Commencement Awards
Discover awards honoring UofL's top graduate achievers, celebrating excellence, leadership, resilience and their impactful contributions to their field.
Spring 2026 Commencement Award Winners
We congratulate the following Commencement Award Winners, as well as those recognized as having earned a Dean's Citation.
Guy Stevenson Award for Excellence in Graduate Studies
Katelyn Renee Sheneman,
Ph.D. Microbiology and Immunology,
Mentor: Professor Matthew Lawrenz
John Richard Binford Memorial Award
Virginia Marie Pruitt,
Ph.D. English/Rhetoric and Composition,
Mentor: Professor Bronwyn T. Williams
John M. Houchens Prize for Outstanding Dissertation
Catherine Whitney Kaiser,
PhD Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics,
Mentor: Associate Professor Melissa Smith
Virginia "Jenny" Madden Award for Graduate Student Leadership and Service
MichaelJoseph QuentinAnthony Barber,
M.F.A. Theatre Arts,
Co-Mentors: Associate Professor Ariadne Calvano and Assistant Professor Catron Booker
Alice Eaves Barns Award for Outstanding Achievement in Master's Program
Thaddious Jermaine Brown,
M.Ed. Counseling and Personnel Services,
Co-Mentors: Assistant Professor Melissa Henry and Associate Professor Ahmad Washington
Graduate Dean's Citations
To be eligible for a Graduate Dean’s Citation, the student must have significant accomplishments (e.g. publications, teaching excellence, and professional service) beyond the achievement of a high-grade point average.
| Name | Program |
|---|---|
| Mifleh Al Araydeh | Nursing (PHD) |
| Ahmad Alshurman | Nursing (PHD) |
| MichaelJoseph Barber | Theatre Arts (MFA) |
| Theo Barthes | Humanities (PhD) |
| Conner Book | Social Work (MSW) |
| Thaddious Brown | Counseling & Personnel Services (MED) |
| Christina Davidson | English Rhetoric and Composition (PHD) |
| Victoria Dobson | Social Work (DSW) |
| Shannon Evans | Applied Philosophy - Health Care Ethics (MA) |
| Saylor Fortner | Anthropology (MA) |
| Allison Garcia | Social Work (MSW) |
| Jackson Graber | Sports Administration (MS) |
| Catherine Kaiser | Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics (PHD) |
| Jennifer Kendrick | Social Work (PHD) |
| Dilara Kessafoglu | Experimental Psychology (MS) |
| Wendy Kittle | Pharmacology and Toxicology (PHD) |
| Nan Lanier (Elpers) | Couple and Family Therapy (MS) |
| Cheri Loggains | Social Work (DSW) |
| Tonoy Mondal | Mechanical Engineering (PHD) |
| Marcos Morales | Couple and Family Therapy (MS) |
| Lindsey Page | Social Work (DSW) |
| Khushboo Patel | Experimental Psychology (PhD) |
| Nicole Phillips | Urban Planning (MUP) |
| Virginia Marie Pruitt | English Rhetoric and Composition (PHD) |
| Shubha Sapkota | Nursing (PHD) |
| Katelyn Sheneman | Microbiology and Immunology (PHD) |
| Shylayna Southard | Couple and Family Therapy (MS) |
| Andrew Steinsultz | Music Performance (MM) |
| Nicholas Stirrett | Social Work (MSW) |
| Jacob Tabor | Music Performance (MM) |
| Mary Walter | Physiology (PHD) |
| John White | Chemical Engineering (PHD) |