Anastasiya Gromova, daughter of Svitlana Gromova-Patout and Frederick Patout of New Iberia, was honored during the Fall 2015 Commencement Friday as the Outstanding Graduate for the College of Engineering.

University of Louisiana at Lafayette, the largest campus of the University of Louisiana System, offers bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees. The University is dedicated to achieving excellence in undergraduate and graduate education, in research, and in public service.

Medical Objective

Five graduate students have been selected as finalists for the Outstanding Master’s Graduate designation, which started with the Spring 2015 Commencement.

Each graduate program can nominate one student for the award, based on leadership, scholarship, service, and research. A committee, led by the dean of the University’s Graduate School, selects the top candidates.

A UL Lafayette Alumni Association committee interviews each candidate and chooses one for the overall award. That person is recognized during the Commencement General Assembly as the overall Outstanding Master’s Graduate.

James Blankenship, son of Kelley and Joyce Blankenship of New Iberia, is the Outstanding Master’s Graduate for the College of Nursing and Allied Health Profession.

A registered nurse enrolled in the family nurse practitioner concentration, he has a 4.0 GPA. Since 2010, Blankenship has worked as a charge nurse for Regional Medical Center of Acadiana’s Emergency Department. From 2005 to 2010, he was an emergency room technician at Lafayette General Medical Center.

He recently developed a presentation to inform patients of colorectal cancer screening options, with the objective of increasing the number of patients who get tested. It was adopted by a large primary care practice in southern Louisiana as an educational supplement for patients.

Blankenship is a member of the Delta Eta Chapter of Sigma Theta Tau Honor Society of Nursing, and Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society. He is an instructor for Sudden Impact, a driver safety program; a member of the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Team; and a cadet commander of the Lafayette Squadron of the Civil Air Patrol.

Blankenship is married to Ashley Blankenship and is the father of Charlotte Blankenship.

Engineering

Every spring and fall semester, the University of Louisiana at Lafayette Alumni Association honors outstanding graduates from the University’s eight colleges.

Each dean nominates one student, based on leadership, scholarship, and service. A selection committee of the Alumni Association interviews the candidates and selects one to receive its overall Outstanding Graduate award.

Anastasiya Gromova, daughter of Svitlana Gromova-Patout and Frederick Patout of New Iberia, was honored during the Fall 2015 Commencement Friday as the Outstanding Graduate for the College of Engineering.

She is a petroleum engineering major with a 3.88 GPA.

She belongs to the Pi Epsilon Tau, Tau Beta Pi and the Delta Alpha Pi engineering honor societies.

Gromova is fluent in several languages, including Russian, Ukrainian and French.

As part of her studies, she participated in a research project that examined design aspects of well design of the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

Gromova is a member of many campus organizations and engineering societies. They include the Society of Petroleum Engineers, American Society of Drilling Engineers, Society of Women Engineers, and the Louisiana Engineering Society. She volunteered as a translator with the LAGCOE oil and gas expo.

Her community service includes working with the Breath of Life Gala, Trees of Acadiana, Archangel Church and Teche Area Builders Association.

She plans to pursue a master’s degree in petroleum engineering at UL Lafayette and would like to work as an engineer in the oil and gas industry.