Area Students Recognized for Academic Achievements

Area college students graduated and/or have been recognized for the following academic achievements:

DePaul University Dean's List

In order to qualify for the Dean's List at DePaul, students must earn above a 3.0 grade point average on a four point scale. The following local residents made the Dean's List at DePaul University for the winter quarter of 2012:

Sana Abrar of Algonquin, Allison Barinholtz of Algonquin, Aaron Bengtson of Algonquin, Mehwish Bershed of Algonquin, Ethan Faure of Lake in the Hills, Lindsey Goins of Algonquin, John Hackett of Lake in the Hills, Bradley Hoban of Lake in the Hills, Steven Hoover of Lake In The Hills, Kelsey Jablonski of Algonquin, Courtney Jacquin of Algonquin, Robert Janus of Algonquin, Edward Kulack of Algonquin, Stacey Kwak of Algonquin, Christopher Lamprecht of Algonquin, Dawid Lokiec of Algonquin, Sarah Miles of Lake In The Hills, Thomas Miller of Algonqiun, Alexandria Muchoney of Lake in the Hills, Caelin Niehoff of Algonquin, Corey Passage of Algonquin, Sufyan Qadir of Algonquin, Kristin Riffner of Lake In The Hills, Liana Semchuk of Lake in the Hills, Suhail Tsay of Algonquin, Matthew Virgilio of Lake in the Hills and Sarah Weglarz of Algonquin.

 Judson University Announces Graduates, Deans List

The following local residents received their degrees with the 67th graduating class from Judson University during their commencement ceremonies on April 28, 2012.

• David Montoya, a resident of Lake in the Hills, IL received a degree in Architecture.
• Michelle Runge, a resident of Algonquin, IL received a degree in Elementary Education.

The following students have been named to Judson University's Dean's List for the spring semester.

• Margaret Bienert, of Algonquin, IL is currently majoring in Comm Arts-Interdiscip.
• Samantha Clemons, of Lake in the Hills, IL is currently majoring in SPED: LBS1 (3-21 yrs).
• Sara Hoffman, of Algonquin, IL is currently majoring in Accounting.
• Benjamin Richardson, of Algonquin, IL is currently majoring in Music Ministry.
• Michelle Runge, of Algonquin, IL is currently majoring in Elementary Education.
• Alec Shover, of Algonquin, IL is currently majoring in Christian Ministries

Creighton University Announces Graduates

James McDuffee of Lake In The Hills was awarded a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration degree magna cum laude during Creighton University's spring commencement ceremony on May 12, 2012, at the CenturyLink Center Omaha.

About 1,500 degrees were conferred during Creighton University's spring commencement.

Lewis University Hosts Inaugural Celebration of Scholarship

Lewis University hosted its inaugural Celebration of Scholarship on April 19. The celebration opened with keynote address on "What Does it Mean to be a Scholar in the 21st Century" by Dr. Eric Isaacs, Director of Argonne National Laboratory. His address set the tone for a day of scholarship.

The event included more than 130 presentations by 230 students, both undergraduates and graduate students and included 50 faculty mentors who offered their support and peer reviews for student presentations. Students from the College of Education, College of Business, College of Arts and Sciences, College of Nursing and Health Professions and the School for Professional and Continuing Education were represented.

• Kaylyn Dever of Algonquin, Ill. presented a presentation entitled Pneumonia: What You Need to Know at the Celebration of Scholarship.
• Nicole Peckels of Lake-In-The-Hills, Ill. presented a presentation entitled Cold vs. Flu at the Celebration of Scholarship.

Celebration of Scholarship presentations varied in their focus from the liberal arts, "The Cyclical Nature of Human Rights;" to the sciences, "Measuring the Transverse Trapping Field Strength of Optical Tweezers;" and pop culture, "Evolution of Vampires."

The diversity of the presentations represented the vast and varied scholarly interests of the 6,500-strong student body. The Celebration of Scholarship demonstrates the university's transformation over the past decade with a renewed focus on critical thinking, scholarship and research.

LITH Woman Invited to Join Phi Beta Kappa

Olivia Schmidt, of Lake in the Hills, a student in the Indiana University College of Arts and Sciences, has been invited to join Phi Beta Kappa, the oldest and most prestigious academic honor society in the United States.

"Invitation to membership in Phi Beta Kappa is highly selective, open to only the very best students in arts and sciences disciplines," said Larry D. Singell, Jr., dean of the IU College of Arts and Sciences and member of Phi Beta Kappa. "I congratulate Olivia on being elected to this elite society. This is truly an honor of life-long significance."

Election to Phi Beta Kappa is based solely on academic achievement and is limited to students majoring in liberal arts and sciences.

Only about 10 percent of all U.S. colleges and universities have Phi Beta Kappa chapters; among these elite institutions, only about 10 percent of arts and sciences students qualify for election to Phi Beta Kappa.

Nationwide, only about one percent of all college seniors are invited to join Phi Beta Kappa each year.

Do you know of an area college student who recently graduated or was recognized for an academic achievement? Share with the community by commenting below.