University of Lynchburg students and faculty were honored for their scholarship, research, leadership, and overall excellence at the 2025 Academic Awards ceremony, held Friday, April 18, in Hall Campus Center’s Memorial Ballroom.
Among the more than 100 awards presented that evening was the Robert L. Hill Distinguished Senior Award, one of the University’s highest honors for undergraduate students. The Hill Award was presented to Asher Stang ’25, a double major in biology with a biomedical emphasis and psychology. The Westover Honors Fellow is from Amelia, Virginia, and has a minor in neuroscience and a 3.97 grade point average.
Additionally, the following awards were presented to undergraduate and graduate students in the Schools of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Medicine and Health Sciences, and Professional and Applied Sciences.
School of Liberal Arts and Sciences:
Brickhouse-Martin Scholarship Award
Elizabeth Johnson
Kacey Kelly, runner-up
Barbara C. Scotland Scholarship Award
V’Dell Newton
Belle M. Hill Creative Poetry Award
Ericka Overstreet
Charles H. Barrett Creative Writing Award
Madeline Brainard
Elsie E. Bock Writing Award
Aden McVicker
Floyd H. and Rowe M. Crews Memorial Award
Mena Sutphin
Laura Jeter Parker Award
Layla Apo
Michaela White
Libbie Keeton LaPrade Creative Writing Award
V’Dell Newton
Mervyn W. Williamson Award
Emma Myers
Rona L. Adams & Brian Adams Yates Scholarship Award in English
V’Dell Newton
Ericka Overstreet
Kendra Scaggs
Mena Sutphin
Outstanding Senior Award in Africana Studies
Jacob Jones
Christopher C. Cowles Award in History
Joel Butcher
Jeanne Roberts Bickner Award in History
Jackson Stone
Rona L. Adams & Brian Adams Yates Scholarship Award in History
Jayla Bullock
Jackson Stone
William Webster Ferguson Award
Madeline Brainard
Jacob Jones
Intelligence Studies Initiative Award
Natalee Coates
International Relations Initiative Award
Jacobsen Gamble
Outstanding Senior Award in International Relations
Megan Pickett
Award for Excellence in Spanish
Stacy Gallahan
The Professor Helga Neuhaus Leftwich ’62 Memorial Award
Lauren Radack
Raymond E. Morgan Award
Elora Grochowski
John R. Scudder Jr. Award
Joel Butcher
Lesley A. Friedman Award for Outstanding Undergraduate Scholarship in Philosophy
Alexis Eckert
Best Senior Thesis in Political Science Award
Elora Grochowski
Kyle Thaller
Joseph F. Freeman III Political Science Award
Sam Weiland
Mary C. Scudder Award for the Best Senior Thesis in Humanities and Social Sciences
Elora Grochowski
Charles L. Shull Award in Sociology
Jacob Jones
Outstanding Senior Award in Sociology
Leilianis Irigoyen
Outstanding Senior Award in Biomedical Science
Asher Stang
Mahan-Osborne Outstanding Senior in Biology
Hyden Draughon
Madison Hoover
Outstanding Student Award in General Chemistry
Austin Luther
Outstanding Senior Award in Chemistry
Jamie Sims
Outstanding Achievement in Computer Science
Carsen Mendoza
Outstanding Senior in Computer Science
Tomahito Mori
Award for Best Project in Computer Science
Julian Powell
A. Boyd Claytor III Outstanding Environmental Sciences and Sustainability Award
Erin Brown
Charles F. Stevens Research Fund
Olivia Upton
Thomas R. Nicely Outstanding Senior Award in Mathematics
Ana Emond
Emma Nicol
Matthew Witt
Outstanding Senior Award in Statistics and Data Science
Emma Nicol
Matthew Witt
Outstanding Research Award in Psychology
Asher Stang
Outstanding Service Award in Psychology
Alexis Eckert
Jenavieve Karnes
Sally Glass Hargis Outstanding Senior Award in Psychology
Asher Stang
Achievement Award in 2-D Art
Hannah Jeffreys
Achievement Award in 3-D Art
Abigail Monteclaro
Achievement Award in Graphic Design
Maren Howard
Tho Pham
Achievement Award in Illustration
Andrew Gibson
Susan Hornsby Crank Memorial Award in Art
Riley Winefordner
Charlotte Quarles Outstanding Music Minor Award
Naomi Watkins
Helen Wood Award for Music Performance
Isaac Howard
School of Medicine and Health Sciences:
Dr. Jeanne Davidson Booth Heart of Counseling Award
Blake C. Neal
Morgan B. Robertson
Exercise Physiology Research Scholar Award
Meredith Bowers
Hailey Smith
Jacqueline W. Asbury Award
Elysia Harris
Brendan McWalters
Savannah Solenberger
Outstanding Senior Award in Exercise Physiology
Brianna Harlow
Jacob Hodnett
Catherine S. McGehee Teddy Bear Award
Alyssa Campbell
Linda L. Andrews Xi Upsilon Leadership Award
Molly Silva
Student Nurses Association of University of Lynchburg (SNAUL) Award
Abigail Grace Hansen
Teresa Christy Award
Trevor Miller
B. Yvette Otey Spirit of Nursing Award
Korey Becraft
Charlotte Guynes Honor Award
Emily Hewitt
Distinguished Senior Award in Public Health
Kailey Dorcsis
Emerging PA Advocacy & Leadership Award
Dominique Tarrant
Outstanding Research in Athletic Training
Kaitlyn Okin
Patricia Aronson Award for Excellence in Athletic Training
Jasmine Ellis
Madison Shea
School of Professional and Applied Sciences:
C. Raine Sydnor Sr. Professor for Teaching Excellence in Business
John Angelis
Delta Sigma Pi Scholarship Key
Erin Jones
John O. Hayden Service Award
Haleigh Casey
Myrtle Bell Lane Scholar
Sean Pokorak
Outstanding Graduating Senior Award
Kyara Johnson
Rebecca Chambers Watson Accounting Award
Brielle Hurt
Dr. Robert E. Craft Leadership Award
Lindsey Hair
Robert L. Hill Award in Economics
Reid Rouse
Sheila Garren Outstanding Junior International Student Scholarship Award
Isabela Pereira Muniz
Walter G. Mason Award for Outstanding Achievement in Economics and Finance
Matthew Witt
James C. Fox Award
Benton Jones
Tyler “TJ” Vaught
Esther Cutler Thomas Award for Outstanding Student in Speech Communication
Caleb Adams
Rex Mix Award in Communication Studies
Evan Gates
Woody Greenberg Award in Journalism
Jacob Clavijo
Woody Greenberg Award in Public Relations
Jamila Jones
Outstanding Senior Award in Criminology
Jillian Francis
Kate Gillispie Award
Ashley Hudson
M. Weldon Thompson Award
Shakura Jennings
Teachers of Promise
Meredith Bornholdt
Jenna Frazer
Ashley Hudson
Shakura Jennings
Danielle Labar-Dietz
Veronica “Karen” Ratliff Award
Richard Maass
Special Awards:
Richard Clarke Sommerville Scholarship Award
Alexis Eckert
The following awards were presented to Lynchburg faculty:
Dr. Carole Friend, clinical assistant professor of physical therapy, was presented with the Edward A. Polloway Award for Excellence in Graduate Teaching.
Dr. Ghislaine Lewis, associate professor of communication Studies, received the Elsie Ervin Bock Award for Excellence in Citizenship.
Dr. Sean Collins, professor of health sciences and human performance and director of the Walker Human Performance Laboratory, received the Faculty Award for Excellence in Research Mentoring.
Dr. Brian Crim, professor of history and chair of the history department, was presented with the James A. Huston Award for Excellence in Scholarship.
The Shirley E. Rosser Award for Excellence in Teaching went to Jeremy “Jer” Bryant ’03, ’10 MA, associate university chaplain and associate professor of English.
Dr. Tonya Price, assistant professor of health promotion and chair of public health, was presented with the Thomas C. Allen and Heidi Koring Award for Excellence in Academic Advising.
