Newcomb-Tulane College honors cream of the crop

Newcomb-Tulane College announced 15 graduating seniors as members of the William Wallace Peery Society at the Senior Awards Ceremony on May 19.

Established in 1964, the society recognizes extraordinary students who have earned among the highest cumulative grade-point averages over the course of their undergraduate careers while also standing out academically through their honors theses or other projects.

The 2017 Peery Society honorees included Marie Annelise Blanchard, Alyssa Cruse, Madeline Goebel, Linhui “Alicia” He, Robert Kellner, Kathy Le, Ruoxi “Rosie” Li, Xiayue “John Paul” Li, Rose Robinson, Ian Rohr, Nathan Sanders, Kidd Duhe Solomon, Marshall Wadleigh, Annika White and Maggie Zhang.

“At Tulane, I was given the freedom to challenge myself within a variety of disciplines and constantly felt supported by the faculty.”

— Xiayue “John Paul” Li, 2017 recipient of the William Wallace Peery Medal for Academic Excellence

The night’s top honor, the William Wallace Peery Medal for Academic Excellence, went to John Paul Li, who graduated with a bachelor of science degree in physics and mathematics and a bachelor of arts degree in English.

The medal is Newcomb-Tulane College’s most prestigious academic award and is decided by committee. The Peery medalist receives a $1,000 check.

“At Tulane, I was given the freedom to challenge myself within a variety of disciplines and constantly felt supported by the faculty,” said Li, who will start his new position as a software engineer with Google this August.

Originally from Shanghai, China, Li is also a classically trained vocalist and musician. He performed earlier in the evening at the music department’s graduating senior showcase.

“John Paul’s breadth and depth of learning are at a level I have not seen from another student at Tulane since I arrived here in 2005,” said Michael Joyce, professor of practice in mathematics. “He also has an impressive record of service.”