SMTD Commencement Awards
Each year during Spring Commencement, awards are presented to the most outstanding members of the SMTD graduating class.
The Albert A. Stanley Medal
Awarded to a single graduating senior who, during the last two years of residence, has been most outstanding in his or her field, with special consideration given to scholarship and public performance.
- 2026: Anda Jiang, BM (violin)
- 2025: Ella Hursh, BM (instrumental music education & flute)
- 2024: Alexandra Humphreys, BFA (musical theatre)
- 2023: Nya Johnson, BTA (performing arts management concentration)
- 2022: Eric Banitt, BFA (jazz studies)
- 2021: Salvador Flores, BM (saxophone)
- 2020: Jacob Ryan Smith, BFA (musical theatre)
- 2019: Thomas Laub, BFA (musical theatre)
- 2018: Martijn Appelo, BFA (theatre – design and production)
- 2017: Daniel Fendrick, BM (bassoon)
- 2016: Nicole Erin Patrick, BFA (jazz and contemporary improvisation)
The Earl V. Moore Awards
Given for outstanding achievement in the School of Music, Theatre & Dance. Five awards are presented in four categories – Dance, Music (2 awards), Musical Theatre, and Theatre – and are open to undergraduate and graduate students.
2026
- John Solari, DMA (piano) and MM (chamber music)
- Angela Bonello, MM (voice)
- Kaitlyn Wilson, BFA (dance)
- Mary-Kate Sunshine Mahaney, BFA (theatre performance/acting)
- Lleyton Allen, BFA (musical theatre)
2025
- Ariya Laothitipong, BM (piano)
- Sylvie Tran, PhD (music theory)
- Madison Rogers, BFA (dance) and BA (biopsychology, neuroscience, and cognition)
- Reese Leif, BTA (performing arts management)
- Alyssa Sunew, BFA (musical theatre)
2024
- Kate Laila Louissaint, BFA (musical theatre)
- Matthew Eggers, BFA (theatre design & production/costume design)
- Juliet Schlefer, MM (voice)
- Angie Zhang, DMA (piano) and MM (fortepiano)
- Mia Rubenstein, BFA (dance)
2023
- Chloe Cuff, BFA (theatre performance/directing)
- Nick Daly, BFA (musical theatre)
- Sasha Kasman Laude, DMA (piano performance)
- Isabella Payne, BFA (dance)
- Gavin Ryan, MA (media arts)
2022
- Logan Frewen, BFA (jazz studies) and BM (music education)
- Julianna Garber, BFA (theatre performance/directing) and BA (film studies)
- Stephanie Gennusa, BFA (dance) and BA (psychology)
- Ji-Hyang Gwak, SM (piano performance)
- Helen Shen, BFA (musical theatre)
2021
- Marty Flake, BFA (design & production)
- Caroline Glazier, BFA (musical theatre)
- Xiaoya Liu, DMA (piano) and MM (chamber music)
- Walt Puyear, MM (saxophone)
- Courtney Ziegelmeyer, BFA (dance)
2020
- Mallory Avnet, BFA (acting)
- Sean Grier, MM (music education)
- Jillian Kouzel, MM (oboe and chamber music)
- Hannah Marcus, BFA (dance)
- Aaron Robinson, BFA (musical theatre)
2019
- Julian J. Goods, BM (choral music education)
- Berrit Keller, BFA (theatre – design & production)
- Emilie Kouatchou, BFA (musical theatre)
- Emily Soong, BFA (dance)
- Maddy Wildman, BM (bassoon)
2018
- Jesse Aaronson, BFA (theatre)
- Yoshiko Iwai, BFA (dance)
- Natalia Kazaryan, DMA (piano)
- Emily Kirven, BM (instrumental music education)
- Charles Patterson, BFA (musical theatre)
2017
- Luna Lemus-Bromley, BFA (dance)
- Eleanor Howell-Shryock, BFA (theatre – design and production)
- Tzu-Yin Huang, DMA (piano)
- Jordyn Norkey, BFA (musical theatre)
- Jacob Warren, BM (double bass)
2016
- Hidemi Minagawa, BM (piano)
- Andreas Oeste, MM (oboe and chamber music)
- Lena Frieda Oren, BFA (dance)
- Nora Marie Schell, BFA (musical theatre)
- Graham Ross Techler, BFA (theatre)
The Willis Patterson Award
Presented to a graduating student who has used his or her talents and/or scholarly abilities to enhance the development of and appreciation for a more culturally and ethnically diverse community within the School of Music, Theatre & Dance.
- 2026: Kiana “KC” Cook, MFA (dance)
- 2025: Arin Francis, BFA (musical theatre)
- 2024: Mattie Levy, MA (composition) and MM (oboe performance)
- 2023: Timmy Thompson, BFA (musical theatre)
- 2022: Ruby Pérez, BFA (acting)
- 2021: Malhar Kute, BM (violin)
- 2020: Maya Imani Alwan, BFA (musical theatre)
- 2019: Colleen Bernstein, MM (percussion), MM (chamber music)
- 2018: Anita Dumar, BM (violin)
- 2017: Rikki Morrow-Spitzer, BM (voice)
- 2016: Horacio Contreras Espinoza, DMA (cello); Theven Brice Smith, MM (flute and chamber music)