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Honors Day 2018

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[NOTE: This release has been updated to reflect additional students graduating with distinction.]

CONWAY, Ark. (April 26, 2018) – Hendrix College students were honored for outstanding academic achievement, citizenship, and service today at the 2018 Honors Day Convocation in Staples Auditorium.

“Thank you for all you have done at Hendrix and congratulations on all your achievements,” said Hendrix President Bill Tsutsui in his address to the students. “We all feel a great deal of pride in you and your accomplishments. We’ve all seen how hard you work and how much you care, about your academic pursuits, about co-curricular activities, about the world in which we live, and about the community we have at here at the College.”

Joy Spence ’18, an English major and education minor from Houston, Texas, was awarded 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. Each year’s recipient of the President’s Medal is named by the President of the College upon the recommendation of a nomination group.

“I was really surprised, but very humbled and honored,” Spence said of receiving he award. She has secured an Arkansas Fellowship following commencement, and through that two-year program will work as a content writer at Little Rock-based Apptegy. Her long-term plans involve working as an educator.

Before announcing the student honors, Hendrix Provost Dr. Terri Bonebright presented the 2017-2018 United Methodist Church Exemplary Teaching Award to Dr. Lyle Rupert, professor of Economics and Business. The award recognizes a faculty member who demonstrates excellence in teaching; civility and concern for students and colleagues; commitment to value-centered education; and service to students, the institution, and community.

Dr. Rupert also received the Carole Herrick Award for Excellence in Academic Advising, which recognizes high-quality academic advising, including contributions in advising that help students formulate and achieve their intellectual, career, and personal goals.

[NOTE: please notify news@hendrix.edu if there are any mistakes or omissions in the list of award winners.] 

Residence Hall Award Recipients

  • Sara M. Hoopchuk – The Darrell G. Trotter Memorial Award (Couch Hall)
  • Leah C. Crenshaw – The Jessie Embry Award (Galloway Hall)
  • Wendell Brandon Casey – The Hardin Hall Outstanding Citizen Award 
  • Ben Talcott – The Captain W. W. Martin Award (Martin Hall)
  • Rebecca Parham – The Raney Hall Award
  • Elaina Heikes – The Violet Braly Award (Veasey)
  • Adam C. Turner – The Apartment Council Outstanding Leadership and Service Award
  • Macullen Brian Nadurak – The Houses Council Award

Student Organization Award Recipients

  • Roshaneh Turab Ali and Jacob Aaron Neeley – The Betty F. Bumpers International Leadership and Fellowship Award 
  • Sarah Faith Walker – The Dr. I.L. Claude, Jr. International Studies Achievement Award
  • Sarah Nicole Logan – The Mary Melekian Richardson Award for Outstanding Achievement in Student Congress, Model UN, or Mock Trial   
  • David Kenneth Tate – The Matt L. Ellis Volunteer of the Year Award 
  • Anusheh Turab Ali – The Alice Hines Award for Excellence in Multicultural Leadership and Service 
  • Iad Alhallak and Lexus LeAnn Raney – The Student Impact Award  
  • Organization for Latino Expression (OLE) – The Student Organization of the Year Award
  • Austin Tyler Lacey and Lena Trang Pham – The Quiet Leader Award   
  • Allison Faith Monroe – The Sustainability Fund Service Award 
  • Ella Grace Thomas – The Ellis Arnold Award for Outstanding Campus Leadership 
  • Elizabeth Breann Forbes and Remington Dexter Harris – The Danny Powell Service Leadership Award 

Departmental Academic Award Recipients

Art

  • Michael Alan Crippen and Chantal M. Danyluk – The Don and Camilla Marr Endowed Art Scholarship
  • Alexandria Danielle DerGazarian and Christina Marie Santner – The Service to the Department Award
  • Christina Marie Santner – Graduating with Distinction in Art

Biochemistry/Molecular Biology

  • Anna Borisivna Sharabura – The Bruce W. Haggard Award
  • Braxton Fisher Anderson, Mara Jane Campbell, Elizabeth Carol Draper, Micracline Ebijoyeldhas, Brandon Thomas Leding, Quy Pham, Emily Joy Seminara, Anna Borisivna Sharabura. Nathan Tye Taylor, Yuxiu (Katherine) Wang, Kathleen Ann Wendover– Graduating with Distinction in Biochemistry/Molecular Biology

Biology

  • Schylar Ann Ferguson – The Albert M. Raymond AED Award
  • Samuel Louis Lockhart – The Dr. G. Thomas Clark Biology Award 
  • Peter Matthew Wills – The Johnson Biology Award 
  • Claire Elizabeth Turkal – The Earle A. Spessard Biology Award 
  • Emily Taylor Stone – The Keith Sutton Award 
  • Lauren Elizabeth Petrisin – The Jim Kelly Award
  • Helena Abad, Deva Leigh Deepak Bharne, Daniel Liam Habenicht, Jessica Lynne Hunter, Samuel Louis Lockhart, Sarah Jennette Nieman, Emily Taylor Stone, Claire Elizabeth Turkal, John Thompson Veon, Peter Matthew Wills – Graduating with Distinction in Biology

Chemistry

  • Alexis Anne Krone – The Teague Service Award 
  • Kirstyn Elizabeth Baker and Savannah J. Wiegel – The John E. Stuckey Award in First Year Chemistry
  • Robert F. Kiss and Reece Buchanan Mitchell – The Robert W. Shideler Chemistry Award
  • Megan A. Cassingham – The Analytical Chemistry Award
  • Yuxiu (Katherine) Wang – The Physical Chemistry Award
  • Paul Ryan Tumminello – The McHenry Chemistry Award 
  • Aphrodis Imanishimwe – The American Institute of Chemists Award 
  • Trevor Ross Loew – The American Chemical Society’s Inorganic Chemistry Award
  • Aphrodis Imanishimwe, Trevor Ross Loew, Paul Ryan Tumminello – Graduating with Distinction in Chemistry

Economics and Business

  • Alex Edward Reynolds – The Frank Dicken McAlister Memorial Scholarship 
  • Annalise Louise Kellner – The James C. Pruden Memorial Scholarship
  • Ryan Patrick McGregor – The Mosley Economics and Business Award 
  • Ivan Burell II – The E. W. Martin Memorial Accounting Award 
  • Julia Bertina Secor – The Eloise W. Raymond Masters Award
  • Ivan Burell II, Andrew Burk Cash, Calista Zoë Corwyn, Elizabeth Breann Forbes, Ava Zan Graves, Colin Martell, Ryan Patrick McGregor – Graduating with Distinction in Economics and Business

Education

  • Joy Elizabeth Spence – The Robert W. Meriwether Secondary Education Award
  • Holly A. Peterson and Delaney Grace Wells – The Hendrix College Early Childhood Education Award
  • Holly A. Peterson and Delaney Grace Wells – Graduating with Distinction in Elementary Education

English

  • Liam Patrick Carey – The Robert L. Campbell-Walter A. Moffatt Award 
  • Zelda Mars Engeler-Young – The William H. Hughes Shakespeare Award
  • Ellie Katherine Black – The Isaac Andrew Campbell Memorial Prize for Creative Writing 
  • David Kenneth Tate – The McCuistion English Prize 
  • Christian Rene Leus – The Kenneth Story Best Senior Thesis Award
  • Ellie Katherine Black, Christian Rene Leus, Lucille Tenneysn MacCash, Joy Elizabeth Spence, David Kenneth Tate – Graduating with Distinction in English

Environmental Studies

  • Emma Jane Carlson, Emma L. Gaither, Hannah Kay Tackett – Graduating with Distinction in Environmental Studies

French

  • Benjamin Kent Border, Sara Marie Dyslin, Kathleen Elizabeth Mowery, Emily Joy Seminara, Konrad Michal Witkowski – Graduating with Distinction in French

German

  • Benjamin Kent Border, Jacob Aaron Neeley, Sparrow Sabrina Richards – Graduating with Distinction in German

Health Sciences

  • Lauren Elizabeth Petrisin – Graduating with Distinction in Health Sciences

History

  • Holden Arquilevich and Kennedy Elizabeth Reynolds – The Larson Prize 
  • Karissa Marie Varga – The James Jennings Prize
  • Riva Jean Cullinan – The Richard B. Yates Prize
  • Riva Jean Cullinan, Elizabeth Storer Shepard, Karissa Marie Varga – Graduating with Distinction in History

Interdisciplinary Studies

  • Hannah Michelle Christeson – Graduating with Distinction in Interdisciplinary Studies: Fashion: History, Marketing, and Design
  • Kelsi Virginia Brazel Stimack – Graduating with Distinction in Interdisciplinary Studies: Entrepreneurial Management
  • Ella Grace Thomas – Graduating with Distinction in Interdisciplinary Studies: Visual Media Studies and Representation

Mathematics and Computer Science

  • Alexis Prue Rivera – The McHenry-Lane Mathematics Award 
  • Jacob Fletcher Hines – The Parker Undergraduate Research Award
  • Grace Alexandra Thomasson – The Hogan Mathematics Prize 
  • Anna Catherine Holmes, Eric M. Huynh, and Merci Jean (Bosco) Ndemeye – The Robert C. Eslinger Computer Science Award 
  • Yuli Hong, Jolli Khoo, Grace Alexandra Thomasson – Graduating with Distinction in Mathematics
  • Anna Catherine Holmes, Eric M. Huynh, Jonathan Tze Chun Kwee, Reed Balog Mershon, Merci Jean (Bosco) Ndemeye – Graduating with Distinction in Computer Science

Music

  • Jalin Lan Parry – The Hendrix College Chamber Orchestra Award 
  • Ashton Alexandrea Leach – The Ashley R. Coffman Wind Ensemble Award
  • Andrew David Fleming – The Robert McGill Choral Music Award

Neuroscience

  • Lexus LeAnn Raney – Graduating with Distinction in Neuroscience

Odyssey Program (recognizing students who, by commencement, will have completed experiences in all six of the Odyssey categories and shown an exemplary achievement of the Odyssey learning goals)

  • Mara Jane Campbell, Amy Catherine Crump, Elizabeth Breann Forbes, Lillian Alita Hammer, Alysha Anwer Hemani, Megan Rachelle Hunter, Lena Trang Pham, Lexus LeAnn Raney, Emily Joy Seminara, Victoria Linn Spradley, Kelsi Virginia Brazel Stimack, Adam C. Turner, Karissa Marie Varga, Kathleen Ann Wendover – Graduating with Distinction in Odyssey

Philosophy

  • Kaylee Cheyenne Davis – The Robert G. Shoemaker Award 
  • Kaylee Cheyenne Davis, Erika Christine Levy – Graduating with Distinction in Philosophy

Physics

  • Dylan William Mitchell, Inaya Alexandra Molina, Sarah Katheryn Nicholson and Katherine Marie Parham – The Joe G. Robbins Physics Award 
  • William Gage Gardner and Robert Michael Williams – The Richard Rolleigh Undergraduate Research Award 
  • Edward William Curran, William Gage Gardner, Reed Hamilton Spivey, Robert Michael Williams – Graduating with Distinction in Physics

Politics and International Relations

  • Zachary Allen Powers – The Brandon Matthew Ryan Scholarship in Politics and International Relations
  • James Holden Branscrum – The Dr. John A. Ziegler Law Award
  • William Guy Berry and Sarah Nicole Logan – The Ian T. King Prize in International Relations 
  • William Guy Berry, Abigail Hope Gampher, Madyson Marie Haskins, Sarah Nicole Logan, Sarah Faith Walker – Graduating with Distinction in International Relations

Psychology

  • Lexus LeAnn Raney – The Margaret E. Fitch Award in Psychology
  • Amy Catherine Crump, Lillian Alita Hammer, Regan Marie Hatwig, Veronica Jade Kinoshita, Alexandra Valeria Kiss, Lexus LeAnn Raney, Alexandra Raymond-Schmidt, John Patrick Rindahl, Leah JoAnn Smith, Victoria Linn Spradley, Hannah Kay Tackett, Marianna LeVa Thomeczek – Graduating with Distinction in Psychology

Religious Studies

  • Miranda Joy Donakey, Ellen Marie Gotelli, and Laela Zaidi – The Moore Religion Award
  • Miranda Joy Donakey, Ellen Marie Gotelli, and Laela Zaidi – Graduating with Distinction in Religious Studies

Sociology/Anthropology

  • Jordan Ariana Rausch and Kaitlyn Victoria Smith – The Ferris C. Baker Sociology Award 
  • Madelyn Smith Carlson and Lena Trang Pham – The Juanita D. Sandford Social Justice Award
  • Madelyn Smith Carlson, Kiran Chakka, Lena Trang Pham – Graduating with Distinction in Sociology/Anthropology

Spanish

  • William Guy Berry, Calista Zoë Corwyn, William Jesse Matheson, Jordan Joseph May, Sarah Faith Walker – Graduating with Distinction in Spanish

Theatre Arts and Dance

  • Rachael Estelle Allmon – The Rosemary E. Henenberg Scholarship
  • Hannah Michelle Christeson – The Vivian Hill Drama Award
  • Emily Hope Gardner and Rachel Mackinsey Partridge – The Ella Myrl Shanks Scholarship 
  • Christian Alexander Wakim – The Dr. and Mrs. F. Marion Tolleson Prize 
  • Kathryn Lela Bolt and Brian C. Earles – The Graham-Duncan Award
  • Rachael Brenna Arp, Ivy Fallon McGrew – Graduating with Distinction in Theatre Arts and Dance

About Hendrix College

A private liberal arts college in Conway, Arkansas, Hendrix College consistently earns recognition as one of the country’s leading liberal arts institutions, and is featured in Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think About Colleges. Its academic quality and rigor, innovation, and value have established Hendrix as a fixture in numerous college guides, lists, and rankings. Founded in 1876, Hendrix has been affiliated with the United Methodist Church since 1884. To learn more, visit www.hendrix.edu.