Two University of Iowa College of Engineering students received some of the University of Iowa's highest honors Tuesday, May 5, at the 98th anniversary of the Finkbine Dinner for Representative Student Leaders.

Allison Kindig received the Hancher-Finkbine Undergraduate Student Medalion.  Kindig is a senior majoring in industrial engineering and minoring in business

administration from Cedar Rapids, Iowa. As the top-ranked student in the UI College of Engineering, Kindig is a committed and motivated student. She has studied abroad extensively during her time at Iowa including experiences in India (freshman year) and England (junior year) as well as conducting multidisciplinary research in Cameroon her sophomore year and again in India her senior year. Her leadership skills served her well in Cameroon, where she led a research mission to demonstrate solar cookers in remote villages, in an effort to reduce deforestation in the Aravalli Range.

For the past four years, Kindig has worked with the Honors Living Learning Community as a resident assistant and has mentored nearly 250 students during their time in Daum Hall. She has represented the College of Engineering as a Student Ambassador, served as Conference Chair of the Society of Women Engineers, and served as the Vice President of the Tau Beta Pi engineering honor society.

Kindig was selected 2014 UI Homecoming Queen, and has participated as an undergraduate researcher since 2012.

Courtney Paulsen, from Lakeville, Minnesota,  received the Undergraduate Distinguished Student Leader Certificate.  Paulsen is a senior double major in industrial engineering and dance with a minor in business administration.

Last fall, Paulsen was selected to represent dance on an advisory committee to form the NEXUS of Engineering and Art at the UI. She has played a formative role in this exciting initiative, which will create new collaborations among engineering and art students. She has also participated in the local chapter of the Institute of Industrial Engineers, serving as president as a sophomore and as the executive director of the board for two years. During her presidency, she led many initiatives focused on gaining new members and providing more opportunities for students. As the executive director of the board, Paulsen led a long term planning process to strengthen and clarify goals for the organization and collaborated with the Engineering Student Council to create a new Engineering Week Olympics event.

Paulsen has also served as an engineering peer advisor, an engineering student ambassador, a leader and a captain for On Iowa!, and the vice president of the undergraduate dance organization.