Middle school students from across the state of Kansas performed in the honor choir for the National Teachers Hall of Fame induction ceremonies on June 17 in Emporia.

Students performing: Baldwin Junior High School, directed by Beth Nelson, Nick Patrick, Amy Pouliot, Josh Swarb and Sierra Wilson; and Ottawa Middle School, directed by Bonnie Wilhoit, Braden Bell, Jordan Griffey, Brooke Heppler, Allie Sanford and Brady Stoy.

More than 50 students are new members of Kansas State University’s chapter of Phi Beta Kappa, the nation’s oldest and most prestigious academic honor society. To be eligible for membership consideration, a student must be a junior or a senior with a grade-point average of at least 3.7. New members included Whitley Jackson, Lawrence.

Free State High School, Southwest Middle School and Langston Hughes all claimed first place team trophies, in the K-12, K-8 and K-5 divisions, Nov. 12 at the Southwest Middle School Chess Tournament. Sunset Hills earned the second place trophy in K-3, while West Middle School (K-8), Prairie Park (K-5) and Sunflower (K-3) all placed third. Three Lawrence players also claimed individual championships: Aaron Simon, FSHS (K-12), Kiana Hajiarbabi, Southwest (K-8) and Jack Easton, Lawrence Virtual School (K-5).

Other medalists in K-12 were: Sam Beaulieu, FSHS, second; Venkata Malladi, FSHS, fourth; Joseph Miller, FSHS, seventh; Kaustubh Nimkar, Lawrence High School, 13th; Ryan Duan, Quail Run, 16th; Thomas Peterson, LHS, 17th; Andrei Elliott, FSHS, 20th; Lane Quick, LHS, 21st; Robert Newman, LHS, 22nd; Owen McFadden, LHS, 23rd; and Tom Brooks, FSHS, 24th.

In K-8: Apramay Mishra, Southwest, second; John Ely, Southwest, third; Shahrzad Hajiarbabi, Southwest, seventh; Kelsey Jian, Southwest, ninth; Emilynn Wettengel, Central Middle School, 10th; Ting-Ting Shi, Southwest, 13th; Jeffrey Wilson, Southwest, 14th; Michael Pate, West Middle School, 15th; Bennett Haase-Divine, West, 16th; Alex Trujillo, West, 17th; Camaron Edgecomb, West, 18th; Diane Camarda, West, 21st; Lily Kenn, West, 24th; and Tristen Gillespie, Southwest, 25th.

In K-5: Lincoln Edgecomb, Sunset Hills, fifth; Liam Hoey-Kummerow, Cordley, sixth; Shrivatsa Malladi, Lanston Hughes, seventh; Jasmine Mihu, Prairie Park, eighth; Andrew Wettengel, Cordley, 10th; Sebi Brown, Cordley, 12th; William Schellman, Prairie Park, 13th; Tyson Dent, Langston Hughes, 17th; Elisabeth Haase-Divine, Sunset Hills, 21st; Rajin Nagpa, Sunflower, 22nd; Myles Palmer, Langston Hughes, 23rd; and Ethan Carroll, Langston Hughes, 25th.

In K-3: Caleb Prescott, Sunset Hills, second; Dylan Gillespie, Sunflower, seventh; Bryce Erickson, Raintree, 12th; Logan Camarda, Sunset Hills, 13th; Oliver Rubenstein, Raintree, 14th; Kyle Devore, Quail Run, 16th; George Burdick, Quail Run, 17th; Arthur Benson, Hillcrest, 18th; Mikah Beaty, Cordley, 19th; Keaton Xu, Sunflower, 21st; and Jocelyn Hartley, Sunset Hills, 24th.

Lauren Kelly, Lawrence, was named to the spring 2011 dean’s list at Bradley University in Peoria, Ill., by achieving at least a 3.5 grade-point average.

Lawrence Youth Symphony, members of orchestra and band students in grades 7-10, will present a fall concert. The orchestra, directed by Lynn Basow, who is assisted by Pat Transue, will perform on Sunday at Liberty Memorial Central Middle School Auditorium, 1400 Mass. The free concert begins at 2 p.m. with a reception following.

The Kress Foundation Department of Art History at Kansas University announced its awards for excellence for the 2010-11 academic year during the 36th annual Amsden Awards Ceremony on May 6.

Amsden Book Award winners were: Julia Barnard, Lauren Callahan and Shannon Craft, Lawrence; Derek Hanson, Oskaloosa; and Adam Vossen, Tecumseh.

Academic Excellence Scholarship winner: Mindy Besaw, Lawrence.

Marilyn Stokstad Award winners were: Jennifer Friess and Megan Young, Lawrence.

Stokstad Spencer Museum of Art Award winner: Lauren Smith, Lawrence.

Esther Young, Lawrence, was awarded an associate degree in nursing May 6 from Park University in Parkville, Mo.

Kansas University’s Alpha chapter of Phi Beta Kappa academic honor society initiated 93 new members on May 21. To be eligible, students must have senior status and a minimum grade-point average of 3.65.

New members are: Lillian Boyce, Laura Davis, Emily Folks, Isaac McPheeters, Adela Timmons and Gerald Wohletz Jr., Lawrence; Megan Miller, Bonner Springs; and Claire Hinrichsen, Lecompton.

Columbia College, Columbia, Mo., announces area student’s named to its dean’s list.

Elizabeth Powell, Lawrence, was named to the Adult Higher Education dean’s list for the January to May 2011 award period. To be eligible, a student must have completed 12 semester hours in a 16-week period and achieved a minimum grade-point average of 3.5.

Jacob Kirkpatrick, Basehor, was named to the spring 2011 dean’s list, by achieving a minimum grade-point average of 3.5.

Dallas Blocker, Lawrence, graduated with a bachelor’s degree in general studies this spring from Youngstown State University in Youngstown, Ohio.

Ethan Fischer, a graduate of Free State High School, was accepted to St. Cloud State University in St. Cloud, Minn., on an admissions scholarship. He will attend St. Cloud State this fall.

Martin Blanchard and Autumn Hickam, both of Lawrence, were named to the spring 2011 dean’s list at Macalester College in St. Paul, Minn., by achieving a grade-point average of at least 3.75.

Austin Baragary, Tonganoxie, has been selected to represent the Office of the President at William Jewell College, in Liberty, Mo., by serving as a cardinal host to guests and visitors for the 2011-12 school year.

McPherson College announces its new and re-elected members of the board of trustees, elected in March.

Richard Doll, Lawrence, has been re-elected to serve a second five-year term until 2016. Doll was also elected in March to a three-year term as chair of the board beginning in July. Doll is the superintendent of USD 497.

William Jewell College, Liberty, Mo., announces area students named to the 2011 spring dean’s list by earning a grade-point average at of least a 3.5.

Area students included: Desiree Marmon and Savannah Rieke, Eudora; Austin Baragary and Cally Owsley, Tonganoxie.

Martin and Katie Delaney, Fort Bragg, Fayetteville, N.C., announce the birth of their son, Martin Maxwell Delaney, on Oct. 26, 2011, at Womack Army Medical Center in Fort Bragg.

His grandparents are Steve and Lori Krysztof, Baldwin City, and Rick and Paula Reeder, Ewing, Mo.

Ella Altenbernd and Justin Esau, both of Lawrence, and Austin Baragary and Cally Owsley, both of Tonganoxie, received honors at the Celebration of Honors April 15 at William Jewell College in Liberty, Mo.

Altenbernd was named a Distinguished Graduate in Psychology; Esau received the Outstanding Senior Philosophy Major Academic Award; Baragary received the Hilltop Monitor Newcomer of the Year Award; and Owsley received the Frank H. Fristoe Scholarship for achievement in chemistry.

Tyler Arachtingi and Samantha Wheeler, both of Lawrence, were named to the spring 2011 Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs’ List at Truman State University in Kirksville, Mo., by attaining a grade-point average between 3.5 to 3.99.

More than 700 undergraduate, graduate and nursing students at Baker University received degrees during commencement ceremonies May 14 and May 22.

Earning Bachelor of Science degrees: Aaron Hannon, Annie Hannon, William Moore and Chad Rice, Baldwin City; Austin DeGraeve, De Soto; Carrie Lister, Eudora; Jenna Brantley, Tad Eubanks, Hillary Long and Kyle Weinmaster, Lawrence; Kylie Campbell, McLouth; and Brooke Pryor, Overbrook.

Earning a Bachelor of Art degree: Genevieve Des Marteau, Lawrence.

Madison Frehe, De Soto, was named to the 2011 spring dean’s list at Central College in Pella, Iowa., by achieving a 3.5 grade-point average or higher.