Dr. Sigrid Luther, professor of music at Bryan College, was installed as vice president of the Music Teachers National Association during the association's conference in Atlanta recently.

During her 30 years of membership in the association, Dr. Luther has held many local, state and division positions.

At the national level, she has served on the board of directors, chaired the Code of Ethics Revision Committee, was named an MTNA Foundation Fellow, and is national coordinator for the high school competitions.

Dr. Luther developed the piano pedagogy major at Bryan College; organized and advises the Chattanooga Area Collegiate Chapter of MTNA; and founded the Bryan College Community Music School.

She has received outstanding teaching awards from Bryan College, the Tennessee Governor's School for the Arts, the Chattanooga Music Teachers Association and the Tennessee MTA.

She said her goal is to develop a manual for MTNA national performance competition coordinators during her vice presidency.

Knauss receives Baylor awards

Travis Knauss, son of Mr. and Mrs. Tracy Knauss, received multiple year-end awards at Baylor School.

The student won awards for academics, art and language and was inducted into the Cum Laude Society. The national board governing the Advanced Placement courses in high schools selected his artwork to display in its offices in Atlanta.

Jim Stover, associate head for academic affairs, presented the Faculty Special Commendation Award to Travis during Upper School Awards Day. The Faculty Commendation Award is awarded by a vote of the faculty to a senior who deserves special commendation, according to a Baylor news release. At Baylor, the student was a member of Verve Dance Ensemble, the Baylor Players, fencer, a member of the National Honor Society and a National Merit Commended Scholar.

Honors for GPS alumnae

* Kathleen Ellison, an alumna of Girls Preparatory School, was selected a Phillips Ambassador for study in Asia through the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Miss Ellison, an international studies major, will study in India this summer. She joins 21 other undergraduates who will study abroad in China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Singapore and Thailand. She was the only student from Tennessee selected.

In accepting the scholarship, students agree to publish a piece about their studies in Asia for a campus or hometown publication. They also give an outreach presentation about their experiences in Asia to a school in their hometown.

* Meredith Sellers of Cleveland, Tenn., was a recipient of the Founder's Medal for the College of Arts and Sciences at Vanderbilt University's commencement ceremony. The medal is given for first honors in each graduating class.

A 2005 graduate of Girls Preparatory School, she attended Vanderbilt on a Harold Stirling Vanderbilt scholarship. While there, she studied ancient diseases and characterized the effect of a new molecule (Asef II) on migration in cancer cells. She also completed independent study on the effect of disease on individuals and societies and the role of disease in cultural history.

Miss Sellers is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Benton Sellers. She is a member of Alpha Lambda Delta and Phi Eta Sigma honor societies and qualified for Phi Beta Kappa. She was accepted to Vanderbilt's School of Medicine as a sophomore through a competitive early acceptance program.

Casey places in theater contest

Holly Casey, a student of Suzanne Smartt and Catherine Bolden at Girls Preparatory School, placed as a semifinalist at the English-Speaking Union National Shakespeare Competition in New York City.

Miss Casey competed with 59 winners of ESU branch competitions. Boston regional representative, Talene Monahon, won first prize. Addison Hamilton of Atlanta was second.

Regional winners were treated to three days of activities, including a performance of "Waiting for Godot," an acting workshop at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts and tours of New York City.

Baylor names Cum Laude members

In recognition of their outstanding scholastic achievement, 38 Baylor seniors and five juniors were honored as new members of Baylor's Cum Laude Society during the school's Awards Day ceremony.

This year's honorees from the class of 2009 were Taylor Ashton, Mary Adams Bode, Mary Boyles, Elin Bunch, Bess Carter, Whit Chesnutt, Jon Diamond, Chase Eager, Kyle Elliott, Clay Hall, Dylan Haskew, Caroline Hensley, Annie Jonakin, Lucas Kaelin, Alex Kirkpatrick and Travis Knauss.

Also, Kate Lynch, Mark Mahvi, Bryan McMahon, Katie McShan, Laurie Millener, David Miller, Brindley Mitchell, Brett Murray, Melody Oliphant, Audrey Owens, Tyler Pazera, Stephen Powers, Caroline Prebul, Katie Reeves, Greg Roop, Alex Ruffner, Zac Seidel, Matthew Smith, Cat Spratt, Christine Waite, Katy Wilson and Beth Young.

Juniors tapped for induction were Bryan Epps, Grace Park, Avery Pettway, Leah Schulson and Doreen Xu.

Smithers inducted into Air Society

Nathan H. W. Smithers, son of Alvin and Konnie Smithers of Flintstone, Ga., was recently initiated into the Roger E. Kindig Squadron of the Arnold Air Society.

He also was given the Honor Cadet Award for superior performance.

Mr. Smithers is a junior at the University of Georgia, majoring in international affairs.