Brett Buckner has been named Lee University’s 2016 recipient of the Charles Paul Conn Award. Buckner was recognized by Lee President Dr. Paul Conn for this achievement during Honors Chapel on Tuesday, April 12.

This award is given to a Lee senior who demonstrates the greatest promise of achievement in graduate or professional studies after graduating from Lee. Established in 1996, it is named after Lee’s 16th president. Each department may nominate one student for the award. From these nominees, a winner is selected by a faculty vote.

“It is quite an honor to receive this award,” said Buckner. “I am simultaneously humbled and excited by this recognition and am immensely thankful to all who have helped me grow into the mathematician and academic I am becoming, especially the faculty in the Natural Sciences and Mathematics Department.”

During his time at Lee, Buckner has excelled academically, achieving a 4.0 in mathematics while being a Kairos Scholar and mentor for the iMass scholars in the Department of Natural Sciences and Mathematics.

Buckner received a Center for Undergraduate Research in Mathematics scholarship and spent a year researching with Dr. Debra Mimbs, an assistant professor of mathematics at Lee. This culminated in research presentations at multiple conferences. He also spent a summer in California researching at a National Science Foundation-funded research experience for undergraduates. He also won a national award from the Mathematical Association of America for his History of Mathematics paper.

On campus, Buckner has participated in Big Pal Little Pal, Alpha Chi National Honor Society, and Mathematics Day for Underprivileged Students. He was also vice president of recruitment for the Kairos Scholars Honors Program and vice president of Kappa Mu Epsilon.

“It is as though he operates at our [faculty] level,” said Dr. David Pigg, assistant professor of physics. “We have no doubt that Brett is one of the most talented students our department has seen in years.”

After being accepted into graduate programs at Marquette University, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Tufts University, the University of Iowa, the University of Nebraska at Lincoln, and the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, Buckner has decided to attend the doctorate program at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute this coming fall, where he has been offered full tuition and a stipend.