UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The Penn State Alumni Association will honor eight prominent young alumni for their outstanding professional accomplishments at the 2025 Alumni Achievement Awards Ceremony on Friday, March 28, at 6 p.m. The event will be livestreamed.
The award is one of the Alumni Association’s most prestigious honors. Recipients are nominated by an academic college or campus and invited by the president of the University to return to Penn State to share their expertise with students and the University community. They demonstrate to students that Penn State alumni can succeed in exceptional fashion at an early age.
“It’s an honor to recognize these deserving Penn Staters,” said Ryan Jones, interim executive officer of the Penn State Alumni Association. “Each award recipient is making a unique difference in their field, and their successes highlight the impact Penn Staters can have on a national and global scale.”
The following Penn Staters will receive the Alumni Achievement Award:
Gabrielle Chappel, class of 2016, Bellisario College of Communications, College of the Liberal Arts — Chappel is a celebrated farm-to-table chef, educator and media personality who gained national recognition as the winner of Fox's "Next Level Chef" season three. She's built a significant following through her appearances on Conde Nast's "Epicurious" YouTube channel and across social media platforms. Before her culinary career, Chappel worked as a freelance creative producer for organizations including Fanatics and the New York Times, and as a journalist and on-camera reporter. While at Penn State, she was actively involved in numerous student organizations and was later honored as an outstanding alumna by the Department of Spanish, Italian and Portuguese.
Shah Chowdhury, class of 2018, College of Agricultural Sciences — Chowdhury is president and co-founder of Footsteps Bangladesh, an organization that has empowered over 700,000 people through initiatives addressing extreme poverty challenges. His achievements have earned him the Muhammad Ali Humanitarian Award, the Diana Award, and recognition on Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia in Social Impact list. Chowdhury serves as Bangladesh's youth representative at United Nations summits and maintains strong ties with Penn State through collaborations with Penn State Global and guest-lecturing in the College of Agricultural Sciences.
Kenya Crawford, class of 2015, College of Health and Human Development — Crawford is the CEO and founder of Cultivating Healers, an award-winning licensed psychotherapist, and racial equity consultant. Through her company, which earned certification as a Minority Business Enterprise in 2024, she has trained more than 2,000 therapists globally in building anti-racist, sustainable and inclusive practices. Crawford has earned recognitions like "Mental Health Advocate of Tomorrow," and her work has been featured in prominent publications including Huffington Post, Essence and Popsugar. She remains connected to Penn State by conducting entrepreneurship workshops during Start-up Week and previously served on the College of Health and Human Development Alumni Board.
Asia Grant, class of 2017, Smeal College of Business — Grant is co-founder of Redoux, an award-winning fragrance brand known for its sophisticated scents and vegan skincare. Under Grant’s leadership, Redoux has received numerous accolades including Essence Beauty and Ebony Magazine awards, and has been featured in the New York Times, Vogue and GQ. A published children's author and creative entrepreneur, she has collaborated with leading brands including Google, Nike and Instagram. Grant, a Schreyer Scholar, remains actively involved with Penn State, serving as immediate past president of the Scholar Alumni Society and on the Alumni Council executive board, while regularly mentoring Penn State students and entrepreneurs.
Victoria Heasley, class of 2014, College of Engineering; graduate class of 2018, College of Medicine — Heasley is an assistant professor of clinical medicine at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine and a physician at UC Health. She specializes in physical medicine and rehabilitation with fellowship training in sports medicine. Heasley founded the Bridge Adaptive Sports & Recreation, a nonprofit organization creating opportunities for individuals of all abilities to participate in competitive and leisure activities. She provides clinical care, teaches and conducts research focused on adaptive sports medicine. Heasley, a Schreyer Scholar and second-generation Penn Stater, remains connected to Penn State through active mentorship of students.
Ryan Henrici, class of 2015, Eberly College of Science — Henrici is senior director of translational research at BigHat Biosciences, where he leads development of next-generation antibody therapeutics. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he led efforts to develop therapeutic antibodies for treating and preventing SARS-CoV-2 infection. A Marshall Scholar, Astronaut Scholar and Barry M. Goldwater Scholar, Henrici also received the Eric A. Walker Award, given to students whose work enhances Penn State’s public esteem and renown. His career achievements include the American Society of Hematology's Early Career Achievement Award and the EMBL Best Short Talk Prize. At Penn State, he served on the President's Council on Engaged Scholarship and was a Schreyer Scholar.
Korrin Moon, graduate class of 2023, Penn State Dickinson Law — Moon is the president and co-founder of Lantern Rescue, a nonprofit organization that has rescued over 2,000 human trafficking victims and arrested more than 1,000 traffickers across 11 countries. A former U.S. Marine Corps Russian translator and intelligence analyst, Moon received multiple military honors including two Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medals. Now serving as a special prosecutor for Lycoming County focusing on human trafficking cases, she recently testified before the Pennsylvania House of Representatives Republican Committee and serves on the Northeastern Pennsylvania Trafficking Task Force.
Connor Sattely, class of 2011, Penn State Behrend — Sattely, a Schreyer Scholar while at Penn State, is an entrepreneur and venture capital expert with Decile Group, which runs VC Lab, the leading global accelerator that launched half of all new VC firms in 2023 and 2024. He serves as the impact measurement expert for the World Summit Awards, a United Nations-aligned global startup competition. Sattely's entrepreneurial journey includes founding GovFaces, an award-winning civic tech platform in Switzerland, co-founding a citizen feedback tool for public services in Uganda, and more. Throughout his career, Sattely has hosted hundreds of community-building events and worked as a consultant providing unique experiential services.
Visit the Alumni Association website for more information on the honorees and the Alumni Achievement Award.
