Illinois State University
06/26/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 06/26/2026 12:54
Illinois State University announces 2026-27 Robert G. Bone Scholars
Illinois State University is proud to announce that 14 students were selected as Robert G. Bone Scholars for the 2026-27 school year.
The Bone Scholarship, the highest university-wide honor given to undergraduate students, includes a monetary award from the Bone Scholarship endowment. Recipients of the award will be featured in a display at the Bone Student Center. The 14 new scholars will be introduced during a reception in the fall semester of 2026.
The scholarship is named in honor of the late Robert G. Bone, president of Illinois State University from 1956 to 1967. Bone Scholars are selected through a rigorous campuswide competition based on their scholarly achievements and their engagement and leadership in activities in the University community and beyond. Invited finalists submit a comprehensive portfolio including several essays and statements, an academic product, and letters of recommendation. The mean grade point average of this year's Bone Scholars is 3.93 on a 4.0 scale.
The selection committee consisted of Andrew Rummel, Dr. Elke Altenberger, Dr. Judy Neubrander, Dr. Melinda Snodgrass, Dr. Nathan Hartman, Dr. Timothy Harris of the Illinois State faculty; current Bone Scholar Kruz Barerra; Foundation Association representative Greg Ayers; and Alumni Association representative Marcos Hernandez.
Honorees, their hometown, and their major(s) include:
Rylee Bobo
of Dekalb-Psychology
Chloe Breckle
of Millstadt-Nursing
Claire Campbell
of Towanda, Ill-Physics
Kennedy Carico
of Rantoul-Music Therapy; Vocal Performance
Bailey Center
of Pekin-Molecular & Cellular Biology
Annie Czirjak
of Peoria-Special Education: Deaf and Hard of Hearing
Paul Emmert
of Yorkville-Molecular and Cellular Biology
Lily Frobish
of Buffalo Grove-Mathematics
Neer Jain
of Vernon Hills-Computer Science
Isabel Kusiolek
of Huntley-Legal Studies-Language Integration; Spanish
Steel Martin
of Morton-Accounting
Caleb Ortman
of Peoria-Geology
Ava Watson
of Dublin, Ohio-Biology
AJ Westley
of Washington, Illinois-Studio Art; Art History
Illinois State University published this content on June 26, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on June 26, 2026 at 18:54 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]