Marshall University names Spring 2026 National Society of ACTA Scholars

Marshall University’s John Deaver Drinko Academy for American Political Institutions and Civic Culture has announced its Spring 2026 class of National Society of ACTA Scholars.

ACTA is an academic honorary society that was founded in 2020 by the American Council of Trustees and Alumni, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit that promotes rigorous studies in the arts and sciences, and advocates for the study of civics at the college level. Marshall University was one of the first institutions of higher education in the country to establish a National Society of ACTA Scholars Chapter.

“ACTA Scholars complete a set of course requirements providing advanced preparation for the responsibilities of informed and engaged citizenship, for effective communication and competition within the global marketplace, and for skilled and creative problem solving to address our present and future challenges,” said Dr. Montserrat Miller, executive director of the Drinko Academy. “Three of the seven courses needed for National Society of ACTA Scholars eligibility are already built into Marshall’s core curriculum. But only a few majors require students to study U.S. government, U.S. history or economics. The National Society of ACTA Scholars chapter at Marshall encourages more students to take such courses, along with literature and foreign language classes.”

Forty-four Marshall University students qualified to graduate as ACTA Scholars in the second half of the 2025-2026 academic year. Graduating Marshall ACTA Scholars are from 10 different counties in West Virginia and from Kentucky, Ohio, Virginia and Maryland. These students completed degrees with majors and minors in the College of Liberal Arts, the College of Arts and Media, the College of Education and Professional Development, the College of Health Professions, the Lewis College of Business and the College of Science:

Harper Aulick of Wheeling, W.Va.: B.A. degrees in Creative Writing & Literary Studies with minors in History, Theatre and Women’s Studies, summa cum laude

Abigail Baldwin of Rio Grande, Ohio.: B.A. in Psychology with a minor in Criminal Justice, summa cum laude

Harrison Blatt of North Chesterfield, Va.: B.A. in History, cum laude

Michael Borsuk of Wheeling, W.Va.: B.B.A. in Management and BA in Political Science with a minor in Constitutional Democracy, magna cum laude

Cecelia Burke of Eleanor, W.Va.: B.A. degrees in Anthropology & Spanish with a minor in English, summa cum laude

Isaac Campbell of Flatwoods, Ky.: B.S. in Biology with a concentration in Cell, Molecular & Medical Biology and minors in Chemistry and Pre-Professional Healthcare Studies, magna cum laude

Abigail Carney of Red House, W.Va.: B.A. in Anthropology with a concentration in Archaeological Anthropology and a minor in History, summa cum laude

Thomas Chilton of Charles Town, W.Va.: B.A. in History with minors in U.S. History, Geography, Management and General Business

Reagan Clagg of Leonardtown, Md.: B.A. degrees in Political Science & International Affairs with minors in Constitutional Democracy, Spanish and Journalism and Mass Communications, summa cum laude

Ivan Claypool of Saint Albans, W.Va.: B.A. in Professional Writing with a minor in Creative Writing, cum laude

Erik Cochrane of Man, W.Va.: B.A. in Psychology with minors in English and Chemistry, summa cum laude

Mia Crookshanks of Huntington, W.Va.: B.A. degrees in Humanities & English with a concentration in Philosophy with minors in Constitutional Democracy, Political Science and Classical Studies, summa cum laude

Tayler Dyer of Huntington, W.Va.: B.A. in Creative Writing with minors in Professional Writing and Spanish

Devan Ellis of Charleston, W.Va.: B.A. in Creative Writing with a minor in Theatre

Hailey Ferrell of Hurricane, W.Va.: B.A. in Psychology

Jeffrey Fry of Wayne, W.Va.: B.A. in Creative Writing with minors in History and Professional Writing, magna cum laude

Kathleen Gilchrist of Scott Depot, W.Va.: B.A. in Spanish

Adam Gollihue of Wilkinson, W.Va.: B.A. degrees in History & Secondary Education with a Social Studies concentration and a minor in Geography, cum laude

Ben Gorby of South Charleston, W.Va.: B.A. in Japanese with minors in History, Asian Studies-History and Japanese Studies, cum laude

Cierra Haynes of Charleston, W.Va.: B.A. degrees in Creative Writing & Literary Studies with a minor in History, magna cum laude

Angela Henning of Hurricane, W.Va.: B.A. in Psychology with minors in English and Pop Culture Studies, magna cum laude

Kyleigh Hoey of Huntington, W.Va.: B.A. in Anthropology with a concentration in Archaeological Anthropology with minors in Sustainability Management and Tech, Biology, English and Marketing, summa cum laude

Jenna Howdyshell of Junction City, Ohio.: B.A. in Psychology with minors in English and Criminal Justice

Kristopher Jackson of Northfork, W.Va.: B.A. in Psychology with a minor in English, magna cum laude

Paige Jennings of Huntington, W.Va.: B.A. in Psychology, summa cum laude

Allie Jones of Huntington, W.Va.: B.A. in English with a minor in Psychology

Blessing King of Lewis Center, Ohio.: B.A. in Communication Studies with a minor in Journalism and Mass Communications, summa cum laude

Andrea Lindsey of Huntington, W.Va.: B.A. in Japanese with minors in Psychology and Political Science

McCain Lucas of Milton, W.Va.: B.A. degrees in Japanese & International Affairs with a minor in Human Resource Management, magna cum laude

Julia McAndrews of South Charleston, W.Va.: B.A. degrees in English & Humanities with a minor in History, cum laude

Natalie McDavid of Huntington, W.Va.: B.A. in Psychology, cum laude

Jackson Murphy of Barboursville, W.Va.: B.A. degrees in Political Science & English with minors in Political Psychology and Professional Writing, summa cum laude

Chelsea Och of Triadelphia, W.Va.: B.A. in History

Kylie Olszewski of Gassaway, W.Va.: B.A. in Creative Writing with a minor in Religious Studies, cum laude

Ashton Pack of Wayne, W.Va.: B.A. in Journalism with a concentration in Multimedia Journalism, cum laude

Blayde Pinnell of Bridgeport, W.Va.: B.S.W. in Social Work with Social Work in Healthcare Certification, magna cum laude

Luke Rezek of Saint Albans, W.Va.: B.A. in Japanese with a minor in History, cum laude

Sydney Scholl of Saint Albans, W.Va.: B.A. in History & Criminal Justice with a minor in General Business, magna cum laude

Brianna Slone of Huntington, W.Va.: B.A. in History with a minor in Geography, summa cum laude

Tierney Sollars of Huntington, W.Va.: B.A. in English with minors in Biology, Creative Writing, and Communication Studies, summa cum laude

Rainier Spears of Huntington, W.Va.: B.A. in Humanities with a concentration in Philosophy and minors in Constitutional Democracy, English, Political Science and Religious Studies, magna cum laude

Alexus Steele of Proctorville, Ohio: B.A degrees in Political Science & Psychology with minors in Constitutional Democracy and Political Psychology, summa cum laude

Grace Stowers of Huntington, W.Va.: B.A. in Political Science with a minor in Communication Studies

Connor Waller of Ironton, Ohio: B.A. degrees in Political Science & History with minors in Constitutional Democracy and International Affairs, summa cum laude