Kutztown University of Pennsylvania

More than 1,725 students have been named to the Fall 2017 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.

More than 200 Kutztown University students have been inducted into the National Society of Leadership and Success. To be inducted, students must attend an orientation, a three-hour Leadership Training Day, three Success Networking Team Meetings and three Speaker Broadcasts featuring leading figures delivering success-related messages to our members.

Emily Sakal, a senior history major from Phoenixville, Pa., conducted research to find the validity of whether or not Thanksgiving truly began with the Pilgrims. Sakal's area of focus was history, more specifically "How Thanksgiving has been celebrated in our history in different regions and at different times". The research focused on the historical purpose of Thanksgiving as a national celebration was a means to celebrate our national creed of equality, to ask forgiveness for our national sin of slavery. However, this is drastically different from what American society is accustom, where it symbolizes the meal between Pilgrims and Indians.

Destiny Fisher has been named the Kutztown University campus organizer for the national It's On Us campaign. Fisher, of Philadelphia, Pa., is a senior communication studies major with a minor in public relations. She has served as president of the Black Flame Dance Team and is a volunteer at the Kutztown University Women's Center and GLBTQ Resource Center. As a campus organizers, Fisher serves as a mentor and point of contact for It's On Us initiatives on the KU campus. She will establish individual goals and motivate campus constituencies to rally around addressing the issue of sexual violence.

Nykolai Blichar has been selected as the northeast regional advisor for the national It's On Us campaign. Blichar, of Palmerton, Pa., is a graduate student at Kutztown University pursuing a degree in student affairs in higher education. He served on the It's On Us National Student Advisory Committee last year and was a former student trustee on the Kutztown University Council of Trustees. Currently, Blichar is a graduate assistant for the GLBTQ Resource Center & Women's Center at Kutztown University. He also serves on the President's Bias Response Task Force. As regional advisor, Blichar serves as the primary point of contact between the national It's On Us organization and all campus organizers and student advisory committee members in the northeast. He will relay regional goals to student advisory committee members and serves as a mentor for activists with the region. The northeast region represents colleges from Maine to Maryland.

Kylin Camburn, Coopersburg, Pa., has been selected as a GLAAD campus ambassador at Kutztown University. Camburn is a senior communication studies major and is minoring in bioethics. GLAAD's Campus Ambassador Program engages young LGBTQ advocates that contribute to GLAAD's mission of amplifying and celebrating a wide range of voices from the LGBTQ community by producing dynamic, educational media content relevant to the lived experiences of queer youth. Campus Ambassadors are also trained to work with the media as spokespeople and have had told their stories in national media from Entertainment Tonight, to Seventeen, Teen Vogue and more. Camburn is an undergraduate assistant in the GLBTQ Resource Center at KU and is the vice president of Lambda Delta Xi Diaternity. They are heavily involved in local and national activism both for the environment and for equal rights for all people, especially through the use of art and poetry. Founded in 1985 to counter inaccurate reporting on HIV and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome, GLAAD rewrites the script for LGBTQ acceptance. As a dynamic media force, GLAAD tackles tough issues to shape the narrative and provoke dialogue that leads to cultural change. GLAAD protects all that has been accomplished and creates a world where everyone can live the life they love.

The Pennsylvania state Senate has confirmed the nomination of Kutztown University senior Molly Gallagher to the Board of Governors of Pennsylvania's State System of Higher Education. Gallagher joins three other new members to the board that oversees the State System and its 14 member universities. Gallagher is a senior communications studies major, with minors in leadership, public administration, women and gender studies and public relations, at Kutztown University, where she is serving her second term as president of the Student Government Association. As SGA president, she oversees the organization's $2.2 million operating budget as well as the 33-member, elected Student Government Board. She sits on the President's Administrative Council Board, is interning with Kutztown University's University Relations office, and was selected to attend the Campus Women Lead summit in Washington, D.C., hosted by the National Campus Leadership Council and Running Start.

Twins Ian and Ilijah Denny, East Stroudsburg, Pa., and Kaitlyn Dougher, Saylorsburg, Pa., have been named drum majors of the 2017 Kutztown University Marching Unit. Ian Denny is a music major while twin brother Ilijah is also majoring in music and carries a social work minor. Dougher is a studio art, photography major with minors in art history, music and jazz studies. All three are seniors. Founded in 1934, the Kutztown University Marching Unit is comprised of 150 students under the direction of Professor Dan Neuenschwander. The marching unit is open to any KU student, regardless of their field of study.

Tyler Readinger, a senior music major from Birdsboro, Pa., has been awarded a conducting fellowship with the Allentown Symphony Orchestra. The Conducting Fellows Program supports the opportunity for promising conductors to hone their craft and enrich their musical experience through mentorship and participation in the Allentown Symphony Association's orchestral and community programs. The Conducting Fellows travel to the Lehigh Valley to work side by side with Allentown Symphony Music Director and Conductor Diane Wittry, in advance of and during the production of a Classical Series Concert. Along the way, they learn intricacies involved in assembling and leading a regional symphony. Fellows also meet with association staff in order to learn the range of activities necessary to operate a symphony orchestra. Their visit includes a stop at the exemplary community-based program, El Sistema Lehigh Valley.

Kutztown University and the Kutztown University Foundation have named 30 students as Presidential Ambassadors for the 2017-2018 school year. Founded in 1997, the Presidential Ambassadors is a student organization that works directly with the President's Office and the Kutztown University Foundation and Alumni Relations. The mission of the group is to support events that connect current students with alumni, faculty, staff and university friends; to act as ambassadors of the university; and to create new traditions which enhance KU Pride.

Two Kutztown University students have been selected to receive the Pennsylvania Art Education Association Fellows Clyde M. McGeary Scholarship. Logan Hanning, a senior from Honey Brook, Chester County, Pa., and Kristen Fessler, a senior from Pine Grove, Schuylkill County, Pa., will receive the award at the annual PAEA conference next month in Pittsburgh. The scholarship is offered to students that uphold excellence within the study of art education. The PAEA Fellows Clyde M. McGeary Scholarships Program presents annual scholarships to art education students in Pennsylvania colleges and universities. Cash value of the scholarships is determined by the income produced by the endowment and the number of scholarships that are awarded in any given year. Historically, at least two scholarships have been presented at each PAEA Annual Conference.

Cheryl Vazquez of Ephrata is working in policy office of the state Department of Environmental Protection as part of a 15-week internship sponsored by Pennsylvania's State System of Higher Education. Vazquez is a senior political science and German major at Kutztown University of Pennsylvania. She is one of 11 students participating in The Harrisburg Internship Semester (THIS) program, which provides students the opportunity to work in all areas of state government while earning a full semester's worth of credits. THIS invites students from each of the 14 State System universities to participate. Vazquez is the daughter of Kevin and Nancy Vazquez and 2014 graduate of Ephrata High School. She and the other students participating in the program also will attend several academic seminars during their fall semester internship. Each of the students will complete an individualized research project as part of the program's requirements. More than 600 students from the State System universities have participated in THIS since the program began in 1989, each gaining valuable insight into the workings of state government at the policy-making level. Interns have worked with dozens of state agencies, as well as in the offices of the governor, the speaker of the House of Representatives and the attorney general.

Kutztown University has conferred degrees on more than 1,200 students during the winter and spring semesters. 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 their requirements for graduation throughout the entire year. The cumulative grade point average necessary for honor 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. The following students have been awarded degrees since the summer 2016 announcement. Students who have requested privacy (FERPA) are not listed publicly.

Pa. Governor Tom Wolf has named Shiyi Ding student trustee for Kutztown University. Ding, of Briarwood, N.Y., is a sophomore history major in KU's Honors Program. Originally from Wenzhou, China, She is a graduate of St. Johnsbury Academy, Vermont. In her short time at KU, Ding has founded the Slavic Club, of which she is president, and served on the Student Government Board. She is treasurer of the Chinese Scholar Students Association and advanced coordinator of the International Students Organization. Ding's goal is to have a positive impact on KU. "My goal is to enrich Kutztown, and leave it better than I found it," said Ding. "I want to help KU achieve higher student involvement rates, better academic performances and a positive climate for a more diverse student body." The Council of Trustees, the governing body of the university, is composed of an eleven-member board, one of whom is an undergraduate student. Students apply for membership, 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 is pleased to welcome the newest members of the Golden Bear family including both new incoming freshmen and transfer students.

Kutztown University is pleased to welcome the newest members of the Golden Bear family including both new incoming freshmen and transfer students.

More than 1,660 students have been named to the Spring 2017 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.

Both the Kutztown University women's and men's rugby clubs will participate in the Penn Mutual Collegiate Rugby Championships, June 2-4, at Talen Energy Stadium, Philadelphia.

Kutztown University has been named as a finalist in the nationwide 2017 Community Bank Case Study Competition, facilitated by the Conference of State Bank Supervisors. Student members of the KU team include Stephen Hilborn, Chris Kane, Jim Pyne and Connor Tait. Dr. John S. Walker served as the team's faculty advisor.

Kutztown University has issued Career Exploration Certificates to two students. The Career Exploration Certificate is open to all freshmen and sophomore students. Students gain a greater understanding of themselves and the career development process. They will be better prepared to choose/confirm a major, research careers, gain related experience through informational interviewing and job shadowing experiences, and plan for a successful internship/professional job or graduate school search.

Kutztown University has announced the recipient of a scholarship from Liquid Interactive, Allentown. Emily Engleman, a sophomore business administration major from Lancaster, Pa., won the scholarship and an externship with Liquid Interactive. To be eligible for this scholarship, students need to have been accepted to Kutztown University's Business Administration program and be in pursuit of a career in digital marketing.

Eleven juniors and seniors at Kutztown University have completed a Career Success Certificate. The Career Success Certificate is open to all juniors and seniors. Students gain a greater understanding of themselves, employer expectations, effective job search strategies, interviewing skills and the role of social media in the hiring process. They will also be better prepared to conduct the internship, job, or graduate school search.

Kutztown University inducted eight students into the Kappa Mu Epsilon National Honorary Mathematics Society. KME is a specialized honor society in Mathematics. KME was founded in 1931 to promote the interest of mathematics among undergraduate students. Its chapters are located in colleges and universities of recognized standing which offer a strong mathematics major.

Kutztown University has inducted 37 students into Tau Sigma National Transfer Honor Society. This is the first class for the society at KU. Tau Sigma was incorporated in 1999 at Auburn University. Today there are more than 175 chapters across the country.

Two students, Harleigh Ortman and Alex Green, have been inducted into the Delta Phi Alpha National German Honor Society at Kutztown University. Delta Phi Alpha began at Wofford College in 1929 and now has constituent chapters at 273 colleges and universities throughout the United States. Delta Phi Alpha, seeks to recognize excellence in the study of German and to provide an incentive for higher scholarship.

Fourteen Spanish majors and minors were inducted into the Kutztown University chapter of Sigma Delta Pi National Hispanic Honor Society. Sigma Delta Pi, the National Collegiate Hispanic Honor Society (La Sociedad Nacional Honoraria Hispanica), was established on Nov. 14, 1919, at the University of California Berkeley. The national headquarters is located at the College of Charleston in South Carolina.

Twelve Kutztown University students were inducted into Gamma Theta Upsilon (GTU) Geographical Honor Society. Gamma Theta Upsilon was founded in 1928 and became a national organization in 1931. GTU chapter activities support geography knowledge and awareness. A student must have a 3.3 overall grade point average and a 3.3 grade point average in geography to qualify for membership.

Three Kutztown University students took their research to the Pa. state capital on April 25. Danielle Cannon, Carly Plesic and Austin Stoudt participated in the annual Undergraduate Research at the Capital event.

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

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