Presentation Remarks:

“Erin, one of your nominators calls you ‘three people in one’ — an exemplary student, a talented athlete, and an extraordinary humane individual. Your 4.0 GPA in your biology major is one clear testimony to your stellar academic success.  But you have transcended mere grade performance by living the life of a scholar, a proclivity that has all the earmarks of becoming your vocation. You have been selected as an Anderson Summer Scholar, a Howard Hughes Summer Scholar, and a George Storer Scholar in Chemistry. You won a Battelle Scholarship for biological research in Costa Rica, worked with a scientist at the University of Michigan Biological Station, and spent a semester in Kenya on a program with the School of Field Studies, of which the outcome is a refereed journal publication. 

“As a premier tennis player for our women’s team you experienced what your coach calls ‘an amazing ride to the top,’ fueled by your indomitable drive and passion. In 2007, you won the clinching match against the number one rated team in the nation, propelling Denison on to the NCAA ‘Elite Eight’ for the third time in four years. And as a crowning tribute to your skill and leadership, you were twice elected by your teammates as team captain and then as the Heart of the Team Award recipient.

“With all the rest, you somehow found the time to carry out your commitment to the environment and to human rights. A Green Team executive and Homesteader, you have spent Christmas breaks working with the Cherokee Nation Tribe and the Lost Boys of Sudan Refugee Program, and additionally you have volunteered for Hope for Autism and the New Beginnings battered women’s shelter.

“Erin, the takeaway for anyone who looks at your Denison record boils down to this: here is a person of extraordinary commitment to whatever she chooses to pursue. In conjunction with your many talents, that commitment will doubtless spell continuing success as you pursue your doctoral studies at Oregon State University.”

Student Achievements:

Dean's List; Distinguished Leadership Award; Honors Program - Mentor; Biology Department - Senior Fellow; Biochemistry Department - Junior Fellow; Phi Society (Academic Honorary); Varsity Tennis - Team Captain, Heart of the Team Award; Study Abroad, The School For Field Studies, Kenya; Green Team - Executive Member, Secretary; Denison Chemical Society; Breakaway Trips - Cherokee Nation Tribe, International Rescue Committee - Lost Boys of Sudan Refugee Program; DCA - New Beginnings, HOPE for Autism; Alpha Chi Omega - Vice President Intellectual Development; Lab Teaching Assistant; Supplemental Instruction Program; Anderson Grant Battelle Research Scholarship; Howard Hughes Early Research Experience in the Sciences; George Storer Foundation Scholarship; Chemistry Fund Scholarship; Heritage Scholarship