The Penn State Lehigh Valley academic achievement award winners for 2019-20 have been announced. The Student Awards Ceremony is usually held annually in April to celebrate the accomplishments of the campus's outstanding students, but was postponed this year due to COVID-19. The Virtual Student Awards Ceremony will be held online in August.
Students honored for outstanding achievement include:
Eric A. and Josephine Walker Award: Justin Honer (Allentown, PA)
This honor recognizes a student who has completed two full years at a Commonwealth Campus, and whose outstanding qualities of character, scholarship, leadership and citizenship have positively influenced fellow students and contributed to the prestige and well-being of his or her campus and hence, to the reputation of the University as a whole.
Heart of the Lion Award: Fatima Alba (Emmaus, PA)
The Heart of the Lion Award is presented to a Penn State Lehigh Valley student who has overcome notable obstacles of any kind and has demonstrated grit, gumption and sheer determination.
Campus Engagement Committee Achieving Student Award: Elise Shaffer (Coopersburg, PA), Savannah Malesky (Center Valley, PA), Bryce Smith (Lehighton, PA), Natalie Ament (Nazareth, PA)
The Penn State Lehigh Valley Campus Engagement Committee (CEC) awarded scholarships to Penn State Lehigh Valley students. The recipients for the CEC Achieving Student award were selected for their demonstrated leadership and accomplishments on campus and/or in their local communities.
2019 President’s Freshman Award: Ferris Abu-Ghosh (Hellertown, PA), Guillermo Buelvas (Perkasie, PA), Peyton Collier (Perkasie, PA), Lindsay Conaway (Allentown, PA), Paul Connolly (Bath, PA), Ahmed Elkoumy (Allentown, PA), Christopher Fill (Quakertown, PA), Jerad Flatt (Macungie, PA), Nicholas George (Bethlehem, PA), Nicole Grazio (Macungie, PA), Katie Green (Allentown, PA), Tanner Hillegas (Allentown, PA), Michael Ifkovits (Nazareth, PA), Josiah Johnson (Coopersburg, PA), Alyssa Kately (Nazareth, PA), Adam Kurtz (Center Valley, PA), Jenna Kurtz (Trumbauersville, PA), Thomas Mikhail (Allentown, PA), Kien Nguyen (Northampton, PA), Robert Palonis (Telford, PA), Valeria Quinones-Morales (Bethlehem, PA), Sawan Ruangsang (Bethlehem, PA), Logan Specht (Allentown, PA), Abigail Stolinas (Allentown, PA), Sherina Suthakar (Nazareth, PA) and Alec Welsh (Easton, PA).
This award is presented annually to undergraduate degree candidates and degree-seeking provisional students who have earned a 4.0 cumulative grade-point average based on at least 12 graded Penn State credits completed during their first semester of admission, Candidates are eligible for this award if they have not exceeded 35 Penn State credits earned.
2019 President’s Sparks Awards: Mason Bunce (Northampton, PA); Sophia Cinoa (Easton, PA); Denise Hassick (Emmaus, PA).
This award is presented annually to those undergraduate degree candidates who have earned a 4.00 (A) cumulative grade point average based on at least 36 graded Penn State credits completed by the end of the fall semester of the academic year the award is given. Candidates are eligible for this award if they have not exceeded 59 total credits earned.
The Alexandria Downing Outstanding Student in Sociology Award: Abigail Yacoub (Whitehall, PA)
This award is presented to the student who has demonstrated outstanding academic performance and promise in the field of sociology.
First-Year Chemistry Achievement Award: Josiah Johnson (Coopersburg, PA)
This award is presented to a first-year student for outstanding academic achievement in all four lecture and laboratory courses in chemistry.
Outstanding Student in Biology Award: Vinay Singh (Center Valley, PA)
This award is presented to a sophomore majoring in biology who has a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or above and displays a strong ability for scientific writing, scholarship and a talent for research.
Outstanding Student in Psychology Award: Yeniffer Arguello Noa (Emmaus, PA)
This award is presented to a junior or senior who has demonstrated outstanding performance in the major.
Outstanding Student in Rehabilitation and Human Services Award: Ana Tejeda (Easton, PA)
This award is presented to a senior who has demonstrated outstanding performance in the major.
Outstanding Student in Health Policy and Administrative Award: Brian Perch (Quakertown, PA)
This award is presented to a student who exemplifies high academic achievement and leadership and excellence in healthcare engagement and/or research.
Mathematical Excellence Award: Joshua Misiti (Nazareth, PA)
This award is presented to a sophomore who has demonstrated excellence in the calculus, and differential equations series of courses.
Outstanding Engineering Student Award: Joshua Misiti (Nazareth, PA) and Joseph Fantuzzi (Saylorsburg, PA)
This award is presented to a student(s) who began his/her undergraduate studies at PSU-LV and who has demonstrated outstanding achievement in all engineering courses.
Outstanding Student in Marketing/Management Award: Jennifer Bosques (Bethlehem, PA)
This award is presented to a senior in the marketing management option who has demonstrated outstanding achievement.
Outstanding Student in Project and Supply Chain Management Award: Solomon Taylor (Allentown, PA)
This award is presented to a senior who has demonstrated outstanding achievement in Project and Supply Chain Management.
The Information Sciences and Technology Achievement Award: Dan Jalosinski (Perkasie, PA)
This is presented to PSU-LV student who has achieved a cumulative GPA of at least 3.67, has earned at least 60 cumulative credits in the IST program by the end of his/her fifth semester and who has demonstrated outstanding leadership and academic achievement.
Outstanding Student in Corporate Communication Award: Saschelle Mandoza (Allentown, PA)
This award is presented to a graduating student who has achieved one of the highest GPA in the major and demonstrated outstanding academic performance and contribution to campus and community welfare.
English Department Award for Exceptional Achievement in Expository Writing: Amnah Khan (Allentown, PA)
This award is presented to a student(s) whose writing demonstrates sophisticated analysis or interpretation of literature, and exceptional management of voice, content and form.
Excellence in Public Speaking Award: Christina Reid (Quakertown, PA)
This award is presented to a student who demonstrates excellence in public communication. Criteria for selection includes excellence in researching a speech as part of a PSU-LV course.
Outstanding Student in Biobehavioral Health Award: Sahira Mughal (Allentown, PA) and Fadi Mamar (Allentown, PA)
This award is presented to a student(s) who demonstrates exceptional academic achievement, scholarship and leadership in the major.
Outstanding Art Student Award: Olivia Howe (Pennsburg, PA)
This award is presented to a student whose work demonstrates excellence in a variety of media for art projects created during courses at PSU-LV.
Outstanding Arts Administration Student Award: Elise Schaffer (Coopersburg, PA)
This award is presented to a student who demonstrates outstanding performance in the major.
Outstanding Spanish Student Award: Mansi Desai (Quakertown, PA)
This award is presented to student who has earned an A in at least three semesters of Spanish at PSU-LV, and is an active member in classes and activities organized to promote Hispanic culture and has shown serious interest in pursuing language studies.
Students with the highest GPA by college for academic year 2019-20
Agricultural Sciences: Abigayle Ward (Bethlehem, PA) and Lexis Brownstein (Hellertown, PA)
Arts and Architecture: Carissa Flores (Perkasie, PA)
Business Administration : Jenna Kurtz (Trumbauersville, PA), Mason Bunce (Northampton, PA), Robert Palonis (Telford, PA), and Paul Connolly (Bath, PA)
Communications: Joseph Eckstein (Nazareth, PA) and Eric Fenstermaker (Nazareth, PA)
Division of Undergraduate Studies: Valeria Quinones-Morales (Bethlehem, PA), Guillermo Buelvas (Perkasie, PA), Nicholas George (Bethlehem, PA), Denise Hassick (Emmaus, PA), Peyton Collier (Perkasie, PA), Sophia Cinoa (Easton, PA), Sherina Suthakar (Nazareth, PA), Christopher Fill (Quakertown, PA)
Education: Emily Nguyen (Allentown, PA) and Creyn Muthard (Alburtis, PA)
Engineering: Josiah Johnson (Coopersburg, PA), Kien Nguyen (Northampton, PA), Logan Specht (Allentown, PA), and Michael Ifkovits (Nazareth, PA)
Health and Human Development: Abigail Stolinas (Allentown, PA) and Mynor Bendzin (Mechanicsburg, PA)
Information Sciences and Technology: Satbir Saini (Easton, PA) and Joseph Raymond (Macungie, PA)
Liberal Arts: Katherine Guzman (Hellertown, PA) and Natalia Makowka (Allentown, PA)
Science: Ferris Abu-Ghosh (Hellertown, PA) and Rana Moawad (Coplay, PA)
Students with the highest GPA by Lehigh Valley major for academic year 2019-20
Arts Administration: Elise Schaffer (Coopersburg, PA)
Biobehavioral Health: Alice Maykuth (Bechtelsville, PA), Jerad Flatt (Allentown, PA, Lindsay Conaway (Allentown, PA), and Avery Taylor (Northampton, PA)
Business Administration - Associate Degree: Adam Kurtz (Center Valley, PA) and Matthew Greggo (Northampton, PA)
Business Administration - Bachelor Degree: Alec Welsh (Easton, PA) and Sawan Ruangsang (Bethlehem, PA)
Corporate Communication: Savannah Malesky (Center Valley, PA)
Health Policy and Administration: Nicole Grazio (Macungie, PA) and Brian Perch (Quakertown, PA)
Information Sciences and Technology: Mansi Desai (Quakertown, PA) and Maitriben Patel (Whitehall, PA)
Psychology, Bachelor of Arts: Salena Haddad (Allentown, PA) and Ebony Sanders (Bethlehem, PA)
Psychology, Bachelor of Science: Joseph Anasti (Zionsville, PA) and Thomas Mikhail (Allentown, PA)
Rehabilitation and Human Services: Katie Green (Allentown, PA) and Jordan Scott (Bethlehem, PA)
Project and Supply Chain Management: Alyssa Kately (Nazareth, PA) and Solomon Taylor (Allentown, PA)