Transylvania University honored members of its Class of 2024 on May 24 in Mitchell Fine Arts Center. The Senior Awards recognized achievements in academics, leadership and campus engagement. (See below for descriptions of each honor.)
This year’s winners are:
- Senior Class Awards: Kanika Chopra, Kiera Draffen, Caroline Hughes, Megan Mattingly and Drew Meader
- Transylvania Choir Outstanding Service Awards: Nolan O’Connor, Cicely Isabella Geraci, Jon-Michael Schulte and Em Spencer
- Transylvania Bands Outstanding Service Award: Noah Hamblin
- Concerto-Aria Competition Winner: Em Spencer
- Transylvania Orchestra Outstanding Service Award: Astrid Trucks
- Ruchman Music Award: Astrid Trucks
- The Lucille C. Little Award for Excellence, aka “The Lucy”: Kevin Johnson
- Lumine Award for Theatrical Distinction: William B. Goodlett
- Ruchman Biology Award: Liz Howell
- Dr. Loman Trover Health Sciences Award: Kiera Draffen
- Whitehouse Premedical Award: Drew Meader
- Health and Exercise Science Major of the Year: Drew Meader
- Ruchman Physics Awards: Kiera Draffen and Julian Tudor
- American Institute of Chemists Award: Kanika Chopra
- Monroe Moosnick Chemistry Awards: Kanika Chopra and Kiera Draffen
- James E. Miller Computer Science Awards: Jacko Stephen Hall and Armando Bautista
- Ruchman Mathematics Award: Megan Mattingly
- Ruchman History Award: James Snodgrass
- Ruchman Political Science Award: Alli Atwell
- Thomas Jefferson Scholarship: Savannah Schoen
- Excellence in Accounting: Isabella Ogden and Lacy Wiese
- Professor G. Rod Erfani Economics Award: Paul Walden
- Omicron Delta Epsilon “Rara Avis” Economics Award: Olivia Greinke
- Outstanding Business Administration Award: Olivia Miller
- Religion Program Award: Mere Johnson and Sophia Sparks
- Ronald F. Whitson Award: Ashlyn Klucker
- Transylvania University Education Award: Caroline Hughes
- University Education and Social Change Award: Stella Wulker
- Ruchman English Award: Katherine Walsh
- Helen Deiss Irvin Prize: Alaysia Symphony Godfrey
- Ruchman Foreign Language Award (French): Sophia Sparks
- Ruchman Foreign Language Award (German): Madison Fowler and Alina Sharipova
- Ruchman Foreign Language Award (Spanish): Brannon Lawson
- Joseph Buchanan Award: Lottie Maynard
- Omicron Delta Kappa Leader of the Year Award: Emma Kate Bergman
- President’s Award for Outstanding Transylvanian (SGA): Kanika Chopra
- Monroe Moosnick Memorial Award: Em Spencer
- Senior Commencement Speaker Recognition: Em Spencer and Katherine Walsh
Holleian Society Recognition
Emma Kate Bergman
Mackenzie Buckler
Lily Callahan
Kanika Chopra
Addie Clark
Kiera Draffen
Zachary Drury
Garrett Cole Elrod
Jacob Silas Forman
Alaysia Symphony Godfrey
Olivia Greinke
Liz Howell
Ava Brigitte Hutt
Kevin Johnson
Ysa Leon
Drew Meader
Jade Neace
Charles William Overman Jr.
Jenna Shalash
Alina Sharipova
Em Spencer
Nicholas Kang-Yang Tan
Julian Tudor
Grace Vogel
Katherine Walsh
Mary Grace Welch
Margaret Whaley
Jacob Young
Grace Zimlich
Award Descriptions
Accounting Award (Excellence in Accounting)
The Excellence in Accounting Award is presented to an outstanding accounting major based on academic performance.
American Institute of Chemists Award
The American Institute of Chemists Student Research and Recognition Foundation Award is presented to an outstanding senior majoring in chemistry, chemical engineering or biochemistry. The recipient is selected for ability, character, scholastic achievement and potential advancement in one of the chemical professions.
Concerto-Aria Competition Winner
The Concerto-Aria Competition award is given to the winner of the Concerto-Aria Competition.
Dr. Loman Trover Health Sciences Award
Dr. Loman “Collin” Trover and the Trover family present this award to a pre-health major who plans to pursue a career in the medical field. Selection criteria are: maintain a 3.5 GPA, be conceptually grounded in humanism in health care, have shown resolve when faced with adversity, and have successfully completed the Pre-Health Committee interview. The award shall be disbursed in the academic year in which the interview takes place.
Health and Exercise Science Major of the Year Award
The Health and Exercise Science Major of the Year Award is given annually to the senior who demonstrates outstanding academic leadership in and out of the classroom.
Holleian Honor Society Recognition
The Holleian Society was established in 1960 for the encouragement and recognition of superior achievement in liberal arts studies. The society is named for Horace Holley, president of Transylvania from 1818-27.
Joseph Buchanan Award
The Joseph Buchanan Philosophical Essay Award is given to a student who has produced one or more outstanding philosophical essays during their attendance at Transylvania.
Monroe Moosnick Chemistry Award
The Monroe Moosnick Chemistry Award is named after the late Transylvania chemistry professor.
Monroe Moosnick Memorial Award
The Monroe Moosnick Memorial Award was created by the Student Government Association to honor a student and a faculty or staff member who has consistently made a contribution to the Transylvania community in the same spirit that professor Moosnick contributed for over 50 years.
Omicron Delta Epsilon Rara Avis Award
Omicron Delta Epsilon, an international economics honorary, established the ‘Rara Avis’ Award at Transylvania in 1982. It is presented to an outstanding student in economics.
Omicron Delta Kappa Leader of the Year Award
This prestigious award honors students who have demonstrated the greatest dedication to one of five phases of campus life celebrated by ODK: academics and research, athletics, campus and community service, communications and creative and performing arts.
Outstanding Business Administration Award
The Outstanding Business Administration Award is presented to an outstanding student majoring in business administration.
Religion Program Award
The Religion Program Award recognizes a senior who has demonstrated academic excellence in the study of religion and demonstrates promise to make an impact on social justice in their future.
Ronald F. Whitson Award
The Ronald F. Whitson Award for Commitment to Teaching and Service to the University is given in recognition of Ron Whitson’s steadfast commitment to teaching and to the Transylvania community. This award is given to the education student who possesses the qualities that mark Ron’s exemplary career: patience, perseverance, a strong commitment to teaching, service and loyalty to the university.
Ruchman Biology Award
The Ruchman Biology Award is given to an outstanding senior biology major.
Ruchman English Award
The Ruchman English Award is presented to an outstanding English major or majors.
Ruchman Foreign Language Award (French)
The Ruchman Foreign Language Award is presented annually to an outstanding senior.
Ruchman Foreign Language Award (German)
The Ruchman Foreign Language Award is presented annually to an outstanding senior.
Ruchman Foreign Language Award (Spanish)
The Ruchman Foreign Language Award is presented annually to an outstanding senior.
Ruchman History Award
The Ruchman History Award is presented annually to an outstanding senior
history major.
Ruchman Mathematics Award
The Ruchman Mathematics Award is bestowed upon an outstanding senior mathematics major.
Ruchman Music Award
The Ruchman Music Award is presented to an outstanding music major or majors.
Ruchman Physics Award
The Ruchman Physics Award is given to an outstanding senior physics major.
Ruchman Political Science Award
The Ruchman Political Science Award recognizes an outstanding senior political science major.
Senior Class Award
The Senior Class Award is presented each year to the graduate(s) with the highest grade point average.
Senior Commencement Speakers Recognition
Each year, a Senior student representative(s) is/are selected to speak at commencement on behalf of the class.
Student Government Association – President’s Award for Outstanding Transylvanian
Annually, the Student Government Association recognizes an individual who has given time and energy to develop the organization and student life at Transylvania.
The Helen Deiss Irvin Prize
This award is given to the student who best exemplifies “the spirit of Dr. Irvin as a woman who was passionate about her students continuing their education beyond the bachelor’s degree.” The student must be a graduating senior majoring in English who is going into a graduate program after commencement. She was very passionate about equal rights for women.
The James E. Miller Computer Science Award
The James E. Miller Computer Science Award has been established to recognize the outstanding senior computer science student as nominated by the computer science faculty.
The Lucille C. Little Award for Excellence, aka “The Lucy”
The Lucille C. Little Award for Excellence is conferred upon the senior who embodies exemplary character within the theater program. This award is chosen based on dedication to the fine arts through their work ethic in the classroom, productions and everyday program life. This student is committed to creating a culture of kindness and collaboration, always going above and beyond to “make it happen.”
The Lumine Award for Theatrical Distinction
The Lumine Award is conferred upon students who embody the spirit of Transylvania’s motto within the theater program, “In that light, we pass on the light.” They are a light in the darkness, displaying their passion and dedication to their art and the program.
The Professor G. Rod Erfani Economics Award
The Professor G. Rod Erfani Economics Award is given to an outstanding student who is either majoring or minoring in economics, providing them with opportunities to further their education.
Thomas Jefferson Scholarship
The Thomas Jefferson Scholarship is awarded to a history and/or political science major with aspirations of attending law school upon graduation. The award was made possible by a donation from Desirée L. Franklin to encourage the study of law, particularly constitutional law.
Transylvania Bands Outstanding Service Award
The Transylvania Bands Outstanding Service Award is presented to an upper-class student for long-time service to the Transylvania university bands.
Transylvania Choir Outstanding Service Award
The Transylvania Choir Outstanding Service Award is presented to an individual for long-time service and outstanding performance in the Transylvania Choir.
Transylvania Orchestra Outstanding Service Award
The Transylvania Orchestra Outstanding Service Award is presented to an individual for long-time service to the Transylvania Orchestra.
Transylvania University Education and Social Change Award
The Transylvania University Education and Social Change Award is given to a senior who exemplifies exceptional scholarship and thoughtful engagement in the study of educational foundations, history and philosophy. Additionally, the award honors a student who exhibits outstanding character and the promise of being a public intellectual who impacts social change.
Transylvania University Education Award
The Transylvania University Education Award is given for outstanding scholarship, service and classroom teaching.
Whitehouse Premedical Award
The Whitehouse Premedical Award was established by Dr. A. J. Whitehouse to recognize outstanding premedical students.