Kutztown University of Pennsylvania

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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

Jiao Xu, of Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, China, has been awarded a Copper Chambliss Student Academic Achievement Award from Kutztown University. It is the highest honor awarded by the university.

Daniel Aston has been awarded the Bright and Lucille Beck Award in American History at Kutztown University. Bright W. Beck was a 1907 graduate of Keystone State Normal School (KSNS). He was chair of the social studies department at KSNS and Kutztown State Teachers College. He later became dean of men at the school, retiring in 1951. He passed away in 1970.

Carolyn Wasser has been awarded the Anthony J. Mazzaferri Award for Distinguished Scholarship in History at Kutztown University. The award was established in memory of Dr. Anthony J. Mazzaferri, former professor of history, by Dr. Annette Mazzaferri, wife and emerita professor of speech and theater.

The Kutztown University track & field programs earned team and individual academic awards from the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) for the 2015-16 season on Thursday. The women's track & field team earned an All-Academic Team award for holding a 3.29 GPA last year. On the women's side, seniors Corinne Manela and Emma Sullivan and sophomore Macey Tanseco earned All-Academic status. Brandon Raguz represented the men's team with an All-Academic award.

Six members of the Kutztown University women's bowling team have been named to the East Coast Conference (ECC) Commissioner's Honor Roll for the 2015-16 academic year.