College of Arts and Sciences Students, Faculty Recognized During Spring Ceremony

Texas A&M’s Spring Recognition Ceremony brought together students, faculty, families and mentors to celebrate some of the university’s highest undergraduate honors ahead of graduation. 

Hosted May 6 by Honors Academy, National Fellowships and the Office of Undergraduate Research, the ceremony recognized students who stood out in their research, leadership and national scholarship, as well as faculty members who have played a meaningful role in guiding that work. 

Natalie Holder ’26, a biology major, received the Brown Foundation-Earl Rudder Memorial Outstanding Student Award, the highest honor given to a graduating senior at Texas A&M. Established in 1970, the award recognizes no more than two graduating seniors each year. Holder’s Texas A&M experience includes academic achievement in biology as well as leadership through the Corps of Cadets and the Fightin’ Texas Aggie Band. 

Katherine Gene Ray ’26, a behavioral and cognitive neuroscience major, received the Undergraduate Research Scholars Outstanding Thesis Award in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. Her thesis, Sex-Specific Effects of Prenatal Alcohol and Cannabinoid Co-Exposure on Corticostriatal Opioid Gene Expression and Associated Behaviors, reflects nearly three years of research at the Texas A&M College of Medicine. Ray will continue her research training this fall as an incoming student in the neuroscience Ph.D. program at the University of Texas at Austin. 

Montgomery Bohde ’26, whose second major is applied mathematics, was recognized as a recipient of three prestigious national scholarships: the Astronaut Scholarship, Churchill Scholarship and Goldwater Scholarship. Bohde is Texas A&M’s first Churchill Scholar and plans to use the award for master’s-level study at the University of Cambridge. His research focuses on artificial intelligence for science and molecular representation learning, including the use of machine learning to predict properties of molecules, materials and proteins. 

Trevor Martinez ’26, a biology major with a chemistry minor, received the Goldwater Scholarship, one of the nation’s premier awards for undergraduate students pursuing research careers in science, engineering and mathematics. Martinez has worked with Dr. William Murphy’s and Dr. Richard Gomer’s labs studying potential therapeutics for fibrosing diseases, including conditions that cause scarring in organs such as the lungs and kidneys. He plans to pursue a Ph.D. in molecular and cellular biology, with long-term goals in biotechnology and academia.

Dr. Claire Carly-Miles, instructional associate professor in the Department of English, received one of the Wells Fargo Faculty Mentor Awards, which recognizes faculty members whose mentorship extends beyond the classroom. Since returning to Texas A&M as a faculty member in 2016, Carly-Miles has taught more than 100 sections of Core Curriculum-Communication courses and has helped redesign major writing and literature courses, including work on open educational resources. She also has served the department, college and university through numerous committees and faculty leadership roles. 

Aditi Mohankumar ’26, graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Science in neuroscience and a minor in psychology and served as one of the College of Arts and Sciences gonfaloniers. During her three years at Texas A&M, Mohankumar was named an Undergraduate Research Scholar and Honors Fellow, recognizing her academic excellence, honors coursework and completion of a senior capstone project. She also served in leadership roles with the Student Council of Arts and Sciences, Alpha Epsilon Delta and Freshman Leaders in ArtSci Reaching Excellence, where she focused on increasing member engagement, her own professional development and creating student support. Off campus, she co-founded Cloud 9 Run Club to build community around fitness and wellness in Bryan-College Station. Mohankumar also gained clinical and teaching experience as a medical scribe, hospital volunteer, Texas A&M Emergency Care Team associate instructor and teaching assistant in the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences. After graduation, Mohankumar plans to further her education by attending Texas A&M’s College of Medicine. 

The ceremony also recognized new members of Phi Beta Kappa, the nation’s most prestigious academic honor society. Founded in 1776 at the College of William & Mary, Phi Beta Kappa recognizes academic excellence in the liberal arts and sciences and supports the value of inquiry, critical thinking and creative work across disciplines. 

The following College of Arts and Sciences students were inducted: 

• Zoe Almanza, English 

• Carl Blumenschein, English 

• Peyton Braun, Atmospheric Sciences 

• Dillion Crozier, History / Classics 

• Isabella Garcia, Economics 

• Audrey Hillam, Modern Languages 

• Piper Hitchcock, Psychological and Brain Sciences / Philosophy 

• Andrew Hung, Biology 

• Julie Kazda, English 

• Ella Jackson, Spanish 

• Tia Milton, Psychological and Brain Sciences / Spanish 

• Shelby Ray, Classics 

• Alexandra Rivers, Psychological and Brain Sciences / Philosophy, Politics, and Law 

• Thomas Sherman, English 

• Luis Villarreal, Biology 

• Alex Wang, Biology 

• Mengqi Xiao, Statistics 

This year’s honorees were recognized for many different reasons, from undergraduate research and national scholarship to faculty mentorship and Phi Beta Kappa induction. Together, those accomplishments reflect the abilities and skills across students and faculty in the College of Arts and Sciences. 

Each of these awardees carry Texas A&M’s core values at work in practical ways. Excellence can be seen in their academic achievement, leadership in the example they set for others and selfless service in the ways their work contributes to their fields, their peers and the university. Now, as these graduates carry their work beyond Texas A&M, their accomplishments offer a strong example of the kind of scholars, leaders and problem-solvers who come out of the College of Arts and Sciences and the impact they can have on the world around them.