PORTALES, NM — With a team-best 5-3 record and a .215 batting average allowed, Keenan Dodd hasn’t given up a lot of hits when taking the field for the Eastern New Mexico University baseball team. The senior right-hander also has pitched a winner the classroom. In addition to his numerous Lone Star Conference accolades, Dodd has been chosen as ENMU’s regional representative for the Most Outstanding Graduating Senior in Chemistry Award and ENMU Biochemistry Student of the Year.
“It has been a pleasure to watch Keenan grow as a student and as an athlete, said ENMU Head Baseball Coach David Gomez. “Keenan’s athletic and academic successes are only a small part of makes him great. People like Keenan will help change this world one day.”
“I nominated Mr. Keenan Dodd for the American Chemical Society (ACS) Outstanding Graduating Senior Award in 2017-2018 at Eastern New Mexico University,” said Dr. Juchao Yan, a professor and graduate coordinator of chemistry at ENMU. “The ACS is the largest Scientific Society in the world. ENMU is associated with the South Plains Section of the ACS. He won this prestigious award, and won our departmental award of the Outstanding Student in Biochemistry in 2017-2018.”
“Keenan is graduating in two weeks, and will earn his BS in Biochemistry/Chemistry,” added Dr. Yan. “I have had the pleasure in instructing him in several classes, including Quantitative Analysis, Inorganic Chemistry, Instrumental Analysis, and Senior Chemistry Review. Keenan is very caring and compassionate, and has excellent people and communication skills as well as a strong desire to help others. He is a very motivated and intellectually engaged student with excellent laboratory skills. His success has arose from his intellectual ability, mature, and efficient work habit.”
The Outstanding Undergraduate Student in Biochemistry Award was based on how Dodd performed in the Methods of Biochemistry course with Mr. Matthew Dominguez and on how he has done thus far in the Advanced Biochemistry course. “I think that it is remarkable that Keenan far surpasses my expectations on any pop quiz and exam that I have thrown to him,” said Dr. William Cooper, the ENMU professor who nominated him for the award. “He has a difficult schedule to keep with baseball, but he has never neglected studying and keeping up with Advanced Biochemistry. “Keenan will excel and succeed in whatever he chooses to do after graduating from ENMU.”
“While attending ENMU, I have enjoyed my undergraduate studies in biochemistry,” said Dodd. “I have learned a lot and been challenged by my professors. Receiving these awards is a great honor for me, and it is very rewarding to see how my hard work has paid off.”
