Each year, Newman University recognizes exceptional students who have established themselves through their academic performance.
The 2020-21 Academic Awards were recently announced in a virtual ceremony hosted by Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs Rosemary Niedens.
The ceremony included the naming of the St. Catherine’s Medal honoree. The medal honors the contributions of a student to the university and the larger community and is one of the most prestigious undergraduate student awards at Newman.
Madeline Alvarez was named the 2020-21 recipient.
“Madeline is a woman renowned for her love of learning and committed to the service of others,” says Niedens. “Academically, Madeline’s nominations were exemplary. She is an outstanding student but it is her work ethic and commitment to learning that is unique.”
Alvarez has been on the Dean’s List multiple semesters, carries a consistently high grade point average and is well known for the standards she holds for herself. In service, she has worked multiple years for the Vantage student newspaper, served as editor for the literary magazine, Coelacanth, and participated in theater productions. In addition, she works outside of campus as a CNA caring for a vulnerable population.
One of Alvarez’s nominators put it best: “Of the students I engage with each semester, I would be hard-pressed to name one more deserving of this award than Madeline Alvarez.”
Student honorees for the other academic awards were from programs in four of Newman’s five schools and included the following:
- Creative Achievement Award, Cole Schieders
- Fine Arts Achievement Award, Matthew D. Clark
- Humanities Achievement Award, Marie O’Neal
- Outstanding Accounting Student, Max Bajza
- Outstanding Non-Traditional Student, Michael Bird
- Outstanding Bachelor of Business Administration Student, Jean Claude Consol
- Outstanding Management Information Systems/Business Data Analytics Student, Calvert A. Fitch
- Outstanding Intern Award, Rebecca Clifton
- Outstanding Intern Award, Lina Anescar Meile
- Sister Susan Reeves Award, Viky Veza
- Sister Sylvana Schulte Award, Kimberly Brakey
- Outstanding Master of Science in Education Student, Connie Kane
- Freshman History Prize, Joseph Shubert
- Joyce Suellentrop Prize for Distinguished Scholarship in History, Brianna Southworth
- Robbi and Larry Heck Outstanding Social Science Student, Hannah Abney
- Sister Margaret Knoeber Undergraduate Chemistry Award, Evan Saga
- Surendra P. Singh Outstanding Freshman in Biology Award, Magafu Alpha
- Steve Palubicki Outstanding Sophomore or Junior in Biology Award, Daniel Knolla
- Sister Claudine Axman Award in Biology, Haley Albers
- Outstanding Calculus Student Award, Hope Strickbine
- Outstanding Senior Chemistry Student, Elijah Klein
- Burbage Award, Rooslana Rusk
- Randall Austin Award, Emily Harris
- Randall Austin Award, Michael VanDeest
- Distinguished BSN Graduate Award, Clare L. Morgan
