Springfield, Ohio – Capping off a day-long Celebration of the Liberal Arts at Wittenberg University, the campus community came together to celebrate the achievements of students and faculty members alike at the annual Honors Convocation, Friday, April 8, in Weaver Chapel. The faculty commemorated the occasion in full academic regalia as the university recognized high achievement of students and faculty members in academic and co-curricular activities.

During the ceremony, the 2016 Alumni Association Award for Distinguished Teaching was presented to Professor and Department Chair of Geology John Ritter. The award was established in 1960, and it is the highest recognition Wittenberg bestows on its faculty. It is accompanied by a stipend of $2,000. Candidates must have taught at Wittenberg for more than five years and are nominated by students, alumni, faculty and staff.

Assistant Professor of English Kate Polak McDonald was also recognized for her work during the Honors Convocation with the Omicron Delta Kappa Faculty Excellence in Teaching Award.

Ellen Martin was named Alma Mater, an honor bestowed upon a junior woman on the basis of character and integrity, service to the community, concern for others and high standards of scholarship. Adam Barstow was named Alma Lux, an honor bestowed upon a junior male student who possesses qualities of leadership, scholarship and service.

Heath Queen received the Heimtraut Dietrich Award, which was established in 1981 to recognize the student who best emulates the spirit of the late associate dean of students' devotion to Wittenberg through faith and service. The M. Alice Geiger Award was presented to Madeline Kraft. The award, named for Wittenberg's first woman graduate, recognizes a senior woman for outstanding contributions to the campus in the areas of performing or literary arts, athletics, co-curricular leadership, new programming, special academic pursuit or through special representation at any time during her college career.

The John F. Mitchell Award, honoring the senior man who best represents the liberal arts tradition at Wittenberg, was presented to Joseph Johnson. The award goes to a top student who is a positive force in academic, cultural and social aspects of the campus.

The Alpha Delta Pi Scholarship Award, created in 1990 by the Springfield Alumnae Association and Chi Chapter of Alpha Delta Pi sorority, recognizes two junior women, one Greek and one non-Greek, who best exemplify the characteristics consistent with the ideals and goals of the sorority. This year's recipients are Leah Markovich (non-Greek) and Camila Quiñones (Greek).

The Charles E. Chatfield Global Awareness Award, instituted in 1992, recognizes seniors who contribute to greater global awareness within the Wittenberg University community. This year's recipients are Chuzi Xiao.

The Charles J. Ping Student Community Service Award is presented in recognition of outstanding leadership and ability to meet the needs of the community by working in partnership with members of the community. It recognizes the student's effort to create an organization to lead and to involve others. Ohio Campus Compact, a statewide membership organization that serves to promote community service initiatives at colleges and universities, sponsors this award. This year's recipient is Margaret Kramer.

Isaac Cason and Chebrya Jeffrey were the recipients of the Martin Luther King Jr. Award for positive examples to members of the African American community and to the university.

Siham Shehebo received the Broadwell Chinn Award, named for one of the first African American students to enroll at Wittenberg in the 1870s. The award honors the student holding the highest grade point average among African American juniors.

Alpha Lambda Delta Senior Awards were presented to Katherine DeVantier and Allison Dunn, and a Phi Eta Sigma Senior Award was presented to Joseph Johnson.

Presidential Scholars, named for former presidents of Wittenberg, are the junior students having the top 14 grade point averages of their class. Those students are Anna Gutridge, Courtney Long, Anna Siegfried, Phuc Vo, Grace Gielink, Kristy Bowen, Camila Quiñones, Lauren Instenes, Kaitlin LaPlant, Emily Kahlig, Samantha Diehm, Ethan Raines, Jacob Sampson and Chenyu Zhai.

Introduced in 2009, the Lillian C. Franklin Diversity Award is granted each year to honor a student and a faculty/staff member who have made outstanding contributions in promoting and furthering our goal of rich diversity in the Wittenberg community. Candidates must uphold the tradition of diversity embodied by the award's namesake, demonstrate high standards of personal integrity, commitment to the education of the whole person, global vision and leadership. The 2016 student recipient is Sierra Mazurowski and the faculty/staff recipient is former Assistant Director of Multicultural Affairs and Club Sports Brian Richardson.

Finally, the Lou Laux Environmental Sustainability Award was presented to Nicholas Monetta. The Community Service Champion Award recognizes an individual’s commitment to service, the quality of that service, and its positive impact on the City of Springfield and Clark County. It is not merely the hours of service, but the impact on the quality of life in the Springfield community that is most important. This year’s recipients are Stefan Broidy (faculty) and Benjamin Brown (student).