Lycoming College Chieftain, departmental award winners recognized at annual Honors Convocation

Lycoming College awarded graduating senior Soumayyah Gaujee the College’s top honor of Chieftain during its annual Honors Convocation ceremony on Sunday, April 12, to an audience of students and their families, as well as faculty and staff. Gaujee was recognized for her leadership and for dedication to academic excellence, community service, and cocurricular activities.

First presented in 1952, the Chieftain Award is the highest honor given to a graduating senior who has contributed the most to Lycoming College through support of school activities, has exhibited utmost dedication and outstanding leadership qualities, has evidenced good moral character, and whose academic rank is above the median of the preceding senior class.

Gaujee, a biochemistry major and a French minor hailing from Mahebourg, Mauritius, was named to the Dean’s List three years. She was a member of the Phi Sigma Iota French honor society and inducted into the IRUSKA Honor Society. She was named a Mary Sieminski Endowed Humanities Research Scholar, and was awarded the Jack C. and Janet B. Buckle Endowed Leadership Scholarship. As a resident assistant, she served as lead resident assistant for two years, as well as a senior week resident assistant, and was awarded Residential Life Student Staff of the Year.

Her commitment to leadership and student life is also notable. She was a member of the Multicultural Awareness Group, Code Warriors, and Book Club, and participated in the CEAE Research & Internship Expo. She was a leader within her academic department, serving as a Chemistry and Biochemistry Research Fellow for two summers, and as vice president for Chemistry Club. She also presented research work at the Manufacturing PA Innovation Program Expo at Harrisburg University. She served as a student leader representative on the presidential search committee.

Gaujee was also very active as a volunteer. She was a leader for Habitat for Humanity — serving as vice president and then as president — and participated in two Habitat for Humanity Spring Break trips. Her dedication to service led to a position as a board of directors student representative for Greater Lycoming Habitat for Humanity. Gaujee volunteered for 9/11 Days of Service and served her community as a Snowden Library circulation desk assistant, a biology study group facilitator, and a French tutor. She interned with the Clean Water Institute presenting her work at Bucknell University, and worked as an orientation guide, a First Year Seminar teaching assistant in the Culture of Drugs course, a Comparative Biomechanics lab prep assistant, and a greenhouse caretaker.

Lycoming extends its congratulations to Gaujee and to all of the Chieftain nominees, including Anna Glantz, a music major with music and special education certifications; Autumn Shahan, criminal justice and psychology double major with a minor in political science; Cole Sharpnack, psychology major with minors in criminal justice and criminology, and sociology; and Jacob Wagers, biology major with education certification.

During the ceremony, Lycoming College also recognized a number of remarkable students who attained high levels of academic achievement and scholarship during the 2025-26 academic year. Those recognized include:

Accounting

• Durant L. Furey III Award – Hannah Wood ’27
• Pennsylvania Institute of Certified Public Accountants Award – Hannah Wood ’27
• The Charles J. Kocian Award – Thomas Geyer ’26
• Wehr Financial Accounting Prize – Sheadon Ludwig ’26
• Baker Tilly Virchow Krause, LLP Prize for Tax Accounting – Sheadon Ludwig ’26
• The Professor Logan A. Richmond Accounting Prize – Megan Lonergan ’26

Anthropology/Sociology

• Durkeim Prize in Sociology – Jeffrey Beagle ’26, Kira Chinici ’26

Archaeology

• Faculty Prize for Excellence in Archaeology – Conner Penz ’26

Art

• Alfred Kohler Studio Artist Award – Anna Maffei ’27, Sydnie Reynolds ’27
• Faculty Award for Excellence in Photography – Megan Klansek ’26
• Roger D. Shipley Award – Carlos Arcos ’27
• Digital Art Award – Jennifer Cataldo-Smith ’27

Astronomy/Physics

• Fundamentals of Physics Award – Emily Rakestraw ’27
• Q.E.D. Award for Department Service – Adrianna Campisi ’26
• Фυσίκα Award in Astronomy/Physics – Matthew Motuz ’26, Zachary Pleska ’26

Biology

• Biology Department Academic Excellence Award – Lily Finkbeiner ’26
• Biology Service Award – Jacob Wagers ’26
• Williamsport Rotary Club Endowed Prize – Carter Lilley ’26
• Freshman Biology Award – Hailey Quinn ’29

Business Administration

• The Financial Management Award – Mallory Rodarmel ’26
• The General Management Award – Allison Fisher ’26
• The John G. Hollenback Award – Mallory Rodarmel ’26
• The Marketing Management Award – Anny Urbina Monterroso ’26
• The Charles J. Kocian Award – Allison Fisher ’26, Karson Kline ’26, Brody Lindsey ’26

Chemistry and Biochemistry

• American Chemical Society Outstanding Chemistry Major Award – Zoie Dodson ’26
• The A.I.C. Student Honor Award – Cameron Upcraft ’26
• Trask Chemistry Prize – Kate Finkbeiner ’26
• Byron C. Brunstetter Science Award – Brenden Smith ’26

Corporate Communication

• The Department Award for Excellence in Media Analysis and Critique – Brendan Clark ’27

Criminal Justice/Criminology

• Criminal Justice Society Prize – Clair Alexander ’26, Samuel Polott ’26
• Hoover Memorial Prize – Charles Karalfa ’26, Ava Williamson ’26

Economics

• The 2026 Economics Excellence Award – Kayvan Shams ’28
• The 2026 Robert W. Rabold Economics Excellence Award – Eleanor Magee ’28, Preyashi Wozageer ’27
• The 2026 Roger W. Opdahl Economics Excellence Award – Eli Crum ’26
• The Charles J. Kocian Award – Miya Knippenberg ’27
• The John A. Streeter Memorial Award in Economics – Sheadon Ludwig ’26

Education

• Leadership Award in Education – Jacob Wagers ’26

English

• Dan Gustafson Award – Chase Bower ’26
• The Metzler Prize – Kayli Berry ’27
• The Phoebe R. Lyon Prize – Elizabeth Flanigan ’26
• The President's Prize in Poetry – Charlie Bach ’28
• The G.W. Hawkes Prize in Prose – Sarah Madison Kracker ’27

Film and Video Arts

• Faculty Excellence Award – Alex Setliff ’26
• Film and Video Arts Award – Aaron Deffenbaugh ’27, Anna Kauffman ’27

Gender, Sexuality and Women’s Studies

• Holly Elizabeth Hurlbert ’97 Endowed Fund in Gender, Sexuality and Women’s Studies Prize – Emma Mitcheltree ’26

History

• Richard L. Mix '51 and Miriam S. Mix Research and Writing Prize in History – Emma Mitcheltree ’26
• Robert Ewing Senior Prize in History – Matthew Frantz ’26
• Larson Morris Piper History Fellowship – Gannon Bruno ’27, Lindsey Newcomer ’27

Humanities Research Center

• Meghan Andrews Award – Emma Mitcheltree ’26

Mathematical Sciences

• The Benjamin C. Conner Prize in Mathematics – Shawn Ciccitello ’26
• The Charles J. Kocian Award – Dante Beddia ’26, Shawn Ciccitello ’26, Erin Reilly ’26
• The Elisha Benson Kline Prize – Zachary Pleska ’26

Modern Language Studies

• Phil G. Gillette Prize in Modern Foreign Languages (French) – Kenneth Kouassi ’26
• Phil G. Gillette Prize in Modern Foreign Languages (German) – Chloe Shendge ’26
• Phil G. Gillette Prize in Modern Foreign Languages (Spanish) – Djitshmy Senejuste ’26
• The Emilia Pardo Bazán Prize in Critical Writing – Imarilis Mercado ’27
• Paul A. MacKenzie Discovery Prize – Nathan Druschel ’28

Music

• Dr. Will George Butler Band Award – Abigail Degnan ’28
• Michelle Bohlin Award in Theatre & Music – Lydia Krizan ’26
• The William T. and Ruth S. Askey Music Prize – Max Hill ’26
• The Williamsport Civic Chorus Award – Anna Glantz ’26
• Dr. Will George Butler Choir Award – Aidan Casey ’27

Philosophy

• W. Arthur Faus Memorial Prize – Luke Taylor ’26

Political Science

• The C. Daniel Little '53 and Jeanne Louise Little '82 Award in American Politics – Riley Godown ’26
• Richard L. Mix '51 and Miriam S. Mix Prize in Political Science – Morgan Mullins ’27
• The Charles J. Kocian Award – Riley Godown ’26

Psychology

• J. Milton Skeath Award in Psychology – Jordan Hassinger ’26, Anasten Holbrook ’26
• Psi Chi Service Award – Autumn Shahan ’26, Tawnya Shrawder ’26

Religion

• Faculty Award for Outstanding Academic Achievement in Religion – Alex Setliff ’26
• Eduardo Guerra Prize in Biblical Languages – Hannah Owens ’29

Theatre

• Overall Excellence in Theatre Award – Evelyn Stong ’26
• Theatre Performance/Directing Award – Chayton Wesneski ’26
• Theatre Design/Technical/Management Award – Elizabeth Flanigan ’26