Best & Brightest

• Laurel A. Hague of Des Plaines was named to the fall 2007 dean's list at Northern Michigan University, Marquette, for having a 4.00 grade point average.

• Brennen W. Busse and Rebecca K. Jarosch, both of Elk Grove Village, Valerie L. Brunton, and Michael D. Jensen, both of Des Plaines, and Michael P. Storey, Mount Prospect, were named to the fall 2007 dean's list at Northern Michigan University, Marquette.

• Ryan R. Brady of Prospect Heights, a student in the Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences at Northwestern University, Evanston, was named to the fall 2007-08 dean's list.

• Robert M. Hozian, son of John and Donna Hozian of Elk Grove Village, was named to the fall 2007 dean's list at Wheaton College. Hozian is a sophomore pursuing a double major in economics and political science. He also competes on the Wheaton Thunder Swim Team.

• Natalie Ora Forney, daughter of James and Janine Forney of Des Plaines, was named to the fall 2007 dean's list in the College of Arts, Sciences and Engineering at the University of Rochester in New York. She is a junior majoring in psychology and religious studies, and a graduate of Maine West High School.

• Nicholas Stuberg, son of Sue and Bill Stuberg of Elk Grove Village, was named to the 2007 fall dean's list at Illinois Wesleyan University, Bloomington, where he is majoring in French. He is a 2007 graduate of Elk Grove High School.

• Ashley Grochocinski, daughter of Thomas and Robin Grochocinski of Des Plaines made the dean's list at DePaul University, Chicago.

• David Specha of Elk Grove Village, a student at Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, was named to the fall 2007 dean's list.

• Eileen Hallagan and Colleen Smith, both of Des Plaines, and Molly Meyer, Elk Grove Village, were named to fall 2007-08 dean's list at the University of Dayton in Ohio.

• Armando Gomez of Mount Prospect, a student pursuing a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering at Kettering University in Flint, Mich., made the fall 2007 dean's list.

• Patricia Rose Blecha of Park Ridge was named to the College of Arts & Sciences fall 2007 dean's list at Washington University, St. Louis, Mo. She is a graduate of Loyola Academy, Wilmette.

• Colleen Grace Smith of Des Plaines, a freshman majoring in education at Drake University, Des Moines, Iowa, made the 2007 fall dean's honor list. She was also invited to be a member of the Alpha Delta Lambda National Honor Society. Smith is a 2007 graduate of Maine West High School.

• Blaise Grace Chapman of Mount Prospect graduated from the evening campus of Columbia (Mo.) College after the fall 2007 semester. She received a bachelor's degree in business administration with a major in international business.

• The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater announced the following students were named to the dean's list for the fall 2007 semester:

Des Plaines: Kelly S. Butz, junior, art, Maine West High School graduate; Adam S. Cumbee, freshman, journalism, Maine West High School graduate; and Kelly E. Jankowski, junior, elementary education, Maine West High School graduate.

Elk Grove Village: Kathryn R. Cosentino, Junior, physical education, J.B. Conant High School graduate.

Mount Prospect: Glenn E. Anderson, sophomore/elementary education, Prospect High School graduate; Scott A. Argentine, freshman, pre-business, Prospect High School graduate; Kelsey A. Johansson, sophomore, early childhood education, Prospect High School graduate; Tianne C. Kelly, freshman, special education, Prospect High School graduate; and Steve L. Sokolik, senior, biology, Prospect High School graduate.

• Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wis., announced the following students graduated with bachelor's degrees on Dec. 16, 2007.

Des Plaines: Sara Ataee, psychology; and Allison Bagley, psychology.

Elk Grove Village: Charles Showalter, accounting; and Lauren Weber, exercise science.

Mount Prospect: Mary Chapman, anthroplogy; Kerri Chen, accounting; Daniel Maslanka, teaching broad field science; Chelsea Rebecca, communication studies; and Alexandria Stasiak, nursing.

• Peter Schwich, son of Daniel and Kathie Schwich of Park Ridge, received his bachelor's degree in history and graduated summa cum laude in December 2007 from Vaparaiso University in Indiana. Schwich was a member of Christ College, the university's honors college, and graduated with the highest honor of Christ College Scholar. He is a Maine South High School South graduate.

• Illinois Wesleyan University in Bloomington named the following students to the fall 2007-08 dean's list.

Des Plaines: Lauren Booth, Jaimie Clapp, Melanie Essayans, Michelle Milham, Paul Oehrlein and Monica Piotrowski.

Elk Grove Village: Jenny Dahm, Andrew Dorkin, Jenni Koska, Kari Monegato, Nick Stuberg, Kendall Tasche, and Lindsay Tasche.

Mount Prospect: Scott Black, Susan Blunck, Frankie Gorg III, Katie Hoff, Renee Pierce, Henry Szott, Christine Szukalla and Katie Winkler.

Park Ridge: Christin Coffey, Meaghan Collins, Kathleen Conway, Grace Hollander, Christie Hybiak, Ashley Jaconetti, Kristi Katz, Erin Murray, Julie Pflaumer, Amanda Swanson, Morgan Tarbutton, Bobby Tazioli, Christy Verhelst, Kelsey Wechter and Krystyna Zwolinski.

Prospect Heights: Nikki Preston.

• Suzanne Rovani, a graduate of Hersey High School from Mount Prospect, was selected as one of five winners of Illinois Wesleyan University's annual Henry Charles Memorial Concerto/Aria Competition in Bloomington. Rovani, a junior majoring in voice, performed "O, Mio Fernando" by Gaetano Donizetti as a featured voice soloist in the Illinois Wesleyan Civic Orchestra Concerto/Aria Concert on Feb. 22.

• Kaitlin Coogan of Des Plaines, a student in the College of Culinary Arts of Johnson & Wales University, Providence, R.I., was named to the 2007 fall dean's list.

• Caroline Magnuson of Park Ridge, a student in the College of Culinary Arts of Johnson & Wales University, Providence, R.I., was named to the 2007 fall dean's list.

• Aaron Burk of Mount Prospect received a Presidential Scholarship to attend Luther College in Decorah, Iowa, for the 2008-09 academic year.

Iowa State University in Ames named the following students to the 2007 fall dean's list:

Des Plaines: Nahiyan Mk Ali, electrical engineering, College of Engineering, (senior); Kevin Michael Friedman, food science (H SCI), College of Human Sciences, (junior); and Maccary Mina Laban, community and regional planning, College of Design, (junior).

Elk Grove Village: Nicole Becka Duffy, elementary education, College of Human Sciences, (senior); Daniel James Jason, computer engineering, College of Engineering, (sophomore); David William Klassman, aerospace engineering, College of Engineering, (freshman); and Teresa Ann Rizzo, sociology (LAS), College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, (sophomore).

Mount Prospect: Anthony Charles Savio, aerospace engineering, College of Engineering, (sophomore); Kimberly Ann Unger, agriculture specials, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, (graduate school); and Lynn Marie Wolf, chemical engineering, College of Engineering, (senior).

• Teodora Teodora Frunza, Des Plaines, and Jaclyn Rachel Ford, Elk Grove Village, were named to the fall 2007 dean's list at St. Norbert College, DePere, Wis.