Students awarded Chieftain, departmental awards at Lycoming College Honors Convocation

Lycoming College had the distinct pleasure of naming Rachel Rubright ’21 the recipient of the 2021 Chieftain Award during an outdoor, socially-distanced Honors Convocation ceremony on April 25. A recording of the event can be viewed at: https://youtu.be/WjtSf4Bz2VQ.

First presented in 1952, the Chieftain Award is the highest honor given to a graduating senior who has contributed the most to Lycoming College through support of school activities, has exhibited utmost dedication and outstanding leadership qualities, has evidenced good moral character, and whose academic rank is above the median of the preceding senior class.

“Lycoming College is a richer community because of your scholarship and service,” noted Kent C. Trachte, president of Lycoming, about Rubright. “Because of your exceptional academic achievements and contributions to the life of the College, Lycoming College honors and awards you the title of Chieftain.”

Rubright, a religion and psychology double major, is a Lycoming Scholar and a scholar in the Haberberger Student Faculty Research program. She served as a research assistant for Michael Heyes, Ph.D., assistant professor of religion, and after traveling to England with him for research, edited his book entitled “Margaret’s Monsters: Women, Identity and the Life of St. Margaret.”

She is a member of Theta Alpha Kappa National Honor Society and the Omicron Delta Kappa National Leadership Honor Society and is an active participant of Lycoming CRU and United Campus Ministries, of which she served as secretary for three years. She also performs in the Lycoming Choir, Chamber Choir, Tour Choir, and Choral Scholars.

Rubright has served her fellow classmates as a peer mentor for the Lycoming Summer Academy and for a First Year Seminar, as well as a teaching assistant in the religion department. As a member of the Student Orientation Staff, she welcomed and supported new members of the campus community. Additionally, she serves as a spokesperson for the Green Dot Bystander Intervention Program.

Lycoming extends its congratulations to the remaining outstanding Chieftain nominees for this prestigious award: Colin Allen ’21, biology major, chemistry and French double minor; Sydney Fennington ’21, music major, K-12 education certification; and Cara Zortman ’21, biology major, 7-12 biology and general science education certification.

During two recent outdoor, socially-distanced ceremonies – including Honors Convocation – Lycoming College also recognized a number of other students who attained high levels of academic achievement and scholarship during the 2020-21 academic year. Those recognized include:

Accounting

• Durant L. Furey III Award – Molly Rose Ball ’21
• Managerial Accounting Award – Rachel E. Szczypinski ’23
• Pennsylvania Institute of Certified Public Accountants Award – Molly Rose Ball ’21
• The Charles J. Kocian Award – Cameron Shields Terry ’21
• Wehr Financial Accounting Prize – Molly Rose Ball ’21
• Baker Tilly Virchow Krause, LLP Prize for Tax Accounting – Girishwaree Ramphul ’21
• The Professor Logan A. Richmond Accounting Prize – Molly Rose Ball ’21

Anthropology/Sociology

• Durkheim Prize in Anthropology – Catherine Jeannette McCarty ’21

Art

• Alfred Kohler Studio Artist Award – Valeria R. Rivera ’22
• Faculty Award for Excellence in Photography – Ever Fernando Rodriguez ’21
• Roger D. Shipley Award – Megan Elizabeth Snyder ’21
• Faculty Award for Achievement in Fine Art – Inga Owl Brostek ’21
• Commercial Design Award – Michael Kevin Molloy ’22

Astronomy/Physics

• Fundamentals of Physics Award – Hiyori Iai ’24
• Principles of Astronomy Award – Kaitlyn E. Sheriff ’24
• Q.E.D. Award for Department Service – Maryam Haytham Esmat ’21
• Фυσίκα Award in Astronomy/Physics – Ricardo Javier Gonzalez ’21

Biology

• Biology Department Academic Excellence Award – Bailey Austin Schwenk ’21
• Biology Service Award – Erica A. Lutz ’21
• Freshman Biology Award – Elisa Daniela I. Dallo ’24, Lily V. Saar ’24

Business Administration

• The Financial Management Award – Allison Ditty ’21
• The General Management Award – Kelly A. Vuz ’21
• The John G. Hollenback Award – Jared Micah Moses ’21
• The Marketing Management Award – Jordan Matta ‘21
• The Charles J. Kocian Award – Cecilia Nicole Massey ’21

Chemistry

• American Chemical Society Outstanding Chemistry Major Award – Lucille Ellen Cullen ’21
• The A.I.C. Student Honor Award – Jesse Cornell ’21
• Byron C. Brunstetter Science Award – Emily Nicole Konopka ’21

Corporate Communication

• The Department Award in Media Literacy – Christopher Thomas Wig ’21

Criminal Justice/Criminology

• Criminal Justice Society Prize – Shane Christopher Casey ’21, Taylor Margaret Gessner ’21
• Hoover Memorial Prize – Reagan West ’21

Economics

• The 2021 Economics Excellence Award – Charles W. Hunt ’23
• The 2021 Robert W. Rabold Economics Excellence Award – Maxwell T. Hanson ’22
• The 2021 Roger W. Opdahl Economics Excellence Award – Evan Michael Armstrong ’21
• The Charles J. Kocian Award – Kira L. Christian ’22
• The John A. Streeter Memorial Award in Economics – Allen Victor Martin ’21

Education

• Leadership Award in Education – Cara Sue Zortman ’21

English

• Dan Gustafson Award – Brittany Elizabeth Halbleib ’21
• The Metzler Prize – Hannah K. Gallagher ’22
• The Phoebe R. Lyon Prize – Dominick Joseph Berardelli ’21
• The President's Prize in Poetry – Caleb A. Hipple ’24
• The G.W. Hawkes Prize in Prose – Samuel Robert Puck Rutan ’22

Film and Video Arts

• Faculty Excellence Award – Jared Matthew Roden ’21
• Film and Video Arts Award – Julissa Aguilar ’22

History

• Richard L. Mix '51 and Miriam S. Mix Research and Writing Prize in History – Jason Eric Hepler ’21

Mathematics

• The Benjamin C. Conner Prize in Mathematics – Catherine Jeannette McCarty ’21
• The Charles J. Kocian Award in Actuarial Science – Kyle Brian Bennett ’21
• The Charles J. Kocian Award in Computer Science – Sheila Whitman ’21
• The Charles J. Kocian Award in Applied Research – Sheila Whitman ’21
• The Elisha Benson Kline Prize – Sheila Whitman ’21, Bailey Austin Schwenk ’21
• The Frances K. Skeath Award in Mathematics – Catherine Jeannette McCarty ’21
• The J. W. Feree Award – Brittany Elizabeth Halbleib ’21, Jordan M. Kinley ’23, Allison G. Kelly ’24

Modern Language Studies

• Phil G. Gillette Prize in Modern Foreign Languages (French) – Sara Kate Altieri ’21
• Phil G. Gillette Prize in Modern Foreign Languages (German) – Michelle Elizabeth Kelly ’21
• Phil G. Gillette Prize in Modern Foreign Languages (Spanish) – Esmeralda Luna ’21
• The Emilia Pardo Bazán Prize in Critical Writing – Hanna B. Cherres ’22, Annabelle Noel Brinkerhoff ’21
• Paul A. MacKenzie Discovery Prize – Charles W. Hunt ’23, Sylvia A. Robinson ’23

Music

• Dr. Will George Butler Band Award – Brandon D. Sherer ’23
• Michelle Bohlin Award in Theater & Music – JoAnne M. Grosskopf ’22
• The Walter G. McIver Award – Olivia N. Wilson ’23
• The William T. and Ruth S. Askey Music Prize – Sydney May Fennington ’21
• The Williamsport Civic Chorus Award – Dominick Philip ’24
• Dr. Will George Butler Choir Award – JoAnne M. Grosskopf ’22
• John A. Streeter Memorial Award – Chad S. Miller ’22

Philosophy

• Arthur Faus Memorial Prize – Inga Owl Brostek ’21

Political Science

• The C. Daniel Little '53 and Jeanne Louise Little '82 Award in American Politics – Esmeralda Luna ’21
• Richard L. Mix '51 and Miriam S. Mix Prize in Political Science – Rachel Horvath ’22, Aseel Tork ’22
• The Charles J. Kocian Award – Evan M. Armstrong ’21

Psychology

• Milton Skeath Award in Psychology – Elle Marie Sarracco ’21
• Psi Chi Service Award – Krista Marie Brady ’21, Lydia Louise Yorks ’21

Religion

• The McDowell Scholarship – Brittany Elizabeth Halbleib ’21
• Faculty Award for Outstanding Academic Achievement in Religion – Brittany Elizabeth Halbleib ’21, Rachel Rose Rubright ’21
• Faculty Award for Outstanding Academic Achievement in Archaeology – Jordan N. Leh ’21
• Eduardo Guerra Prize in Biblical Languages – Becky J. Wisdom ’24

Theatre

• Overall Excellence in Theatre Award – Caleia Calvina Hagwood ’21

Women’s and Gender Studies

• Holly Elizabeth Hurlbert ’97 Endowed Fund in Women’s Studies Prize – Alexandra Marchesani ’22