New Kensington faculty, staff and students honored at Celebration of Excellence

NEW KENSINGTON, Pa. — Penn State New Kensington honored its faculty, staff and students for their contributions to a positive campus culture, academic research and service at its annual Celebration of Excellence. Photos from the event can be viewed on and downloaded from Penn State New Kensington's Flickr page.

Academic Awards

College of Agricultural Sciences

• Justin Carr

College of Engineering

• Shawn Mankamyer

Electro-Mechanical Engineering Technology

• Bradley Carr
• Tom Gniewkowski
• Cecilia Scarcelli

Biomedical Engineering Technology

• Michael Coyne

Biobehavioral Health

• Caitlin Brennan
• Kenton Knox
• Allie Miller
• Business
• Madaline Struhar
• Olivia Waldrop

Communications

• Destiny Batiste

Criminal Justice

• Kelly Dugan
• Josiah McCoy
• Alexandra Reilly

Multi-Disciplinary Studies

• Air Wales

Information Technology

• Ian Campbell

Psychology

• Meredith Carter

Radiological Sciences

• Britta Lindgren

Division of Undergraduate Studies

• Finn Bethurum

Honors Program

Honors certificates are presented to students who completed the requirements for the Honors Program.

Four-Year Participants

• Meredith Carter

Third-Year Participants

• Kelly Dugan
• Alexandra Reilly
• Gabriella Wolfkill

Second-Year Participants

• Karee Jackson
• Britta Lindgren

One-Year Participants

• Kali Barnett
• Jared Creel
• Hannah Dickun
• Calla Garland
• Calder Gee
• Abigail King
• Zoe King
• Joseph Liput
• Sasay Mondesir
• Paul Roberts
• Caleb Shultz
• Carson Zadylak

Campus Awards

Excellence in Teaching Award

Faculty have three areas of responsibility: teaching, research/scholarly activity and service. This award recognizes a faculty member’s contribution in teaching. The principal criterion is excellent classroom performance, but also excellence in other activities such as advising, supervision of learning outside the classroom and course development.

• Full-time faculty recipient: Pepsi Umberger, assistant teaching professor of kinesiology
• Part-time faculty recipient: Robyn Chotiner, adjunct lecturer

Arlene Hall Service Award

Each year, faculty of Penn State New Kensington nominate outstanding faculty for the Arlene E. Hall Excellence in Service Award in recognition of high-quality service to the campus, college, University, discipline and the community as a representative of the University.

• Joie Marhefka, associate teaching professor of engineering

Atherton Award

This University-wide award is presented annually to six tenured faculty members who have developed a record of excellence in undergraduate teaching.

• Craig Hammond, assistant director of Academic Affairs and associate professor of history

Staff Award: Service to Penn State New Kensington Campus

This service to campus award recognizes a staff member who demonstrates a pattern of extraordinary dedication and goes above and beyond assigned job responsibilities in an effort to serve the needs of members of the New Kensington campus.

• Jill Dickun, interim director of Student Affairs and Success Center coordinator

Staff Award: Service to Students

The service to students award recognizes a staff member who has consistently fostered holistic, positive learning environments that help to develop students personally and professionally.

• Maria Kanute, associate director of Enrollment Management

University Awards

Eric A. and Josephine S. Walker Award

The award recognizes students whose outstanding qualities of character, scholarship leadership, and citizenship have been directed into programs and services that have positively influenced fellow students and have contributed to the prestige and well-being of their campuses and, therefore, to the University.

• Meredith Carter

President Walker Academic Award

The award is presented to undergraduate degree candidates who have earned a 4.0 cumulative grade-point average based on at least 12 graded credits completed during their first semester.

• Michael Coyne
• Krystall Evans
• Alyssa Gable
• Jayson Ireland
• Isaak Kirkland
• Stephen LaPay
• Shannon Maguire
• Miguel Quercia Marcano
• Cara Schantz
• Miles Stockdill
• Juliana Van Hoozen

President Sparks Academic Award

The award is presented to undergraduate degree candidates who have earned a 4.0 cumulative grade-point average based on at least 36 graded credits completed by the end of the fall semester.

• Kayla Carnahan
• Caleb Shultz

Student Achievement Awards

Emerging Leader Award

This award recognizes a student’s leadership impact on a student organization through dedication to community service, promotion of diversity, responsible citizenship and academic excellence.

• Destiny Batiste

Top Influencer Award

This award recognizes students who demonstrate excellence in out-of-class involvement and leadership. These students consistently demonstrate a positive influence with their peers, have high integrity and are an example to their fellow students while simultaneously excelling academically.

• Marcel Craig
• Sarah Usko
• Rachel Klemmensen
• Noah Durso
• Amari Walker
• Madaline Struhar
• Cheridan Turiczek
• Alexandra Reilly

Penn State Spirit Award

This award is presented by the Penn State New Kensington Alumni Society to a student who exhibits integrity and character as a leader and exemplifies the meaning of Penn State Pride.

• Sarah Usko

Literary Award

This award recognizes a student who authors a creative fiction or nonfiction published or accepted for release in a current campus publication.

• Angela Schlager

Lion Ambassador of the Year Award

This award recognizes a Lion Ambassador that represents Penn State at campus recruitment events and in the community.

• Madaline Struhar

Club of the Year Award

• Theatre Club
  • Colin Miller
  • Alexzander Caldwell
  • Benjamin Szish
  • Rory Messersmith
  • Steven Robledo

Club Advisor Award

• Maria Kanute, Associate Director of Enrollment Management

Athletic Academic Awards

USCAA All-Academics

USCAA All-Academics recognition honors student-athletes for earning or maintaining a GPA of 3.5 or higher (after 24 credits).

Men’s Baseball

• John A Galeano Del Castillo
• Thomas Fedel
• Vaughn Gallicano
• Lucas Habash
• Matthew Hodgins
• Terry Johnson
• Zachary O’Bryan
• Caden Rupert

Men’s Basketball

• Napat Ratanaphunsri

Men’s Soccer

• Finn Bethurum
• David Jimenez
• Kenton Knox
• Jake Morgan
• Braden Piatt
• Michael Pilka
• Tanner Stockdill
• Mason Wicks

Women’s Basketball

• Kali Barnett
• Destiny Batise
• Antonia Velasquez

Women’s Soccer

• Kali Barnett
• Taylor Carr
• Angelina Ferriola
• Natalia Rivera Jimenez
• Britta Lindgren
• Bella Oskin
• Antonia Valasquez
• Air Wales

Softball

• Kali Barnett
• Antonia Velasquez
• Olivia Waldrop
• Piper Zufall

Volleyball

• Kayla Carnahan
• Cheridan Turiczek
• Sarah Usko
• Kayla Unger
• Gabby Wolfkill

PSUAC All-Conference

USCAA All-Academics recognition honors student-athletes for earning or maintaining a GPA of 3.0 or higher.

Men’s Baseball

• Zander Allen
• Ken Boyle
• John Galeano Del Castillo
• William Celko
• Jack Eales
• Thomas Fedel
• Vaughn Gallicano
• Miguel Garcia
• Lucas Habash
• Matthew Hodgins
• Terry Johnson
• Lucky Lindley
• Zachary O’Bryan
• Jobeth Diaz Osorio
• Dominic Ouvry
• Caden Rupert
• Thomas Santiago
• Sean Walker
• Karter Weitzel

Men’s Basketball

• Jayden Alba
• Olwadara Idowu
• Napat Ratanaphunsri

Men’s Soccer

• Ethan Alberta
• Finn Bethurum
• James Duncan
• Taber Driscoll
• Michael Fleeson
• Daniel Garcia
• Jacob Guerrini
• Luke Guerrini
• Jayson Ireland
• David Jimenez
• Kenton Knox
• Jeremy Mack
• Jesse Maloney
• Jake Morgan
• Braden Piatt
• Michael Pilka
• Dylan Shaw
• Tanner Stockdill
• Thai Tran
• Joey Weis
• Mason Wicks
• Ethan Wineberg
• Ryan Wurzer
• Carson Zadylak

Women’s Basketball

• Kali Barnett
• Destiny Batise
• Kaylee Kickbush
• Jayden Rivera
• Antonia Velasquez

Women’s Soccer

• Kali Barnett
• Taylor Carr
• Angelina Ferriola
• Natalia Rivera Jimenez
• Britta Lindgren
• Bella Oskin
• Antonia Valasquez
• Air Wales

Softball

• Kali Barnett
• Angelina Ferriola
• Natalia Rivera Jimenez
• Brookelyn Kotch
• Shai Moore
• Jayde Rivera
• Linda Shepard
• Ella Vaupel
• Antonia Velasquez
• Olivia Waldrop
• Piper Zufall

Volleyball

• Kayla Carnahan
• Gabrielle Green
• Emily Lewandowski
• Cheriden Turiczek
• Annmarie Uhl
• Kayla Unger
• Sarah Usko
• Gabby Wolfkill