Kutztown University of Pennsylvania

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Zachary Lawlor has received the Outstanding Student Award from the Delaware Valley Geographical Association at Kutztown University. He is a senior studying applied geography.

Alison Kopsco has received the Alpha Kappa Delta Outstanding Senior Award at Kutztown University. Alpha Kappa Delta seeks to acknowledge and promote excellence in scholarship in the study of sociology,the research of social problems and such other social and intellectual activities as will lead to improvement in the human condition.

Emma Osle, a graduating senior from Sinking Spring, Pa., has been awarded a Gold Chambliss Student Academic Achievement Award from Kutztown University. It is the highest honor awarded by the university.

Brittany Larkin, from Cranberry Township, Pa., has been awarded a Gold Chambliss Student Academic Achievement Award from Kutztown University. It is the highest honor awarded by the university.

Margariete Malenda, a graduating senior from Fleetwood, Pa., has been awarded a Gold Chambliss Student Academic Achievement Award from Kutztown University. It is the highest honor awarded by the university.

Nathaniel Benjamin, of Zionsville, Pa., has been awarded a Silver Chambliss Student Academic Achievement Award from Kutztown University. It is the highest honor awarded by the university.

Adam Cooper, of Palmyra, Pa., has been awarded a Silver Chambliss Student Academic Achievement Award from Kutztown University. It is the highest honor awarded by the university.

Chelsea Johnson, of Lititz, Pa., has been awarded a Silver Chambliss Student Academic Achievement Award from Kutztown University. It is the highest honor awarded by the university.

Jordan Morgan of Philadelphia, Pa., has been awarded a Silver Chambliss Student Academic Achievement Award from Kutztown University. It is the highest honor awarded by the university.

Trevor Arnold, of Tamaqua, Pa., has been awarded a Copper Chambliss Student Academic Achievement Award from Kutztown University. It is the highest honor awarded by the university.

Emma Billig, of Kutztown, Pa., has been awarded a Copper Chambliss Student Academic Achievement Award from Kutztown University. It is the highest honor awarded by the university.

Emily Bogner, of Lancaster, Pa., has been awarded a Copper Chambliss Student Academic Achievement Award from Kutztown University. It is the highest honor awarded by the university.

Alaina Curry, of York, Pa., has been awarded a Copper Chambliss Student Academic Achievement Award from Kutztown University. It is the highest honor awarded by the university.