WASHINGTON, PA (March 2, 2017) – The Rule, Hughes, Murphy award has once again recognized six promising Washington & Jefferson College (W&J) sophomores for their academic achievements and their potential to be leaders after graduation.
This year, the award winners are Maggie Briceland of Salem, Ohio; Carmen Carroll of Washington, D.C.; Jordan Hosfelt of Connellsville, Pa.; Zachary Pellis of Greensburg, Pa.; Molly Riley of Knox, Pa.; and Timothy Yeung of Walnut Calif.
“It was really exciting to be chosen since only a small amount of people receive the award. It felt good to know my hard work paid off,” Riley said, following a luncheon held in the students’ honor. “I feel pride in being a part of the W&J community and it feels good to know they take pride in me.”
A neuroscience major, Briceland has been on the Dean’s List and is a part of W&J’s Community Health Coach Program. She is a member of the track and field team, treasurer of W&J’s student affiliates of the American Chemical Society (SAACS), and is an ITS Helpdesk student worker. After graduation, she plans to become an optometrist.
Carroll is a communication arts and Spanish double major with Dean’s List honors, and is a member of the Washington Fellows Program. She has received the Dr. Tori-Haring Smith President’s Award, and was a Magellan Scholar last summer. She works as a resident assistant on campus, and is a WNJR Radio Host. She also is the vice president of the Black Student Union and a Student Government Association Student Representative. She plans to pursue a career with international and domestic nonprofit organizations after she graduates.
Hosfelt, a chemistry and Spanish double major, is an Alpha Scholar, member of the Alpha Lambda Delta honors society, and the Washington Fellows Program, where he serves as the TOM Talks chairman. He has received the Matthew Brown Fellowship, Tori Haring-Smith Service Award, and was a Magellan Scholar. On campus, he is a member of the swimming and diving team, the Alpha Tau Omega fraternity, vice president of SAACS, serves as a LINK mentor, and works as a resident assistant. Hosfelt plans to attend either medical school or graduate school for chemistry.
A biochemistry major, Pellis is an Alpha Scholar, a member of Alpha Lambda Delta, and also in the Washington Fellows Program. He is a member of the Pre-Health Society and the Jay-Walkers club. He is also an active member of the Phi Kappa Psi fraternity. He plans to go to medical school and pursue a career as an orthopedic surgeon.
Riley is an English and history double major also studying gender and women’s studies. An Alpha Scholar, she is a member of Alpha Lambda Delta and the Washington Fellows Program. On campus, she is a student worker in the Registrar’s Office, and serves as a resident assistant. She is also actively involved with the Pi Beta Phi sorority. Riley plans to attend graduate school, and eventually earn her Ph. D. in English.
Yeung, a biochemistry major, is a member of Temple University’s Medical School Honors Program. An Alpha Scholar, he is the treasurer of Alpha Lambda Delta and a member of the Washington Fellows Program. He is in the Pre-Health Society and the President of SAACS. He received the Outstanding Freshman Chemistry Award, and serves as a Peer Wellness Educator. He plans to pursue a career after graduation as a medical doctor.
Established in 1987 through the bequest of an anonymous donor, the James Rule (W&J Class of 1898), Howard Hughes (Class of 1911) and Robert Murphy (Class of 1906) Memorial Fund provides an award of $2,000 each year.
Rule was a teacher and principal of several Pittsburgh area high schools and also served for two years as national director of the Junior American Red Cross. He also was deputy director, and later director, of the Pennsylvania Department of Public Instruction, and was superintendent of public instruction for four years.
Hughes was the first person from Washington County named to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, serving from 1943 to 1945. He served for 10 years on the Common Pleas Court of the 27th Judicial District, and was solicitor general for the Pennsylvania Railroad Company at the time of his death.
Murphy was general secretary and graduate athletic trainer at W&J from 1906 until the time of his death in 1925. Among his duties was recruiting students, and he attracted to W&J outstanding student-athletes such as NFL Hall-of-Famer Wilbur “Pete” Henry and coaches such as John Heisman, for whom the Heisman Trophy is named.
About Washington & Jefferson College
Washington & Jefferson College, located in Washington, Pa., is a selective liberal arts college founded in 1781. Committed to providing each of its students with the highest-quality undergraduate education available, W&J offers a traditional arts and sciences curriculum emphasizing interdisciplinary study and independent study work. For more information about W&J, visit washjeff.dev, or call 888-W-AND-JAY.
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