Kutztown University of Pennsylvania

Big things were expected of Casey Remolde when she joined the Kutztown University women's basketball team and she delivered in short order. Remolde had a stellar freshman campaign on her way to PSAC East Defensive Athlete of the Year honors. Thursday, she was announced as the 2019-20 KU Female Freshman of the Year. Remolde, a native Philadelphian, was the PSAC's second-leading shot blocker with 63 (2.2 per game). That tied her for fourth all-time in a season at KU and marked the most blocks in a season since Advia Campbell's school-record 76 in 2013-14. Her 114 free throws made rank tied for third in a season in KU history. The well-rounded guard ranked second on the Golden Bears in scoring at 10.8 points per game, second in rebounding (5.3 rpg), second in steals (1.6 spg), third in field goal percentage (39.1%), third in free throw percentage (74.0%) and fourth in assists (1.8 apg). Remolde also averaged 28.2 minutes per game, the second-highest total on the team. Remolde was a three-time PSAC East Defensive Athlete of the Week, won PSAC East Athlete of the Week once and was named to the All-PSAC East Second Team. She supplied four blocks or more in seven games and swatted away a season-high five opposing shots three different times. In a Dec. 14, victory over Georgian Court at Keystone Arena, Remolde was a flawless 12-of-12 at the charity stripe on her way to a career-high 26 points. She also led the team with 21 points in a PSAC First Round game against Bloomsburg on March 2. Remolde is the second women's basketball player to claim KU Female Freshman of the Year honors in the last three years (Rylee Derr, 2017-18) and fifth overall. Previous winners from the program include Brianne Homyak (1997-98), Keri Suydam (1998-99), Sophia Vucetaj (2001-02) and Derr (2017-18).

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.

DownBeat Magazine, one of the premier and longest-running jazz and commercial music magazines in the U.S., has honored Kutztown University for the third year in a row, placing them in the Undergraduate College Outstanding Performance category of their annual Student Music Awards. In good company, KU's Rock Ensemble I shares the honor with ensembles from University of Miami and Vanderbilt University. The ensemble is under the direction of Dr. Kevin Kjos, director of commercial music studies, jazz minor, Rock Ensemble I and commercial composition at KU since 1998. With his guidance, ensemble students wrote arrangements for the songs performed and submitted to DownBeat for consideration. Students performed popular songs based on templates, without preexisting sheet music and altered it to fit their own unique sound, simulating what producers do in recording sessions. "Being part of the KU Rock Ensemble I has brought me wonderful opportunities," said student Bryan Rojas, one of the band's guitarists. "It has led me, as well as many other students, to have summer performance contracts throughout my entire time in the ensemble. I wouldn't have had half of the experiences of performing live during my years in college otherwise." The DownBeat Student Music Awards, founded in 1976, are considered the most prestigious awards in jazz education, often described as a "student-Grammy." Blind panels composed of award-winning professional musicians and educators select honorees from schools across the nation. Rock Ensemble I consists of Brianna Parry, Emeli Sosa, Ari Sepulveda, Michaela Miles on vocals, Mike Mester and Noah Adams on drums, Bryan Rojas and Kevin Almanza on guitar, keyboards by Bobby Rutherford and Aidan Burke, bass and guitar by Dylan Langschwager and Michael Schefflin, Dave Schucker and Christina Baker on trumpets, Joey Dupp and Aedan Drummond on saxophone and trombone work by Eric Wolfe and Erica Baab. The submissions were student-arranged, including an acoustic version of Message in a Bottle by The Police, Work it Out by Corey Henry and Who Knows Who by Orgone. The prestigious panels judge performances on criteria such as overall sound, stage and sound presence, interpretation, improvisation or creativity, technique, intonation, phrasing, dynamics, rhythm/timing and more. Hundreds of musicians, music-educators and music industry professionals received their first international recognition as DownBeat Student Music Award honorees. Even before becoming professionals, students are able to use this recognition to garner various scholarship opportunities. However, KU music students are already participating in the real world field of professional, commercial music, performing nonstop individually and outside of university performances as a band every-other Tuesday evening at the Kutztown Pub. "A famous music teacher once told me what it takes to be a great pro," said Kjos, "1) Play the heck out of the music. 2) Be willing to do what's asked of you, professionally. 3) Be a nice person. If you think of the other person first and you're a nice person, the world is easier to navigate. That's what this band does and all of our students incorporate that into their daily lives. They do get hired for more professional gigs. We've had people tell us, 'we hire Kutztown students because they're so nice.'" Rock and commercial music programs are relatively new to universities across the U.S. Without many previous models to lean on, KU faculty turned to their professional experience for curriculum design. Faculty pass on their dedication and experience, while guiding students who take the lead in their involvement in decision-making, mirroring the professional world. "We try to foster an atmosphere of collegiality, not competition. Everybody helps everybody else and the successes of our students aren't so much competitive as it is motivational. We want to empower the students as much as we can and new students will join the excellence," said Kjos. For more information on KU music programs, visit the department website or contact melchionne@kutztown.edu.

Kutztown University recently inducted students into its chapter of the Alpha Sigma Lambda honor society. The mission of Alpha Sigma Lambda is to be an honor society that partners colleges and universities to celebrate the scholarship and leadership of adult students in higher education. Inductees into the Kappa Upsilon or the KU chapter of ASL must have a minimum of a 3.2 GPA and have successfully completed at least 24 credits at Kutztown University. Alpha Sigma Lambda is not only the oldest, but also the largest, chapter-based honor society for full and part-time adult students who are pursuing their undergraduate degrees. The aim of the ASL is to provide recognition to highly motivated adult students who are continuing their undergraduate education while managing the responsibilities of work and family.

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 Kutztown University Department of Geography congratulates this year's recipients of department awards and scholarships: - Alton L. Justham Memorial Award for the senior geography major with the highest cumulative GPA; Samantha Butler. - C. Josephine Moyer Geography Award for an outstanding senior major in geography; Ryan Harbison. - 2020 Delaware Valley Geographical Association Award for an outstanding major; Samantha Butler. - Robert and Rosalin Ensminger Scholarship Award for an outstanding sophomore or junior geography major; Anna Wood.

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.

Nearly 1,300 Kutztown University students have been approved to receive their diplomas following the conclusion of the 2020 spring semester this Friday. While KU will not hold its traditional spring commencement, originally scheduled for May 8-9, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a formal on-campus commencement ceremony will be held at a later date. Nearly 1,100 students are slated to receive their bachelor's degrees, while 177 students will receive their graduate degrees, including 11 doctorate degrees. The university is celebrating its spring graduates with various activities online on its commencement coverage webpage.

Kutztown University's Shayla Scallorn of Red Lion, Pa., represented at the 2020 State System Startup Challenge. She presented her business, Anthology Marketing Studio. AMS is a digital agency for artists who want to make a living creating. Her goal is to simplify the marketing process for clients in fields such as fine art and photography. Tailored services include website copywriting, content planning, brand development and sales funnel strategy. These services help artists see themselves as business owners, not just creators, ultimately bringing them flexibility and financial security. Scallorn placed fourth and won $1,000.

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.

Freshman Casey Remolde's stout defensive prowess brought her home the league's top honor, while junior Rylee Derr was amongst the top overall players, highlighting Kutztown University women's basketball's postseason accolades, as voted on by the league's coaches. Remolde earned the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) East Division Defensive Athlete of the Year and Derr received All-PSAC East First Team recognition, announced by the league office Thursday. Remolde was also voted to the East Second Team. In her first collegiate season, Remolde broke out in a big way. The Philadelphia native was tied for the PSAC lead with 2.2 blocks per game and was 15th with 47 steals. Her 63 blocks was tied for fourth-most in a season in program history. Remolde was also 18th in the PSAC in free-throw percentage (74%) and averaged 10.8 ppg and 5.3 rpg in 28.2 minutes per game this season. In the classroom, Remolde was a member of the Dean's List this past fall. Derr netted her third All-PSAC honor, second straight First Team recognition. The Lititz native led KU in scoring (15.4 ppg) and rebounding (6.2 rpg), 12th and 19th in the PSAC respectively. Derr was second in the league in made 3-pointers (81) and fifth in 3-point percentage (36.3%) and also averaged 2.3 apg in 33.4 minutes per game. Her 1,382 career points ranks fourth all-time in program history, while her 256 made 3-pointers is a program best. Kutztown finished the year 18-11 overall and 15-7 in the PSAC, clinching a berth in the postseason for the fourth straight year.

Kutztown University's chapter of Chi Sigma Iota - Chi Omega Upsilon hosted an induction ceremony of new initiates Friday, April 10. The chapter was grateful to create a wonderful ceremony via Zoom for students and faculty to attend. During this ceremony, Chi Sigma Iota - Chi Omega Upsilon added 42 new members to their growing chapter. It also presented outstanding awards to the following students: Heidi Kelly (Outstanding Clinical Mental Health Counselor Award), Cesar Velasquez (Outstanding School Counselor Award), Megan Deptula (Outstanding Marriage, Couples and Family Counselor Award) and Cori White (Outstanding Alumni Award). Chi Sigma Iota is an international honor society for counseling students, professional counselors, and counselor educators. The society was established in 1985 by counseling professionals in the State of Ohio. Chi Sigma Iota's mission is to promote recognition to those in the counseling profession who have demonstrated excellence in the areas of scholarship, research, and clinical practice. The members are dedicated to the counseling profession and the advancement of the profession. The Chi Omega Upsilon Chapter was a new Charter Chapter organized in 2017, with Deborah L. Duenyas, Ph.D. as chapter faculty advisor. Membership Eligibility for membership is extended only to those students at Kutztown University in the Counselor Education Program who "have completed 9 credits and have a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or better."

Both Tarojae Brake and Wesley Butler put on the Maroon and Gold uniform for the first time in their collegiate careers this season, and each made their mark on the basketball landscape. The league took notice as the duo was named to the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) East Division Second Team, as voted on by the league's head coaches. Kutztown finished the season 11-17 overall and missed out on the conference tournament for just the first time in six years. Brake and Butler finished in the top-20 overall in the PSAC in scoring, 3-point percentage and free-throw percentage. It is the first All-PSAC selection for each Golden Bear. After sitting out last season following a two-year stint at Lock Haven, Brake made his mark for KU, being named a team captain before the start of the 2019-20 campaign. The Coatesville native finished the season averaging 16.0 points per game, 4.4 rebounds per game and 1.6 assists per game in 32.0 minutes per game. He was 16th in the conference in scoring, fourth in free-throw percentage (86.1%), seventh in 3-pointers made (64) and 12th in 3-point percentage (35.8%). Brake scored in double-figures in each of the last eight games and 14 of the last 15. Butler hit the ground running in his first collegiate season. The Reading High School product set a new Kutztown freshman record for points in a season with 510. Butler led KU and was eighth in the PSAC in scoring (18.2 ppg), fourth in 3-point percentage (40.9%), 11th in free-throw percentage (82.2%), 12th in field goal percentage (45.8%) and 15th in minutes per game (33.6). He played in all 28 games and scored in double-figures in 25 of them. In the classroom, Butler was also a member of the Dean's List following the fall semester. Kutztown graduated two seniors including Josh Townsend and Ryan 'Boz' Bernstein. KU will have a large number of returners that made contributions next season.

Eight members of the Kutztown University track & field teams earned All-Region recognition across five events, announced Monday from the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA). It is the second year in the last three that KU sported eight All-Region honorees, while it boasted 10 last year. To earn All-Region honors, an athlete must be one of the top-five individuals in their event in their respective region. In addition, each member of a region's top-three relay teams was also selected for the distinction. The eight regions used in NCAA DII are the Atlantic, Central, East, Midwest, South, South Central, Southeast and West. The KU men are all representatives of field events as both Harley Cheatham and Tommy Oliver from the high jump, Xavier Feliciano in the pole vault and Larry Brown from the weight throw all earned All-Region status. For the women, Ally Tama in the pole vault and Taye Dairo from the high jump are from field events, while Meghan Forsythe in the 400m and Julia Wiemken in the 800m represent the lone track events for KU. At the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Championships over the weekend, Forsythe, Feliciano and Tama all earned PSAC titles in their respective events. Wiemken posted a new PR of 2:17.62 in the 800m, which ranks seventh all-time in program history. Oliver finished sixth in the heptathlon and tied a personal-best mark of 1.98m (6-6) in the high jump, while Brown placed fourth in the weight throw at 17.55m (57-7). The outdoor season begins for the Golden Bears at the Golden Ram Invitational at the Washington and Lee Carnival in Lexington, Va., Friday, March 20.

Kutztown University has conferred degrees for more than 550 students for the Fall 2019 semester and Winter 2020 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 fall 2019 semester and winter 2020 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 listed multiple times have been awarded more than one degree. Students who have requested privacy (FERPA) are not listed publicly.

Kutztown University inducted 37 students into the Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society at the induction ceremony held Tuesday, Feb. 25. 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 will have 21 student-athletes representing its softball program for the 2020 season. The Golden Bears opened their season with a 4-5 record across their first two tournaments. Head coach Judy Lawes is in her 33rd season at KU, 19 wins shy of 1,000 for her career. KU will next hit the diamond for their spring break trip beginning Saturday, March 7, against Winston-Salem State in Winston-Salem, N.C. The Golden Bears will then play six days in Florida. Softball website

Kutztown University will have 26 student-athletes representing its baseball program for the 2020 season. The Golden Bears opened their season last weekend, Feb. 15-16, with a four-game split against Chowan University (NC). The wins gave first-year head coach Eric Folmar his first win as a head man in his collegiate debut as a head coach. Kutztown will next compete Saturday, Feb. 29, at Ohio Dominican for two games beginning at 1 p.m., followed by a game Sunday, March 1, at noon. Baseball website

Kutztown University will have 22 student-athletes representing its women's lacrosse program for the 2020 season. Read the full season preview. Every season under third-year head coach Jackie Stezzi, the Kutztown University women's lacrosse team has had its win total increase. Now in its third season in the regime, the KU program looks to continue to build upon the success and reach even bigger heights during the 2020 campaign. The Golden Bears finished the 2019 season with a 7-9 overall record, with five of those victories coming in conference play. The five Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) victories are the second most in a season in KU history. KU looks to match the program record of six league wins this year. Kutztown opens its regular season Saturday, Feb. 22, at the University of Bridgeport at 1 p.m. The home-opener for KU is slated for Wednesday, Feb. 26, at 4 p.m., against Caldwell University at Keystone Field.

Kutztown University proudly announces the six art students selected and awarded the 2020 Summer Workshop Scholarships. A committee of art department faculty selected the six undergraduate students from a pool of applications which will grant them the opportunity to study under master artisans over the summer. Thanks to generous donors, KU offers numerous cost-free master classes and mentorships every year to students. This year's Summer Workshop Scholarships are funded by award-winning artist, Sandra Corpora. The 2020 recipients include Jocelyn Belisle, Danielle Schwesinger, Taylor Schatz, Emily Nieberlien, Amy Haws and Nick Roberts. Each student will travel to participating schools and have the opportunity to work with nationally recognized artists in professional studios, housed in nurturing, artistic communities. The workshops provide opportunities to explore new perspectives, problem-solving methods and techniques. The young artists will be immersed in art-making and experimenting with a variety of new media and forms. As an enrichment to the hands-on curriculum already offered by Kutztown University, these students will be able to discover and explore new art forms that will help inspire and fuel their artistic experience. Schwesinger, Schatz and Belisle will attend the Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. Schwesinger will learn new techniques in wax that will help shape ideas for new bodies of work and exciting changes to existing work while attending Integumentary Experiments with Leslie Pearson. Schatz will be working with Brenda Lichman on a soda-firing class as part of her journey to becoming a successful artist and art educator. Belisle will attend Clay as a Canvas: Imagery of Porcelain hoping to broaden her knowledge and experience. "I want to develop a cohesive collection of ceramics that not only explores my truth but may also reach a wider audience," Belisle said. Nieberlien will travel to Farmington, Pa., for Chasing and Repousse at Touchstone Center of Crafts. Nieberlien connects the acquisition of technique and experience to ability as an artist, stating that this further allows her to better translate inspiration into a physical work. Haws will study with Paul Neilsen at Peters Valley School of Craft in Layton, N.J. Her class, Hand Carved Settings, is a technique which inspires her to improve her skills Roberts will attend Andrew and Kathryn Polk's Stone Lithography workshop at Penland School of Craft in Penland, N.C. Roberts expressed his interest in working with Kathryn Polk due to her elegant treatment of the lithographic process. To learn more about the Kutztown University Department of Art and the programs offered, visit the department website or contact art@kutztown.edu.

Kutztown University business administration and marketing senior Xena Karalis of Royersford, Pa., was awarded a $1,000 scholarship from Tau Sigma National Honor Society. Karalis is the current president of KU's Eta Mu chapter of Tau Sigma and the second KU student to date to receive a scholarship from Tau Sigma. Tau Sigma National Honor Society is a co-ed academic fraternity designed exclusively for transfer students. Their mission is to recognize and promote the academic excellence and involvement of transfers students. Tau Sigma sponsors an annual scholarship competition with awards totaling $100,000. Karalis transferred to KU from the University of Kansas. As an academic fraternity, Tau Sigma focuses on academics first. The scholarship rewards members who are dedicated to both the organization and their studies. "My mom encouraged me to transfer to Kutztown University as a better fit. She has always pushed me with encouragement. Tau Sigma has helped guide me to my success. The unique faculty and my peers that I've met through the business and marketing program have made me fall back in love with business," Karalis said. Karalis has been highly involved in recruitment and outreach efforts for the chapter. As a cancer survivor who lost her father to the same disease, Karalis was once told it was not likely she would make it to college. She is set to graduate in May, already employed by her own startup company. Partnered with family, Karalis' business produces hemp for CBD healthcare products. Participating in a progressive and growing medical field, she wants to help others recover and live without the pain and side-effects of cancer treatments and other treatable illnesses. "There was a time that I thought my future would be dark, but now it's nothing but light," Karalis said of her future. "I feel I am a part of something that is important to my success." For more information regarding Tau Sigma or other Kutztown University fraternal organizations, contact the KU chapter of Tau Sigma at tausigmaku@gmail.com or KU Greek Life coordinator Amanda Garcia at agarcia@kutztown.edu.

Kutztown University cinema, television and media production student Nicholas Lipari and professor Michael Johnston attended the 36th annual Santa Barbara International Film Festival in January. Lipari was one of 30 students selected from across the country for the SBIFF Film Studies Program - a three-day symposium dedicated to film appreciation, criticism and analysis. Lipari attended panels, screenings, meet and greets and awards ceremonies. He listened to Oscar-nominated screenwriters, producers and directors, like David O'Russell, Greta Gerwig and Adam Driver, talk about their careers and creative processes. https://sbiff.org/education/film-studies-program/

Kutztown University women's soccer and head coach Erik Burstein have announced rising seniors Savanna Harrison and Sam LaBianca, along with junior Kayla Argen as team captains for the upcoming 2020 season. The trio of Golden Bears are all first-year skippers. Over the last three years, they have helped lead the Golden Bears to a ton of success, including earning a berth in the NCAA Tournament and Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Tournament in two of the last three seasons. KU has played in NCAAs in eight of the last 11 years and has qualified for PSACs in 11 of the last 12 seasons. "The entire coaching staff is very excited to announce that Sav, Sam and Kayla will lead our women's soccer program moving forward," said Burstein. "In the past we have always waited until late spring to announce our team captains, but these three student-athletes are not only ready to take on a leadership role, but their uncompromising commitment to the program, their strong belief in our culture and the standards and expectations they have for themselves and their teammates are exactly what we need this spring, and moving forward." Harrison had a breakout junior season in the midfield last season, seemingly a magnet on the ball on both sides of the field. She played and started in 17 of the 18 games this season as a center midfielder. The Perkasie native may not have the flashy numbers in the statistical categories, but her importance to head coach Erik Burstein and both the KU offense and defense could not be underestimated. Harrison has one goal in her career, tallied last season, and has played in 53 career games. She will be back next year as a senior to help solidify the midfield. Harrison received her first postseason accolade in 2019, earning All-PSAC Second Team recognition. In the classroom, Harrison is a PSAC Scholar-Athlete and a member of the Dean's List. LaBianca made a shift around the field this past season. After predominantly playing in a midfield role her first two seasons in Maroon and Gold, the Beachwood, N.J., native played most of 2020 in the center of the KU defense. LaBianca started a career-high 15 games and played in 17 overall last season, finishing with six shots, three of which were on goal. In the classroom, LaBianca is a PSAC Scholar-Athlete and a member of the Dean's List. Argen once again played a prominent role in the midfield for Kutztown in 2019. She started a career-high 17 games and played in all 18. Argen finished the year with three goals and tied a career-best with five assists for 11 points. Her five assists led the team. In the classroom, Argen is a PSAC Scholar-Athlete and a member of the Dean's List. The Golden Bears finished the 2019 campaign at 11-7 overall and now has won 10 or more games in 18 straight seasons.

More than 1,770 students have been named to the Fall 2019 Dean's List at Kutztown University. To be eligible for the Dean's List, an undergraduate student must be registered for at least 12 credits and have a minimum grade point average of 3.60.

85 Kutztown University students have been inducted into the National Society of Leadership and Success (NSLS) as part of the December 2019 class. To be inducted at KU, students must attend an orientation, a three-hour leadership training seminar, three success networking team meetings and three speaker broadcasts featuring leading figures delivering success-related messages to members.

Congratulations to Shae-Lynn Harris for receiving the Fall 2019 PSECU Community Internship Scholarship. Harris is a senior social work major interning at Reading Area Community College.

Kutztown University has awarded 137 President's Academic Honors Scholarships for the 2019-2020 academic year. President's Academic Honors Scholarships are awarded to high school seniors who have a 3.25 cumulative weighted high school GPA and a 1270 total on the SAT or 27 composite on the ACT. The student will receive $1,000 per year for four years as long as the student participates in the Honors program and completes a minimum of 30 credits per year. KU's Honors program requires students to complete a minimum of 21 credits of honors coursework, maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.25, complete 30 hours of community service by graduation, complete living and learning events, attend one Work in Progress Sessions (WIPS) and complete a capstone or senior honors thesis project.

Kutztown University has awarded 58 Sesquicentennial Academic Honors Scholarships for the 2019-2020 academic year. Sesquicentennial Academic Honors Scholarships are awarded to high school seniors who have a 3.25 cumulative weighted high school GPA and a 1410 total on the SAT or 31 composite on the ACT. The student will receive $7,000 per year for four years as long as the student participates in the Honors Program, lives on campus for the first three years and completes a minimum of 30 credits per year. KU's Honors program requires students to complete a minimum of 21 credits of honors coursework, maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.25, complete 30 hours of community service by graduation, complete living and learning events, attend one Work in Progress Session (WIPS) and complete a capstone or senior honors thesis project.