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KALAMAZOO, Mich.—Fifty students will be recognized as Western ¾ÅÒ»Â鶹ÖÆƬ³§ University's top seniors for 2016 during the 36th annual Presidential Scholars Convocation starting at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 29, on campus in the Bernhard Center.

Each year, faculty members from across the University select the most outstanding senior in their various academic schools, departments and programs to represent their units as a WMU Presidential Scholar. This year, 50 scholars were chosen from a senior class of more than 6,500 students.

The Presidential Scholar designation is the highest academic honor that WMU can bestow on its undergraduates. Selection is based on the students' general academic excellence, academic and artistic excellence relative to their majors, and intellectual and artistic promise.

The 2016 Presidential Scholars Convocation, which is by invitation only, will include a program featuring a keynote address by Dr. John M. Dunn, president of WMU. Also making remarks will be Dr. C. Dennis Simpson, president of the WMU Faculty Senate, and Connor Smith, president of the Western Student Association. After each of this year's scholars are recognized and awarded certificates, a dessert reception will be held while the scholars have their pictures taken with Dunn and Simpson.

Long list of talented students

This year's Presidential Scholars include a nursing major who is studying to be an American Sign Language interpreter so as to build a career around providing quality nursing care to the deaf community, an electric propulsion researcher who has collaborated with NASA on a project as well as co-authored a published scholarly article, a future airport administrator who has interned at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York and two other U.S. international airports, and an electrical engineer whose mentored research at WMU has led to participation in a National Science Foundation-funded research program and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Summer Research Program.

Among the scholars who already have graduated are a men's soccer player who was on the 2012 and 2014 academic all-conference teams and has fulfilled his dream of working in the commercial construction industry, and a biological sciences major who is a Fulbright Scholar semifinalist and the co-designer of a national award-winning low-cost device to treat infants suffering from respiratory distress.

Two 2016 recipients of the Presidential Scholar designation have previously received the honor from departments offering one of the other programs in which they are majoring. In addition, some Presidential Scholars have excelled after returning to school as nontraditional students. They include two mothers who have been working full time and raising their children while completing their degrees.

Presidential Scholars for 2016

• ´¡³¦³¦´Ç³Ü²Ô³Ù²¹²Ô³¦²â—Mari B. Tobin of Kalamazoo.
• ´¡²Ô³Ù³ó°ù´Ç±è´Ç±ô´Ç²µ²â—Keshia D. Driscoll-Cook of Kalamazoo.
• ´¡°ù³Ù—Sarah N. Spohn of Laingsburg, ¾ÅÒ»Â鶹ÖÆƬ³§.
• Aviation sciences—Megan E. Voisard of Otsego, ¾ÅÒ»Â鶹ÖÆƬ³§.
• Biological sciences—Joseph D. Barnett of Kalamazoo.
• Business information systems—Carrie M. Renfrow of Natchez, Mississippi.
• Chemical and paper engineering—Andrew J. Bogan of Warren, ¾ÅÒ»Â鶹ÖÆƬ³§.
• °ä³ó±ð³¾¾±²õ³Ù°ù²â—Casey E. Wright of Chesterfield and New Baltimore, ¾ÅÒ»Â鶹ÖÆƬ³§.
• Civil and construction engineering—Jason J. Grant of St. Louis.
• °ä´Ç³¾³¾³Ü²Ô¾±³¦²¹³Ù¾±´Ç²Ô—J. Gabriel Ware of Detroit.
• Comparative religion—Rachael J. Pulice of Warren, ¾ÅÒ»Â鶹ÖÆƬ³§.
• Computer science—Scott B. Linder of Portage, ¾ÅÒ»Â鶹ÖÆƬ³§.
• ¶Ù²¹²Ô³¦±ð—Sarah A. Mills of Warsaw, Indiana.
• ·¡³¦´Ç²Ô´Ç³¾¾±³¦²õ—Alec C. Kraus of Orland Park, Illinois.
• Electrical and computer engineering—Alexandra C. Ferguson of Livonia, ¾ÅÒ»Â鶹ÖÆƬ³§.
• Engineering design, manufacturing and management systems—Aaron J. Huntoon of Clio, ¾ÅÒ»Â鶹ÖÆƬ³§.
• ·¡²Ô²µ±ô¾±²õ³ó—Daniel J. Neff of Goshen, Indiana.
• Environmental and sustainability studies—John R. Lutchko of Traverse City, ¾ÅÒ»Â鶹ÖÆƬ³§.
• Family and consumer sciences—Amber M. Herr of Muskegon, ¾ÅÒ»Â鶹ÖÆƬ³§.
• Finance and commercial law—Steven R. Ross of St. Joseph, ¾ÅÒ»Â鶹ÖÆƬ³§.
• Gender and women's studies—Alexa P. Morrison of Sterling Heights, ¾ÅÒ»Â鶹ÖÆƬ³§.
• ³Ò±ð´Ç²µ°ù²¹±è³ó²â—Kate E. Meyer of New Baltimore, ¾ÅÒ»Â鶹ÖÆƬ³§.
• ³Ò±ð´Ç²õ³¦¾±±ð²Ô³¦±ð²õ—Courtney M. Wright of Jenison, ¾ÅÒ»Â鶹ÖÆƬ³§.
• Global and international studies—Virginia M. Privett of St. Joseph, ¾ÅÒ»Â鶹ÖÆƬ³§.
• ±á¾±²õ³Ù´Ç°ù²â—Kelsey E. Ennis of Midland, ¾ÅÒ»Â鶹ÖÆƬ³§.
• Human performance and health education—Kelsey A. Berry of Kalamazoo.
• Industrial and entrepreneurial engineering and engineering management—Matthew T. Bracey of Plymouth, ¾ÅÒ»Â鶹ÖÆƬ³§.
• Integrated supply management—Jordan S. Berning of Battle Creek, ¾ÅÒ»Â鶹ÖÆƬ³§.
• ²Ñ²¹²Ô²¹²µ±ð³¾±ð²Ô³Ù—Rachel E. Guenther of Portage, ¾ÅÒ»Â鶹ÖÆƬ³§.
• ²Ñ²¹°ù°ì±ð³Ù¾±²Ô²µâ€”Brianna M. Amat of Pinckney, ¾ÅÒ»Â鶹ÖÆƬ³§.
• ²Ñ²¹³Ù³ó±ð³¾²¹³Ù¾±³¦²õ—Kathryn S. Hillenbrand of Vicksburg, ¾ÅÒ»Â鶹ÖÆƬ³§.
• Mechanical and aerospace engineering—Matthew J. Baird of Alpena, ¾ÅÒ»Â鶹ÖÆƬ³§.
• ²Ñ³Ü²õ¾±³¦â€”Michael A. Hudson-Casanova of Sterling Heights, ¾ÅÒ»Â鶹ÖÆƬ³§.
• Music theatre performance—Audrey L. Johnston of Libertyville, Illinois.
• ±·³Ü°ù²õ¾±²Ô²µâ€”Maija E. Paldan of Kalamazoo.
• Occupational therapy—McKensie S. Ward of Cass City, ¾ÅÒ»Â鶹ÖÆƬ³§.
• ±Ê³ó¾±±ô´Ç²õ´Ç±è³ó²â—Conor T. O'Donnell of Grand Rapids, ¾ÅÒ»Â鶹ÖÆƬ³§.
• ±Ê³ó²â²õ¾±³¦²õ—Ian S. Brown of Baroda, ¾ÅÒ»Â鶹ÖÆƬ³§.
• Political science—Jennifer L. Townsend of Otsego, ¾ÅÒ»Â鶹ÖÆƬ³§.
• ±Ê²õ²â³¦³ó´Ç±ô´Ç²µ²â—Kevin A. Anderson of Constantine, ¾ÅÒ»Â鶹ÖÆƬ³§.
• Social work—Erika R. Camarillo of Portage, ¾ÅÒ»Â鶹ÖÆƬ³§.
• ³§´Ç³¦¾±´Ç±ô´Ç²µ²â—Sarah A. Wirth of St. Joseph, ¾ÅÒ»Â鶹ÖÆƬ³§.
• ³§±è²¹²Ô¾±²õ³ó—Elizabeth A. King of Cadillac, ¾ÅÒ»Â鶹ÖÆƬ³§.
• Special education and literacy studies—Nathalie E. Hanson of Kalamazoo.
• Speech pathology and audiology—Kelsey E. Bowles of St. Johns, ¾ÅÒ»Â鶹ÖÆƬ³§.
• ³§³Ù²¹³Ù¾±²õ³Ù¾±³¦²õ—Zachary M. Buchalski of Sanford, ¾ÅÒ»Â鶹ÖÆƬ³§.
• Teaching, learning and educational studies—Ciera L. McCrory of Detroit.
• °Õ³ó±ð²¹³Ù°ù±ð—Sarah M. Collins of Middleton, Wisconsin.
• University studies—Jenica D. Batt of Dyer, Indiana.
• World languages and literatures—Maria V. Paterno of St. Charles, Illinois.

For more news, arts and events, visit wmich.edu/news.

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