Kutztown University of Pennsylvania

Shiyi Ding has been awarded the Dr. Victor Story Scholarship at Kutztown University. The Dr. Victor Story Scholarshipis awarded to a student showing interest in Mexican, Mexican American or Latin American History.

Evan Musto has been awarded the Esther Willits History Scholarship at Kutztown University. The Esther Willits History Scholarship is awarded to a sophomore history major, history with paralegal major or a secondary education/social studies major with good academic standing. This scholarship is the legacy of the late Dr. Esther Willits, a KU alumna, former professor of history and a founding member of Kutztown University's Phi Alpha Theta Honor Society chapter.

Gregory W. White of Coopersburg, Pa., has been awarded the Anthony J. Mazzaferri History Scholarship at Kutztown University. The Anthony J. Mazzaferri scholarship is awarded to a junior or senior history major, history with paralegal major or a secondary education/social studies major with good academic standing. This scholarship was established in memory of Dr. Anthony J. Mazzaferri, former professor of history, by Dr. Annette Mazzaferri, wife and emerita professor of speech and theater.

The Kutztown University chapter of Phi Alpha Theta national history honor society has inducted 16 new members. Undergraduate students must complete a minimum of 12 semester hours in history, achieve a minimum grade point average of 3.1 in history and a 3.0 overall.

The Kutztown University Department of Criminal Justice inducted 18 new members into the Alpha Phi Sigma Honor Society. Alpha Phi Sigma is the national criminal justice honor society. It 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 Spring 2008 with 13 founding members. 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.

Kutztown University's chapter of the Alpha Epsilon Lambda national honor society for graduate students has inducted eight new members. In order to be considered for membership students must have completed at least 12 credit hours as a degree-seeking student in a graduate program, a grade point average placing the student in the top 35 percent of campus graduate students and a record of leadership and service to graduate students or graduate student organizations.

Kristyn Rohrer, a sophomore sociology major at Kutztown University, will travel to Jordan this summer to complete a six week internship at Reclaim Childhood, a non-profit organization that operates a sports camp for refugee girls. Participants range in age from six to eighteen years old and are typically from the Syria, Iraq and Palestine areas.

Sara Wingert presented a poster at the 88th Annual Meeting of the Society for Pennsylvania Archaeology on Saturday, April 8. She won first prize in the student poster contest. The Society for Pennsylvania Archaeology, Inc. was organized in 1929 to promote the study of the prehistoric and historic archaeological resources of Pennsylvania and neighboring states.

Kutztown University has inducted 35 graduate and undergraduate students in to the Phi Alpha National Honor Society for Social Work. Phi Alpha fosters high standards of education for social workers and invites into membership those who have attained excellence in scholarship and achievement in social work.

Stephen Hilborn, a senior finance and accounting major from Shoemakersville, Pa., was named a semi-finalist in the State System of Higher Education Business Idea Competition. He had previously been awarded the grand prize at the 2016 Kutztown University Business Idea Competition for his mobile application concept, Virgil. Virgil, an app that aims to help young people during the credit card application process, was awarded a $1,000 grand prize in the KU competition.

Kutztown University's chapter of the Alpha Epsilon Lambda national honor society for graduate students has inducted eight new members. In order to be considered for membership students must have completed at least 12 credit hours as a degree-seeking student in a graduate program, a grade point average placing the student in the top 35 percent of campus graduate students and a record of leadership and service to graduate students or graduate student organizations.

Sierra Taylor became the fifth rookie in program history, and the first since 2011, to be named the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) East Freshman of the Year, while graduate-transfer Alex Heck capped her one season with the Kutztown University women's basketball team with an All-PSAC East Second Team selection, as the league released its major awards and All-PSAC Teams on Thursday.

Kutztown University honored 52 students at the annual Gamma Sigma Alpha induction. Gamma Sigma Alpha is a national honor society for students who are members of a social Greek organization and have at least a 3.5 GPA in their junior or senior year.

Kutztown University graduate student Marishika Wright of Harrisburg, Pa., was awarded the Esther-Jafari Haymon Scholarship at the Pennsylvania Black Conference on Higher Education (PBCOHE) for her continued academic excellence. The Esther-Jafari Haymon Scholarship is awarded to international students who have a 3.0 GPA or higher, are involved in leadership roles on campus and actively participate in co-curricular activities.

Josh Johnson headlined four Kutztown University men's basketball players on the 2017 All-Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Team Thursday, as he was named this year's PSAC Eastern Division Defensive Athlete of the Year. Johnson and junior point guard Ethan Ridgeway were named All-PSAC East First Team. Redshirt-sophomore Anthony Lee and redshirt-senior Ryan Connolly repeated last year's honors with All-PSAC Second Team recognition.

Kutztown University has announced the 2017 Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society inductees. The induction ceremony was held on Feb. 21.

The following people recently were initiated into The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi, the nation's oldest and most selective collegiate honor society for all academic disciplines.

Kutztown University senior Nykolai A. Blichar has been selected to serve as a student trustee on the Kutztown University Council of Trustees. Appointed by the Council of Trustees, and confirmed by Governor Tom Wolf, Blichar will represent the nearly 8,500 students enrolled at the university.

Kutztown University has announced the student-athletes that will represent its women's lacrosse program for the 2017 season.

The Kutztown University men's and women's cross country teams received multiple academic awards from the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) for the 2016 season.

The Kutztown University women's lacrosse is happy to announce a trio of captains to lead the Maroon and Gold into the 2017 season. Senior Abby Cox, junior Sarah Gabriele and redshirt-junior Haley Romoser are the three recipients of the honor.

Kutztown University will have 19 student-athletes representing its softball program for the 2017 season.

Kutztown University has conferred degrees on nearly 700 students during the summer and fall terms. 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.

More than 1,650 students have been named to the Fall 2016 Dean's List at Kutztown University. To be eligible for Dean's List, an undergraduate student must be registered for at least 12 credits and have a minimum grade point average of 3.60.

Brandyn Hamilton of Washington, N.J., is working for the state Legislative and Policy Research Office as part of a 15-week internship sponsored by Pennsylvania's State System of Higher Education. Hamilton is a senior public administration major at Kutztown University of Pennsylvania. He is one of 11 students participating in The Harrisburg Internship Semester (THIS) program

Kutztown University senior music major, Peter Snyder, was awarded the Freddie Gruber Scholarship from the Percussive Arts Society. The annual scholarship, which receives auditions from percussion students across the world, rewards the winning college or university student with $2500 towards tuition.

Kutztown University student Nykolai Aleksandor Blichar has been selected to serve on the It's On Us Student Advisory Committee. Blichar, a political science major from Palmerton, Pa., is one of 28 students serving on the committee. Those selected are from colleges and universities across the country including Fordham University, the University of Pennsylvania, Duke University, the University of Connecticut and Williams College.

Kutztown University has announced the student-athletes that will represent its men's and women's tennis programs for the 2016-17 season.

Kutztown University has announced the student-athletes that will represent its women's golf program for the 2016-17 season.

Christopher Collins of Bath, Pa., is working for the Pennsylvania Department of State as part of a 15-week internship sponsored by Pennsylvania's State System of Higher Education. Collins is a senior at Kutztown University of Pennsylvania, where he is majoring in public administration and minoring in paralegal studies. He is one of 12 students participating in The Harrisburg Internship Semester (THIS) program, which provides students the opportunity to work in all areas of state government.