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.