Behrend

Annual awards ceremony celebrates campus community

Students, faculty members and staff at Penn State Erie, The Behrend College, celebrated the year's achievements during the campus' 62nd annual Honors and Awards Convocation ceremony, held on April 17 in the McGarvey Commons.

Annually, Student Affairs coordinates this effort to recognize individual students, student organizations, and faculty members and staff for their outstanding efforts in student life, athletics, academics and special service to the college.

More than 100 awards were presented, including Penn State Behrend's seven special service awards, which recognize students who demonstrate outstanding character, scholarship, leadership, citizenship and civility.

Notably, Connor F. Sattely and Justin P. Schmader received the John W. Oswald Award, presented to a graduating senior who has provided outstanding leadership in at least one of several areas of student leadership activity at Penn State. These two Penn State Behrend students are among five students to receive this University-wide award for 2011.

In addition, the Benjamin A. Lane Outstanding Service Award honors a faculty or staff member who has demonstrated outstanding service and dedication to the college as exemplified by Benjamin A. Lane, associate professor of English emeritus. Martin G. Kociolek, associate professor of chemistry, is this year’s recipient.

This year's other honorees are listed below.

Special Service Awards

Cody R. Brown earned the Christopher M. Geitner Award, which is presented to a Penn State Behrend student who demonstrates the extraordinary characteristics of leadership and civility as exemplified by the late Christopher M. Geitner '97. Geitner's friends and family established this award to recognize the accomplishments of current Penn State Behrend students.

Anne M. Musgrave received the Outstanding First-Year Student Award, which recognizes a first-year student who demonstrates outstanding promise of character, scholarship, leadership and citizenship through achievements in the first year of study.

Vincent M. Rice was presented with the Irvin H. Kochel Award. This award is presented annually to an undergraduate student who demonstrates outstanding qualities of character, scholarship, leadership and citizenship through their involvement in programs and services that positively influence fellow students and have contributed to the Penn State Behrend community.

The Thomas H. Turnbull Award, which lists outstanding service as its most important criterion, was presented to Stephen R. Burger. This award is presented annually to a Penn State Behrend student who has contributed to the college community through outstanding qualities of character, scholarship, leadership and citizenship.

Adam L. Fracassi received the T. Reed Ferguson Award, which recognizes a junior who has demonstrated scholarship, leadership and citizenship that has impacted fellow students through academic and out-of-class involvement and gives promise of further achievement in the senior year.

James E. Pander earned the Eric A. and Josephine S. Walker Award in recognition of outstanding qualities of character, scholarship, leadership and citizenship that have been directed into student programs and services. Scholarship is a primary criterion along with a record of outstanding service to the college.

Student Life Awards

Outstanding Student Organization Officer Award: Adam L. Fracassi and Elizabeth A. Helbling

Outstanding Student Organization Member Award: Chad L. Rudinski

Outstanding Student Organization President Award: Cody R. Brown

Outstanding Student Organization Advisor Award: Richard B. Englund, associate professor of engineering

Outstanding Student Organization Award: Multi-Cultural Council

Outstanding Program Award: Behrend After Dark

Student Activities Leadership Award: Rebecca A. Coombs

Guy W. Wilson Award for Service to the College: Chanel R. Easley

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Service Award: Jinghua Liu

Penn State Behrend Alumni Society Leadership Award: Lauren K. Glacken

Irvin H. Kochel Lion Ambassador Award: Deanna L. Shaffer and Sarah E. Smith

Outstanding Fraternity/Sorority Chapter Award: Kappa Delta Rho Fraternity

USA Today Student Leadership Award: Matthew D. Erdman

Rose Cologne Keystone Citizen Award: Cody R. Brown

Eclipse Award: Swati Krishna Kulkarni

Student Government Association President’s Award: Briana A. Newstrom

The Pride of the Lion Award: Caleb G. Rodgers

Outstanding Adult Learner Award: Royal P. Johnson

General Anthony Wayne Excellence in Leadership Award: Matthew D. Blair (First Year) and Tyler J. Payne (Second Year)

Athletic Awards

Female Intramural Award: Maureen A. Cress

Male Intramural Award: Benjamin J. Jordan and Jordan A. Pisano

Cheryl Ramsdell-Anderson Female Athlete of the Year Award: Jenna L. Fatica

James Frye Male Athlete of the Year Award: Christopher G. Saltzman

John Zahniser Female Scholar-Athlete Award: Elizabeth M. Keller

John Zahniser Male Scholar-Athlete Award: Zachary F. Herd and Justin J. Kovac

Academic Awards

Writing Awards: Sean R. Jordan (First Year), Michelle A. Curran (Business), Anthony R. McWilliams and David J. Smith (Engineering), and John D. Hadlock (Humanities)

Outstanding Tutor Awards: Jeffrey Scavo (Mathematics), Matthew D. Erdman (Other Subjects), Gregory E. Bossart (Engineering), and Elizabeth A. Pascuzzi (Writing)

Division of Undergraduate Studies Awards: Siobhan C. Bhagwandien (First Year) and Xiaoyang Li (Second Year)

Nursing Program Awards

Academic Excellence in Nursing: Annette Y. Townsend and Kayla A. Troup

Excellence in Professional Nursing and Caring: Lindsey D. Mays

Sam and Irene Black School of Business Awards

Accounting: Matthew S. Wolf (PICPA) and Ashley N. Macarthur (IMA)

APICS: Matthew P. Olsen

Business, Liberal Arts, and Science: Hilary L. Bienio

Business Economics: Jamie L. Bologna and Brianne N. Palmer

Finance: Zachary F. Herd

Interdisciplinary Business with Engineering Studies: Jason S. Kotzman

Management: Kara A. Barrett

Management Information Systems: Jeffrey A. Severance

Marketing: Jason A. Hipwell

Master of Business Administration: Julie Marriott and Kurtis J. Strathearn

Delta Sigma Pi Scholarship Key Award: Zachary F. Herd

Kenneth L. Spencer Award: Carl A. Sizer (Accounting) and Zachary F. Herd (Finance)

ETS Major Field Test Award: Matthew S. Wolf

School of Humanities and Social Sciences Awards

Amber K. Heeter Memorial Award: Connor F. Sattely

Corey N. Farrell Nonfiction Award: Eric A. Botts

Kennedy Fiction Award: Kalie C. Weigle

The Kenneth Jonathan Sonnenberg Poetry Award: Rachelle N. Bowser

Outstanding Achievement in Communication: Ashley S. Rodrigo and Connor F. Sattely

Outstanding Creative Writing Major: Johnathan R. Moore

Outstanding English Major: Carl W. Cronmiller

Outstanding English Major in Professional Writing: Jessica R. Haskin

Best Contributing History Major: Michael J. Fultz

Outstanding Political Science Major: Daniel P. Hido

Outstanding Psychology Student: Krista R. McClelland

Outstanding Scholarly Achievement in Psychology: Laura E. Muroski

School of Science Awards

Academic Excellence in Biology: Alexandra M. Johnston

Academic Excellence in Chemistry: Samantha L. Kristufek

Outstanding Freshman in Chemistry/American Chemical Society: Chelsea T. Monroe

CRC/Outstanding Freshman: Garrett J. Fiscus

Academic Excellence in Computer Science: Justin R. Handley

Outstanding New Computer Science Major: Steven J. Dudenhoeffer

Mathematics Competition: Tanya N. Riston

Academic Excellence in Mathematics: Nicholas S. Leofsky

Most Promising Freshman in Math: Michael J. Obusek

Academic Excellence in Physics: Brent W. Plansinis

School of Engineering Awards

Computer Engineering: Paul A. Morris

Electrical and Computer Engineering Technology: Mark D. Rynders

Electrical Engineering: James E. Stumbaugh

Mechanical Engineering: Matthew K. Adams

Mechanical Engineering Technology: Dane J. Clark

Plastics Engineering Technology: Justin P. Schmader

Software Engineering: Nathan M. Groover

Jake Boyle Memorial Award: Justin P. Schmader

College Academic Awards

The Penn State Behrend Honors Program Award is given to students who completed at least nine honors credits while maintaining a minimum 3.2 grade-point average each semester through their sophomore year: Anthony M. Banister, Brooke D. Bartolomeo, Bethany L. Burlingame, Justin M. Carbonara, Kimberly A. Cook, Steven T. Cowen, Ryan B. Dailey, Braden P. Davis, Mary F. DeMino, Michael J. Desroches, Jenna E. Ebert, Matthew D. Erdman, Stacey M. Fitzreiter, Stacie M. Flamos, Ryan P. Fleming, Zachary I. Franiewski, Adrianna L. Fraschetti, Christopher D. Galvin, Margaret E. Gannon, Jesse R. Glenn, Tyler E. Graham, Jeremy T. Hall, Robert W. Harrington, Melissa M. Hess, Brian D. Holsinger, Ali Y. Ismail, Benjamin J. Jordan, Kailey M. Joyce, Joel R. King, Ryan E. Knoll, Lauren E. Kolb, Swati Krishna Kulkarni, Megan D. Kuntz, Xiaoxue Lin, Nicholas J. Loukides, Michael F. Matczak, Elese A. Merkovsky, Bethany I. Ohler, Jacqueline N. Paladino, John B. Pearson, Taylor L. Pearson, Kazie P. Reuschel, Dominic A. Sarachine, Matthew C. Schneider, Sarah I. Scott, Leah N. Semroc, Haley S. Sharp, Amanda R. Shields, Fiona M. Steel, Edwin H. Stewart, Angela M. Sweeney, Adam J. Tamilia, Hayden H. Weaver, Zachary T. Williams and Matthew J. Wingert.

The President's Freshman Award is presented to full-time undergraduate students who earned a perfect 4.0 cumulative grade-point average in the first semester of the freshman year: Siobhan C. Bhagwandien, Sierra I. Birx, Steven V. Elliott, Adam M. Jesberger, Ethan W. Kent, Yingxing Li, Yuli Lin, Fan Meng, Chelsea T. Monroe, Meghan S. Nee, Kristina J. Peszel, Matthew D. Phelps, Morgan R. Shultz, Robin L. Siegenthaler, Tyler M. Simpson and Paul G. Stein.

The President Sparks Award is presented annually to those sophomores who have earned a 4.0 cumulative grade-point average at the end of their third semester: Tsz Kam Chan, Steven T. Cowen, Jean M. Delinski, Jacob T. Held, Xiaoyang Li, Xiaoxue Lin, and Nicholas J. Loukides.

The Evan Pugh Scholar Award honors those juniors and seniors who were in the upper 0.5 percent of their respective class at the end of the fall semester of each academic year. Justin A. Brunot and Davis J. Gigogne are this year's junior recipients. Eric A. Botts, Zachary F. Herd, Alexandra M. Johnston, Ashley N. Macarthur, James E. Pander and Justin P. Schmader are the senior recipients.

The Council of Fellows Undergraduate Student Research Award recipient, presented to a student who demonstrated proficiency in undergraduate research, is James E. Pander.
 

Last Updated April 20, 2011

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