UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State University Libraries and the Schreyer Honors College will recognize the 15th annual finalists and the afternoon’s juried winner of the Robert F. Guentter Jr. Outstanding Undergraduate Thesis Award on May 7, immediately following the three finalists’ 3 p.m. presentations.
The annual public event is hosted by the University Libraries and Schreyer Honors College. This year, they will be represented by co-hosts Nathan Hall, University Libraries associate dean for distinctive collections and digital strategies, and Patrick Mather, dean of the Schreyer Honors College. The finalists’ presentations will be held in Pattee Library and Paterno Library’s Foster Auditorium, 102 Paterno Library, at Penn State University Park. Remote attendees may register in advance to view the presentations via Zoom.
Awards are given annually to three finalists with outstanding Penn State undergraduate theses that are grounded in quality research, as determined by a jury of librarians and other Penn State faculty. The Robert F. Guentter Jr. Grand Prize winner is awarded $1,250, first runner-up is awarded $750 and second runner-up is awarded $500.
The finalists are:
- Hannah Bucher, Schreyer scholar, spring 2026 bachelor of science degree recipient in health policy and administration, minors in Spanish and information sciences and technology in health policy and administration, College of Health and Human Development
- Thesis: “Transforming Settlements into Programs: Linking Funded Opioid Interventions in Pennsylvania to Research-Supported Strategies”
- Noah Frank, Schreyer scholar, spring 2026 bachelor of science degree recipient in mechanical engineering, College of Engineering
- Thesis: “Degree-of-Freedom and Optimization-Dynamic Effects on the Observability of Kuramoto-Sivashinsky Systems”
- Elisabeth Groff, Schreyer scholar, spring 2026 bachelor of science degree recipient in chemistry, Eberly College of Science
- Thesis: “Novel Approaches to Combating Antimalarial Drug Resistance: Identifying Host Metabolite Determinants of P. falciparum Intraerythrocytic Growth”
The University Libraries initiated this award to emphasize the importance of utilizing quality research methods and employing a thorough understanding of the legal and ethical issues related to the use of information — both key components of academic excellence. For Schreyer Scholars, Paterno Fellows and others for which a thesis is the capstone of their undergraduate experience, this competition recognizes the discerning inquiry and diligent research undertaken by the scholars in preparation for graduation.
The University Libraries provides full texts of most Schreyer Honors College electronic theses through the University Libraries catalog.
The submissions process for the Robert F. Guentter Jr. Outstanding Undergraduate Thesis Award begins in January of each year. Penn State students who have graduated in summer of the previous year or fall or spring of the current academic year are eligible to participate. The finalists’ theses and presentations are judged by a panel of Penn State faculty including several librarians. Details about the award are available on the University Libraries website.
For more information, contact Julie Conner at 814-865-0789 or jhc5054@psu.edu.