Bluffton University recognized many of its top students for their academic achievements at the annual Academic Awards and Honors Forum on April 21.

Honored as distinguished scholars in their respective academic areas were 36 seniors. Drew Luginbuhl of Bluffton was named distinguished scholar in two programs—information technology and mathematics.

Luginbuhl was also among 12 seniors introduced for completion of the Honors Program. The others are: Taylor Humphreys of Bluffton; Christina Klahre of Fremont, Mich.; Sara Klenke of Coldwater, Ohio; Emily Kolezynski of Strongsville, Ohio; Aimee Lugibihl of Gomer, Ohio; Victoria Myers of New Franklin, Ohio; Jessica Roth of Rockford, Ohio; Mary Schrag of Galva, Kan.; Julia Thomas of Springfield, Ohio; Jessica Williams of Genoa, Ohio; and Joseph Wilson of Covington, Ohio. Kolezynski, a softball player, was also recognized as the athlete with the highest scholastic record.

Receiving departmental honors was Brent Cody Cook of Clayton, Kan., for his independent-study project in history, “Nurses in the First World War.”

Other awards went to:

·         Taylor Humphreys, the Naomi Brenneman Prize for an outstanding research and/or interpretive essay on a literary topic. Her essay was titled “Jane Austen vs. Society: Views on Marriage.”
·         Victoria Myers, the Beaver-Falcon Master of Accounting Scholarship.
·         Joseph Wilson, the Beaver-Falcon Master of Economics Scholarship.
·         Matthew McCoy of Archbold, Ohio, the Financial Executives International Award.
·         Chelsea Zoltowski of Toledo, Ohio, the CRC Press Chemistry Achievement Award.
·         Patricia Latimer of Englewood, Ohio, the Esta Lugibill Dye Award for Excellence in Chemical Science by a Woman.
·         Brittney Ries of Freeman, S.D., the Russell A. Lantz Choral Award and the Instrumental Music Award.
·         Hannah Barber of Bowling Green, Ohio; Jill Bornhorst of Fort Loramie, Ohio; Brittany Brandeberry of Fostoria, Ohio; and Isaac Schumacher of Bluffton, the Art Show Juror’s Awards of Distinction. Schumacher also won the Boehr Award for Best of Juried Student Art Show.
·         Amanda Poe of Marysville, Ohio, and Laura Short of Archbold, Ohio, the Dr. Elizabeth Hostetler Outstanding Educator Awards.
·         Shannon Thiebeau of St. Marys, Ohio, the Jim Satterwhite Award in Peace Scholarship and Activism.
·         Emily Huxman of Waterloo, Ontario; Chay Reigle of Bluffton; and Venessa Owsley of Lima, Ohio, C. Henry Smith Peace Oratorical Awards.

Concluding the program was recognition of 20 graduating members of Pi Lambda Theta National Education Honor Society; three graduating members of Psi Chi National Psychology Honor Society; 44 new members of Bluffton’s Pi Delta Society, an honorary for seniors with a grade point average of at least 3.75 during their college careers; and 33 C. Henry Smith Scholars—16 graduating, four continuing and 13 newly elected scholars.