Senior biology major wraps up decorated time at Lakeland
Lakeland University senior Livy Heling recently capped an accomplished Lakeland experience by being named the winner of the LU Outstanding Undergraduate Scholar Award.
It’s the latest in a long list of accolades for the biology major from West Bend, Wis., who will attend Medical College of Wisconsin this fall to pursue a Ph.D. in neuroscience.
The Undergraduate Scholar Award celebrates top undergraduate students who meet a rigorous grade point average requirement and have contributed to the advancement of knowledge for the public good through independent and group research, community education outreach or innovative experiential learning projects in their field of study.
Heling is a first-generation college student who not only conducted research at Lakeland but also spent a summer in the University of Madison’s Cellular and Molecular Biology of Stress Summer Research Program. The 10-week program only accepts 15-30 students yearly from a pool of approximately 350 applicants.
This year, she was one of seven finalists for LU’s Clarence H. Koehler Campus Senior Award, was named Ellen J. Kregel Athletic Award winner for the highest GPA for a student-athlete and named LU’s Outstanding Student in Biology.
Her junior year, she was one of just five fall sports athletes selected by the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference as an inaugural recipient of the NACC Faculty Athletics Representatives Award, which recognizes outstanding achievements and commitment in academic performance, contribution to athletics and service to the campus community. Only 10 individuals are recognized each academic year from among the thousands of NACC student-athletes in the 14-school conference.
Heling also served as co-president of Lakeland’s Biology Club and a member of the Math Club.
An accomplished tennis player at Lakeland, Heling is a three-time NACC Scholar-Athlete Award winner, was named 2022 NACC Freshman of the Year (the first Muskie to receive the conference’s top freshman award) and All-NACC in 2023.
