Jason Smart was selected for the Nicholas Bourdakis Award – the first time it has been granted. The award is given to an outstanding undergraduate who has recently declared Geography his or her major. Recipients receive $1,000 and have their name inscribed upon a plaque that is on the wall just inside the Department conference room. Jason has loved Geography since he was a small boy, remembering, at age four, being fascinated with maps in an atlas at home. He just completed his sophomore year at UCSB. The photo at right shows, starting top left and moving clockwise, Jason Smart, Anthony Bourdakis (Nicholas’ father), Patricia Bourdakis (Nicholas’ mother), and Lindsay Bourdakis (Nicholas’ younger sister). The plaque is in the background.
Nicholas Bourdakis was a young man who had just declared Geography his major when, in 2001, he was tragically struck down by an automobile. He and a group of others were innocently walking in Isla Vista when another young man suddenly plowed into pedestrians. Mr. and Mrs. Bourdakis started a memorial fund in their son’s memory. Over 200 people have contributed. (The February 2003 newsletter has a complete listing of the donors.)
We hope to grow this fund so that deserving young geographers can receive assistance in their professional goals for many years to come. Through this, we continue to remember and honor Nicholas, a bright and cherished young man who loved Geography. If you would like to contribute to the fund, please contact the Department Chair, Prof. Keith Clarke (phone 805-893-7961; write c/o Geography Department, UC Santa Barbara, CA 93106; or email kclarke@geog.ucsb.edu) or simply mail a check to the Department specifying it is for the Bourdakis Fund. We would be very grateful!
