86th-annual Honors Convocation
Hanover College celebrated the academic achievements of its students and faculty during the 86th-annual Honors Convocation. The event was held April 13 in Fitzgibbon Recital Hall, Lynn Center for Fine Arts.
Allison Andrews ’23, Rio Takagi ’23, Raechel Long ’23 and Wyatt Warner ’23 received Hanover’s highest student awards. Edward Hall and Alejandra Juno Rodríguez Villar earned top faculty honors.
Andrews received the Henry C. Long Citation for Scholarship and General Excellence. She previously earned the 2022 Mildred McKim Vaughn Award in English and Dennis Kovener Award.
A double major in English and secondary education, Andrews has been widely active in the campus community. She has served as student hall director for the Office of Student Life, ambassador for the Office of Admission, president of Hanover College Education Association, coordinator of the Student Philanthropy Committee, director of primary recruitment for Alpha Delta Pi sorority and student representative on the faculty’s Committee on Assessment, Teaching and Learning.
Off-campus, Andrews worked two summers as a teacher/therapist at the Englishton Park Children’s Program and has served as state president and board member of the Indiana State Teachers Association’s Aspiring Educators.
Takagi earned the John Finley Crowe Citation for Scholarship and General Excellence. In addition, he received the Distinguished Award in Engineering, Fleming Physics Award and shared the Edward J. Hamilton Essay Prize.
An engineering major with a minor in computer science, Takagi has earned Dean’s List honors every term during his four-year Hanover career. He enhanced his classroom experience as a participant with the NASA educational program at Space Center Houston, conducting computational fluid dynamics modeling research and an internship at the Madison (Ind.) Municipal Airport.
On campus, Takagi has served as a member of Student Senate, resident assistant for the Office of Student Life, president and treasurer of Hanover’s Engineering Club, member of International Club and participant in the College’s Leadership Challenge Program.
Long and Warner each received the Algernon Sydney Sullivan Award. The honor is bestowed annually to recognize outstanding service to the campus community and the community at large.
Hall was presented with the Arthur and Ilene Baynham Outstanding Teaching Award.
Established by the College in 1969, the honoree is selected by a ballot of currently enrolled students and alumni from the past two graduating classes. To be eligible, a faculty member must be in at least the fourth year of teaching at the College. The winner receives a bronze medallion and a cash prize.
An associate professor of chemistry, Hall specializes in organic chemistry, peptide synthesis, photocatalysis, organocatalysis, metal-organic frameworks, fermentation science and medicinal chemistry. He teaches courses on organic chemistry, fermentation and distillation science, and medicinal chemistry.
Hall, who joined Hanover’s faculty in 2015, earned his doctorate from Indiana University studying new classes of antibiotics and designing fluorescent molecules to aid in the study of bacterial growth and development. His interest in these areas has continued at Hanover with undergraduate students participating in related projects each academic year.
Rodríguez Villar, assistant professor of Spanish, received the Daryl R. Karns Award for Scholarly and Creative Activity.
The award, named for the biology professor who died in 2011, recognizes sustained scholarly or creative achievement. Faculty members nominate colleagues for the award, which are sent to three judges at liberal arts colleges similar to Hanover. The winner receives a bronze medallion and a cash prize.
Rodríguez Villar joined Hanover’s faculty in 2018 in the College’s Modern Languages Department. She specializes in Early Modern Spanish literature and Early Modern Spanish theater. Her research and scholar production focus on cognitive studies, performance studies, humor, translation and digital humanities. She remains an active theater practitioner as an actress, director and playwright, and has worked with Hanover students to produce Spanish-language video productions.
86th-annual Honors Day
| John Finley Crowe Citation for Scholarship and General Excellence | Rio Takagi |
| Henry C. Long Citation for Scholarship and General Excellence | Allison Andrews |
| Arthur and Ilene Baynham Outstanding Teaching Award | Edward Hall |
| Daryl R. Karns Award for Scholarly and Creative Activity | Alejandra Juno Rodriguez Villar |
| Alpha Lambda Delta Award | Olivia Miner |
| Algernon Sydney Sullivan Award | Raechel Long |
| Wyatt Warner | |
| Dennis Kovener Award | Meredith Shepherd |
| Distinguished Award in Art and Design | Molly Trout |
| Distinguished Award in Art History | Arizona Harvey |
| M.L. Greiner Art Purchase Award | Callie Wilder |
| Enos Pray Biology Award | Madeline Mann |
| Distinguished Award in Biochemistry | Olivia Miner |
| Gerald R. Johnson ’69 Business Scholars Program Academic Excellence Award | Emily Martin |
| Betsy Milligan Johnson ’70 Business Scholars Program Achievement Award | Jacob Dupps |
| Aastik Pokhrel Internship Award | Sophie Wiatrowski |
| Ned Guthrie Chemistry Award | Yuka Kurasaka |
| Keith and Gwen White Award for Graduate Study in Chemistry | Andrew Freeman |
| Distinguished Award in Communication | Nicole Fry |
| John B. Goodrich Prize in Oratory | Raechel Long |
| Distinguished Award in Computer Science | Isaac Bevis |
| Distinguished Award in Economics | Brian Lux |
| Distinguished Award in Elementary Education | Kate Donovan |
| Distinguished Award in Secondary Education | Samantha DiBiasio |
| Hilda M. Cordrey Award | Kayla Summerville (1st Place) |
| Cassandra Melnick (2nd Place) | |
| Distinguished Award in Engineering | Rio Takagi |
| Dorothy S. Bucks Award in English | Ethan Rather |
| John Livingston Lowes Award in English | Grace Kelley |
| Meredith Shepherd | |
| Charles and Dorothy Lynn English Prize | Julianna Mussa |
| Mildred McKim Vaughn Award in English | Allison Andrews |
| Aubra Jade Hiland Award for Creative Writing | Andi Spring |
| Edward J. Hamilton Essay Prize | Jess Ewing |
| Rio Takagi | |
| Eli Mace Essay Prize | Allison Stogsdill |
| Distinguished Award in Environmental Science | Savannah House |
| Distinguished Award in Gender Studies | Andi Spring |
| Distinguished Award in Geology | Emmie Mann |
| Distinguished Award in German | Allison Compton |
| Distinguished Award in Health and Movement Studies | Anna Bauer |
| Robert E. Bowers History Award | Mary Isola |
| Distinguished Award in Kinesiology and Integrative Physiology | Leah Anders |
| Josie Dattilo | |
| Frank S. Luttmer Award | Abigail Corder |
| Morse Mathematical Award | Sam Schmidt |
| Kayla Summerville | |
| Distinguished Award in Music | Jacob Zimmerman |
| Richard L. Conklin Physics Award | Quynh Anh Lai |
| Fleming Physics Award | Rio Takagi |
| A. Glenn Mower, Jr. Pre-Law Award | Allison Compton |
| Distinguished Award in Political Science | Ian Bache |
| Makayla Comstock | |
| Distinguished Award in Psychology | Jess Ewing |
| George A. and Sara O. Zirkle Award in Psychology | Maddie Morstadt-English |
| Robert R. and Clara J. Beach Award in Sociology | Nicole Fry |
| Distinguished Award in Spanish | Brendan Gallagher |
| Distinguished Award in Theatre | Jensen Bowker |
| Distinguished Award in Theology | Jess Ewing |
