MONROE, LA – The ULM Honors Program held its annual Honors Banquet on Monday, May 5, 2025. During the banquet, the Honors Program recognized five students graduating with honors in the college, three students graduating with honors in the university, and two students who completed all undergraduate requirements and will enter ULM’s Pharmacy program.
Students graduating from honors in the college must complete 20 hours of honors coursework, complete independent honors research, and maintain a 3.4 GPA or higher.
Those five students graduating with Honors in the College were Shreya Adhikari (Lalitpur, Nepal - nursing), Lillian Anderson (Monroe, LA – modern languages), Beau Benoit (Benton, LA - toxicology), Sagar Karki (Kathmandu, Nepal – computer science), and Thanh Phan (Hanoi, Vietnam - risk management).
Students graduating from honors in the university must complete 22 hours of honors coursework, complete independent honors research, complete an honors capstone, and maintain a 3.5 GPA or higher.
Sabina Dahal, a biology major from Kathmandu, Nepal was recognized for her capstone, “Synthesis and Antiproliferative Activity Evaluation of Pyrazole-Stilbene Hybrids,” under the guidance of Dr. Siva Murru. Dahal will pursue a masters in biology from ULM.
Sumiksha Koirala, a mathematics major from Inaruwa, Nepal, was recognized for her thesis, “Generalizing the Problem of the Probability of First Claim Among Multiple Actuaries and Analyzing the Impact of Deductibles on Payout Variance in Comparison to Payout Mean,” under the guidance of Dr. Faisel Kaleem. Koirala will pursue a doctorate in mathematics after her internship with Capital Insurance Group in Reno, NV.
Subash Sapkota, a biology major from Kailali, Nepal, was recognized for his thesis, “Using Machine Learning to Quantify the Spread and Identification of Aquatic Species in a Water Body in Northeast Louisiana,” under the guidance of Dr. Joydeep Bhattacharjee.
Two students were recognized for completing the requirements for honors in the college and will enter the Pharmacy graduate program in the Fall. They were Henley Nguyen (Lafayette, LA) and Nicholas Soirez (Abbeville, LA).
The ULM Honors Program also recognized outstanding faculty and students. The Faculty of the Year Award went to Dr. Prasanthi Sreekumari, associate professor of computer science, in recognition for her exemplary record of guiding honors students through research.
The recipient for the Jordan Faith Bass Freshman of the Year Award was Brooke West, a pre-nursing major from Pioneer, LA; the Sophomores of the Year were Kelly Lohman, a biology student from Pineville, LA, and Gwen Abadie, a toxicology student from Lafayette, LA; the Junior of the Year was Nishu Shrestha, a computer science from Nepal, and the Senior of the Year was Sarah Charrier, a double major in political science and psychology from Monroe, LA.
The honors program also awards a student of the year. The Student of the Year Award is given to the student who best exemplifies the ideals of the ULM Honors Program through excellence in scholarship, high moral character, and outstanding service to the honors program and university. Beau Benoit, a senior toxicology student from Benton, LA, was the recipient.
“Each of these students has demonstrated not only academic excellence but also resilience, curiosity, and a commitment to meaningful research and service,” said Dr. Joshua Stockley, director of the ULM Honors Program. “Their achievements reflect the rigor of the Honors Program and the outstanding mentorship of our faculty. It’s been a true joy to watch these students grow – not just as scholars, but as people. They’ve poured their hearts into their academic journey, supported each other through personal and professional challenges, and brought so much life and leadership to our Honors and University community. I’m incredibly proud of who they are and excited to see the impact they’ll make in the world.”