West Point Cadet Named Knight-Hennessy Scholar

WEST POINT, N.Y. – Stanford University recently announced that Cadet Anna Tovkach has been selected as a Knight-Hennessy Scholar, allowing for continued graduate study at Stanford University following graduation and commissioning on May 21.

“The United States Military Academy and Knight-Hennessy Scholarship are both focused on building impactful leaders of character,” said U.S. Military Academy Dean of the Academic Board Brig. Gen. Shane Reeves. “Our cadets continue to receive great recognition, which is an acknowledgment of the accomplishments and commitment of our cadets and faculty. We are proud of Anna’s selection into the newest cohort, where she will have the opportunity to connect with visionary, purposeful, and civic-minded leaders from across the world!”

About the Scholar

Cadet Anna Tovkach, Class of 2022, is an environmental engineering major from Gainesville, Fla. As the deputy brigade commander of the Corps of Cadets, Tovkach leads initiatives to develop cadets in their academics, honor, well-being, and athletics. She is the captain of the NCAA D1 Track and Field Team, holds seven school records in the middle-distance events and was named the 2021 Patriot League Outdoor Track Scholar Athlete of the Year. Tovkach has earned the Recondo Award for Military Excellence, multiple Superintendent’s Award for Excellence and Distinguished Cadet Award, Academic Pentathlete Award, and the Master of the Sword for Physical Excellence. Tovkach’s research focuses on how humans affect the natural environment. She conducted an indoor aerosol dispersion study to model how classroom airflow influences dispersion of airborne pathogens to examine what areas of the classroom were less likely to be contaminated at steady state air flow, and therefore make a recommendation of the safest location for a professor to stand while teaching. Her group research is published in the journal, Environmental Science: Processes and Impacts. Tovkach will attend Stanford University and hopes to earn a Master of Science in civil and environmental engineering, with a focus in atmosphere and energy. Tovkach will serve as an officer in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and hopes to pursue a career in the Engineer Research and Development Center. 

“Being the recipient of the Knight-Hennessy Scholarship is a dream I have had ever since I started considering applying to graduate school,” said Tovkach. “Its values are everything I strive for and hope to be. I am blown away by the caliber of current scholars and by the professionalism, genuine compassion, and intelligence of the Knight-Hennessy community. I never imagined that I could be worthy of such incredible blessings, and I am so excited to make the most of this opportunity while studying Civil and Environmental Engineering.”

The Knight-Hennessy Scholars Program, the largest fully endowed scholarship program in the world, is designed to build a multidisciplinary community of Stanford graduate students dedicated to finding creative solutions to the world's greatest challenges. The program annually identifies a group of up to 100 high-achieving students from around the world with demonstrated leadership and civic commitment to receive full funding to pursue a wide-ranging graduate education at Stanford, with the goal of developing a new generation of global leaders.  

About West Point 

The U.S. Military Academy at West Point is a four-year, co-educational, federal, liberal arts college located 50 miles north of New York City. It was founded in 1802 as America’s first college of engineering and continues today as the world’s premier leader-development institution, consistently ranked among top colleges in the country. Its mission remains constant—to educate, train, and inspire the Corps of Cadets so that each graduate is a commissioned leader of character committed to the values of Duty, Honor, Country and prepared for a career of professional excellence and service to the nation as an officer in the U. S. Army. For more information, go to www.westpoint.edu.