Kutztown University of Pennsylvania

Kutztown University has announced 15 student-athletes will represent its women's swimming team for the 2022-2023 season. Read the full season preview here. Kutztown University women's swimming will have plenty of new faces on the 2022-23 roster, turning over a new page for the program this year. Head coach Tim Flannery, entering his 26th season leading the Golden Bears, is excited to be leading a newer group, one that is getting back to normal routine of a collegiate swim season. "My mindset is to be getting back to normal," said Flannery. "We were in a COVID-19 mode with the cancellation of the 20-21 season and then trying to get the team through 21-22 season after having so much time off and Covid-19 still hanging around. It's great to be back to normalcy. We'll still have to dodge illness, but the past two years I just want to forget and hope not to repeat. We're going to make up for lost time. We are light years ahead of where we were last year at the same time." Kutztown opens its 2022-23 season at Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference opponent, Shippensburg, Wednesday, Sept. 28, at 5:30 p.m. KU's home opener is set for homecoming Saturday, Oct. 22, hosting Lock Haven.

Kutztown University will have 18 student-athletes representing its men's and women's tennis teams for the 2022-2023 season. The Golden Bear women play Friday, Sept. 23, at Mary Baldwin and return home Saturday, Sept. 24, vs. Frostburg State. Read more about the KU tennis teams at www.KUBears.com.

Kutztown University has announced eight student-athletes will represent its women's golf team for the 2022-2023 season. The Golden Bears open their season Thursday, Sept. 8, at the Albright Invitational. KU plays at Le Moyne (Sept. 10-11), Dickinson (Sept. 24) and Alvernia (Sept. 27) in Septmeber, before hosting the Kutztown Fall Invitational Oct. 2-3 at Moselem Springs Golf Club, Fleetwood, Pa.

Kutztown University will have 30 student-athletes representing its field hockey program for the 2022 season. Read the full season preview online Kutztown University field hockey has been on one of the more successful runs in program history over the last three seasons. KU is two seasons removed from a 15-win, 2019 season, which included a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference runner-up finish and a trip to the NCAA Division II Final Four. Under nine-year head coach Marci Scheuing, the Golden Bears have qualified for three consecutive PSAC postseason tournaments. Before that run, the Maroon and Gold made the big dance once since 2010. The 2022 program is well positioned to continue the winning trend and compete for its first ever PSAC and NCAA championship. Kutztown had six players exhaust eligibility or move on following the 2021 campaign, but there is a large number of experienced returners back to lead the way. Kutztown opens its 2022 regular season with four consecutive home games. KU will be hosting a four-team tournament and will open with Saint Michael's on Saturday, Sept. 3, at 11 a.m., at Andre Reed Stadium. The Maroon and Gold will then play Southern Connecticut State the following day at 1:30 p.m.

Kutztown University has announced 105 student-athletes will represent its football team for the 2022 season. Read the full season preview here. Following the most successful season in program history, Kutztown University football is ready for an encore performance in 2022. It was a banner year for the Maroon and Gold in 2021, winning 11 games for the second consecutive season, capturing the program's second PSAC championship and advancing to the NCAA Division II quarterfinals. A bitter ending one play shy of the national semifinals undoubtedly fuels Kutztown's appetite heading into a new campaign. It has been a steady uphill climb for Kutztown under head coach Jim Clements, who arrived on campus in 2014. The two-time reigning AFCA Region 1 and PSAC East Coach of the Year guided the Golden Bears to winning records in each of his previous seven seasons at the helm and has 14 winning seasons in 15 overall going back to his time at Division III Delaware Valley (2006-13). The Golden Bears are ranked 13th in the AFCA Preseason Top 25 and 14th in the D2Football.com Preseason Top 25. Kutztown opens its 2022 campaign on the road at Assumption University on Saturday, Sept. 3, at noon. The home opener from Andre Reed Stadium is slated for the following Saturday, Sept. 10, against California (Pa.) at noon.

Kutztown University has announced 13 student-athletes will represent its women's cross country team for the 2022 season. Read the full season preview here. With another year of experience under its belt, the Kutztown University women's cross country team is ready to take another step forward in 2022. Unlike their counterparts on the men's side of the program, the women's team has an experienced roster of 10 upperclassmen and only three underclassmen. The Golden Bears open the season this Saturday, Sept. 3 at the Salisbury Invitational down in Salisbury, Md. KU's first home meet will be the DII/DIII challenge, which will take on Friday, Sept. 16.

Kutztown University has announced 13 student-athletes will represent its men's cross country team for the 2022 season. Read the full season preview here. After an up and down 2021 season and a large amount of roster turnover, the Kutztown men's cross country team is retooling and ready to go for the 2022 regular season. The Golden Bears were ranked eighth in last week's PSAC preseason poll and unranked in the NCAA DII Atlantic Region preseason poll, giving the team some extra motivation heading into the 2022 season. KU's season starts with the Salisbury Invitational this Saturday, Sept. 3. The first home meet for the Golden Bears will be the DII/DIII Challenge on Friday, Sept. 16.

Kutztown University and the Kutztown University Foundation have named 11 students as Presidential Ambassadors for the 2022-2023 school year. Founded in 1997, the Presidential Ambassadors is a Kutztown University student organization that works directly with the President's Office and the Kutztown University Foundation and Alumni Relations. The mission of the group is to support events that connect current students with alumni, faculty, staff and university friends, to act as ambassadors of the university and to create new traditions which enhance KU Pride. The Presidential Ambassadors' major fundraiser is the Tuition Sweepstakes. The winner of the sweepstakes is awarded one semester of in-state tuition to Kutztown University. Proceeds from the sweepstakes benefit ambassador programs and Kutztown University, including support of Dinner with Golden Bears, Grin and Bear It, Professional Headshots for KU Juniors and Senior, Love a Donor Week, Ladies Tea Scholarship, General Fund Scholarship, Play for Kay, Wounded Warrior 5k Race, campus and community wide events as well as many other events geared towards philanthropic efforts. The organization strives to build philanthropy and stewardship with the Kutztown University community. Learn more at https://www.kuf.org/alumni/kupa.

Kutztown University announced that 306 students will be part of the university's Honors Program in 2022-2023. The Honors Program at Kutztown University provides high-achieving students with opportunities to engage in scholarship, leadership and service. The program, which is undergraduate in nature and open to full-time students, is comprised of a minimum of 21 credits in Honors courses including a senior Honors capstone project. The 21 Honors credits count toward the students' minimum of 120 credits that are regularly required for graduation. Honors students select specially designed Honors courses, course-by-contracts, independent studies and internships to earn Honors credit. Students are also required to complete 30 hours of community service before graduation. Learn more at https://www.kutztown.edu/about-ku/administrative-offices/honors-program.html.

The Kutztown University Marching Unit (KUMU), an energetic part of the campus community, provides music, marching and entertainment for all KU Golden Bears football games, select away games, marching band festivals/competitions, professional sporting events, parades and campus spirit building activities. Under the direction of professor Daniel Neuenschwander, KUMU has announced its 2022 roster.

Kutztown University will have 18 student-athletes representing its women's volleyball program for the 2022 season. Read the full season preview online For the first time since 1996, the Kutztown University women's volleyball team will be under the direction of someone other than John Gump. KU's all-time winningest coach, Gump retired following the 2021 season, his 24th season in charge, and first-year head coach, Allison Keeley, is ready to lead the program beginning with the 2022 campaign. The Golden Bears begin competition at the Southern New Hampshire University/Saint Anselm tournament this weekend, Aug. 27-28. KU takes on the Penmen at 11 a.m., followed by a match with D'Youville at 1 p.m., on Saturday. On Sunday, Kutztown has a rematch with the Saints at 1 p.m., followed by a match against the Hawks at 3:30 p.m.

Kutztown University will have 32 student-athletes representing its women's soccer program for the 2022 season. Read the full season preview online Kutztown University women's soccer is coming off a successful 2021 season, recording a program record in conference victories and winning the division. KU will look to accomplish more and win a championship this fall as the 2022 season kicks off later this week. The Golden Bears registered a 17-1-2 record and captured the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference East title with a program record 15 league victories (15-1-0, 45 pts.) last year. Head coach Erik Burstein's team went on to earn the top seed in the Atlantic Region and hosted NCAA Tournament first and second round games, but did not win a game in PSACs or NCAAs. But Burstein is looking ahead to this season and looking to improve in all facets of the game. "For me, I am not thinking about championships, I am thinking about progress, always," said Burstein. "We had a great year last year, a memorable year, but that was last year. We have new players; we have different strengths, and we are working on a few different concepts. If we begin talking about potentially winning the PSAC Tournament, we lose focus on the things we need to be talking about and details get overlooked. We won't do that. This team has incredible potential, and I am extremely excited and confident about what the season has in store for us." The Golden Bears are ranked 13th in the nation, following the release of the United Soccer Coaches NCAA Division II Preseason Poll at the beginning of August. They were also picked to finish first in the PSAC East preseason poll.

Kutztown University continued to set new department highs as a school-record 128 Golden Bears earned Division 2 Athletic Directors Association (D2 ADA) Academic Achievement Award status, announced by the organization on Tuesday. The 128 recipients breaks last year's previous record of 120. It is the third consecutive year that KU has set a new school record in student-athletes on the list. It is also the fourth straight year that the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) has the largest number of student-athlete honorees with 1,709 total. In total, there were a record breaking 16,639 student-athletes from 169 institutions recognized. The Academic Achievement Awards, in its 15th year, is a program that recognizes the academic accomplishments of student-athletes at the Division II level. In order for a student-athlete to be eligible to receive an Academic Achievement Award, they must: have a cumulative grade point average of 3.5 or higher on a 4.0 scale, have completed a minimum of two years (four semesters) of college level work and have been an active member of an intercollegiate team during his or her last academic year.

Kutztown University is pleased to welcome the newest members of the Golden Bear family, including both new incoming freshmen and transfer students, for the upcoming 2022 fall semester.

The National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) announced its Easton/NFCA All-America Scholar Athlete honors for the 2021-22 academic year, and 12 Kutztown University softball student-athletes were among the over 1,600 student-athletes honored by the association. In order to be named an Easton/NFCA All-America Scholar-Athlete, student-athletes must have achieved a 3.5 GPA or higher for the 2021-22 year. The Golden Bears represented on the list include Hannah Auvil (Baltimore, Md./Sparrows Point), Amber Brugger (Levittown, Pa./Neshaminy), Naya Darnowski (Manchester, N.J./Manchester Township), Paige Donnelly (Succasunna, N.J./Roxbury), Kristin Geesey (Bainbridge, Pa./Elizabethtown), Aysha Gibbs (Mount Joy, Pa./Donegal), Haley Gravish (Hamburg, Pa./Hamburg), Brittany Hubler (Hatboro, Pa./Hatboro-Horsham), Jenna Lipowski (Nanticoke, Pa./Greater Nanticoke Area), Hannah Reimel (Warminster, Pa./William Tennent), Paola Texidor (Reading, Pa./Exeter Township) and Zoe Texidor (Reading, Pa./Exeter Township).

The Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) recently unveiled its 2021-22 academic awards and Kutztown University was well represented. The Golden Bears were named an All-Academic Team and five players claimed Scholar-Athlete honors. A total of 110 NCAA Division II programs met the team grade point average (GPA) threshold of 3.2 to be recognized as All-Academic Teams. KU was one of six teams from the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference featured on the list along with Bloomsburg, IUP, Millersville, Slippery Rock and West Chester. Kutztown's Jessika Klo (Bethlehem, Pa./Freedom), Sarah Lazarchak (Nazareth, Pa./Nazareth), Catherine Maher (Shillington, Pa./Berks Catholic), Claudia Makarski (Garfield, N.J./Paramus Catholic) and Brianna Wendling (Kutztown, Pa./Kutztown) were among 715 DII players recognized as ITA Scholar-Athletes. To be eligible for the honor, student-athletes must have had a GPA of 3.5 or higher during the 2021-22 academic year.

The Kutztown University men's tennis team received All-Academic Team status from the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA), while six Golden Bears were named ITA Scholar-Athletes, the organization recently announced. KU, under the direction of first-year head coach Wyatt Pauley, was one of 74 NCAA Division II teams to exceed the ITA's required 3.2 team grade point average (GPA) during the 2021-22 academic year. The Maroon and Gold were joined in representing the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) by Mercyhurst University. Individual players needed to register a 3.5 GPA during the 2021-22 academic year to claim Scholar-Athlete honors. Achieving that for the Golden Bears were Sebastian Arizpe (Puebla, Mexico/Colegio Humboldt de Puebla), Gonzalo Barcelo (San Pedro, Argentina/Nuestra Senora del Socorro), Neal Devkaran (Fairfax, Va./Paul VI Catholic), Bobby Frankenfield (Telford, Pa./Souderton), Justin Gincauskas (Mississauga, Ontario/Cawthra Park Secondary) and Ethan Moyer (Wernersville, Pa./Conrad Weiser). A total of 545 Division II men's student-athletes were honored as Scholar-Athletes overall.

Four Kutztown University men's basketball players were recognized for their academic performance by the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC), Tuesday morning.

More than 1,850 students have been named to the Spring 2022 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.

Steady improvement by the Kutztown University women's lacrosse team in 2022 came with postseason recognition for three players, as junior Cyrose Conteh (Elizabethtown, Pa./Elizabethtown) and freshmen Lailah ElBouazzaoui (Bridgewater, N.J./Bridgewater-Raritan) and Sam Graf (Wayne, N.J./Wayne Hills) were named to the All-Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Eastern Division Second Team. Conteh, an offensive-minded midfielder during her first two seasons with the program, developed into a reliable defender and her unmatched speed was an asset in the Golden Bears' transition game under first-year head coach Kristen Nicholson. The Elizabethtown, Pa., native led KU with 22 caused turnovers, ranked second in draw controls with 40 and third in ground balls with 35. She started all 17 games and has now played and started in 33 over three seasons. ElBouazzaoui burst on the scene with four multi-goal games to open her collegiate career. She netted a hat trick against Caldwell, March 3, before posting back-to-back five-goal performances at Lock Haven (March 5) and at Holy Family (March 9). The attack from Bridgewater, N.J., went on to register multiple goals in 12 of Kutztown's 17 games, including eight hat tricks. ElBouazzaoui led the Golden Bears with 43 goals (fifth most in a season in program history), shots (97) and draw controls (59). She was also the team's third-leading scorer with 46 points overall. ElBouazzaoui became KU's first 40-goal scorer since Sarah Gabriele in 2018, but she wouldn't be the only one to reach that milestone this season. Graf, a fellow all-conference selection, joined her with a hat trick in the Bears' final game of the season at Shepherd. The six-point effort against Shepherd on Saturday, April 30, capped an outstanding season by Graf, a game-changing midfielder from Wayne, N.J. She led all Kutztown players with 63 points, 21 assists, 14 free position goals and 75 shots on goal. Graf also ranked second in goals (42), second in total shots (95), second in caused turnovers (19), third in draw controls (39) and fifth in ground balls (29). The freshman amassed multiple goals and multiple assists in the same game five times over the course of the season and closed the campaign with consecutive six-point games at No. 4 West Chester, April 27, and at Shepherd, April 30. Conteh, ElBouazzaoui and Graf are Kutztown's first all-conference picks since the PSAC started honoring Eastern and Western Division teams in 2021. Prior to the divisional structure, the last time the Golden Bears had three all-league players was in 2016 with Courtney O'Neill named All-PSAC First Team and Sarah Gabriele and Lauren Huggins named Third Team.

Kutztown University has conferred degrees for more than 1,070 students for the 2022 spring 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 2022 spring 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 who have requested privacy (FERPA) are not listed publicly.

Kutztown University presented the Chambliss Student Academic Achievement Awards to six accomplished students Friday, April 8, in the Georgian Room at Old Main. Students who received awards were 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 (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. Vanessa Maybruck - Gold Medal Vanessa Maybruck is an Honors student, a mathematics and mathematics education dual major with a minor in biochemistry graduating in May from Allentown, Pa. Maybruck was awarded the Chambliss Academic Achievement Gold Medal for outstanding service to the university community and successfully completed research project(s). She has been actively involved in multiple organizations on campus, including the Mathematics Department Peer Mentor Program, the Kappa Mu Epsilon Honor Society, the KU Honors Club and the KU Choirs. She has made outstanding contributions to the KU chapter of the Association for Women in Mathematics (AWM) and the IOTA chapter of the Delta Alpha Pi International Honor Society. She has served as president of AWM for more than two years, where she co-organized and coordinated several events focused on empowering women, celebrating diversity and navigating male-dominated careers as women. It was primarily her leadership that made these events a success. Maybruck has made other significant contributions to the campus community through her efforts to promote disability awareness and improve campus accessibility for individuals with disabilities. She had multiple leadership roles as an active member of Delta Alpha Pi International Honor Society for Students with Disabilities (DAP) and is currently president. Under her leadership, DAP members worked to create guidelines for making large scale campus events more accessible to all, where she hopes to publish these guidelines for general campus use. Maybruck is KU's nominee for the State System's Syed R. Ali-Zaidi Award for Academic Excellence. Maybruck plans to obtain her Ph.D. in applied mathematics to become a professor and prolific mathematical modeler. Isaac Reiter - Gold Medal Isaac Reiter is an Honors student, a mathematics major graduating in May from Fleetwood, Pa. Reiter was awarded the Chambliss Academic Achievement Gold Medal for successfully completed research project(s). Reiter has been an active researcher and presenter in the areas of cryptography, number theory and graph theory. These areas of interest, along with his experience in computer programming, has led to two general research projects. His work with a project involving playing card cryptosystem led to a new discovery of vulnerabilities in current cryptosystems. His findings allowed him to improve the security of Card Chameleon and has created a new secure and efficient playing card system called VICCard. In his other project that focused on problems of graph theory, a field of discrete mathematics that studies network structure, Reiter has demonstrated an exceptional research ability. He currently has two publications on his research in reputable professional journals, a third publication in an undergraduate journal and has an Honors capstone thesis. He has presented his research at local conferences, graduate student seminars and regional and national professional conferences. Reiter intends to pursue a Ph.D. in mathematics and has a goal of becoming a professor. Kayla Argen - Silver Medal Kayla Argen is a sport management major graduating in May from Cresco, Pa. She was awarded the Chambliss Academic Silver Medal for noteworthy achievements in athletics. Argen was captain and center midfielder for the nationally ranked KU women's soccer team, where she helped lead the Golden Bears to a successful 17-1-2 season in 2021 and participate in the PSAC and NCAA tournaments. She was named to the United Soccer Coaches All-America First Team and D2CCA All-America Third Team, the eighth player in program history to earn All-America status and only the third to receive the recognition from multiple organizations in a single season. She has been an active member of the women's soccer program all three competitive seasons that she has been a student at KU, starting in 53 of 58 career games played. Argen led KU last year in scoring with 10 goals and five assists for 25 points, which ranked fourth in the PSAC. Throughout her career, she has 17 goals and 15 assists, fifth all-time in program history for career assists. These numbers have accounted for three years due to the 2020 season being canceled due to COVID-19. Argen is planning to return to the field this fall as the NCAA granted an extra year of eligibility due to COVID-19. Her future aspirations involve a professional athletic playing career and/or a career path working in the sports field. Corey Potter - Silver Medal Corey Potter is from Reinholds, Pa. and graduated in December with a degree in geology. He was awarded the Chambliss Academic Achievement Silver Medal for successfully completed research project(s). Throughout 2021, Potter completed two separate research projects with guidance from two different faculty members and exhibited outstanding research ability and skill. In one of his projects, he worked to create 3D computer models from photographs, adapt lab-based geology research and created a method for extracting geospatial data using his computer skills. Potter worked independently to create a clear workflow that future research students can use and devised a programming solution for gathering useful data from photogrammetric models. He presented his results in person at the annual Geological Society of America meeting in Portland, Oregon in Oct. 2021. This conference is an international professional event where undergraduate students are encouraged to attend and present cutting-edge scientific research. Most presentations are given by professionals in industry, government and academia and only a select few of undergraduate students. Potter has since graduated from KU and is now in graduate school at Missouri University of Science and Technology in Rolla, Mo. He is in the Petroleum Engineering program and is working on his Ph.D. Rylee Derr - Copper Medal Rylee Derr is from Lititz, Pa. and graduated in December with dual degrees in special education and elementary education. She was awarded the Chambliss Academic Achievement Copper Medal for noteworthy achievements in athletics. Derr has been a starter and member of the KU women's basketball team since 2017 and led the Golden Bears to two PSAC East titles, two PSAC Final Four appearances and the program's first NCAA Tournament since 1996. Derr is the all-time leading scorer in KU women's basketball history. She also holds the school record for three-pointers made in a game, season and career. She is a three-time All-PSAC selection, was the KU Freshman of the Year and has made the Dean's List and been named a PSAC Scholar-Athlete every year. She was the team captain this season and returned to complete her four years of athletics due to COVID-19. In doing so, she is pursuing her master's degree in education and her reading specialist certification. Derr aspires to become a teacher and remain involved in basketball. Shani Trebatoski - Copper Medal Shani Trebatoski is an art education and crafts major graduating in May from York, Pa. She was awarded the Chambliss Academic Achievement Copper Medal for successfully completed research project(s). Trebatoski has served as an undergraduate research assistant over the course of summer 2020 and summer 2021. Throughout the last 2+ years, she has been fully involved in the data collection and use of narrative methodologies during a research study funded by the National Art Education Foundation and a KU Bears Grant. During her study, she used narrative research - a qualitative method focused on gathering the stories of participants -to collect participants' lived experiences to better understand the complexity of being an educator in a changing teaching landscape with specific attention to how one's own identity impacts one's role as an educator. This research is timely, as the field of art education reflects and examines the role of professional identity on views of the learner and curriculum creation that promotes equity, diversity, inclusivity and accessibility. She has been an integral part of this project; she coded the data that was collected, organized and maintained the software that contains files pertinent to each participant, maintained a field/research journal, participated in data reflections and researched background material that was vital to the study. Trebatoski co-authored a research article that focused on how white educators engage in critical social action that has been accepted for publication. She also participated in state and national scholarly presentations. She is currently teaching elementary students in Reading, where the knowledge gained from this research is being actively utilized as she works with diverse learners. She will be serving elementary students in the Reading School District and will be presenting at the undergraduate KU Inspires research symposium this April.

Four Kutztown University students spent their spring break with a trip to Washington, D.C. to learn about the history of voting rights in the United States and the importance of enhancing voter access. During the trip, students also learned how to apply tactics to fight for voting rights and other problems in their communities and network with elected officials in Pennsylvania and across the country. Students Melanie Momphotes, Brandon Ramirez, Elizabeth Kolb and Leah Johnson spent time throughout the week reading, viewing a film, touring and meeting with elected officials and nonprofit organizations. They dove deep into material that outlined the support and opposition efforts for black voting rights both in the past and present. In doing so, they discussed the historical significance of how the ability to vote is a fundamental right to all citizens in America. Among the nonprofit organizations that the students met with during their excursion were Issue One, an organization dedicated to protecting U.S. elections, Congressional Management Foundation, another non-partisan nonprofit that builds trust and effectiveness in Congress, as well as Friends Place on Capitol Hill, which focuses on civic education and engagement for young individuals. This trip provided Momphotes, Ramirez, Kolb and Johnson with invaluable information about the importance of good government and how it impacts the lives of every citizen. Another key lesson they took away from their time in Washington, D.C. was how to apply the knowledge of the innerworkings of the congressional office to advocate for policies and initiatives that they are particularly passionate about. Students met with the Legislative Director and a member of the legislative team for Senator Bob Casey. Students met in the Dirksen Senate Office Building, where they received a tour and had the opportunity to discuss legislation that the Senator has been working on. They also visited the National Museum of American History and the National Museum of African American History and Culture and specifically interacted with exhibits focused on democracy and the history of African Americans in the United States as it relates to democracy, civil rights and voting rights.

Nine Kutztown University students won awards from Graphis Magazine for new talent. Students worked with university faculty and winning categories ranged from design, illustration, motion graphics film and video. Graphis is committed to presenting and promoting the work of exceptional talent in design, advertising, photography and art/illustration. In addition to the platinum, gold and silver winners, Graphis also embraces rising talent, all of whom have an equal Archive presentation. Award winners included: Platinum: Carly Kozacheck (design, illustration) Gold: Carly Kozacheck (design, vinyl) Gold: Patrick Langschwager (film/video, design, motion graphics) Silver: Carly Kozacheck (design, restaurant) Silver: Claire Johnson (design, exhibits) Silver: Sam Dillman (advertising, beauty & fashion) Silver: Mary Ann GanoungWilliams (design, poster) Honorable Mention: Emma Pearl Smith (design, editorial) Honorable Mention: Megan Laird (advertising, healthcare) Honorable Mention: Annie Kitchell (design, vinyl) Honorable Mention: Lynne O'Connor (design, packaging) Honorable Mention: Claire Johnson (advertising, food) View the award-winning work online at https://www.graphis.com/competition/new-talent-annual-2022/live-viewing/?category=&entry_type=&professor__school=45.

Kutztown University inducted 54 students into the Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society at the induction ceremony held Tuesday, Feb. 22. Phi Kappa Phi is an honor society established in 1897 to recognize and encourage superior scholarship without restriction as to area of study.

Kutztown University has conferred degrees for more than 450 students for the 2021 fall semester and 2022 winter session. 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 2021 fall semester and 2022 winter session. 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 who have requested privacy (FERPA) are not listed publicly.

Kutztown University will have 26 student-athletes representing its softball program for the 2022 season. Read the full season preview. Last year was one of the best seasons in recent memory for the Kutztown University softball team. KU, however, can still accomplish more and has the expectations to do so during the 2022 campaign. Coming off a 33 win season and a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) East Division first place finish in 2021, the Kutztown University softball team once again is viewed highly around the conference. KU was voted second in the East Division Preseason Poll. The Golden Bears finished last season 33-15 overall and 23-9 in the PSAC and came within one win of the conference championship series. The 23 PSAC wins is the most in program history in a season. They also made their first appearance in the NCAA Tournament since 2017 and 19th appearance overall in program history, going 1-2 while hosting the Division II Atlantic Region Championships. KU will return its entire starting lineup from the 2021 team and is a favorite, along with defending conference champion West Chester, to win the PSAC this season.

Kutztown University will have 31 student-athletes representing its baseball program for the 2022 season. Read the season preview online. For the first time since 2019, the Kutztown University baseball team will be able to play a more in-depth, non-conference schedule, leading up to its conference slate. KU opens its 2022 season this weekend with four games against Chowan University in Murfreesboro, N.C., beginning Saturday, Feb. 5. Last season, Kutztown's first game was on March 5, when it played four games at Frostburg State. That was the lone tune up for Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference competition. This year, KU has 14 games scheduled before it takes on Millersville in the PSAC and home opener on Friday, March 11. Kutztown finished the 2021 season 17-21 overall and 11-21 in the PSAC. The Golden Bears are set to bring back a majority of the roster from last season, including six of their hitters that were in the starting lineup in the final series against Millersville last May, and the top four of their pitching staff. Kutztown was picked sixth in the PSAC preseason poll and will look to improve upon that mark.

More than 1,920 students have been named to the Fall 2021 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.

Kutztown University has announced 29 student-athletes will represent its wrestling team for the 2021-2022 season. Read the full season preview here. The Golden Bears are 1-0 to start the season and return to action Jan. 8, 2022, at the Kutztown Duals. KU is led by head coach Robert Fisher, who is in his 21st year at the helm of the Golden Bears.