The Department of Religious Studies at Michigan State University celebrated undergraduate excellence at its 2026 Undergraduate Research Symposium and Awards Ceremony on April 17, recognizing students whose academic achievements and community commitments reflect the department’s core values.
Three students — Alliah Woodside, Emma Wilkins, and Avery Riehl — were each presented with awards at the event for their outstanding achievements. In addition to the awards ceremony, four students were inducted into Theta Alpha Kappa, the National Religious Studies Honor Society.
“While the symposium highlights outstanding research, our student award winners remind us of the lasting impact of that work beyond the classroom,” said Morgan Shipley, Associate Professor and Foglio Endowed Chair in Spirituality in the Department of Religious Studies. “Their accomplishments speak not only to their own dedication, but exemplify the very best of what we hope to cultivate in Religious Studies: intellectual excellence, a deep curiosity about the world, and a commitment to applying their education in ways that engage and transform the broader community.”
Alliah Woodside
Alliah Woodside received both the Robert T. Anderson Award and the Nick Rashford and Jake Foglio All-University Award for Excellence.
The Robert T. Anderson Award honors the graduating Religious Studies senior who has achieved the highest grade point average. The award is named after a former professor and chair of the Department of Religious Studies.
The Nick Rashford and Jake Foglio All-University Award for Excellence was created to acknowledge the accomplishments of exceptional students. The award is intended to enhance the academic credentials of deserving students who may eventually seek admission to graduate education.
Woodside, a Religious Studies major, is graduating in Spring 2026 and plans to continue her education at Arizona State University, where she will pursue a degree in Mechanical Engineering.
“The Religious Studies Department is truly my favorite thing about MSU,” she said. “Every single person I’ve come across has been so incredibly kind, supportive, passionate, and genuinely shows that they enjoy what they do and care about both the student academically and their wellbeing.”
Emma Wilkins
Emma Wilkins received the Bob Pettapiece Religion and Criminal Justice Award, which recognizes undergraduate students who have an interest in both religious studies and criminal justice. The award was given by Dr. Bob Pettapiece, an MSU alum who studied humanities and religion at Michigan State from 1959 to 1967 who incorporated religious perspectives into his teaching career.
Wilkins is majoring in Comparative Cultures and Politics in James Madison College with a minor in Religious Studies in the College of Arts & Letters. She is graduating in Spring 2026 and plans to pursue a career in public service.
“Receiving this award means a lot to me because it reflects the work I’ve put into my studies and my passion for understanding how religion and politics shape the world around us,” Wilkins said. “My time in the Religious Studies Department has pushed me to think more critically and has helped prepare me for my future goals in public service.”
Avery Riehl
Avery Riehl received the Engaged Scholar Award, which recognizes the Religious Studies undergraduate student who best represents the ideal of the engaged scholar and whose aspirations reflect a commitment to serving the wider community.
Riehl, who plans to graduate in 2029, is double majoring in Politics, Rights, and Cultures in James Madison College and Nonprofit Leadership, Religion and Social Change, a new B.A. degree offered by the Department of Religious Studies. She also is pursuing a minor in Muslim Studies and a certificate in Social Work with Global Populations.
Riehl hopes to attend law school after graduation and ultimately work in immigration law, focusing on refugees.
“In my religious studies classes, I am learning about so much more than theology,” Riehl said. “My favorite class I’ve taken is REL 305 Spirituality and Peace. We explore both the relationship between religion and violence, and the relationship between religion, spirituality, and peacebuilding efforts — and applying those theories to international case studies allows me to explore international conflict and religion in a new way.”
Honor Society Induction
During the Department of Religious Studies 2026 Undergraduate Research Symposium and Awards Ceremony, the following four students were inducted into Theta Alpha Kappa, the National Religious Studies Honor Society:
- Alex McAuliffe
- Avery Riehl
- Lucy Van Hof
- Alliah Woodside
During the honor society induction, the Theta Alpha Kappa Undergraduate Achievement Award was presented, which went to Lucy Van Hof, who is majoring in Religious Studies. The student chosen for this award is selected by the local chapter representative. Selection criteria focuses on overall academic excellence, chapter leadership, and outstanding public service, with the encouragement toward continued excellence.
Student Research Presentations
Each year, exceptional undergraduates from across Michigan are invited to present their research at the Religious Studies Undergraduate Research Symposium. This year, the presentations and Q&As showcased the breadth and depth of undergraduate scholarship in religious studies.
“I’m deeply impressed by the rigorous research undertaken by the students,” said Amy DeRogatis, Chair of the Department of Religious Studies. “They chose topics related to their own interests, pursued distinctive and challenging research, brought new insights and discoveries to their fields of inquiry, and demonstrated incredible joy and confidence in mastery over their scholarship. I am proud of their accomplishments.”
The following students presented their research during the 16th annual symposium:
Reagan Woods (Kalamazoo College) – “Christian Disaffiliation and Political Polarization: The Deeper Story We Don’t Talk About”
Alliah Woodside (MSU) – “’Heaven as Hope or Control:’ Psychological Impacts of Afterlife Beliefs on Coping with Mortality and Loss”
Donovan Morrison (MSU) – “Ambedkar, Black Buddhism, and the Radical Tradition”
Dahlia Biesiada-Keli’ikuli (Central Michigan University) – “What is God” How an Anthropological Debate Becomes a Debate About Anthropology”
Connor Croft (MSU)– “Ballots and Beliefs: the Politics of Jewish America”
Brenden Miller (MSU) – “Beyond ‘Seven of Thirteen’: Testing the Modern Consensus on Pauline Authorship”
Poovapat Theamjanya (MSU) – “The Kalacakra Initiation as a Public Tantric Rite”
By Austin Curtis and Kim Popiolek
