Honors Day
Each spring, the Academic Honors Committee and the Alpha Chi Honor Society sponsor an Honors Day at Marymount Manhattan College.
Honors Day is dedicated solely to the celebration of excellence at our College. It builds awareness among MMC students of the importance of intellectual achievement within the academic community. The events of the day center on the Honors Colloquium, where select students present research papers, creative projects, and scientific projects to the College community. Honors Day also features ceremonies to induct deserving students into the College’s honor societies.
The 2026 Honors Day Celebration will be held on Tuesday, April 21.
8:30 – 9:30 COFFEE, TEA, CONTINENTAL BREAKFAST
The Commons East, 3rd Floor - Carson Hall
9:30 – 10:45 HONORS DAY & SENIOR ACADEMIC AWARDS CEREMONY
Theresa Lang Theatre
Moderators: Honors Day Committee – Profs. Logan, Sandler, Smith, and Cline
Welcome & Congratulations
Interim President Peter Naccarato
Remarks
Michael Salmon, Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs & Dean of Academic Excellence
Dean’s Award for Excellence
Honoree Saz Maroun
Flora Knox is Alive & Breathing
Sponsored by Professor Cyrille Phipps, Communication & Media Arts
Presented by Interim Vice President for Academic Affairs & Dean of the Faculty Katie Langan
Dean’s Award for Excellence
Honoree Paige Syphers
Willy Wonka Costume Design
Sponsored by Professor Vanessa Leuck, Theatre Arts
Presented by Interim Vice President for Academic Affairs & Dean of the Faculty Katie Langan
Writing Award
Honoree Rebekah Nilsen
Prison Journalism: Just a Fad, or Here to Stay?
Sponsored by Professor Jane Maher, Bedford Hills & Taconic College Programs
Presented by Acting Director of the Academic Writing Program Diana Epelbaum
Student/Faculty Collaboration Award
Honoree Gigi LeClair
Comedy of Errors Composition
Sponsored by Professor Peter Romano, Theatre Arts Presented by Faculty Council President Christine Riley
Alpha Chi Award
Honoree Olli Miller
The Realness of Horror: How Found Footage Cinema Uses Documentary Aesthetics to Make Social Anxieties Tangible
Sponsored by Professor Jenny Dixon, Communication & Media Arts Presented by Professor Noelle Griffis, Communication & Media Arts
Alumni Association Award
Honorees Shlomo Turano and Matthew Cho
Sociolinguistics Research Paper: Interruption and Gender
Sponsored by Professor Susan Behrens, Communication Sciences & Disorders Presented by Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs & Dean of Academic Excellence Michael Salmon
Social Justice Award
Honoree Taconic Correctional Facility Group (K.B., M.D., A.E., T.E., J.F., S.G., M.H., R.H., A.H., J.M., A.M., R.N., K.P., S.P., A.P., J.R., S.S.)
Women’s Labor
Sponsored by Professor Mollie Hosmer-Dillard, Bedford Hills & Taconic College Programs
Presented by Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs & Dean of Academic
Excellence Michael Salmon
Robert W. Ligon and Evelyn M. Ligon History Major Award
Honoree Siobahn Ash
Was It A Metaphor This Whole Time? Real World Conflicts Reflected in Science Fiction Film and
Television From the Western World from 1960 - 2025.
Sponsored by Professor Jenny Dixon, Communication & Media Arts
Presented by Professor Cecilia Feilla
Robert W. Ligon and Evelyn M. Ligon History Award
Honoree Isabella Perez
Investigating the ‘Modern Rockstar’ Through Gender and Performance.
Sponsored by Professor Kenny Finkle, Theatre Arts
Presented by Professor Cecilia Feilla
Selina Persaud Memorial Award
Presented by Lauren Kilian, Director of the Office of Disability Services
Senior Academic Awards
Presented by Interim Vice President for Academic Affairs & Dean of the Faculty Katie Langan
Gold Keys
Certificates in the Minor
College Honors Program
Honors in the Major
Double Major Graduates
11:00 – 12:30 Theresa Lang Theatre
HONORS DAY AWARD HONOREES PANEL
CELEBRATING THE CREATIVE SPIRIT
Moderators: Professors Daniel Sandler and Paul Smith
Saz Maroun
Flora Knox is Alive & Breathing
Sponsored by Professor Cyrille Phipps, Communication & Media Arts
Paige Syphers
Willy Wonka Costume Design
Sponsored by Professor Vanessa Leuck, Theatre Arts
Rebekah Nilsen
Prison Journalism
Sponsored by Professor Jane Maher, Bedford Hills & Taconic College Programs
Gigi LeClair
Comedy of Errors Composition
Sponsored by Professor Peter Romano, Theatre Arts
Olli Miller
The Realness of Horror: How Found Footage Cinema Uses Documentary
Aesthetics to Make Social Anxieties Tangible
Sponsored by Professor Jenny Dixon, Communication & Media Arts
Shlomo Turano and Matthew Cho
Interruption and Gender
Sponsored by Professor Susan Behrens, Communication Sciences & Disorders
Taconic Correctional Facility Group
Women’s Labor
Sponsored by Professor Mollie Hosmer-Dillard, Taconic & Bedford Hills College Program
12:30 – 1:30 The Commons East, 3rd Floor Carson Hall
LUNCH FOR PRESENTERS & SPONSORS
12:30 – 1:30 Various Location
HONORS SOCIETY INDUCTIONS, NATIONAL DANCE
EDUCATION ORG. CEREMONY & PI DAY CELEBRATION
1:30 – 2:30 STUDENT PANEL 1
The Judy – 702, 7th Floor Carson Hall
MEDIA FILM AND COMMUNICATION
Moderators: Professors Daniel Sandler and Paul Smith
Jackson Rinkes
Transnational Use of The Western in Post-Colonial Cinema
Sponsored by Professor Noelle Griffis, Communication & Media Arts
Marcella Antiko
Sad Beautiful Things
Sponsored by Professor Sarah Nelson Wright, Communication & Media Arts
Jay McKenna Hamilton
They’ve Gotta Have It: A Reimagining of Spike Lee’s She’s Gotta Have It (1986)
Sponsored by Professor Cyrille Phipps, Communication & Media Arts
1:30 – 2:30 STUDENT PANEL 2
The Judy – 701, 7th Floor Carson Hall
STAGE, PERFORMANCE, AND STORYTELLING
Moderator: Professor Brandon Logan
Leah Verschell
A Thousand Years Dramaturgical Casebook
Sponsored by Professor Jill Stevenson, Theatre Arts
Emily Roche
Worshipping the Rope
Sponsored by Professor Cecilia Feilla, English & World Literatures and Theatre Arts
Caroline Mack, Mary McElroy, and Trevor Ross
Japanese Theatre Final Project
Sponsored by Professor Jill Stevenson, Theatre Arts
Jazmin Lakin
Girl’s Just Wanna Have Fun
Sponsored by Professor Elisabeth Motley, Dance
2:45 – 3:45 STUDENT PANEL 3
The Judy – 701, 7th Floor Carson Hall
IDENTITY GENDER AND SOCIAL JUSTICE
Moderator: Professor Brandon Logan
Ignacio F. Alvarez
Threshold Bodies: Female Revolt from Shuruppak to the Contemporary Era
Sponsored by Professor Noelle Griffis, Communication & Media Arts
Tristan Arthur
The Hyper-sexualization of Men Who Have Sex with Men on Grindr:
A Phenomenological Study Concerning Friendships Inside a Community
Sponsored by Professor Jenny Dixon, Communication & Media Arts
Crystal Solano
From Cultural Capital to Career Choices: Mapping
Inequity in Black & Latinx First-Generation Gen Z Pathways
Sponsored by Professor Erin O’Connor, Politics & Human Rights
Nathan Hancock
Pearls, Pressure, and Possibility: The Lives of Black Queer Men in Reality TV
Sponsored by Professor Jenny Dixon, Communication & Media Arts
2:45 – 3:45 STUDENT PANEL 4
The Judy – 702, 7th Floor Carson Hall
RESEARCH, BUSINESS, AND APPLIED ANALYSIS
Moderators: Professors Daniel Sandler and Paul Smith
Mackenzie Fernandez
Diageo Company Analysis
Sponsored by Professor Vandana Roa, Business Management
Annie Mars
Do Not Disturb: A Phenomenological Study of the Effects Technology Has On Friendships.
Sponsored by Professor Jenny Dixon, Communication & Media Arts
Sofia Storey
Theatrical Intimacy Practices in Contemporary Performance
Sponsored by Professor Skye Bronfenbrenner Theatre Arts
Siobhan Ash
Was It A Metaphor This Whole Time? Real World Conflicts Reflected in Science Fiction Film and
Television From the Western World from 1960 - 2025.
Sponsored by Professor Jenny Dixon, Communication & Media Arts
4:00 – 4:30 STUDENT PANEL 5
The Judy – 702, 7th Floor Carson Hall
LITERATURE, ART & CULTURAL ANALYSIS
Moderators: Professors Brandon Logan & Daniel Sandler
Isabella Perez
Investigating the ‘Modern Rockstar’ Through Gender and Performance
Sponsored by Professor Kenny Finkle, Theatre Arts
Griffin Kendall
At Home In My Body
Sponsored by Professor Kayla Gibbons, Art & Art History
Taconic Correctional Facility Group
Group Art
Sponsored by Professor Caleb Hammond, Taconic & Bedford Hills College Programs
Academic Honors Committee
Brandon Logan, Co-Chair
Daniel Sandler, Co-Chair
Morgan Cline
Paul Smith
Special Thanks
Jonathan Arevalo
Louis Baglio
Cheryl Lynn A. Baterna
Mount Studios Club
Judy Cardona-Frank
Lora Georgiev
Erin Greenwell
Hillary Hamilton
Jordan Horsley
Katie Langan
Ava Makris
Katie Meade
Peter Naccarato
Jacqueline Noel
Steven Persaud
Alan Wences Quezadas
Michael Salmon
Nicole Saunders
Richard Sheldon
Tiffany Smith
Emmalyn Yamrick
Diana Zambrotta Sheetz
Harrison Walsh
Teresa Yip