August 05, 2026 | Ethan Simmons
Nearly 500 graduates obtained a bachelor’s degree from the College of Applied Health Sciences
The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign named the recipients of its highest academic honors for the spring 2026 semester.
At the College of Applied Health Sciences at Illinois, 509 students made the Dean’s List, a semesterly honor for students who make the top 20% grade-point average in their college class or curriculum, with at least 12 academic hours taken for a letter grade.
This year, 17 AHS graduates were recognized as Bronze Tablet honorees. This is the university’s highest honor for graduates, reserved for the top 3% of academic achievers from each college’s graduating class.
Here are the AHS representatives—from all five of our undergraduate degree programs—whose names will be displayed on a bronze tablet in the university’s Main Library:
- Audrey Arlis, speech and hearing science
- Christopher Atadero, interdisciplinary health sciences
- Brian Becker, recreation, sport and tourism
- Sarah Blyskal, community health
- Lydia Burger, kinesiology
- Nicole Dudek, recreation, sport and tourism
- Collin Janusz, kinesiology
- Estelle Jones, speech and hearing science
- Brielle Mapanao, kinesiology
- Katherine Naveja, kinesiology
- Dorothy Nguyen, recreation, sport and tourism
- Stacy Pontikes, speech and hearing scinece
- Forrest Benjamin Reyes, recreation, sport and tourism
- Karla Rodriguez, speech and hearing science
- Farris Sweid, interdisciplinary health sciences
- Nicole Zagone, community health
- Ella Zick, interdisciplinary health sciences
Last semester, 490 graduates obtained a bachelor’s degree from the College of Applied Health Sciences.
In all, Illinois recognized 9,005 Dean’s List students and 387 Bronze Tablet honorees for the spring 2026 semester, and awarded more than 12,174 degrees and certificates.
Editor’s note:
To reach Ethan Simmons, email ecsimmon@illinois.edu.
Share on social
