Four local students applauded at IU Kokomo honors night

Submitted

Faculty and staff in the Indiana University Kokomo School of Humanities and Social Sciences and School of Sciences celebrated student academic achievement during their honors program April 20 in Havens Auditorium.

Chancellor Mark Canada; Scott Jones, executive vice chancellor for academic affairs; Chris Darr, dean of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, and Patrick Motl, dean of the School of Sciences welcomed students, their family and friends, and faculty to the celebration.

Darr congratulated students on their accomplishments, saying they arrived there through their own hard work and the support of family and friends. The honorees studied long nights and weekends, participated in clubs and activities, worked jobs on and off campus, and overcome obstacles.

“Our two schools share many things. One of these is a belief in the central importance of lifelong learning,” Darr said. “Benjamin Franklin, a tireless proponent of public education, insisted that an educated, well-informed citizenry was crucial for a democratic society. He thought that reason and free inquiry were essential, and that dedication to lifelong learning helped us develop not just knowledge and skills, but moral virtue as well. Our faculty work tirelessly to ensure that our students learn about the natural and social worlds, and more broadly, we hope to instill in them the value of reason and free inquiry: Educated citizens must think critically; they must seek truth; they must distinguish between fact and opinion; and they must remain open-minded while demanding evidence. These efforts are needed now more than ever.”

Local outstanding student award recipients included:

• Communications: Jenna Waterman, Noblesville
• Health sciences: Breanna Koester, Westfield
• Data science: MaryClare Burch, Noblesville

Scholarship recipients honored included:

• Robert Roales NIMS Scholarship: Emilia Lamoreaux, Arcadia