Campus Life: Coogs Choose 2015 winners

If you’re involved on campus, chances are you’ve encountered one of these members of the community. These students, faculty and staff were voted the most impactful people at UH.

Best Student Leader

Anthony Hidrogo
Though he has only served as Financial Officer for the Society of Human Resource Management since December, Anthony Hidrogo has already made quite an impression on his team. “I really emphasize teamwork and a positive attitude where students can do their best.”
2nd Place: Christine Bang
3rd Place: Erica Tat

Best Registered Student Org

Asian Business Student Association
President Christine Bang said the Asian Business Student Association’s enthusiasm is what sets them apart from other student organizations. “Having such positive energy really does radiate through to other people.”
2nd Place: Society for Human Resource Management
3rd Place: Veteran Students for America

Best Professor

Simon Bott
Arguably the most spirited person on campus, chemistry professor Simon Bott is known for getting students involved. He gives extra credit for attending campus events and wearing red on Fridays. “I do try to make my classes a more holistic experience, emphasizing life and university issues as well as chemistry.”
2nd Place: Bekki George
3rd Place: Melahat Almus

Best Teaching Assistant

Sameer Thacker
Computer science major Sameer Hai serves as a biology teaching assistant. Hai said he enjoys the responsibility of the job, noting that that the best parts of being a TA are “being in charge…(and) teaching.”
2nd Place: Angelynn Alvarez
3rd Place: Cesar Pham

Best Academic Adviser

Sandra Gold-Singleton
Political science adviser Sandra Gold-Singleton served as an assistant to Undergraduate Director Jerald W. Jackson. She also contributed to a linguistic and phonetic analysis study entitled “Effect of Accent and Dialect on Employability.”
2nd Place: Colleen Davies
3rd Place: Jeremy Dafoe

Best Resident Assistant

Kayla Fischer
An RA on the fifth floor of Cougar Village 1, Fisher said her passion for helping people is what motivated her to apply for the position.
“(My residents) are such a talented group of students who I know will be successful, so I would do anything to help them.”
2nd Place: Christian Ohabunwa
3rd Place: Chris Pinto

Best UH Staff Member

Custodial & Maintenance Staff
Jeanne Brewster is one of more than 350 custodial and maintenance staff members who were collectively recognized for this category because they keep the school clean and running smoothly while going almost unnoticed. “We are composed of people from all parts of the world. Either through choice, luck or divine providence, we were brought together as a team,” said Ray Mosley, North Zone and Custodial Program Manager.
2nd Place: Lawren Bradbury
3rd Place: Taylor Wiley

Best Sorority

Delta Zeta
Delta Zeta dates back to 1902, when six young woman came together to establish a sorority on the male-dominated Miami University campus in Oxford, Ohio. Today, Delta Zeta has more than 15,000 undergraduate members at any given time and over 165 collegiate chapters throughout the United States and Canada.
They host the largest philanthropy event on campus, Gong Show, and over the past year Delta Zeta was able to donate more than $10,000 to their causes.
2nd Place: Chi Omega
3rd Place: Phi Sigma Rho

Best Fraternity

Pi Kappa Phi
Pi Kappa Phi is only national fraternity to establish its own philanthropy, The Ability Experience, which serves people with disabilities. Boasting more than 7,000 undergraduate brothers and 160 active chapters nationwide, Pi Kappa Phi sets high expectations for its members in terms of their academic success and campus involvement outside the fraternity, with 80 percent of its members making over a 3.0 for the past two years. Pi Kappa Phi has been No. 1 in Greek intramurals on campus for the past three years and won Best Fraternity in 2010.
2nd Place: Kappa Sigma
3rd Place: Lambda Phi Epsilon

Best On-Campus Place to Study

M.D. Anderson Memorial Library
With computer labs to connect online and private group rooms, UH’s main library has everything a student could ask for. “There is basically something for everybody here,” student leader Mike Alder said. “Whether you need a really quiet area or a public area where you can speak as loudly as you need to and collaborate with other folks, the library has it all.”
2nd Place: The Nook Cafe
3rd Place: Student Center

Best On-Campus Hangout

The Student Center
The new Student Center, of which renovations were completed this semester, has become a staple student hangout space, as well as a go-to spot for food and drink. The second floor is a great spot for studying, since most students still forget it’s been completed. If nothing else, students are just glad they don’t have to walk by construction anymore and feel like their ears are going to burst.
2nd Place: The Nook Cafe
3rd Place: Recreation and Wellness Center

Best Alum

Case Keenum
Not since Andre Ware’s Heisman has a single football player had a bigger impact on the program than Case Keenum. He piloted the Air Raid offense, leading the Cougars into the national spotlight and a 13-1 season in 2011. After two stints with the Houston Texans, Keenum is now with the St. Louis Rams.
2nd Place: Cathy Frank
3rd Place: Jim Parsons

Best Cougar Fan

Taylor Rouleau
Taylor Rouleau exemplifies the perfect Cougar fan by showing up to games early, cheering on the UH teams and staying late no matter what the score was.
“I love this school with all my heart and have since day one. If we don’t love our school and have great school pride, how can we expect anyone else to? We need to show incoming freshmen and all outsiders that UH is amazing.”
2nd Place: Crissy Martinez
3rd Place: Allen Lin

Best Student Athlete

Greg Ward Jr.
Greg Ward Jr. certainly has a flare for the dramatics. He led the Cougars to 29 fourth-quarter points en route to an improbable 35-34 victory in the Armed Forces bowl to cap the 2014 season. In his eight games as a starter, Ward’s 2010 passing yards and 12 touchdowns helped UH go 6-2 down the stretch.
2nd Place: Zachary Brown
3rd Place: Joey Mbu

“Coogs Choose” is a special section produced by The Cougar in collaboration with the Center for Student Media that spotlights students’ favorite places and activities around campus and Houston. Pick up the magazine at campus newsstands until April 22.