Madeleine Robinson Memorial Award

Presented to a student who is active in community service; established in 1975 by the husband of Madeleine Robinson, a 1959 graduate who died at an early age and was beloved for her community activities in the Aurora, Illinois, area

Katherine Dean Horton

Kate is an accomplished theatre artist who demonstrates excellence across multiple disciplines including directing, playwriting, and stage management—all through a social justice lens. Kate has served as a StuCo leader and a peer mentor for students in the theatre department’s first-year design and management course. Her work consistently demonstrates exceptional quality and commitment.

 

Robert M. Cumnock Scholarship

Awarded to an outstanding first-year student; honors Robert M. Cumnock—a performer and teacher who believed oratory was an art, not a science—who in 1878 founded Northwestern’s School of Oratory, now the School of Communication, and was responsible for the construction of Annie May Swift Hall

Nikash Khanna

Nikash is a standout student and filmmaker with an aptitude for cinematic storytelling. He creates work with a clear sense of narrative craft and style yet is still constantly striving to grow in his form. Even as a first-year student in RTVF, Nikash’s work is already visual, fresh, and engaging in its storytelling. His distinct and unique cinematic voice is one to watch in the years to come.

 

Ralph B. Dennis Scholarship

Presented to an exceptional sophomore; honors Ralph Dennis, dean of the school from 1913 until his retirement in 1942, who oversaw a period of exponential growth and whose vitality and personal style in interacting with students made the school unique

Cessa Lewis

Cessa Lewis is an exceptional performance studies sophomore who brings a contagious enthusiasm for discovery, collective flourishing, and the power of performance. Cessa is a leader in the community and serves as the PS undergraduate student representative and centers the work on creating a welcoming campus climate and fostering opportunities for dialogue and mutual understanding. Cessa has maintained a stellar record in academics and is deeply committed to the power of theatre and live performance as sites of truth and transformation, be it with the Blackout, the Camerata choir, or the Prague Shakespeare program.

 

James H. McBurney Scholarship

Awarded to an outstanding junior; honors James McBurney, dean of the school from 1942 to 1972, under whose leadership it achieved widespread recognition, while the school structure reinforced cohesion among its disciplines

Brookelyn Louise Slonaker

Brookelyn demonstrates the highest levels of research excellence and integrates this with her passion for community engagement. She has become a research leader in the Pediatric Speech Technologies and Acoustics Research Lab, presenting a poster at the national ASHA conference, co-authoring a paper, and leading a team of students. She and the lab are active in many community projects, and when she isn’t learning about other cultures or promoting ecological practices at Northwestern, she might be crocheting clothing to donate through Knitwestern.

 

Roy V. Wood Scholarship

Awarded to an outstanding senior; honors Roy Wood, dean of the school from 1972 to 1987, whose door was always open to students and whose tenure saw marked growth in the size of the school, major gains in physical facilities, and advancement in the quality of teaching, research, and creative activity

Annika Anandsongkit

Annika Anandsongkit is a standout student with exceptional organization and marketing skills. Faculty praise her analytical and writing talents, as well as her ability to take class conversations “beyond the readings.” Annika has demonstrated leadership through her roles as a Comm Studies Student Ambassador, marketing head for Indigo Social Club, and the Comm Studies digital media strategist. Her professional experience include internships at Arc Worldwide, Packed with Purpose, and AnyMind Group, where she excelled in market research, social media strategy, and client relations. Fluent in English and Thai, Annika has a range of interests including sustainability, scuba diving, creative writing, graphic design, and music.

 

Zeta Phi Eta Award

Awarded to a continuing graduate student, or to an outstanding junior or senior who will remain at Northwestern to pursue a master’s degree, who has demonstrated excellence in communication arts or sciences as well as strong scholarship, exemplary character, talent, and leadership ability exemplifying the organization’s motto, “Achieve! With Wisdom, Integrity, and Love”; presented by Zeta Phi Eta, a national professional fraternity in communication arts and sciences and the oldest national group of its kind, founded at Northwestern University in 1893

David Diouf

David demonstrates a clear understanding of the creative process and the value of collaboration while consistently seeking out opportunities for feedback and growth—in addition to landing some coveted filmmaking grants. He has expanded his technical skills, emerging as an ambitious young director, all while maintaining a notable acting career and excelling academically. His interpersonal abilities are exceptional—he is kind, curious, funny, and inclusive, with a rare ability to make others feel welcomed and valued. These qualities have helped him rise to leadership positions in organizations such as the Multicultural Filmmakers Collective and Black Screens.

 

Lucia Wiant Award

Awarded to a student who has shown outstanding academic or artistic growth in the communication arts and sciences

Martine Fiore

Martine is an active member of the CSD department, pursuing her interest in audiology via her role as philanthropy chair in the Northwestern chapter of the National Student Speech-Language-Hearing Association (NSSLHA) and work in the Auditory Research Lab. She has become a well-respected leader and has advocated for professional development opportunities for her classmates.

 

Marsha P. Johnson Award

Awarded to an undergraduate or graduate student who has shown leadership and/or advanced conversations around LGBTQ+ issues through their scholarly work, teaching, or research

Petra Popper-Freedman

Petra Popper-Freedman is a senior at Northwestern and a comedian and writer from New York City. Experienced in stand-up, she was a finalist in the 2024 New York Queer Comedy Festival. She was selected to be part of the Pritzker Pucker Studio Lab cohort, where she created a comedic short film that was included in the Chicago CineYouth Festival. She also served as head writer for two years at Northwestern’s premiere late night show, the Blackout, for which she wrote and directed a short that won Best Comedic Music Video at the PLC Comedy Film Festival. An outstanding student, she was also a finalist for the Fletcher Prize for Rising Undergraduate Research Star.

 

Burton and Karol Lefkowitz Prize

Awarded to an undergraduate student who has demonstrated leadership capabilities through civic engagement, community service, or other projects designed to improve society or advance social change. One recipient chosen from each of the School’s three divisions: Theatre, Dance and Performance Studies; Communication Studies and RTVF; and Communication Sciences & Disorders.

(Division I)

Kennedy Naseem

Kennedy is an actress and director who has performed in multiple StuCo music theatre productions. She serves as co-chair of the Native American and Indigenous Student Alliance and recently directed a staged reading of From the Old Wood Forest by Sierra Rosetta (Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe Nation) at the Newberry Library. The reading, which featured both professional Equity actors and Northwestern University students, demonstrated Kennedy’s excellent directing abilities.

 

(Division II)

Glenna Wang

Glenna Wang is an exceptional student and dedicated community member. Glenna has demonstrated strong analytical and communication skills through various projects, including developing marketing plans and conducting data analysis. Faculty praise her creativity and ability to combine classroom learning with real-world experiences, which includes internships at Verizon and Campus Ink. Additionally, Glenna has contributed to research projects at the SONIC Research Group and has been actively involved in student theatre as a scenic designer. She is proficient in data analysis, project management, and graphic design, and is passionate about marketing, business, and creative endeavors.

 

(Division III)

Kaleigh Medlow

Kaleigh’s work, research, and volunteering excellence are rooted in her commitment to supporting young children’s development—an effort that extends up to and including her fellow students’ civic engagement. She maintains a major leadership role in Jumpstart—an organization created to improve children’s learning outcomes—committing over 300 hours per year. She completed a competitive NSF-funded summer research opportunity at Standford on dialect in children’s media. At Northwestern, she is active as a fellow within the Center for Civic Engagement and in the National Student Speech-Language-Hearing Association (NSSLHA).