Students Honored as 2024 Dean’s Scholars
The recognition is given annually to students who exhibit exceptional academic performance and intellectual promise.
Penn Arts & Sciences named 20 undergraduate and graduate students as this year’s Dean’s Scholars, a recognition bestowed annually on students who exhibit exceptional academic performance and intellectual promise. They were celebrated at the Stephen A. Levin Family Dean’s Forum on April 17.
College of Arts & Sciences
Natascha Barac, C’23, English and Physics
Rema Bhat, C’24, Political Science
Sophie Faircloth, C’24, Linguistics, submatriculant in Linguistics
Andreas Ghosh, C’24, ENG’24, Vagelos Integrated Program in Energy Research
Sophie Mwaisela, C’24, History
William (Zijian) Niu, C’24, Biochemistry, Chemistry, and Biophysics
Liam Phillips, C’24, Russian and East European Studies and Comparative Literature
William Stewart, C’25, Music
Yijian (Davie) Zhou, C’24, Philosophy and Psychology, submatriculant in Philosophy
College of Liberal and Professional Studies – Undergraduate Program
Joe Daniel Barreto, LPS’23, Bachelor of Applied Arts and Sciences
College of Liberal and Professional Studies – Professional Master’s Programs
Abigail P. Blyler, LPS’24, Master of Applied Positive Psychology
Graduate Division – Doctoral Programs
Adwaita Banerjee, Anthropology
Charlie Cummings, Physics and Astronomy
Cianna Z. Jackson, Classical Studies
Ryann Michael Perez, Chemistry
Rashi Sabherwal, Political Science
Timmy Straw, Comparative Literature and Literary Theory
Elena Gayle van Stee, Sociology
Christine Soh Yue, Linguistics
Oscar Qiu Jun Zheng, East Asian Languages and Civilizations
The 2024 Stephen A. Levin Family Dean’s Forum featured acclaimed author Margaret Atwood, in conversation with Emily Wilson, College for Women Class of 1963 Term Professor in the Humanities in the Department of Classical Studies. In front of an audience of 1,500 people—some 900 in Irvine Auditorium and 600 online—the two discussed writing styles, how to decide which narrative voice to use, feminism, revisiting works decades later, The Odyssey, and more. Atwood, best known for her dystopian classic The Handmaid’s Tale, has written more than 50 books during a career spanning six decades. Wilson won praise for her translation of Homer’s The Iliad, which published in 2023, and The Odyssey, which published in 2018.