FREDERICK, Md.--Several Hood College student-athletes garnered awards for outstanding academic achievement at the annual Honors Convocation held in the Coffman Chapel Tuesday.

THE BIOLOGY FACULTY AWARD was created in 2000-2001 to honor a student or students demonstrating great promise in biology. The biology department faculty provide this book prize. The award is presented to Nicholas W. Gunther of the men's tennis team. A graduating senior from Brunswick, Md., Gunther is pursuing a major in biology with a minor in chemistry. He is just beginning to realize the great potential he has for a career in biology. The biology department faculty have been impressed with Nick’s ability to comprehend complex biological concepts and ask insightful questions.

THE ROUSE GRADUATE SCHOLARSHIP is awarded annually to an outstanding senior biology major who has displayed excellence in scholarship, citizenship and sincerity of purpose, and who is planning to pursue graduate study in biology, medicine or an allied scientific field. Mr. G. Park Rouse, Jr., established this scholarship to honor his wife, the late Elizabeth L. Chandler Rouse, Class of 1936, and his daughter, Anne Rouse McDowell, Class of 1969. The scholarship is awarded to Stephanie E. Garrett of the women's tennis team. Garrett, a graduating senior from West Friendship, Md., is majoring in biology with a minor in sociology. She is active in many campus activities, including the tennis team, where she earned first-time all-AWCC honors last year. In addition to coursework, extracurricular activities and applications to medical school, Stephanie completed a departmental honors project under the direction of Christopher Whitehouse, M.D., at USAMRIID on the biable but non-culturable state of the plague organism, Yersinia.

THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF CHEMISTS FOUNDATION AWARD is presented to a student or students majoring in biochemistry or chemistry for outstanding scholastic achievement and ability. This year’s recipient is Benjamin W. Caplins of the men's track and field team. Caplins, a senior from Park Hall, Md., is pursuing a double major in chemistry and mathematics. He is a member of the Gamma Sigma Epsilon national chemistry honor society. He has been working on catalysts synthesis and characterization with Professor Christopher Stromberg for the past year. Results from this work have been presented at national and regional meetings. He will be attending the American Institute of Chemists awards luncheon in May.

THE LARRY T. CAMPBELL MEMORIAL PRIZE is awarded to an outstanding student in the Economics and Management Department. This award honors the memory of Larry T. Campbell, who was treasurer and comptroller of Hood College. Mr. Campbell was associated with Hood from 1968 until his death in 1981. The prize is shared by Arielle S. John of the women's lacrosse team, Shane M. McCarrick of the men's soccer team and Lindsey D. Nagy of the volleyball team.

John, a graduating senior from Trinidad and Tobago, is pursuing a major in economics with a concentration in global economy and a minor in mathematics. An Honors Program student, she served as a teaching assistant in various economics courses. She is interested in development economics and is currently completing research for her Departmental Honors Paper on the effects of government expenditures on children’s welfare in sub-Saharan Africa. Upon graduation, John plans to pursue doctoral studies in economics and is considering acceptance offers from the University of Tennessee and George Mason University. She is a member of Omicron Delta Epsilon national economics honor society.

McCarrick, a graduating senior from Myersville, Md., is pursuing a double major in political science and economics with a concentration in global economy, and is an Honors Program student. In addition to being a teaching assistant for various economics courses, McCarrick has completed an internship with the Frederick County Office of Economic Development. In his junior year, he completed a Departmental Honors Paper in the Department of History and Political Science on gun control laws in the United States. Playing a defender on the Hood College soccer team for four years, Shane was also the co-captain. He will be attending law school upon graduation and is currently considering admissions from various law schools, including George Mason University. He is a member of Omicron Delta Epsilon national economics honor society.

Nagy, a graduating senior from Torrance, Calif., is pursuing a double major in mathematics and economics with a concentration in global economy. She served as a teaching assistant in various economics and mathematics courses. This past summer, Nagy participated in the Summer Research Institute with faculty members in the mathematics department. Currently she is completing the research for her Departmental Honors Paper on the efficacy of labor market reforms in China. She has played for the Hood College women’s volleyball team for four years and served as the team’s captain in her junior year. She will begin doctoral studies in economics in the fall and is considering admission offers from the University of Virginia, University of Nebraska, University of Arizona and University of Connecticut. She is a member of Omicron Delta Epsilon national economics honors society.

THE 2008 EXCELLENCE AWARD OF THE FEDERAL RESERVE BANK OF RICHMOND, BALTIMORE BRANCH is awarded to a graduating senior with the highest academic achievement in the study of economics. Each college is permitted to nominate one student for this honor. The award is presented to William A. Oconis of the men's lacrosse team. Oconis, a graduating senior from Frederick, is pursuing a major in economics with a concentration in global economy. In addition to serving as a teaching assistant in various economics and finance courses, Oconis was an integral member of the Hood College lacrosse team, serving as the captain for the past two years. He is considering various career options, including a position with the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve or as a lacrosse coach before continuing with his graduate studies in finance or economics. He is a member of the Omicron Delta Epsilon, a national economics honor society.

THE EMILY MYERS DAVIS PRIZE is awarded to a student or students for excellence in English courses. This prize was established by Mr. T. Crawley Davis in memory of his wife, Emily Myers Davis, Class of 1943. The prize is awarded to Steven E. Delaney of the cross country and track and field teams. Delaney, a graduating senior from Pompton Lakes, N.J., is an Honors Program student pursuing a major in English with certification in secondary education. Delaney is a competitive marathon runner and is a member of the Hood track team. He has distinguished himself in the secondary education program and his student teaching experience in the fall semester established him as an extremely promising teacher candidate. Delaney has an interest in public speaking and has been a member of the Toastmaster’s Club.

THE MARTHA BRINEY HONOR SCHOLARSHIP, established in honor of the late Professor Martha Briney, is awarded to an upperclassman who excels in English literature courses. One of the scholarship recipients this year is Emily J. Bernstein of the equestrian club team. Bernstein, a senior from Summit, N.J., is pursuing a major in English and certification in early childhood education.

THE ALYCE WEINBERG HONOR SCHOLARSHIP, named in honor of the late Alyce Weinberg, is awarded to a senior majoring in English or communication arts and who has done meritorious work in English, particularly in communications. Mrs. Weinberg established this scholarship because she believed firmly in the value of education. She took numerous courses at Hood as an adult learner, but she did not enroll as a degree-seeking student. Mrs. Weinberg could be considered the ultimate continuing education student, a genuine lifelong learner. She loved Hood, its professors and courses, and enrolled semester after semester to learn as much as possible. Sometimes she even repeated courses she liked particularly well. Mrs. Weinberg is the author of the book “The Spirits of Frederick.” Her son, Al Weinberg, is an associate professor of journalism at Hood. This scholarship is awarded to Jamie E. Bussey of the volleyball team. Bussey, a graduating senior from Newburg, Md., is pursuing a double major in English and communication arts with a concentration in journalism. She is a former editor of the Blue & Grey Today and has been a summer intern at the Frederick News-Post. During the fall and spring semesters of her senior year, she interned for National Geographic’s online magazine. She plans to join the Peace Corps following graduation.

THE GRACE N. BROWN PRIZE in mathematics, named in honor of the late Grace N. Brown, Registrar Emerita, is awarded to a student who has consistently shown initiative, insight and achievement in the introductory calculus course. Miss Brown majored in mathematics and graduated from Hood in 1927, and served as Hood’s Registrar from 1930 to 1967. The prize is given to Hilary Stauffer of the women's tennis team. Stauffer, a freshman from Darnestown, Md., is an Honors Program student.

THE C. MAY HUDSON PRIZE is awarded to a senior mathematics major who has shown outstanding achievement in mathematics. The prize is awarded to Lindsey D. Nagy of the volleyball team. Nagy, a graduating senior from Torrance, Calif., is pursuing a double major in mathematics and economics with a concentration in global economy. She is the president of the Least Squares Math Club and completed a Summer Research Institute project in the history of mathematics in the summer of 2007.

THE JANICE E. COLE SCHOLARSHIP FUND, established in memory of Professor Janice E. Cole, is awarded to a student who has done excellent work in English. The late Professor Cole taught English at Hood from 1965 to 1996. Beloved by her students and highly respected by her colleagues, Professor Cole gave unstintingly of her time to countless faculty and College committee. Most of all she was devoted to the students of Hood College, particularly her advisees and those enrolled in her classes. The scholarship is awarded to April M. Penn of the cross country and track and field teams. Penn, a graduating senior from Linthicum Heights, Md., is an English major with a minor in philosophy. She is an Honors Program student. She has been very active on the Wisteria literary magazine’s staff, having served as editor, layout manager and review board manager. Penn is a long-distance runner on the women’s track and field team.