Theatre Senior Award Winners
Margot Gaughan, senior in Theatre
Theatre Program Senior Award Winners
Outstanding Senior in Theatre: Margot Gaughan
Awarded by a vote of the staff and faculty of the Department of Theatre and Dance, the Outstanding Senior Award is give to a senior who has achieved consistent academic success, demonstrated commitment to their major, has engaged in the community through extracurricular activities and/or employment opportunities, and who is a clear leader in the community of students in the Department.
This year's award winner, Margaret Gaughan, more affectionately known as Margot, grew up in Fort Wayne, Indiana as the youngest of five. The only girl out of her siblings, she had plenty of time to build up a strong resolve and discover how to fight for what she wants. She got involved in community theatre in third grade and that passion for theatre has only grown since. She came to Purdue as a Theatre Major and worked on most projects she could get her hands on. She began by doing Wardrobe Crew for the first two shows of the season, then Assistant Designed Costumes for Twelfth Night in 2022. Right after that she got cast and performed as Bradley in Men on Boats.
Since that first year, she's worked on all the shows of each season as an actor, PA, and Wardrobe Supervisor. She's expanded her studies to Classical Studies and Art History to expand her knowledge of art and how Theatre has intersected across time. In her Senior Year she acted in Frankenstein as Margaret and in Midsummer as Starveling, Warbrobe Supervised Gloria, and was the Costume Designer for the workshop of The 13th of Paris. In addition to all the Purdue Theatre, she was the President of Purdue's APO Chapter where they saw a successful year and expanded the club exponentially. She's discovered joy in all aspects of theatre and plans to pursue a career in costumes.
Dorothy Runk Mennen Scholarship: Elizabeth Zerfas
Created to honor the spirit of Dorothy Runk Mennen, who had given much of her professional life to the theatre at Purdue University. Her academic work emphasized the importance of speech and voice in the theatre curriculum at Purdue and throughout higher education. Recognizing her impact beyond academics, this scholarship celebrates her unwavering enthusiasm and steadfast encouragement of students to pursue their dreams.
This scholarship is voted on by the staff and faculty of the Theatre and Dance Department to award a junior or senior who has made outstanding artistic or craft contributions during their years of studying theatre at Purdue and who provides notable support and encouragement to their fellow students. This scholarship honors and rewards their unique journey as a student and artist.
The awardee of this scholarship in April 2025, Elizabeth Zerfas, grew up in Elkhart, Indiana where she has lived her whole life. At Purdue, she started in Exploratory Studies but quickly found her place within the Theatre and Dance Department. She has acted in three main stage productions; she has also helped in lighting, scenic, and managing productions through classes. She is proud to be the 2025-2026 President of our chapter of Alpha Psi Omega. She says that her future is full of endless possibilities, hopefully within the world of theatre/live entertainment, and that she plans to go back to school to get her MFA in theatre and become a professor at a university.
Robert and Lillian Stewart Prize: Maddie O'Neal
The Robert and Lillian Stewart Prize is awarded annually to a graduating senior in recognition of sustained contributions to theatre at Purdue. The awardee is selected by a vote by the staff and faculty of the Department of Theatre and Dance.
Maddie is from Southern Indiana and grew up in a small town outside of the Evansville, IN area. Throughout her time at Purdue, she was part of many Purdue Theatre and Dance productions such as PCDC Dance Works, Dead Man’s Cell Phone, and most recently A Midsummers Night’s Dream; over the past few years, she has also been a student employee in the audio recording studio. Outside of Purdue Theatre she was heavily involved with the student organization, Live Events and Productions at Purdue (LEAP), giving students real world experiences in audio, lighting, and video in live entertainment. After graduation, she plans to move back to Southern Indiana as she have accepted a seasonal job offer with Holiday World & Splashin' Safari as an A1.
Excellence in Graduate Teaching (Fall 2024): Tatyanna Rodriguez
Tatyanna is from Magnolia, Texas, about an hour north of Houston. She is currently pursuing an MFA in Theatre with a focus in Light Design. After she graduates from Purdue, she hopes to pursue my PhD in Theatre History and Criticism in England. Eventually, she would like to teach at a small to medium sized university, with an emphasis in encouraging students to blend dramaturgy and research into their visual storytelling. Previously, she has taught Introduction to Light Design and Technology and was the secondary leader on the London Contemporary Theatre and Design Experience study abroad.
Excellence in Graduate Teaching (Spring 2024): Emily Rosolowski
Emily Rosolowski is a costume design graduate student in the Department of Theatre and Dance. She received her BFA in Design from Michigan State University. Emily was recently the costume designer for the department's production of A Midsummer Night's Dream and has taught Introduction to Costume Design and Technology. She is thankful for the opportunity to teach at Purdue and is excited to be one step closer to fulfilling her goal of becoming a professor of costume design.
