2010-2011 Award Winners

Elizabeth (Lizzee) Solomon
Bachelor of Fine Arts

COLLEGE OF FINE ARTS

Presenter: Susanne Slavick
Andrew W. Mellon Professor of Art

Lizzee was born in New York City and raised in Chicago. She has been scribbling in library books and sketching classmates and teachers since early childhood. This year, Lizzee is graduating with honors from the School of Art with a BFA and a minor in Hispanic Studies. She has participated in The Tartan and Scotch'n'Soda Theatre, and has had her artwork published in The Oakland Review, Dossier, and local comics zine Andromeda. She has also exhibited work throughout the campus community, Pittsburgh, and nationally. Her outside interests include world music, singing, and gender relations. She is an active member of the Pittsburgh arts community, and has also volunteered as a local high school Spanish tutor. Lizzee participates in the Circulo Juvenil de la Cultura--a program that promotes native language use and cultural awareness through workshops for Spanish-speaking youth ages 5-10. Last year, she studied Spanish language and literature at the University of Valencia in Valencia, Spain, and received a grant to publish a bilingual graphic novel on her experience there. Next year, Lizzee is looking forward to expanding her portfolio as a comic artist and illustrator.

Molly Evans
B.S. Biological Sciences

MELLON COLLEGE OF SCIENCE

Presenter: Maggie Braun
Assistant Department Head, Biological Sciences

Molly will graduate from the Mellon College of Science with a degree in Biological Sciences with an option in Molecular Biology. Along with her classes, she has conducted research in the Das Laboratory in the Chemistry Department, working on two different RNA biochemistry projects over 5 semesters and two summers. In addition, Molly was a member of the Varsity Women's Swimming and Diving Team all four years in college, was a 4-time NCAA All-American and Academic All-American, and served as a team captain her senior year.

In her free time, Molly enjoys spending time with her friends, family, and animals of all sorts. She has volunteered with Three Rivers Greyhounds since 2006, and hopes that spending time with these speedy hounds will help her become a better runner. Now that she is retired from swimming, Molly plans to take up triathlons, trail running, and handstands. Along with her new athletic pursuits, she plans to attend graduate school and eventually become a public health researcher.

Ida Mayer
B.S. Computer Science, B.A. Multilingual Studies, B.A. Creative Writing

SCHOOL OF COMPUTER SCIENCE

Presenter: Randy Bryant
Dean, School of Computer Science

Ida is graduating with university and college honors and degrees in Computer Science, Creative Writing and Multilingual Studies. Her thesis research is in magical realism in modern Japanese literature.  During her time at Carnegie Mellon, Ida has served as a gender equality activist in her roles as vice president of Allies, a trainer for Safezone, member of Women@SCS, Carnegie Mellon representative in SNAP, and conference organizer for MOSAIC.  She has particular interest in men's studies and sex-positive activism.

She has helped to shape the university's future through her positions on the Undergraduate Review Committee, academic review and community standards boards, and preferred name working group.  Most importantly, in her four years here, Ida has successfully gotten lost in Oakland, gained a fondness for squids, and had at least one dream about memoization. Even though she is sad to leave Carnegie Mellon, Ida is excited about becoming a software engineer on Google Books.