Student Spotlight

Below, you'll find a listing of some of the awards and recognitions Honors students have achieved.

2007-2008 Academic Year

Jodie Barker-Tvedtnes was selected as an Outstanding Student for Undergraduate Research by the Society of Physics Students. As part of her award, Jodie will present her research at the 2008 International Conference of Physics Students in Cracow, Poland and have all of her expenses paid by SPS. Jodie will also recieve a $500 honorarium and a $500 award for her chapter of SPS. Read more about Jodie's award and her research here.

Joshua Pineault and Art Mahoney were honored as the 2008 Cannon Scholars. Courtney Hill received an Honorable Mention for the award.

Luke Hanks was awarded a scholarship under the Science, Mathematics, and Research for Transformation Program. His scholarship includes full tuition and fees, a book allowance, health insurance, and an annual stipend of approximately $25,000. Luke's scholarship also includes a paid internship and/or post-graduation employment with Ogden Air Logistics. Luke’s scholarship will total slightly more than $75,000. Read more about Luke here.

Honors would like to recognize the efforts of Mary Heers' Honors 1330 class who raised money to purchase a bike for Sunday Ajalo through 88 Bikes for Uganda. To learn more about this program, click on Sunday's picture below.


Joseph Irvine took third place at USU' s Entrepreneur Day competition for his idea of a device than would enable automobiles to use water as fuel. Joseph's prize was $1,300.

The following students were hired in Residence Life: Amy Shafer, Jon Adams, Derek Brenchley, Shayla Acor, Brooks Marshall, Cyri Dixon, Tasha Falslev, Myles Powell, Jeff Peterson, Anna Hegsted, Lindsay Anderson, and Chelsea Longhurst.

A first for Utah State; all four of USU's Goldwater nominees were recognized by the Goldwater Foundation. Tamara Jeppson and Jodie Tvedtnes have been recognized as Goldwater Scholars and Sydney Chamberlin and Cody Tramp were recognized as Honorable Mentions. Read more about their accomplishments by clicking on their picture below.


May 2007 Honors graduate, Katherine Shakespeare, was featured in the Hard News Cafe for her work with Teach For America. Read about Katherine's experience here.

Ryan Jackman was selected as the 2008 Morse Scholar.

Lenaye Howard, Sherry Baker, Natalie Watkins, Hyrum Gillespie, Katherine Hatch, and Brian Cook were recipients of the Honors Study Abroad Scholarship.

Corey Clawson, Muriel McGregor, Sarah Isert, Cameron Salony, Bryce Osborne, Aleene Jones, Kelsey Eller, Joshua Pineault, Kjersten Adams, Kate Rouse, and Cameron Bartlett served as Honors Fellows.

The following students served as members of the Honors Student Council: Brittany Morgan, Marketing Vice President, Vikki Carlisle, Service Vice President, Cameron Bartlett, Historian, Cameron Salony, President, and Alex Hatch, Secretary.

2006-2007 Academic Year

Congratulations to the 2006 Morse Scholar, Sarah Platt.

Jennifer Albretsen, Danielle Babbel, Katie Brown and Arthur Mahoney, all sophomores and USU Research Fellows, were named 2006 Governor's Scholars by Gov. Jon M. Huntsman, Jr. The quartet was honored at a November ceremony held at the Governor's Mansion.

Katie Brown, sophomore and USU Research Fellow, published a paper with H.J. Wengreen & C. Moncur.

Twenty-one Honors students were among those honored at college A-Pin awards ceremonies in Fall 2005. The A-Pin is one of Utah State's oldest and most prestigious academic awards, earned by students who earn a 4.0 GPA for two consecutive semesters, each of 15 or more graded credits.

Senior classics student Chuck Oughton was given "Best Paper" in the Ancient and Medieval History category at the Phi Alpha Theta regional conference at Westminster College.

Classics Honors students Scott Davis, Chuck Oughton, Daniel Robertson, and Tyler Pack swept the statewide Yengich Latin Translation, winning four of ten awards.

Congratulations to the 2007 Lawrence O. and Helen B. Cannon Awardees, Sara Huefner (Chemistry and Biochemistry), and Adam Kynaston (Psychology), who each received $800 toward the completion of an Honors degree. Cannon Award Honorable Mentions, in the amount of $200, went to Kaitlin Neville (Civil Engineering), Brianne Bartlett (Elementary Education/Early Childhood Education), James Meservy (Anthropology), and Boyd Reschke (Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning).

Congratulations, also, to Josh Kerkmann and Kelsey Hall, recipients of the 2007 Honors Study Abroad Scholarship, which awarded each student $700, thanks to the generosity of Art and Mary Heers.

Freshman chemistry major Christina Hansen ran the Boston Marathon in 3 hours and 35 minutes. This time put her roughly in the first third of runners who completed the race.

Jennifer Albretsen and Art Mahoney, both sophomores and Research Fellows, received the Barry M. Goldwater fellowship. Jodie Tvedtnes, a junior, received an Honorable Mention. This prestige fellowship provides tuition, fees, room and board (up to $7,500) for 1-2 years for undergraduates studying and planning a research career in math, natural science, or engineering.

Sophomore Danielle Babbel received an Honorable Mention for the Udall. This prestige fellowship offers up to $5,000 for one year for those with career plans related to environmental public policy.

Chuck Oughton and Katherine Shakespeare, both seniors, were honored as the Outstanding Greek Student and Outstanding Latin Student for 2006-07 by USU's Classics Program.

Honors students John Brinkerhoff (Animal, Dairy, and Veterinary Science), Aaron Anderson (Family, Consumer, and Human Development), Lenaye Howard (History), and Kelly Sivy (Wildland Resources) were named four of Outstanding Undergraduate Researchers during USU Research Week.

Among the 2007 Hinckley-Seely Scholarship recipients were Honors students Cindy Pitcher, Michael Bailey, and Adam Kynaston.

Holly Murdock, senior, won an interior design competition through the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) was recognized at a convention in San Francisco.

Lenaye Howard, sophomore and Research Fellow, and her History mentor, Dr. Michael Nicholls, published their findings online.  Lenaye also received the award for Undergraduate Researcher of the Year in the College of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences.

Holly Murdock, a senior in interior design, spent eleven days in Doha, Qatar, after winning a design competition sponsored by Qatar's Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts.

Honors students Uyen Lam, Amanda Marinello, Vikki Carlisle, and MaKenzie Martin were accepted to NCUR (National Conferences on Undergraduate Research) at Dominican University near San Francisco.

Melody Anderson (College of Science), Scott Davis (College of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences), and Cindy Pitcher (College of Agriculture) were honored as Valedictorians at the Spring 2007 Commencement.  

Honors students Michael Bailey (College of Business) and Elaine Watkins (College of Agriculture) were honored as Scholars of the Year.

John Brinkerhoff was received the award for Undergraduate Researcher of the Year in the College of Agriculture.

A Certificate of Area Studies in Women and Gender Studies was given to Brandi Harline.

Summer 2006

Mary Marie Austin, senior, presented at the Society for Research in Human Development and received an American Heart Association Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship.

Jennifer Albretsen and Kaitlin Neville took part in the 2006 Research Experience for Undergraduates. Jennifer was at Dartmouth and Kaitlin at the University of Oklahoma.

Dani Babbel, sophomore and USU Research Fellow, placed first in Utah State University's 2006 Summer Photography Competition in the bizarre/unusual category.

Adam Kynaston, junior, was selected from 300 people to attend the 2006 American Psychological Association Summer Science Institute at the U of Minnesota.

2005-2006 Academic Year

Honors students Steve Stoddard and Brooke Sorenson were the HASS and University Valedictorians, respectively, at the 2005 December Commencement.

Four Honors students were named Governor's Scholars: Brianne Bartlett, Amanda Mortensen, Kristen Mortensen, and Grayson Weeks.

Daniel Guy Schauerhamer presented at the Supercomputing 2005 Gateway to Discovery Conference in Seattle, WA. Daniel Guy has since graduated with Honors in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering and University Studies and will complete his master's degree in May 2007.

Thirty-four Honors students were among those honored at the annual A-Pin awards ceremony in October 2005.

Four Honors students were named Undergraduate Researcher of the Year: Katie Brown, College of Agriculture
Zachary Ames, College of Business
Brianne Bartlett, College of Education and Human Services

Melody Anderson, senior, received the Williard L. Eccles Undergraduate Research Fellowship.

Anna M. "Lindy" Bankhead was the College of HASS May 2006 valedictorian.

James Young, sophomore, presented at the Society of Anthropological Sciences in Savannah.

Katharine Webb, freshman, published a poem in the Anthology of Poetry for Young Authors.

Chris Robinson, senior, presented at the Photonics West Conference in San Jose, CA.

Rebecca Nudd, Spring 2005 graduate, returned to accept USU's Diversity Award.

Holly Murdock, senior, received an Honorable mention in the International Interior Design Association Student Sustainable Design Competition.

Brandi Harline, senior, received the Alison Cornish Thorne Scholarship from USU's Women and Gender Studies Program.

Eleven Honors students presented at the 2006 Posters on the Hill in at the Utah State Capitol. Twenty-five Honors students presented at Student Showcase in April during USU Research Week.

2003-2004 Academic Year

Click here to read a message from Lara Anderson, USU's 2004 Rhodes Scholar. Lara is currently at Oxford working on a PhD.

Katherine Shakespeare gave a speech to USU boosters at a reception before the 2004 USU homecoming game. Read what she says about Honors here.

HONR 1340 in the news. Read this news item about bug eating in HONR 1340 from Fall 2004.