Departmental Awards and Honors - Spring 2026
John Michalczyk Social Justice Award
Lola Ellis
Lola Ellis is the ideal candidate for the John Michalczyk Social Justice Film Award. She is thoughtful, courageous and well-spoken with the technical skills to back it up. Lola can write and plan a project, execute the fine details of production and edit with a deft hand, all in the service of others. Many students excel in one or two areas of production but Lola has mastered many aspects that take years to hone. Her grant film on widows in rural India has served as an inspiration for many students and staff in Film Studies. We are so proud to have her as part of our department and I am sure we will be hearing about her achievements for years to come. – Prof. Joe LaRocca
Production Award
Isabella Dodak
Prior to this past semester, I had only known Isabella Dodak as an unassumingly focused and insightful student in my film history classes. Then, she joined my Filmmaking 3 class where she really surprised me. She attacked the production of her thesis film with a rigor I rarely encounter. She was determined to manifest the film she saw in her mind’s eye; painstakingly revising her script, scouting locations, designing the lighting, composing the score, among countless other considerations. She poured herself into the process of filmmaking, and never apologized for the scope of her vision and ambitions -- the sign of a true artist. The department is proud to present her with this well-deserved Production Award. – Prof. Gautam Chopra
Jake Greene
Earlier this semester, Jake Greene pitched an astoundingly simple, irresistible idea for his thesis film: "An anxious young couple purchases a pregnancy test, then scours the city in search of a bathroom to take it." This concept alone announced many of Jake's talents: his instinct as a dramatist, his wry sense of humor, and his easy ability to find the humanity beneath the surface of things. Then, as Jake put the film into production, I had the pleasure of seeing his work ethic and passion rise to match his gifts. Jake has a true filmmaker's eye and I'm excited to see where it leads him. The department is proud to present him with this well-deserved Production Award. – Prof. Gautam Chopra
Film Studies Award
John Valentino
John Valentino is a fantastic Film Studies student, not simply because he can write a solid paper, full of interesting and informed ideas, but because he has a true passion for it. At his core, John is an actor, and unlike most actors, he is not forward with it. His studies have helped him understand acting on both film and stage by giving him context and history. It has been a way for him to get closer to his true calling. We are excited to know that, in some way, we have enriched his abilities just as he has enriched our classrooms. It is always a pleasure to work and talk with John about film. He is very much deserving of this award. – Joe LaRocca
Departmental Honors
- Isabella Dodak
- Theodore Donnellan
- Lola Ellis
- John Valentino
- Tarisa Vathanakul
Jeffery Howe Art History Award
Spencer Steppe
Spencer Steppe is a deep thinker. She combines an attentive sensitivity to artworks with a capacity for abstract, theoretical reflection. These qualities have served her well in developing an extraordinarily rich and subtle senior thesis devoted to the contemporary artist Pierre Huyghe and his works involving human-animal hybrids. Through close observation, Spencer reckons with the profound strangeness of Huyghe's category-defying creatures, which all entail the removal or displacement of the human head. Spencer persuasively argues that Huyghe's targeting of the head amounts to a critique of human reason in the age of human-induced climate catastrophe. Timely and important, Spencer's scholarship offers a reminder of how art can address the most pressing social and ecological issues we face today. – Prof. Oliver Wunsch
Richard and Marianne W. Martin Award
Sophia Abry
Sophia Abry walks the world with her eyes wide open. Engaged, perceptive, and deeply responsive to the objects and images all around her, she draws meaning from the most subtle elements in works of art, giving equal care to both canonical classics and quotidian artifacts of human culture. Whether unearthing unresolved conflict in a devotional panel by Ghirlandaio or tracking down historical references for an overlooked relief of the Ark of the Covenant set above the entrance to Bapst Library, Sophia's work is marked by precise attention to detail. This attentiveness and visual acuity culminate in her senior thesis, which takes the spectator-sport of looking as a central theme: an impressive and nuanced study of public femininity in the art of Mary Cassatt and Eva Gonzalès. A pillar of the Art History community and a recipient of the Order of the Cross & Crown, Sophia exemplifies BC's call to find the wondrous in all things. – Prof. John Lansdowne
Allison R. Macomber Award
Pearl Miller
Pearl stands out as a student of exceptional intellectual curiosity and academic maturity. In the classroom, she consistently engages with course material in a thoughtful and critical manner, asking insightful questions and offering constructive challenges that elevate our class discussions. She has taken coursework across many departmental disciplines, which has allowed faculty to get to know her. Beyond the classroom, Pearl is highly motivated, actively seeking out opportunities to deepen her engagement with Art History. She has presented her research twice at the SUNY New Paltz Undergraduate Art History Symposium, as well as at the highly competitive Visual Culture Consortium Student Symposium at the MFA Boston in April. She has also served for several years as a Student Ambassador at the McMullen Museum of Art. In recognition of her excellence, she was selected as the sole recipient of the Junior Dean’s Scholar Award among Art History majors. A bright star from early on in her academic career, she is a clear choice for the Allison Macomber Award in Art History. We extend our warmest congratulations to Pearl as she continues in her academic and professional journey in a graduate program in Art History at UC Davis. – Prof. Aurelia Campbell
Departmental Honors
- Sophia Abry
- Lily Emerson
- Nasma Kawar
- Pearl Miller
- Spencer Steppe
Allison R. Macomber Award
Cameron Howell
There are many stereotypes about what it means to be an artist—I know some of the parents in this room may still be wondering, and perhaps worrying, about what exactly their students have chosen to pursue. One enduring image is that of the brooding, solitary genius: an artist isolated in their studio, stewing in their own creative vision while producing masterpieces in obscurity until the world finally discovers them. Cam Howell breaks that mold entirely, and in doing so offers a model for what being an artist can and should mean.
Cam demonstrates that artistry is rooted not only in talent, but in curiosity, disciplined research, experimentation, and above all, community. His generosity of spirit and commitment to his peers seem to fuel his own creative practice—though, admittedly, they occasionally distract him from his own work. It is difficult to walk into the lab and not find Cam helping another student troubleshoot a problem, offering technical advice, or encouraging someone through a difficult moment, often when he is not even officially “on shift” in the darkroom. And when he is somehow absent from Devlin’s basement, his peers consistently speak about the impact of his guidance and creative support on their own growth and success.
The Allison R. Macomber, Jr. Award recognizes a student who embodies artistic excellence, academic achievement, and, above all, an exemplary spirit of community. It has been a true honor and privilege to nominate Cam Howell for this award, and wish him great success in his future as a teacher, of which he is already an exemplary example. – Prof. Greer Muldowney
Richard and Marianne W. Martin Award
Dimitra Batchvarov
The 2026 Richard and Marianne W. Martin Memorial Award is given to Dimitra Batchvarov in recognition of the highest overall GPA and outstanding creative achievement in Studio Art. Throughout her four years at Boston College, Didi has been an exemplary student who embodies the seriousness of purpose and open-mindedness that elevates any classroom or discussion. Didi observes the built environment carefully and wonders what would make it better. With the curiosity and perseverance of a true designer, Didi’s year-long Senior Project explored interventions on “Soviet block style” architecture in her family’s hometown in Bulgaria. Both a dogged researcher and seeker of beauty, Didi’s project sought to identify how individuality and a human scale can be introduced into a building type which historically privileged uniformity and utilitarian volume. Her project demonstrated a sensitivity to context, color and spatial intuition, and reckoned with the designer's dilemma that there are often too many choices and no obvious right answers. In her concentration in architectural studies, Didi has embraced the complexity of buildings, public space and urbanism critically and with the necessary optimism to improve the spaces we inhabit. Didi's positivity, willingness to work hard and pursuit of insight will be missed in our department as much as it will be valued in her future profession. – Prof. Sheila Gallagher
Mary Armstrong Award
Hayden Hunter
Hayden Hunter is a truly exceptional artist whose work reflects rare creativity and profound care. She brings a depth of commitment and sincerity to everything she does, consistently going beyond expectations and immersing herself fully in research, experimentation, and revision. Through explorations of memory, migration, and the African diaspora, she creates work that is visually striking, emotionally generous, and deeply felt. Her Afrofuturist visions imagine new worlds shaped by liberation and possibility. Whether through intricately woven photographic assemblages, commanding portraiture, or visceral ceramic forms, Hayden makes art that reaches people—work that helps us feel, remember, and imagine how healing can happen. She is the kind of artist the world needs. Her generosity of spirit has enriched our department, and it has been a joy to witness her growth. – Prof. Rosemary Engstrom
Lily Prewitt
The faculty of the Studio Art area is immensely proud to present the Mary A. Armstrong Award in Studio Art to Lily Prewitt. Over the past several semesters, Lily has demonstrated a tireless dedication to honing her skills, culminating in a truly outstanding Senior Project. Her deeply compelling work showcases both a sophisticated technical knowledge and a masterful execution. Using archival family photographs as a source material and point of departure, Lily focuses on female figures and the unstable spaces they inhabit. Through the tactile language of painting, she allows distortion, deliberate gestures, heavy textures, and evocative color to reshape their presence, using these panels as a vehicle to ask, in her words: “what is remembered, what is imagined, and what remains obscured?” Yet, Lily’s impact at Boston College extends far beyond her individual portfolio. Driven by a remarkably positive attitude, she collaborated closely with Professor Carissa Henriques to manage the planning, logistics, and design of this year’s senior projects catalog. Whether she is focusing intensely on her own practice in the studio or acting as one of only ten student mentors in our department, Lily consistently lifts up those around her. Her generosity and leadership make her peers - all of us, really- better artists and human beings. It has been an absolute joy to work alongside you, Lily, and we cannot wait to see where your exceptional talent and dedication take you next. – Prof. Hartmut Austen
Emergence Award
Luke Rosing
As faculty, one of the things we understand deeply is that choosing the life of an artist is not an easy path. To seriously commit yourself to a creative practice requires an uncommon combination of dedication, ambition, rigor, and belief—not only in your work, but in the value of continuing that work even when the future is uncertain. The Emergence Award recognizes a senior whose practice reflects both exceptional promise and a genuine commitment to sustaining a life in the arts. When considering a student who embodies those qualities, Luke Rosing immediately came to mind.
Luke is a prolific photographer and bookmaker whose work demonstrates both remarkable discipline and a clear sense of purpose. He approaches documentary photography with sensitivity, curiosity, and care, creating lyrical images rooted in communities and individuals whose stories he believes deserve greater visibility and attention. What is especially striking about Luke’s practice is not only the volume and consistency of his work, but the seriousness with which he understands photography as a long-term commitment to observation, listening, and engagement with the world around him.
Luke has already begun to develop a distinct artistic voice—one grounded equally in formal craft and human connection. His work reflects the qualities that this award was created to honor: creative vision, sustained effort, and the potential for a meaningful and impactful career in the arts. It is my great privilege to present the Emergence Award to Luke Rosing. – Prof. Greer Muldowney
Departmental Honors
- Musette Buckley
- Dimitra Batchvarov
- Skyla DeSimone
- Lily Prewitt