Knox College

A student at Knox College was awarded the Bookfellow Library Prize from Knox College's Seymour Library at the end of the 2020-2021 academic year.

Students at Knox College were awarded prizes from the Music Department at the end of the 2020-2021 academic year. The prizes celebrate excellence in musical composition, performance, and scholarly writing.

Knox College student Hao Li was awarded the Victoria Legner Junod Prize in Mathematics by the Mathematics Department at the end of the 2020-2021 academic year. The prize celebrates students who demonstrate excellence in their field.

Students at Knox College were awarded prizes from the History Department at the end of the 2020-2021 academic year. The prizes celebrate excellence in research, writing, and knowledge of history.

Several students received academic awards from Knox College's Environmental Studies Department during the 2020-21 academic year. The Desmond Fortes Environmental Studies Prize is awarded annually to a junior or senior student who has demonstrated outstanding academic performance in environmental studies courses and/or research. It was established by friends and family in memory of Desmond Fortes, Class of 2000. The Lawrence L. DeMott Prize is awarded to a senior with outstanding grades who has taken all available earth sciences courses and whose senior project is focused on a subject/research relevant to the geological field. It was established by family, friends, and former students of Dr. DeMott, Knox faculty 1962-82.

Several students received academic awards from Knox's Chemistry Department during the 2020-21 academic year. The awards included Glenn M. Nagel Undergraduate Research Fund Awards in Chemistry, Leland Harris Award in Chemistry, Russell P. Sutton Prize in Organic Chemistry, and various American Chemical Society (ACS) prizes.

Three students received awards from Knox's Educational Studies Department during the 2020-21 academic year. The Dr. Diana Beck Senior Honors Award is awarded to the graduating seniors (in Elementary and Secondary Education) who best exemplify the following qualities: scholarship, good character, dedication to the field, success in student teaching, and consistently excellent classroom performance.

Dance students were recognized for their achievements by Knox College's Dance Department during the 2020-21 academic year. The John Hofsas Prize in Dance is awarded to a junior or senior student deemed by the faculty to have given the most outstanding dance performance of the year, either in a public performance or in a dance performance class. The prize was established by Daniel R. and Carol Klimick Cyganowski, in memory of their friend and fellow Knox alumnus John Hofsas, class of 1970.

A student received academic awards from Knox's Computer Science Department during the 2020-21 academic year. Paul's Prize in Computer Science is awarded annually to a senior showing great potential for a distinguished career in computing or computer science. The recipient need not be a computer science major but must have exhibited problem-solving skills and an enthusiastic interest in computer science. It was established by Cecile Smith, a longtime employee of Knox, in honor of her brother, Paul H. Smith 1927-97.

Two students received academic recognition from Knox College's Business and Management Department during the 2020-21 academic year. Both were awarded financial support from the Donald R. Stroben Entrepreneur Fund.

Students at Knox College were awarded prizes from the Theatre Department at the end of the 2020-2021 academic year. The prizes celebrate excellence in performance, writing, and knowledge of theatre.

The Knox Economics Department recognized Alessandro Benelli with the Vinton C. Johnson Prize during the 2020-21 academic year. The prize is awarded to the outstanding senior economics major. It was established by Vinton C. Johnson, class of 1926.

About 250 Knox College seniors received their bachelor's degrees on June 5, 2021, at Knox College's Commencement exercises.

Students at Knox College were awarded prizes from the Art Department at the end of the 2020-2021 academic year.

Two students were co-recipients of an academic award from Knox's Asian Studies Department during the 2020-21 academic year. The Mikiso Hane Asian Studies Prize is awarded to the Knox student who has done the most distinguished work relating to Asian Studies. This interdisciplinary field encompasses a variety of subjects, including history, political science, anthropology, economics, and the Japanese language. The prize was established by colleagues and friends to honor Professor Mikiso Hane, Knox faculty, 1961-92.

Multiple students received academic awards from Knox's Anthropology & Sociology Department during the 2020-21 academic year. The Howell Atwood Award is given to the graduating senior doing the most outstanding work in anthropology and sociology. It was established by an anonymous donor in memory of J. Howell Atwood, professor of sociology 1930-60, and subsequently endowed by a gift from Mrs. Atwood.

Two students received academic awards from Knox's Biology Department during the 2020-21 academic year. The Inn-Siang Ooi Prize is awarded to the Knox student who has demonstrated skill in field biology, a commitment to conservation, and a concern about human co-existence with the other species of this planet. The Alvah Peterson Biology Prize is awarded to a junior or senior student majoring in biology who has demonstrated outstanding academic performance in biology courses and/or research.

During the 2021 Conferring of Degrees, select Knox College students were awarded College Honors for their advanced research and creative projects in specialized department fields. Projects were conducted in such areas as biology, translation, theatre, and environmental studies.

Knox College students were welcomed into the nation's oldest and most prestigious honor society, Phi Beta Kappa.

This spring, eight Knox students took the virtual stage at the Richard Macksey National Undergraduate Humanities Research Symposium, sponsored by Johns Hopkins University and held online April 24-25, 2021.

Knox has a longstanding commitment to supporting advanced student research and creative work-intensive, long-term projects that go beyond typical coursework. This year's HORIZONS Celebration 2021 virtual event showcases student inquiry and imagination across all disciplines. Students of all class years who completed advanced studies were invited to participate, and many were also nominated by their supporting faculty.

High-achieving students were named to the Knox College Dean's List for the 2021 Winter Term. To be named to the Dean's List, a student must have earned at least 2.5 credits in the term, with a grade point average of 3.6 or better (on a 4.0 scale).

The staff of student journalists at The Knox Student (TKS) received 21 awards from the Illinois College Press Association on February 20. Among these awards were first place and second place in the prestigious in-depth/investigative reporting category and third place in general excellence. The awards were in a wide spectrum of categories, including feature story, sport photography, feature design, and podcast, and they demonstrate the diverse talents of the TKS staff.

Twenty-seven Knox College educational studies students are fulfilling their student teaching requirements during the 2020-21 academic year -- an especially stressful time for many schoolchildren, families, and teachers because of COVID-19. The pandemic has forced school districts to change and continually revise their plans on how to provide students with an education. As a result, student teachers have needed to prepare to work in environments that can run the gamut from all-online to all-in-person learning, with some schools operating under a hybrid model that includes elements of both.

Three students created a new sorority focused on Black, Indigenous, and People Of Color (BIPOC) at Knox College. Madison Sparks says the idea developed from conversations involving about a half-dozen Knox students. All of them are first-generation college students, and all are BIPOC. The group decided that by founding a new Black-centered sorority at Knox, they could do more to promote Black culture and connection. The sorority plans to engage in different forms of outreach, both on and off-campus, and expects to develop relationships with other organizations, such as Allied Blacks for Liberty & Equality (A.B.L.E.), the Knox Black Alumni Network (BAN), and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).

Since 1995, the Richter Memorial Trusts have provided more than $1.3 million to support Knox College students pursuing projects that foster independence of thought and expression beyond the classic classroom setting. Funds have supported travel to conduct research, research internships, and the purchase of materials, supplies, or equipment to pursue ambitious independent and creative projects. Any student in any discipline is eligible to apply for funds from the Richter program.

Knox's annual Business Intensive Seminar is designed to introduce students to the business world, help them recognize that business has an impact on a wide range of careers, and gain a better understanding of themselves and how they relate to others, says Jim Foley '78. Foley, director of the Turner Center for Entrepreneurship at Bradley University, has led the seminar since 2017. With a focus on two broad themes, leadership and innovation, the 19 students in this year's cohort engaged in sessions covering such topics as marketing, emotional intelligence, ethical business decisions, and entrepreneurship. The seminar took place November 30-December 3, 2020.

High-achieving students were named to the Knox College Dean's List for the 2020 Fall Term. To be named to the Dean's List, a student must have earned at least 2.5 credits in the term, with a grade point average of 3.6 or better (on a 4.0 scale).

The Artists, Scholars, Scientists, and Entrepreneurs of Tomorrow (ASSET) program recruits a student cohort with a wide range of career and academic aspirations during the fall of the students' junior year. Students propose a summer research project that will take place the following summer, and engage in interdisciplinary dialogue and mentorship experiences throughout the year. Each year, 10-15 students are selected to participate in the program. This year, the cohort includes 14 students, studying everything from philosophy to economics to neuroscience.

Approximately 300 new students joined the Knox College community by enrolling for the 2020 fall term.