Six graduating Denison University seniors whose interests range from jazz, Pokeman and political change to biochemistry, volunteer fire fighting, track and organic gardening were honored today (Friday, April 20) by President Dale T. Knobel as this year's "President's Medalists" during the University's annual spring Academic Awards Convocation.

The President's Medals were established in 1985 as Denison's highest and most prestigious honor, recognizing students who have demonstrated not only intellectual achievement, but also have made some other significant contribution to the community in such areas as global awareness, athletic fitness, leadership and campus discourse.

This year's six President's Medalists, four of whom were inducted into Phi Beta Kappa, were presented by Associate Professor Harold Van Broekhoven, chair of the faculty. All of the medalists were named to the 2000 edition of Who's Who Among Students in American Colleges and Universities and also were named as Distinguished Leadership Award winners earlier this month. Two of the medalists are from Ohio. The President's Medal winners for 2001 are:

Following Denison's 2001 Academic Awards Convocation on April 20, the University's six President's Medalists posed with President Dale T. Knobel. Pictured here, from left, are: President Knobel, Shannon Kishel, Ceara Flake, Philip Miller, Christine Gorman, Susan Bettcher and Clay Sellers. President's Medalists [jpg] for a downloadable high-resolution JPEG image of Denison's 2001 Link here [jpg] (3.3 MB).

Susan Lynn Bettcher- A member of seven NCAC Conference Championship teams, a Distance Medley Denison record holder, GTE Academic All-District First Team and GTE Academic All-National Second Team, Susie Bettcher is a graduate of Strongsville High School. Participating on both Indoor Track and Cross Country teams, she is a four-year letter winner and served as team captain for two years. She was named as the All-Academic Intercollegiate Cross Country Runner by the Division III Cross Country Coaches Association. She has been inducted into Phi Beta Kappa (the nation's oldest academic honorary), Alpha Epsilon Delta (national premedical honorary), Omicron Delta Kappa (national leadership honorary), Mortar Board (national senior honorary) and Phi Society (an honorary recognizing excellence in the first year). She also was named as winner of the Dean's Distinguished Leadership Award. Bettcher earned a University Scholarship, is a member of the Honors Program, and is a consistent dean's list student. She was named to Who's Who in American Universities and Colleges. A volunteer in the Basic Adult Literacy Committee of the Denison Community Association, she also has volunteered at the Parma Community General Hospital and at the MetroHealth Foundation during her undergraduate summers. She is a member of the Denison Newman Association and Campus Crusade. Bettcher also has served as a hostess for the admissions office.

Ceara Nicole Flake- A key participant and member of the planning committee for Denison University's first Martin Luther King Jr. Day community celebration this past January, Ceara Flake is a 1997 graduate of East High School (Memphis, Tenn.). She has earned Clifford Tyree, Stanley E. and Gaye S. Johnson, pre-law, Martha M. Shurz, Black Alumni Association and Martin Luther King Jr. scholarships while at Denison. She also was named as winner of a summer research grant. A consistent dean's list student, she has tutored in the campus writing center and presented a paper at the East Central Writing Centers Association Conference last year. Named as winner of the Dean's Distinguished Leadership Award and to Who's Who in American Universities and Colleges, Flake has been active in the Black Student Union at Denison and served as editor of its literary magazine, Black Rage. She has served on the staffs of both June and August Orientation programs, and has been a head resident in the residence halls. Flake also has been a member of the Judicial Appeals Board, a sponsor of the United Negro College Fund, and organizer of many events during Denison's annual Black History Month observances. A hostess for the admissions office, she has been a member of the campus Agape club and served as secretary of her sorority, Alpha Kappa Alpha.

Christine Noel Gorman- Named as the Outstanding Junior Chemist by the Columbus Section of the American Chemical Society, Chrissy Gorman is a 1997 graduate of Lancaster (Pa.) Catholic High School. Holder of a Faculty Scholarship for Achievement and a E. Stanley Melick scholarship, she is a member of the Honors Program, a consistent dean's list student and was named to Who's Who in American Universities and Colleges. She was awarded a summer research grant twice and has been named as winner of the Dean's Distinguished Leadership Award. Gorman has been inducted into Phi Beta Kappa (the nation's oldest academic honorary), Alpha Epsilon Delta (national premedical honorary), Omicron Delta Kappa (national leadership honorary) and Mortar Board (national senior honorary), which she served as president. A member of the Denison equestrian team, Gorman also has chaired the LEADS Swimming Committee of the Denison Community Association and volunteered for the Licking County Humane Society. She has participated in the Pep Band and the Concert Choir, and has served as a host, panelist and tour guide for the admissions office. A member of the residential life staff and an assistant and head resident, Gorman also was a member of the Campus Environment Team.

Shannon Kishel- A Fulbright Scholarship finalist, Shannon Kishel is a 1997 graduate of East Aurora High School and a consistent dean's list student at Denison. She was named as one of only 20 students on the national USA Today All College Academic First Team this spring. A project to connect "at-risk" youth with a hands-on nature garden was a winning combination for Kishel, who was named the winner of the Sara J. Mielke Memorial Award by the Ohio Environmental Council. The award recognizes outstanding achievement as a student, an environmental activist and steward of the Earth. Kishel's "Garden of Hope" project also won her a certificate of recognition from Ohio Attorney General Betty Montgomery. Awarded a full-tuition Faculty Scholarship for Achievement as an entering student, Kishel is a member of the Honors Program and was inducted into Phi Society, an honorary recognizing excellence in the freshman year, Mortar Board, senior honorary, and Phi Beta Kappa, the nation's oldest academic honorary. She also was awarded a Young Scholar summer research grant in 1999 for her project "Think Locally, Act Cautiously: Rethinking the Bumper Sticker Mentality in Proactive Environmental Change" which was supervised by her faculty adviser, Associate Professor Abram Kaplan, director of Denison's McPhail Center for Environmental Studies.

Philip David Miller- Holder of University, National Merit, Ohio Academic and Clement O. Mininger Memorial Foundation scholarships, Phil Miller is a 1997 graduate of Sylvania Northview High School. He has been recognized at Denison with induction into Phi Beta Kappa (the nation's oldest academic honorary), Omicron Delta Kappa (national leadership honorary), Mortar Board (national senior honorary) and Phi Society (an honorary recognizing excellence in the first year). A member of the Honors Program, a junior and senior fellow in the philosophy department and a consistent dean's list student, Miller also was named to Who's Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges. Winner of a summer research grant, he has presented papers at the MidSouth Undergraduate Philosophy Conference in 2000 and 2001 and will present at the 36th Annual International Medieval Congress at Western Michigan University in May. He won the English Department's Scholarly Writing Contest Award last year for his paper titled "Wittgenstein and Leopold Bloom: Meaning as Language Use in James Joyce's Ulysses." In student government, Miller has served in many positions including speaker of the Student Senate and on the Campus Affairs Council. He has been a staff member for both June and August Orientation Programs, a member of the Denison Jazz Ensemble and a tour guide in the admissions office. Miller also has served on the staff of The Denisonian, student newspaper, and as editor of Episteme, a philosophy journal.

Denison University, located in, was founded in 1831 and is a privately supported, coeducational college of liberal arts and sciences, offering three different bachelor's degrees (B.A., B.S. and B.F.A.) among 39 majors. Some 2,000 full-time undergraduate students represent 47 states and 34 foreign countries. Denison is fully accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools and is a member of the Great Lakes Colleges Association (GLCA) and a founding member of the North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC). Denison's chapter of Phi Beta Kappa was established in 1910. Dale T. Knobel is Denison's 19th president. Denison's endowment funds are approaching $500 million.

About Denison:

Denison University, founded in 1831, is an independent, residential liberal arts institution located in Granville, Ohio. A highly selective college enrolling 2,100 full-time undergraduate students from all 50 states and dozens of foreign countries, Denison is a place where innovative faculty and motivated students collaborate in rigorous scholarship, civic engagement and the cultivation of independent thinking.

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