CONWAY, Ark. (April 2, 2024) – Thirty-five first-year Hendrix College students selected for the Murphy Scholars Program were formally inducted at a ceremony held the evening of March 26, 2024.
Murphy Scholars explore literature and language at a more intensive level by participating in designated study, travel, research, and service experiences in literature and language during their sophomore, junior, and senior years at Hendrix. The program is open to students of all majors; this year’s cohort includes students majoring in 23 unique areas of study, including 9 who are double-majoring.
Twenty-one percent of the first-year Hendrix College Class of 2027 applied to the program, and more than half of those applicants were selected as Murphy Scholars.
“We're impressed with the range of strengths and interests in this new cohort,” said Hope Coulter, director of the Hendrix-Murphy Foundation Programs in Literature and Language, which developed and oversees the Murphy Scholars Program. “Several of them have already gotten involved in the literature and language scene at Hendrix, and others are eager to explore it.”
The Class of 2027 Murphy Scholars in Literature and Language are:
- Amalia Anton of Ridgefield, Washington (Spanish major)
- Julia Atencio of New Orleans, Louisiana (Psychology major)
- Chanley Atwell of Conway, Arkansas (Politics major)
- Helaina Ballis of Shreveport, Louisiana (English-Literary Studies and Sociology double major)
- Megan Brown of Hot Springs Village, Arkansas (Philosophy and English-Literary Studies double major)
- Rebekah Caffey of Little Rock, Arkansas (Biochemistry-Molecular Biology major)
- Reagan Crump of Carlisle, Arkansas (Mathematics major)
-Penelope Derden of Conway, Arkansas (English-Literary Studies major)
-Neil Dogra of Little Rock, Arkansas (Biochemistry-Molecular Biology and Religious Studies double major)
-Connor Eilerts of St. Louis, Missouri (Psychology major)
-Lily Harper of Fayetteville, Arkansas (English-Creative Writing and Studio Art double major)
-Adilynn Henry of Gunter, Texas (Biochemistry-Molecular Biology)
-Inaya Imran of Little Rock, Arkansas (Interdisciplinary Studies: International Relations & Economics double major)
-Khia Jones of Jonesboro, Arkansas (English-Film & Media Studies major)
-David Kamanga of Little Rock, Arkansas (English-Creative Writing and Philosophy double major)
-Raahi Kapoor of Rogers, Arkansas (Biology and Studio Art double major)
-Tanvi Kiran of Tulsa, Oklahoma (Mathematics and Physics double major)
-Miles Kresic of Warrenton, Virginia (English-Creative Writing major)
-Abbott Kyle of Conway, Arkansas (Biology major)
-Georgia Liu of Little Rock, Arkansas (Biochemistry-Molecular Biology major)
-Allison McAdams of Springdale, Arkansas (English-Film & Media Studies major)
-Sophia McGraw of Conway, Arkansas (Environmental Studies major)
-Elly Munro of Coppell, Texas (Interdisciplinary Studies: Media, Culture, and Communications major)
-Havin Powers of Jonesboro, Arkansas (Study of the Mind major)
-Isabel Rios of Little Rock, Arkansas (Undeclared)
-Yumi Robben of Jefferson City, Missouri (Environmental Studies major)
-Madison Roberts of Little Rock, Arkansas (Interdisciplinary Studies: International Relations and French double major)
-Sarah Shook of Garfield, Arkansas (Biology major)
-Julia Staggs of Benton, Arkansas (Religious Studies major)
-Jacob Stivers of Greenbrier, Arkansas (Psychology major)
-Sofia Syed of Little Rock, Arkansas (Biochemistry-Molecular Biology major)
-Enaiya Thompson of Little Rock, Arkansas (Biochemistry-Molecular Biology major)
-Kylie Waeltz of Russellville, Arkansas (Sociology and Anthropology major)
-Vic Welky of Conway, Arkansas (Undeclared)
-Audrey Young of Mountain Home, Arkansas (Theatre Arts and English-Literary Studies double major)
All Murphy Scholars will graduate with distinction, having completed an Oxford-style tutorial course in language and literature and at least three of the Murphy Scholar Program’s approved co-curricular experiences in literature and language.
See Mike Kemp's photos here.
About the Hendrix-Murphy Foundation
Hendrix-Murphy Programs enrich the study of literature and language for Hendrix College as a whole as well as for students with intensive interest in those areas. The late Mr. Charles H. Murphy, Jr., former Chair of the Board of Murphy Oil Corporation and former member of the Hendrix Board of Trustees, established the Foundation in 1978 in memory of his mother, Mrs. Bertie Wilson Murphy. A 1905 graduate of Galloway Women’s College—which later became part of Hendrix College—Mrs. Murphy possessed a lifelong love of literature and language, to which these programs are exclusively dedicated.