Valedictorian, Salutatorian, and other Honorees Named

HARTFORD, CT — Valentina G. Zhelyazkova and Nikolay A. Atanasov, both of Bulgaria, were named valedictorian and salutatorian, respectively, of the Class of 2008 during Trinity College’s 182nd Commencement Ceremony on Sunday.

Zhelyazkova received a bachelor of science degree with a major in physics. Her honors include selection as a Dean’s Scholar in 2006; the Thomas Holland Scholarship in 2006; the Phi Gamma Delta Prize in 2006 and 2007; the Physics Prize in 2005 and 2006; selection as a William Pond Barber Scholar from 2005 through 2008; and membership in Phi Beta Kappa.

Atanasov received a bachelor of science degree with a major in engineering. He earned selection as a Dean’s Scholar in 2004 and 2005; the Thomas Holland Scholarship in 2007; the Junior Engineering Book Prize in 2007; the Phi Gamma Delta Prize in 2006 and 2007; a Phi Gamma Delta Teaching Fellowship in 2006 and 2007; the Physics Prize in 2005 and 2006; selection as the Charles Lindsey Memorial Scholar from 2005 through 2008, and the President’s Fellow in Engineering in 2007-08; and membership in Phi Beta Kappa.

Altogether, 542 undergraduate and 47 master’s degree candidates (including Robert M. Ellis of Simsbury, CT, who earned two master’s degrees) received diplomas, along with three honorary degree recipients: Douglas Joseph Bennet, former president of Wesleyan University, who received a Doctor of Laws degree; Robert B. Pippin ’70, the Evelyn Steffanson Neff Distinguished Professor at the University of Chicago, who received a Doctor of Humane Letters degree; and John Emmett Simmons, a former professor of biology at Trinity, who received a Doctor of Science degree.

James F. Jones, Jr., President and Trinity College Professor in the Humanities, delivered the commencement address to the students, many of whom enrolled at Trinity the same year that he became the College’s president. “Thank you, so many of you in the Class of 2008, for your abiding friendship these past, unbelievable, four years. You will always be one of the most cherished classes of my career,” Jones told the graduates seated on the College’s historic quadrangle.

“We who are older know how critical this one moment is in your lives. In four short years, you have crossed the swaying bridge from late adolescence to early adulthood, and you are now ready – impatiently so – to make your way in the world as capable, liberally educated men and women,” Jones said.  He concluded his remarks with these words: “Do farther sail for the deep waters only. We are counting on it, and we are counting on you.”

Two students, Carolyn Elizabeth Edwards, of Springfield, Ohio, and David Cameron Calder, of Columbia, MD, won 2008 Trinity College Trustee Awards for Student Excellence. A neuroscience major, Edwards was chosen an Illinois Scholar all four years and a Dean’s Scholar for having one of the top 25 GPAs in her first year. She also earned the President’s Fellowship in Neuroscience, Faculty Honors, and the Chemical Rubber Association Chemistry Award. She was a member of Quirks, an all-female a cappella group and a member of the Chapel Singers.

Calder wrote, produced, and directed the play, “Daddy,” and another, “Dinner Games,” which won the Frank W. Whitlock Prize for Drama on Honors Day. A French major, Calder was named a Class of 1963 Scholar (a stipend awarded to an undergraduate exhibiting unusually strong academic qualities), a Dean’s Scholar, and earned Faculty Honors.

Calder also was named an Optimus graduate, along with five other students. The honor signifies that an undergraduate has earned an A- or better in all courses required for his or her degree. This year’s Optimae and Optimi included Manpreet Kaur, of Malden, MA, who majored in psychology; Hristina A. Nikolova, of Bulgaria, who majored in theater and dance; Timothy M. Scarella, of Valhalla, NY, who majored in chemistry and neuroscience; Ryo Saotome, of Brookline, MA, who majored in mathematics and physics; and Paulette C. Studley, of Newington, CT, who majored in English. All are members of Phi Beta Kappa.

David J. Ahlgren, the Karl W. Hallden Professor of Engineering, and Milla Cozart Riggio, the James J. Goodwin Professor of English, were honored with 2008 Trinity College Trustee Awards for Faculty Excellence. Ahlgren has been a member of the Engineering Department for 33 years, distinguishing himself as an imaginative teacher, prolific scholar, and influential voice in College affairs. He helped introduce computing instruction to Trinity’s curriculum, developed a computer model for understanding the transmission of AIDS, and has directed Trinity’s annual Fire-Fighting Robot Contest for many years.

Known for her extraordinary energy and tenacity, Riggio helped found the Guided Studies Program: European Civilization; refashioned the English Department’s curriculum; and created and sustained the Trinidad Global Learning Site. Riggio was the 1992 recipient of the Thomas C. Brownell Prize for Teaching Excellence, and has authored or edited nine books with two more in the works. She also has received an Official Citation in recognition of her contributions to the city of Hartford.

The Thomas Church Brownell Prize, which honors a senior faculty member who personifies exemplary teaching, was awarded to Professor of Computer Science Ralph A. Morelli. The prize is named for Trinity’s first president and was established in 1986 through a gift from Paul H. Briger, Class of 1961, and Mrs. Briger. Morelli joined Trinity’s faculty in 1985, the same year that the computer science major was introduced.

For information about the Commencement Ceremony, please go to the College’s web site at /AboutTrinity/commencement.  For photos, please visit /AboutTrinity/commencement/photos. A video of the ceremony will be available shortly for viewing at the commencement web site.