CONWAY, Ark. (May 1, 2014) – Hendrix students were recognized for outstanding academic achievement and service at the 2014 Honors Day Convocation today in Staples Auditorium.

"It is our goal to recognize excellence and high achievement in a wide variety of endeavors. The aims of the College include purposes pursued in the classroom, in the laboratory, in the residence halls, and on playing fields,"said Acting President W. Ellis Arnold III. "The diverse awards given today will bear witness to the College's dedication to accomplishment across a broad spectrum of activity … Those whom we honor today have earned our respect and admiration."

Neelam Himansu Vyas '14 received the President’s Medal, which is presented each year to that student who best exemplifies the highest ideals of the College. Criteria include excellence in scholarship, outstanding citizenship, and service to the community.

Vyas, an economics and business major from Little Rock, Ark., served as Hendrix Student Senate President during the 2013-2014 academic year.

Jenna Lynn Gottschalk '14 received the 2014 Walker-Odyssey Fellowship. Created by a gift from the Willard and Pat Walker Charitable Foundation, the Walker-Odyssey Fellowship fund a $12,500 grant for a graduating Hendrix senior to pursue independent exploration and travel outside the United States.

Gottschalk is an interdisciplinary social justice major from Lenexa, Kan.

With her fellowship, she will pursue a project titled "Rooted in a Changing World: the Value of Place for Small Farmers,"which will take her to Ghana, Uganda, Vietnam and Brazil to study smallholder agriculture in contexts of change and tension and explore how movement, hardship and changing practices impact the relationship between people, agriculture and place.

Departmental Academic Awards

Art

• Graduating with Distinction: Audrey Rose Lloyd '14, Emily Grace Mente '14, Rachel Lynn Ribando-Gros '14 and Stacey Michelle Svendsen '14

Biochemistry/Molecular Biology

• Kaleb Hurst Wolfe '14 – Bruce W. Haggard Award

• Graduating with Distinction: Ryan Christopher Banning '14, Emily Rose Cariker '14, Nicholas Paul Gill '14, Anvesh Reddy Kompelli '14, Jacob Hunter Leffert '14, Saranya Prathibha '14, Elizabeth Arline Pratt '14, Sreesh Polesolla Reddy '14, Stephen Andrew Shrum '14, James Michael Williams '14, Kaleb Hurst Wolfe '14 and Chelsea Nicole Woods '14

Biology

• Kevin Chen Spatz '14 – Clark Biology Award

• Laura Katherine Klasek '14 – Johnson Biology Award  

• Meredith Leigh McKinney’14 – Albert M. Raymond AED Award

• Macrina Rae Butler '14 – Earle A. Spessard Biology Award

• James Michael Williams '14 – Keith Sutton Award

• Graduating with Distinction: Emily Caitlin Barrett '14, Adam Francis Bigott '14, Maiya Grace Block '14, Madison Jane Boone '14, Macrina Rae Butler '14, Alison Hamlin Harrington '14, Victoria Evelyn Hilliard '14, Laura Katherine Klasek '14, Jillian Victoria Krings '14, Kathryn Rose Powell '14, Kevin Chen Spatz '14 and Amelia Joyce Unser '14

Chemistry

• Angela Nicole Gloyna '14 – American Institute of Chemists Award & American Chemical Society’s Inorganic Chemistry Award

• Rebecca Rhea Meredith '15 – Analytical Chemistry Award

• Emily Elizabeth Maverick '14 – McHenry Chemistry Award

• Michael John Tarne '14 – Teague Service Award

• Graduating with Distinction: Angela Nicole Gloyna '14 and Emily Elizabeth Maverick '14

Economics and Business

• Benjamin Heyward Seale '14 – E. W. Martin Memorial Accounting Award

• Judith Marie Brown '15 – Frank Dicken McAlister Memorial Scholarship

• Harley Addison White '14 – Mosley Economics and Business Award

• Cannon Matthew Schrank '15 – James C. Pruden Memorial Scholarship

• Travis M. Finch '13 / '14– Eloise W. Raymond Masters Award

• Graduating with Distinction: Hayden Manton Brown '14, Timothy Grant Dinehart '14, Peter James Bowhay Hanneman '14, Alyssa Michele Jaksich '14, Giant Nguyet Han '14, Collin Hunter Radack '14, Lauren Marie Reynolds '14, Benjamin Heyward Seale '14 and Neelam Himansu Vyas '14

Education

• Kathryn Elise Armstrong '14 – Robert W. Meriwether Secondary Education Award

English

• Mary Katherine Barker '16 and Carl Joseph Napolitano '16 – Robert L. Campbell-Walter A. Moffatt Award

• Courtney Morgan Bass '14 and Alexandra Gabrielle Dillard '15 – Isaac Andrew Campbell Memorial Prize

• Sara Lynn Hales '14 and Connor Mark Herrold '16 – William H. Hughes Shakespeare Award

• William Hayes Chandler '14 – Kenneth Story Best Senior Thesis Award

• Laura Katherine Klasek '14 – McCuistion English Prize

• Graduating with Distinction: Courtney Morgan Bass '14, Samuel Delos Brian '14, William Hayes Chandler '14, Melissa Anna Joens '14, Laura Katherine Klasek '14, Julia Lee McGill '14, JillAnn Meunier '14 and Rachel Bernadette Thomas '14

Environmental Studies

• Madison Jane Boone '14 – Graduating with Distinction

Foreign Languages & Classics

• Graduating with Distinction: Zoe Cait Calhoun’14 (Spanish), Miriam Louise Carlin ’14 (Spanish), Calvin Thomas Cochran '14 (German), Jana Maria Edwards '14 (Classics), Michael Patrick Ehrenburg ’14 (Spanish), Ariana Bree Fabian '14 (French), Jenna Lynn Gottschalk ’14 (Spanish), Sara Lynn Hales '14 (Classics), Catherine Oudin Jarrel ’14 (Spanish), Sasha Leonard Keck ’14 (Spanish), Delaney Leigh Roberts '14 (Spanish) and Erin Ruth Shaw-Meadow ’14 (Spanish)

History

• David William Harris '16 – Larson Prize

• Matthew Patrick Melero '14 – T.S. Staples History Prize

• Nicholas Christopher Drake '14 – Richard B. Yates Prize

• Graduating with Distinction: Dylan James Botteicher '14, Nicholas Christopher Drake '14, Hillary Downes Hale '14, Matthew Patrick Melero '14, Hannah Katherine Peacock '14 and Allison Lynn Tschiemer '14

Interdisciplinary Studies  

• Graduating with Distinction: Alexandra Gabrielle Dillard '14  (Poetry and Press), Jenna Lynn Gottschalk '14  (Social Justice), Evangeline Adele Harpst '14 (Cross-Cultural Public Health Studies), Reade Alexander Huddleston '14 (Natural Science Entrepreneurship), Abigail Garcia-Lucas '14  (Theatre Arts and Communication Studies) and Harley Addison White '14 (Mathematical Economics)

Kinesiology and Health Sciences

• Samuel Benedict Maynard '14 – Jim Kelly Award

• Graduating with Distinction: Annemarie Margaret Beck '14  (Health Sciences), Rachel Elizabeth Head '14 (Health Sciences), Tiffany Nicole Hubbard '14  (Kinesiology) and Samuel Benedict Maynard '14 (Allied Health)

Mathematics and Computer Science  

• Olivier Kwizera '17 – McHenry-Lane Mathematics Award

• Kaleigh Ann Clary '14 and Grace Magdalene Trees '14 – Hogan Mathematics Prize

• Gary Robert DeClerk '14 – Parker Undergraduate Research Award

• Brandon Kyle McNew '14 – Robert C. Eslinger Computer Science Award

• Graduating with Distinction: Jeremiah Patrick Bill '14 (Mathematics), Kaleigh Ann Clary '14 (Mathematics and Computer Science), Theogene Hakiza Bucuti '14 (Computer Science), Jonathan Lee Hinson '14 (Computer Science), Lacey Michelle Laborde '14 (Computer Science), Brandon Kyle McNew '14 (Computer Science) and Grace Magdalene Trees '14 (Mathematics)

Music

• Maegan Elizabeth Weems '14 – Hendrix College Chamber Orchestra Award

• Willie Aaron Rice '14 – Robert McGill Choral Music Award & Ashley R. Coffman Wind Ensemble Award

Philosophy

• Charles Gerard Peterson '14 – Robert G. Shoemaker Award

• Graduating with Distinction in Philosophy: Zachary Taylor Hausle '14, Matthew Phillip Larson '14 and Charles Gerard Peterson '14

Physics

• Shuyin Hua '16 and Trang Thi Quynh Nguyen '16 – Joe G. Robbins Physics Award

• Graduating with Distinction in Physics: Daniel Evan Cargill '14, Matthew Vincent Gammill '14, Rene Nsanzineza '14 and Tyler Bryant Webb '14

Politics and International Relations

• Jessica Leigh Eakin Himes '15 – Brandon Matthew Ryan Scholarship in Politics and International Relations

• Benjamin Lyle Ault '14 and Sasha Leonard Keck '14– Buthman Prize

• Lyndsey Rachelle Czapansky '14 – Ian T. King Prize in International Relations

• Graduating with Distinction: Benjamin Lyle Ault '14 (Politics), Lyndsey Rachelle Czapansky '14 (International Relations), Daniel Christian Durbin '14 (International Relations), Sasha Leonard Keck '14 (Politics) and Anna Elizabeth Smith '14 (International Relations)

Psychology

• Elizabeth Catherine Davis '14 – Margaret E. Fitch Award in Psychology

• Graduating with Distinction: Courtney Morgan Bass '14, Allyson Michelle Coldiron '14, Hope Alexis Coleman '14, Elizabeth Catherine Davis '14, Allison Charlotte Galloway '14, Adrienne Pierce Henry '14, Samuel Evan Siegel '14 and Blake Edward Tierney '14

Religious Studies

• Devon Michael Dundee '14 – Moore Religion Award

• Graduating with Distinction:  Benjamin Lyle Ault '14 (Philosophy and Religious Studies), Devon Michael Dundee '14 (Religious Studies) and Elizabeth Rayne Lancaster '14 (Religious Studies)

Sociology / Anthropology

• McKenna Erin Raney '14 – Ferris C. Baker Sociology Award

• Leala Francesca Rosen '14 and Ryan Christopher Banning '14 – Juanita D. Sandford Social Justice Award 

• Graduating with Distinction: Leslie Anne Allred '14, Ryan Christopher Banning '14, Amy Catherine Brame '14, Ariana Bree Fabian '14, Kathryn Emma Fagan '14, Catherine Ferguson Gilman '14, Philip Jennings Green '14, Sarah Katherine Martin '14, Rebecca Marie Moreton '14, McKenna Erin Raney '14, Caiti Summer Rolfs-Haase '14, Leala Francesca Rosen '14, Anna Elizabeth Slattery '14, Mary Austin Tisdale '14 and Emily Frances Williams '14

Theatre Arts and Dance

• Robert Anthony Durante '15 – Rosemary E. Henenberg Scholarship

• Kasey Nicole Hodges '14 – Vivian Hill Drama Award

• Melissa Nicole Rooney '16 – Ella Myrl Shanks Scholarship  

• Rebecca Pauline Bongiorno '14 – Dr. and Mrs. F. Marion Tolleson Prize  

• Naomi Joy Mayor '15 – Graham-Duncan Award

Residence Hall Awards

• Peter Alan Butler '17 – Darrell G. Trotter Memorial Award (Couch Hall)

• Bianca Arden Craig '15 – Jessie Embry Award (Galloway Hall)

• Jeffrey Edward Scott '16 – Hardin Hall Outstanding Citizen Award (Hardin Hall)

• Robert Nshimiyimana '15 – Captain W. W. Martin Award (Martin Hall)

• Kelly Nicole Brice '17 – Raney Hall Award (Raney Hall)

• Heather Moran Hirsch '17 –Violet Braly Award (Veasey Hall)

• Natalie Evelyn Skinner '15 – Apartment Council Outstanding Leadership and Service Award

• Hazel Ashley Merihew '15 – Houses Council Award

Student Organization Awards

• Maria Luisa Mendez '14 and Anna Elizabeth Smith '14 – Betty F. Bumpers International Leadership and Fellowship Award

• Jennifer Joan Imber '14 – Dr. I.L. Claude, Jr. International Studies Achievement Award

• William John O’Brochta '15 – Matt L. Ellis Volunteer of the Year Award

• Adelia Tsai Shiffraw '14, Sarah Profiria Salazar '15 and Mary Austin Tisdale '14 – Alice Hines Award for Excellence in Multicultural Leadership and Service

• Blake Tierney '14 and Ben Ault '14 – Student Impact Award

• Environmental Concerns Committee – Student Organization of the Year

• Kathryn Armstrong '14 and Cheyenne Ford '16 –  Quiet Leader Award

• Coalition on Gender & Sexuality represented by  Madelyn Anne Whitley '14, Mary Austin Tisdale '14, Katherine Marie Barlow '14 and Allison Lynn Tschiemer '14 – Project Pericles Civic Engagement Award

Founded in 1876, Hendrix College is a national leader in engaged liberal arts and sciences education. For the sixth consecutive year, Hendrix was named one of the country’s "Up and Coming"liberal arts colleges by U.S. News and World Report. Hendrix is featured in the latest edition of Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think about Colleges, as well as the 2014 Princeton Review’s The Best 378 Colleges, Forbes magazine's list of America's Top Colleges, and the 2014 Fiske Guide to Colleges. Hendrix has been affiliated with the United Methodist Church since 1884. For more information, visit www.hendrix.edu.