UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The College of Arts and Architecture announced the recipients of the Golumbic and Valley Family Scholarships at its annual spring awards ceremony in May.
Reuben and Gladys Golumbic Scholarship
The Reuben and Gladys Golumbic Scholarship is one of the most prestigious scholarships given in the college, and recognizes students in the areas of design achievement, humanistic achievement and performance achievement. The scholarship was established by Penn State alumnus Ed Eckl in memory of his adoptive parents. This year’s recipients are:
Design Achievement: John Martin, architecture
Born the son of a mechanical engineer and the grandson of a mechanic, Martin quickly formed a fascination with mechanical assemblies and how individual parts come together to form a complete mechanism. He said he defines himself as a craftsman/maker who pursues design through hands-on craftsmanship. Deeply influenced by the work of Jean Prouvé, constructeur, he has worked to merge utility, the honest use of materials, and economy of materials to meet the complex demands of a circular material economy.
Humanistic Achievement: Arushi Grover, theater studies, English and comparative literature
Grover is a third-year Schreyer Scholar. As a dramaturg, playwright, and director, Grover is passionate about using past stories to understand the present moment, she said. She has worked as dramaturg for numerous productions with Penn State Centre Stage and the School of Theatre. For the past two years, she has been the president of Statespeare, Penn State’s Shakespeare-centered student organization. After graduation, Grover plans to pursue a master of fine arts degree in dramaturgy.
Performance Achievement: Chandler Cleric, music/clarinet performance
Cleric is involved in many performance ensembles, including the Philharmonic Orchestra, Chamber Orchestra, and Symphonic Wind Ensemble. In addition to large ensembles, Cleric said he enjoys playing chamber music in many different settings. He has played in recordings with the Pittsburgh Creators’ Project Symphonic Winds, and performed with the Pennsylvania Chamber Orchestra. He is a winner of the 2023 School of Music Scholarship Competition, where he was awarded the Eleanor Beene Award.
Valley Family Scholarship
The Valley Family Scholarship, which is made possible through the generosity of Ginni and Kent Valley, celebrates student excellence from across the college. Recipients are nominated by faculty members as part of the Golumbic Scholarship nomination process. This year’s recipients are:
Michael Cabrera, music
Cabrera is a Cuban-American composer and percussionist pursuing a bachelor of music in music composition. His music centers around storytelling, exploring metaphors in music, experimentation, and mental health. Cabrera said he enjoys experimenting with music from every angle, including instrumental and performance techniques, compositional structure and techniques, notation and more. In 2016, Michael’s string quartet “Polarities” was a winner in the American Composers’ Forum NextNotes competition. He is currently the treasurer of the Living Music organization at Penn State.
Peyton Harris, graphic design
Harris is a third-year student majoring in graphic design with minors in photography and entrepreneurship. He is a member of the Design Association and is the class representative for the graphic design class of 2024. Last year he was awarded the Graphic Design Excellence Award. Harris said he hopes to bring his two interests of sustainability and design together to innovate the arts and create solutions that better people’s lives.
Victor Hernandez, theater
Hernandez is a third-year theater design and technology student with emphases in technical direction and scenic design. Last summer, they worked with Barrington Stage Company as a carpenter, constructing scenery for an eight-production season featuring both new and established works. Hernandez most recently worked as assistant technical director for the School of Theatre’s production of “Into the Woods,” and has credits as both a carpenter and scenic artist for multiple productions throughout the 2021-22 and 2022-23 show seasons.
Julia Li, landscape architecture
Li is a third-year landscape architecture student and Schreyer Scholar with a minor in meteorology and atmospheric science. A self-proclaimed “weather weenie,” she studied abroad in Thailand last May, which she said inspired her to critically evaluate how landscape architects have the unique ability to address climate injustices through thoughtful, empathetic, intentional design. After earning her bachelor’s degree, Li will stay at Penn State to pursue a master of science degree in landscape architecture.
Elijah Pfeiffer, landscape architecture
Pfeiffer is a third-year landscape architecture student. Having the opportunity to study different environments thanks to regular moves during his childhood, he quickly gained a fascination in infrastructure, nature, and the people who utilize both, he said. He has chosen to specialize his degree into the fitting sub-fields of transportation, community design, and systems design.
Rónán Shaw, art history
Shaw is pursuing a dual bachelor’s degree in fine arts and art history, as well as a certificate in museum studies. Drawing upon his travels to Europe and Latin America, his scholarship considers the way individuals conceptualized their relationship to history through visual arts in the 19th and 20th centuries. He has won awards for his proficiency in the Italian language. After graduation, Shaw plans to pursue a doctorate in art history with the goal of becoming a curator.
Shane Troxell, theater
Troxell is a third-year student in the Bachelor of Fine Arts Acting program, currently studying abroad at the Theatre Academy of London. For Penn State Centre Stage, he performed in “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” (Lysander) and “Metamorphoses” (First Man). Troxell also performed in and helped write Penn State’s New Student Orientation show, “Results Will Vary.” He is certified in teaching Grounded Aerial Bungee Dance and is a Society of American Fight Directors Certified Actor Combatant.