SAN ANGELO Christian Bell, a biology major from Midland, has been selected to receive Angelo State University’s 2024 Presidential Award as the top graduate in his class, while five other ASU graduating seniors have been selected for 2024 Distinguished Student Awards from their respective academic colleges.
Bell will be recognized at ASU’s May 10-11 commencement ceremonies, along with the five Distinguished Student Award honorees. The Distinguished Student Award recipients are:
- Damian Macias of Vancourt – Archer College of Health and Human Services
- Katherine Spitzer of El Paso – College of Arts and Humanities
- Delaney Grimes of San Angelo – College of Education
- Tressa Reading of Uvalde – College of Science and Engineering
- Clayton Edmiston of Christoval – Norris-Vincent College of Business.
ASU’s Academic Excellence Committee hosted an awards ceremony April 29 in the Houston Harte University Center to honor all the award recipients and nominees. Each was presented a recognition plaque by ASU President Ronnie Hawkins Jr.
Christian Bell was nominated by the Department of Biology. He is a biology major with a chemistry minor, and he will graduate with High University Honors after completing the Honors Program curriculum. His academic performance earned his induction into the Alpha Chi, Phi Kappa Phi and Beta Beta Beta (Tri-Beta, biology) national honor societies. He was actively engaged in campus affairs, serving as president of Tri-Beta, secretary of the local American Chemical Society chapter, and organic chemistry tutor for ASU’s Academic Support Center. He was also active in the Honors Student Association, represented ASU on the Texas Tech University System Health Policy and Public Health Think Tank, and participated in the ASU-Shannon Coordinated Care Internship.
Additionally, Bell excelled in undergraduate research, earning multiple research grants from ASU, the American Chemical Society and Tri-Beta to support his work. He presented elements of his research at regional and national scientific conferences and co-authored a publication in the Journal of Pharmacy Technology. He also secured a competitive external placement in the summer 2021 Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (TTUHSC) School of Medicine Pre-Medical Enrichment Program. He will enter medical school at TTUHSC in Lubbock, with plans to remain in West Texas to begin his medical practice.
Damian Macias was nominated by the Department of Psychology. The Vancourt native and Wall High School graduate is majoring in psychology with a minor in sociology. His academic achievements earned his selection to the Alpha Chi, Psi Chi (psychology) and Alpha Kappa Delta (sociology) national honor societies. He was also active in the Kappa Delta Rho fraternity and Resilient Rams student organization, worked as a New Student Orientation leader, and currently works for ASU Counseling Services. He plans to pursue a master’s degree in counseling psychology at Angelo State to become a licensed professional counselor.
Katherine Spitzer was nominated by the Natalie Zan Ryan Department of English and Modern Languages. A graduate of Coronado High School in El Paso, she is an English with secondary teacher certification major with minors in professional education and French. She will graduate with Highest University Honors after completing the Honors Program thesis curriculum. Her academic achievements earned her membership in the Phi Kappa Phi, Alpha Chi and Sigma Tau Delta (English) national honor societies. She held offices in the ASU Needlework Club, actively engaged in the Honors Student Association, and earned first place in the Literary Criticism Writing Contest at ASU. She also excelled in research, making presentations at regional and national honors conferences, publishing her work in a peer-reviewed journal, and completing a masterful honors thesis. She received multiple offers to pursue doctoral studies in English literature, but will defer enrollment to begin a public school teaching career.
Delaney Grimes was nominated by the Department of Teacher Education. A graduate of San Angelo Central High School, she is an interdisciplinary studies major with early childhood through grade 6 teacher certification. She earned induction into the Kappa Delta Pi international education honor society, and she was selected for the inaugural ASU Ram Residence year-long student teaching cohort. She was active in the ASU Up and Coming Scholars program, the Ambassadors for the Teaching Profession recruiting team, and the RAMbassadors campus tour team. She was a two-year member of the ASU Cheer Team and helped lead the team to a 2022 national championship. She will begin her teaching career in the San Angelo Independent School District this fall, with plans to pursue graduate studies in the future.
Tressa Reading was nominated by the Department of Mathematics. She is a mathematics major with minors in biology and chemistry, and she will graduate with High University Honors after completing the Honors Program curriculum. Her academic achievements earned her induction into the Alpha Chi and Pi Mu Epsilon (mathematics) national honor societies, and she earned the ASU Honors Program Director’s Award. She served as president of ASU’s chapter of the Mathematical Association of America, secretary of the Honors Student Association, and vice chairman of the student board of the Texas Tech University System Health Policy and Public Health Think Tank. Also active in research, she made presentations at National Collegiate Honors Council and Alpha Chi national conferences, and she completed a study abroad program in Seoul, South Korea. She also served as a student board member and volunteer for the Children’s Advocacy Center, tutored foster children through the WHIT program, and served as a health coach through the ASU-Shannon Coordinated Care Internship. She will begin medical school at the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center School of Medicine in Lubbock this summer, with plans to pursue a career as a physician providing care for underserved populations in rural communities.
Clayton Edmiston was nominated by the Department of Accounting, Economics and Finance. He is completing the integrated Bachelor of Business Administration in accounting and Master of Professional Accountancy degree program. A founding member of ASU’s chapter of the Beta Alpha Psi accounting national honor society, he currently serves as its president. He is a student member of the Texas Society of Certified Public Accountants and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. He competed on the ASU Tennis Club team, participated in the McLane Economics Reading Program, tutored accounting students, and worked at a local accounting firm. After graduation, he will sit for the CPA exams and continue his work in the accounting field.
Additional Award Nominees:
Seok Woo Jang, nominated by the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, is from Seoul, South Korea. He is a double-major in chemistry and mathematics, and he will pursue a master’s degree in chemical engineering at Texas A&M University this fall.
Emily Lee, nominated by the Department of Management and Marketing, is a double-major in management and marketing and member of the Honors Program from Frisco. She plans to remain in San Angelo and work in advertising and marketing.
Cie Rangel, nominated by the Department of Political Science and Philosophy, is a political science major with a Spanish minor from San Angelo. She plans to work at a local law firm for a year and then apply for fall 2025 law school entry.
Garath Vetters, nominated by the Department of Physics and Geosciences, is a physics and mathematics double-major from Kingsland. He will pursue a Ph.D. in physics at Texas Tech University this fall.
Alexandra Vishnevskaya, nominated by the David L. Hirschfeld Department of Engineering, is a mechanical engineering major from Moscow, Russia. She will begin studies toward a Ph.D. in electrical and computer engineering at the University of Maryland this fall.
