The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences recognizes academic excellence with 20 Dean’s Medalists

On Dec. 16, The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Arizona State University will recognize its highest-achieving students from the humanities, natural sciences and social sciences at the fall 2025 convocation ceremony.

Every semester, departments and schools within The College select outstanding students who have demonstrated a steadfast commitment to academic excellence during their time at ASU. These students are awarded the prestigious Dean’s Medal for their academic achievements.

Brooke Campbell

Dean’s Medal: Department of English

Majors: English

Over the past six years, Brooke Campbell has served as a full-time facility inspector with the United States Coast Guard, balancing military service with academic work at ASU. Her dedication to her community led her to found two book clubs: one offering an escape from the stress of deployment, and another for military spouses to build friendships and support networks.

While in school, Campbell was selected to present an original short story at the ASU Undergraduate Literature Showcase and is a member of the National Society of Leadership and Success.

Tyler Murray

Dean’s Medal: Department of Economics

Major: Economics

While pursuing his degree, Tyler Murray has been an active-duty member of the United States Coast Guard as a flight mechanic examiner. His role requires the dual responsibilities of maintaining and flying in helicopters. Murray currently serves in Savannah, Georgia, leading rotary-wing aviators while also helping organize training events and creating instructional materials for over 70 members to improve unit maintenance procedures as a maintenance resource management facilitator. 

At ASU, he explored interests in the broader implications of economic theory and policy. He is currently applying to Officer Candidate School.

Nathan Andrews

Dean’s Medal: Department of Physics

Major: Physics

Nathan Andrews participated in multiple internships with aerospace, defense and security company Northrop Grumman, where he worked in manufacturing engineering within the launch vehicle division. He reorganized training manuals and updated tools, assisted engineering in the Shroud laser alignment process and helped develop and implement a process for storing shop aids in thermal protection systems.

After graduation, he’ll begin a full-time job at Northrop Grumman.

Gabby Bayona Dicang

Dean’s Medal: Department of Psychology

Major: Neuroscience

Minor: English (literature)

Coming from the Philippines, Barrett, The Honors College student Gabby Bayona Dicang found her passion in the Neural Control of Movement Lab, where she supported research using ultrasound technology to map brain function. She helped design and facilitate experiments using focused transcranial ultrasound to explore the neural basis of cognition, emotion and decision-making. She has also participated in the ASU-Banner Neurodegenerative Disease Research Center, contributing to molecular studies on tauopathies.

She was awarded the department’s Ernest Lindholm Award for Outstanding Senior in Biopsychology, recognizing her research efforts and interest in a career in biopsychology.

She plans to enter medical school in 2027 and become a neurosurgeon.

Brandon Garlitos

Dean’s Medal: Hugh Downs School of Human Communication

Major: Communication

Brandon Garlitos came to ASU as a service member of the United States Air Force and now serves in the United States Air Force Reserve as a flying crew chief. He currently conducts pre-flight inspections, in-flight maintenance and rapid repairs of their aircraft.

While at school, he worked as a team leader in a work-study position for ASU’s Pat Tillman Veterans Center, managing the transition of military service members, dependents and veterans into ASU. He was awarded the Hugh Downs School of Human Communication Scholars Program Scholarship in 2025 and maintained a high GPA, including the semester he was deployed.

Jack Silver

Dean’s Medal: School of Civic and Economic Thought and Leadership

Majors: Civic and economic thought and leadership, business (law)

Before ASU, Jack Silver served in the United States Marine Corps as a rifle squad leader, assistant patrol leader and sergeant. There, he was responsible for the tactical employment of a rifle squad and fire support assets.

During his studies, he led his school peers to win Best Oral Policy Brief in the Cyber 9/12 Challenge, finishing above Harvard University, Yale University and West Point. He designed and taught a course on American city culture at a Romanian university post-GIE.

After graduation, Silver will begin his accelerated one-year master’s program in classical liberal education and civic leadership at The College.

Bethany Hawthorne

Dean’s Medal: School of Geographical Sciences and Urban Planning

Major: Urban planning

Minor: Sustainability

Beyond her studies, Bethany Hawthorne works as a commercial sales project manager of a solar energy company, Technicians for Sustainability. She’s been involved in projects that have reinforced community impact, including the installation of Community Foundation for Southern Arizona solar grant projects to expand renewable energy access, revamping pricing methods to improve project profitability and accuracy.

She is active in societies such as the American Planning Association and has received LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Green Associate status from the U.S. Green Building Council.

Richard Lingua

Dean’s Medal: School of Historical, Philosophical and Religious Studies

Major: History

Minor: Religious studies

A Barrett, The Honors College student, Richard Lingua began his career in 1997, working for companies ranging from Apple to being a freelance contractor within event management.

His honors thesis focused on the abduction of Japanese citizens by the North Korean government in the late 1970s. The project culminated in a study guide for Francis Turnly’s play “The Great Wave,” a public-facing project that integrated diplomatic history and public history methods.

Lingua hopes to pursue a career as an analyst in a research institute or policy group, continuing to contribute to the field of public history.

Julia Cassella

Dean’s Medal: School of Human Evolution and Social Change

Major: Anthropology

While at ASU, Julia Cassella participated in several research experiences, including working as an undergraduate social science research intern and an undergraduate physical anthropology research intern, coding and analyzing data for different projects. This semester, Cassella conducted an independent research project focused on occupational burnout among forensic medicine professionals.

Her experience in forensic pathology has been extensive, ranging from shadowing coroners' offices and a hospital to collecting specimens to working with autopsy teams.

After graduation, Cassella will begin dual master’s degrees in forensic medicine and anatomical sciences education at the University of Florida.

Judith Guerrero

Dean’s Medal: School of International Letters and Cultures

Majors: Italian, English (linguistics)

Certificate: Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL)

This past semester, Judith Guerrero worked as a teaching assistant at Estrella Mountain Community College to support an English as a Second Language (ESL) class and provide group instruction in language and content comprehension. She also interned at McKemy Academy of International Studies, developing and deliver lesson plans and fostering a cultural understanding of Italian traditions and heritage. She worked closely with Professor Enrico Minardi as a teaching assistant and in reviewing the “Italian fumetti exhibit” at Hayden Library.

Next summer, Guerrero will participate in an internship created at the Biblioteca Classense in Ravenna, Italy, to assist in projects ranging from social media to digitizing the library’s photo collection.

Lindsey Tober

Dean’s Medal: Technological Leadership

Major: Technological leadership

Minor: Film and media production

Lindsey Tober has completed multiple internships while at ASU, including supporting the filming and editing of YouTube content that makes space research accessible to everyone through a NASA Space Grant internship. She also held a leadership position in the ASU Space Student Ambassadors team. Lastly, Tober was the university’s only Brooke Owens Fellow in the 2025 class, which allowed her to continue working on NASA media initiatives.

She hopes to pursue a career that blends film and media with space and science.

Viktor Meszaros

Dean’s Medal: School of Life Sciences

Major: Biological sciences (conservation biology and ecology)

Viktor Meszaros has participated in several research experiences through ASU, including the Hypoxia Project, looking at preserved samples of zooplankton and conducting research on planktonic fish larvae as part of the diel vertical migration of Actinopterygii in the North Atlantic and North Pacific oceans. He has also participated in a study abroad trip to Bermuda to analyze and run experiments with their coral reefs.

This fall, he worked with Associate Professor Amy Maas on an independent study, presenting his work at the Ocean Sciences Meeting in Glasgow, Scotland. After graduating, he’ll participate in a research cruise to continue the project.

Julian Mydlil

Dean’s Medal: School of Politics and Global Studies

Major: International relations

While working full time for the World Affairs Council of America, Julian Mydlil worked on his degree and sought experiential learning through opportunities such as the Junior Fellows and the Policy Design Studio within the school. He researched the background of current issues surrounding the U.S.-Mexico relationship and has led a team within Professor Tara Lennon’s “Do You Want to Build a Nation?” simulation course to organize strategy meetings.

He has also supported case management for over 50 immigration clients as an immigration legal assistance intern for the International Rescue Committee.

Maggie Leone

Dean’s Medal: School of Social Transformation

Major: Justice studies

Minor: Special events management

Certificate: Human rights

Maggie Leone has participated in numerous hands-on experiences throughout her time at ASU, including working for Make-A-Wish Arizona as a wish-granting support intern, organizing volunteer outreach and creating an inclusive resource for connecting with children during initial visits. She has also served as an educative law intern for the Arizona Bar Foundation to conduct legal research and translate complex topics for young learners.

She has dedicated her spare time to giving back to local communities, such as volunteering with Wakefield Unified Baseball to adapt games for children with individualized needs.

Claire Connett

Dean’s Medal: School of Earth and Space Exploration

Major: Earth and space exploration (astrobiology and biogeosciences)

Minor: Biological sciences

Over the past two years, Barrett, The Honors College student Claire Connett has worked with Professor Heather Throop on research exploring how microorganisms influence the decay of plant material in contrasting locations across five North American deserts. There, she worked in the lab to develop and optimize methods for measuring potential activity in four important extracellular enzymes found in desert soils.

She has also participated as a research assistant in projects involving optical measurements to map lab-grown crystals, analyzing environmental and ethical concerns of genetic biocontrol technologies for managing pest species and studying abroad in Antarctica.

After graduation, she plans to apply to medical school.

Mohamed Mostafa

Dean’s Medal: School of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences

Major: Mathematics

Coming from Egypt, Mohamed Mostafa had experience researching algebraic properties and geometric applications of quaternions, as well as Gaussian integers and unique factorization. At ASU, he was an undergraduate research assistant under Professor Susanna Fishel to explore formal verification in math.

After graduation, Mostafa will stay at ASU to pursue an accelerated master’s degree in mathematics.

Shri Swaminathan

Dean’s Medal: School of Molecular Sciences

Majors: Biochemistry (medicinal chemistry), neuroscience

Shri Swaminathan has been conducting research on structural biology since her sophomore year. She has since completed a National Science Foundation Research Experiences for Undergraduates program at New York University and a protein and structural chemistry internship at Merck. She has already produced a peer-reviewed publication and presented at multiple conferences.

She has received multiple honors, such as the American Chemical Society Award for Outstanding Undergraduate in Biochemistry or Chemical Biology at ASU in 2025 and an SMS Travel Award to present at the Biophysical Society Meeting.

After graduating, she plans to pursue graduate studies in the molecular sciences.

Kyle Davis

Dean’s Medal: T. Denny Sanford School of Social and Family Dynamics

Major: Family and human development

Minor: Psychology

At ASU, Kyle Davis became incredibly involved in the surrounding community, volunteering for organizations such as House of Refuge, Sunshine Acres and United Food Bank. He was recently inducted into the National Society of Leadership in Success.

After graduation, Davis plans to work as a victim advocate specializing in sexual assault and domestic violence before earning a PhD in counseling and continuing to serve the community as a licensed counselor.

Marko Ciprus

Dean’s Medal: Department of Military Science

Major: Construction management and technology

Minor: Military leadership

Marko Ciprus has worked as a project engineer intern on multimillion-dollar data center initiatives across Arizona, Ohio and Georgia. While in ASU’s Army ROTC unit, Ciprus has served as the first sergeant for his ROTC battalion, supervised and mentored over 30 cadets and strengthened unit cohesion and accountability.

His leadership earned him the ROTC Cadet of the Year award, placement in the top 15% of all U.S. Army Cadet Summer Training graduates and ranking among the top 20% of all graduating Army officers nationwide.

Drew Borseth

Dean’s Medal: Department of Naval Science

Major: History

Minor: Classical civilizations

In ASU’s Naval ROTC unit, Drew Borseth was a Marine Enlisted Commissioning Education Program participant where he served as a mentor to future officers, exemplifying the Marine Corps’ core values of honor, courage and commitment. In 2024, he helped coordinate ceremonial operations for the USS Arizona submarine launch, representing the university and the U.S. Marine Corps at a national level.

In the classroom, he worked on independent research on military and political transitions in classical civilizations. Borseth’s capstone project, “Counterinsurgency and Cold War Colombia: The Legacy of Plan Lazo,” showcased his ability to connect historical research with modern military and geopolitical contexts.