Penn State Erie, The Behrend College, presented 91 different awards to students and student organizations at the 66th annual Honors and Awards Convocation on April 19.
The event, held in the college’s McGarvey Commons, recognized students in a variety of disciplines. All four schools — the School of Engineering, the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, the Sam and Irene Black School of Business and the School of Science — were represented. Student life and Penn State Behrend Honors Program awards were also distributed during the program.
“This is an important event for the college because it points out in great detail the many different types of activities in which our students are engaged and how well they do them,” said Ken Miller, senior director of campus planning and student affairs. “Students don’t generally seek recognition for the activities they engage in nor do they generally receive it. The program celebrates their efforts, re-affirms their importance, and will hopefully inspire others to participate to the degree in which they are able.”
Included in the awards presentation were the Special Service Awards, which recognize students in the areas of character, scholarship, leadership and citizenship. The winners of those awards are as follows:
- Outstanding First-Year Student Award: Max Morrow, a first-year business administration major from Youngstown, Ohio
- Irvin H. Kochel Award: Yuanheng “Arthur” Wang, a sophomore education major from Chengdu, China
- Thomas H. Turnbull Award: Amyelia Payne, a senior international business major from New Castle
- T. Reed Ferguson Award: Joel Solomon, a junior physics major from New Wilmington
- Eric A. and Josephine S. Walker Award: Katherine O’Neill, a senior creative writing major from Lake Winola