Awards Convocation
Louis Sudler Prize in the Arts--to a senior who has demonstrated excellence in music, theater, painting, sculpture, design, architecture or film. The prize is made from a fund established by Louis Sudler, a performer in the arts and an arts patron from Chicago.
- Andrew P. McPherson '04, music, Woodbury, Minn. "Andrew's work and activity display a deep mastery of our discipline as a thinker, writer, composer, performer and citizen," said Marcus Thompson, Robert R. Taylor Professor of Music, praising McPherson's excellence as a composer and violist.
Laya and Jerome B. Wiesner Award--to students, organizations and/or living groups for achievement in the creative and performing arts
• James Dai G, media arts and sciences, Vancouver, B.C., for his involvement in theater and his work as a designer and videographer. In nominating Dai, Professor Janet Sonenberg praised the "elegance of his mind, the India rubber grace and courage with which he uses his body, his commitment to his own growth and his fiercely gentle dedication to the aesthetic and artistic growth of others."
• Daniel J. Paluska G, mechanical engineering, Somerville, Mass., for his "interest in creating communities of and venues for artists whose work involves art and engineering." Pakulska founded Art and Technology at Tech (ATat), through which he produced the Collision series and "Beats and Bare Feet" outdoor electronic music festival; he also co-hosts a program of live electronic music on WMBR (88.1 FM).
• Andrew J. Perelson '04, EECS, Santa Fe, N.M., for his contributions to theater and dance at MIT. "No student has ever exceeded Andy's contributions to theater and dance at MIT," wrote Professor Sonenberg in her letter of nomination. "In fact, no student... has ever matched Andy's contributions to the Institute at large," Sonenberg continued, citing his formation of E33, a new student consulting service for anyone on campus seeking technical expertise for theater productions.
Harold and Arlene Schnitzer Prize in the Visual Arts--for artistic talent and creative concepts based on a body of work and written personal statements. The Schnitzer Prize-winning works are on view through mid June at the Wiesner Student Art Gallery on the 2nd floor of the Stratton Student Center.
• 1st prize: Coryn Kempster G, architecture, Brantford, Ontario
• 2nd prize: Lisa M. Bidlingmeyer G, comparative media studies, Frazer, Penn.
• 3rd prize: Neils J. Cosman '04, mechanical engineering, Belmont, Mass.
Music and theater arts
In a separate ceremony held on May 13, the Music and Theater Arts Section recognized students who have made outstanding contributions to the cultural life of MIT.
Epstein Award
• Daniel Stein '05, EECS, Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., for distinguished service and musical contribution to the MIT Symphony Orchestra
Gregory Tucker Memorial Prize--for ability in composition, performance, or music-historical studies and overall contributions to the music and theater arts section
• Percy Liang G, EECS, Portland, Ore.
• Ethan Fenn '04, mathematics, Painted Post, N.Y.
• Jeremy Baskin '04, chemistry, Westmount, Quebec
Philip Loew Memorial Awards--for creative accomplishment in music
• Alexander Mekelburg '04, mechanical engineering, Baltimore
• Thomas Coffee '05, aero/astro, Torrance, Calif.
• Andrew Wong '04, physics, Rancho Sante Fe, Calif.
• Sarah Poulsen '04, BCS, Vienna, Va.
• Nao Jennifer Gamo '05, BCS, Killara, Australia
Ragnar and Margaret Naess Awards--for exceptional talent and commitment to private performance study
• Eileen Huang '05, chemistry, Hillsborough, N.J.
• Yu Yasufuku G, mathematics
• Reid Barton '05, mathematics, Arlington, Mass.
• Serenus Hua '07, Lincroft, N.J.
• Margaret Stringfellow '04, aero/astro, Tacoma, Wash.
• The Renaissance Vocal Sextet--Robert Bates '04, Greenwich, Conn.; Benjamin Kendall '06, aero/astro, Irving, Texas; Ben Maron '06, EECS, Carmel, N.Y.; Charlene Shih '07, Shanghai, China; Weifang Sun '04, EECS, Newark, Del.; Jonathan Varsanik '04, physics, Corapolis, Penn.
Ragnar and Margaret Naess Certificates of Appreciation
• Christine Chiu '06, chemical engineering, Hacienda Heights, Calif.
• Thomas Covert '05, mathematics, Belmont, Mass.
• Xiaoming Sherman Jia '06, EECS, Roslyn Heights, N.Y.
• Jun Liu '07, Edison, N.J.
• Jacqueline O'Connor '06, aero/astro, South Windsor, Conn.
• Florent Segonne G, EECS, Cannes, France
• Caitlin Smythe G, aero/astro, Culver City, Calif.
• Sunny Wicks '07, Hattiesburg, Miss.
• Joey Zhou '06, EECS, Dallas
Brad and Dorothea Endicott Award--for distinguished service and musical contribution to MIT's program in world music
• Caitlin Schein '04, BCS, Bloomfield Township, Mich.
Edward S. Darna Awards--to graduating students who have demonstrated excellence in theater arts
• Dan Liston '04, management, Cambridge, Mass.
• Melissa Cain '04, mechanical engineering, Oklahoma City, Okla.
Joseph D. Everingham Award--for a single creative outstanding performance or notable creative accomplishments in theater arts by a graduating senior
• Max Goldman '04, mathematics, Wellesley, Mass., for his outstanding performances with Dramashop
• Lisa Messeri '04, aero/astro, West Orange, N.J., for her work with Shakespeare Ensemble and Dramashop
Other Awards
Vera List Prize in Art and Writing--for exceptional expression on some aspect of contemporary art
• 1st prize: Cecilia Ramos '05, architecture, Concord, Mass., for an essay titled "Mark Rothko's The Black and the White: In Pursuit of the Kantian Sublime"
• 2nd prize: Tiffany Kanaga '04, French and management science, Greenville, Del., for "A Study of Seascape: Moving Beyond Pop Art"
MIT Symphony Concerto Competition
- Percy Liang G (S.B. 2004), EECS, Portland, Ore.
List Foundation Fellowship in the Arts
• Dang Vu '05, biology, Jamaica Plain, Mass., for a music composition and performance project for a work to be titled "The Poison Clan Suite: A Celebration of Mutant Culture."
A version of this article appeared in MIT Tech Talk on June 2, 2004 (download PDF).
