Student Spotlights
Fall 2024 - Spring 2025 Student Spotlights
Check out the many awards and accomplishments that our Honors students have received recently. You can also read about past Student Spotlights in our archive.
Carly Gist is named a 2025 Les Brownlee Scholarship Winner. The $5,000 award is given annually to a journalism student from Illinois in honor of the late Les Brownlee, a trailblazing journalist and the first Black president of the Chicago Headline Club. Read more
Penny Bordewick (first from right) is one of the proud recipients of the SIU System Distinguished Student Service Awards.
Madeleine Barhaug, majoring in Classics and Art History, received a Top Poster Award at the 2025 SIU Creative Activities and Research Presentation Day for her Honors thesis, "The Faceless Dead: Unfinished Portraiture on Roman Sarcophagi.
Parker Handley wins the award for best supporting actress at the MCM Red Carpet.
Natalie Eves is one of only five students across the nation to be elected to represent students on the National Collegiate Honors Council Board. Read more
Congratulations Avery Martin for participating in the SIMCODES Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program at Iowa State University.
This NSF-funded program offers hands on research experiences in computational chemistry, biochemistry, and computer science. For ten weeks, participants engage in developing software, simulations, and analysis techniques aimed at designing next-generation enzymatic catalysts.
Avery's project focuses on enhancing computational modeling of metal-protein interactions using machine learning. Her research integrates quantum chemistry methods with data-driven approaches to improve predictions of metal-ion binding in biological systems, contributing to advancements in drug discovery and bio-engineering.
Congratulations Elisa Lopez for being awarded the James E Randall best student paper by the Association of Marketing Theory and Practice Conference, March 29-April 1, 2025, South Carolina.
Congratulations to Morgan Lane for receiving the Susan C Thrasher Undergraduate Research award.
Congratulations to Natalie Eves on receiving the 2025–2026 Susan C. Thrasher Award and to Santonio Resonno on being honored with the 2025 REACH Award. Way to go, both of you!🎈✨😊
Congratulations to Sarah Ramsey (pictured above) and Natalie Eves (pictured below) for their outstanding participation in creative activities and the Research Presentation Forum. We're proud of your achievements—way to go! ✨📚🎈
Congratulations Katie Morwick for being selected to join the JET (Japan Exchange and Teaching Program). The award enables you to teach English to students in public and private schools throughout Japan.
From Katie: SIUC is a special place to me! When I arrived as a transfer student two years ago, integrating myself seemed like such a daunting task. I am thankful to have been involved with many fun organizations during my time here: SPC, Japanese Table, Conversation Partners, and University Honors. With my acceptance to the JET program, I am very honored to be able to represent SIUC!
The picture is from my study abroad in Japan last summer. Deer on Miyajima Island are famously very friendly!
We are delighted to share that Carly Gist published a report on the Missouri storm on the live blog of the New York Times. From the Daily Egyptian to the Times while still in school - that's the way to go, Carly.
Honors students from SIU Carbondale joined students and others at the Fuller Dome Center for Sustainability and Spirituality on SIU Edwardsville campus last week. They spent two full days immersed in world resource simulations that discussed the most pressing problems in the world and the region. A reboot of Buckminster Fuller’s World Game, these simulations generated dialogue centered around Fuller’s challenge to “make the world work for 100% of humanity.” Students from SIUC were hosted by Edwardsville Honors students for their stay.
Pictured (from left): Torre Huffines (SIUE), Shreya Acharya (SIUE), Kevin Ngowi (SIUE), Alliah Bombias (SIUC), Rahilly Machado (SIUC), Eli Collinsworth (SIUC), Vincent Arena (conference participant from New York).
Congratulations to Ananiah Barbee for receiving an Internship at Oak Ridge National Laboratory where she will be turning eucalyptus plants in airplane fuel. This internship is being sponsored through the Department of Energy.
Natalie Eves presented her paper, The Osteobiography of Life in Medieval Hungary: The Case of Individual 823, at the American Association of Biological Anthropologists over Spring break. It was based on her research in paleo-pathology and developmental defects in the culturally Hungarian part of Romania.
Prisha Kittu(1st from left) and Anna Rodgers (1st from right) just returned from presenting their research at the Honors Council of the Illinois Region Annual Student Symposium 2025, Governors State University, IL. An intense day of learning and sharing - where many remembered the 2024 symposium we had hosted on our campus.
Natalie Eves (2nd from right) Honors Assembly co-president recently attended the National Collegiate Honors Council conference planning session in San Diego as one of her first commitments as a new student board member. Way to represent SIU Honors at the national level, Natalie! 🎉
Carly Gist received one the 15 positions available for the three week (May 18 – June 7) Radio in the American Sector Berlin Commission program for U.S. Broadcast Journalists! Congratulations Carly!
Honors Assembly is planning out the Spring 2025 semester. Look out for socials, study sessions, and other events. Interested in knowing more? Email the co-presidents: Natalie Eves (natalie.eves@siu.edu) or Anna Rodgers (anna.rodgers@siu.edu)
Elisa Lopez, majoring in Business with a minor in Spanish is rounding out her senior year with a McNair Scholarship and paper presentation (accepted with travel support) by the Association of Marketing Theory & Practice (AMTP) 2025. This year’s conference is hosted by Georgia Southern University Parker College of Business and will be held between March 30 - April 2, 2025.
Annabel Carr has won the Margaret Messer Student Research Grant, 2024-25 from HCIR (Honors Council of the Illinois Region) for her work in Psychology with Dr. Yee Pin Tio on the correlation between experiencing childhood emotional abuse/childhood neglect and depression, looking at resiliency as a moderator. Along with Annabel, the other members of the research team are Kaiyah Adams, Elizabeth Lipscomb, and Eli Quinn.
Natalie Eves, Co-president of the Honors Assembly has been chosen to be a member of the Student Affairs Committee for the NCHC (National Collegiate Honors Council)! We are proud to have her represent our Honors Program and look forward to the ideas she will bring back for us from the National Honors Community.
Noah Clark, graduates at 19, SIU News highlights Noah's accomlishments. Read here
Carly Gist (Journalism, on the right) and Justyce Petty (Political Science) are awarded the Pat Browne Undergraduate Award, Midwest Popular Culture Association.
The extreme always seems to make an impression: How HEATHERS’ Portrayal of the Glorification of Mental Illness Went From Warning to Reality in the Age of Social Media, at the Midwest Popular Culture Association Conference, Chicago, October 4-6, 2024. Despite not being theater majors, they say, "we are very passionate about the arts, as well as mental health awareness." That's the Honors ethos: Learn. Lead. Serve. Read more on the power of interdisciplinary research
Gladis Sunny, Annabelle Barnes, and Reese Billingsley win the 2024 Portz Fellowship award from the NCHC. 
Sarah Lukavsky wins the 2024 Southern Illinois University System Distinguished Student Service Award.
The award recognizes students “whose acts of service are demonstrative of excellence and exemplary commitment to the support, advancement and achievement of fellow students, their campus, and their community.” Sarah is a first-generation college student, graduating this May with an outstanding academic record (3.985 GPA and a McNair Scholarship), majoring in Zoology with a specialization in Wildlife Biology and a minor in Environmental Studies. She is also the outgoing President of the Honors assembly. Congratulations Sarah! We wish you every success.
Past Student Spotlights
Fall 2023 - Spring 2024
Honors students win the Margaret Messer Research Award
Congratulations to Gladys Sunny, Reese Billingsley, and Jabriyel Banister for winning the Margaret Messer Research Award awarded by the Honors Council of the Illinois Region. They won the award for the med-design research they are doing with Drs. James Lynch and Lingguo Bu, designing ring splints in the Honors Design Lab.
Israel Ruiz conducted research in a summer REU at Penn State University
Israel Ruiz conducted research in a summer REU at Penn State University, investigating if there was a co-relation between salts and radioactive species in groundwater systems nearby oil and gas wells in the state of Pennsylvania.
Isreal is looking forward to his internship with the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute at Springfield in the coming school year. This interest in working in the political domain as a scientist is a hallmark of Honors education: LEARN. LEAD. SERVE.
Aleida Iriarte and Maddy Johnson win the 2023 Above and Beyond Award
Aleida Iriarte (Left) and Maddy Johnson (Right), were recognized for the 2023 Above and Beyond Award at the 2nd annual Women of Action Awards Ceremony. This award aims to recognize a current student of SIUC with a go-getter mindset and a drive that ignites her spirit to achieve beyond expectations. Read more
Alexis Hamon is the SIUC nominee for the 49th Lincoln Laureate Award!
“Winning this award means the world to me,” Hamon said. “I am so grateful for this incredible nomination, and I’m honored to represent SIU.”
As SIU’s Lincoln Laureate for the year, Hamon said she hopes to inspire other students to take advantage of all SIU has to offer and to encourage them to put their passion to good use in the community. With a projected May 2024 graduation date, Hamon currently is applying to medical schools.
Katherine Held publishes her paper, Defending ESG Fiduciary Duty, in Aesthesis: The Interdisciplinary Honors Journal, Vol. 14 No. 1 (2023). The paper is based on her senior thesis, advised by Dr. Kevin Sylwester, Professor and Interim Director, The School of Analytics, Finance, and Economics.
Myla Croft is the SIUC nominee for the 48th Lincoln Laureate Award!
Chancellor Austin Lane came over to Honors to recognize Myla Croft, as the Southern Illinois University Carbondale nominee for the 48th Annual Lincoln Academy Student Laureate Award. Myla is an Honors student who is pursuing a major in Political Science with a minor in global studies and a specialization in pre-law. She is a McNair Scholar, features on the Dean’s List and recipient of the Senator Penny Severns Public Service scholarship and the African American Achievement scholarship. Her goal is to practice immigration law and represent asylum seekers, refugees, and other immigrants.
Honors Students present their research at the HCIR Conference
SIUC Honors students attend the Honors Council of the Illinois Region (HCIR) Student Symposium hosted by Lewis and Clark Community College on February 25, 3023. Five of our students presented of various panels related to Ethics, Legislation, & Rights, Human Interactions, and Perspectives on Education.
Ryan Jurich won third place in the paper competition and Meredith Hunt recieved Honorable Mention for her presentation.
The Student Spotlight highlights University Honors Program students for their hard work, dedication, and passion for Southern Illinois University and the University Honors Program. The students are nominated by mentors, faculty, and/or other students for displaying impressive qualities during their time in the University Honors Program. These students participate in various activities including RSOs, research, volunteer opportunities, internships, and many more while doing great work in the classroom.
Fall 2022 - Spring 2023
Myla Croft and David Hernandez present their research at the McNair's Scholars Summer Research Symposium.
Myla Croft, an Honors student at Southern Illinois University Carbondale’s Department of Political Science, presented her research with Dr. Stephen Bloom on "Politics Prevails: A Comparative Analysis of Trump and Biden's Executive Actions on Mexican Asylum Seeker."
David Hernandez, an Honors student at Southern Illinois University Carbondale’s Department of Biological Sciences, presented his research with Dr. Kamal Ibrahim on"Mapping Gene Flow and Biodiversity Across the Mississippi River Using Landscape Genetics and DNA Barcoding of Formicidae". Read more.
Arianna Goss wins the McGaw health administration scholarship
Arianna Goss, a junior in Southern Illinois University Carbondale’s Health Care Management program, is the recipient of the 2021 Foster G. McGaw Scholarship from the Association of University Programs in Health Administration (AUPHA). Read more.
She has also published with Drs. Sandy Collins and Jessica Catlado, "Feasibility of Virtual Reality for Mental Health in Long-Term Care in Rural Populations" in the Journal of Aging and Long Term Care. 2022 5 (1).
Miriam Hoffman completed her term of National FFA Eastern Region Vice President. She was the first National FFA officer to be elected from Illinois in 14 years. She reflects on the 2021 National FFA Convention and walking off the stage for the last time.
Francesca Burkett is the 2021 Lincoln Academy of Illinois student laureate for Southern Illinois University Carbondale
Francesca Burkett is pursuing two degrees, a BA and BS, and double majoring in History and Geology (Geophysics Specialization; minors in Mathematics, Ancient Practices, and Environmental Studies). The academic range is quite extraordinary in itself, but what makes it truly valuable is Francesca’s commitment to service, and to giving back to the community. Read more
David Hernandez wins the Delta Scholars award
David will be joining a cohort of nationally selected students in the Delta Scholars Program (2021) at the Shackouls Honors College at Mississippi State University. Faculty and guest lecturers, from a range of disciplines, will engage with students on issues currently challenging the people and the economy of Mississippi, including food insecurity, public health, education, and more. In Fall 2021, the group will reconvene at Harvard University, Cambridge, MA to share updates on their projects and discuss how those lessons might be applied to solving other problems in or outside of Mississippi.