Denison University honored three outstanding students with the Provost’s Academic Excellence Award at the college’s Academic Awards Convocation held on Friday, April 12, in Swasey Chapel. The Provost’s Award recognizes graduating seniors who have exhibited an extraordinary level of intellectual engagement and academic achievement during their time at Denison. Benjamin Lewis Brown, Kaitlyn Elise Fouke, and Caileigh Heather Marshall were honored for their exemplary academic records, engagement in independent research or creative work, and contributions to intellectual life on campus and beyond. They have demonstrated outstanding performance in all their academic endeavors, truly exemplifying excellence in the liberal arts.
Provost Kim Coplin presented the awards, noting, “Ben Brown is a mathematics major from Central Ohio. His remarkable academic record includes top grades in such notoriously hard courses as Abstract Algebra, Vector Calculus, and Advanced Analysis. His most recent research used advanced statistical modeling and coding to create an NBA player rating system that best predicted future games. Good news for all you March Madness and NBA fans: next year, he will be pursuing a Ph.D. in probability.
“Kaitlyn Fouke is a biology major from Urbana, Illinois, Kaitlyn’s passion is for marine biology. She has conducted research at James Cooke University in North Queensland, Australia, and at the Marine Biological Laboratories in Woods Hole, Mass. Her groundbreaking summer and senior research focused on the physiological responses to chemical stimuli in the arms of squid and octopus. We wish her the best of luck in her future work toward a marine biology Ph.D.
“Caileigh Marshall is a computer science and history double major from Minneapolis. She has received top grades in courses as diverse as “Algorithm Design and Analysis” and “China’s Golden Age.” The recipient of the prestigious Anderson Scholarship for Excellence in Science, Caileigh also has won every other computer science award for which she was eligible. She is a much sought-after mentor and Teaching Assistant.”