“Victoria is an excellent student who is truly deserving of this recognition. She has extensive research experience in several different subfields of chemistry and has been stellar in the classroom, being recognized for outstanding academic achievement with numerous departmental awards,” said James West, professor of biochemistry and molecular biology, biology, and chemistry. West and Joe Smith, assistant professor of statistical and data sciences, co-serve as ������’s campus representatives for the scholarship competition.

Finizio said she was very excited to be recognized. “Receiving this award has increased my confidence in my abilities as a scientist,” she said. “I feel more capable of achieving my goals, which will help me go forward with my education with a bit more certainty.” She came to ������, in part, because of her positive impression of the chemistry department while visiting as a prospective student. Once she arrived and got involved in the department, she knew she made the right choice.“In addition to a great curriculum that is helping me grow into a knowledgeable and skilled chemist, the chemistry department fosters a strong sense of community,” she said.

Finizio credits that sense of community and her numerous positive interactions with professors with helping her to win the award. “The professors truly care about their students,” she said. “Their academic and personal support has made my experience at ������ truly special.” She feels especially grateful to her mentors at ������, including Paul Bonvallet, professor of chemistry, and David Kirby, John Garber Drushal Distinguished ������ing Professor of Chemistry. As part of her off-campus studies, she is thankful to have participated in a summer research internship with Tehshik Yoon, professor of chemistry at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Another reason Finizio chose ������ is its Independent Study program. “I’m really interested in conducting original research in chemistry, and I knew I was guaranteed such an experience at ������,” she said.

She currently works as a lab assistant in ������’s chemistry department where she answers student questions on chemistry concepts and assists them with experimental techniques. “I have found helping my peers to be extremely rewarding, and I hope to incorporate mentorship into my career,” she said. Finizio is also active in Chemistry Club, the ������ Activities Crew and The ������ Voice.

After graduation, Finizio is planning to pursue a doctoral degree in chemistry and become a professor. She anticipates conducting research in synthetic organic chemistry, which would have applications in medicinal chemistry. As a Goldwater scholar, she will have the opportunity to participate in a mentorship program with previous winners and attend a conference to present her research. “I feel so grateful. None of this would have been possible without the support of my ������ professors,” she said.

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With more than 1,200 participants in 52 countries, AASHE’s STARS program is the most widely recognized framework in the world for publicly reporting comprehensive information related to a college or university’s sustainability performance. Participants report achievements in five overall areas: 1) academics 2) engagement, 3) operations, 4) planning and administration, and 5) innovation and leadership. ������ is one of fewer than 400 institutions worldwide with a silver or higher rating.

“The STARS program is a very rigorous and comprehensive assessment of a college’s sustainability efforts. For ������ to complete a STARS report and earn silver status demonstrates our commitment to sustainability, not just in words, but by highlighting dozens of sustainability actions, programs and activities from many different sectors of the institution,” Director of Campus Sustainability Brian Webb said. “This recognition only comes through passionate and dedicated work by many faculty, staff, students, and administrators who are committed to making sustainability an integral part of the ������ experience.”

The rating recognizes a wide range of sustainability efforts underway at the College. Most recently, sustainability work has included the establishment of the campus-wide Abbey Arboretum at ������, supported by a seven-figure gift from alumnus Paul Abbey ’73 and his wife, Constance Norweb Abbey.

Efforts also include a yearslong commitment to independent student research focused on sustainability — a commitment that is reflected in ������’s particularly high scores in the STARS rating for curriculum, research, and campus engagement. In the past three years, more than 80% of academic departments across a breadth of disciplines have supervised student projects with a primary focus on sustainability. Student research has included exploration of low-cost, homemade soil fertility enhancers and the creation of fast-growing forests, with possible campus applications.

“Environmental issues represent some of the greatest interdisciplinary challenges of the 21st century, and ������ students are demonstrating their ability to address such global challenges, not just through the environmental sciences, but through art, political science, psychology, theater, economics, and many other disciplines,” Webb said. “This breadth of academic diversity shows the true ability of ������ students to address complex global topics from many creative and solutions-oriented approaches.”

“STARS was developed by the campus sustainability community to provide high standards for recognizing campus sustainability efforts,” said AASHE Executive Director Meghan Fay Zahniser. “������ has demonstrated a substantial commitment to sustainability by achieving a STARS Silver Rating and is to be congratulated for their efforts.”

Unlike other rating or ranking systems, this program is open to all institutions of higher education, and the criteria that determine a STARS rating are transparent and accessible to anyone. Because STARS is a program based on credits earned, it allows for both internal comparisons as well as comparisons with similar institutions. ������’s STARS report is publicly available on the STARS website.

Featured image: In the learning garden on Pine Street, students study pollinators and insect conservation through a variety of mentored-research projects.

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Coenen was intrigued and quickly connected with the research lab to assist with the study. “For the first time, science did not feel abstract to me,” she said. “It was a tool for helping real people. That realization cemented my academic journey in chemistry and my personal commitment to service.”

Coenen was one of ten students at schools in Ohio to receive the , which recognizes undergraduates at Community Campus Coalition partner institutions for outstanding leadership and contributions to community service on their campuses and within their communities. Two of the student winners (including Coenen) received an additional recognition as Legacy Award winners, and a $250 donation will be made in their honor to a nonprofit of their choice. Coenen has designated her donation to go to Dream Catcher Stables, a nonprofit in her hometown of Houston where she has taught horseback riding to children with special needs.

Coenen volunteers Dream Catcher Stables, a nonprofit in her hometown of Houston where she has taught horseback riding to children with special needs.

One of the first service opportunities Coenen explored at the College was volunteering with the ������ Volunteer Network as a first-year student. She became president of the organization and coordinated campus-wide service events to raise money for local nonprofits. In addition, she interned for three years in the College’s community engagement office where she worked to build and maintain relationships between the College and local non-profits. She also served as service chair and treasurer of her sorority, Pi Kappa.

In her letter nominating Coenen for the award, President Anne McCall stated, “Throughout her undergraduate experience, Bella has demonstrated that service is not an isolated activity but a guiding principle that informs her academic pursuits, leadership roles, and professional aspirations.”

Service also drove Coenen’s Independent Study, which applies modern analytical chemistry tools to improve detection of designer ‘date-rape’ drugs commonly missed by forensic labs. “I hope to empower other women to see chemistry as a practical tool for advocacy and societal change,” she said. Coenen puts these hopes into practice through the mentoring of younger students as a teaching assistant for the chemistry department. “I love to help students find ways to move their knowledge outside the classroom,” she said.

Coenen’s dedication to service extended beyond the campus community. She volunteered at One Eighty, a ������ domestic violence shelter, where she completed extensive training to serve as an advanced level three volunteer to support survivors.

After graduation, Coenen will pursue a doctorate in analytical chemistry at Vanderbilt University. “I’m proud to begin this journey supported by the values instilled in me at ������, knowing that leadership, service, and scholarship are strongest when they work together,” she said. “I entered ������ unsure of my place in the world and am leaving with a clear purpose and intention to use science as a tool for justice, change, and community impact.”

Featured image: Coenen celebrates turning in her I.S.

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Through the program, ������ students earn a graduate business degree in just one year after completing their bachelor’s degree. Also available to prospective students considering enrollment, the program includes early admission to Simon, and students receive a guaranteed tuition scholarship, creating an efficient route to a highly prestigious graduate business degree.

“Offering this opportunity provides advantages to ������ students interested in master’s degrees through Simon Business School,” said Jen Bowen, Dean for Curriculum & Academic Engagement. “Academic advisors work closely with students to design their coursework and experiential learning to provide a path that will set them up for successful careers in national and international business. This relationship with Rochester allows our students to build on the foundation they receive at ������ in critical thinking, research skills, and global and intercultural perspectives, all important for working in business-related careers today.”

Program participants can pursue a master’s degree in areas such as accounting, artificial intelligence in business, business analytics, finance, and marketing analytics, and it’s available to ������ students with a pre-business mindset from any major who complete the required courses in business economics, computer science, mathematics, economics, ��statistical and data sciences, or other courses specific to the master’s program. Students in the entrepreneurship pathway will also find this a natural fit with their interests.

Simon Business School is consistently ranked among the top business schools in the United States and recognized for delivering a strong return on investment for its graduates. The 4+1 Business Master’s Pathway program offers several benefits designed to simplify and accelerate the graduate admissions process, including:

• Guaranteed scholarship covering at least 30% of tuition
• Waived application fee
• No GRE or GMAT requirement
• Early access to graduate-level career workshops and one-on-one coaching sessions

“This partnership with ������ reflects our shared commitment to expanding access to high-quality graduate education,” said University of Rochester Provost Nicole Sampson. “By working with ������ and other outstanding partner institutions, we are enabling talented students to transition more easily from undergraduate to graduate study and prepare for successful careers with a Simon degree. Together, we are building a powerful bridge that expands opportunity and delivers lasting value for students and their families.”

Learn more about pre-professional advising in business at wooster.edu/area/pre-business/ and for more information about the 4+1 Business Master’s Pathway program, visit: .

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Attentive to the fast-paced changes of the late 20th��century, Russell��prioritized music education for a diverse background of students and found��meaning in introducing students to new repertoire��as they��encountered��composers for the first time.��In an interview in the��winter 1988 edition of the�������� magazine, Russell��said, “Students��and others from the College and the community all sing together��—��because they want to. They can go on singing for the rest of their lives because the music is theirs,”��a testament to his passion��for��music��pedagogy.��

In addition to his work at the College, Russell served for more than 25 years as organist and choir director at First Presbyterian Church in ������, where he was involved in the installation of the church’s Karl Wilhelm organ.��

Russell retired from the College in 2008, concluding more than three decades of teaching, conducting, and service. Even after his retirement, he��remained��closely connected��to former students and colleagues, continuing to support and celebrate their��achievements��in��the ������ community.��

Russell’s��full obituary is available����

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As senior vice president, head of discovery science and founding principal investigator at Altos Labs, Nunnari’s work focuses on cellular rejuvenation programming with the goal of reversing disease. As a mitochondrial biologist, she studies the cellular structures that provide energy and metabolic building blocks to living cells, which affect a wide range of diseases and aging. Nunnari was the first to describe mitochondria as a dynamic network in a homeostatic balance, and her lab described the mitochondrial division and fusion machines. Her lab also elucidated additional mechanisms underlying mitochondrial behavior within cells, including how mitochondrial membranes are organized, how mitochondria communicate with the endoplasmic reticulum, and how the mitochondrial genome is transmitted.

Nunnari’s academic body of work includes more than 100 publications spanning more than two decades, published in scientific journals around the world. Her papers have been cited by other research publications more than nine thousand times. Prior to joining Altos, Nunnari served as distinguished professor of molecular and cellular biology at the University of California-Davis from 1998 to 2022. Additionally, Nunnari is a fellow and past president of the American Society for Cell Biology and an elected member of the National Academy of Sciences, the European Molecular Biology Organization and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Nunnari earned her B.A. in chemistry at ������ and her doctorate in pharmacology from the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine in 1989.

Josephine Fleischel ’26

In addition to Nunnari, the ceremony will feature speakers from the graduating class, Josephine Fleischel ’26, a global media and digital studies major, and Elliot Miller ’26, an environmental geoscience major, who were selected based on academic performance and peer nominations.

Fleischel, a global media and digital studies major, serves as co-president of the ������ Dance Company and is an active choreographer and dancer. She is also a DJ for the campus radio station, Woo-91, and volunteers weekly with the nonprofit OHuddle. As a recipient of the Theatre and Dance Scholarship, she studied abroad in London, where she pursued media studies coursework and trained at the London Contemporary Dance School. Her Independent Study, “If Man is Five, Then the Devil is Six,” examines the influence of new media technologies on the evolution of Satanic Panic narratives, analyzing rhetorical shifts across the 1980s and 2010s.

Elliot Miller ’26

Miller, an environmental geoscience major with a minor in physics, chose ������ for the liberal arts education, competitive athletics, and strong sense of community. His I.S., conducted with Meagen Pollock, Marian Senter Nixon Professor of Natural Sciences, analyzes samples from Iceland’s Western Volcanic Zone with implications for identifying volcanic activity on Mars. He studied abroad in Ecuador and the Galápagos Islands and interned with ������’s earth sciences department. In addition to serving as a three-year student assistant athletic trainer, Elliot participates in Geology Club and Bluegrass Jam and competes on the men’s soccer team. His achievements include recognition as an Academic and Athletic All-American and receipt of an NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship. After graduation, he plans to pursue graduate studies in geophysics.

President McCall will preside over the ceremony, which will also include an invocation led by Stuart Franklin ’26, education and religious studies majors, and benediction provided by Rev. Jon Fancher ’78, interim chaplain at the College. The ceremony also will feature a vocal performance by Lilly Ashe ’26, a communication sciences and disorders major and music minor.

Tickets are required to enter the event and may be requested through a on the commencement webpage. Families who cannot attend the event in person will be able to access a livestream of the ceremony. For more information on commencement and related events visit wooster.edu/commencement.

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The short documentary film, mostly in Spanish with English subtitles, captures the rigor and passion that drive flamenco artists toward virtuosity and transcendence. It is the product of the 2025 ������-Madrid TREK, which combined a study of the history of Madrid with a filmmaking workshop.

“For me, documentary is an act of empathy. It’s an act of listening,” said Greg Shaya, Henry J. and Laura H. Copeland professor of European history, and global media & digital studies, who led the TREK and co-directed the film with Aída Díaz de León, visiting assistant professor of Spanish. Seven ������ students with a variety of majors took part in the program: Tobi Aina ’28, Nurain Amier ’26, Shannon Dunning ’27, TyLynn Gault ’27, Emma McKone ’26, Henry Walter-Wilde ’27, and Eva Wojciechowski ’26.

While in Madrid, the student film crew closely followed four dancers—Mía, Sara, Gabriel and Rafael—as they told the stories of their journeys to flamenco and the spirit, or fire within, that animates their art. Consequently, the crew learned a lot about flamenco in addition to learning how to make films.

“It was technically impressive, but it was also emotionally beautiful. I thought that they summed up every human emotion in the show,” said Dunning, a music major.

The experience was completely hands-on with students learning all aspects of filmmaking. “I got to do a lot of media wrangling and learned how to manage all the footage, which made me understand a lot more about the equipment that goes into actually capturing a shot,” said Amier, who is majoring in biology and Chinese studies.

Shaya added, “I love when the students’ eyes open wide, and you can see they’re thinking. There’s something cool going on here, and I’m a part of it.”

One of the biggest takeaways for the students was how much work goes into making a film, even a short one. “There’s an understanding that you’re going to pour a lot of work into it, even if the project you actually end up making isn’t huge,” said Walter-Wilde, a biochemistry & molecular biology major completing a pathway in digital & visual storytelling.

Shaya and Díaz de León, along with collaborators in Madrid, helped the students put the pieces together. “There are so many challenges to making a movie,” Shaya said. “Who are your characters? Where’s the story? I feel like we’re running to make this thing happen, but it’s magic when things come together.”

Faculty praised the students for their dedication to the project. “At ������, we have such amazing students who are smart, hard-working, curious, and engaged,” said Shaya. “What I appreciate about youth,” added Díaz de León, “is that they don’t have limits.”

In addition to making “Flamenco, The Fire Within,” which is only available through public screenings, the students created a short YouTube video about their experience, titled

The 2025 ������-Madrid TREK was made possible with support from the Discovery Learning Endowment and the Yamazaki Experiential Travel Fund. Six ������ students will attend a 2026 ������-Madrid TREK and plan to make a film about the neighborhood of Malasaña. More information about supporting these funds is available by contacting advancement@wooster.edu.

Featured Image: Students Henry Walter-Wilde ’27, Tobi Aina ’28, Emma McKone ’26, TyLynn Gault ’27, Nurain Amier ’26, Shannon Dunning ’27, Eva Wojciechowski ’26 participated in a TREK, off-campus filming workshop in Madrid, led by Professor Greg Shaya, and ������ing Assistant Professor Aída Díaz de León.

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“What an honor it is for our community to learn, work, and play in the middle of an arboretum. Paul’s inspiring support and enthusiasm for this project show his devotion to ������,” President Anne McCall said. “Beautifully maintained by our campus grounds department, the Abbey Arboretum at ������ provides a nourishing learning environment that fosters community, scholarship, research, and innovation. Paul’s gift honors that stewardship and adds to our ability to preserve that enriching environment for ������’s future.”

Paul Abbey ’73

For the Abbeys, committing their support to the Abbey Arboretum at ������ is part of an ongoing tradition. Paul Abbey founded��, a nonprofit organization dedicated to restoring the Northeast Ohio tree canopy and environmental preservation, and the value arboreta bring to the community in perpetuity is also meaningful to his wife, Constance Norweb Abbey whose great grandfather, Albert F. Holden, founded .

“We’re building on a historic tree community already in place at ������,” said Abbey, an emeritus trustee of the College and past president of the Alumni Association. “It’s a living laboratory, and our support adds to the research, learning environment, and educational opportunities for our community about how trees benefit us all. Through partnerships with local arboretums, strong governance, and local volunteers, the Abbey Arboretum at ������ will support our beautiful campus in more intentional and new ways.”

Arboretums specialize in trees and woody plants, and as a member of for more than 16 years, the College already meets many of the criteria of a including a labeled and cataloged collection of at least 25 different tree species. , developed 25 years ago in collaboration with , tracks not only the number of trees on campus but also their ecological and economic benefits. In just the past five years, calculations estimated the value of trees on campus at more than $63,000; benefits include carbon dioxide removed from the air (more than 820K pounds), storm water mitigation avoiding runoff and collecting rainfall (more than 12M gallons), and air pollution removal including carbon monoxide, and other gases (more than 100K ounces). Over a span of 20 years, the value rises to $260,000 for the nearly 180 different species of trees on campus.

“The strength and support added through the Abbey Arboretum honors the hard work of our grounds department to maintain the urban forest on campus,” said Phil Olsen, manager of campus grounds and a certified arborist. “Sustainability and preserving and protecting our environment mean so much to our students and community. The partnerships through accreditation reaffirm our commitment to providing students a beautiful campus underneath our tree canopy.”

Abbey will serve as founding director and chair of an advisory committee that will include faculty, staff, students, and members of the local community. The committee will offer perspective on how the Abbey Arboretum at ������ will expand student and community engagement, strengthen and grow the tree collection, and broaden academic research and educational development opportunities, over the next three to five years. Already, in addition to environmental research on campus, students and faculty often collaborate with the in ������ and , just east of Cleveland. “These partnerships strengthen ������’s value as a member of ArbNet’s network,” said Abbey, noting that as a student, he was involved with a project at Secrest.

Coming to ������ from Pennsylvania, Abbey said going to school in what felt like a woodland helped him “feel at home” on a campus, and it was a meaningful place for his family. His great-grandfather, Dwight C. Hanna, who graduated from ������ in 1883, was the first of five generations in Abbey’s family to “walk under the same oak trees,” also including his daughter, Kendall Abbey ’09, who earned her degree in anthropology. Abbey, a political science alumnus, sees the education he received at ������ as a “jumping off point” regardless of vocation.

“������ gave me the confidence to face the future as a strong thinker and problem solver,” said Abbey, who later founded Fairport Asset Management LLC, a wealth management company in 1988 (now Hightower Signature Wealth). “Insights into the macro-economic environment, global politics, and the inner workings of government, strengthened our investment strategy for our clients.”

Investing in trees reflects Abbey’s enduring connection to the College, one that still draws him to the woods alongside the campus golf course, where he once roamed as a four-year member of the Fighting Scots men’s golf team. Working closely with Olsen and being involved in nurturing ������’s tree canopy is nothing new for Abbey. His support extended to the planting of 21 black gum trees, celebrated in the fall, involving many volunteers from the community. To him, the event signified an example of the educational value promoting the long-term health of the campus landscape can bring to the community, and the Abbey Arboretum at ������ underscores that impact into the future. “What we’re doing today will benefit students for generations,” he said.

The College’s commitment to its urban forest is also supported by the Tree Conservation Endowment and the Grace Tompos Endowed Tree Fund, and the Abbeys’ gift of the Abbey Arboretum at ������ helps position the College for its upcoming comprehensive campaign.

The Abbey Arboretum at ������ encompasses the College’s 240-acre campus and golf course including about 2,800 trees in an urban forest where the College community lives and learns.

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������’s Meagen Pollock, geologist and Lewis M. and Marian Senter Nixon Professor in the Natural Sciences, and Assistant Professor of Physics Laura DeGroot, at the College, answer these questions and more below.

How often do meteors enter the Earth’s atmosphere in this way?

Pollock: Several tons of meteoritic material enter Earth’s atmosphere each day. (!). Most of it burns up in the atmosphere and never reaches the ground.

How do scientists track or detect events like this?

Pollock: Scientists use multiple methods, including weather radar, satellite sensors, and eyewitness reports. According to , this event was seen from three regional weather radars and picked up by the Geostationary Lightning Mapper instrument on a weather satellite, which detects light emitted by electrical discharges. So far, there are 222 eyewitness reports about this event on the .

What determines whether something burns up completely verses reaching the ground?

DeGroot: According to NASA, anything smaller than a football field will break apart in the Earth’s atmosphere, but the initial size, composition, and speed are factors that determine whether it makes it to the surface. They are traveling at tens of thousands of miles per hour, and when they hit, the air in front of them compresses very quickly causing the temperature to rise. This causes the meteor to heat up and burn until there is nothing left. This also causes intense pressure of the atmospheric gas, which can exceed the structural strength of the object holding itself together causing it to explode midair. As this happens, we then see a bright flare and less than 5% of the original object reaches the ground.

Are meteorites dangerous or should we be concerned that it could happen again?

DeGroot: Documented cases of meteorites causing injuries or deaths are rare! While Earth’s atmosphere is bombarded by space debris daily, larger meteors only strike every few years or decades. We know of very large impacts due to craters from millions and tens of thousands of years ago. Other documented cases of large impacts include in 1908, 1954, and many may remember the 2013 fireball that streaked across the sky in Chelyabinsk, Russia. This one blew apart 14 miles above the ground, creating a shockwave that damaged buildings that caused injuries. Overall, they are rare, and we don’t need to be concerned. Most material burns up in the Earth’s atmosphere.

What is the difference between a meteor, asteroid, and meteorite?

Pollock: An asteroid is a small, rocky or metallic body that orbits the Sun. When a piece of an asteroid, or some other object, enters Earth’s atmosphere, it heats up and glows, and we see a bright streak of light called a meteor. A meteorite is what we call the object if it makes it to Earth’s surface.

What was it made of?

Pollock: Most meteorites are stony meteorites, made primarily of minerals like we find on Earth with small amounts of metallic iron. NASA has confirmed from a sample that it was a type of stony meteorite called an achondrite, which has experienced geologic processes like the ones on Earth. It’s less dense than the stony meteorites that have the small amounts of metallic iron.

Is it possible to find a meteorite? How would we recognize one?

Pollock: Yes, it’s possible, but it’s harder than you might expect, even if you have an idea of where they might be based on a color-coded strewn field map like the one at the link above. Look for rocks that feel heavier than expected for their size and appear to be different from surrounding rocks. It might also have a dark, glassy fusion crust on the outer edges.

Is there scientific value in collecting fragments/meteorites?

Pollock: Absolutely! Meteorites are direct samples of other bodies in our solar system, many of which formed over 4.5 billion years ago. By studying them, we learn about solar system formation, planetary processes, and even the chemical ingredients that may have contributed to the origin of life on Earth. If they’re recovered carefully from known falls, they’re even more scientifically valuable because their history and exposure are well constrained.

What should people do if they think they’ve found a meteorite?

Pollock: Try not to touch it with your hands! Snap a photo where it lies, note its location, and use clean foil or gloves to collect it. Keep it clean, dry, and wrapped or in a bag, and take it to an institution that can examine it for you. You can bring it to ������ Earth Sciences Department. Please be warned, though! Most suspected meteorites turn out to be regular rocks.

Featured image: Assistant Professor of Physics Laura DeGroot (left) and Meagen Pollock, geologist and Lewis M. and Marian Senter Nixon Professor in the Natural Sciences (right)

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������ sent two teams to the all-day event: the Scot Bots, including Miles Fike ’27, Osen Mac-Iriase ’26, Hannah Venzon ’28, and Anany Sachan ’27, and the ������ Wildcards, which included Suraj Acharya ’26, Mehdia Sadat ’27, Saidamir Osimov ’27, and Elizabeth Haar ’26. The Wildcards secured first place after solving five of the contest’s six problems. “They were the only team to solve that many problems, and they did it in less total time than any other team,” said Heather Guarnera, assistant professor of computer science, who coached both groups.

The contest, now in its 36th year, challenges teams to solve a set of six complex programming problems during a four-hour window without the use of the internet or electronic devices other than the computers they use to code. Students can track other teams’ progress for the first three hours, but the final hour is a blackout period, heightening the suspense and strategy as teams race to complete solutions. In the event of a tie, the winner is determined by speed and by penalties for multiple incorrect submissions.

This year’s competition included teams from Denison University, Ohio Wesleyan University, Granville High School, and ������. Guarnera noted that solving all six problems is rare, making the Wildcards’ performance especially impressive.

Acharya, a mathematics and computer science major who had participated in the competition twice before, said the contest offered a valuable opportunity to apply complex concepts like dynamic programming from his coursework in a high-stakes, fast-paced environment. “Taking Algorithm Analysis with Dr. Guarnera not only prepared me for recognizing problems in dynamic programming but also solving them,” he said, adding that the team’s greatest advantage was familiarity with the tools the competition requires.

The Scot Bots and ������ Wildcards included (from left to right, back) Sachan, Osimov, Mac-Iriase, Fike, and Venzon and (from left to right, front), Haar, Sadat, and Acharya with Professor Guarnera (front, far left).

Still, the team’s camaraderie was ultimately the most memorable aspect of the event for Acharya. “I believe that enjoying the competition is the best outcome you can get,” he reflected, “and I definitely enjoyed it.”

Beyond the technical challenge, Guarnera emphasized that the event showcases the competencies ������ cultivates in its graduates: problem-solving, critical and creative thinking, effective collaboration, deep disciplinary knowledge, and the ability to engage in both active listening and reasoning under pressure.

“It’s also a competitive evaluation of our students alongside peer institutions,” Guarnera noted. “And this year, they represented us well. Our students knocked it out of the park!”

Featured image: ������ students, Acharya (left) and Haar (right) take their turn in the computer lab; only two teammates are allowed at a time in the lab, which increases the challenge and requires concentrated collaboration.

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