ST. JOSEPH COLLEGE | Rensselaer

The scholastic achievements of St. Joseph's College students were recognized at the college's annual academic awards ceremony April 27 in Rensselaer. At the ceremony, students were presented with awards, recognized for extracurricular involvement and inducted into the Delta Epsilon Sigma national honor society. Listed by hometown, those recognized include: Cedar Lake: Zachary Wajvoda, Delta Epsilon Sigma; Chesterton: Jeffrey Williams, Accounting Faculty Scholarship; DeMotte: Meagan Anderson, Mock Trial; Michelle Anderson, Delta Epsilon Sigma; Ryan Farrar, Mock Trial; Amanda Raymond, Delta Epsilon Sigma; Hebron: Kim Klaus, Academic Achievement in Criminal Justice; La Porte: Joseph Stewart, Mock Trial; Sarah Vaughn, Delta Epsilon Sigma; Lowell: Christine Schmelter, Best of Core 8; Alpha Phi Sigma; Merrillville: Elizabeth Hall, Mock Trial; St. John: Robert Snarskis, Future Executive Leadership Award, and Wheatfield: Nathan Graf, Alpha Phi Sigma.

BUTLER U. | Indianapolis

Devin Schlueter, a freshman biomedical engineering major, was named to the fall semester dean's list at Butler University in Indianapolis. He is part of a dual degree program with Purdue. To be named to the dean's list, a student must place in the top 20 percent as determined by the semester grade-point average of all eligible students. Schlueter was a member of the 2007 Butler football team and was named to the Pioneer Football League fall academic honor roll. This includes student athletes who participated in football at member institutions during the fall semester and posted a 3.0 grade-point average or higher while enrolled full-time in accordance with NCAA rules. Schlueter graduated as salutatorian from Wheeler High School. His parents are Jon and Laurie Schlueter.

INDIANA U. | Bloomington

Indiana University Department of Biology honored Smita Das, of Valparaiso, with a $2,000 Microbiology Undergraduate Summer Research Program at the annual ceremony held April 25. Das, who expects to graduate in May of 2010 with bachelor's degrees in microbiology and Germanic studies, received the award in recognition of academic excellence and to help support a new research project she will start in Assistant Professor Sidney Shaw's lab this summer.

HOPE COLLEGE | Michigan

Abigail Lanting, of Dyer, and Amanda Scheeringa, of Schererville, received bachelor's degrees at Hope College in Holland, Mich. Lanting studied psychology and sociology and is the daughter of James and Janice Lanting. Scheeringa studied social work and is the daughter of Kenneth and Sandra Scheeringa.

MILIKIN U. | Illinois

Milikin University student Aaron Buchler, of Schererville, participated in the annual Undergraduate Research Poster Symposium held April 25 in Decatur, Ill. as part of the university's Celebration of Scholarship. Buchler was selected by faculty members to display a poster exhibit of his scholarship research and answer questions about the project from faculty and students. Buchler's research project was "Comparison of the Therapeutic Effect of Etanercept with Methotrexate in Reducing Rheumatoid Arthritis Activity. "