Best & brightest

• Northern Illinois University in DeKalb announced the following students were awarded bachelor's degrees at the May 12 commencement ceremonies.

Hawthorn Woods: Keith Andrew Dickert, art education; Michael P. Fournier, economics; and Brian Michael Rick, accountancy.

Island Lake: Jeanette C. Wagner, nursing.

Kildeer: Ryan Thomas Seeger, economics.

Lake Zurich: Chad Michael Fellenz, management; Aneta Talaga, sociology; and Tara Marie Wieber, sociology-criminology.

Libertyville: Brandon J. Borgman, engineering technology; Henry Tim Kao, marketing; Priyanka S. Shetty, organizational management; and Thomas Andrew Welsh, management.

Lincolnshire: Patrick J. Reichel, kinesiology-athletic training.

Mundelein: Ashley M. Beringer, elementary education; Rebecca M. Culbertson, psychology; Joseph M. Greenwald, marketing; Danielle Marthinsen, elementary education; and Jeremy Wayne Zimdars, meteorology.

Vernon Hills: Ruben Morales, electrical engineering.

• Allison L. Fisher of Wadsworth was named to the dean's list for the 2007 spring semester at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities campus, for achieving a grade point average of 3.66 or higher.

• Hannah Marie Huckstadt of Grayslake, a freshman major in child development/early childhood education in the College of Education and Human Sciences at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln, was named to the deans' list/honor roll for the spring 2006-07 semester.

• Caitlin M. Orenchak of Gurnee was named to the dean's list for the 2007 spring semester at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities campus, for achieving a grade point average of 3.66 or higher.