Adnew Selected as COPLAC Winner
Ruhama Adnew, a senior business administration major, has been selected as the recipient of the Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges (COPLAC) 2026 David J. Prior Award for Students.
The award was established in 2012 to recognize senior-level undergraduates whose academic careers and future goals have been shaped by the transformative power of the liberal arts and sciences experience at a COPLAC institution.
Adnew’s winning essay, “Liberal Arts, Data, and Public Life,” reflected on how a public liberal arts education transformed her perspective from a narrow focus on earning a business degree to a broader commitment to using data and management skills for community impact. Her full essay will be made available at coplac.org/awards.
“I was born and raised in Ethiopia, and my background has shaped how I see education, opportunity and community,” Adnew said. “Coming to college in the United States has taught me to adapt, work hard and stay open to different ways of thinking. My interest in business and analytics comes from wanting to understand how people make decisions and how data can be used to solve real problems.”
The award was established in 2012 to recognize senior-level undergraduates whose academic careers and future goals have been shaped by the transformative power of the liberal arts and sciences experience at a COPLAC institution.
Adnew’s winning essay, “Liberal Arts, Data, and Public Life,” reflected on how a public liberal arts education transformed her perspective from a narrow focus on earning a business degree to a broader commitment to using data and management skills for community impact. Her full essay will be made available at coplac.org/awards.
“I was born and raised in Ethiopia, and my background has shaped how I see education, opportunity and community,” Adnew said. “Coming to college in the United States has taught me to adapt, work hard and stay open to different ways of thinking. My interest in business and analytics comes from wanting to understand how people make decisions and how data can be used to solve real problems.”
