Abington announces 2021 alumni award winners

The Penn State Abington Office of Development and Alumni Relations announced the honorees for the 2021 Alumni Awards in four categories. The awards recognize the service, accomplishments, and philanthropic investments of Abington alumni and friends, which enrich the campus and student experience for all.

According to Marissa Silverman, assistant director for alumni relations, Abington Chancellor Margo DelliCarpini will present the awards at 6 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 14. To register for the event, contact Silverman at mis5689@psu.edu.

Penn State Abington Alumni Award winners

Abington Alumni Service Award

This award recognizes alumni who have demonstrated excellence in giving back to the Penn State Abington community, volunteering their service to campus, and engaging with current students, faculty and staff.

Laura P. Clark
Veterinarian Clark is a senior manager in academic and professional affairs at Zoetis, where she serves as a corporate partner to 16 colleges and schools of veterinary medicine in the United States and the Caribbean. Clark’s relationship with Abington began more than two decades ago when she volunteered for Math Options, a program designed to expose girls to careers in math and science. In 2001, she joined the Abington Advisory Board where she has worked to advance the visions of three chancellors. She has mentored individual students, delivered a commencement address, endowed a trustee scholarship for Abington students interested in medicine, and, most recently, served as the chair of the Advisory Board.

Stanley A. Singer
After starting his Penn State education at Abington, Singer graduated from the Smeal College of Business with a degree in business administration in 1961. He has served on the Abington Advisory Board since 2007 including terms as chair, and most recently he completed a three-year term as vice chair during a time of leadership transition. Stan and his wife, Lois, have been generous supporters of Penn State Abington, including the Art Program and the Center for Career and Professional Development, and he has enjoyed mentoring students.
 

Quintara B. Tucker
Penn State alumnus Tucker, 2015, is a board certified behavior analyst who dedicates herself to changing the lives of children. She recently started her own business that provides applied behavior analysis (ABA) students with the support and knowledge they need to pass the board exam. Tucker is a Lion Link mentor and sits on an ethics panel twice a year to speak to current PSS students about ethics in the field of ABA.

Abington Young Alumni Award 
This award recognizes a graduate of the last 15 years who has proven to be a rising star in their field.
 

Jacklin Rhoads
Rhoads graduated from Penn State in 2008 with a degree in English, attending the Abington campus. The depth of her leadership and service as a student predicted future success. She was president of Student Government Association, the senior class president, and the recipient of an award for Commonwealth Campus students. Rhoads has built a successful career in public relations and corporate communications. Currently, Rhoads is the communications director for the Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General.

Abington Alumni Achievement Award 

This award recognizes those alumni who have demonstrated excellence in their field, contributed significantly to their profession, and gained exemplary reputation among colleagues. 
 

Ameen I. Akbar
The nominator for Akbar, 1999, fellow Abington alumnus and Philadelphia city councilman Isaiah Thomas, wrote, “Ameen has focused his remarkable career on serving the youth of Philadelphia.”  He focused on service learning and mentoring as a director at YouthBuild Philadelphia Charter School. Now a senior associate at Grovider, Ameen consults with leaders to design strong culture systems that create organizational change and improve operational effectiveness.

Eric Offner
Offner, 1997, began his recruiting career more than two decades ago. He was one of the first 10 employees at the successful Philadelphia start-up Phenom, where he is the senior vice president of enterprise sales in North America. Phenom introduces artificial intelligence technology to human resources teams at some of the largest corporations in North America including Microsoft, GM, and Whole Foods. 

Abington Donor Appreciation Award
This award recognizes an Abington graduate who through their philanthropic investments on campus has partnered has created a lasting impact on Abington students.

Steven H. Korman
Korman attended Abington and is a 1962 Penn State graduate. For more than three years, he has played a leadership role at Abington. His philanthropic philosophy is simple: invest in human capital, and he has done just that by funding numerous scholarships. He has invited Korman scholars to join him on community service learning trips to the Metropolitan Area Neighborhood Nutrition Alliance and to enjoy an evening at the theater.

About Penn State Abington

Penn State Abington provides an affordable, accessible and high-impact education resulting in the success of a diverse student body. It is committed to student success through innovative approaches to 21st-century public higher education within a world-class research university. With about 3,700 students, Penn State Abington is a residential campus that offers baccalaureate degrees in 23 majors, undergraduate research, the Schreyer honors program, NCAA Division III athletics and more.