Honors Student Wins Alumni Association Award for Academics
PULLMAN, Wash.—Recent Washington State University Honors College graduate Kristofor Nyquist (’10 Physics and Honors) was awarded the Big Ten Senior Award for Academics at the WSU Alumni Association’s “Graduate BBQ Bash” Thursday, May 6 at the Lewis Alumni Centre.
In her letter nominating Nyquist, Jessica Cassleman, assistant dean of the Honors College, writes “Kristofor deserves all the superlatives a student can get as he completes his academic career at WSU, not only as a top scholar, but as a wonderful human being.
“His accomplishments in Honors and in physics are always accompanied by a special kindness, a smile on his face, and with the greatest appreciation toward others.”
His professors noted that he consistently went beyond the requirements of assignments to being his own interests to the material and draw insightful connections. They also mention that he was actively involved in class and contributed valuable viewpoints to discussions.
Among his accomplishments as an undergraduate were presenting his nominated Honors thesis, which earned “Pass with Distinction,” at the National Division of Atomic, Molecular and Optical Physics (DAMOP) Conference in Houston. He was awarded “Pass with Distinction” for his junior writing portfolio as well.
Now that his undergraduate career has drawn to a close, Nyquist will enter the Ph.D. program in biophysics at U.C. Berkeley.
Other Big Ten Senior Award winners from Honors were Matt Lamb for athletics, Derick En’Wezoh for campus involvement, and Alan Emanuel for visual/performing arts.
The Big Ten Senior Awards are a WSU tradition dating back to the early 1900s. In its current application, the WSU Alumni Association honors the most qualified five men and women in each of five aspects of the college experience: academics, athletics, campus involvement, community service, and visual/performing arts. Winners receive a certificate and a one-year “Grad Membership” to the alumni association.
CONTACT: David Clarke, communications assistant, University College, 509-335-8070, david.h.clarke@email.wsu.edu