The 2023 Honors and Awards Convocation was Sunday, April 16, to honor Penn State Behrend students for their extraordinary academic achievements in the 2022-23 academic year. Recognized students and their guests were invited to attend the ceremony.
Congratulations to this year's award winners!
Academic Awards
The awards given each spring by the college’s academic units recognize excellence in scholastic achievement and engagement in academic-focused co-curricular and professional activities.
Writing Awards
- First Year Writing Award: Konrad Ruckdeschel
- Black School of Business Writing Award: Shannon Miller
- School of Engineering Writing Award: Sydney Brooks
- School of Humanities and Social Sciences Writing Award: Celine Gauge
Outstanding Tutor Awards
- Outstanding Tutor in Business: Boyan Du
- Outstanding Tutor in Engineering: Zoe Mouchantaf
- Outstanding Tutor in Humanities and Social Sciences: Samhita Chitturi
- Outstanding Tutor in Mathematics: Landon English
- Outstanding Tutor in Science: Olivia Steinbeck
- Outstanding Tutor in Writing: Kristen Anderson
Division of Undergraduate Studies Awards
- Outstanding DUS Student Awards: Sydnee Barnett, Michael Sopko
Black School of Business Awards
- Outstanding Accounting Student: Hannah Christy
- Outstanding Business Economics Student: Victoria Jackson
- Outstanding Finance Student: Garrett Watson
- Outstanding Finance Student, World Campus: Matthew Kellermann
- Outstanding Interdisciplinary Business with Engineering Studies Student: Summer Hannah
- Outstanding International Business Student: Garrett Watson
- Outstanding Management Information Systems Student: Ashley Benek
- Outstanding Marketing Student: Madison Dambach
- Outstanding Project and Supply Chain Management Student: Ryan Johnson
- Delta Sigma Pi Scholarship Key: Isaac Barringer, Ryan Scott
- Kenneth L. Spencer Award, Accounting: Danielle Jackson
- Kenneth L. Spencer Award, Finance: Aruj Bhargava
- Institute of Management Accounting Award: Samuel Pischera
- Outstanding Master of Business Administration Student, Erie: Christopher Denison
- Outstanding Master of Business Administration Student, Cranberry: Matthew Mahouski
- Outstanding Master of Project Management Student: Joe Wiesner
School of Engineering Awards
- Outstanding Computer Engineering Student: Kailey Smotek
- Outstanding Computer Science Student: Abdulla Iznurov
- Outstanding Electrical and Computer Engineering Technology Student: Keven Rall
- Outstanding Electrical Engineering Student: Michael McMahon
- Outstanding Industrial Engineering Student: MollyAnne Lloyd
- Outstanding Mechanical Engineering Student: Zachary Vandervort
- Outstanding Mechanical Engineering Technology Student: Cayla Meyer
- Outstanding Plastics Engineering Technology Student: Lucas Krolczyk
- Outstanding Polymer Engineering and Science Student: Brianna Rathbun
- Outstanding Software Engineering Student: Yuba Neupane
- Outstanding Software Engineering Student, World Campus: Rachel Hare
- Jake Boyle Memorial Award: Juston Jones, Samuel York
- James R. Meehl Engineering Award: Zachary Vandervort
- Outstanding Master of Manufacturing Management Student: Emily Glacken
School of Humanities and Social Sciences Awards
- Outstanding Achievement in Communication: Mary Murphy
- Outstanding Creative Writing Major: Carolyn Hogg
- Outstanding Elementary and Early Childhood Education Major, Academics: Lauren Walsh
- Outstanding Elementary and Early Childhood Education Major, Fieldwork: Haley Keck
- Outstanding English Major: Lydia Glenn
- Best Contributing History Major: Cole Troutner
- Outstanding Political Science Major: Mallory Flesik
- Outstanding Psychology Student: Briona Bargerstock
- Outstanding Scholarly Achievement in Psychology: Emily Clopp
- Clarence A. and Eugenie Baumann Smith Fiction Award: Carolyn Hogg
- Corey N. Farrell Nonfiction Award: Hallie Spielman
- John Rossi Excellence in Research Award: Evan Bromley
- Kenneth Jonathan Sonnenberg Poetry Award: Carolyn Hogg
- Myron Jones Broadcasting Award: Isaac Rivers
- Zachary T. Irwin Humanitarian Award: Mallory Flesik
School of Science Awards
- Academic Excellence in Biology: Taylor Romania
- Academic Excellence in Chemistry: Joshua Fardo
- Academic Excellence in Environmental Science: Olivia Hodgson, Amanda Mullen
- Academic Excellence in Mathematics: Hannah Gampe, Dani Kosslow
- Outstanding Future Math Educator Award: McKenzie Hovis
- Academic Excellence in Physics Award: Nick Felker
- Aaron Meehl Biology Award—Outstanding Rising Senior: Skylar Swartz
- Aaron Meehl Biology Award—Outstanding Rising Junior: Timothy Stainbrook
- Chemistry Citizenship Award: Olivia Steinbeck
- CRC/Outstanding Freshman Award: Benjamin Lindquist
- Most Promising Freshman in Mathematics Award: Matt McDonough
- Outstanding Freshman in Chemistry/American Chemical Society Award: Samantha Semler
Nursing Program Awards
- Academic Excellence Award: Morgan Harding
- Excellence in Professional Nursing and Caring Award: Yingxin Wu
College-Wide Awards
President Walker Award
The President Walker Award is presented to the full-time undergraduate students who earned a perfect 4.0 cumulative grade-point average in their first semester.
- Sameer Ahmed
- Raymond Bailey
- Ramiro Becerra
- Kieffer Beckmann
- Maura Benim
- Mason Blankenberg
- Trista Buskirk
- Diana Cao
- Yi-Yun Chou
- Ethan Clemetson
- Patrick Conklin
- Ari Connerty-Singer
- Inesa Cosic
- Riley Davis
- Alex Dayoub
- Yiyan Gao
- Dheeraj Gollu
- Owen Grubbs
- Kaylee Harrison
- Collin Hicks
- Benjamin Hollerman
- Mackenzie Hughes
- Negein Immen
- Julia Jacobs
- Michael Jenks
- Michael Jones
- Himani Karia
- Lauren Kiser
- Shreejana Koirala
- Brooke Korb
- Rebecca Krenzer
- Owen Larmon
- Kelvin Li
- Benjamin Lindquist
- Alison Litwiler
- Matthew McDonough
- Mya McElhinney
- Caleb Minner
- Leah Naughton
- Tran Tu Uyen Nguyen
- Natthanan Nithithanatchinnapat
- Alix Ordiway
- Ali Ostowar
- Jonathan Parsons
- Samantha Perseo
- Evelyn Ruckdeschel
- Joel Sander
- Anjana Tamang
- Jason Vander Linden
- Aaron VanDyke
- Andrew Walker
- Grant Walker
- Jebin Woo
- Yi Zheng
- Aarick Zook
- Rachel Zurn
President Sparks Award
The President Sparks Award is presented to full-time undergraduate students who have earned a 4.0 cumulative grade-point average at the end of their third semester.
- Chase Anderson
- Kristen Anderson
- Dylan Bellomy
- Wei Chen
- Alec Dennis
- Trinity Ives
- Hannah Khamis
- Kunyu Pan
- Keri Saulino
- Timothy Stainbrook
- Shuqing Wei
Evan Pugh Scholars
Juniors and seniors who were in the top 0.5 percent of their classes at the end of the fall semester are honored as Evan Pugh Scholars.
Juniors:
- Timothy Fair
- Skylar Swartz
Seniors:
- Emily Clopp
- Joshua Fardo
- Alexander Jackson
- Miranda Johns
Archie K. Loss Undergraduate Thesis Award
Established in memory of the late Dr. Archie Loss, professor emeritus of English and American studies, by his family and friends, this award honors and recognizes a Schreyer Honors College undergraduate student who has completed or is making significant progress toward completion of an outstanding honors thesis.
- Joseph Previte
Irvin H. Kochel Award
Recognition of an outstanding underclass student who demonstrates qualities of character, scholarship, leadership, and citizenship through involvement in programs and services that positively influence fellow students and contribute to the college community.
- Hannah Gampe
T. Reed Ferguson Award
This award recognizes the junior-year student whose academic and out-of-classroom leadership promise further achievement in the senior year.
- Ramesh Komma
Thomas H. Turnbull Award
The Turnbull Award honors a student who has contributed to the college community through qualities of character, scholarship, leadership, and citizenship. Outstanding service to the college is the most important criterion for selection.
- Jenna Alberti
Eric A. and Josephine S. Walker Award
This award recognizes a student whose outstanding qualities of character, scholarship, leadership, and citizenship have been directed into student programs and services. Scholarship and service to the college are the primary criteria for selection.
- Zoe Mouchantaf
Outstanding First-Year Student Award
This award recognizes a first-year student who demonstrates outstanding promise of character, scholarship, leadership, and citizenship through achievements in his or her first year of study.
- Miguel Malave
Council of Fellows Undergraduate Research Award
This award is presented annually to a student who demonstrated excellence in undergraduate research.
- Amanda Mullen