Ian Buhman-Wiggs, a senior at Maur-Hill-Mount Academy in Atchison, Kansas, is the winner of the Dorothy and Bill Cohen Honors College 2016 Lenora N. McGregor Endowed Scholarship at Wichita State University.

The Lenora McGregor Endowed Scholarship awards up to $26,000 over four years to an incoming freshman student who has demonstrated academic excellence in the past, has an academic vision for the future and who expresses an interest in advancing knowledge through individual learning.

Buhman-Wiggs, son of Adam and Anita Buhman-Wiggs, plans to major in aerospace engineering. He hopes to explore intersections of scientific knowledge and historical understanding in his course work at WSU.

He has been active in engineering competitions and forensics in high school. In addition to maintaining a strong academic record, he has represented Maur-Hill-Mount Academy creatively and competitively as the technical director for the school musical this past fall and as a varsity player and leading scorer on the Scholars' Bowl team the past four years.

He has volunteered at the local community theater for the past five years. Working with youth has proven to be an incredible experience for Buhman-Wiggs, who believes mentorship can contribute significantly to an individual’s confidence and growth.

After graduating, he plans to earn a master’s in aerospace engineering, before either continuing on to doctoral studies or a career in the industry.

"I am excited to spend the next four years of my life with a group of people, across disciplines, who are devoted to academic excellence,” he says.

McGregor Scholarship background

McGregor Scholars agree to maintain active membership in WSU’s Dorothy and Bill Cohen Honors College.

The Cohen Honors College, located in the new Shocker Hall residence hall, continues the tradition of academic rigor and faculty mentorship that began in 1957 when WSU created one of the first honors programs in the country.

To be admitted to the Cohen Honors College, a student must have a minimum 3.7 high school GPA or 27 ACT score or a 3.5 college GPA.