WEST LIBERTY, W.Va., May 28, 2020 — As the 2019 – 2020 academic year came to a close, Dr. Matthew Harder, Dean of the College of Arts and Communication, revealed the names of students receiving awards. Top awards include:
- Callia Byard, Stanley Harrison Award, presented for outstanding commitment and leadership during their first theatrical production year at West Liberty University.
- Delaney Bird, Vernon D. Reimer Award, continuing commitment and leadership in West Liberty University Theater.
- Josie Jarrett, Outstanding Senior Award, for outstanding commitment, leadership, and artistic work in West Liberty University Theater.
- Paul Geisler, Outstanding Volunteers Award, for outstanding commitment to the West Liberty Theatre program by a student who is not majoring in Theater.
Additional Honors include:
- Kaitlynn Wheeler won first place in the Audio Category of the 2020 MADFest Competition. Kaitlynn is a Broadcasting major from Cleveland, Ohio who also won MADFest 2020 Best In Show for WLU.
- Taylor Scott, a senior Digital Media Design major from Steubenville, Ohio, won second place in the Audio Category for her interview piece.
- Skylar Bachman, Digital Media Design major from Bridgeport, Ohio, won third place in the Audio Category with his original music “Project Bachman.” He also received an Honorable Mention in the Digital Category for his piece “Fish in a Cup.”
- Danielle Eddy, Visual Communication Design major, won first place in the Video Category of MADFest 2020 with an animation piece for Pittsburgh’s Three Rivers Art Festival. She also won the MADFest 2020 Faculty Choice award.
- Nate Wilhelm, junior Visual Communication Design major, won second place in the Video Category with “Wormy’s Trick.” He also won second place in the Digital Category with his illustration entitled, Animal Grocery Live.
- Olivia Baumhoer, Digital Media Design major from Steubenville, OH, won third place in the Video Category with “Life By the Numbers.”
- Katherine V. Stamper, double major in Elementary and Art Education, won first place in the Traditional Category of MADFest 2020 with her mixed-media piece entitled, Wild Thing.
- Hannah Holbert, Dental Hygiene major, won second place in the Traditional Category for her sculpture entitled, Nature’s Veins.
- Karleigh M. Kowcheck, Visual Communication Design major, won third place in the Traditional Category for her mixed-media piece entitled, Not Peeling Well.
- Samantha Palmieri, won first place in the Digital Category for her user inteface/user experience (UI/UX) design of the Roomie App.
- Abbie Henry won third place in the Digital Category for her poster design Thrifting for Wishes.
The following WLU students received honorable mentions for MADFest 2020:
Katherine Stamper, Shayla Murray, Emily Everson, Lacey Deem, Skylar Bachman, William Tallman, Lauren Anderson, Gaetan N. Sinisgalli, Danielle L. Merritt, Connory Eisen, and Eddy W. Mayfield.
MADFest 2020 note: The MADFest 2020 Jurors were Wes Ebeling from Technology Services Group, Jim Lange from West Virginia Public Broadcasting, and Maciej Zdanowicz from Jan Kochanowski University in Kielce, Poland. All MADFest 2020 entries and winners can be found here: westliberty.edu/madfest
- Madeleine Parris LaFollette received the Level 10 Distinction in performance following her senior recital, which she presented via video, this April. Level 10 Distinction is voted on by the entire music faculty and is given to a student who demonstrates high achievement at the senior recital. LaFollette graduated this Spring and is heading to graduate school in Illinois for vocal performance. Congratulations Maddie!
- Madeleine LaFollette also won the Outstanding Music Student Award for the 2019-2020 school year.
- Senior Zachary Ziolkowski (Wheeling) won the Gretchen McKee Vocal Music Scholarship, given from the Thursday Music Club to an outstanding student in vocal music at WLU.
- Keenan Seditz (Steubenville, Ohio) – received the Alfred R. de Jaager Choral Scholarship.
- Isaac Cardot (Elkins, W.Va.) – received the Donald Pahl Music Scholarship.
- Doug Torres (Ripley, W.Va.) – received the Edward Wolf Music Scholarship.
- Other music students receiving scholarships through the WLU Foundation include Katilyn Crow, Abigail Hart, Logan Lawrence, and Hayden Heiserman
- Incoming students Bailee McNamara and Charlotte Dotson will receive the Alfred R. de Jaager Choral Music Scholarship and Kyle Turley will get the C. Tim Meighen Music scholarship.