(12/15/09) Wyoming Catholic College (WCC) in Lander, Wyo., announced recently that Dr. John Mortensen, a WCC associate professor of philosophy and theology, has been selected as a recipient of the Vatican Pontifical Academies prize. The prize will be bestowed upon Dr. Mortensen either by Pope Benedict XVI himself or the Vatican’s Secretary of State on January 27, 2010, according to the WCC press release. Dr. Mortensen said, “It’s a tremendous honor. To be selected from such an outstanding group of candidates as those considered by the Pontifical Academies is a rare privilege. My family and I are really looking forward to the opportunity to receive the award at a Papal Audience.” According to the Vatican website, “the Prize of the Pontifical Academy is awarded periodically to a person – a young artist or academic – or an institution, whose research, work or activity contributes significantly to the development of religious studies, Christian humanism and its artistic expressions.” Wyoming Catholic College is featured for its strong Catholic identity in The Newman Guide to Choosing a Catholic College, now a free online resource.  Source: Wyoming Catholic College