Two outstanding seniors receive Smith, Tuttle awards

Fri, 05/15/2015

Joe Monaco

LAWRENCE — Two outstanding seniors at the University of Kansas have been named the recipients of major university awards for their academic achievements and leadership.

Kevin Simpson, a finance and accounting major from Mission Hills, is the recipient of the Caryl K. Smith Student Leader Award, which is presented to a graduating senior fraternity man or sorority woman with high academic achievement who has demonstrated involvement with, and commitment to, his/her chapter, the national organization, the greek community, the university and the Lawrence community.

Bryce Volk, a senior in in microbiology from Newton, is the recipient of the Kathryn Nemeth Tuttle Student Scholar Award, which is presented to a graduating senior scholarship hall man or woman currently residing in a scholarship hall. Recipients demonstrate academic focus, leadership in his/her scholarship hall and also commitment to KU and the Lawrence community.

The Caryl K. Smith Student Leader Award was established by the Panhellenic Association in 1993 in honor of Caryl K. Smith's dedication and support of the greek community during her tenure as dean of student life.

“Holding multiple positions of leadership within the Greek community was an incredibly rewarding experience for me,” Simpson said. “It was truly an honor to lead organizations and people who I have become so close with over the years, and I'm forever grateful for the relationships and experiences that KU Greek Life provided me. I was able to grow as a communicator, a leader and a person.”

The Kathryn Nemeth Tuttle Student Scholar Award was established in 2012 to recognize a single senior who is representative of what distinguishes the KU scholarship hall student: commitment both to academic excellence and the cooperative ideal of the scholarship hall system at the University of Kansas.

“The most impactful experience I have had at KU has been my time as Proctor of Krehbiel Scholarship Hall,” Volk said. “I have had so many incredible interactions working with residents from different backgrounds and nations. I wouldn’t be the man I am today without their help.”