Kutztown University inducted four students into the Rho chapter of the Alpha Beta Alpha Honor Society for library science at its induction ceremony this spring. Alpha Beta Alpha (ABA) is the library science fraternity at Kutztown University. Founded on Nov. 20, 1957, the Kutztown chapter (Rho) is the last ABA chapter in the United States. ABA's goal is to spread the joys of reading and to have a positive impact on the community. Their motto is "Books, People, Service, Life". There have been nearly 50 Alpha Beta Alpha chapters, all of which have disbanded, with the exception of Kutztown's Rho chapter. The Rho chapter is the headquarters of the fraternity. The purpose of ABA is the following: - To maintain an abiding interest in librarianship - To acquire a true professional spirit and a deep sense of responsibility to the profession - To seek a sincere, sympathetic and full understanding of the work and problems of human beings Alpha Beta Alpha came to Kutztown in 1957 as the organization's RHO chapter, and is the final chapter still in existence.

Sophomore Luke Hoffman was crowned a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) champion in the discus at PSACs back on May 10, and that helped him earn the 2019 Field Athlete of the Year by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA). 10 members of the Kutztown University track and field programs, including Hoffman, also earned All-Atlantic Region status. To earn All-Region honors, an athlete must be one of the top-five individuals in their event in their respective region. In addition, each member of a region's top-three relay teams was also selected for the distinction. The eight regions used in NCAA DII are the Atlantic, Central, East, Midwest, South, South Central, Southeast and West. Hoffman threw a personal-best 56.80m (186-4) at the championship event, which is a new meet record, and improved upon the KU and PSAC record that he already held. He is ranked fourth nationally in the discus. Fellow PSAC champion Brandon Leacraft also was recognized as All-Region in the javelin. It is the second regional honor for Hoffman and the third for Leacraft. Fellow Golden Bear men that received All-Region status include Zach Austen and Xavier Feliciano in the pole vault, Xavier Gutierrez in the steeplechase and Tommy Oliver in the decathlon. Feliciano and Oliver are now two-time all-region, while it is the first recognition for Austen and Gutierrez. On the women's side, all four All-Atlantic Golden Bears competed in field events. Becca Hemingway in the high jump, Megan Kirn in the javelin, Ashley Petre in the hammer and Ally Tama in the pole vault. Kirn, Petre and Tama all finished second in their respective events at PSAC Outdoor Championships. Petre has now earned all-region three times in the hammer, while Hemingway and Tama are two-time All-Atlantic Region in the high jump and pole vault respectively, and Kirn received her first all-region recognition. Hoffman, Leacraft and Kirn will all be competing on the national stage at the 2019 NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field Championships in Kingsville, Texas, beginning on Friday, May 24, and concluding the following day.

More than 1,750 students have been named to the Spring 2019 Dean's List at Kutztown University. To be eligible for the Dean's List, an undergraduate student must be registered for at least 12 credits and have a minimum grade point average of 3.60.

Two juniors from the Kutztown University Department of Communication Design (KUCD) were recently named winners in the Society of Publication Designers (SPD) 2019 Student Design Competition. Keri Stefkovich of Vernon, N.J. received sixth place for her feature spread on the END IT Movement, and Heather Leiby of Lancaster, Pa. received an honorable mention for her feature spread on hot cocoa. Stefkovich and Leiby worked hard to not only create intricate layouts for their features, but also each shot original photography and created hand-drawn typographic solutions for their spreads - a highly impressive feat. This year's competition required students to design feature spreads that aligned with the competition categories such as News Magazine, How-To Magazine and Fashion/Lifestyle Magazine. Competition judges included Sarah Garcea, art director of Inc.; Rob Hewitt, creative director of Dwell; Nathalie Kirsheh, creative director of Allure, Glamour, Self; Tala Safie, lead designer of AIGA Eye on Design; and Mike Schnaidt, creative director of Fast Company. Since 1965, the SPD's mission has been to empower the future of visual storytelling and set the standard for editorial excellence by bringing together and supporting the most talented creative individuals across all platforms and disciplines to learn, inspire and collaborate. The SPD includes anyone contributing to the creation of visual stories, from art directors to coders and data miners, from major publications to independent zines, and from seasoned professionals to students.

The Department of Communication Design held its Senior Student Awards Sunday, April 14, which included the grand opening of the Senior Student Showcase at the Marlin and Regina Miller Gallery. Department faculty joined dozens of guests for the ceremony. Award winners were as follows (pictured L to R): Mary Shriner, Don Breter Memorial Outstanding Senior Award; Alexandria Shope, Graphic Design Award; Alyse Ryan, Brenda Innocenti Champion Female Creative Talent and Leadership Award; Jess Paley, Interactive Design Award; Caleb Finn, Dianne V. Dockery Advertising Award; and Michael Pickard, Terry Boyle Most Improved Award. Be sure to visit the gallery to check out the outstanding work by KU's talented students. Award Nominees & Winners KUCD Illustration Award Crystal Hunter-Jones (Emmaus, Pa.) Jarrett Patterson (Philadelphia, Pa.) Lauren Bailey (Bear Creek Township, Pa.) Mary Shriner (Carlisle, Pa.), Winner, Don Breter Memorial Outstanding Senior Michael Pickard (West Chester, Pa.), Winner, Terry Boyle Most Improved Dianne V. Dockery Advertising Award Gabby Trate (Bernville, Pa.) Jeanine Watkins (Willow Grove, Pa.) Melanie Edwards (Bensalem, Pa.) Adam Buss (Breinigsville, Pa.) Jordan Schnur (Kutztown, Pa.) Meghan Augunas (Springfield, Pa.) Caleb Finn (Reading, Pa.), Winner KUCD Interactive Design Award Emily Rudolph (Scranton, Pa.) Emily Plitnick (Sugarloaf, Pa.) Theresa Quedenfeld (Willow Street, Pa.) Sommer Montenegro (Allentown, Pa.) Joe Losgar (East Stroudsburg, Pa.) Jess Paley (Abington, Pa.), Winner KUCD Graphic Design Award Jess Paley (Abington, Pa.) Sam Scheib (Millersburg, Pa.) Gabby Trate (Bernville, Pa.) Jordan Schnur (Kutztown, Pa.) Melanie Edwards (Bensalem, Pa.) Sommer Montenegro (Allentown, Pa.) Leah Greger (Lititz, Pa.) Alexandria Shope (Carlisle, Pa.), Winner Brenda Innocenti Champion Female Creative Talent and Leadership Award Alyse Ryan (Pottsville, Pa.), Winner

Governor Tom Wolf has named Uttam Paudel student trustee on the Kutztown University Council of Trustees. Paudel, of Kutztown, Pa., is a junior political science major and double economics and software development minor. Originally from Kathmandu, Nepal, he is fluent in four languages and well-versed in data analysis. During his time at KU, Paudel has presented at five conferences, represented Nepal and Kutztown at the UN World Youth Forum, made the Dean's List multiple times and received a KU BEARS grant to research the Twitter presence and influence of labor unions. He currently serves as a campus tour guide, KU Presidential Ambassador and Admissions liaison officer at the New Students Orientation office. "I am humbled by this great honor of representing Kutztown students and being their voice at the Council of Trustees," Paudel said. "Working closely with Admissions has informed me of what current students, prospective students and parents admire most about Kutztown, as well as what we can do better. My first priority is to use these perspectives in Council decisions to help boost our retention and enrollment rates. I intend to focus on plans that emphasize the efficiency and enhancement of campus resources so that we continue to provide excellent service to thousands of students." The Council of Trustees, the governing body of the university, is composed of an 11-member board, one of whom is an undergraduate student. Students are nominated by the Council of Trustees, reviewed by the chancellor and then confirmed by the governor. The Student Trustee is a full voting member.

Kutztown University student Benjamin Winn has won an honorable mention in the Draw The Lines (DTL) PA statewide legislative mapping contest. Winn entered in the higher education age category for the central region, where Pennsylvania native Elise Lashinsky of Mercyhurst University took first place. A 22-year-old senior, Winn is studying communications and political science. He resides in Palmerton, Pa., and is currently pursuing admission to graduate programs for political science and policymaking. Winn is a supporter of anti-gerrymandering actions such as those from Draw The Lines, as well as workers' rights, environmentalism and reducing the wealth gap. Winn hopes to enter the political world as an elected official, consultant or lobbyist following his higher education. 20 Pennsylvania voters and students won top regional honors in the mapping competition, which was the largest in the nation's history. These winners each drew an 18-district congressional map of Pennsylvania and wrote an accompanying essay on how they did it. First place winners in their region and age group received $500 while second place received $250. All maps and their scores may be viewed here by clicking "Enter as a guest", then clicking on the "Shared" button under "Type of Map." Each winner now has a chance to become one of Draw the Lines' six statewide honorees. State champions in each of three age categories - youth, higher education and adult - will win $4,500. The runner-up in each age group will receive $2,000. DTL is a statewide civic education and engagement campaign surrounding the redistricting process and gerrymandering. A project of the Committee of Seventy, DTL is a government nonprofit based in Philadelphia. Each DTL region has its own nonpartisan steering committee made up of civic, education and business leaders from that region. The project puts into the hands of Pennsylvanians, digital tools that allow DTL participants to learn how to draw maps - just as politicians have for decades. For a complete list of winners please visit the Draw the Lines website.

Kutztown University has conferred degrees for more than 450 students for the Fall 2018 semester. Kutztown University announces degree conferment twice a year, once in the winter and once in the summer. Commencement exercises are held in May and December; however, students finish the requirements for graduation throughout the entire year. The following students have been awarded degrees following the fall 2018 semester. The cumulative grade point average necessary for honors distinction is: with honor (cum laude) 3.40; with high honor (magna cum laude) 3.60 and with highest honor (summa cum laude) 3.80. Students listed multiple times have been awarded more than one degree. Students who have requested privacy (FERPA) are not listed publicly.

Two Kutztown University students have been named as award recipients representing KU's Honors Program during this summer's Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE) Honors Summer Study Abroad Program. Hosted by Bloomsburg University, junior anthropology major Kierra MacLeod and junior communication design major Morgan Nadin will visit various countries throughout Central Europe. During this year's trip, honors students from throughout the State System will be based at Jagiellonian University in Krakow, and visit sites in Poland, Budapest and the Czech Republic. Students will take classes in "The European Jewish Experience: A Sociocultural Perspective," "The History of Architecture" and "Introduction to Central and Eastern Europe." The summer 2018 Honors Study Abroad Trip was to Austria and Bosnia-Herzegovina. Students are selected for the PASSHE Summer Honors Study Abroad Program through a competitive application process every spring. Each student receives a full scholarship covering the cost of tuition, room and board, travel and required field trips to the selected destination that year. To be eligible to apply, a participant must be an undergraduate student at a PASSHE university and a member in good standing of the nominating institution's Honors Program. He or she must also have completed a minimum of 30 credits of coursework at a PASSHE school and must be returning to the nominating university the following fall.

Kutztown University students Aleska Gonzalez of Allentown, Pa., and Eric Schulden of Fredericksburg, Pa., have been selected for a 15-week internship program, sponsored by Pennsylvania's State System of Higher Education. Gonzalez is working for the Office of Public Engagement in the Office of Attorney General and Schulden is working for the state Department of Environmental Protection and Governor's Policy Office. The two are part of 12 students participating in The Harrisburg Internship Semester (THIS) program, which provides students the opportunity to work in all areas of state government while earning a full semester's worth of credits. THIS invites students from each of the State System universities to participate. Students participating in the program also will attend several academic seminars during their spring semester internship. Each of the students will complete an individualized research project as part of the program's requirements. Gonzalez is a senior public administration major, with minors in paralegal studies and political science. She is the daughter of Jeanette and Miguel Gonzalez and a 2013 graduate of William Allen High School. Schulden is a senior political science and paralegal studies major, with a minor in international relations. He is the son of Anton and Susan Schulden and a 2015 graduate of Northern Lebanon High School. More than 600 students from the State System universities have participated in THIS since the program began in 1989, each gaining valuable insight into the workings of state government at the policy-making level. Interns have worked with dozens of state agencies, as well as in the offices of the governor, the speaker of the House of Representatives and the attorney general. State System students interested in participating in THIS in a future semester may obtain information on the program by contacting their individual campus coordinator or their university's cooperative or internship office, or by calling the Dixon University Center at (717) 720-4089. More information on the program also is available at: www.passhe.edu/this.

Destiny Fisher has been named the Kutztown University campus organizer for the national It's On Us campaign. Fisher, of Philadelphia, Pa., is a senior communication studies major with a minor in public relations. She has served as president of the Black Flame Dance Team and is a volunteer at the Kutztown University Women's Center and GLBTQ Resource Center. As a campus organizers, Fisher serves as a mentor and point of contact for It's On Us initiatives on the KU campus. She will establish individual goals and motivate campus constituencies to rally around addressing the issue of sexual violence.

Twins Ian and Ilijah Denny, East Stroudsburg, Pa., and Kaitlyn Dougher, Saylorsburg, Pa., have been named drum majors of the 2017 Kutztown University Marching Unit. Ian Denny is a music major while twin brother Ilijah is also majoring in music and carries a social work minor. Dougher is a studio art, photography major with minors in art history, music and jazz studies. All three are seniors. Founded in 1934, the Kutztown University Marching Unit is comprised of 150 students under the direction of Professor Dan Neuenschwander. The marching unit is open to any KU student, regardless of their field of study.

Two Kutztown University students have been selected to receive the Pennsylvania Art Education Association Fellows Clyde M. McGeary Scholarship. Logan Hanning, a senior from Honey Brook, Chester County, Pa., and Kristen Fessler, a senior from Pine Grove, Schuylkill County, Pa., will receive the award at the annual PAEA conference next month in Pittsburgh. The scholarship is offered to students that uphold excellence within the study of art education. The PAEA Fellows Clyde M. McGeary Scholarships Program presents annual scholarships to art education students in Pennsylvania colleges and universities. Cash value of the scholarships is determined by the income produced by the endowment and the number of scholarships that are awarded in any given year. Historically, at least two scholarships have been presented at each PAEA Annual Conference.

Kutztown University is pleased to welcome the newest members of the Golden Bear family including both new incoming freshmen and transfer students.

Three Kutztown University students took their research to the Pa. state capital on April 25. Danielle Cannon, Carly Plesic and Austin Stoudt participated in the annual Undergraduate Research at the Capital event.

The Career Development Center offers two career development certificates each year that helps students become stronger, more confident & successful students and future employees. The Freshman/Sophomore Exploration certificate allow students to gain a greater understanding of themselves and the career development process. The Junior/Senior Success certificate allows students to gain a greater understanding of themselves, employer expectations, effective job search strategies and interview skills,

Kutztown University students Rob Pallett and Ike Okorji won first place in the "Berks' Got Talent" competition held at Reading Area Community College. It is the first time KU has won the competition in its 10-year history. Best friends since their freshmen year, Okorji and Pallett, performed vocals and on guitar to defeat musicians and performers from Albright, Alvernia, Penn State Berks, Penn State Schuylkill and RACC. Both are frequent participants at Open Mic Nights, KUsic and other talent shows.

Kutztown University has honored 21 students with the Who's Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges award. Honorees were selected based upon criteria in the following categories: academic achievement, leadership involvement, commitment to volunteer efforts, and commitment to social action. Honorees must have a cumulative grade point average above a 3.25 and a minimum of 75 credits to be considered.