At Central Methodist University, there are countless opportunities for students to shine in academics and receive recognition for effort. This is apparent through CMU’s annual division awards, which honor students who have gone above and beyond in their areas of study.
On Monday, April 17, 19 students and one faculty member were recognized during the Division of Science, Mathematics, and Computer Science Honor Awards, held in the Inman Student and Community Center on CMU’s Fayette campus. Excellence was noted in the fields of biology, chemistry, computer science, mathematics, and physics. Four division awards also were presented.
The first division award, the Jeff Wilcox “Raising the Bar Award,” is presented to a student leader who excels academically. This $250 cash reward was presented to Jennifer Long, a December graduate in biology from Cave Creek, Ariz.
The Sarah Rutherford Prize, another division award, goes to the most outstanding science student selected by the division. The $50 cash award was presented to senior mathematics major Rebecca Steele-Mackey, from Wasilla, Alaska.
Senior biology major Christina Schatz, from Pawnee, Ill., was presented the Glen C. Riegel Student Award, a $250 cash reward given to a student considered promising and worthy.
The last division award was for faculty, which was presented to Dr. Ashley Lough, assistant professor of biology. It is the Glen C. Riegel Faculty Award, established similarly to the student award, and presented as a $250 cash reward to a promising and worthy professor of science, math, computer science, or psychology.
The Beta Beta Beta Biology Award is given to an outstanding male and female in a General Biology class, and is delivered through a certificate and cash reward of $50. Recipients were freshman athletic training major Christopher Marsh from Mount Vernon, and sophomore athletic training major Mackenzie Strother from Centertown.
Strother also was the recipient of the Alpha Epsilon Delta Excellence in Physiology Award – presented as a certificate to a student with the highest in a Physiology class.
The Alpha Epsilon Delta Excellence in Physiology Award is presented to the student with the highest average in a Physiology course. Dillian McDonald, a junior biology major from Fayette, was honored with this certificate.
An award given to an outstanding pre-med student in honor of longtime Biology faculty member Dr. Harold Momberg, is the Alpha Epsilon Delta-Harold Momberg Award. Addison McGuire, a senior biology major from Higbee, was the recipient of this certificate.
Crystal Flagg, a senior biology major from Erie, Pa. was presented with the Dr. Ferris H. and Leona Wood Award. The scholarship of $150 is for a student concentrating in biology and entering his/her senior year with a GPA of 3.0 or higher. The awardee’s name is placed on a perpetual plaque housed in CMU’s Stedman Hall of Science.
The CMU Biology Alumni award – a cash reward of $50 – is given to a diligent student with a GPA of 3.0 or higher and concentration in biology, and who contributes significantly to the benefit of the biology program. The recipient was senior biology major Bethany Freel, from Sedalia.
Chemistry awards were presented to six students and included the Gamma Sigma Epsilon Excellence Award in General Chemistry, presented to a student with the highest overall average in two semesters of General Chemistry class, which was given to Kylie Limback, a sophomore biology major from Waverly;
the Gamma Epsilon Excellence Award in Organic Chemistry, presented to students with the highest overall average in two semesters of Organic Chemistry, which was shared by Caitlyn Landewee, a junior biology major from Leopold; Skyler Hime, a junior biology major from Raymore; and Shannon Wells, a senior biology major from Potosi;
the Dr. Neils C. Nielsen Outstanding Chemistry Student Award – a $1,000 cash award given to the outstanding chemistry student of the year - presented to Ashley Litton, a senior chemistry major from Lee’s Summit; and the Hughes Scholarship, a $500 scholarship for the student with the best research paper on a recent topic in astronomy or chemistry, which was given to Adam Richterkessing, a sophomore sports management major from Centralia.
The Chester E. Hanson Outstanding Senior Computer Science Award, a cash reward of $100, is given to the outstanding senior computer science student in honor of longtime computer science faculty Chester Hanson. This award was presented to Parker Johnson, a senior computer science major from Richmond.
Three awards in mathematics were presented to two students, Zach Adams, a senior mathematics major from Clinton, who was the recipient of the Clyde and Hazel Blattner Mathematics Award – a $50 cash award given to a promising and worthy male student;
and Rebecca Steele-Mackey, who was presented with both the Dr. Richard T. Bond Mathematics Award – a $100 cash award given to a senior math major with high ideals of character and an outstanding scholastic record, and the Kappa Mu Epsilon Award – a $25 cash award given to the student with the best academic performance in three semesters of calculus.
In physics, the Dr. Glenn R. Joyce Memorial Award for Excellence in Science – a $500 cash award given to a junior or senior majoring in physics, math, or science – was given to Denise Weigand, a senior physics major from Weatherby;
and the Dr. Larry J. Peery Award for Excellence in Physics – a $100 cash award given to the student with the highest overall average for two semesters of calculus-based Physics – was presented to Marlow Case, a sophomore mathematics major from O’Fallon.