During Hastings College’s day-long Celebration of Excellence April 24, students and faculty were recognized for their achievements at Honors Convocation.
The Don and Nancy Seaton Faculty Achievement Award was presented to Dr. John Perlich, professor of communication studies, while Dr. Kittie Grace, professor of communication studies, received the Vondrak Outstanding Advisor Award.
Dr. Mark Zajack, associate professor of psychology, and Dr. Dan Deffenbaugh, professor of religion, were selected by a vote of the students to present the 2018-19 Invited Faculty Lectures on the subject of their choice.
Members of the academic honorary Alpha Chi selected Dr. Steve Bever, professor of physics, as the Alpha Chi Outstanding Faculty.
Patricia Kingsley, director of Information Technology and an adjunct instructor of philosophy, received the President’s Award for outstanding service to Hastings College.
The Honors Convocation speaker was 2009 alumna and Bronco Award recipient Ellen Jorgenson. A secondary education and history major, Jorgenson was a member of several student groups and the 2006 National Championship women’s basketball team. During her time at Hastings College, she also took the opportunity to study in Leicester, England. After graduation, she earned her master’s from the University of Denver and worked with the university’s Human Trafficking Research Clinic. In 2011, she moved to Tanzania to serve in the Peace Corps, after which she taught in Missouri and Florida. She is currently a social studies and ELL teacher, and head girls basketball coach, at Lincoln North Star High School.
Hastings College students receiving recognition as part of Honors Convocation are listed below.
ALABAMA
Hoover
- Maggie Rogers – Kevin Heineman Outstanding First Year Student Award and Alpha Chi Outstanding First-Year Student
COLORADO
Bennett
- Jonathan Wallace – Locke Family Scholarship
Castle Rock
- Karsen Keech – Dr. Lorrie E. Bryant Psi Chi Scholarship
Colorado Springs
- Amanda Hoff – Udlock-Wachob Memorial Christian Education Scholarship
Denver
- Emma Atuire – Outstanding Sociology Scholar and Philosophy Book Award
Highlands Ranch
- Jenna Jaeger – Clara Altman Award for Foreign Languages
- Erik Wetteland – Einspahr Accounting Excellence Award
Mancos
- Andie Paschal – Religion Book Award
Morrison
- Natalie File – English Office Assistant
Parker
- Daniel Mastrobuono – Dr. Ralph Lamb Economics/Business Administration Scholarship
IOWA
Johnston
- Andrew Boge – Lambda Pi Eta Outstanding Communications Scholar
MINNESOTA
Plymouth
- Carly Spotts-Falzone – Kevin Heineman Memorial Scholarship
NEBRASKA
Amherst
- Trevor Adelung – Dr. Harry R. James Physics Scholarships
Ashland
- Jessica Klaudt – Dr. Ralph Lamb Economics/Business Administration Scholarship
Bennington
- Jake Arnett – Jackson Dinsdale Scholarship
Blue Hill
- Kortney Allen – Louise C. Walter Memorial Awards
Cairo
- Hannah Adams – Principal Financial Group Scholarship
Clay Center
- Jeric Minton – Jackson Dinsdale Scholarship
Columbus
- Parker Grant – Schantz Science Achievement Scholarship
- Joe Jahn – Madgett (Welton) Physics Scholarship
Cozad
- Jason Finnegan – Madgett (Welton) Physics Scholarship
David City
- Davianne Czarnick – Dr. Art and Eunice Langvardt English Scholarship and Dwayne and Cindy Strasheim Scholarship
Freemont
- Elizabeth Hansen – Dee R. Yost Scholar
Grand Island
- Emily Herbek – Lambda Pi Eta Outstanding New Communicator Award and Alpha Chi Outstanding Sophomore Student
- Megan Ellis – Louise C. Walter Memorial Awards
- Kelli Hesselgesser – Einspahr Accounting Excellence Award
- Blaine Morrow – Dr. Clement F. Bridenhagen History Scholarship and Religion Book Award
- Rebecca Riley – Storer-Evans Lecture in Political Science and Tamara Babcock Endowed Scholarship
- William Thompson – Reverend Joseph Kyle Memorial Scholarships and Dr. Sara Jane Gardner Phi Alpha Theta Memorial Scholarship
Gretna
- Justin Hines – Dr. Ralph Lamb Economics/Business Administration Scholarship
Hastings
- Miranda Aschoff – Stephen Lingwall Senior English Award
- Kevin Cruz – Einspahr Accounting Excellence Award
- Jordan Ismaiel – Most Promising Art Students
- Nathan Jensen – Omicron Delta Kappa Leader of the Year
- Anh Nguyen – Dr. Frederick H. Mattes Chemistry Achievement Award
- Katie Ruth – Elmer B. Van Horn Memorial Scholarship
- Alyssa Smith – Drs. Philip and Kay K. Jordan Endowed History Scholarship
Henderson
- Allison Braun – Outstanding Senior in Business and Economics
Lincoln
- McKenzie Currey – Alice and Jack Marvel Endowed Scholarship
- Katie Rice – Student Education Association Outstanding Senior
- Abby Riedel – Aabel Accounting Scholarship
Litchfield
- Lindsy Siegel – Dr. Ralph Lamb Economics/Business Administration Scholarship
Louisville
- Natalie Knott – Nebraska Business Hall of Fame and Principal Financial Group Scholarship
McCook
- Hannah Goss – Saville-Heflebower Teacher Education Award
Norfolk
- Myla Graae – Chuck Eigenberg Outstanding Senior Award
- Geena Piper – Wendell V. Showalter Biology Scholarship and Outstanding Student Association Executive Council Member
Omaha
- Holly Hild – Arnold A. Alberts Outstanding Chemist Award
- Tatum Stenger – Duane Freeman Memorial Scholarship
- Brian Whetstone – Outstanding Student Association Senator
Papillion
- Lyndsay Ruane – Koontz Scholarship
Pawnee City
- Karli Cabrera – Outstanding Performer in Music
Red Cloud
- Timothy Ellis – Theodore Presser Award
Riverton
- Cheyenne Knehans – Outstanding Achievement in Art
Sutton
- Melissa Reichert – Dr. James L. Loch Secondary Education Scholarship
Wahoo
- Rachel Mulholland – Nebraska Society of CPAs Foundation Scholarship
Yutan
- Marc Sisson – Denny Storer Political Science Scholarship
SOUTH DAKOTA
Brookings
- Caleb Merritt – Pi Kappa Delta Speakers of the Year
WISCONSIN
Hewitt
- Jess Trad – English Office Assistant
WYOMING
Cheyenne
- Abigail Fearneyhough – Dr. Harry R. James Physics Scholarships
- Jarred Russell – Virginia Holyoke-McKeag Memorial Scholarship for Excellence in Academics and Service
Hastings College is a private, four-year institution located in Hastings, Nebraska, that focuses on student academic and extracurricular achievement. With more than 60 majors and 15 pre-professional programs, Hastings College has been named among “Great Schools, Great Prices” by U.S. News & World Report and a “Best in the Midwest” by The Princeton Review. For more, go to hastings.edu.
