Lewis Honors College celebrates nearly 400 graduates at Medal Ceremony

The University of Kentucky Lewis Honors College celebrated 386 seniors during its annual Medal Ceremony held on Thursday, May 7, at the Historic Memorial Coliseum.

UK Provost Robert DiPaola, M.D., Interim Dean Laura Bryan, Ph.D., Associate Dean of Academic Affairs Pearl James, Ph.D., Assistant Dean of Student Engagement Sally Foster, and Nomenclator Carl Nathe served as the platform party.

“I am confident that each of you will create meaningful and lasting impact in your own communities wherever you reside,” said DiPaola. He shared 10 lessons in leadership, including having a sense of purpose, trusting relationships, and being calm in a storm.

The Medal Ceremony also recognized outstanding students, faculty, and staff. Award recipients are as follows:

• The Diachun Research Award, given to a graduating senior who has “demonstrated outstanding research talent in the form of their Independent Project and who holds high promise for further professional development in graduate school,” was presented to Peyton Ash.
• The Diachun Scholar Award, given to a graduating senior, majoring in science or a related field, who has the highest academic achievement among their peers, was presented to Elizabeth Elliott.
• The Evans Scholar Award, given to a graduating senior, majoring in humanities, arts, or social sciences, who has the highest academic achievement among their peers, was presented to Siena Pilati.
• The Raymond Betts Crystal Award, given to a graduating senior for outstanding service to the Lewis Honors College and the UK community at large, was presented to Aidan Brummer.
• The Leadership Award, given to a graduating senior who has excelled in leadership positions at the university, college, or major level, was presented to Jeffrey Brock.
• The fourth Founding Dean’s Award for Faculty Excellence in Honors Education, given to two Honors faculty who demonstrate excellence in Honors education through student engagement, mentoring, and supervising research or independent study projects, was presented to Julie Boutwell-Peterson, Ph.D., and Kevin Sarge, Ph.D.
• The third Staff Excellence Award was presented to business officer Laura Carter for demonstrating excellence in her role.

Honors graduates received an Honors medallion. In addition, all graduates will receive an Honors designation on their transcript.

Bryan closed with a quote from National Youth Poet Laureate Amanda Gordon, “For there is always light. If only we're brave enough to see it. If only we're brave enough to be it,” from “The Hill We Climb,” and encouraged graduates to “remember that while learning here at the Lewis Honors College, you have explored and developed; you have changed and grown. And now I ask each one of you to lead with integrity.”