Latin honors awardees Adamchak through Colvin

I majored in Environmental Studies and History and will graduate summa cum laude for my research on Mercury cycling in alpine ecosystems mentored by Dr. Eve-Lyn Hinckley. After graduation, I will follow the winter storms and eventually pursue a PhD :)

My name is Austin Adams, and I'm graduating summa cum laude with a BA in History, Economics, and Philosophy. Beyond spending my time finding majors to unwisely add to my schedule, I also spend a significant portion of my life wondering how I'm gonna make all this work after graduation. Formally, this next year will be spent working a real job and finding out whether I can get into grad school somewhere. Thank you to Dr. Martha Hanna, Dr. Myles Osborne, and Dr. Garrett Bredeson for all their help and support over the last year as I worked on my thesis. Now everyone gets to watch me figure out how to use any of this in the real world, so at least everyone will be entertained by the whole thing.

Sarah Altshuler is graduating summa cum laude in Philosophy with a double major in Political Science and a minor in Communications. She has served CU Student Government in a variety of leadership roles since her freshman year, including being elected president of the legislative branch and senator for the Arts & Sciences student government. Outside of school, Sarah was a top ACLU canvasser in 2018 , an intern with the Colorado Governor’s Office of Boards and Commissions, and campaign aid for first-time Boulder city council member, Junie Joseph. This past spring, Sarah interned for U.S. Senator Michael Bennet and has accepted the role of lead summer intern. She also plans to continue her education in a graduate or law program in the near future.

Dylan Small Anderson was born and raised near Alamogordo, New Mexico. He enlisted in the Marine Corps in 2012 and came to University of Colorado after his departure from Active Duty in 2017. Dylan is graduating magna cum laude in Philosophy with an additional BA in Mathematics. He hopes to go onto study Philosophy and Mathematics in graduate school and conduct further research on the detection of propagandists within social networks. Dylan has a deep appreciation for public service and is planning to use the education he received at CU to help him improve his community.

Eva will be graduating summa cum laude with both a BA in Environmental Studies and a BME in Music Education. Some of her favorite experiences at CU have included being a part of and leading the College of Music Student Government, the CU chapter of the National Association for Music Education (NAfME), and the Colorado State Collegiate NAfME. She has loved being a part of the communities within both the ENVS program and the College of Music and looks forward to pursuing career paths in both fields after graduation. After graduating, Eva will be pursuing an apprenticeship with an organic farm located in Maine before pursuing graduate work in sustainable agriculture. In her free time, Eva enjoys backpacking, baking, and knitting fuzzy sweaters.

I will graduate with cum laude in Spring 2022 for my major in psychology. I am also minoring in political science and will spend my last year at Boulder getting a minor in computer science. After graduation, I ultimately hope to go to graduate school for psychology and perhaps spend some time in the computer science industry during the interim. I enjoyed working with my advisor, Joshua Correll, on my thesis and am grateful for all of the help that graduate students and the faculty offered me along the way. My thesis was on the effect of minority status on White Americans' self concepts, which I found to be an illuminating and relevant topic.

I'm a Boulder native who was set on coming to CU my entire life. After loving my Physics courses in high school, I declared physics as my major prior to coming to CU. By the end of Freshman year, I noticed the Math courses required for Physics were something else I really enjoyed, so I decided to tack on an additional Applicable Mathematics major. Sophomore year, I was hired as an IT research assistant at LASP, and got a taste of how professional astrophysicists conducted research. Upon taking Electricity and Magnetism I met my current advisor, Mihály Horányi, who was instructing the course. After a successful and productive semester, he hired me as a research institute at IMPACT. Since then, I have challenged myself with projects I love.

Aubrie Bailie is graduating Magna Cum Laude with a BA in Sociology and a minor in Business Entrepreneurship. While at CU, she was the Vice President, Treasurer and Secretary of multiple organizations, including Pi Beta Phi Sorority, Phi Alpha Delta Pre-Law Fraternity and The National Society of Collegiate Scholars. She interned for The Colorado University Restorative Justice Program, as well as The Gang Reduction Initiative of Denver. She also studied abroad in London, England. Her honors thesis researched bringing restorative justice to NCAA football, and she plans on furthering this project after graduation. She will be attending The University of Wisconsin-Madison Law School in Fall 2021, where she plans on pursuing a career as a Sports Attorney.

Thomas Balcom is graduating Magna Cum Laude in Physics, having received the award for his work on vibration isolation of a new experimental design in magnetometry and condensed matter physics under Dan Dessau and the Dessau group. After school Thomas intends to pursue industry and jobs in alternative energy technology and experimental physics with plans to return to his studies in a graduate program.

I'm graduating summa cum laude with a BA in mathematics and two minors in physics and economics. Throughout my time at CU I have had a strong interest in education where I have worked as a learning assistant in the physics department and as a math tutor, as well as writing my thesis on mathematics education. I have also served as the undergraduate representative for the mathematics undergraduate committee and have been a member of the Phi Beta Kappa honors society. After graduation, I plan on continuing my work within education and applying to medical school.

I am graduating magna cum laude with a BA in Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences and a minor in Linguistics. During my time at CU, I held multiple leadership positions in the NSSLHA club and am currently the Vice President. I was a research assistant for Dr. Meyer’s iTOYS lab and completed my honors thesis with her as my advisor. I will be continuing my education at CU as a Master’s student studying speech pathology in the Fall! I hope to continue my work in the iTOYS lab and become a speech pathologist working in an early intervention setting.

Bekah is graduating summa cum laude with a psychology major and a women and gender studies minor. Her primary mentor at CU has been Dr. Akira Miyake, and she plans to continue her work with Dr. Miyake after graduation investigating notetaking, mind-wandering, and procrastination. She also hopes to find employment at a community-based organization that partners with youth populations to improve their social, emotional, and educational outcomes. While in school, she has enjoyed hiking, skiing, and eating at the many wonderful restaurant's Colorado has to offer.

My name is Jessie Bixler (she/her) and I am graduating summa cum laude in Women and Gender Studies. During my time at CU I was a active member in student government. I began working as an aide and worked my way up to being the Chief of Staff of the Executive Cabinet. I was able to participate in research and eventually conduct my ow throughout my thesis writing process. My thesis "Therapeutic Treatment Methods for Sexual Assault Survivors" is a work of passion with hopes to spread awareness and help survivors get treatment they deserve. Recently, I was accepted into the 2021 Denver cohort for Teach for America. Upon graduation, I will be continuing my passion for education by teaching special education at Aurora Science and Technology.

Ferris is very excited to be graduating summa cum laude with a BA in Astronomy and a BA in Japanese. He wrote his thesis on the evolution and response time of the Martian plasma environment due to changes in the upstream solar wind conditions. Ferris is also a member of the Japanese Honors Society, an alumnus of Nanzan University in Nagoya, Japan, and a recipient of the Steven Berry Memorial Scholarship Award. He has enjoyed the past four years at CU, making lots of incredible friends, meeting a host of supportive professors, and exploring many of his interests. Ferris plans on teaching abroad in Korea for a year and then applying to graduate programs in Japan and the States to continue his study of planetary science.

Grant Bowman is graduating summa cum laude with a BFA in Acting. Throughout his time at CU he acted in thirteen shows (eight with the Department of Theatre & Dance, three with the Eklund Opera Program, and two as part of his acting internship with the Colorado Shakespeare Festival) and directed one in fulfillment of his senior capstone project and honors thesis. He was also a singer in University Choir his freshman year, and served as the class representative for his BFA cohort. After graduation, he plans to work in Colorado for a year or so before continuing his career in the entertainment industry in a larger city like Chicago, Los Angeles, or New York.

Darcy is graduating Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Acting and a Minor in Dance. She was able to complete her degree program (and some) in only three years! The 20+ credits per semester were definitely worth it. Darcy wants to thank her family for supporting her throughout it all, and she can’t wait to watch her parents weep the whole day of graduation!

Alexandra is graduating summa cum laude with a BA in Biochemistry and a certificate in Neuroscience. During her time here at CU she worked within the Batey Lab to complete her thesis titled "Genetic Study of the Bacillus subtilis pbuE Adenine-Responsive Riboswitch". She was also heavily involved in volunteer positions both on and off campus within the Boulder community, even serving as the Vice President of CU Boulder's Rotaract Club. These opportunities allowed her to follow her desire to work with people from all walks of life. After graduation she plans to attend medical school.

I am graduating summa cum laude with a BA in Chemistry and a minor in Mathematics, and will be pursuing graduate studies in Physical Chemistry in the fall. My time at CU has included many highlights: participating in research for four years in both physical and inorganic chemistry, in the labs of Professors Dukovic and Marshak; being a member of the campus orchestra; my roles in the (b)chemistry club; being a learning instant; hiking in the mountains; and spending time with my dog, Leo. I am looking forward to the next chapter of my education.

Hello! I'm Olivia Bulik, and I will be graduating summa cum laude with a BA in Classics and a BA in History, along with minors in Anthropology and Nordic Studies. In my time at CU, I was a coxswain for CU's men's varsity rowing team, participated in an archaeological field school on the island of Gotland, interned for National History Day, and recently began working with Dr. Ortman as a research assistant on the Social Reactors Project. I plan to begin grad school in 2022, studying classical archaeology, where I hope to continue deeper research into the lives of women in antiquity. I want to thank Dr. Laurialan Reitzammer, Dr. Sarah James, and Michele Simpson, as well as all of the amazing faculty members I have met, for a great college experience!

Brandon Cage is graduating with a BS in Engineering Physics and Applied Mathematics after 3 years with CU Boulder. For the past year and a half, he has worked with computational plasma physics with the Institute for Modeling Plasma, Atmospheres and Cosmic Dust (IMPACT) . After graduation, he will pursue a doctorate degree in the graduate program of Rice University.

I am graduating this May summa cum laude with a bachelor's degree in in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and a minor in Visual Arts. For the past two years I have been working as an undergraduate researcher at the University of Colorado Boulder. My research focuses on plant science, and I work in Dr. William Bowman's lab with graduate student Chiara Forrester investigating the impacts of early warming and snowmelt on the seedling recruitment and phenology of the alpine flower Geum rossii.  When I am not doing field work I enjoy hiking, climbing, and creating art in all media.

I am graduating with a dual degree in Biophysics and Music and a minor in Computational Biology. I completed an Honors Thesis in the Department of Biochemistry in the lab of Dr. Deborah Wuttke, which has been an amazing experience-- I am so grateful to her and to the entire CU Boulder community for a wonderful undergraduate experience!

Max is graduating summa cum laude with a BA double major in Political Science and Economics. His honors thesis explored the relationship between foreign aid spending and economic growth in developing countries. For two years, Max served as a resident advisor in Stearns East which allowed him to meet many of his closest friends and get involved in campus life. Max loves Boulder for its proximity to skiing and world-class trail running. In fall, he will attend the Leeds School of Business for a one-year MS Finance program. Eventually, Max hopes to attend law school and enter the political sphere.

My name is Zuhair Chaudhry and I am graduating magna cum laude in Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology with the intention to go on to medical school. During my time at CU I was a main presenter at the CURE symposium, LA'ed for cell biology lab and received the BSI grant. I have been a part of the Link lab for over 2 years studying neurodegenerative diseases using C. elegans and did my thesis on proteins involved in ALS. Off campus I've been involved in the medical field as a scribe and intern under multiple physicians. Currently, I am studying for my MCAT and hope to get into medical school. Thank you to everyone who supported me throughout my time at CU!

Taylor is graduating summa cum laude with a BA in Integrative Physiology. After graduation she plans on attending medical or physician assistant school. At CU she helped teach her peers by working as a learning assistant, athletic department tutor and undergraduate teaching assistant. The highlight of her career at CU was serving as the President for the American Medical Women’s Association and doing research with the Sleep and Development lab.

Siobhan Ciafone (she/hers) is graduating summa cum laude after completing an Honors thesis project investigating the influence of topography on liquid water content in snow. As an undergraduate, Siobhan was a member of the Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research's Mountain Hydrology Lab Group, where she worked as a field assistant and undergraduate researcher. She will continue studying snow hydrology in Fall 2021 as a Master's student at Portland State University, where she will investigate the impact of wildfire on snow albedo and downstream water quality. As an early career scientist, Siobhan is committed to decolonizing academia and her own research.

Ali is graduating summa cum laude with a BA in Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology. She is also graduating with a minor in French and a global public health certificate. At CU, she worked as a research assistant in the Copley lab. Her research focused on the evolution of novel metabolic networks. During her time at CU, she was a president of the student organization, Friends of Doctors Without Borders, and worked as a hospice volunteer.

I majored in Psychology and Anthropology and graduating with Magna Cum Laude in Anthropology. I wrote my thesis about how the gut microbiome correlates with brain size measures in primates. I studied abroad in Peru, and learned about the tropical montane and rainforests. My senior year, I did undergraduate research on how Mesa Verde National Park has interacted with and worked with affiliated Native tribes. CU has brought me the best friends and lessons I could ask for, and I am excited to move forwards with the gifts of life I have received here.

I majored in Neuroscience and Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology. I had the wonderful opportunity to work in Dr. Michael Baratta's lab where I was able to grow as a scientist and work on my thesis. I was honored to receive the best neuroscience thesis award, especially given the excellent work by my peers in the department. I graduated summa cum laude in Neuroscience. I thoroughly enjoyed the opportunities for me to help and teach fellow undergraduates throughout my time at CU. This experience has positioned me very well to potentially pursue a Ph.D. in the future and I am excited for what is coming next!

My name is Jack Colvin, I will be graduating magna cum laude with a dual degree in both Psychology and Sociology. I spent two years as a Research Assistant in the Emotion, Decision, Judgement, and Identity Lab and I also served as an officer in both Psychology Club and Psi Chi International Honors society.