Above and Beyond

GAMBIER, Ohio (January 12, 2008) Kenyon students regularly take on steep challenges that go beyond normal classroom requirements. Four of those students were honored recently with Franklin Miller Awards, given in recognition of unusual or significant contributions to the academic environment of the College.

The latest winners are Tsvetan Asamov, Christopher Henson, Katerina Karaivanova, and Kathleen Woods.

Asamov, a senior from Bourgas, Bulgaria, is a double major in economics and mathematics. He was nominated for the award by Nuh Aydin of the mathematics faculty for challenging math research, undertaken outside of class, that led to an article, "A Search Algorithm for Linear Codes: Progressive Dimension Growth," published in the November 2007 issue of Designs, Codes and Cryptography.

Henson, a classics major from Nashville, Tennessee, was nominated by classicist Carolin Hahnemann for his leadership in establishing a Kenyon chapter of Eta Sigma Phi, the classics honor society.

Karaivanova, a sophomore psychology major from Sofia, Bulgaria, was nominated by Director of International Education Marne Ausec for her work in organizing International Education Week on campus last November. The event brought together students, faculty members, and others in the community for four evenings of lectures, performances, displays, exhibits, food, and readings embracing cultures from around the world.

Woods, a junior from Marietta, Georgia, was nominated by Dane Heuchemer of the music faculty for undertaking the challenge of conducting the brass section of the College's symphonic wind ensemble during the Founders' Day ceremony last fall. Woods is a double major in mathematics and music who plays French horn in the wind ensemble.

The awards are named for Professor Emeritus of Physics Franklin Miller Jr. They are funded by Edward T. Ordman '64, a professor emeritus of computer science at the University of Memphis.