Four Receive Mathews Medal

The Alumni Association has honored four NC State students with the Mathews Medal, the highest nonacademic distinction awarded to students.

The award is named for Walter J. Mathews, the first student enrolled at NC State, then known as the North Carolina College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts, in 1889. After graduation, Mathews became a dedicated, devoted and involved alumnus. When the Alumni Association Student Ambassadors launched this special student recognition, they decided that Mathews embodied the ideals of the award. They also modeled the Mathews Medal after the Watauga Medal, an honor established by the NC State Board of Trustees and given annually at the Founders Day dinner to honor those who make significant contributions to the advancement of the university.

The medal is awarded to seniors who have made significant contributions based on leadership and service. This year’s winners are:

Lauren Caddick
From fashion design to theater to documentary production, Caddick brims with creative talent. Caddick, a Park Scholar, presented her own clothing collection in NC State’s Art2Wear fashion show before taking over the role of the show’s director last year. She retooled the show’s structure, “creating the most diverse and inclusive and collaborative Art2Wear in its 12-year history, says assistant professor Kathleen Rieder. With a passion for University Theater, Caddick has been scene designer, projection designer, assistant stage manager and actor. She also created a feature-length documentary, “Where the Winds of Dixie Blow,” for NC State’s music department. Because of her heavy involvement in the arts, Caddick was chosen as the student representative for ARTS NC STATE on the Student Centers Board of Directors and on the Friends of ARTS NC STATE Board of Advisors. Vice Provost Alex Miller says Caddick “has contributed immensely to the richness and diversity of cultural opportunities available at NC State and helped to shape the cultural canvas of our campus.”

Caroline Hensley
Coming to NC State as a junior, Hensley became the first transfer student ever admitted to the University Honors Program. With a passion for sustainability, Hensley began to create change almost the minute she stepped on campus. In nine months, she developed a Green Ambassadors program so that students could have a voice in sustainable practices. She led the movement to create a Sustainability Fund, including creating a board to ensure that it continues after she graduates. And Hensley helped establish a purchasing policy that prohibited campus paper purchases from companies involved in unethical deforestation practices. Last year, Hensley was named a Udall Scholar, one of only 50 students selected from a pool of 600. Tiffany Kershner, coordinator for distinguished scholarships and fellowships, says Hensley “has an amazing ability to organize at the grassroots level and to communicate complex economic and energy proposals to the student population.”

Russel W. Mau
Mau, a Park Scholar, served as a 2013 co-chair of the Krispy Kreme Challenge, attracting more than 8,000 runners and raising $184,000 for the North Carolina Children’s Hospital. Named the “Leader of the Pack” in 2012, Mau has served as a chancellor’s aide and student senator, chairing the Student Senate Tuition and Fees Committee. As the leader of this committee, Mau was able to craft and shepherd a set of student fee recommendations endorsed by the Student Senate and accepted by the University Committee with no modifications. In the spring of 2014, Mau was elected student body president. Vice Chancellor Mike Mullen says Mau is “an exceptional student with a passion for improving the university and enhancing the student experience through effective student leadership.” Mau has accomplished all of this while completing his BS in economics and simultaneously pursuing his master’s degree.

Alycia McLamb
For McLamb, leadership and service come naturally. McLamb has been an active member of the Future Farmers of America since high school, honing her leadership, communication and teamwork skills. As a freshman at NC State, she became vice-president of North Carolina FFA and spent a year developing and delivering leadership workshops and motivational speeches to more than 10,000 members statewide. In the same year, McLamb became a founding member of NC State’s chapter of Kappa Delta sorority. She served as the first chapter secretary and then its vice president of operations, providing leadership training for the chapter’s officers. In other campus activities, McLamb served on the Student Centers Board of Directors and as a member of the Agriculture Education Club, the General Shelton Leadership Scholar Program and the NCSU Teaching Fellows. As an Alumni Association Student Ambassador, McLamb managed the 2013 Homecoming Entertainment Committee. Academic Advisor Mindy Sopher and faculty member Jackie Bruce “attest to the skills, character, intellect, leadership, grace and humility embodied in Alycia McLamb.”