Students, faculty, staff, and special guests gathered in John L. Hill Chapel on Tuesday, April 23, 2024 to honor the outstanding achievements of our students for the 2024 Academic Honors Day ceremony.
“This is truly one of my favorite days of the year,” said Provost Jonathan Sands Wise. “We get to celebrate the commitment and excellence of our students and our faculty, the culmination of our hard work throughout the academic year.” In addition to departmental awards and scholarships presented by faculty, the prestigious Dean’s Honor Award was presented by Provost Jonathan Sands Wise to two outstanding seniors.
The 2024 Dean’s Honor Award recipients were Marina Smart from Murray, Kentucky and Hunter Westenhofer from Georgetown, Kentucky. Smart is a double major in Communications and Media Studies and Political Science and plans to pursue a master’s degree in the fall. Westenhofer is an English Major with a minor in Women’s Studies and is part of the Oxford Scholars Program.
The complete list of award winners is below, alphabetized by first names. To view the entire Academic Honors Day ceremony, visit our YouTube channel here.
NAME
AWARD
Abigail N Hall
Honors Program
Abigail N Hall
Outstanding Student in World Religions
Abir El Hirch
Ronald E. Meredith Leadership Scholarship
Alison Mackenzie Wells
Wilma Reed Memorial Scholarship
Allison Paige Shaffer
Outstanding Senior in Marketing
Allison Paige Shaffer
Outstanding Senior in Business Administration
Allison Paige Shaffer
Honors Program
Alyssa M Abner
Honors Program
Ashley Grace Kendall
Herbert Anderson Jr. Scholarship
Ashlynn Jade Hill
Kenneth M. Wells Music Scholarship
Ashton Mykala Reed
Department Chair’s Award in Biology
Ashton Mykala Reed
Honors Program
Aubree Lair
Dr. Alma Hall Intercultural Communication Travel Scholarship
Benjamin James Carey
Outstanding Performance in First-Year Physics
Brayden Michael Wulfeck
Mary Louise Foust Accounting Award
Brooke Lurene Gantt
Outstanding Student in American Government
Caleb Joseph Poczatek
C R Alexander Outstanding Organic Chemistry Student
Cameron Quinn Robinson
Dr. Alma Hall Intercultural Communication Travel Scholarship
Cameron Quinn Robinson
Fogel Cultural Travel Scholarship
Campbell Brooke Gullion
Carol Williams Award
Candace H Van Name
Carl Fields Phi Alpha Theta Award
Carson Delaney Curtis
Outstanding Performance in Mathematics for Elementary Teachers
Chancen James Todd Scobee
Outstanding Senior in Exercise Science
Charis Michal Ridge
Outstanding Undergraduate in Communication
Christian Alexander Lanham
Heizer Award in European/Asian History
Collin Bradley Warren
Outstanding Performance in a Lower-level Philosophy Class
Darius Neal
Brandon D. Lawson Scholarship
David Parker Dedic
Psychology Award
Donovan Isaiah Smith
Dr. George McGee -Winterpast Theatre Scholarship
Drew Lavelle Hayden
C Wright Mills Award
Elijah Cole Turner
Mary Wharton Award in American History
Elizabeth Helen Stanko
Honors Program
Elle B Prewitt
Ora Lunceford Memorial Scholarship
Emiley Paige Mattingly
WAGC
Emma Kathleen Taylor
Outstanding Senior in Health Science
Ethan Simmie Decker
Tyro Award
Evan Wells Spencer
Coleman Arnold Award for Excellence in Writing
Evan Wells Spencer
Ruth and Jim Heizer Book Award
Evan Wells Spencer
Dr. Gwen Cranfill Curry Memorial Scholarship
Faith Elaine Wisecup
Jim McCormick and Robert Williams Art Scholarship
Faith Kennady Hogsten
Outstanding Student in Elementary Education
Grace Elizabeth Hommrich
Grace Weller Piano Scholarship
Haley Alexis King
Outstanding American Chemical Society Student Member
Haley Alexis King
Honors Program
Haley Alexis King
Maskrafter of the Year
Halie Bohn
WAGC Scholarship
Hannah Grace Kim
Adelia ‘Dee Dee’ McMakin Owens Art Scholarship
Harrison Clay Booher
Honors Program
Haylee Ray Stansbury
Outstanding Performance by a Second-Year Mathematics Student
Hunter Evan Westenhofer
Honors Program
Hunter Evan Westenhofer
Dean’s Honor Award
Isaac David Morris
Adda F. Layton Hilke and Ruth Hilke Memorial Scholarship
Isabel Chanslor Rea
Outstanding General Chemistry Student
Isabella Eileen Lambros
Joy Parson Scholarship
Isabella Eileen Lambros
Kenneth M. Wells Music Scholarship
Jade Bivens
Outstanding Student in Cultural-Historical Studies
James Ambrose Wireman
Outstanding Senior in Biology
Jenna Leigh Boggs
Outstanding Senior in Communication and Media Studies
Jordan Elizabeth Grapperhaus
W. Vinson and Garnett Pierce Art Scholarship
Jordan Vaughn Hasenbalg
Ruth and Jim Heizer Book Award
Joshua I Sullivan
Honors Program
Josiah Joel Walker
A.G. Thomson Music Scholarship
Julian Gary Clavere
Honors Program
Julian Gary Clavere
Outstanding Graduate In Philosophy
Julian Gary Clavere
Outstanding Student in International Relations
Karol Ella Forish
Outstanding Senior in Biomedical Sciences
Karol Ella Forish
Honors Program
Kathryn Taylor Clifford
Carlton/Deason Scholarship
Katie Grace Bowman
Outstanding General Chemistry Student
Katlyn Elizabeth Calhoun
Outstanding Undergraduate in Communication
Kaye Petzold
Betty Yancey Griffith Scholarship
Kayla Ann Mantell
Mark Eddy Award
Keegan Arie Christopher
Outstanding Senior in Allied Health
Kirstin Paige Thomas
Honors Program
Krzyszof Kowalski
Outstanding Senior in Business Administration
Kylee M West
Outstanding Senior in Communication and Media Studies
Lane Philip Alexander
Erica Hagan Service Award
Lane Philip Alexander
Outstanding Senior in Sociology
Larry Arnett
Linda and Jay Butler Biology Scholarship
Larry Blaine Pierson
Carlton/Deason Scholarship
Lauren Marie Hayslett
Second-Year Student Award in Biology
Lawson M Vaughn
Debbie McRoberts Scholarship in Elementary Education
Lawson M Vaughn
Janice & Happy Osborne, Sr. Award in Education
Leon Johnson
Catherine Cress Martin Scholarship
Lindsay Cate Miller
James Roberts Travel Scholarship
Lindsay Cate Miller
Best Performance in Japanese
Lindsay Cate Miller
John F. Drake Accounting Award
Logan Cole Johnson
Honors Program
Logan Cole Johnson
Outstanding Graduating Minor in Computer Science
Logan Cole Johnson
Outstanding Senior Mathematics Major
Logan J. Jean
Outstanding Senior in Economics
Lucas Morgan Smith
Outstanding Performance in a Lower-Level Philosophy Class
Maddilynn Lane Mutchler
John R. Blackburn Award
Madelyn Michelle Gill
Robert Taylor Hinton Memorial Scholarship
Makinley Grace Slone
Outstanding Senior in Environmental Studies
Makinley Grace Slone
Henry and Shirley Walters Award
Mallory L Creech
Outstanding Student in American Government
Marina Elizabeth Smart
Dr. Alma Hall Intercultural Communication Travel Scholarship
Marina Elizabeth Smart
Outstanding Student in Political Science
Marina Elizabeth Smart
Dean’s Honor Award
Marina Elizabeth Smart
Fogel Cultural Travel Scholarship
Michelle Tusekile Mwasumbi
First-year Student Award in Biology
Misty Dawn Akers
Janice & Happy Osborne, Sr. Award in Education
Nicholas Edward Smedley
Outstanding Senior in Healthcare Administration
Olivia Carol Mitchell
Outstanding Senior in Management
Olivia Caroline Wachter
Samuel Elliott Cranfill Senior Scholarship
Olivia Faith Moore
Best Performance in Latin
Olivia Katherine Poczatek
Department Chair’s Award in Biology
Olivia Katherine Poczatek
Outstanding Senior Chemistry Major
Olivia Katherine Poczatek
Honors Program
Preston Farley
Outstanding Student in Accounting
Rachel Lyn Ritchie
Dr. Alma Hall Intercultural Communication Travel Scholarship
Rachel Lyn Ritchie
WAGC
Rachel Lynette Puckett
Outstanding Senior Chemistry Major
Rachel Lynette Puckett
Honors Program
Rachel Lynette Puckett
Outstanding Student in Ministry
Rachel Michelle Harris
Outstanding Senior in Exercise Science
Raegan Rilee Pruitt
Outstanding Performance in a Lower-Level Philosophy Class
Ragan O Welch
Dr. Susan Hart Bell Research Award
Ragan O Welch
Outstanding Student in Bible
Ragan O Welch
Adda F. Layton Hilke and Ruth Hilke Memorial Scholarship
Ragan O Welch
WAGC
Reanna M Hatter
Dr. Christine Leverenz Teaching of Mathematics Scholarship
Reanna M Hatter
Janice & Happy Osborne, Sr. Award in Education
Rhys Christopher Tilford
J. W. Rogers Scholarship
Riley Addison Morris
Outstanding Senior in Finance
Ryan Cole Thompson
Outstanding Performance by a First-Year Mathematics Student
Ryan Zackery Burke
Janice & Happy Osborne, Sr. Award in Education
Samuel Aaron Smith
Outstanding Student in Secondary Education
Samuel George Steyn
Outstanding Performance in First-Year Computer Science
Sarah K Landers
Best Performance in German
Savannah M Shepard
C R Alexander Outstanding Organic Chemistry Student
Sonya N Pavona
Curry/Marchman Memorial Scholarship
Sonya N Pavona
Dr. Mary Lee Thornton Brady Scholarship
Sophia Jordan Smith
W.B. Jones Award in English
Sydney Ann Walls
Outstanding Senior in a World Language
Sydney Ann Walls
Best Performance in Spanish
Sydney Claire Raymer
W. I. Lewis Memorial Scholarship
Taylor Grace Smith
Roger Alan Bailey Memorial Scholarship
Taylor Ian Hatton
Honors Program
Taylor Kristen Roach
Honors Program
Taylor Kristen Roach
Outstanding Capstone Performance Award
Terry C Quillen
Excellence in Sociological Research Award
Tracy R Mandl
Outstanding Student in Theology
Tracy R Mandl
Best Performance in French
Tracy R Mandl
Garner-Marshall Scholarship
Tracy R Mandl
WAGC
Tracy R Mandl
Ernest J and Katharyn Weller Award in Religion
Zoe Jordan
Dr. Alma Hall Intercultural Communication Travel Scholarship
Zoe Jordan
Fogel Cultural Travel Scholarship