Kutztown University presented its annual Chambliss Student Academic Achievement Awards Friday, April 16, at a virtual event. Students were nominated by university employees for meeting one or more of the six areas of achievement, which include: successfully completed research project(s), original artwork of high quality, artistic performances (music, chorus, drama, etc.) of high quality, original writing in literature or meritorious writing in other fields, noteworthy achievements in athletics and outstanding service to the Kutztown University community.

The Syed R. Ali-Zaidi Award for Academic Excellence is conferred upon a graduating senior from one of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education universities. Kutztown University's Caelan Brooks was presented as the 2021 winner of the Syed R. Ali-Zaidi Award for Academic Excellence Thursday morning at the State System's virtual Board of Governors meeting.

Kutztown University graduate Anna Nissley '20 has been selected by the National Collegiate Honors Council as one of four 2020 Portz Scholars. This national award is given to four students for outstanding undergraduate honors papers. Nissley's award-winning, 110-page paper is titled, "Stories of the Appalachian Trail." "The Appalachian Trail has been a central part of the identity of the East Coast and the United States as a whole for almost a century," Nissley said. "On one hand, it has represented an escape from ever-modernizing American culture - a more-than-2,000-mile-long strip of land offering safe haven to the restless. "On the other hand, it represents a cultural paradox in the U.S.: while outdoor enthusiasts seek natural spaces, it is typically to return to the creature comforts of home and to a society which prefers to sideline "wilderness" until frustrated by its own civilization," Nissley continued. "The aim of this project is to question Western conceptualizations of outdoor spaces - in part through the critique of the very terms used to refer to land like "wild" versus "developed" - through multi-genre storytelling ranging from critical analysis to personal narratives and poetry." Nissley, from Elizabethtown, Pa., graduated summa cum laude from KU in Spring 2020 with two degrees: a Bachelor of Science in English education and a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish. She also minored in women's and gender studies. "Anna's work exemplifies Honors work: integrative, interdisciplinary, visionary, creative and well-researched; it is true scholarship," said. Dr. Jennifer Schlegel, director of KU's honors program. "Her paper documents an integrative and interdisciplinary journey, literally and figuratively. This multi-genre work is an exploration of the Appalachian trail, of hiking, of wilderness. What struck me about the work is the interactions between the smallest details and macro issues of contemporary concern. Anna takes the reader on her journey and invites the reader to explore with her the intimacy of hiking a large expanse of land." In its 30th year, the Portz Scholars program began in 1990 to acknowledge John and Edythe Portz's many contributions to honors education. These two altruists have also been the inspiration for the creation of Portz Grants for innovation in honors programs and colleges, and Portz Fellowships designed to support original and extended interdisciplinary research projects. This year's Portz Scholars include Nissley, Molly Ke'alohilani Miyamoto, University of Hawai'i at Manoa, Genevieve Verville, University of Mississippi and Adam Weiner, Millersville University. The four Portz Scholars will present their papers in a virtual session as part of the NCHC20 Virtual Events at 5 p.m. Eastern, Friday, Oct. 9. Winners are awarded a $350 stipend and free registration to the Virtual Events, as well as recognition in the NCHC Award Ceremony later this fall. 8.2.3

Kutztown University's Department of Modern Language Studies proudly announces the following departmental award recipients for spring 2020: - Anna Nissley: Linda Oswald Bogert Award for Outstanding Student in Modern Language. - Amanda Filpo: Outstanding Spanish Student. - Caraline Meluskey: Outstanding Spanish Student. - Noel Fedeli: Outstanding German Student. - Milagros Battiti: Modern Language Studies Cultural Ambassador. - Eilieen De Leon: Modern Language Studies Cultural Ambassador.

Kutztown University recently presented its Golden Bear Leadership Awards. The Golden Bear Leadership Award honors a prestigious group of Kutztown University students who were selected from a competitive pool of more than 60 applicants. 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. The average GPA of the selected honorees is 3.66.

The following students are the recipients of Kutztown University's Computer Science and Information Technology graduate awards for 2019-2020: - Computer Science Award: Christopher Beaudoin. - Information Technology Award: Vivian Azar and Yau Lam. - Computer Science Master's Degree Award: Patrick Gagliano and Jishitha Nambiar.

Please join the Kutztown University Department of History in congratulating our award and scholarship winners and the new initiates of Phi Alpha Theta National History Honor Society. Awards and scholarships: - Exceptional Seniors: Shannon Shafnisky, Emily Murray, Emily Quigg, Isabelle Waddelow and Shiyi Ding. - Martin Luther King Jr. History Club Award: Mitchell Oller. - Bright and Lucille Beck Award in American History: Isabelle Waddelow. - Anthony J. Mazzaferri Award: Jenna Sagan. - Willits Scholarship: Sophie Hinkle. - Victor Story Scholarship: Heily Montes. KU's Department of History sponsors the Mu Xi Chapter of Phi Alpha Theta, the National Honor Society in History. Admission to Phi Alpha Theta is an outstanding achievement based on exceptional academic accomplishment. Phi Alpha Theta was established in 1921 at the University of Arkansas. The society currently has over 900 chapters and 350,000 members. This year's Phi Alpha Theta initiates are Nathan Burleigh, Lucinda Damm, Caroline Fogarty, John Lukan, Nicholas Mancaruso, Matthew Miller, Erik Modig, Hannah Phillips, Genaro Robles Jr., Jenna Sagan, Madison Schuenemann, Kayla Sloan, Matthew Sutton, Julivette Torres and Madison Wickersham. Learn more about KU's Department of History at https://www.kutztown.edu/academics/colleges-and-departments/liberal-arts-and-sciences/departments/history.html.

Kutztown University has announced the winners of the 2020 Chambliss Student Academic Achievement. The awards recognize the exceptional individual achievements of KU seniors. The awards ceremony has been postponed to a later date. Winners were selected from students nominated by staff and faculty members for meeting one or more of the six areas of achievement: successfully completed research projects, high-quality original artwork, high-quality artistic performances, original writing in literature or meritorious writing in other fields, noteworthy achievements in athletics and outstanding service to the KU community. The Academic Achievement Awards were established in 2004 through a donation provided by Dr. Carlson Chambliss, KU professor of astronomy from 1970-2003. Certificates and specially designed coin medallions of gold, silver and copper are presented to the students. Gold Medal Mackenzie Fuhrman, of Lancaster, Pa., is awarded the Chambliss Academic Achievement Award Gold Medal in the category of noteworthy achievement in athletics. Fuhrman will graduate in May with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in communication design. A four-year member of the KU field hockey team, Fuhrman was a three-time All-America First Team selection as a midfielder, placing her among the best players in Division II. She is a three-time All-Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) First Team player and was named a PSAC Fall Top 10 Award winner, the first Golden Bear fall athlete to earn a spot on the prestigious list since 2008. The PSAC Top 10 award recognizes student-athletes who distinguish themselves in the classroom as well as in the arena of competition. This spring, she was named KU's 2019-20 Female Senior Athlete of the Year. She was the catalyst of the Golden Bears reaching the NCAA Division II national semifinals. She scored the game-winning overtime goal that sent KU to the PSAC Championship game for the first time since 1988. Off the field, Fuhrman holds a 3.94 GPA, making her a multi-year member of the Dean's List and the PSAC Scholar-Athlete list. She has also been named to the NFHCA National Academic Squad and an NFHCA Scholar of Distinction. Daniel Johns, of Orwigsburg, Pa., is awarded the Chambliss Academic Achievement Award Gold Medal in the category of successfully completed research projects. Johns will graduate in May with a Bachelor of Science in physics and astronomy. A prolific researcher, Johns' work has contributed significant results from his research in the fields of exoplanets and interacting binary stars. Johns has published six research papers in professional, peer-reviewed journals, was a primary author on a piece published in The Astronomical Journal and multiple in various issues of Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. Johns has also delivered four conference presentations on his research, including his discovery and characterization of KELT-23Ab, a new, Jupiter-like exoplanet. He is a member of the Sigma Phi Sigma National Physics Honor Society, consistent Dean's List student and recipient of multiple awards and research grants. Johns will be attending Georgia State University to pursue a doctorate in astronomy and astrophysics with aspirations to become a professional researcher in the fields of stellar astrophysics or exoplanetary science. Silver Medal James Durham, of East Stroudsburg, Pa., is awarded the Chambliss Academic Achievement Award Silver Medal in the category of successfully completed research projects. Durham will graduate in May with a Bachelor of Science in education with a focus on English language arts and social studies. He was awarded the 2019 Professional Semester Katherine D. Christ Award and was an active member of Kutztown University's Undergraduate Research Advisory Board. Durham has presented his collaborative research study, Gender Bias in the Middle Level Classroom: The Intersection of Data, Teacher Self-Perceptions and Student Perceptions, to multiple conferences since 2017. He has been a tutor both locally at the Fleetwood Middle School Assignment Center and in distance programs, such as the Alaska Distance Intervention Tutoring Program. Durham is the diversity and inclusion director, head counselor and ambassador to the local PALS program, a nonprofit group that provides experiences for teens and young adults with Down syndrome. Ian Petrillo, of Mechanicsburg, Pa., is awarded the Chambliss Academic Achievement Award Silver Medal in the category of successfully completed research projects. Petrillo will graduate in May with a Bachelor of Science in middle level education with a focus in social studies and science. He conducted research contributing to a study titled, Perceived versus Measured Achievement in the Middle Level Science Classroom: The Impact of Socioeconomic Status, which has gained attention from multiple conferences. He has presented his research since 2018 and presented at multiple conferences in 2020. Petrillo is a recipient of the Kutztown University Elementary Education Excellence Award and Ashley and Billy Streiter Award Scholarship. He is a member of Kappa Delta Pi: Epsilon Zeta Chapter International Honor Society in Education and secretary to KU's Association for Middle Level Educators. Jenna Plump, of Hanover, Pa., is awarded the Chambliss Academic Achievement Award Silver Medal in the category of successfully completed research projects. Plump will graduate in May with a Bachelor of Science in middle level education with a focus in social studies and math. She is a contributing author on her research study, Gender Bias in the Middle Level Classroom: the Intersection of Data, Teacher Self-Perceptions and Student Perceptions, and has presented at variously leveled conferences. Plump has been a substitute teacher for Carroll County Public Schools and an employment specialist for high school students with intellectual and developmental disabilities since 2017, as well as a volunteer tutor for fifth and sixth-graders at a local middle school since 2016. She served on Kutztown University's Undergraduate Research Advisory Board and was president of the Kutztown University Chapter of the Association of Middle Level Education. Copper Medal Collin DiGalbo, of Secane, Pa., is awarded the Chambliss Academic Achievement Award Copper Medal in the category of noteworthy achievement in athletics. He graduated in December with a Bachelor of Science in business administration with a concentration in management. DiGalbo was a five-year member of the Kutztown University football team and held a 30-7 record as a starting quarterback. He led the Golden Bears to two PSAC East titles, two NCAA playoff seasons and a program-record 11 wins in his senior season. This past year, he was voted the 2019 PSAC East Offensive Player of the Year and KU's 2019-20 Male Senior Athlete of the Year. He owns three school records as the best running quarterback in school history, is a four-time All-PSAC selection and was named Honorable Mention All-America as a senior. Emily Zwiercan, of Reinholds, Pa., is awarded the Chambliss Academic Achievement Award Copper Medal in the category of noteworthy achievement in athletics. Zwiercan graduated in December with a Bachelor of Science in business administration with a concentration in finance. Zwiercan was a member of the Golden Bears women's soccer team and was a team captain. She is the school-record holder for career points and goals. She broke the KU and PSAC record for goals in a game with six. She is an All-America Third Team selection, a two-time All-Atlantic region first-teamer and a three-time All-PSAC First Team player. As a sophomore in 2017, she was voted the Atlantic Region Player of the Year, PSAC Athlete of the Year and KU Female Athlete of the Year. She helped the women's soccer team reach the playoffs three times, win a regional championship and advance to the NCAA national final four. Along with a stellar athletic career, she is a multiple Dean's List student.

Kutztown University's College of Visual and Performing Arts (VPA) has announced its annual Student and Faculty Art Excellence Awards. Photos of Award Winners The Faculty Excellence Award recognizes two VPA faculty members whose professional accomplishments positively impact the quality of students' experiences at KU. This year's winners include communication design professor Ann Lemon and communication studies professor Megan O'Byrne. Lemon coordinated the recent Creative Royale competition at KU and continues to coordinate large-scale New York City design and advertising tours for communication design students with KU alumni. Dedicated to experiential learning, she assisted in the implementation of silkscreening in the Idea Lab and has offered seminars for graduate and undergraduate students to learn to silkscreen. Lemon has been a full-time faculty member at KU since 2011. She holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Delaware, a Master of Education in English from Kutztown University and a Master of Fine Arts in graphic design from Marywood University. She resides in Mohnton, Pa. O'Byrne collaborates with colleagues from campus and around the country in her work and research. She is essential in the areas of general education and assessment, at times being the only professor teaching two major core courses, methods and capstone, for a semester. O'Byrne earned her doctorate in communication from the University of Utah. The VPA Student Excellence Award recognizes one student from each of the six departments within VPA: art, art education, cinema, television and media production, communication design, communication studies and music. This year's winners are Hadley Wiktor, Eirene Hoover, Tim Corrao, Gina Naseef, Emily Harrington and Adrianna Howden. Wiktor is a student in the Department of Art, double majoring in art history and crafts with a double concentration in ceramics and textile arts. Wiktor is both a Dean's List student and captain of the Golden Bears' nationally-ranked field hockey team, where she was named a National Field Hockey Coaches Association Scholar of Distinction and Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Scholar-Athlete. Hoover is a senior art education major. Hoover was nominated after an outstanding placement at Kutztown Middle School, where her talent and dedication went above and beyond. She is the daughter of a self-employed ornamental woodcarver, which helps nurture her own craft along with her involvement in the Kutztown Christian Fellowship. Corrao is a student of cinema, television and media production. He is lauded as an exceptional student with a high degree of professionalism in every project he takes on. Carrao is also noted by both faculty and peers as being talented, funny and wildly creative. Naseef is a student of communication design. She serves as the committee co-chair for the KU Chapter of the American Institute of Graphic Arts (AIGA) and has volunteered in Designathon and DesignRx over multiple years. Naseef is one of the head lab monitors in the KU Communication Design Print Lab and described as dedicated, collaborative and an excellent leader. Harrington is a communications studies major who transferred from Lehigh Carbon Community College in 2018. In her short time at KU, she has joined the honors program, taken on the presidency of the Communication Club, earned straight A's and maintained full-time employment. Harrington is collecting qualitative interview data about women's experiences with endometriosis, an honors capstone project which she hopes to continue in graduate school. Howden is a senior in the music performance program. Equally capable in playing oboe and piano, she was a winner of KU's Fall 2019 concerto competition, competing with a demanding concerto for oboe and orchestra. She has also participated in a wide variety of chamber groups both as oboist and pianist, performing music from the Baroque to the 21st century with insight and conviction. Howden continues to perform music via recordings posted online during the covid-19 distanced learning. More information on individual winners can be found on the CVPA celebration website. For more information on Kutztown University's College of Visual and Performing Arts programs, visit their website.

The Kutztown University softball team had eight student-athletes recognized as 2019 National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) All-America scholar-athletes. The eight student-athletes for the Golden Bears are second-most among Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference East Division teams. The scholar-athletes include Erin Fortney, Tamara Jennings, Ava Bottiglia, Alyssa Donato, Alyssa Oakley, Kay Solderitch, Paola Texidor and Zoe Texidor. Kutztown as a team held a 3.36 GPA overall. More than 8,000 student-athletes (8,161), a first in NFCA history, were named 2019 Easton/NFCA All-America Scholar-Athletes, the Association announced. The rankings and honors recognize the academic prowess of softball teams across the Association's membership categories. NCAA Division III led the way with 1,928 student-athletes earning a 3.5 grade-point average or higher for 2018-19. NCAA Division I and Division II followed with 1,769 and 1,306 honorees. High School weighted and High School unweighted earned 1,225 and 793 distinctions. NAIA and two-year programs each amassed 570 recipients.

High-level academic and athletic performance continues to serve as a staple of Kutztown University. On Tuesday, July 9, 174 Golden Bear student-athletes were named Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Scholar-Athletes for the 2018-19 academic year. Kutztown produced a school-record 181 honorees last year and valiantly backed that number up this year with its second-highest total ever. More than 100 Golden Bear student-athletes have earned PSAC Scholar-Athlete recognition in each of the last 13 years. Student-athletes must maintain a cumulative grade point average of 3.25 or higher at the completion of the most recent academic year to be eligible for PSAC Scholar-Athlete status. The PSAC's 18 institutions combined to produce 3,061 Scholar-Athletes, totaling 42% of the student-athlete population. Both numbers break previous conference records of 2,934 and 41% set just one year ago. The league has registered better than a 30% rate for 10 straight years. From Kutztown, 127 female student-athletes were honored, more than 61% of the female varsity student-athlete population. Just under 25% of the Golden Bear male student-athlete population qualified for Scholar-Athlete status with 51 honorees.

Junior sprinter Kelly Groth (Audubon, Pa./Methacton) represented Kutztown University on the Google Cloud Academic All-District Track & Field/Cross Country Team, as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). Groth, an elementary education major from Audubon, Pennsylvania, raised her cumulative GPA to 3.82 following the spring semester. She is appearing on the Google Cloud Academic All-District Team for the first time. Groth is also a five-time Dean's List student and soon-to-be three-time PSAC Scholar-Athlete and two-time D2ADA Academic Achievement Award recipient. Groth had a huge 2018-19 season on the track, setting five school records, winning PSAC indoor championships in the 60-meter dash and as part of the 4x400-meter relay and being named Most Outstanding Runner at the 2019 Indoor Championships. During the indoor season, Groth established program benchmarks in the 55-meter dash (7.22), 60-meter dash (7.70) and 200-meter dash (25.42). She went on to register school record times in the 100-meter dash (11.96w) and 200-meter dash (25.21) outdoors. Groth collected three All-PSAC honors at the Indoor Championships, adding to her 60m and 4x400m relay titles with a runner-up finish in the 200m. She was named USTFCCCA All-Atlantic Region in the 60m and 200m. Groth is now eligible for Academic All-America honors. First, Second and Third Team Academic All-Americans will be announced on June 26.

Caleb Baukman of the Kutztown University men's track & field team has been selected to the Google Cloud Academic All-District Men's Track & Field/Cross Country Team, as voted upon by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). Baukman graduated summa cum laude earlier this month, earning a Bachelor of Social Work. Throughout his academic career, the Wallingford, Pennsylvania native and 2018-19 KU Male Senior Scholar-Athlete of the Year compiled a 3.93 GPA. In his premiere event, the high jump, Baukman placed a career-best third at the 2019 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Indoor Championships to earn All-PSAC honors for the first time. He followed that up with sixth-place finish in the event at the 2019 Outdoor Championships. Baukman ranks seventh all-time in the high jump on KU's Indoor Top 10 list (6'6.25"/1.99m) and 10th on the Outdoor Top 10 list (6'6.75"/2.00m). He earned All-Atlantic Region honors from the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) at the conclusion of the 2018-19 indoor season. Academically, Baukman was an eight-time Dean's List honoree and is poised to become a four-time PSAC Scholar-Athlete and three-time D2ADA Academic Achievement Award recipient later this summer. Baukman moves onto the Google Cloud Academic All-America ballot. First, Second and Third Team Academic All-Americans will be announced June 26.

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

Kutztown University presented the Chambliss Student Academic Achievement Awards on Friday, April 5, in the Georgian Room in Old Main. The students who received awards were nominated by staff and faculty members for meeting one or more of the six areas of achievement, which include: successfully completed research projects, high-quality original artwork, high-quality artistic performances (music, chorus, drama, etc.), original writing in literature or meritorious writing in other fields, noteworthy achievements in athletics, and outstanding service to the KU community. The Academic Achievement Awards were established in 2004 through a donation provided by Dr. Carlson Chambliss, KU professor of astronomy from 1970-2003. The purpose of the awards is to recognize the exceptional individual achievements of a select group of KU graduating seniors. Specially designed coin medallions of gold, silver and copper were presented to the students. Gold Medals Grant Fickes is a mathematics major graduating in May from Red Lion, Pa. He is awarded the Chambliss Academic Achievement Award Gold Medal in the category of successfully completed research projects. Fickes has co-authored three papers for publication during his time at KU. One of which was already accepted by the Journal of Combinatorial Mathematics and Combinatorial Computing. He is currently working on a fourth paper with mathematics professor, Dr. Tony Wong, concerning edge-distinguishing chromatic numbers. Fickes has presented on both the local and national levels, including the National Joint Mathematics Meeting. He has won three mathematics awards at KU, is a Dean's List student, a member of the Kappa Mu Epsilon Mathematics Honor Society and is the recipient of the Sesquicentennial Scholarship and the STEM Scholarship. Fickes is also an elite-level alto saxophone player in KU's award-winning Jazz Ensemble. He aspires to be a professor and researcher in mathematics. Kristyn Rohrer is a native of Manheim, Pa. She graduated in December 2018 summa cum laude with a bachelor's degree in sociology and minors in ceramics and German. Rohrer is awarded the Chambliss Academic Achievement Award Gold Medal in the categories of successfully completed research projects and high-quality original artwork. Rohrer's artwork reflects her studies in sociology, as she seeks to translate her thoughts and feelings on sociological issues into powerful sculptures. She has had the distinction of having her own solo show and her work featured in two juried student exhibitions as well as a national juried exhibition. Her ongoing research about Islamic cultures is what encouraged her to write an article on her experience working with refugee women in Jordan. These interests also led her to produce published articles concerning interfaith dialogue as an avenue for diplomacy between the U.S. and Iran. Rohrer is a member of both the Tau Sigma and Alpha Kappa Delta Honor Societies. She currently serves as KU's Artist in Residence and teaches an evening workshop on Sculpting from Life. Rohrer plans to continue her education in graduate school. Silver Medals Alexandra Garnand is a marine science, oceanography and geology major who will graduate in May from Waynesboro, Pa. She is awarded the Chambliss Academic Achievement Award Silver Medal in the category of successfully completed research projects. Garnard worked with geology and marine science professor, Dr. Adrienne Oakley, on a research project concerning beach replenishment and erosion on Wallops Island, Va. She was specifically tasked with organizing years of data and sand samples from previous students, as well as collecting and processing more than 600 samples of her own. Garnand's research abstracts were accepted at four conferences, including the national meeting of the American Geophysical Union. She is president of the Marine Science Club, vice president of the Geology Club, president of the Mu Zeta Chapter of Sigma Alpha Iota International Music Fraternity, and clarinet section leader of the KU Marching Unit. Garnand has served as a supplemental instructor and student tutor for multiple introduction courses, and will begin her graduate school career this fall in marine geology. Anthony Lee is a sport management major graduating in May from Willow Grove, Pa. He is awarded the Chambliss Academic Achievement Award Silver Medal in the category of noteworthy achievements in athletics. Lee is the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division Athlete of the Year for 2019. He is a two-time all-region basketball player and four-time All-PSAC selection. He graduates with 2,292 career points, second in school history and fourth in PSAC history. He is also the school-record holder for points in a game, points in a season, scoring average for a season, three-pointers made in a game, season and career, as well as three-point percentage in a season and career, and free-throw percentage in a season. He is a two-year team captain, a seven-time PSAC Athlete of the Week and is a member of KU's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. He finished his basketball career scoring in double-figures in 59 straight games. Lee plans to play professional basketball before pursuing a collegiate coaching career. Will Reichard-Flynn is a geology major graduating in May from Mertztown, Pa. He is awarded the Chambliss Academic Achievement Award Silver Medal in the category of successfully completed research projects. Reichard-Flynn worked with physical sciences professor, Dr. Ed Simpson, to discover biogenetic structures in the Early Cretaceous Cedar Mountain Formation in Utah. He researched dung beetle trace fossils and presented his findings along with two abstracts at the Northeast Geological Society of America meeting in March 2018. He then performed a detailed examination of microbial-induced sedimentary structures. Reichard-Flynn presented these findings at the National Geological Society of America's November 2018 meeting. Reichard-Flynn has been recognized for his work by world-famous scholars and has multiple papers under review for publication. He has also co-authored several other papers and presented at regional, national and international meetings. Reichard-Flynn plans to attend graduate school to continue his research. Devon Stackonis is a native of Boyertown, Pa. She graduated in December 2018 summa cum laude with a bachelor's degree in studio art and painting. Stackonis is awarded the Chambliss Academic Achievement Award Silver Medal in the category of high-quality original artwork. Stackonis' artwork depicts high-quality craftsmanship and drawing ability, in addition to her extensive knowledge of printmaking. Her work has been included in more than 16 regional exhibitions. She also attended the Southern Graphics International Conference in April 2018 and participated in an open portfolio session. She is the recipient of multiple KU scholarships and is a member of the Printmakers Society of the Lehigh Valley. Stackonis currently serves as an artist-in-residence printmaking assistant at Bucknell University. Stackonis plans to attend graduate school, after which she hopes to teach art and continue to produce and exhibit her paintings and prints. Briana Zdradzinski is a native of Reading, Pa. She graduated in December 2018 magna cum laude with a bachelor's degree in sociology. Zdradzinski is awarded the Chambliss Academic Achievement Award Silver Medal in the category of outstanding service to the KU community. Zdradzinski served as KU's representative in 2017 at a regional meeting of Governor Tom Wolf's education taskforce on improving the education system for groups such as high school students, first generation college students and people who have been incarcerated. She also served as a KU Presidential Ambassador and completed more than 85 hours of volunteer service. She has volunteered with KU's orientation office to design logos, create videos and recruit students as part of a support program for first generation college students. Zdradzinski founded KU's chapter of the Tau Sigma National Honors Society for Transfer Students and was a member of the Alpha Kappa Delta International Honor Society in sociology. Zdradzinski was a Dean's List student as well as a recipient of the KU Foundation Scholarship. She is currently a graduate student in KU's public administration program and aspires to work in higher education with her underlying goal of helping students succeed. Copper Medals Sara Keeny is a criminal justice major graduating in May from Warminster, Pa. She is awarded the Chambliss Academic Achievement Award Copper Medal in the category of noteworthy achievements in athletics. Keeny is one of four softball players in school history to carry a career batting average over 400. She is a three-time All-Atlantic Region and All-Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) First Team selection, as well as a three-time PSAC Scholar-Athlete. She was the 2016 PSAC Freshman of the Year, the 2016 KU Female Freshman of the Year, and is a two-time PSAC Athlete of the Week. She ranks third in school history with more than 100 career stolen bases and ranks in the top-10 with more than 200 career hits. Last summer, Keeny interned at a juvenile detention center as part of her education in criminal justice. She plans to pursue a career in law enforcement. Justin Reel is a biology major specializing in ecology who graduates in May from Upper Chichester, Pa. He is awarded the Chambliss Academic Achievement Award Copper Medal in the category of successfully completed research projects. Reel worked with biology professor, Dr. Todd Underwood, to examine instances of parasitism by brown-headed cowbirds among red-winged blackbirds in Berks County. He performed an extensive literature review of more than 90 published studies concerning cowbird parasitism, created model cowbird eggs for his experiments, and worked in the field to collect and process his data. Reel will present his findings at the June 2019 American Ornithological Society conference in Anchorage, Alaska. He is also the recipient of the Ornithological Society's Student Membership Award as well as multiple KU research grants. Reel plans to pursue his passion as a field biologist studying bird behavior and ecology. Samantha Paine is a native of Allentown, Pa. She graduated in December 2018 summa cum laude with a dual degree in English and professional writing. She is awarded the Chambliss Academic Achievement Award Copper Medal in the category of outstanding service to the KU community. Paine was a tutor in the Writing Center, an honor reserved for only the best undergraduate writers, as well as the editor for Shoofly magazine and contributing writer to the HerCampus KU women's blog. She served as a writer, section editor and the editor-in-chief of The Keystone Newspaper, the university's student newspaper. She also served as a KU Presidential Ambassador. Paine interned for the Women's Resource Center, where she used her writing and media skills to build the center's online presence, created new informational materials and focused the community's attention on gender issues. She was a Dean's List student and the recipient of numerous KU scholarships. Paine plans to pursue a career as a writer and editor to tell the stories of her community.

Morganne Bennett, an education of the visually impaired major in her junior year at Kutztown University, is spending her spare time in the lab this semester.

Sara Wingert, a senior anthropology major from Lehighton, Pa., has been awarded the Silver Chambliss Student Academic Achievement Award for successfully completed research projects. Sara's research allowed her to replicate stone and wooden tipped spears to assist her in learning about past cultures way of life. The research was done to aid archaeologists with documentation of bow and arrow use in different parts of the world. Sara has also completed the Pennsylvania German Studies Minor and was one of the first recipients of the KU Bears research grant. She has served as a Presidential Ambassador and in the fall of 2016, gave a presentation about the summer archaeological field school to the Kutztown University Council of Trustees. She is Kutztown University's nominee for the Syed R. Ali-Zaidi Award for Academic Excellence in the PaSSHE system, an award granted to one graduating senior within the PaSSHE system. In the future, Sara plans to attend University College Dublin, where she was awarded a scholarship, for their program in experimental archaeology and material culture.

Fikir D. Wordofa a senior biology and psychology major with minors in bio-chemistry and bioethics, from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, has been awarded the Silver Chambliss Student Academic Achievement Award for successfully completed research projects. She is currently working on a historical/ biological research project focused on the efficacy of Ethiopian traditional medicine. Fikir held an internship with Reading Hospital during which she played a key role in a research project. She started her long term research project while she was still in high school. The research could have a major impact on medical care in Ethiopia where traditional medicine is commonly used. She has been a member of the Kutztown University Honors Program, on the Dean's List, and a KU Health Ambassador since fall 2014. In the future, Fikir plans on attending medical school and has already been accepted into Temple University's program. Once becoming a doctor, she plans to set up programs that combine traditional and western medicine to best treat the ill in Ethiopia.

Matthew Harris, a senior history major from Pine Grove, Pa., has been awarded the Silver Chambliss Student Academic Achievement Award for successfully completed research projects. Matt wrote a paper focused on the topic of what would happen to freed slaves after the Civil War. He is also completing research that examines U.S. military burial ceremonies and customs. Matthew has presented four papers, at local, regional, and national conferences and has also held an internship with the Kutztown Area Historical Society where he digitized and indexed its publications. He is also a part of the honors program and the National History Honorary Society, Phi Alpha Theta. In the future, Matthew plans to obtain an advanced degree in history and has already been accepted into Temple University's program.

Tiffany Visgaitis, a senior physics and astronomy major from Whitehall, Pa., has been awarded the Gold Chambliss Student Academic Achievement Award in the category of successfully completed research projects. Tiffany used the on-campus observatory telescope to co-discover two new exoplanets as well as co-authoring two peer reviewed professional publications detailing the discoveries. Tiffany also attended a conference where she presented her research and participated in workshops intended for graduate students. She also recently traveled to Italy where she worked on a computer code used in exoplanet discovery and presented the work she did there at the winter meeting of the American Astronomical Society. Her work on exoplanet detection has been ongoing for three years now since spring of 2015. She has been on the Dean's List every semester since fall 2015, received the KU College of Liberal Arts & Sciences Dean's Scholar Award in spring 2016, and is the recipient of the Deborah A. James Women in Physics Scholarship for the 2017-2018 school year. In the future, Tiffany plans to attend graduate school and earn a Ph.D. in astrophysics and has already been offered a position in the Case Western Reserve University program.

Margot Shrift, a senior environmental science and biology major from New Philadelphia, Pa., has been awarded the Copper Chambliss Student Academic Achievement Award for successfully completed research projects. Her research was focused on species richness and diversity of plant-dwelling spiders which won an award for the quality of the presentation at the Commonwealth of Undergraduate Biologists Conference in April 2017. In the summer of 2017 she earned a position at the Cary Institute of Ecosystem, Millbrook, New York. Margot has also volunteered at Hawk Mountain Sanctuary and has assisted in the removal of invasive understory plants. She has been awarded the KU Star Student Award as well as the National Science Foundation KU STEM Tuition Scholarship Award.

Shannon Golden, a senior mathematics and secondary education major from Allentown, Pa., has been awarded the Silver Chambliss Student Academic Achievement Award for successfully completed research projects. Shannon has conducted research as a part of the Research Experiences for Undergraduates program at Lafayette College. She has presented research related to her work at the Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program and at the Algebraic and Extremal Graph Theory, an international conference held at the University of Delaware. Shannon has also presented her work in San Diego at the Joint Mathematics Meeting. She has also worked with others to prepare a paper which will be submitted to a peer reviewed journal, Discrete Mathematics. She is a member of the Kappa Mu Epsilon National mathematics Honor Society as well as the Phi Kappa Phi National Honor Society. In the future, Shannon plans to attend graduate school where she will pursue a Ph.D. in mathematics.

Jenna Ruoss, a senior biology and environmental science major from Wernersville, Pa., has been awarded the Copper Chambliss Student Academic Achievement Award for successfully completed research projects. Jenna has worked with two professors on different projects. In her research, Jenna explored what terrestrial vertebrates were visiting local streams and contributing to the diversity of parasitic worms cycling through the animal community. In March 2018, she presented the results of her research at the 7th International Symposium on Cecidology in Taiwan and is also one of two students to present at Undergraduate Research Day at the Capitol in Harrisburg. Jenna has been on Dean's List every semester she has been here at KU. In the future, she plans on continuing her education and has applied to the PhD program at Ball State University.

Joseph Ritzko, a senior mathematics and physics major from Auburn, Pa., has been awarded the Copper Chambliss Student Academic Achievement Award in the category of successfully completed research projects. Joseph alongside his research partner have worked on a project that could save the Borough of Kutztown up to $18,000 over the span of five years. Working with the Kutztown Wastewater Treatment Plant, Joseph and his research partner determined a way to utilize the Methane produced at the plant and use the methane to fuel the operations of the plant. Joseph has presented this research at Math Fest, an annual summer meeting of the Mathematics Association of America, held in Chicago in July 2017. He plans to pursue a career in mathematical research in industry work.

Brandon Raguz, a senior marine biology major from Chalfont, Pa., has been awarded the Copper Chambliss Student Academic Achievement Award in the category of noteworthy achievements in athletics. Brandon is an All American pole-vaulter that in May 2017, qualified for nationals and earned All American second team honors. He has five consecutive top five finishes at the PSAC Championships. Brandon is also a four time All-Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) honoree and has also been named to the All-Academic Team selected by the coaches association. This season on the indoor circuit, Brandon posted a career-best mark and NCAA provisional mark of 16-4.75. It was the best mark of his indoor career by more than four inches to rank fourth in school history.

Carly Plesic, a senior history and anthropology major from Harrisburg, Pa., has been awarded the Copper Chambliss Student Academic Achievement Award in the category of successfully completed research projects. Carly will present her work on how universities and local historical societies can work with one another at the Mid-Atlantic Regional Archives Conference this month in Hershey. In April of 2017 she presented research at the 82nd meeting of the Society of American Archaeology in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada and has also presented at Undergraduate Research Day in Harrisburg, Pa. She has made the Dean's List every semester since her freshman year and was the recipient of the Ester Willits scholarship, a highly competitive scholarship bestowed upon students with superior GPA's, in Spring 2017. In the future, Carly plans to attend graduate school with a focus in history or anthropology.

Allison Landino, a senior communication design major from Gilbertsville, Pa., has been awarded the Copper Chambliss Student Academic Achievement Award for original artwork of high quality. Allison designed a 28 page branding manual for Blum Garden & Teahouse which has received recognition from the Flux AIGA Blue Ridge student competition by being selected as a winner by a panel of external professional designers. Aside from the creation of the branding manual, Allison has been the photography editor for the Keystone Newspaper and held internships with the Vanguard Group as well as the Kyle David Group. She has been on the Dean's List every semester since she arrived at KU, and has also received the Board of Governor's Scholarship as well as the Presidential Award for Academic Excellence. Allison hopes to work for firms specializing in branding new companies and is also considering furthering her education at the graduate level.

Jacob Christ, a senior physics and mathematics major from New Tripoli, Pa., has been awarded the Copper Chambliss Student Academic Achievement Award in the category of successfully completed research projects. For his research project, Jacob spent three years studying aspects of the Quantum Hall effect and was able to create optimal conditions to create the best reproduction of the Hofstadter butterfly, a famous fractal pattern which has never been created in experiments until now. Jacob has worked on this project for three years with Professor Kunal K. Das and has presented his research at the Division of Atomic Molecular and Optical Physics annual meeting, an international conference focused on atomic physics. In 2017, he was the only student to present his research at the KU Faculty Recognition Ceremony for grants and sponsored projects. Jacob has a 4.0 GPA and in the future plans to pursue his Ph.D. in physics.

Adam Cole, a senior geology major from Washington, NJ, has been awarded the Council on Undergraduate Research - Geosciences Division (GeoCUR) Award for Excellence in Student Research. Cole was a part of a research team that was focused on quantifying sediment transportation in a small stream setting. Cole was nominated by Dr. Erin Kraal for his exemplary efforts in finding and defining an independent research project, demonstrating leadership and his persistence in the face of challenges. She also noted that he presented his research at a national conference. The Council on Undergraduate Research was founded in 1978 and its mission is to support and promote high-quality undergraduate research in all academic disciplines. The Geosciences Division was founded in 1986 and is in its fifth year of handing out this award. For more information, visit www.cur.org and https://geocur.org.

Emily Sakal, a senior history major from Phoenixville, Pa., conducted research to find the validity of whether or not Thanksgiving truly began with the Pilgrims. Sakal's area of focus was history, more specifically "How Thanksgiving has been celebrated in our history in different regions and at different times". The research focused on the historical purpose of Thanksgiving as a national celebration was a means to celebrate our national creed of equality, to ask forgiveness for our national sin of slavery. However, this is drastically different from what American society is accustom, where it symbolizes the meal between Pilgrims and Indians.