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Washburn University announces area students who received degrees for spring and/or summer during May 15 commencement ceremonies.

Area students earning juris doctorate degrees: Holly Oakleaf, Baldwin City; Rebecca Alexander, Zac Kohl, Danielle Sanger, Jonathan Stokes and John Weslander, Lawrence; Cameron Willcott, Linwood; and Britain Stites, Tonganoxie.

Area students earning master’s degrees: Coelet Galloway, criminal justice; Robert Messinger, curriculum and instruction, Stoffer Scholar; and Alexandria Rodenbeek, social work, Lawrence.

Area students earning bachelor’s degrees:

De Soto — Jessica Lusk, communication; Marie Caldwell, health services administration; and Jessica Oberhelman, elementary education, summa cum laude.

Lawrence — Lauren Acheson, physical education; Jesse Allen, anthropology; Adrienne Baars, human services; Jacob Bolm, technology administration; Katherine Brandt, physical education; Matthew Britton, health services administration; Andrew Brown, human services; Jenna Brown, nursing; Scott Bush, forensic chemical science, cum laude; Donnie Clancy, health services administration; Jacob Dietrich, physical education; Staci Dobbins, nursing; Terry Downing, social work; Neisha Fernandes, nursing; Joe Harrell, elementary education; Sara Heckman, history, magna cum laude; Amanda Henley, sociology; Adam Madl, biology, cum laude; Sandra McCann, art; Andrew Moskow, political science, summa cum laude; Jenna Mumford, physical education; Casey Owens, marketing, cum laude, School of Business Scholar; Lisa Pearse, nursing, summa cum laude, School of Nursing Scholar; Ashley Peterson, nursing; Brian Pokorny, physical education; Asha Pruitt, accounting; Christina Robinson, nursing; Jason Ross, accounting; Katharine Rowden, nursing; Beth Ryszewski, psychology; Kenneth Smith, management; Lauren Smith, nursing; Lindsay Swartzendruber, elementary education, magna cum laude; Jeffrey Tildes, health services administration; and Melissa Welch, nursing.

McLouth — Victoria King, nursing, cum laude.

Oskaloosa — Cody Heston, biology, summa cum laude.

Overbrook — Joshua King, mass media, summa cum laude; Kimberlynn Uhl, biology, cum laude; Lilly Varner, biology, cum laude; Kylie Wiscombe, nursing, summa cum laude, School of Nursing Scholar.

Perry — Megan Blosser, nursing, School of Nursing Scholar; Allegra Fisher, music performance, summa cum laude; Samantha Hackathorn, communication; Jason Reed, accounting; and Travis Sieve, biology.

Tonganoxie — Gwendolyn Burns, accounting, School of Business Scholar.

Area students earning associate degrees: Lynnore Burnham, physical therapist assistant; and Tanner Woods, respiratory therapy, Lawrence; Veronica Knudsen, design technology, Nolan Putnam, radiologic technology, and Andrea Williams, physical therapist assistant, Perry; and Scott Blanka, radiologic technology, Tonganoxie.

Area students earning certificates: Brittanie Dick, surgical technology, Lawrence.

Emporia State University named 12 incoming seniors as Shepherd Scholars at an April 28 ceremony.

The Shepherd Scholars program at ESU was established by Augusta Shepherd and her late husband, R. Hershel Shepherd of Emporia, in 1994.

Area 2010-11 Shepherd Scholars are Ryan Hahn, chemistry, Berryton; Madeline Kilmer, elementary education, Lawrence; and April Robbs, elementary education, Baldwin City.

Valerie Haag has been named a U.S. National Leadership Service Award Winner by the U.S. Achievement Academy, and will appear in the USAA’s Official Yearbook which is published nationally. The Academy selects USAA winners based on the Standards of Selection set forth by the Academy.

Haag, a student at Eudora High School, is the daughter of Richard and Elisca Haag of Eudora.

Kansas University Up ’til Dawn presented a check of $27,693 to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital at the April 25 KU baseball game against Texas Tech University. Jake Louis of Kansas City, Kan., accepted the check on behalf of St. Jude. Last October, nearly 300 KU students participated in the event.

Twenty-four Emporia State University students received special recognition at the 26th annual Teachers College Honors Banquet on May 7. A total of 42 undergraduate students were recognized for having grade-point averages of 3.8 or higher.

Jennifer Gibson, of Lawrence, earned a graduate award in for excellence in the department of instructional design and technology.

Area undergraduate students recognized were: Marcie Fundis, Berryton; Kira Barker, Karen Kroge and Jacob Kucza, all of Lawrence.

Alicia Kellogg, Lawrence; Haley Holwick, McLouth; and Lindsey Ottensmeier, Oskaloosa; were among 17 Washburn University School of Applied Studies students recently inducted into the Alpha Mu Omicron chapter of the Phi Theta Kappa honor society. To be eligible for membership, students must have a grade-point average of 3.5 or higher.

Christopher Meinhardt, Lawrence, has been named to the dean’s list for the 2009-10 winter quarter at DePaul University in Chicago, by earning a cumulative grade-point average of 3.5 or higher.

Blake Dickson, Lawrence, earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Centenary College of Louisiana in Shreveport, La., during the college’s commencement exercises on May 8.

Karen Kroge, Lawrence, a social sciences education major at Emporia State University, was one of 12 seniors nominated for the Dwight & Ida Curry Newberg awards which were presented at an April 26 banquet at the campus.

University of Nebraska-Lincoln announces area students named to the dean’s list/honor roll for the 2009 fall semester. The minimum grade-point requirement for the deans’ list/honor roll varies by school from 3.5 to 3.7.

Area students are: Cole Mickens, sophomore, computer engineering major, Berryton; and Kaylen Fleming, sophomore, English major; Maxwell Gregoire, junior, physics major; and Colby Sostarich, freshman, theatre major, all of Lawrence.

Genny Salvatore, a graduate of Free State High School and the daughter of Mark and Pat Salvatore of Lawrence, was one of nine student athletes recognized at the University of Arkansas Razorback Scholar-Athlete Awards Event for maintaining a 4.0 grade-point average for the last three terms. Salvatore, a Razorback gymnast, is a sophomore and was also named to the Southeastern Conference Winter Academic Honor Roll. She earned SEC Academic honors as a freshman, along with being named to the National Association of Collegiate Gymnastics Coaches/Women Academic Team.

William Woods University, Fulton, Mo., presented the Order of the Owl Award to Dana K. Anderson of Los Angeles during Alumni Weekend, April 23-24.

The Order of the Owl Award is designed to honor spouses of William Woods alumni who have shown a special interest in promoting and supporting the activities of the university.

Anderson is the husband of Sue Anderson, who graduated from WWU in 1961. He earned a bachelor’s degree in business from Kansas University in 1959 and is a major donor to KU athletic facilities including the Anderson Family Football Complex.

In 2008, Anderson Arena, inside the Helen Stephens Sports Complex at WWU, was named in honor of Dana and Sue Anderson, who were instrumental in making the refurbishment of that facility possible.

Katelin Harrell, Lawrence, is the recipient of Washburn University’s Communication Award Scholarship for the 2010-11 academic year. Harrell, a junior, is majoring in communication, with a legal emphasis, and psychology.

A member of the University Honors Program, Harrell participated in mock trial and was recently inducted into the Ichabod Chapter of Mortar Board, a national honor society that recognizes students for superior achievement in scholarship, leadership and service.

Taylor Mitchell, a senior at Free State High School, has received a President’s Award scholarship to attend the Columbus College of Art & Design in Columbus, Ohio. The merit scholarship was awarded based on an art portfolio competition judged by a team of CCAD faculty.

Mitchell will begin her studies this fall and plans to major in illustration. She is the daughter of John and Pam Mitchell, Lawrence.

Drew Kemerling, a senior at Lawrence High School, has received a Presidential Scholarship to attend Midway College in Midway, Ky. The academic merit scholarship was awarded based on GPA and ACT scores. 

Kemerling will begin her studies this fall and plans to major in English and equine journalism. She is the daughter of Dan and Staci Warner, Lawrence.

The St. John Mexican Fiesta Scholarship committee announces its 2010 scholarship recipients: Daisy Munoz, daughter of Rafael and Irene Munoz; Abigail Ramos, daughter of Richard and April Ramos; Raymond Hall, son of Charles and Sarah Tunget; Gabriela Otero, daughter of Luis and Sandra Otero; Raquel Rodriquez, daughter of Joe and Anna Rodriquez; and Nicholas Gamboa, son of Jess and Sara Gamboa.

Jennifer Kane graduated May 15 with bachelor degrees in photojournalism and political science from Western Kentucky University in Bowling Green, Ky.

Kane, the daughter of Larry and Nancy Kane of Lawrence, was the original student contributor to the Lawrence Journal-World’s “Double Take” column.

Matthew Abel, the son of Chris and Theresa Abel, Eudora, graduated cum laude May 1 with an associate degree from Northern Oklahoma College in Enid, Okla.

Sara Humm, Ottawa, was among a group of Ottawa University students in an advertising strategies course that researched the USS Sequoia Presidential Yacht and developed sample promotional campaign materials for the yacht’s Preservation Trust and 85th Anniversary Celebration, to be held in 2011. The students then traveled to present their campaign ideas to trust administrators on the yacht May 2-5 in Washington, D.C.

Kansas Wesleyan University, Salina, announces area students named to its president’s and dean’s honor rolls for the spring 2010 semester. To be named to the president’s honor roll, students must earn a grade-point average of at least 3.75; those with a grade-point average between 3.25 and 3.74 were named to the dean’s honor roll.

Austin Hoover, Eudora, was named to the president’s honor roll.

Named to the dean’s honor roll were Marlon Beach, Lawrence; Baily Kraus-Delana, Linwood; and Melissa Whitney, De Soto.

Heidi TenPas, Lawrence, earned a bachelor’s degree with honors in global studies May 13 from Barrett, the Honors College at Arizona State University, Tempe. Her honors thesis was about a rural Ugandan community and its food supply.

The department of political science at Kansas University honored its top students at its annual honors banquet April 29 at Alvamar Country Club.

Thirty-one students were inducted into the Gamma chapter of Pi Sigma Alpha, a national political science honor society. The department also awarded other scholarships and cash awards.

Receiving awards were: Bruce Blair, Laura Dean, Timothy Hagen, Brenna Hawley and Nicholas Howard, Pi Sigma Alpha Honor Society; Whitney Court, Political Science Outstanding GTA Award; Whitney Court, Laura Dean, Pedro Dos Santos, Matthew Miles and Heather Yates, Walter Thompson Scholarships; Pedro Dos Santos, Joseph P. Harris Fellowship; and Michael Fonkert, Elizabeth and Carl Gustafson Scholarship.

William Malcolm, Lawrence, earned a master’s degree in sport and exercise science from the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley during commencement ceremonies May 7-8.

Lawrence students receiving bachelor’s degrees during May 7 and 8 commencement exercises at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln were: Lindsay Ewy, business administration; Jennifer Lippert, education and human sciences; and Marthe McDonald, business administration. Anne Martin Gurss earned a master’s degree in special education.