Every year, the faculty submit nominations for graduating seniors in the RC for the following awards. Congratulations to these awardees and all the RC seniors for your hard work and contributions over the past many years. These honors were conferred at the annual RC Senior Dinner at the Michigan League on April 8, 2019 by RC Director and Professor, Jon Wells.  


Outstanding Achievement in the Creative Arts

The “Robbies” were established in 2000 to honor the founding Director of the RC, James H. Robertson. The “Robbies” are given to students who have shown a high level of achievement in RC Creative Writing, Drama, Music or the Studio Arts during their RC careers.

The 2019 Awardees:
Paulina Hodges Adams
Kathryn Cammell
Kristin Cimmerer
David Conzelmann
Hannah French
Jean Anne Heng
Jordan Khalaf
Nora Kuo
Hoai An Pham
Shashank Rao
Sarah Saks-Fithian

Outstanding Service in Community Engagement

The “Tommies” were established in 2006 to honor former RC Director, Thomas Weisskopf. The “Tommies” are given annually to students who have made substantial contributions to the communities around them – whether to East Quad, to theUniversity campus, or to communities in the region or beyond – during their undergraduate careers.

The 2019 Awardee:
Griffin St Onge

Exceptional Achievement in a Foreign Language

The “Janets” were inaugurated in 2010 and renamed in 2015 to celebrate Janet Hegman Shier, the Head of the RC German Program and Director and Faculty Administrator of RC Deutsches Theater. These awards are given to graduating seniors who have shown outstanding accomplishments in the mastery offoreign languages, including a deep engagement with a language and its culture beyond proficiency, the active use of a second language in the RC or surrounding communities through community engagement programs and/orthe arts, and/or a serious engagement with more than one foreign language.

The 2019 Awardees:
Rachael Bittick
Adam Bowen
Victoria Bullock
Kristin Cimmerer
Kathryn Kubitskey
Nora Kuo
Griffin St Onge
Michael Ward

Emerging Writers Awards

Emerging Writers Awards were established in 2014 to recognize, nurture and encourage creative writers in the Residential College’s creative writing program who demonstrate excellence in creative writing but have not previously received a writing award recognizing their writing achievements.

The 2019 Awardees:
Mariam Reda
Heather Young

Spirit of the RC Award

The “Charlie” was established in 2013 to honor former RC Director, Charlie Bright, and is awarded to the member of the senior class who best exhibits the animating spirit of the RC as defined by a demonstrated commitment to the RC and its mission in undergraduate education. She or he has embraced the values associated with the liberal arts and a well-rounded education; has taken full advantage of all that the RC has to offer and has encouraged others to do the same; has played a significant leadership role as a part of this community; and has excelled academically.

The 2019 Awardee:
Hoai An Pham

Congratulations to the honorees and to all members of the RC class of 2019 for your contributions to the RC community and far beyond!