Awards and honors were presented by Dean Philippe Fauchet to seniors at the School of Engineering’s annual Commencement Reception at the University Club, May 8.
Kasey Rebecca Hill, from Huntsville, Ala., is the recipient of the 2014 Founder’s Medal for the School of Engineering. She graduated with a bachelor of engineering in electrical engineering.
Hill is a Cornelius Vanderbilt Scholar, a recipient of the Paul Harrawood Honors Undergraduate Scholarship, and a member of Tau Beta Pi, Mortar Board and Eta Kappa Nu. Along with serving as the recruitment committee chair for Vanderbilt Student Volunteers for Science, she also participated in undergraduate research with the Vanderbilt Radiation Effects and Reliability Group. This summer, Hill will finish her master’s in electrical engineering and then begin work at Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems in Huntsville.
Since 1877, a gold medal has been awarded to the student graduating at the top of his or her class from each of Vanderbilt’s schools. These awards are called “Founder’s Medals” in honor of university founder Cornelius Vanderbilt, who made a specific contribution to endow the awards in their first year.
Debra Perrone, from Fair Lawn, N.J., is the Founder’s Medalist for the Graduate School, graduated with a Ph.D. in environmental engineering.
Perrone’s research on water resources was awarded an Environmental Protection Agency fellowship, and she served as fellow at Vanderbilt Institute for Energy and Environment. She was awarded two international fellowships allowing her to live abroad: from the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis in Vienna, and from the National Science Foundation Summer Institute in Singapore. Perrone has taken a postdoctoral scholar position with the Woods Institute at Stanford University.
Nithin Senthur Kumar, from Bangkok, Thailand, is this year’s Banner Bearer. Kumar graduated with a bachelor of engineering in mechanical engineering and bachelor of arts in mathematics.
His research interests include control theory, modeling and simulation of dynamic systems and mechanical design. The honor of Banner Bearer is awarded to a senior who has been judged by the faculty to have excelled in all aspects of the undergraduate career and is considered an outstanding example of a well-rounded engineering student. The Banner Bearer also is selected from the summa cum laude graduates.
Ann Marie Daorai, from Tampa, Fla., received the Dean’s Award for Outstanding Service. This award goes to a senior who has shown remarkable leadership qualities and has also made the greatest contributions in personal service to the school.
Daorai graduated with a bachelor of engineering degree in biomedical engineering. At Vanderbilt, she served as president and treasurer of the Engineering Council and co-president of Global Brigades. In addition, she held campus leadership roles at Vanderbilt’s Student Government, Academic Affairs Committee and was a Relay for Life board member. She plans to volunteer in Nepal at the Chitwan Spinal Injury Rehabilitation center during her gap year and pursue her doctorate in physical therapy.
Dean Fauchet recognized each graduating senior who achieved summa cum laude distinction. Award is shared by:
Luqman Hakim Ahmad Mahir, Bandar Baru Bangi, Malaysia
Timothy Christian Altmansberger, Palm Coast, Fla.
Christoffer Petersen Bolvig, Birmingham, Ala.
Eric Paul Bramlett, Ridgeland, Miss.
Kevin Alexander Bush, Renton, Wash.
Audrey Jeanelle Dang, Saint Louis, Mo.
Matthew Tate Dougan, Kingsport, Tenn.
Casey Ellis Fitzgerald, Baton Rouge, La.
Patrick Augustus Foran, Fort Collins, Colo.
John Alexander Francis, Medford Lakes, N.J.
Collin Hunter Grimes, Cary, N.C.
Kasey Rebecca Hill, Huntsville, Ala.
Peter James Ingram, Greenwood Village, Colo.
Nithin Senthur Kumar, Bangkok, Thailand
Theodore J. Lawrence, Collegeville, Pa.
William Harper McKenna, Hillsboro, Ohio
Michael Joseph Schultis, New Orleans, La.
Mary Morgan Scott, Clarksville, Tenn.
Ian Douglas Shaw, Smyrna, Tenn
Patrick Louis Stumberg, San Antonio, Texas
Peter Amos York, Litchfield, Ill.
Other awards and honors
Program awards go to seniors who, in the opinion of the program faculty, made the greatest progress in professional development during the undergraduate careers.
The recipients are:
Biomedical Engineering: Michael Joseph Schultis, New Orleans, La.
Chemical Engineering: Audrey Jeanelle Dang, Saint Louis, Mo.
Civil Engineering: Ian Douglas Shaw, Smyrna, Tenn.
Computer Engineering: Muhammad Syazwan Ahmad, Batu Caves, Malaysia
Computer Science: Jeremy Eldon Stevens, Ooltewah, Tenn.
Electrical Engineering: Timothy Christian Altmansberger, Palm Coast, Fla.
Engineering Science: Francisco Montes, Key Biscayne, Fla.
Mechanical Engineering: Nithin Senthur Kumar, Bangkok, Thailand
John Alexander Francis, Medford, N.J., is the recipient of the Wilson L. and Nellie Pyle Miser Award, which is given to the senior who has excelled in all aspects of mathematics during the student’s undergraduate career.
Andrew Dean East, Indianapolis, Ind., received the Stein Stone Memorial Award, which is given to a senior who has earned a letter in sports and who is judged to have made the most satisfactory scholastic and extramural progress as an undergraduate.
The Arthur J. Dyer Jr. Memorial Prize is awarded to a senior who has done the best work in the study and/or design in use of structural steel, and who is a member of the American Society for Civil Engineers. The recipient is Theodore J. Lawrence, Collegeville, Pa.
The William A. Ma Award is given to an outstanding senior majoring in chemical engineering on the basis of a demonstrated record of leadership and scholastic achievement. The recipient is Tyler Jay Cooksey, Whites Creek, Tenn.
The Walter Gill Kirkpatrick Prize in Civil Engineering is given to the most deserving third-year student majoring in civil engineering. The recipient is Kelsey Lorraine Simmons, Grapevine, Texas.
The Thomas G. Arnold Prizes for Biomedical Engineering Systems Design and Research is shared by Elizabeth Hart Keller (research), Dunedin, Fla and for design: Jacob Martin Bumpus, Naperville, Ill.; Casey Ellis Fitzgerald, Baton Rouge, La. and Michael Joseph Schultis, New Orleans, La.
Emily Anne Golan, Winnetka, Ill., and Muhammad Zulkifli Suhaili, Kuching, Malaysia, are recipients of the American Institute of Chemists Award, given on the basis of leadership, ability, character, scholastic achievement and potential for advancement in the chemical professions.
The W. Dennis Threadgill Award is given for outstanding achievement in chemical engineering in honor of a former faculty member and department chair. The award is shared by Luqman Hakim Ahmad Mahir, Bandar Baru Bangi, Malaysia; Christoffer Petersen Bolvig, Birmingham, Ala.; and Andrew Sharpe Roche, Wilmette, Ill.
The Robert D. Tanner Undergraduate Research Award is given to a senior who has conducted the best undergraduate research project in chemical engineering. The recipient is Louis Graham Rucker, Granville, Ohio.
The Walter Criley Prize is awarded for the best paper written on an advanced senior project in electrical engineering. The award is shared by Rebekah Ann Austin, Cary, N.C.; Benjamin Philip Draffin, Bethesda, Md.; William Harper McKenna, Hillsboro, Ohio; Colin Gabriel Washburn Thomas, Memphis, Tenn.; and Patrick Clay Voytek, Huntsville, Ala.
Class of 2014 members of Tau Beta Pi engineering honor society are:
Muhammad Syazwan Ahmad, Batu Caves, Malaysia
Luqman Hakim Ahmad Mahir, Bandar Baru Bangi, Malaysia
Rebekah Ann Austin, Cary, N.C.
Shivaprem Chintamani Bernath, Albuquerque, N. Mex.
Christoffer Petersen Bolvig, Birmingham, Ala.
Jacob Taylor Books, Tecumseh, Mich.
Eric Paul Bramlett, Ridgeland, Miss.
Kevin Alexander Bush, Renton, Wash.
Bridget Keegan Coakley, Potomac, Md.
Megan Elizabeth Covington, Huntsville, Ala.
Brandon Matthew Dimmig, Elizabethtown, Pa.
Matthew Tate Dougan, Kingsport, Tenn.
Leandra Maria Fernandez, Albuquerque, N.Mex.
Casey Ellis Fitzgerald, Baton Rouge, La.
Patrick Augustus Foran, Fort Collins, Colo.
John Alexander Francis, Medford Lakes, N.J.
Emily Anne Golan, Winnetka, Ill.
Collin Hunter Grimes, Cary, N.C.
Andrew George Hamilton, Saint Joseph, Mich.
Kasey Rebecca Hill, Huntsville, Ala.
Allison Birrell Iglehart, Tampa, Fla.
Peter James Ingram, Greenwood Village, Colo.
Matthew Jonathan Joplin, Chesterfield, Mo.
Khairul Amin Kamarulzaman, Kota Bharu, Malaysia
Van Patrick Kegel, Louisville, Ky.
Peter Michael Kozey, Syosset, N.Y.
Lucas Stratton Kunsman, Albuquerque, N. Mex.
Wesley Alexander Langham, Westport, Conn.
Theodore J. Lawrence, Collegeville, Pa.
William Harper McKenna, Hillsboro, Ohio
Steven Craig Mehl, Fort Smith, Ark.
Anuj Abhijit Patwardhan, Lexington, Ky.
Andrew Sharpe Roche, Wilmette, Ill.
Michael Joseph Schultis, New Orleans, La.
Frank Anthony Schumacher, Saint Louis, Mo.
Mary Morgan Scott, Clarksville, Tenn.
Ian Douglas Shaw, Smyrna, Tenn.
Patrick Louis Stumberg, San Antonio, Texas
Muhammad Zulkifli Suhaili, Kuching, Malaysia
Syed Mohd Radi Syed Ali Annuar, Pekan, Malaysia
Christopher Walker Twedell, Hudson Oaks, Texas
Patrick Clay Voytek, Huntsville, Ala.
Cara Gonzalez Welker, Saint Louis, Mo.
Peter Amos York, Litchfield, Ill.