18 Top Undergraduates Honored as Philip Merrill Presidential Scholars

Cole Hershman’s high school calculus teacher introduced “L'Hôpital's rule” by showing it featured in the movie “Mean Girls.” She pushed him and his classmates to take the hardest course they could before college to challenge themselves, and she was reliably in her classroom smiling whenever they needed advice.

Even now, as Hershman prepares to graduate from the University of Maryland as one of its top students, her adaptation of a Jiminy Cricket song title, “Always Let Your Conscience Be Your Guide,” is still floating around in his head.

“Dr. Murphy would always say, ‘Let the units be your guide,’ and I still use that now just to make sure everything's working out—a little sanity check,” said Hershman, a senior majoring in aerospace engineering. “Having her as a teacher was an incredible experience.”

At a ceremony on Friday afternoon, he and the 17 other Terps selected as 2024-25 Philip Merrill Presidential Scholars will talk about the standout K-12 teachers and UMD professors and what made them so special—from meaningful advice, energizing courses and career direction to the lasting impressions they made with jokes and quotes.

The program, named for the university supporter and Washington-area publisher, highlights the importance of mentorship and provides stipends to the teachers and faculty.

“The late Philip Merrill left a lasting legacy by emphasizing the profound value of mentorship,” said UMD President Darryll J. Pines. “It is truly rewarding to celebrate student achievements alongside the individuals who helped make their success possible.”

This year’s scholars are committed to a variety of causes and career goals, ranging from statistics and public policy to teaching. One has been researching pathogenic bacteria while others have developed an accessibility device, founded a student political publication and started a skin cancer awareness group.

“The accomplishments of these scholars reflect the lasting impact of excellent teaching and mentorship in driving exceptional student outcomes,” said William A. Cohen, associate provost and dean for undergraduate studies. “It’s moving to hear how these top students describe the impact that UMD faculty have had on them, as well as the vital role their teachers from elementary, middle and high school have played in their success.”

In addition to recalling lighter moments––one teacher was famous for rebranding biology exams “celebrations of learning”––scholars shared memories of working alongside professors as teaching assistants and research fellows.

Kimberly Paczolt, senior lecturer in the Department of Biology, was honored as a mentor to two scholars this year. Several other teachers and faculty members have been recognized by students in previous years.

The Philip Merrill Presidential Scholars for 2024-25 are:

COLLEGE OF ARTS AND HUMANITIES

Zachary Braunstein (English; Philosophy, Politics, and Economics)

• Teacher Mentor: Iria Pico, Arnold O. Beckman High School, Irvine, Calif.
• Faculty Mentor: Ross Angelella, Jiménez-Porter Writers’ House

Nikita Kale (International Business; Philosophy, Politics, and Economics)

• Teacher Mentor: Kristen Reier, Marriotts Ridge High School, Marriottsville, Md.
• Faculty Mentor: Randy Ontiveros, Department of English

COLLEGE OF BEHAVIORAL AND SOCIAL SCIENCES

Yuri Kim (Hearing and Speech Sciences)

• Teacher Mentor: Bryan Goehring, Takoma Park Middle School, Takoma Park, Md.
• Faculty Mentor: Sarah Sohns, Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences

Anna Petersen (Psychology, Criminology and Criminal Justice)

• Teacher Mentor: Amber Perkins, Paint Branch High School, Burtonsville, Md.
• Faculty Mentor: Tracy Tomlinson, Department of Psychology

Tabitha Tamulevich (Geographical Sciences, Sociology)

• Teacher Mentor: Heather Evans, Perry Hall High School, Nottingham, Md.
• Faculty Mentor: Meyer Kestnbaum, Department of Sociology

ROBERT H. SMITH SCHOOL OF BUSINESS

Abigail Manga (Information Systems, Marketing)

• Teacher Mentor: Turner McManus, Oxon Hill High School, Oxon Hill, Md.
• Faculty Mentor: David Ashley, Department of Marketing

Adelina Seck (Information Systems; Operations Management and Business Analytics)

• Teacher Mentor: Emily Roberts*, Marriotts Ridge High School, Marriottsville, Md.
• Faculty Mentor: Roy Thomason, Department of Management and Organization

*Roberts was named a Teacher Mentor by a Merrill Scholar in 2019-20.

Grayson Vintz (Finance, Accounting)

• Teacher Mentor: Debra Shannon, River Hill High School, Clarksville, Md.
• Faculty Mentor: Sarah Kroncke*, Department of Finance

*Kronke was named a faculty mentor by a Merrill Scholar in 2015-16.

COLLEGE OF COMPUTER, MATHEMATICAL, AND NATURAL SCIENCES

Lora Abuobaid (Chemistry)

• Teacher Mentor: Avi Silber, Northwest High School, Germantown, Md.
• Faculty Mentor: Kimberly Paczolt*, Department of Biology

*Professor Paczolt was named a faculty mentor by two 2024-25 Merrill Scholars.

Shawn Edelstein (Statistics, Public Policy)

• Teacher Mentor: Barbara Felicciardi, P.S. 169 Bay Terrace School, Queens, N.Y.
• Faculty Mentor: Jiehong Lou, School of Public Policy, Center for Global Sustainability

Neha Sripathi (Biological Sciences)

• Teacher Mentor: Kathleen Morrow, Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, Alexandria, Va.
• Faculty Mentor: Kimberly Paczolt*, Department of Biology

*Professor Paczolt was named a Faculty Mentor by two 2024-25 Merrill Scholars.

A. JAMES CLARK SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING

Cole Hershman (Aerospace Engineering)

• Teacher Mentor: Veronica Murphy, Wilson Area High School, Easton, Pa.
• Faculty Mentor: Benjamin Silbaugh, Department of Aerospace Engineering

Owen Mank (Electrical Engineering)

• Teacher Mentor: Robert Davis, Colonel Richardson High School, Federalsburg, Md.
• Faculty Mentor: Denny Gulick, Department of Mathematics

COLLEGE OF INFORMATION

Jessica Doan (Information Science)

• Teacher Mentor: David Kraft, Colonel Zadok Magruder High School, Derwood, Md.
• Faculty Mentor: Edward Bernat*, Department of Psychology

*Bernat was named a faculty mentor by a Merrill Scholar in 2016-17.

PHILIP MERRILL COLLEGE OF JOURNALISM

Marwa Barakat (Journalism)

• Teacher Mentor: Meredith Lang, Northwest High School, Germantown, Md.
• Faculty Mentor: Christoph Mergerson, Philip Merrill College of Journalism

SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH

Caitlyn Goldberg (Family Science, Sociology)

Teacher Mentor: Robert Spivey, Glenelg High School, Glenelg, Md.

Faculty Mentor: Kerry Tripp, Department of Family Science

Avery Moe (Kinesiology)

• Teacher Mentor: Andrea Dickie, Hammond High School, Columbia, Md.
• Faculty Mentor: Ross Miller, Department of Kinesiology

INDIVIDUAL STUDIES PROGRAM

Danielle London (Psychology; Health Science, Communication & Marketing)

• Teacher Mentor: Leigh Felix, Eastern Regional High School, Voorhees Township, N.J.
• Faculty Mentor: Sylvette La Touche-Howard*, School of Public Health

*La Touche-Howard was named a faculty mentor by a Merrill Scholar in 2016-17.