Scholarship, Award and Grant Recipients

Erin Roberts — International Business, Lewis College of Business (Spring 2023 Award)

In February 2023, Erin Roberts, a Marshall University Honors College Student, participated in a conference led by Beta Gamma Sigma and the Fellowship for Environmental Stewardship. Roberts, on behalf of the Lewis College of Business, placed second along with her teammates. Beta Gamma Sigma is a business honor society within AACSB accredited schools that accepts 7% of juniors, 10% of seniors, and 20% of graduate students. In this conference, students learned about the United Nations’ Sustainability Development Goals (SDGs). The competition had 17 teams comprised of international students from varying universities. Roberts was required with four other students to make a written action plan strategy and a B impact assessment. This measures social and environmental aspects of an imaginary corporation they created. Placing second in a competition on such a large scale is a great honor, and Roberts owe a large portion of that to the Honors College. It promotes the type of creative thinking that was required to excel in this competition, and the tactics she learned throughout her seminars gave her an advantage over students who had only taken traditional courses. As she plans to attend law school upon graduating in Spring 2024, presenting a plan with explicit detail is beneficial to her future studies.

Gabriella Sevilla — Video Production, College of Arts & Media (Spring 2023 Award)

Sevilla was a 2022-2023 intern in the Honors College’s TEDxMarshallU internship experiential learning opportunity. Sevilla directed the TEDx MarshallU live stream at the event on February 25, 2023. She was also able to create eight individual TEDx talk videos using video from the event. As one of two freshmen on the team, Sevilla thrived despite the pressure. This experience allowed her to test her video production skills in a way that that Sevilla had not expected during her freshman year. Working on this project gave her hands-on experience that has made it possible for her to begin working with HerdVision.

Kacey Poe — Biological Sciences, College of Science (Fall 2022 Award)

Kacey Poe, a student in the Honors College at Marshall University, was selected to the Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine Early Assurance program in September of 2022. This program allows Poe to matriculate into the medical school upon completion of her undergraduate degree and all program requirements without taking the Medical College Admissions Test. Poe plans to complete her undergraduate degree in biological sciences and continue to medical school with the intent of becoming a pediatrician. In addition to being an student in the Honors College, Poe is also a Resident Advisor in the Honors House located in the Freshman South dormitory. Poe is a recipient of the Jean McAlister Albarran Scholarship for Fall 2022 as an outstanding student in the College of Science who has achieved distinction and served the college and its community admirably.

Gracie Bumgarner — Humanities, College of Liberal Arts

Gracie comes to the Honors College from Charleston, WV, where she graduated from Charleston Catholic High School. She was captain of the cheer team at her school, leader of the Junior Classics League, and heavily involved with the Drama program, among others. She’s very excited to explore a new side of the world of academia and help contribute to the larger community.

Sydney Vaught — Biological Sciences, College of Science

Sydney comes to the Honors College from Beckley, WV where she graduated from Woodrow Wilson High school. She participated in soccer for 15 years of her life, the last four at Woodrow. She is the President of Student Council and heavily involved in National Honor Society at her school.

Mika McCormick — Pre-Nursing, College of Health Professions

Mika comes to the Honors College from Prichard, West Virginia as an outstanding student in academics with a broad commitment to contributing to the welfare of the communities of which she is a part.

Ava Taylor — Biological Sciences, College of Science

Ava comes to the Honors College from Maysel, West Virginia as an outstanding student in academics and student government. Ava has a strong commitment to the open-minded exchange of ideas and to becoming a leader championing equality in the field of health care.

Brooklyn Rood — Media Production, College of Arts and Media.

Brooke comes to the Honors College from Elizabeth, West Virginia as an outstanding student in academics and athletics with a commitment to pursuing a degree at Marshall that will allow her to contribute to the greater good by fostering greater diversity and inclusion.

Madeline Watts — Biological Sciences, College of Science [Study Abroad in Italy].

Watts has wanted to study abroad for as long as she can remember and now it is finally happening! Watts will be attending the KIIS study abroad experience “Chemistry and Art in Italy” at the end of 2022. Speaking of the Honors College, Watts says “being a part of the college has been such a wonderful experience throughout my time at Marshall. I have supported the Honors College mission through my level of engagement in every one of my honors classes and seminars and I have learned how to apply the knowledge acquired in work for a greater good. I have spread this knowledge in many different parts of my life. The Honors College has definitely prepared me for my future endeavors!”

Post-Grant Report: “I was awarded the Honors Council Grant in the Fall semester of 2022. The generous funds that I received from this grant helped make it possible for me to study abroad in Italy in the Winter of 2022. I took a class while in Italy that taught me about the chemistry behind art restoration. This study abroad experience was life-changing, and I could see the world from a whole new perspective! The Honors College provides students with excellent opportunities to enhance their education at Marshall University, and I am so grateful that I had the chance to do this! I strongly encourage each student who is a part of the Honors College to apply for one of the several funding opportunities they kindly offer!”

Lauryn Poole — Dietetics, College of Health Professions

Lauryn demonstrates a work ethic and commitment to creativity that distinguishes her from her peers. HON 480 Cinepoems challenges students to create experimental films that express their original creative writing. Lauryn is a fearless writer and a methodical filmmaker. Despite working outside the world of creative writing and digital media with little instructor-led experience in either field, she took diligently to the work of creating her voice in film. Her poetic work focuses on confronting and examining the processes of nature and the world around while wrestling with her own philosophical questions and perspectives. In her writing, she isn’t afraid to explore big ideas and find the language to express them. As a filmmaker, Lauryn is careful and detail-oriented. She has a keen eye and patience required to edit tight, professional pieces. Lauryn excels at identifying the key tasks of a large creative project and dedicating the time and effort necessary to produce good work on a tight deadline. She is willing to learn and is unintimated by technology—excited to explore new tools and see what she can make with them. She pushes herself, takes chances, accepts criticism, and works hard to make the best product she can. She is self-directed and self-motivated in a way that creates good work.

Sydney Smith — Biological Sciences, College of Science

Sydney has demonstrated a level of scholarship and curiosity that distinguished her from her peers. Her term paper for HON480 Science and Science Denial covered the topic of homeopathic medicine. This work was exhaustively researched and extraordinarily well written. In Sydney’s term paper and throughout the course she was adept at relating science denialism and misinformation to her career goals in a biomedical field. Sydney was curious about the topic of science denialism not simply as an abstract, intellectual concern but as a tangible, real-world challenge that will impact her future ability to practice medicine. She articulated real concern for the impact of science denialism and misinformation on public health. In class discussions Sydney was judicious in her comments and always insightful and demonstrating sincere interest. Sydney shows a remarkable combination of studiousness, seriousness, and interest as in HON480, all the while juggling the responsibilities of a student athlete on the Marshall University track team.

Olivia Gilligan — Psychology, College of Liberal Arts

As part of the Honors 480 class, The Other Side of the ’80s, Olivia and her peers examined a wide range of countercultural American aesthetic works during the 1980s, including novels, films, popular and experimental music, and photography. As a psychology major, Olivia was not within her disciplinary home for any of the course content, but consistently offered insightful comments and connections throughout class discussions. In addition, Olivia’s written work was outstanding throughout the course, especially in her ability to analyze the finer points of textual patterns and nuance. For her final project, Olivia applied her background in psychology to the film Raising Arizona, looking at the ways in which the movie subverts, while also ultimately reaffirming, conventional conceptions of an American “ideal family.”

Mallory Stanley — History and Psychology double major, College of Liberal Arts

As part of the Honors 480 class, Trash or Treasure: An Introduction to Archives, each student selected an archives collection from the Special Collections department to work with for the entirety of the semester. Mallory selected a collection about the Owen Clinic Institute, a mental healthcare facility from the 1950s-1970s in Huntington. As part of the collection, students had to digitize an item from their collection and provide metadata for it. Mallory selected an item that comprised of newsletters written by the patients who were there at the time from 1955. This amounted to over 250 pages of materials that required creating metadata and making documents full-text searchable. She submitted this item and provided the appropriate metadata as required, but what was even more surprising was that she indicated an interest in digitizing this entire collection (which is estimated to be around 3500 pages, images, and ephemera). As a history and psychology student, her enthusiasm for this collection perfectly blends areas that spark her curiosity for a future career. Her instructors found that she knows what she wants and was able to craft her own niche area in which to work.

Olivia Andrew-Vaughan (with Faculty Mentor, Lindsay Harper) — Diving into the Archives: Processing Histories of Marshall University. See Olivia’s final report.

Jacob Blizzard (with Faculty Mentor, Dr. Derek Kolling) — Using Mass Spectrometry to Determine the Presence and Function of Antimicrobial Proteins in Tardigrades

The students, who come from West Virginia, Ohio, and Kentucky, accepted full scholarships to attend Marshall, where they will experience a rigorous and supportive academic environment in the school’s Honors College, the opportunity to travel the world, and leadership and personal enrichment. The Yeager program includes a network of peers, alumni and mentors who guide the students during their time at Marshall. The cohort will be named the Gullickson Family Class of 2027, honoring the family of late Marshall professor and coach, Otto “Swede” Gullickson. Since Gullickson’s arrival at Marshall in 1930, four generations of Gullicksons have been members of the Marshall community, including Gullickson’s children, grandchildren, and his great-grandson, Alex Canfield, a 2020 alumnus of the Yeager program. The 37th class of Yeager Scholars named is as follows:

• Brandon Anderson, of West Portsmouth, Ohio, attends Portsmouth West High School, where he is a four-year member of the football team. He plans to major in computer science.
• Nicole Asamoah, of Beckley, West Virginia, attends Woodrow Wilson High School. At Woodrow Wilson, Asamoah is the president of the Diverse Students Organization (DSO), a student-founded organization that values and promotes diversity and inclusion in the school and community. She will major in nursing or biochemistry.
• Abby Christian, of Catlettsburg, KY, also plans to major in nursing. Abby attends Boyd County High School and was selected as a 2022 Kentucky Governor’s Scholar.
• Lauren Dunsmore, of Proctorville, Ohio, goes to Fairland High School, where she is a member of the band. Dunsmore earned second chair flute in the 2023 Ohio Music Education Association All-State Band. She plans to major in biomedical engineering.
• Tyler Farley, of Huntington, goes to Covenant School, where he is currently preparing a thesis that addresses economic inequality and the idea of a more localized economy. His current plan is to major in mechanical engineering.
• Indigo Graves, of Sinks Grove, West Virginia, attends Greenbrier East High School. Graves plans to major in biomedical engineering. She was selected as a Greenbrier Scholar, an award given by her high school to top students at Greenbrier East.
• Cameron Mays, Huntington, attends Huntington High School, where he is a captain of the school’s debate team and the quiz bowl team. He plans to major in biology.
• Sage Sigdel, of Huntington, also attends Huntington High School. He is a captain of the Highlanders’ speech and debate team and plans to major in biology.

These students were selected for the 36th class of Yeager Scholars after a rigorous process that included multiple interviews, an intensive seminar, and a weekend on Marshall’s campus. The class is named for Don and Doris Ferguson, Huntington natives, Marshall alumni, and ardent supporters of the Society of Yeager Scholars.

• Asha Bora, Hurricane High School, Hurricane, West Virginia
• Isaac Campbell, Paul G. Blazer High School, Ashland, Kentucky
• Erik Cochrane, Man High School, Man, West Virginia
• Kyleigh Hoey, Huntington High School, Huntington, West Virginia
• Tyler Marcum, Cabell Midland High School, Ona, West Virginia
• Ryann Province, Parkersburg High School, Parkersburg, West Virginia
• Will Raines, St. Albans High School, St. Albans, West Virginia
• Alexus Steele, Fairland High School, Proctorville, Ohio
• Bella Thompson, South Iredell High School, Statesville, North Carolina
• Connor Waller, St. Joseph Central High School, Ironton, Ohio