Senior Honors Celebration 2026 honorees
Augustana College will hold its annual Senior Honors Celebration at 3 p.m. May 22 in Centennial Hall. The list of honorees is below.
Individual Awards
(4.0 G.P.A.)
Sophia Grace Behnke
Aleksandra Botsul
Kailynn Elizabeth Catalani
Ian Max Empen
Mitchell Monroe Galyen
Madeleine Jade Harned
Mary Louise King
Leah Mae Mack
Cali Anastasia Papez
William Daniel Routh
Alexander Gene Sell
Kimberly Waldschmidt
Lincoln Academy of Illinois Student Laureate: Ian Max Empen
Student Government Association Awards
Outstanding Student Leader: Ian Max Empen
Outstanding Student Organization: Pre-Health Club; Aliza Salinas-Cervantes, President
Departmental Honors and Awards
Accounting
Outstanding Students in Accounting: Mark Daniel Addison, Akla Fisseha Gebreselassie
Students of Distinction in Accounting: Sushmita Adhikari, Andrew Wayne Bryant, Ricardo Dacasa, Sitsope Lokady E. Fagla, Alexandra Julianne Locke. Aaron David Rogers
Art, Art History and Graphic Design
Augustana Art and Graphic Design Research Senior Award: Jacob Patrick Moore
Biology and Pre-Medicine
Biology Majors with Distinction: Angie Truelsen, Adilyn Evone Walker
Biology Majors – Honorable Mention: Alexander J. Ardisana, Maitreyi D. Shrikhande
Pre-Medicine Major with Distinction: Kailynn Elizabeth Catalani
Pre-Medicine Senior Award for Academic Excellence: Mitchell Monroe Galyen, Madamazel Kwartiokor Quartey
Business Administration
Outstanding Senior Business Administration Majors: Mark Daniel Addison, Aleksandra Botsul, Katherine Elizabeth Gass
Outstanding Senior International Business Administration Major: Tomas Jimenez-Meifren Mamarbachi
Business for Humanity Fellows: Jorge Andree Vega Escobedo, Drake M. Stoudt
Chemistry and Biochemistry
Albert L. Eliason Endowed Scholarship Award: Alexander Gene Sell
Anna Lesisz-Wartman Biochemistry Award: Kailynn Elizabeth Catalani, Kimberly Waldschmidt
Communication Sciences and Disorders
Donald C. Davis Award: Madeleine Jade Harned, Olivia Park
CSD Student Research Award: Chloe Frances Rittenhouse
The Russel and Gloria Larson Family Student and Faculty Research Award: Elaina Eyvonne Stroh (2025), Emma Grace Vander Wall (2025), Maddeleine Jade Harned (2026)
Communication Studies
Communication Studies Outstanding Senior Inquiry Performance: McKenna Lewis
Outstanding Communication Studies Senior: Rachel Jia Si Wylie
Multimedia Journalism and Mass Communication
Outstanding Senior Inquiry Award: Sylvia Carolyn Hughes
Frank and Barbara Wright Observer Award for Excellence in Journalism: Rachel Anne Barry
Data Analytics
Outstanding Student in Business Analytics: Aleksandra Botsul
Outstanding Student in Data Science: Mia Okasha
Economics
Tallgrass Capital Endowed Award for Outstanding Seniors in Economics: Claire Martino, Minh Ngoc Binh Nguyen, Krisha Silwal
English
Roald Tweet Scholar in English Studies: Sophia Grace Behnke
Dorothy Parkander Scholar in English Studies: Kaitlyn Jean Glusick
Peggy Anderson Creative Writer: Marlee Kellan Oros
Environment, Geography and Geoscience
Geography
Illinois Geographical Society Outstanding Senior Geographer Award: Gianna Olivia Zampogna
Robin Hoffmann Award for Scholarship and Service: Ian Max Empen, Hamdiyya Mohammed Hamidu
Geography Senior Research Awards: Curtis John Baldwin
Geology
Honors in Geology: Niccolo Benvenuto, Thomas Ray Gruber, Naoto Ikado
History
O.F. Ander Award for the Outstanding History Student: Ryan Bacorn
Cletus Melchior Award for Outstanding Future Educator: Benjamin William Hartman, Toby John Splitt
Mark Schwiebert Spirit of History Award: Sora Julia Prough Richter
Kinesiology
Kinesiology Major with Distinction: Charlotte Lisette Frere
Kinesiology Majors – Honorable Mention: Magnus Michael Wells, Josephine Cooley
Mathematics and Computer Science
Andrew W. Williamson Award for Excellence and Achievement in Mathematical Sciences: Hoang Huynh Minh Trieu
Donald E. McLaughlin Award for Excellence and Achievement in Computer Science: Mackenzie Nicole Lauridsen
Harry Nelson Award for Excellence and Achievement in Applied Mathematics: Mackenzie Nicole Lauridsen
Music
Presser Scholar: Margaret Mae Meyers
Pi Kappa Lambda: Margaret Mae Meyers, Grace M. Fuechtmann, Georgi Marye Feigley
Psychology and Neuroscience
Psychology Honors: Mia Okasha
Neuroscience Honors: Akla Fisseha Gebreselassie, Alyssa Carolyn Marzorati
Physics, Engineering and Astronomy
Physics, Engineering and Astronomy Major with Distinction: Kazi Uzayr Razin
Physics Research Award: Luke Andrew Dalzell
Service Award: Hoang Huynh Minh Trieu
Cecilia Vogel Quantumberry Award: Lilly Elizabeth Byers, Koen August Sievert
Political Science
Outstanding Political Science Major: Niccolo Benvenuto
Political Science Majors with Distinction: Traidan Cheyenne Hier, Genevieve E. Ryan, Jordan Keith Schneckloth
Departmental Leadership Award: Genevieve E. Ryan
David Dehnel Award in Public Law: Isabel Evelyn Grimes
Public Health
Distinguished Scholar in Public Health: Kidist Dawit Tsige
Professionalism in Public Health: Emily Nichole Decker
The Dara Wegman-Geedey Public Health Resilience Award: Elizabeth Lee Mireles
Sociology and Anthropology
Alpha Kappa Delta, International Sociology Honor Society: John Ogden Dalrymple Stofferahn, Fiona Shae Brady
Peter Kivisto/Best Capstone Paper Award: Paige Lynn Rogde
Theatre and Film
Augustana Endowment Society CAST Award for Commitment,Achievement & Service in Theatre: Kaden Andrew Micklos
Augustana Film CREW Award for Collaborative Role Model and Exceptional Work Ethic: Mekatilili Bantu
Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies
The Nancy Huse Award for Outstanding Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies Senior: Kaitlyn Jean Glusick
WGSS Outstanding Senior Scholar Award: Maya Rose Pagel, Krisha Silwal
World Languages, Literatures and Cultures
Asian Languages
Outstanding Academic Achievement in Chinese: Kimberly Waldschmidt
Scandinavian Studies
Outstanding Senior in Scandinavian Studies: Kaitlyn Jean Glusick
Excellence in Swedish – Intermediate/Advanced Level: Abigail Joy Loven
Spanish
Louis C. Belby Award for Outstanding Achievement in Spanish: Graham Robert Hunt
Barbara Olsen Herrarte Award for Outstanding Spanish for Professional Use Major: Alexander (AJ) Ardisana
Mike D. Finnemann Award for Outstanding: Genevieve E. Ryan