Top seniors honored as 2018 Presidential Scholars

Among the 50 students recognized as Western Michigan University's top seniors for 2018 were seven students from the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences. The students were honored during the 38th annual Presidential Scholars Convocation on Tuesday, March 27, on campus in the Bernhard Center.

Each year, faculty members from across the University select the most outstanding senior in their various academic schools, departments and programs to represent their units as a WMU Presidential Scholar. This year, 50 scholars were chosen from a senior class of 5,437 students.

The Presidential Scholar designation is the highest academic honor that WMU can bestow on its undergraduates. Selection is based on the students' general academic excellence, academic and artistic excellence relative to their majors, and intellectual and artistic promise.

The 2018 Presidential Scholars Convocation, which was by invitation only, included a program featuring a keynote address by Dr. Edward Montgomery, president of WMU. Also making remarks were Dr. Suzan F. Ayers, president of the WMU Faculty Senate, and Chianté Lymon, president of the Western Student Association. After each of this year's scholars were recognized and awarded certificates, a dessert reception was held while the scholars had their pictures taken with Montgomery and Ayers.

Especially noteworthy among the college’s scholars is Joshua White, who was named the Presidential Scholar in electrical and computer engineering as well as in world languages and literatures, also is an applied mathematics major, and is in an accelerated program through which he will earn a master's degree in computer engineering in 2019.

Congratulations to all the Presidential Scholars for 2018. Following is a list of scholars from the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences:

Chemical and Paper Engineering—Andrew D. Kathan of Carmel, Indiana

Civil and Construction Engineering—Anthony G. Conigliaro of Sterling Heights

Computer Science—James J. Ward of Buchanan

Electrical and Computer Engineering—Joshua J. White of Paw Paw (double scholar)

Engineering Design, Manufacturing and Management Systems—Cameron S. Tschupp of Galien

Industrial and Entrepreneurial Engineering and Engineering Management—Lukas P. Swoboda of Kalamazoo

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering—Conner P. Knepley of Stockbridge