Ohio Northern University student Lauren Hector, a senior graphic design major from Mt. Cory, was chosen as one of the winners of the 2015 Association of Independent Colleges and Universities of Ohio (AICUO) Award for Excellence in the Visual Arts (EVA).

Hector, who was honored at a banquet April 8, will have her work featured in the Roy G. Biv Gallery as a part of the May Gallery Hop in Columbus’s Short North Arts District. Hector was chosen as one of six winners from among 27 nominated senior artists from independent colleges across Ohio.

The six awards are presented to senior art students who attend one of the 49 independent institutions in Ohio and have been nominated by department chairs or deans. The first round of judging consists of art department faculty from member institutions, while second-round judges are community leaders from Ohio involved in the visual arts.

As the nation’s first intercollegiate online arts competition, the AICUO EVA recognizes outstanding students from the art programs at independent colleges and universities in every region of Ohio. Launched in 2008, the EVA uses the Internet as a venue for the awards, providing each nominated student with a permanent online portfolio on the AICUO Award website at www.aicuoartaward.com.