Published on May 26, 2026
By: Elizabeth Trower
Excellence. A core value of our foundation here at the University of Missouri. A pillar that we champion within our work and learning at our institution. A trait that these 19 Tigers have demonstrated within their academics and extracurricular activities. Because of their excellence, we were able to award these Tigers each a prestigious and competitive award that provided them with financial support to help them continue their education.
Last month, the Office of Undergraduate Studies held its annual Undergraduate Studies Awards Ceremony, honoring the 2026 award winners of the Award for Academic Distinction and Hesburgh Scholarship. 13 Students received the Award for Academic Distinction, seven received the Hesburgh Scholarship and one individual received both awards. These recipients represented eight academic units, 18 majors, 15 minors and seven areas of certificates, showcasing the outstanding achievement in academics and research across campus.
Founded by students, the Award for Academic Distinction recognizes students who excel both in their academics and beyond the classroom doors. Students are nominated by faculty/staff members and demonstrate intellectual curiosity and a desire to learn and share knowledge. These students are positively impacting the academic atmosphere here at Mizzou.
The 2026 Award for Academic Distinction recipients are:
Carissa Bersche, a senior from Chesterfield, Missouri, is majoring in biochemistry with a minor in plant science and technology and is a proud member of the Honors College. As her resume will attest, Bersche has excelled at her academics and extracurriculars. She has received 21 Fellowships, Awards and Honors including the 2025 Goldwater, 2026 Mizzou 39 and more and presented her research at 15 different conferences including seven international. Currently she serves as a MU Undergraduate research ambassador, Writing Center tutor, research mentor and president of the Mizzou Biochemistry Club.
Brett Boney, a senior from Springfield, Missouri, is majoring in biological sciences and chemistry and is a proud member of the Honors College. She has maximized her time as a Tiger by developing data and research that will result in a manuscript submission and help treat eye disease. Currently, she has an authorship on three research manuscripts and works part time as a phlebotomist.
Derek Dannaldson, a senior from Columbia, Missouri, is majoring in electrical engineering with three minors in Spanish, Chinese Studies and mathematics. He has taken his advanced language skills and served as a Spanish tutor since 2023, traveled to study abroad in Spain and Taiwan, last April was awarded the Boren Award for Mandarin and because of his proficiency was able to provide Mandarin Chinese tutoring in the Learning Center for the first time in a while. Currently, Derek serves as president of the Mizzou Spanish Club and vice president of the Mizzou Chinese Language Club.
Camila Gutierrez, a senior from Bogota, Columbia, is majoring in biological and psychological Sciences with a minor in chemistry and addictions studies and neuroscience certificates and is a proud member of the Honors College. Her excellence in research can be attributed to her presenting research at different scientific conferences across the states. She is also a recipient of a fellowship through the MizzouForward Program. Currently, she serves as a Peer Learning Adviser in Mizzou’s Psychology FIG and serves as president of the Honors College Student Council.
Mikayla Healy, a senior from Kansas City, Missouri, is majoring in criminal & justice studies and psychological sciences with minors in social justice and leadership & public service, is pursuing the addiction studies and multicultural certificates and is a proud member of the Honors College. Mikayla is a standout leader in Mizzou’s first Criminal Justice Studies cohort, drawing on significant early experience in the field. She currently interns with the Missouri State Public Defender, working on appellate case files. She founded the Mizzou Criminal Justice Club, growing it into a strong partner in advancing the program and serves as a Student Involvement Ambassador, a service sorority co-chair, a member of the Government Career Student Organization and volunteer at the Food Bank.
Ella Johnson, a junior from Pine, Colorado, is majoring in Russian and linguistics with a minor in defense & strategic studies and a multicultural certificate. She demonstrates what it means to be inquisitive, always remaining focused, asking questions and delivering strong insights. Currently, she just finished her research project, “Life in Diaspora: A Visual Representation of Recent Russo-Judeo Experiences in the US,” presented at the Humanities Symposium and is on the ASH Scholars team.
Krishna Rithwik Karra, a senior from Shanigaram, Siddipet in India, is majoring in computer science with a minor in information technology and a certificate in Web & Mobile Application Development. He goes beyond the classroom doors and seeks knowledge, demonstrating the excellence of Award for Academic Distinction winners. Currently, he is helping develop research that helps monitor system performance and summarize measurements, won first place in the TigerHacks “hackathon,” achieved many first and second place finishes in robotics and was inducted into the Upsilon Pi Epsilon Honor Society for academic excellence in computing. Not only does he focus on collegiate level robotics, but he also supports robotics competitions and camps for high school students.
Mathew Kimaku, a senior from Lee’s Summit, Missouri, is majoring in nutrition & exercise physiology and health science with minor in biological sciences, a multicultural certificate and is a proud member of the Honors College. Mathew takes his research beyond the classroom doors and was a participant at the UM System Undergraduate Research Day at the Capitol. Currently, he serves as an undergraduate research assistant, volunteers and serves in leadership roles in MedZou and MizzouThon, is the president of the Alumni Associate Student Board and is vice president of Omicron Delta Kappa. He also received the Remington R. Williams award in 2025, which is the highest non-academic student honor a student can receive at the University of Missouri.
Manisha Muthukaruppan, a senior from St. Peters, Missouri, is majoring in biochemistry with a minor in psychological sciences, a neuroscience certificate and is a proud member of the Honors College. With an eagerness to explore different cultures and backgrounds exemplifies what it means to always stay intellectually curious. Currently, she is a research assistant, volunteers at MedZou, serves as a nurse technician, is a scribe in Peru for Mizzou’s global training program, is a Peer Learning Advisor for pre-med and is a tutor in biochemistry and chemistry in the Learning Center.
Sofia Petrov, a senior from Aurora, Illinois, is majoring in Journalism with a minor in film studies, a multicultural certificate and is a proud member of the Honors College. Sofia is always looking to continue to grow her storytelling skills and maintains a strong GPA in the School of Journalism. Currently, she is using her journalism background as a tool to tell international stories on community issues and the experiences of marginalized groups.
Nora Pryor, a senior from Lake St. Louis, Missouri is majoring in chemistry and French, with a multicultural certificate and is a proud member of the Honors College. Nora is an academic standout and is involved in multiple areas of campus. Currently, she is a tutor for French and chemistry at the Learning Center, participates in Marching Mizzou and Mini Mizzou, serves as the president of MU’s Alpha Chi Sigma chemistry fraternity, participates in undergraduate research and has authored research papers, abstracts and textbook chapters with a manuscript in preparation. She communicates her research not only through the written word, but also through oral presentations as well, presenting at different conferences including the state capitol and international conferences in Australia.
Gabriella Ramirez, a senior from St. Louis, Missouri, is majoring in computer science with a minor in mathematics and is a proud member of the Honors College. She is dedicated to having research that serves the public good and benefits others. Currently, she works as a residential assistant, is the founder of the women’s running club and is a semi-finalist waiting on her results for the Fulbright English Teaching Assistant Program.
Vina Vedala, a senior from Cordova, Tennessee, is majoring in biological sciences, with a minor in Psychological Sciences, a certificate in Ethical Theory and Practice and is a proud member of the Honors College. She demonstrates excellence in her research and is a very involved undergraduate researcher and has been awarded a Discovery Fellows scholarship, presented at a variety of conferences including the 2024 Research Day and has received two prestigious fellowships. She also was the 2025 MU Honors Outstanding Undergraduate Researcher and will be receiving a national research award at her upcoming conference. Currently, she is a volunteer at MedZou and vice president of Enrichment and Belonging for her Alpha Chi Omega sorority.
The Hesburgh Scholarship was established after Father Theodore Hesburgh, who was committed to liberal arts education. The TIAA-CREF Hesburgh Endowment Fund enables our general education program at the University of Missouri to award four $1200 academic achievement scholarships to one recipient from each of the four undergraduate classes. This year, the committee selected the four winners and then awarded three honorable mention awards, each received a $600 scholarship. Each of the recipients was tasked with writing an essay that discussed their experience with a course that was unrelated to their field of study.
The 2026 Hesburgh Scholarship recipients are:
Teeney Franck is the freshman recipient from Columbia, Missouri, and is majoring in elementary education. She says her introductory creative writing class transformed how she views both education and her future as a teacher. In a supportive workshop setting, she discovered the importance of constructive feedback and drew inspiration from the class’s creativity. The experience strengthened her commitment to encouraging curiosity, inclusivity and a safe learning environment in her future classroom, while also deepening her appreciation for how general education shapes both personal and professional growth.
Sonya Hendrickson is the sophomore recipient from Shakopee, Minnesota, and is majoring in romance languages and elementary education with a minor in Latin American studies and is working towards the multicultural certificate. She describes her Totalitarianism and Culture course as one of her favorites during her time as a Tiger. The class pushed her to think critically while maintaining her personal interests. As a first-year student enrolled in a 4000-level course, she welcomed the challenge with curiosity and ambition, gaining skills she plans to carry into her future teaching career.
Sarah Won is the sophomore honorable mention recipient from Columbia, Missouri, and is majoring in accountancy. She is also a proud member of the Honors College. She says her Philosophy 1200 course helped her recognize how seemingly unrelated fields can overlap. Through the class, she saw connections between philosophical logic and judgment in accounting, which allowed her to better understand the people and stories behind the numbers.
Sophie Hof is the junior recipient from Kansas City, Missouri, majoring in biological sciences and is a member of the Honors College. She credits her English 1000 course with transforming how she approaches and communicates her research. The class reinforced her belief that science shouldn’t be confined to the lab but should connect with communities, policies and broader conversations, because meaningful discoveries deserve not only to be made, but also shared.
Maggie LeBeau is the junior honorable mention recipient from Lombard, Illinois, and is majoring in journalism and history, with a minor in American constitutional democracy, a multicultural certificate and is a proud member of the Honors College. She credits her Honors course, Survey of Psychopathology, with deepening her understanding of the complexities of mental health. The class encouraged her to pursue independent research and approach the topic with greater insight in her work as a journalist. She has since applied that knowledge in her role as a state government reporter at KBIA Public Radio, using the platform to shed light on untold stories about the realities of healthcare in Missouri.
Gabriella Ramirez is the senior recipient from St. Louis, Missouri, is majoring in computer science with a minor in mathematics and is a proud member of the Honors College. She credits her Introduction to Research course with helping her connect with mentors who opened the door to research opportunities beyond the traditional computer science curriculum. Another course, Reproducible Data Analysis for Biomedical Research, further shaped her understanding of coding’s broader impact. Together, these general education experiences not only led to her becoming the first computer science student accepted into Mizzou’s NIH Maximizing Access to Research Careers program but also helped her discover a passion for interdisciplinary health research.
Ryan Leuthauser is the senior honorable mention recipient from St. Charles, Missouri, majoring in nutrition & exercise physiology, with a minor in philosophy, an Ethical Theory and Practice certificate and is a proud member of the Honors College. He credits a required Humanities course with inspiring him to pursue his philosophy minor. Through that class, he explored topics ranging from coffee to Captain America to fly fishing, while also learning to examine issues from multiple perspectives and develop a deeper appreciation for wisdom, lessons he plans to carry into his future career as a physician.
These students represent the core values of Mizzou. Demonstrating excellence inside and outside of the classroom that has had a positive impact on our campus and community. We are beyond proud of what they have accomplished and the future that lies ahead. Congratulations to the winners!