Samuel Hochheimer (B.S. ’15, M.S .’17, Mechanical Engineering, Stanford University) was named the first recipient of the John McMordie Spirit Award at the PRL Commencement Dinner on June 15. PRL Directors David Beach, Craig Milroy, and Marlo Kohn established the award to honor the memory of Product Realization Lab Course Assistant John McMordie (BS ’16, MS ’17 awarded posthumously), who died of injuries suffered while running a marathon. The John McMordie Spirit Award was bestowed on Hochheimer because he embodies John’s spirit of generosity, joy, and intellectual rigor. Like McMordie, Hochheimer is a natural leader, a brilliant innovator, and a gifted teacher and mentor. During his two years as a PRL Course Assistant, Hochheimer inspired and encouraged hundreds of Stanford students to gain the skills and the confidence to believe they could change the world. The McMordie Award includes a monetary award and acknowledgment on a permanent plaque in the PRL.
