Kutztown University of Pennsylvania

Sara Keeny, who set Kutztown University softball single-season records with 100 hits and a .518 batting average, has been selected as the 2019 Division II Conference Commissioner's Association (CCA) Atlantic Region Player of the Year. Four Golden Bears were honored on the all-region teams in total, with Tamara Jennings joining Keeny on the First Team, and Cheyenne Jones and Jenna Lipowski being named to the Second Team. Keeny's name is littered throughout KU's record book for both single-season and career success. The senior outfielder from Warminster, Pennsylvania shattered former career-highs in most offensive categories this season on her way to one of the best hitting seasons in the program's 44-year history. Prior to the start of the NCAA Division II Championship tournament, Keeny led the nation in hits (100), while ranking fifth in batting average (.518), seventh in total bases (132), ninth in on base percentage (.561), 10th in triples (seven) and 11th in stolen bases (45). Keeny is a four-time All-PSAC East selection and a three-time NFCA All-Atlantic Region honoree. She was recently named 2019 PSAC East Athlete of the Year, supplementing her record-breaking batting average, hit and stolen base totals with 62 runs scored, 15 doubles, 29 RBIs, 23 walks, .684 slugging percentage and .955 fielding percentage in 56 games. Keeny is Kutztown's career hits leader with 289 and holds a share of the program's triples record with 14. She also ranks second in batting average (.440) and stolen bases (134), third in runs scored (172), fifth in total bases (348), seventh in walks (62) and eighth in at-bats (657). Keeny is the fourth player in program history to earn D2CCA Atlantic Region Player of the Year honors, following Steph Denlinger (2007, 2009) and Ashley Fitzgerald (2008). She is the only Golden Bear among this year's all-region selections that is a repeat selection after earning Second Team accolades in 2018. Jennings enjoyed a breakout spring in her final season wearing Maroon and Gold. The Philadelphian established new career-highs in batting average (.416), hits (72), runs scored (50), doubles (13), triples (three), home runs (seven), RBIs (51), slugging percentage (.647), on base percentage (.458) and stolen bases (14). Jennings, who shared the outfield with Keeny, was an All-PSAC East for the first time in her career. She ranked second in the PSAC in hits, RBIs and runs scored at the conclusion of the conference tournament, and was top 10 in batting average, slugging percentage, at-bats and stolen bases. Jones, a redshirt senior from Levittown, Pennsylvania, hit a career-best .353 with 61 hits, 12 doubles, three triples, six homers and 47 RBIs. In 55 games, the Golden Bears' primary designated player also set new career marks in slugging percentage (.561), on base percentage (.367) and runs scored (22). Jones was a repeat All-PSAC East selection after ranking fifth in the league in RBIs and ninth in hits. Lipowski increased her batting average by 90 points over freshman year, finishing the 2019 season with a .369 average, 65 hits, 15 doubles, five home runs and 50 RBIs. The Nanticoke, Pennsylvania native matched Keeny for third in the PSAC in doubles, while ranking fourth in RBIs and tied for fifth in hits. Lipowski was one of four KU players to start and play in all 56 games. She made 48 of those starts at first base, where she also had a supurb season defensively with 215 putouts, 15 assists and a .996 fielding percentage to be named All-PSAC East for the first time.

Kutztown University inducted 18 students into its 2019 class of Alpha Phi Sigma, National Honor Society for Criminal Justice, at its annual induction ceremony on Tuesday, April 16. Alpha Phi Sigma was founded in 1942 at Washington State University and became affiliated with the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences (ACJS) in 1976. Today there are almost 300 Alpha Phi Sigma chapters around the country. KU's Kappa Alpha chapter of Alpha Phi Sigma was established in 2008 with 13 founding members. The chapter advisors are Dr. Pietro Toggia and the assistant advisor is Dr. AnnMarie Cordner. To be eligible for membership, a student must be a criminal justice major or minor, have completed at least 40 credit hours, including at least four criminal justice courses, have an overall QPA of 3.2 or higher, and have a QPA in criminal justice courses of 3.2 or higher.

Senior Sara Keeny of Warminster, Pa., was recognized as the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) East Athlete of the Year and freshman Bridget Bailey of Norwood, Pa., was named Freshman of the Year, and the Kutztown University softball team was well-represented on the postseason accolades list with six student-athletes earning All-PSAC East honors, as voted on by league coaches Monday. Keeny is Kutztown's first Athlete of the Year since the 2013 season, and Bailey brings home KU's first Freshman of the Year since Keeny won the award in 2016. Joining Keeny and Bailey, seniors Tamara Jennings of Philadelphia, and Cheyenne Jones of Levittown, Pa., along with sophomore Jenna Lipowski of Nanticoke, Pa., and freshman Katelyn Ostaszewski of Philadelphia, made the distinctive list. The six members are the most for the program since the 2013 season when seven made it. Keeny left her mark on the program, etching her name in several record books and top-10 marks. She is KU's all-time career hits leader with 289, tied for the most triples with 14, second in career batting average at .440 and ranks second in both program and PSAC history with 134 stolen bases. The 289 hits is third-most in PSAC lore and the most since Bloomsburg's Erica Miller finished with 310 from 1998-2001. Keeny played in 190 career games, starting every one. It is her fourth All-PSAC recognition in as many years. The Warminster native finished the season ranked atop the PSAC in batting average (.518), on-base percentage (.561), hits (100), runs scored (62) and triples (7). Her 100 hits was the most by a KU player in a single season and ranks third in the PSAC all-time. Keeny was also second in the conference in stolen bases (45), third in doubles (15) and sixth in both slugging percentage (.684) and walks (23). She also posted a career-high 29 RBI and ended the season on a 12-game hit streak. In her first season on the collegiate level, Bailey stepped in admirably and became Kutztown's ace of the pitching staff. She went 18-8 with a 2.60 ERA and 181 strikeouts in 178.0 innings. The 181 Ks is sixth-most by a KU pitcher in a season. Bailey also had three saves, tied for the most in a season in program history, and made 41 appearances this year. Bailey ranked second in the PSAC in wins, strikeouts and innings pitched, and was 10th in ERA. She also has a hit to her name, going 1-for-5 at the plate. Bailey was a two-time PSAC Pitcher of the Week this season. Jennings received her first postseason honor after having a career year. She finished second behind Keeny in the PSAC in hits (72) and runs scored (50) and was also second with 51 RBI. Jennings had a .416 batting average and a .647 slugging percentage, both ninth-best in the conference, while her 14 stolen bases was eighth. She also set a new program record with eight sacrifice flies. The Philadelphia native concluded her career with 179 hits, 109 runs, 92 RBI and 37 doubles. She started in 169-of-178 games played in her four years. Jones is now a two-time All-PSAC performer. She posted career-high numbers in hits (61), RBI (47), runs (22), batting average (.353) and slugging percentage (.561), starting 54-of-55 games this season. Her 47 RBI ranks fifth in the PSAC. The Levittown native finished her career in Maroon and Gold with 125 hits, 87 RBI, 51 runs and 15 home runs, batting .320. Lipowski enjoyed a breakout sophomore campaign starting all 56 games, primarily at first base. She finished in the top-five in the PSAC in hits (65), RBI (50) and doubles (15). Lipowski also batted a career-high .369 and hit five home runs, while also posting a .551 slugging percentage. In the field, Lipowski ranked second with a .996 fielding percentage at first. The Nanticoke native will return for her junior season next year approaching a couple of milestones. Lipowski is 11 hits shy of 100 with 89 and also has 60 RBI. She is batting .340 for her career. Ostaszewski broke out in her first season in Maroon and Gold. She started in 48-of-55 games her freshman season at shortstop and finished with 60 hits, 42 runs and 25 RBI, while batting .370. Her 42 runs ranked fifth in the PSAC and the 60 hits is 10th. Ostaszewski recorded a .438 slugging percentage and stole 12 bases. At short, she boasted a .918 fielding percentage. The Philadelphia native surged in the last half of the season. She also earned PSAC Athlete of the Week honors following the last week of the regular season. The Golden Bears finished their season with a 36-20 overall record, the ninth-most wins in program history. They went 3-2 in the PSAC Tournament, defeating Edinboro, Bloomsburg and West Chester, and finished third.

Kutztown University inducted 11 new members into the Alpha Epsilon chapter of Alpha Kappa Delta, the International Sociology Honor Society, at its annual induction ceremony on Tuesday, April 30. Alpha Kappa Delta is a non-secret, democratic, international society of scholars dedicated to the ideal of Athropon Katamannthanein Diakonesin or "to investigate humanity for the purpose of service." Membership is open to undergraduate students, graduate students and faculty members from active chapters who meet our minimum standards. Currently, there are more than 115,000 members in Alpha Kappa Delta and more than 650 chapters.

Kutztown University inducted 31 new members into the Psi Chi International Honor Society in Psychology at its annual induction ceremony this spring. Psi Chi is the International Honor Society for Psychology majors, with chapters around the globe. The KU Chapter of Psi Chi holds biweekly meetings and plans other events for its members and other psychology students. Anyone is welcome to attend the meetings, where topics typically center around psychological research and graduate school. To join Psi Chi, you must meet certain membership qualifications (see below). More about the benefits of joining Psi Chi can be found on the Psi Chi Website. The Psi Chi website also has more information about awards, careers, graduate school, preparing research presentations, conventions and chapter information, so check it out! The Kutztown University Chapter of Psi Chi is open to all students who meet the following KU Chapter qualifications for active student membership: Completion of at least 36 credits for undergraduates, 12 of which were taken at Kutztown University; 15 credits for graduate students. Completion of 9 semester hours of Psychology taken at KU. Declaration of a major or minor in psychology. An overall cumulative GPA and a minimum GPA in psychology of 3.30 for undergraduates; 3.75 for graduate students. High standards of personal behavior. Two-thirds affirmative vote of those present at a regular meeting of the chapter.

Kutztown University inducted seven students into its 2019 class of the Gamma Theta Upsilon International Honor Society in Geography at its induction ceremony this spring. Kutztown University is home to the Gamma Psi Chapter of Gamma Theta Upsilon (GTU), the International Geographical Honor Society. GTU is open to any and all KU students that have an overall GPA of 3.3 or better, at least 36 credit hours and a minimum of nine credit hours in geography. Students must also have a 3.3 or better GPA in geography. Inductees are exposed to the history of GTU and the meaning of the organization's symbols and colors.

The Mu Xi chapter of Phi Alpha Theta History Honor Society at Kutztown University inducted a new cohort on April 16. Congratulations to Jacob Adams, Emmanuel Alden, Katherine Anderson, Caroline Collins, Austin Cory, Austin Crowley, Adam Folk, Molly Hill, Angelo Lucci, Emily Murray, Evan Musto, Matthew Sagl, Shannon Shafnisky and Madison Szczecina. The History Department 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. KU's Mu Xi Chapter was established in 1967. Among Mu Xi's charter members were Esther M. Willits, Anthony J. Mazzaferri, Gordon Goldberg and James Collier who have all gone on to become history professors here at Kutztown University.

Kutztown University inducted 19 students into the Psi Chi International Honor Society in Psychology at its induction ceremony on Saturday, April 13. Psi Chi is the International Honor Society for psychology majors, with chapters around the globe. The KU Chapter of Psi Chi holds bi-weekly meetings and plans other events for its members and other psychology students. Anyone is welcome to attend the meetings, where topics typically center around psychological research and graduate school. More about the benefits of joining Psi Chi can be found on the Psi Chi Website. The Psi Chi website also has more information about awards, careers, graduate school, preparing research presentations, conventions and chapter information.

Kutztown University inducted 26 students into the Sigma Delta Pi National Hispanic Honor Society at its induction ceremony on Monday, April 29. Sigma Delta Pi is the only honor society devoted exclusively to students of Spanish in four-year colleges and universities. It is not only the largest foreign-language honor society in existence, it is among the elite as attested by its membership since 1966 in the Association of College Honor Societies (ACHS), the nation's only certifying agency for college and university honor societies. Membership is granted only to those who attain its standards of high academic achievement in the study of the Spanish language, the literature and culture of Hispanic nations, and other college-level subjects. Specifically, students must have completed three years of study of college-level Spanish (18 semester credit hours) or the equivalent thereof, including at least three semester hours of a course in Hispanic literature or Hispanic culture and civilization at the junior (third-year) level. The student must have a minimal grade point average of 3.0 on a 4.0 point scale in all Spanish courses taken and rank in the upper 35 percent of his/her class.

Kutztown University inducted 38 students into the Iota Iota Iota, known as Triota, Women's & Gender Studies Honor Society at its induction ceremony on Monday, April 23. Triota is an emerging honor society for students in women's studies. The society's Alpha chapter began at Metropolitan State College in Denver, Colo. The Alpha chapter has been working to organize local chapters on campuses nationwide for the purpose of applying for national status from the National Association of College Honor Societies. The goal of Triota is to recognize and promote excellence within the discipline of women's studies. Historically, women's studies programs have shown some reluctance to support honor societies because elitism and exclusion are contrary to feminist principles of equality, inclusion, and non-hierarchical processes and structures. Having wrestled with this question at KU, we believe it is appropriate to recognize and honor the achievements of students who elect to concentrate in women's studies. Inductees are women's studies minors who have demonstrated active involvement in promoting women's issues and gender equality.

Kutztown University inducted 21 students into the Kappa Delta Pi International Honor Society in Education at its induction ceremony on Wednesday, April 10. Kappa Delta Pi, International Honor Society in Education, was founded in 1911 to foster excellence in education and promote fellowship among those dedicated to teaching. For over a century, the Society has consistently grown, starting with a local chapter to become the international organization it is today, with an initiated membership that exceeds 1.2 million. To be inducted, KU education majors must have a 3.50 GPA.

Two juniors from the Kutztown University Department of Communication Design (KUCD) were recently named winners in the Society of Publication Designers (SPD) 2019 Student Design Competition. Keri Stefkovich of Vernon, N.J. received sixth place for her feature spread on the END IT Movement, and Heather Leiby of Lancaster, Pa. received an honorable mention for her feature spread on hot cocoa. Stefkovich and Leiby worked hard to not only create intricate layouts for their features, but also each shot original photography and created hand-drawn typographic solutions for their spreads - a highly impressive feat. This year's competition required students to design feature spreads that aligned with the competition categories such as News Magazine, How-To Magazine and Fashion/Lifestyle Magazine. Competition judges included Sarah Garcea, art director of Inc.; Rob Hewitt, creative director of Dwell; Nathalie Kirsheh, creative director of Allure, Glamour, Self; Tala Safie, lead designer of AIGA Eye on Design; and Mike Schnaidt, creative director of Fast Company. Since 1965, the SPD's mission has been to empower the future of visual storytelling and set the standard for editorial excellence by bringing together and supporting the most talented creative individuals across all platforms and disciplines to learn, inspire and collaborate. The SPD includes anyone contributing to the creation of visual stories, from art directors to coders and data miners, from major publications to independent zines, and from seasoned professionals to students.

Kutztown University inducted 38 students into the Tau Sigma National Transfer Honor Society at its induction ceremony on Thursday, April 11. Tau Sigma was incorporated in 1999 at Auburn University and there are more than 175 chapters across the country. Tau Sigma National Honor Society is a growing, prestigious organization on KU's campus for transfer students. Established in 2016, the Eta Mu chapter is the third Tau Sigma chapter within the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE). Currently at more than 100 members, this chapter has been recognizing transfer students who earned a GPA of 3.5 or higher in their first semester at KU.

The Department of Political Science & Public Administration of Kutztown University inducted 10 new members into the Pi Sigma Alpha National Honor Society in Political Science and Public Administration at a reception on Thursday, April 11. Members are a political science or public administration major or minor with 18 s.h. completed in political science courses with a minimum 3.25 in political science courses and a 3.0 overall Q.P.A.

The Department of Communication Design held its Senior Student Awards Sunday, April 14, which included the grand opening of the Senior Student Showcase at the Marlin and Regina Miller Gallery. Department faculty joined dozens of guests for the ceremony. Award winners were as follows (pictured L to R): Mary Shriner, Don Breter Memorial Outstanding Senior Award; Alexandria Shope, Graphic Design Award; Alyse Ryan, Brenda Innocenti Champion Female Creative Talent and Leadership Award; Jess Paley, Interactive Design Award; Caleb Finn, Dianne V. Dockery Advertising Award; and Michael Pickard, Terry Boyle Most Improved Award. Be sure to visit the gallery to check out the outstanding work by KU's talented students. Award Nominees & Winners KUCD Illustration Award Crystal Hunter-Jones (Emmaus, Pa.) Jarrett Patterson (Philadelphia, Pa.) Lauren Bailey (Bear Creek Township, Pa.) Mary Shriner (Carlisle, Pa.), Winner, Don Breter Memorial Outstanding Senior Michael Pickard (West Chester, Pa.), Winner, Terry Boyle Most Improved Dianne V. Dockery Advertising Award Gabby Trate (Bernville, Pa.) Jeanine Watkins (Willow Grove, Pa.) Melanie Edwards (Bensalem, Pa.) Adam Buss (Breinigsville, Pa.) Jordan Schnur (Kutztown, Pa.) Meghan Augunas (Springfield, Pa.) Caleb Finn (Reading, Pa.), Winner KUCD Interactive Design Award Emily Rudolph (Scranton, Pa.) Emily Plitnick (Sugarloaf, Pa.) Theresa Quedenfeld (Willow Street, Pa.) Sommer Montenegro (Allentown, Pa.) Joe Losgar (East Stroudsburg, Pa.) Jess Paley (Abington, Pa.), Winner KUCD Graphic Design Award Jess Paley (Abington, Pa.) Sam Scheib (Millersburg, Pa.) Gabby Trate (Bernville, Pa.) Jordan Schnur (Kutztown, Pa.) Melanie Edwards (Bensalem, Pa.) Sommer Montenegro (Allentown, Pa.) Leah Greger (Lititz, Pa.) Alexandria Shope (Carlisle, Pa.), Winner Brenda Innocenti Champion Female Creative Talent and Leadership Award Alyse Ryan (Pottsville, Pa.), Winner

Governor Tom Wolf has named Uttam Paudel student trustee on the Kutztown University Council of Trustees. Paudel, of Kutztown, Pa., is a junior political science major and double economics and software development minor. Originally from Kathmandu, Nepal, he is fluent in four languages and well-versed in data analysis. During his time at KU, Paudel has presented at five conferences, represented Nepal and Kutztown at the UN World Youth Forum, made the Dean's List multiple times and received a KU BEARS grant to research the Twitter presence and influence of labor unions. He currently serves as a campus tour guide, KU Presidential Ambassador and Admissions liaison officer at the New Students Orientation office. "I am humbled by this great honor of representing Kutztown students and being their voice at the Council of Trustees," Paudel said. "Working closely with Admissions has informed me of what current students, prospective students and parents admire most about Kutztown, as well as what we can do better. My first priority is to use these perspectives in Council decisions to help boost our retention and enrollment rates. I intend to focus on plans that emphasize the efficiency and enhancement of campus resources so that we continue to provide excellent service to thousands of students." The Council of Trustees, the governing body of the university, is composed of an 11-member board, one of whom is an undergraduate student. Students are nominated by the Council of Trustees, reviewed by the chancellor and then confirmed by the governor. The Student Trustee is a full voting member.

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

Sophomore Rylee Derr (Lititz, Pa./Warwick) and junior Karen Lapkiewicz(Southampton, Pa./Saint Basil Academy) of the Kutztown University women's basketball team garnered league recognition Thursday as the duo were voted to the All-Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) teams, announced by the league office. Derr earned First Team honors while Lapkiewicz was named to the Second Team. It was the second straight season Derr made All-PSAC after being on the Second Team last year. It is the first postseason recognition for Lapkiewicz. It has been an historic season for the Golden Bears (18-11) thus far. They won a share of the PSAC East title, the first time since 1996. In defeating Lock Haven University in the PSAC Quarterfinals Wednesday, March 6, the Maroon and Gold qualified for their first Final Four since the 2009-10 season. They also set a new program-record for made three-pointers in a season with 224. They currently have 240. Derr, who holds the school-record for three-pointers in a game (nine), ranks 11th in the PSAC in scoring at 17.1 points per game. She's also second in three-pointers made (85), sixth in free-throw percentage (80.4) and 15th in rebounding (6.8). She has started all 29 games this season and all 30 last year, never missing a game. Derr is KU's first, First Team honoree since the 2014-15 season when assistant coach Advia Campbell received the recognition. As a freshman last season, Derr tallied 409 points, the most by a freshman in program history. She has been named a PSAC Athlete of the Week twice this season and is a two-time Lehigh Valley Small College Basketball Media Organization Team of the Year member. Lapkiewicz has had a breakout junior campaign. She is second on the team, averaging 11.3 ppg, a 3.8 ppg boost from last season. Lapkiewicz is a team captain and has started all 29 games this season and has played in all 88 KU games through her first three seasons. The Southampton native is also second on the team in three-pointers (38), free-throws (70) and minutest (29.3).

Kutztown University wrestlers Andrew Dunn Jr., Jeff Reimel and T.C. Warner became All-Americans this past weekend at the NCAA Division II National Championships in Cleveland, Ohio. Redshirt sophomore Andrew Dunn Jr. (Bethlehem, Pa./Bethlehem Catholic (Virginia Tech)) wrote a new chapter in Golden Bear wrestling history Saturday night, edging Nebraska-Kearney's Jarrod Hinrichs, 2-1, to claim the 2019 NCAA Division II 285-pound National Championship at the Wolstein Center. Dunn Jr. is the fifth KU grappler to win a national championship all-time and first since Ziad Haddad in 2015. Haddad won back-to-back championships at 285 lbs. in 2014 and 2015, making Dunn the program's third national champion from the weight class. The former Bethlehem Catholic standout joined Kutztown this season after going 20-11 and qualifying for the NCAA Division I Championships last season as a freshman at Virginia Tech. Dunn Jr.'s immense talent showed right away as he opened the season with seven consecutive victories, many against DI competitors. Dunn Jr. would only drop two matches on the entire season (26-2), both to DI opponents, and finished the year with 18 straight wins to claim Super Region I and NCAA DII championships. After advancing to the semifinals Friday, Dunn Jr., ranked fourth by the NWCA, met up with top-ranked Kameron Teacher of Notre Dame (Ohio) in the semifinals Saturday morning. Dunn Jr. quickly jumped to a 6-3 lead with three takedowns and increased his advantage over last year's national-runner up to 7-3 with an escape 19 seconds into the second. Two penalty points in the final 1:26 of the third allowed Teacher to get within a point, but Dunn Jr. earned his spot in the national final with a 7-6 decision. The national championship match between Dunn Jr. and fifth-ranked Hinrichs was much more defensive, though Kutztown's entry tried to be the aggressor early on. Hinrichs was called for stalling twice with the latter resulting in a penalty point that put Dunn Jr. in front. Hinrich's started from the bottom in the second and escaped nine seconds into the period to tie the score at one. Dunn Jr. countered with an escape from bottom nine seconds into the third to restore his one-point lead. Though he was hit with a stall warning in the final 10 seconds, the clock ran out and Dunn Jr. had his national title with a 2-1 decision. Senior Jeff Reimel (Lansdale, Pa./North Penn), ranked No. 1 at 184, also entered Saturday with national championship aspirations, but he ran into a determined Michael Pixley of McKendree in the semifinals. Pixley scored a takedown and four-point nearfall in the first minute and led 10-3 after a period. A frustrated Reimel was called for his second and third misconducts in the second period and disqualified from the match after ceding four penalty points. Pixley would go on to win the national title. Reimel, who finished as an All-American in 2018 with a fifth-place finish at 184, dropped his consolation semifinal to Pitt-Johnstown's Brock Biddle, 15-13, in overtime. Reimel used a four-point nearfall early in the third to take an 11-9 lead, but Biddle answered with a reversal to tie it. The two grapplers traded reversals in the final 51 seconds of regulation, with Biddle tying the match at 13 with 17 seconds left. Biddle won the match 21 seconds into the extra session with a takedown. Reimel took sixth in the weight class after a medical forfeit of the fifth-place match, but still earned his second straight All-America honor. Reimel ended the season 18-2. T.C. Warner (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Cumberland Valley (Bloomsburg)) also became a two-time All-American on Friday during wrestle backs at 174 lbs. He scored an 11-2 major decision over Seton Hill's Damon Greenwald in the consolation quarterfinals, before falling to third-ranked Kolton Eischens of St. Cloud State in the consolation semis by pin (2:30). Warner, from Mechanicsburg, capped his career with a win in the fifth-place match -an impressive one at that. The senior knocked off No. 1 Brandon Supernaw of Western Colorado, 6-2, behind two takedowns, an escape and a riding time point. Warner, who was 15-0 entering nationals, went 4-2 to finish 19-2. Head coach Robert Fisher's Golden Bears brought home the first top 10 national team finish in program history, placing 10th with 41 points. After advancing all the way to seventh in the NWCA Poll and tying a record for the highest national ranking in program history during the regular season, Kutztown surpassed its former best national showing of 14th, set in 2015.

Kutztown University redshirt sophomore Andrew Dunn Jr. wrote a new chapter in Golden Bear wrestling history Saturday night, edging Nebraska-Kearney's Jarrod Hinrichs, 2-1, to claim the 2019 NCAA Division II 285-pound National Championship at the Wolstein Center. Dunn Jr. is the fifth KU grappler to win a national championship all-time and first since 2015. The former Bethlehem Catholic standout joined Kutztown this season after going 20-11 and qualifying for the NCAA Division I Championships last season as a freshman at Virginia Tech. Dunn Jr.'s immense talent showed right away as he opened the season with seven consecutive victories, many against DI competitors. Dunn Jr. would only drop two matches on the entire season (26-2), both to DI opponents, and finished the year with 18 straight wins to claim Super Region I and NCAA DII championships. After advancing to the semifinals Friday, Dunn Jr., ranked fourth by the NWCA, met up with top-ranked Kameron Teacher of Notre Dame (Ohio) in the semifinals Saturday morning. Dunn Jr. quickly jumped to a 6-3 lead with three takedowns and increased his advantage over last year's national-runner up to 7-3 with an escape 19 seconds into the second. Two penalty points in the final 1:26 of the third allowed Teacher to get within a point, but Dunn Jr. earned his spot in the national final with a 7-6 decision. The national championship match between Dunn Jr. and fifth-ranked Hinrichs was much more defensive, though Kutztown's entry tried to be the aggressor early on. Hinrichs was called for stalling twice with the latter resulting in a penalty point that put Dunn Jr. in front. Hinrich's started from the bottom in the second and escaped nine seconds into the period to tie the score at one. Dunn Jr. countered with an escape from bottom nine seconds into the third to restore his one-point lead. Though he was hit with a stall warning in the final 10 seconds, the clock ran out and Dunn Jr. had his national title with a 2-1 decision.

Redshirt-senior Anthony Lee (Willow Grove, Pa./Abington) of the Kutztown University men's basketball team has had arguably the most decorated career in program history. Lee continued to add on to his long list of accolades as he was voted the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) East Athlete of the Year, as announced by the league office Thursday. Lee was also named to the All-PSAC First Team for the second straight season. He has been a member of the All-PSAC teams each of his four seasons at KU, having received Second Team his first two years. The Willow Grove native becomes the sixth player in program history to earn the honor of Athlete of the Year in the conference. Lee, who was a two-year captain, will go down as one of the best men's players in program history. He had a decorated career, and did it in several statistical categories, showing the epitome of a 'team-player.' Lee finished his time in Maroon and Gold second all-time and fourth in PSAC history in career points (2,292), first in three-pointers made (275), second in field goals made (773), third in steals (200) and free-throws (471), eighth in rebounds (656) and blocks (102) and ninth in assists (324). Lee holds school records for points in a game (50), three-pointers made in a game (8), season (83) and career (230), and three-point percentage in a season (.516) and career (.467). His average of 19.4 points per game (ppg) through his four years ranks fourth all-time at KU. He was a 2018 All-Atlantic Region Second Teamer and the 2019 Lehigh Valley Small College Basketball Media Organization Pete Nevins Player of the Year. Lee was also a seven-time PSAC East Athlete of the Week honoree throughout his career. The Golden Bears (16-14 overall) 2018-19 campaign ended in the PSAC Quarterfinals Wednesday, March 6, in a loss at top seed East Stroudsburg. In that game, Lee recorded his first career triple-double and the first one for Kutztown since Stephen Dennis back on Dec. 2, 2009. He finished with 21 points, 11 rebounds and a career-high 10 assists, and also added two blocks and one steal and never left the court, playing in 40 minutes. Lee ended the 2018-19 season scoring 822 points, the most by a player in a single season in program history. Wednesday also marked his 59th straight game reaching double-figures in points. Kutztown had its fifth straight season of at least 16 wins and sixth consecutive season it made the postseason. KU has advanced to at least the quarterfinals each of the last five years.

Two Kutztown University students have been named as award recipients representing KU's Honors Program during this summer's Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE) Honors Summer Study Abroad Program. Hosted by Bloomsburg University, junior anthropology major Kierra MacLeod and junior communication design major Morgan Nadin will visit various countries throughout Central Europe. During this year's trip, honors students from throughout the State System will be based at Jagiellonian University in Krakow, and visit sites in Poland, Budapest and the Czech Republic. Students will take classes in "The European Jewish Experience: A Sociocultural Perspective," "The History of Architecture" and "Introduction to Central and Eastern Europe." The summer 2018 Honors Study Abroad Trip was to Austria and Bosnia-Herzegovina. Students are selected for the PASSHE Summer Honors Study Abroad Program through a competitive application process every spring. Each student receives a full scholarship covering the cost of tuition, room and board, travel and required field trips to the selected destination that year. To be eligible to apply, a participant must be an undergraduate student at a PASSHE university and a member in good standing of the nominating institution's Honors Program. He or she must also have completed a minimum of 30 credits of coursework at a PASSHE school and must be returning to the nominating university the following fall.

Kutztown University will have 29 student-athletes representing its baseball program for the 2019 season. KU showed it could play with the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference's best last season and is focused on taking another step on its journey back to the top in 2019. The message remains simple from 17th-year head coach Chris Blum, who enters the new season three wins shy of becoming just the fifth coach --and third fastest-- in PSAC history to reach 500 victories at a conference school: maximize strengths and improve in a few key areas. "I'm very optimistic about what's going on," said Blum. "Our pitchers are doing well in their bullpen sessions and I think we can have a top-notch defense. We just need to sure up a couple outfield spots and have the bottom of our lineup execute their games, whether that's speed, drawing walks, hit-and-run situations to get on and get guys into scoring position." The Golden Bears finished three games under .500 in 2018 at 19-22 overall, but 12 wins against PSAC East opponents (12-15) were the program's most since its most recent PSAC championship in 2014. Read the full season preview online

Kutztown University inducted 26 students into the Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society on Tuesday, Feb. 26. Phi Kappa Phi is the nation's oldest, largest and most selective collegiate honor society that inducts persons from every academic discipline. Established in 1897, distinguished junior and senior level students join a century-old community of scholars and professionals that includes individuals who have distinguished themselves in positions of leadership and whose careers have been characterized by achievement.

10 members of the Kutztown University track & field teams earned All-Region status across 11 events, announced on Tuesday, Feb. 26, from the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA), KU's most in a season since 2013. Last year KU sported eight All-Region honorees. These honors cap off a successful week for head coach Ray Hoffman and both men's and women's programs. The Golden Bear women won the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Championship last weekend, the program's fourth title and first since 2006. The KU men finished third overall, its best finish since 2012. 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 10 student-athletes are KU's most since it also reached that number during 2013. Kelly Groth (Audubon, Pa./Methacton) received the nod for two events, both the 60m and 200m. She was the lone representative on the track. In the field, Taye Dairo (Harrisburg, Pa./Central Dauphin), Becca Hemingway (Perkiomenville, Pa./Boyertown Area) and Caleb Baukman (Wallingford, Pa./Strath Haven) earned All-Region honors in the high jump, while another trio of Ally Tama (Towanda, Pa./Towanda Area), Katie Seegert (Old Saybrook, Conn./Old Saybrook) and Xavier Feliciano (Kennett Square, Pa./Kennett (Immaculata)) received recognition in the pole vault. The duo of Ashley Petre (Macungie, Pa./Emmaus) and EJ Umoh (Bear, Del./Appoquinimink (Lock Haven)) were named in the weight throw. Tommy Oliver (Bensalem, Pa./Bensalem) rounded out the group by earning All-Region in the heptathlon. Petre is the only Golden Bear to earn the distinction before. At PSACs last Saturday, Feb. 23, Groth's new school-record of 7.70 in winning the 60m, and then placing second in the 200m brought her into All-Region status for the first time in her career. Dairo won the high jump in a PR of 1.69m (5-6.50), third all-time at KU, while Hemingway finished third at 1.63m (5-4.25). Petre was second in the weight throw with a career-best throw of 16.76 (55-0), fourth all-time in KU history. Both Tama and Seegert each had personal-best and NCAA-Provisional marks of 3.65m (11-11.75) in the pole vault at KU's Last Chance Invite on Feb. 15. For the men, Umoh posted an NCAA-Provisional in the weight throw of 18.16m (59-07.00), second all-time, at the Last Chance Invite. Feliciano also had a Provisional mark at the event, clearing 4.85m (15-11.00), eighth at KU, in the pole vault. Baukman finished third in the high jump at PSACs with a PR of 1.99m (6-6.25), seventh all-time in program lore. Oliver had a career-best finish of second in the heptathlon at the PSAC Championships. The outdoor season for the Golden Bears begins on Thursday, March 14, at the 49er Classic in Charlotte, N.C.

Junior Kelly Groth of the Kutztown University women's track and field team has had a knack for setting school-record in her track events this season. She was at it again as her 7.70 in the 60m won the event and set a new school-record joining freshman Taye Dairo as first-place winners in leading KU to the 2019 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Indoor Championship Saturday at Edinboro University. It is the fourth title for Kutztown and first since 2006. Groth won the PSAC's Most Outstanding Runner. Groth and Dairo now join their current teammate Meghan Forsythe as Indoor PSAC Champions. Forsythe won the 400m at last year's championships. Groth had a successful day, also running in the 4x4 relay team with Ashley Stewart, Forsythe and Tishun Graham that took home the gold. Groth also took home silver in the 200m. Dairo won the high jump in a career-best jump of 1.69m (5-6.50), which is third all-time at KU. A total of eight Golden Bears achieved career-bests Saturday, and five more found themselves with top-10 marks in program history. Kira Solt, who finished seventh in the pentathlon with a career-high 2914 points, also had a career-best time of 9.07 in the 60m hurdles prelims, which is tied for fourth all-time in KU lore. Joanne Mason was at the top of the leaderboard after the prelims at 9.05, and finished fifth after the final at 9.13. The 4x8 relay team of Stephanie Bresadola, Julie Stratton, Lindsay Hoffman and Julia Wiemken crossed the finish line in second at a time of 9:36.05 which sneaks into the top-10 at 10th. Ashley Petre also won silver in the weight throw with a career-high throw of 16.76m (55-0), fourth in school-history. Amanda Ferraro and Lindsay Smyth both had career-bests in the 3000m and 5000m respectively, and Kathleen Silverman posted a PR of 3.15m (10-4) in the pole vault.

Junior EJ Umoh of the Kutztown University men's track and field team had the furthest throw of the group of 18 competitors in the weight throw to win the event in highlighting KU's third-place finish at the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) 2019 Indoor Championships at Edinboro University Saturday in a shortened one-day event. Kutztown had its highest finish at PSACs since placing third in 2012. Umoh becomes Kutztown's first individual indoor PSAC champion since 2016, throwing for a winning mark of 17.34m (56-10.75) to lead a group of a team-high five Golden Bears competing in the event.

Seventh-ranked Kutztown University wrestling claimed three regional champions for the first time in program history and qualified four wrestlers for nationals in capturing a second-place team finish at the NCAA Division II Super Region I Championships on Saturday, Feb. 23, at Mercyhurst University in Erie, Pa. The nationally-ranked trio of T.C. Warner (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Cumberland Valley (Bloomsburg)) (174 lbs.), Jeff Reimel (Lansdale, Pa./North Penn) (184 lbs.) and Andrew Dunn Jr. (Bethlehem, Pa./Bethlehem Catholic (Virginia Tech)) (285 lbs.), each of whom was the top seed in their respective weight class, brought home regional titles and redshirt-sophomore Joe Renne (Great Meadows, N.J./Hackettstown) wrestled back through the consolation bracket to secure the third and final national qualifying spot at 125 lbs. KU will be sending four wrestlers to nationals for the fifth time since 2012 and featured multiple regional champions for the first time since 2011 when Austin Williams and John Paukovits were weight class winners at the inaugural Super Region I Championships. Warner's undefeated season rolled on with three victories to take the 174-pound bracket. The senior from Mechanicsburg, ranked fourth in the nation by the NWCA, registered a 5-0 shutout of seventh-ranked Mike Raccioppi (East Stroudsburg) in the finals. It was Warner's second victory over Raccioppi in two weeks. Warner got his tournament off to a commanding start with a 41-second pin of American International's Ahmad Sharif and locked up a return to nationals for the first time since 2017 with a 6-2 decision over Pitt-Johnstown's Steven Edwards in the semifinals. Top-ranked Jeff Reimel (Lansdale, Pa./North Penn) matched his senior classmate in remaining unbeaten on the season. Reimel was also out to send a message, advancing to the semifinals with a 1:00 pin of Shippensburg's Ryan Narber. The Lansdale native downed Gannon's Joel Leise, 10-4, in the semifinals and roared past Pitt-Johnstown's Brock Biddle, 9-2, in the championship bout. Reimel will be making his third consecutive trip to nationals after an All-America fifth-place showing at 184 lbs. last spring. Redshirt sophomore Andrew Dunn Jr. (Bethlehem, Pa./Bethlehem Catholic (Virginia Tech)), ranked No. 4 nationally at 285, put together two major decisions before supplying some late match heroics in the final. The Virginia Tech transfer beat American International's Ray Sherwood, 15-7, in the quarterfinals to become the first KU wrestler with 20 wins this season. Dunn Jr. would dispose of Millersville's David Wuestner, 12-3, in the semifinals and used a late third period takedown to win the super regional title over Shippensburg's Derek Berberick, 3-2. The Bethlehem native is now 22-2 on the season and a perfect 20-0 against DII competition. Renne was the surprise of the tournament for the Golden Bears. The grappler from Great Meadows, New Jersey, brought a 7-8 record into the weekend and was unranked in the region. After taking a 3-1 defeat to Gannon's Jacob Dunlap in the quarterfinals, Renne responded with a 17-2 (5:32) technical fall over East Stroudsburg's Nick Reto and a 2:55 pin of Seton Hill's Derrick Chandler-Christie to reach the consolation final. Renne stepped up to the challenge of defeating Mercyhurst's Jacob Ruggeri in his home gym with a 10-4 decision to secure his first berth at nationals. The Golden Bears were second in the team standings with 102 points, behind only nationally-ranked No. 6 Pitt-Johnstown (141 pts.). Gannon took third (94), with Mercyhurst fourth (93.5) and Seton Hill fifth (72). Dunn Jr., Reimel, Renne and Warner will compete at the NCAA Division II Championships in Cleveland on March 8-9.

Kutztown University student Benjamin Winn has won an honorable mention in the Draw The Lines (DTL) PA statewide legislative mapping contest. Winn entered in the higher education age category for the central region, where Pennsylvania native Elise Lashinsky of Mercyhurst University took first place. A 22-year-old senior, Winn is studying communications and political science. He resides in Palmerton, Pa., and is currently pursuing admission to graduate programs for political science and policymaking. Winn is a supporter of anti-gerrymandering actions such as those from Draw The Lines, as well as workers' rights, environmentalism and reducing the wealth gap. Winn hopes to enter the political world as an elected official, consultant or lobbyist following his higher education. 20 Pennsylvania voters and students won top regional honors in the mapping competition, which was the largest in the nation's history. These winners each drew an 18-district congressional map of Pennsylvania and wrote an accompanying essay on how they did it. First place winners in their region and age group received $500 while second place received $250. All maps and their scores may be viewed here by clicking "Enter as a guest", then clicking on the "Shared" button under "Type of Map." Each winner now has a chance to become one of Draw the Lines' six statewide honorees. State champions in each of three age categories - youth, higher education and adult - will win $4,500. The runner-up in each age group will receive $2,000. DTL is a statewide civic education and engagement campaign surrounding the redistricting process and gerrymandering. A project of the Committee of Seventy, DTL is a government nonprofit based in Philadelphia. Each DTL region has its own nonpartisan steering committee made up of civic, education and business leaders from that region. The project puts into the hands of Pennsylvanians, digital tools that allow DTL participants to learn how to draw maps - just as politicians have for decades. For a complete list of winners please visit the Draw the Lines website.

Grant Fickes, a senior mathematics major at Kutztown University, gave three presentations at the Joint Mathematics Meetings, the largest national mathematics conference. This year's conference was held in Baltimore, Maryland, January 16-19. Fickes' presentations covered his collaborative work with associate professor Wing Hong Tony Wong, as well as his research from the National Science Foundation (NSF) funded Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) that he participated in last summer.