The University of West Alabama conferred undergraduate, masters and education specialist degrees from the colleges of business, education, liberal arts, natural sciences and mathematics, the Division of Nursing, and the School of Graduate Studies to nearly 500 students in May.

In addition, several special awards were presented to students and faculty during commencement exercises.

Richard West of Vail, Ariz., a December 2013 graduate, received the 2013-14 Ralph M. Lyon Award, which is given annually to the graduating senior with the highest grade point average.

The University Honors Program recognized eight graduating seniors for their research in the fields of environmental science, integrated marketing communications, psychology, exercise science and history.

UWA’s spring 2014 graduating class represents 22 states across the U.S., as well as Canada, Russia, China and Ukraine.

The William E. Gilbert Award for Outstanding Teaching, which annually recognizes excellence in classroom instruction at UWA, was awarded to Rita Bonner. An instructor of mathematics, Bonner was nominated and selected by the student body for the prestigious honor.

Two outstanding faculty members were recognized as recipients of University faculty awards. Dr. Amy H. Jones, assistant professor of journalism and speech, is the 2014 Loraine McIlwain Bell Trustee Professor Award and of the 2014 Nellie Rose McCrory Service Excellence Award. Dr. R.T. Floyd, chair and professor of Physical Education and Athletic Training, is the inaugural recipient of the University’s Distinguished Professorship.

The University conferred honorary degrees to Alabama historian Robert Gamble and healthcare executive Wayne T. Smith. Each received the honorary doctor of humane letters degree.

Spring 2014 graduates from Marengo and Sumter counties are:

•Angel Beville, Demopolis

•Joyce Duke, Demopolis

•Sesha Gentry, Demopolis

•Elizabeth Manning, Demopolis

•Ruby Merriweather, Demopolis

•Savanna Osmer, Demopolis

•Shilpaben Patel, Demopolis

•Norbert Perret, Demopolis

•Charles Pickett, Demopolis

•Etta Pope, Demopolis

•Ronald Richardson, Demopolis

•Keyneshia Stewart, Demopolis

•Amber Hudson, Dixons Mills

•Alicia Ward-Thomas, Faunsdale

•Anner Gray, Forkland

•Chelsea Etheridge, Gallion

•Donmonique Morgan, Gallion

•Kristie Roberts, Gallion

•Leeah Walker, Gallion

•Teresa Tucker, Linden

•Juyuan Bao, Livingston

•Shelby Campbell, Livingston

•Zhixin Cao, Livingston

•Natalia Cardenas, Livingston

•Jingyun Chen, Livingston

•Sidney Collins, Livingston

•Jianzhen Ding, Livingston

•Robert Elliott, Livingston

•Zhizhao Feng, Livingston

•Lanita Futrell, Livingston

•Qiuqi Hong, Livingston

•Renfei Hu, Livingston

•Haodong Huang, Livingston

•Shengyun Huang, Livingston

•Anton Ivanov, Livingston

•Yuyi Li, Livingston

•Yinhsi Lin, Livingston

•Jianbin Liu, Livingston

•Sicong Lui, Livingston

•Hilary Lobenstein, Livingston

•Yongjia Luo, Livingston

•Yuzhang Luo, Livingston

•Jinrong Ma, Livingston

•Manyi Mai, Livingston

•Li Peng, Livingston

•Darya Popova, Livingston

•Yiyi Quan, Livingston

•Xincheng Shen, Livingston

•Everett Stuart, Livingston

•Meijie Tang, Livingston

•Hayley Taylor, Livingston

•Tianyi Wang, Livingston

•Clinton Williams, Livingston

•Donald Williams, Livingston

•Junhao Wu, Livingston

•Xietong Wu, Livingston

•Wei Yang, Livingston

•Yixin Yang, Livingston

•Xudon Yi, Livingston

•Junyan Zhan, Livingston

•Cuiyi Zhan, Livingston

•Hanyu Zhang, Livingston

•Shaoli Zhang, Livingston

•Karen Jones, Magnolia

•Krista Black, Sweet Water

•Danny Dixon, Sweet Water

•William Ware, Sweet Water

•Kindra Washington, Sweet Water

•Courtney Mims, Thomaston

•Magen Horn, York

•Morgan Winsett, York