2020 Senior Award Winners

Congratulations SES Graduates

E.O. Wilson Award for Outstanding Performance in Independent Environmental Research: Lucia Maria Siman Daboub

“I’m going to miss everything that encloses the SES building. From the SLUG endless studying nights to the coffee mug reliefs at Engrained. SES professors that taught me all about environmental issues our generation is facing and how we can genuinely help. I thank Zach Waickman for being my research mentor throughout my four years at Loyola. Overall, I’m going to miss going to the Biodiesel Lab to recheck experiments, reaching out to faculty for solutions, and learning how to use all the lab equipment to achieve my research goals. I plan on continuing my microbiology research with the Shedd Aquarium. After a couple of years of gaining more professional experience, I would like to join an MS/PhD program." 
—Lucia Siman
BS in Environmental Science

Presidential Medallion for Leadership, Scholarship, and Service: Kevin Patrick White

“Without a doubt, I'll definitely miss the people of SES the most. There is something about our department. The professors care so much and are always going the extra mile for the students and providing a lot of opportunities to connect and learn outside the classroom. Then there are SES students who bring a ton of passion into the classroom but also are very active throughout the Loyola community. It's hard to put it all into words but the people in SES make it an exciting place to be and I'm going to miss that the most. As for future plans, I wish I had more definitive stuff to share. Right now I'm finishing up my Master of Public Policy and after that, I'm hoping to find a job working in sustainable urbanism, land conservation, or environmental policy.” 
—Kevin White
BS in Environmental Science: Conservation & Restoration
BA in Environmental Policy

Wangari Muta Maathai Award for Outstanding Service: Maris Camille Yurdana

“Leaving SES, I'll miss the concentrated spirit of us young people all gathered together. I hope to carry that energy with me to every future change-making situation I'm a part of. In light of both Coronavirus and the Climate Crisis, I feel that my future plans hold immense weight. When the time is ready, I aim to collaborate in the realm of international sustainable development and climate finance. We need to bridge our divides now. We need to regenerate our natural and human ecosystems now. If what we're experiencing today isn't the ultimate wake-up call, I'm not sure what is.” 
—Maris Yurdana
BA Environmental Policy

James E. Hansen Award for Outstanding Performance in Environmental Internship: Brendan Durkin Twaddell

“I think what I’ll miss most about SES is being surrounded by so many students and faculty passionate about something outside of themselves. Being one of the smaller schools at Loyola, there’s a real sense of community, and given the magnitude of the problems we’re taking on, also a sense of urgency to the work that we do. It has been an honor to learn from and with my peers in SES and I will miss them greatly. After graduation, I am hoping to stay in the city and find work in urban agriculture growing food for my community.” 
—Brendan Twaddell
BS Environmental Science: Food Systems and Sustainable Agriculture

Aldo Leopold Award for Outstanding Achievement
& Rachel Carson Award for Academic Excellence: Rose Marie Mohammadi

“I’ll miss biosoap. I’ll miss doing homework in the SLUG. I’ll miss waste week, water week—all of the weeks—and the B(Earth) Day Party. I’ll miss hearing Dr. Dybzinski singing “Agroecology.” Most of all, I’ll miss seeing and learning from my fantastic peers and the outstanding faculty and staff every single day. The real question, unfortunately, is what I won’t miss about SES. After graduation, I am moving to Washington D.C. to either work in environmental advocacy, lobbying for legislation to support land conservation efforts across the nation, or in coastal wetland research.”
—Rose Mohammadi
BS Environmental Science

Rachel Carson Award for Academic Excellence: Camilla Mae Provencher 

“What I am going to miss most are all my SES friends and the SES faculty. I am thankful for all the amazing professors I had in the two years I’ve been at Loyola - their passion and knowledge is always inspiring.” 
—Cami Provencher
BA Environmental Studies

Berta Isabel Cáceres Flores Award for Outstanding Leadership: Isabelle Sophia Abbott

"SES will always be my home. It will always be the foundation of my technical knowledge and the skillset and framework to understand my aspirations as an environmental advocate. SES professors taught practical coursework that inspired me to fulfill my duty to have care for our common home and be a technical actor alongside communities who have had their ecosystems impacted by systemic injustice. I will miss having a learning environment with such devoted environmentalists with hearts of gold. I will miss the kind smiles of fellow SES staff and leadership and supportive dialogue from my peers. I did not come to SES as an advocate, SES created a space that challenged, inspired, and held me accountable to do better. I am a proud student of the SES and my future is filled with hope because of my time here. My next steps will be attending law school this fall in Chicago and studying Environmental Law while getting my MS in Environmental Management. I hope to use my collective experiences to improve air quality in all of Chicago's 77 neighborhoods.” 

—Isabelle Abbott
BA Environmental Policy

Congratulations to all of our Students Graduating with University Honors!

Summa cum laude (3.9-4.0)

• Eve Olivia Hemingway
• Anna Elizabeth Jentz
• Maya Lauren Kelly
• Rose Marie Mohammadi
• Claire H Nusekabel
• Megumi Megan Prosser
• Camilla Mae Provencher
• Brianna Marie Siracuse
• Kevin Patrick White

Magna cum laude: (3.7-3.899)

• Megan Olivia Barrera
• Andrew Joseph Baumann
• Madeleine McHale Burt
• Luca Johnson Cherubini
• Rhealene Dee Fowler
• Kirsten Caroline Hammons
• Amelia Miles Howerton
• Abby Leeser
• Khadija Shoaib Mandviwala
• Anna Terese Marr
• Shannon Elizabeth McWeeny
• Kathleen Marie Meis
• Breanna Elizabeth Plucinski
• John (Jack) Ryan
• Kailin Marie Mingying Sepp
• Megan Elizabeth Piontek
• Maris Camille Yurdana

Cum laude: (3.5-3.699)

• Emma Aurora Alanis
• Alyssa G. Alcordo
• Hamilton Savannah Anderson
• Ryan Bradley Anderson
• Eric A. Arroyo
• Alexandra Claire Baertschi
• Joshua David Bonifield
• Mary Dee Buerer
• Mikayla Marie Ciesil
• Arden Elizabeth Cleves
• Eric Andrew DeBold
• Brittany Elise Degel
• Madeline Laura Demo
• Camila Kakabadse Estupinan
• Emma Mansfield
• Zachary M. Mills
• Laura Janine Orrico
• Rebecca Page Sadorf
• Lucia Maria Siman Daboub
• Aaron J. Stefanovsky
• Olivia Nicole Sterling
• Brendan Durkin Twaddell
• Dina B Vavarutsos
• Alicia M. Vrabec

Spirit of Laudato Si' Sustainability Award Winners 

Sustainability in Service - Award Recipients: This recognition rewards students for their efforts to implement sustainability on campus or in the community.

• Elaine Simon (Graduate Student Recipient) 
• Isabelle Abbott (Undergraduate Student Recipient) 

Sustainability in Learning - Award Recipients: This recognition rewards students for their efforts incorporating sustainability into their academic experience through research, publication, or coursework advancing sustainability knowledge.

• Erin Kilbane (Graduate Student Recipient)
• Mia Ambroiggio (Undergraduate Student Recipient) 

Virtual Undergraduate Research Symposium Community Engagement Award for Sustainability: Students of SOAR 

Pictured above from left to right: Kevin White, Alicia Vrabec, Mackenzie Roof, Carly Fournier, and Isabelle Gross 

This year's Virtual Undergraduate Research and Engagement Symposium “Community Engagement Award for Sustainability” was won by IES student's Carly Fournier, Mackenzie Roof, and Alicia Vrabec for their work on behalf of SOAR (Student Operation for Avian Relief). SOAR’s mission is to reduce the number of migratory bird fatalities from collisions with campus buildings at Loyola University Chicago, by promoting bird-friendly policies supported by data that has been collected since 2012.