Indiana State University Newsroom

Indiana State University has honored four students with the Rankin Memorial Distinguished Senior Awards in recognition of their contributions to the betterment of the university.

Named for Alan Rankin, the university's seventh president who served from 1965-1975, the awards recognize outstanding seniors who have demonstrated dedicated membership and leadership in campus organizations and in the community. Recipients must also have a cumulative grade-point average of at least 3.25 on a 4.0 scale.

The 2013 Rankin Award recipients, who will be recognized during ISU's spring commencement, are Kay Brown of Avon, Andrew Graman of Bruceville, Katelynn Moats of Terre Haute and Kylee Thacker of Brazil.

Brown is graduating with degrees in professional aviation flight technology and aviation management. While at Indiana State, she was active with the Flying Sycamores flight team, Alpha Eta Rho and Females in Technology, and served as a technology career advocate and aviation simulator instructor.

Her university awards have included Alpha Lambda Delta honors society, Professional Piloting Endowment Scholarship, Pennsylvania 99's Scholarship, and the Kenneth S. Papkoff and Mary Greenlaw memorial scholarships.

During her time at Indiana State, she served internships with American Airlines and Walt Disney World Resorts and was pilot in command for the university's entry in the Women's Air Race Classic.

Brown is the daughter of Alison and Tom Brown and a graduate of Avon High School. Following commencement, Brown will begin graduate work in occupational safety management at Indiana State and will be a graduate assistant with the department of aviation.

Graman is completing a bachelor's degree in insurance and risk management. A President's Scholar and a Gongaware Scholar, he has been active in Pi Kappa Phi fraternity, serving as alumni relations chair, sound chapter operations chair and intramural chair; Networks Professional Development Program; Gamma Iota Sigma, serving as vice president of industry relations and president's conference representative; Insurance and Risk Management Honors Corps, serving as president and vice president; Insurance Advisory Council; Sycamore Student Ventures, serving as project team leader for industry and marketing of the Executive Express Café; University Honors Program; Alpha Lambda Delta; Golden Key; and Phi Kappa Phi. He was also industry relations coordinator for the Insurance and Risk Management Oktoberfest Golf Outing.

His awards have included the J. D. Miller Distinguished Service Award; Spencer Educational Foundation Scholar; Anita Benedetti Student Involvement Program; Order of Omega Outstanding Chapter Member; Gibson Insurance Scholarship; Insurance Advisory Council Scholarship; Networks Financial Institute Academic Scholar of the Year; and Pi Kappa Phi Eta Beta Chapter Scholarship Award, Chapter Sportsmanship Award and Most Engaged Executive Council Member Award.

His community activities included Push America, Pi Kappa Phi's philanthropy; No Boundaries Week; No Hair ‘Cuz We Care; Visually Impaired Volleyball Tournament; Empathy Dinner; Happiness Bag, Inc.; City of Terre Haute highway cleanup; Homeless Outreach San Francisco; Downtown Chicago YMCA Youth Sports; Terre Haute Boys and Girls Club; Adopt-A-Family; Riley Children's Hospital; United Way of the Wabash Valley; Ryves Youth Center; and Terre Haute nursing home outreach.

A graduate of North Knox High School, Graman is the son of J.D. and Christina Graman. He has accepted the position of assistant client manager with Gibson Insurance in South Bend.

Moats is completing a bachelor's degree in elementary education with minor concentrations in reading, English ad a new language, Spanish, civic leadership and middle school mathematics.

During her time at Indiana State, she has been involved in Chi Omega fraternity; Sycamore Ambassadors, serving as president 2010-2012; served as an intern with the ISU Foundation; a student office assistant in the Bayh College of Education Dean's Office; was a librarian with the Center for Mathematics Education; served in the Student Mathematics AfteR School Tutoring (SMART) program; was student representative in the College of Education Congress; and was active in the Indiana State Educators Association; University Honors Program; National Society of Collegiate Scholars; Sigma Alpha Lambda and Alpha Lambda Delta honor societies and the Dance Marathon for Riley Children's Hospital.

Her awards have included the President's Award for Civic and Community Leadership; Butwin Family Endowed Scholarship; Thelma Mills Scholarship; Center for Math Education "Go Figure" Scholarship; A. Elwood and Juneth S. Adams Scholarship; Dr. Vesper D. Moore Scholarship; James C. Farmer Scholarship; Dr. Donald and Mrs. Joyce Ottinger Scholarship; and 2012 Senior Leadership Award.

Her community activities have included "Go Figure" at the Terre Haute Children's Museum; the museum's education and STEM committee, Junior Department of the Terre Haute Women's Club and an internship with Wabash Valley Community Foundation.

Moats is a graduate of Terre Haute South Vigo High School and is the daughter of Pam and John Moats. Following commencement, she plans to pursue master's and doctoral degrees in education at Indiana State, serve her community as an educator and continue her commitment to community philanthropic endeavors.

Thacker is completing a bachelor's degree in English with a minor in French. While at Indiana State, she served as captain of the women's cross country Team; was secretary of the student-athlete advisory committee; and a student-athlete mentor. She was active in Phi Kappa Phi; Sigma Alpha Lambda; Delta Sigma Lambda; Golden Key; Sigma Tau Delta; Alpha Lambda Delta; National Society of Collegiate Scholars; College of Arts and Sciences Student Advisory Council representative; student editor for "Balzac, Grandville, and the Rise of Book Illustration" by Keri Yousif, associate professor of languages, literatures and linguistics; and was English department student representative for "Majors in Minutes."

Her honors have included the Sycamore Senior Leadership Award; English Department Outstanding Senior; Michael D. Buzash - Le Cercle Francasi Award; National Student-Athlete nominee; Pfennig Awards Ceremony guest speaker; Sycamore All-Academic Team; Sycamore Scholar Athlete; Missouri Valley Conference Leadership and Service Award; Pfennig Scholar - Department of English Honor Award; Department of English Alumni Scholar; Richard Landini Outstanding Junior Nominee and University Honors Program.

Her community activities included Sycamore Athlete Foundation Ladies Tee; Sycamore Parents' Night Out; Wegener's Awareness Warriors for Lecia Brown; Jam the Bus for Catholic Charities; Hurricane Sandy relief; Habitat for Humanity; community food drive; Terre Haute Community Theatre; Step Up Programs - Be a Leader ... Make a Difference; and Tumble Express - Toys for Tots.

Thacker is the daughter of Della and Tim Thacker and is a graduate of Northview High School. After graduation from Indiana State, Thacker will be enrolling in graduate school to complete master's and doctoral degrees in English Literature in preparation for becoming a college English professor.

Photo: http://isuphoto.smugmug.com/Other/Publications/Rankin-Award-Winners/i-CGj8Pg9/0/L/Kay%20Brown-1270April%2013%2C%202013-L.jpg - Kay Brown

Photo: http://isuphoto.smugmug.com/Other/Publications/Rankin-Award-Winners/i-vkwpj9s/0/L/Andrew%20Graman-1267April%2013%2C%202013-L.jpg - Andrew Graman

Photo: http://isuphoto.smugmug.com/Other/Publications/Rankin-Award-Winners/i-TRbg4Bs/0/L/Katelynn%20Moats%20-1333April%2013%2C%202013-L.jpg - Katelynn Moats

Photo: http://isuphoto.smugmug.com/Other/Publications/Rankin-Award-Winners/i-S5MJZNQ/0/L/Kylee%20Thacker-1262April%2013%2C%202013-L.jpg - Kylee Thacker