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Murphy Scholars Inducted from the Class of 2022

CONWAY, Ark. (March 27, 2019) – Thirty first-year Hendrix College students were named Murphy Scholars in Literature and Language during an induction ceremony on Tuesday, March 26. The new group will immerse themselves in literature and language opportunities through programs, travel and study abroad, service experiences, tutorial courses, and research during the next three years. 

The Murphy Scholars Program is sponsored by the Hendrix-Murphy Foundation, which enriches and enhances literature and language at Hendrix through a number of programs.

All Murphy Scholars will graduate with distinction, having completed an Oxford-style tutorial course in language and literature and three of the Murphy Scholar Program’s approved co-curricular experiences in literature and language. This year’s cohort includes students from as far away as Japan and as close as Vilonia, Arkansas, majoring in 20 unique areas of study, including Neuroscience, Economics and Business, and Chemical Physics.

The members of the Murphy Scholars cohort of 2022 are:

Sara Adachi ’22 – Psychology and Sociology
Ahshiya, Japan

Rachel Allen ’22 – Politics and Spanish
Fayetteville, Arkansas

Savanna Bader ’22 – English/Creative Writing and Sociology
Hot Springs, Arkansas

June Baumann ’22 – Music
Charleston, Illinois

Lauren Berry ’22 – Biology 
Little Rock, Arkansas

Ben Blankenship ’22 – Biology 
Tulsa, Oklahoma

Phineas Chapman ’22 – Politics
Roanoke, Virginia

Thalia Fort ’22 – International Relations and Spanish
Albuquerque, New Mexico

Julia Greer ’22 – Undecided
Little Rock, Arkansas

Jaycee Hall ’22 – Biochemistry/Molecular Biology 
Beebe, Arkansas

Lynnaya Hamby ’22 – Philosophy and Social Justice 
Huntsville, Alabama

Sidra Hanson ’22 – English/Literary Studies and Environmental Studies 
Hot Springs, Arkansas

Ishrar Islam ’22 – Psychology
Little Rock, Arkansas

Elliot Jackson ’22 – English/Creative Writing and Business 
Bella Vista, Arkansas

Jessica Lehman ’22 – Undecided
Media, Pennsylvania

Christian Maddox ’22 – Sociology and Politics
Jacksonville, Arkansas

David Nichols ’22 – Neuroscience and Spanish
Vilonia, Arkansas

Weston Northington ’22 – English/Film Studies and [Science]
Little Rock, Arkansas

Alysse Robinson ’22 – English/Creative Writing and Computer Science
North Little Rock, Arkansas

Kashti Shah ’22 – Biochemistry/Molecular Biology and Spanish 
Marion, Arkansas

Gabrielle Skerpan ’22 – English/Creative Writing 
Stoughton, Wisconsin

Rachel Stewart ’22 – Psychology
Mobile, Alabama

William Taylor ’22 – English/Creative Writing
Little Rock, Arkansas

Sophie Thomasson ’22 – English/Creative Writing
Alma, Arkansas

Spencer Thompson ’22 – Computer Science and English/Film Studies
Cabot, Arkansas

Keegan Vacanti ’22 – Mathematics and Philosophy 
Memphis, Tennessee

Sarah Ward ’22 – English/Creative Writing
Cherry Valley, Arkansas

Lillie Wilson ’22 – Neuroscience and Spanish
Harrison, Arkansas

Anushka Yadava ’22 – Biochemistry/Molecular Biology 
Little Rock, Arkansas

Marni Younger ’22 – Interdisciplinary Studies: Chemical Physics 
St. Louis, Missouri

About the Hendrix-Murphy Foundation Programs

The Hendrix-Murphy Foundation enhances literature and language at Hendrix by providing a variety of superb opportunities college-wide. Its Distinguished Visitors Program brings to campus eminent writers and scholars who interact closely with students, visit classes, advise projects, and give public lectures. The Foundation also sponsors the Murphy Scholars Program, summer language immersion programs, study abroad in literature and language, and individually designed projects involving study, research, practice, and service in literature and language. The Foundation was established in 1978 by a gift from Charles H. Murphy, Jr., former CEO of Murphy Oil Corporation, in memory of his mother, Bertie Wilson Murphy.

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.