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One day each spring, the Simpson community gathers in Smith Chapel to celebrate student achievement. This academic year’s Honors Convocation was held on April 18.
One award is reserved for a faculty member. The 2018 Faculty Award for Distinguished Research, announced by President Jay Simmons, was awarded to Derek Lyons, an assistant professor of chemistry and a 2007 Simpson graduate.
Lyons joined the Simpson faculty in 2012. His research, developed out of collaboration with a former physics faculty member, has dealt with developing nanoscale manufacturing processes.
“Nanoscale devices are 1,000 times smaller than the width of a human hair,” Simmons said. “The tiny size presents many challenges to manufacturing devices. His research improves the manufacturing process by relying on the ability of DNA to guide the self-assembly of nanostructures in a solution of water. Two startup companies were co-founded by him since 2015 in collaboration with Simpson’s EMERGE entrepreneurial program. He has authored three patents, one international, resulting from his research. His work was conducted with undergraduate students from Simpson resulting in one publication and presentations at six separate academic conferences.”
Here is the list of awards:
DIVISION OF VISUAL AND PERFORMING ARTS
Alpha Psi Omega Junior Award.. — Cierra Clark
Outstanding Senior in Theatre Arts — Brianna Stoever
Outstanding Senior in Art — Levi Eblen
Outstanding Junior Portfolio — Sam McCaule
Frank Barrows Award — Kaylah Hicok and Nathanael Smale
Douglas J. Duncan Music Award — Eli Aronson
Sven and Mildred Lekberg Music Award — Rosa Gude, Zachary Howarth and Audrey Sebring
Music Performing Honors – Nathanael Smale, Cortez Daniel, Liz Russell, Grace Peck, Elaine Tilly, Shea Lueninghoener, all for voice recital.
DIVISION OF SOCIAL SCIENCE
Outstanding Senior in Political Science — Alexandria Karpuk
Carl Halgren Certificate of Excellence in Psychology — Megan Bradley
Everett Laning Award in Sociology — Elizabeth Burgus
Outstanding Senior in Criminal Justice — Kara Eischen
Outstanding Senior in Human Services — Zoei Tonkinson
DIVISION OF NATURAL SCIENCE
Mildred Wilson Science Award — Alexander Hoffman
Doft Science Honor Awards:
Jackson Arndt, Jessica Arnold, Jared Bacon, Mark Becker, Graham Brooks, Joshua Dietrich, Daniel Goldsmith, Nathan Hawkins, Hannahlynn Heinen, Alexander Hoffman, Carley Irlmeier, Cassidy King, Payton McBurney, Miriam McDonough, Kaitlyn Mulder, Benjamin Rajewski, Karson Richardson, Conor Riordan, Truman Schmitt, Kristina Smith, Matthew Turnley, Ellen Willhoit, Valerie Wilson, Mikala Williams Yee
Jordan Science Achievement Award — Maggie Long
Outstanding Senior in Chemistry/Biochemistry/Forensics — Matt Hayden
Outstanding Student in General Chemistry — Alex Austin
Outstanding Senior in Physics — Nick Joslyn
Margaret L. Watson Awards in Biology (Senior) — Stacy Overman
Juniors: Carley Irlmeier and Kaitlyn Mulder
Outstanding Senior in Environmental Science — Adam Stewart
Hiram Doty Research Award — Galen Gist
Outstanding Freshman in Biology — Alex Austin
Outstanding Seniors in Computer Science — Christopher Hanson and Audrey LoVan
Outstanding Senior in Computer Information Systems — Kyann Marie Brown
Outstanding Senior in Mathematics — Nick Joslyn
Outstanding Senior in Actuarial Science — Joshua Hof
DIVISION OF HUMANITIES
Outstanding Senior in Humanities — Gina Reiman
Leopold Award in History — Rachel Miller, Levi Lefebure and Amir Suljic
Joe Walt Senior History Award — Mallory Hanson
Roger Betsworth Outstanding Senior in Religion — Maddy Kersten
Outstanding Senior in English .. — Gina Reiman
Clerk’s Award — Sarah Miller
Outstanding Students in World Language and Culture Studies — Adam Stewart and Chau Tran
DIVISION OF EDUCATION, SPORT & HEALTH SCIENCES
Dick Starr Award — Ellen Gallagher
Outstanding Senior in Sport Science — Jacque Luth
Leadership in Education — Kim Boehm and Emily Jermeland
Outstanding Senior in Elementary Education — Annika Wasson
Outstanding Senior in Secondary Education — Christian Bengtson
Outstanding Graduate Student in Secondary Education — Peggy Lundquist
Dr. Donna J. Helble ‘71 Award Winner for Outstanding Junior in Elementary Education — Sarah Nutting
DIVISION OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION & MULTIMEDIA COMMUNICATION
Outstanding Senior in Public Relations — Brandi Putz
Outstanding Senior in Multimedia Journalism — Laura Wiersema
Outstanding Senior in Management — Alexandria Karpurk
J. Samson CEO (Collegiate Entrepreneurs’ Organization) Award — Emily Sassman
Outstanding Senior in Global Management — Valeria Vanessa Gonzàlez Contreras
Lisle C. Wilson Outstanding Junior — Madison Paulson
Feyerharm Award for Outstanding Junior — Jackson Arndt
Heckert Award-Outstanding Senior in Economics — Joshua Hof
Financial Executives International Awards — Brianna Marie Fisher and Christopher Harris
Institute of Management Accountants — Zachary R. Leonard
Iowa Society of Certified Public Accountants — Kyann Marie Brown
Outstanding Senior in Health Services Leadership — Brock L. Rodgers
GENERAL RECOGNITION
Volunteer of the Year Award — Andrea Casaretto
ODK Emerging Leader Award — Elizabeth Stolte
E.G. Booth Award — Noreen Morrow
Alpha Lambda Delta Society’s Maria Leonard Book Award — Matthew Hayden and Annika Wasson
Women’s and Gender Studies Program Scholarship Award — Sydney Baty and Mandy Brown
Women’s and Gender Studies Program Activism Award — Liz Nimmo
Barborka Award — Garrett Pochop
President’s Award in Human Relations — Cecilia Martinez
Distinguished Research Award — Derek Lyons, assistant professor of chemistry.
SCHOLARSHIPS
Dr. Dean and Sandra Blinn Research Scholarship — Kelby Kies
Joe K. Moody Research Scholarship — Benjamin Rajewski
Dr. Alan & Karen Orr Biology Research Scholarship — Kameron Hartung