At the end of each school year, Knox faculty, staff, and students traditionally gather to recognize the achievements of students with a variety of academic awards. This year, because it is not possible to get together on campus to celebrate in person, the student awards are being presented virtually. 

The recognition of student achievements covers three main categories: honor societies, awards and prizes for special accomplishments, and awards and prizes from academic departments.

All awards and recipients are listed below. A playlist of the virtual presentations is available on YouTube.

Honor Societies

Phi Beta Kappa:

Founded in 1776, the nation’s oldest and most prestigious scholastic honorary society, Phi Beta Kappa, recognizes “the principles of freedom of inquiry and liberty of thought and expression” that are the foundation of liberal learning. Only 10 percent of the nation’s colleges and universities have a PBK chapter. The Delta Chapter of Illinois was founded at Knox College in 1916, the first chapter of Phi Beta Kappa in a liberal arts college in Illinois. Seniors and a small number of juniors distinguished for high academic achievement are elected annually.

Seniors (*Elected as a junior)

Emilie Barrett
Samuel Beem
Sylvia Bowen-Bailey
Casey Brayndick
Sarah Drée Carter
Sean Caselli
Sokhunthia Cheng
Nicole D'Alterio*
Shifa Dandia
Michelle Dudley*
Nathan Errampalli
Audrey Fisher
Philip Griffin
Alexander Hegg
Aaron Kapinos
Natalie Kowalski Krogull
Chi Thi Nha Le
Soo Jin Lea
Jenna Milligan
Catherine O'Brien
Debora Ortiz Lustgarten
Kartik Patel
Niamh Pemberton
Annie Peterson
Zuri Peterson
Cayne Randle
Lizemarié Robbertse
Aditya Siddharth
Katana Smith
Sarah Smith*
Cassandra Stear
Janie Sutherd*
Irein Thomas
Minh Trang Tran
Mariam Tsintsadze
Connor Kyn Wood
Melissa Wood

Juniors

Marion Frank
Isaac Hughes

Eta Sigma Phi

A college honor society founded by a group of students in the Department of Greek at the University of Chicago in 1914. It began as an undergraduate classical club. 

Seniors

Kaitlyn Agress
Alyssa Ahlert
Leah Aspinwall
Emilie Barrett
Jada Bishop
Jennifer Murphy
Catherine O'Brien

Juniors

Christa Vander Wyst

Mortar Board

A national honor society that recognizes college seniors for their achievements in scholarship, leadership and service, provides opportunities for continued leadership development, promotes service to colleges and universities and encourages lifelong contributions to the global community. Accepting membership means accepting the responsibility and obligation to be an active participant in chapter activities and to represent the ideals of Mortar Board: Scholarship, Leadership and Service.

Emilie Barrett
Shantiswarup Behera
Mikaela Bonnici
Kailey Bruns
Madison Byrne
Harper Colclasure
Michelle Dudley
Kelly Feng
Jessica Hickey
Abigail Thillman
Maxwell Jones
Megan Kanvik
Ella McClain
Jenna Milligan
Debora Ortiz Lustgarten
Ellis Staton
Isabel Temosihue
Mariam Tsintsadze
Dianell Vega
Walter Wood

Nu Rho Psi National Honor Society in Neuroscience

Membership is by invitation and is open to graduate and undergraduate students who are making the study of neuroscience one of their major interests and who meet other academic qualifications.

Senior members:

Shalana Atwell
Nathan Errampalli
Jassmine Jassmine
Lizemarie Robbertse
Irein Thomas

New Inductees:

Adam Ryan
Jon Schneider

Pi Sigma Alpha - National Political Science Honor Society

Pi Sigma Alpha, the National Political Science Honor Society, was founded in 1920 for the purpose of bringing together students and faculty interested in the study of government and politics.

Senior Members

Aleksandra Gicala
Niamh Pemberton
Cayne Randle
Leah Rymer
Danica Dosmann
Clare Hensley
Ryan Higgins

Psi Chi - National Honor Society in Psychology

Students are selected on the basis of academic achievement and interest in psychology as a science.

Kathryn Anderson
Maggie Corlew
Myiah Davis
Khanh-Linh Duong
Alyssa Habschmidt
Jassmine Jassmine
Minnie Kang
Megan Kanvik
Karina Khanna
Ramona Maple
Brooklyn Plogger
Natalia Podstawska
Nicolette Schmidt
Jonathan Schneider
Cassie Stear
Irein Thomas
Dianell Vega

Sigma Xi - The Scientific Research Society

Membership in Sigma Xi is by invitation. The most promising young scientists and students with demonstrated research potential are invited to join as associate members. 

New Nominees

Shogo Akiyama
Adee Athiyaman
Khanh-Linh Duong
Alec Hegg
Allen Irvine
Frederick Lehmann
Neha Motwani
Arsalan Najeeb
Jacob Newcomb
Irein Thomas
Melissa Wood
Nathan Wright
Momin Zahid

Below are the awards and prizes for special accomplishments, along with the awards from academic departments.

Awards and Prizes for Special Accomplishments

Dean Deborah Wing Award: Michelle C. Dudley
Outstanding Senior Award: Ravie F. Boungou
Lincoln Academy Student Laureate: Sarah M. Henderson
College Marshall: Ty Kiatathikom
Pearl Harris Award: Phuong (Eleanor) Phan
Knauss Student Research Award for the Lincoln Studies Center: Rosemary Xiang-Chenec Cheng, Anna Nicole-Underwood Neubauer
William Fern Prize in Honor of Jeanne Zemek Bohn: Linh Dieu Nguyen
William Fern Prize in Honor of Thalia Manganari Papavas: Emily G. Wallace
William Fern Prize in Honor of Theodore Yelich: James Alvin-Lee Stratton
Steve Floyd Memorial Award-Ford: Otto E. Bottger
Laszlo J. Nemeth Memorial Research Award: Akash U. Patel
Charles & Arvilla Timme Fellowship Award: Isaac S. Hughes
Philip Haring and John Houston Award: Shantiswarup Behera, Arsalan Najeeb
Fulbright Scholar: Keara M. Crook
E. Inman Fox Prize: Zuri Newby Peterson
John C. Weigel Prize: Sarah M. Henderson

American Studies

Hermann R. Muelder Prize: Natasha E. Caudill

Anthropology & Sociology

Howell Atwood Award: Kenna R. Bell, Samuel Beem, Sokhunthia Cheng, Shaprice Hunt, Dianell A. Vega 

Asian Studies

Mikiso Hane Asian Studies Prize: Sarah E. Lohmann, Ty Kiatathikom

Biology

Inn-Siang Ooi Prize: Andie Carlson-Dakes
Alvah Peterson Biology Prize: Melissa Wood

Biochemistry and Chemistry

Glenn M. Nagel Undergraduate Research Fund in Chemistry and Biochemistry: Allison D. LaSalvia
Leland Harris Award in Chemistry: Alexander S. Hegg
Russell P. Sutton Prize in Organic Chemistry: Rosaline J. Zucker
ACS Division of Analytical Chemistry Award: Anne H. Flintgruber 
General Chemistry Achievement Award: Mia Ye, Minh-Thy Nguyen Le
ACS Illinois Heartland Local Section Collegiate Scholastic Award: Alexander S. Hegg, Annie E. Peterson
ACS Division of Inorganic Chemistry Undergraduate Award in Inorganic Chemistry: Alexander S. Hegg
ACS Division of Physical Chemistry Undergraduate Award in Physical Chemistry: Philip E. Griffin

Classics

Lawrence Prize in Greek: Rosaline J. Zucker, Christa Lee Vander Wyst
Lawrence Prize in Latin: Kaitlyn M. Cashdollar, Catherine M. O’Brien

Computer Science

Baker-Velde Student Research Fund: Tegan McGloin Doherty
Paul’s Prize in Computer Science: Minh Trang Tran

Dance

John Hofsas Prize in Dance: Casey L. Brayndick, Sadie R. Cheney

Economics

Sylvia & Irwin Jaffe Memorial Prize: Debora L. Ortiz
Vinton C. Johnson Prize: Thomas E. Driscoll

Education

Dr. Diana Beck Senior Honors Award: Danarria M. Bobo, Garrett D. Rau

English and Creative Writing

Nina Marie Edwards Memorial Award: Erin Jin, Sarah E. Lohmann
William E. Brady Fund in English Literature:  Connor Klyn Wood
A. Eugene & Ella Stewart Davenport Literary Award in Fiction: Franziska C. Hofhansel (1st), Samuel M. Lisec (2nd), Lillian R. Lauver (3rd)
A. Eugene & Ella Stewart Davenport Literary Award in Non-Fiction: Samuel M. Lisec (1st), Lillian R. Lauver (2nd), Liam T. Wholihan (3rd)
A. Eugene & Ella Stewart Davenport Literary Award in Poetry: Katana E. Smith (1st), Kari Quintana (2nd), George Koh Jensen (3rd)
A. Eugene & Ella Stewart Davenport Literary Award in Playwriting: Cianja Bone
The Scripps Prize: John R. Muth
Proctor Fenn Sherwin Short Story Award: Margaret E. Ruswick
Proctor Fenn Sherwin Prize in Freshman Writing: Makenna Roye Kuecks
Lorraine Smith Prize in English: Elizabeth M. George
Beverly K. White & Friends Creative Writing Prize: Caitlin M. Johnson
Howard A. Wilson Prize: Connor K. Wood (1st), Jaynee E. Bowker (2nd)
Audrey Collet-Conard Prize: Alexis L. Smith

Environmental Studies

Desmond Fortes Environmental Studies Prize: Soleil M. Smith, Sylvia F. Bowen-Bailey 
Lawrence L. DeMott Prize: Nathan L. Wright

History

Dennis E. Donham Prize in History: James C. Cook
Dorothy Inness Stanford Award: Emilie R. Barrett
Szold Prize in History: Jada M. Bishop

Mathematics

Donald L. Benedict Student Research Award: Hao Li
Victoria Legner Junod Prize in Mathematics: Jenna P. Milligan
Mathematics Department Endowed Fund Student Research Award: Son Manh Tran

Modern Language

Helen Rudd Arnold Prize: Addison J. Anderson
Lorraine Smith Prize in French: Katherine E. Bleyle
Lilly Lindahl Prize in German: Sarah M. Henderson, Frederick P. Lehman
Sally Coleman Prize in Spanish Literature: Ellis B. Staton

Music

Clarence Hubert Johnson Award: Sarah E. Smith
Ruth Lockwood Goodsill Prize: Sarah E. Smith
Janet Greig Post Prize in Music: Samuel A. Beem
Lucile Sudbury Prize: Zachary A. Cirone, Eleanor R. Baird
David Lowry Jazz Award: Allen J. Irvine
Eric Martin Berg Memorial: Kaitlyn R. Hrivnak, Susan E. Gibbs, Maximillian S. Caplan, Theresa M. Matlak
George Morel Memorial in Music: Phuong (Eleanor) Phan

Philosophy

Merritt H. Moore Prize in Philosophy: Chi Thi-Nha Le

Physics

Robert R. Mariner Family Research Award: Allison M. Molinari
Porter Prize and Andreas Prize: Syed Muhammad Mujtaba Hassan
Smith Prize in Physics: Audrey M. Fisher, Philip E. Griffin

Political Science and International Relations

John W. Burgess Prize in Political Science: Taylor Cayne Randle
Robert F. Seibert Prize: Leah M. Rymer

Pre-Med (Medical Sciences)

Sylvia & Irwin Jaffe Memorial Prize: Neha V. Motwani

Psychology

Robert Stevens Harper Prize for Graduate Study in Psychology: Cassandra L. Stear, Dianell A. Vega, Jassmine Jassmine  
Robert Stevens Harper Prize for Outstanding Psychology Senior Research Poster: Inga Mazur, Dianell A. Vega
Edith Powers Van Dyke Memorial Award in Psychology: Jassmine Jassmine, Irein A. Thomas

Theatre

Colton Prize for Excellence in Public Performance: Emma C. Bohman
Linda Elizabeth Karger Award in the Theatre Arts: Joel D. Willison
Van Clute Prize: Gilberto A. Martinez, Erin Nayeon Yu
Jean Bloomquist McBath Memorial Production Award in Studio Theatre: Marion O. Frank, Zachary Vu Farmer