Hallie Cohen named Outstanding Senior; Dr. Austin Shull ’11 earns Professor of the Year as campus celebrates research, discovery
Presbyterian College celebrated a year of academic achievement, research, and discovery April 9 during its annual Honors Day Convocation, the capstone to a day that also featured the Honors Day Symposium for the College of Arts and Sciences and the School of Pharmacy.
Throughout the symposium, students from across disciplines presented their scholarly and creative work—ranging from scientific research and mathematical modeling to literary analysis and artistic expression—highlighting the breadth and depth of inquiry that defines the college’s academic culture.
Opening the convocation, PC president Dr. Anita Gustafson welcomed students, faculty, and families while emphasizing the collaborative and interdisciplinary nature of scholarship at PC.
“Today represents the culmination of a year filled with curiosity, persistence, and intellectual discovery,” Gustafson said. “As I look around this room, I see the future of scholarship and innovation—young minds who have not simply absorbed knowledge, but who have actively contributed to it.”
She pointed to the diversity of student work showcased throughout the day as a reflection of the liberal arts mission.
“Knowledge is not confined to silos, but flows across boundaries, creating new insights at every intersection,” she said, adding that the partnerships between students and faculty mentors embody “the special character of PC—a place where learning happens through relationships and shared intellectual passion.”
Cohen named Outstanding Senior; Shull honored as Professor of the Year
The ceremony’s top student honor—the Outstanding Senior Award—was presented to Hallie Ann Cohen, recognized for her academic excellence, leadership, and service to the college community.
Cohen’s selection capped a remarkable Honors Day, as she was also recognized among recipients of multiple awards, including:
- Eric A. Johnson Fellows Award (co-recipient)
- SGA Leadership recognition for service as former vice president of finance and operations
- Outstanding Senior Departmental Awards in both psychology and public health
Her repeated recognition across academic and leadership categories underscored her impact on campus both inside and outside the classroom.
On the faculty side, Dr. Austin Y. Shull, associate professor of biology and director of the Center for Inquiry, Research, and Scholarship, was named Professor of the Year.
In brief remarks, Shull reflected on the significance of the moment, recalling his own time as a student watching professors receive the same honor.
“I want to confess that this is an incredibly surreal moment,” he said.
He attributed his success not to individual accomplishment, but to the support of others, invoking the words of 19th-century preacher Charles Spurgeon.
“My people pray for me,” Shull said, explaining that his mentors, colleagues, students, and family have all contributed to anything he has achieved.
“My people are the people at Presbyterian College,” he added, closing with a note of gratitude: “Please know that I pray for you.”
Both Cohen and Shull will be featured speakers at PC’s commencement exercises on May 9.
Owens keynote highlights humility, wonder in scholarship
The convocation address was delivered by Dr. Eli T. Owens, associate professor of physics and the 2025 recipient of the Robert H. Freymeyer Award for Meritorious Scholarship.
Speaking on the theme “Humility and Wonder in Scholarship,” Owens challenged students to embrace uncertainty as a necessary part of learning.
He opened with a personal story about his young daughter insisting that he knew everything, a moment that forced him to choose between appearing knowledgeable and admitting he did not have all the answers.
Drawing on the teachings of the Stoic philosopher Epictetus, Owens emphasized that intellectual growth requires humility.
“It is impossible for anyone to learn what he thinks he already knows,” he said.
Owens encouraged students to be “content to be thought foolish” in the pursuit of knowledge, noting that discomfort and uncertainty are essential to discovery.
He paired that humility with a sense of wonder, recalling childhood stories about Einstein’s theory of relativity that first sparked his curiosity about the universe. That same curiosity, he said, continues to drive meaningful scholarship across all disciplines.
I would encourage you all to approach your studies, research, and life with a spirit of humility and wonder, as this spirit gives us the best view of creation.
Dr. Eli T. Owens, Associate Professor of Physics
Award recipients
Individual achievement awards
- Eric A. Johnson Fellows Award: Jason Andrea Briones; Hallie Ann Cohen
- Frank Dudley and Catherine Wyman Jones Award: Cree Augustine
- Fraser Bible Award: Ashley Elizabeth McAtee
- Hay Bible Award: Henlee J. Haynes
- Jean Kirkley Memorial Scholarship: Lyle Thomas Jones
- Joseph Graham Miller Award: Daniel Dalehaug
- Wall Street Journal Student Achievement Award: Mason Polk McDaniel
Major student honors
- American Legion Awards: Sloan Milada Spees; Lyle Thomas Jones
- Fraternity and Sorority Scholastic Awards: Theta Chi; Alpha Delta Pi
- Jack and Jane Presseau Community Service Award: Lyle Thomas Jones
- Joseph O. Nixon Leadership Award: Margaret Victoria Leonard
- Olmert Fellowship: Anna A. Lewallen; Tanya Elizabeth Warren
Outstanding Senior Departmental Awards
- Accounting — Taylor Monroe Reaves
- Biochemistry — Rivers Buchanan Krask
- Biology — Ella Grace Williams
- Computer Science — Eaint Kyal Syn Lynn
- Data Analytics — Vanessa Lynne Palisin
- Economics — Lina Marie Mueller
- Education — Mahala Marie Lackey
- English — Isabel Marie Lasota
- French — Aliza Nicole Hart
- History — Madelyn Lauren Wilkie
- Management — Ashley Elizabeth McAtee
- Marketing — Nigel Shonnessy Butler
- Mathematics — Lyle Thomas Jones
- Physics — Ja’Nya Celis Austin
- Political Science — Aliza Nicole Hart
- Psychology — Hallie Ann Cohen
- Public Health — Hallie Ann Cohen
- Religion — Riley Elizabeth Taylor
- Sociology — Aminata Tal
- Spanish — Yasmeen Maher Rasasi
Endowed chairs and professorships
- Dr. Craig Vondergeest — Emma Bailey and Rev. George H. Cornelson Chair of Christian Religion
- Dr. Kirk Nolan — Ruby K. Phillips Chair in Comparative Religion
- Dr. Julie Meadows — Kirsten Herrington Chair of Bible
- Dr. Clint Harshaw — Charles Ezra Daniel Chair of Mathematics
- Dr. Alicia Askew — Marianne and Elwood Gray Lassiter III Professorship
Faculty research and scholarship awards
- President Emeritus Dr. Kenneth B. Orr Faculty Research Fellowship: Dr. S. Clay Wright
- Robert H. Freymeyer Award for Meritorious Scholarship: Dr. Giovani Estefano Briguente
Honors Day concluded with the singing of the college alma mater, bringing to a close a celebration not only of academic achievement, but of the spirit of inquiry and collaboration that defines Presbyterian College.
As both Owens and Shull suggested in different ways, the day’s recognition pointed to a larger truth: scholarship is not simply about what is known, but about the humility to keep learning—and the community that makes that journey possible.
Griffith Scholars
Yasmeen Maher Rasasi (2022)
Christopher Jaden Davis (2023)
Anna Nance Reynolds (2023)
Ava Madelyn Westhart (2024)
Ezra Marks (2024)
Jackson Tyler Higgs (2025)
Dejah N. Bolden (2025)
Freshman Academic Awards
Lillian Leigh Anderson
Dejah N. Bolden
Jan Henry Boldt
Ayla Marie Cole
Febe Dombrecht
Emmeline Mae Gardner
Samuel Latha Gearheart
Cierra J. Grice
Kaylie Madison Hall
Cameron Rose Hassen
Jackson Tyler Higgs
Abigail Eileen Howard
Ryan Franklin Mann
Andrew Richard Piotrowski
Isabella Lucille Romesburg
Jude Walker Rutherford
Carlisle Hoyt Stanley
Senior Achievement Awards
Lindsey Caroline Barwick
Reece Maclain Bradberry
Jonathan Warner Bush
Autumn Devadney Channer
Hallie Ann Cohen
Madison Lee Crumpton
Amman Elijah Dewberry
Ty Lawrence Englehart
Alexus Jade Hashey
Gavin Drake Johnson
Mahala Marie Lackey
Margaret Victoria Leonard
Izzy Manders-Lamcken
Ashley Elizabeth McAtee
Mason Polk McDaniel
Carlos Gabriel Mercado Jimenez
Kyle Anthony Mueller
Anna Corena Ruiz
Brooklyn Hope Shephard-Wheelon
Sloan Milada Spees
Zebulon John Stroup
Denim Yadav
Academic Excellence Awards
Lydia Usama Awadalla
Brady Andrew Bendig
Reece Maclain Bradberry
Hallie Ann Cohen
Blair Elizabeth Darby
Mckenzie Riley Davis
Peyton Brooke Duncan
Emma Lewis Erwin
Abigayle Kay Ferris
Aliza Nicole Hart
Elyse Isabella Hutchinson
Maggie Elizabeth Jones
Mahala Marie Lackey
Isabel Marie Lasota
Margaret Victoria Leonard
Peter Edmond Lipscombe
Lindsey Marie Malyszek
Mason Polk McDaniel
Carlos Gabriel Mercado Jimenez
Kyle Anthony Mueller
Lina Marie Mueller
Matthew Thomas Nelson
Vanessa Lynne Palisin
Natalie Anne Paxton
Yasmeen Maher Rasasi
Taylor Monroe Reaves
Anna Corena Ruiz
Sloan Milada Spees
Caden Mitchell Stonell
Zebulon John Stroup
Avery Brynn West
Spencer Coker Wieters
Ella Grace Williams
Madilyn Marie Wood
Denim Yadav
Alpha Alpha Alpha
Cree Augustine
Ja’Nya Celis Austin
Abigail Ivey Baggott
Lindsey Barwick
Lillie Grace Burns
Brandon James Campbell
Autumn Devadney Channer
Madison Lee Crumpton
Madison Grace Duncan
Timber J. Edmonds
Ray Figueroa
Jennifer Godinez Perez
A’yanna Jakarla Daisy Hawthorne
Henlee J. Haynes
Courtney Nicole Kirby
Madison Olivia Lee
Lilly Marie Lutrell
Emanuel Macedonio-Vergara
Alexandra Alyssa McAllister
Kaitlyn Elizabeth McAllister
Anastasia N. McAteer
Josue Alexander Navarro Melgar
Ariana N. Nelson
Garrett Tyler Oliver
Katherine Maria Osborn
Corey Scott Reynolds
Reagan Lynne Riddick
Theodore Roosevelt Rowe, Jr.
Morvens Saint Jean
Mattison Rae Scott
Eric Michael Slacum
Justin Slacum
Kacie Lynn Tharin
Annalise I. Turner
Olivia Diana Waller
Beta Beta Beta
Hannah Noelle Austin
Lydia Usama Awadalla
Reece Maclain Bradberry
Jianna M. Branyon
Peyton Brooke Duncan
Jennifer Godinez-Perez
Henlee J. Haynes
Elyse Isabella Hutchinson
Maggie Elizabeth Jones
Rivers Buchanan Krask
Olivia Grace Lee
Margaret Victoria Leonard
Anna A. Lewallen
Lilly Marie Luttrell
Lindsey Marie Malyszek
Isabel Manders-Lamcken
Ashley LaDora Occean
Natalie Anne Paxton
Yasmeen Maher Rasasi
Shelley Christine Ricks
Anna Corena Ruiz
Tanya Elizabeth Warren
Alana N. White
Ella Grace Williams
Kappa Delta Pi
Madison Lee Crumpton
Abigayle Kay Ferris
Victoria Michelle Weaver
Omicron Delta Kappa
Reece Maclain Bradberry
Emily Rhea Brown
Jonathan Warner Bush
Hallie Ann Cohen
Blair Elizabeth Darby
Keith Phillip Elmore, Jr.
Emma Lewis Erwin
Abigayle Kay Ferris
Noah Benjamin Kaufman
Mahala Marie Lackey
Margaret Victoria Leonard
Nathan J. Levicki
Anna A. Lewallen
Molly G. Mattas
Emma Claire Mills
Vanessa Lynne Palisin
Natalie Anne Paxton
Aidan Murray Pender
Kaylie Shea Rittmueller
Anna Corena Ruiz
George F. Schodowski
Courtney Antonise Williams
Ella Grace Williams
Phi Alpha Theta
Reece Maclain Bradberry
Emily Rhea Brown
Jonathan Warner Bush
Hallie Ann Cohen
Blair Elizabeth Darby
Keith Phillip Elmore, Jr.
Emma Lewis Erwin
Abigayle Kay Ferris
Noah Benjamin Kaufman
Mahala Marie Lackey
Margaret Victoria Leonard
Nathan J. Levicki
Anna A. Lewallen
Molly G. Mattas
Emma Claire Mills
Vanessa Lynne Palisin
Natalie Anne Paxton
Aidan Murray Pender
Pi Sigma Alpha
Kayleigh Eliza Aitken
Nathan Arroyo
Olivia Karys Ballard
Mckenzie Riley Davis
Rylianna M. Hancheck
Aliza Nicole Hart
Rebecca Caroline King
Kaitlin Elizabeth Marquis
Joann Elizabeth Pamphilon
Ladson Ross Porter
Amelia M. Rhyne
Hannah J. Savage
Ava Madelyn Westhart
Grace Kathryn York
Psi Chi
Olivia Karys Ballard
Emily Rhea Brown
Hallie Ann Cohen
Christopher Jaden Davis
Abigayle Kay Ferris
Amy Yanina Figueroa
Ashley Lawson Flynn
Alexus Jade Hashey
Julia Grace Karriker
Mahala Marie Lackey
Anjali Hayven Lada
Anna A. Lewallen
Emilia Chiara Lieber
Lilly Marie Luttrell
Alexandra Alyssa McAllister
Yasmeen Maher Rasasi
Kaylie S. Rittmueller
Anna Corena Ruiz
Lauren P. Smoak
Sigma Beta Delta
Tradd Lawson Bishop
Elijah Rosser Bowery
Carson Ann Brazell
Nigel Shonnessy Butler
Lyla Wootton Chadd
Mary Catherine Dailey
Dalton McKay Epps
Emma Lewis Erwin
Gabriel Kansas Gilstrap
Andrew Spence Hagood
Jon-Jaden Brian Harrell
Llewellyn Ruth Hyde
Anastasia Johnson
Noah Benjamin Kaufman
Emilia Chiara Lieber
Peter Edmond Lipscombe
Ashley Elizabeth McAtee
Mason Polk McDaniel
Joseph A. Meetze
William S. Meetze
Carlos Gabriel Mercado Jimenez
Kyle Anthony Mueller
Taylor Davis Muir
Madelyn Grace Peake
Joshua Pickett
Taylor Monroe Reaves
Jacob Rodney Smith
Justin Reed Smith
Paige Nicole Wehrmeister
Julia Marie Yurkovich
Sigma Delta Pi
Yasmeen Maher Rasasi
Sigma Pi Sigma
Keith Phillip Elmore
Christopher Gallegos
Joshua J. Henderson
Jaden Holder
Avery A. Michowski
Hunter Drake Satterfield
Ryan Patrick-Edward Sullivan
Daniel August Xiao Le Woodard
Veby Nagi Youssef
Sigma Tau Delta
Reece Maclain Bradberry
Emma Lewis Erwin
