the field of nutrition and food insecurity from a survey conducted by Tim Sadenwasser, PhD, the director of the Honors Program.

After an initial discussion, the project took off, and Kublin has dedicated the last two years of her academic career to studying food insecurity among students here at Augusta University.

With the help of her Honors Thesis panel, which included Peritore, Candace Griffith, PhD, and Elizabeth Culatta, PhD, Kublin completed her thesis in fall 2023 and presented it at Kinesiology Research Day.

“I don’t think I would have done it unless I was challenged by the Honors Program,” Kublin said.

Peritore said she is proud of all of Kublin’s accomplishments and dedication over the past four years.

“I think one of the most important things is to make sure that the honor student is really interested in the topic,” Peritore said. “I think that makes a big difference. So, when you’re passionate about something, when you have to talk about it or think about it over and over again, it’s not quite the burden.”

“I know Riley has worked so hard, and it’s just amazing to see,” she added. “I’m excited to hear, down the line, what other amazing things she is going to accomplish.”