On Thursday, April 30th, the Department of Academic Affairs at Penn State Wilkes-Barre held their 26th Annual Celebration of Academic Excellence. The following students were awarded honors at the ceremony.
The 2015 President's Freshman Award, presented annually to undergraduate degree candidates who have earned a 4.00 cumulative grade-point average based on at least 12 graded Penn State credits completed, were awarded to Michele Brisco [Pocono Pines], Drew Cohen [Shavertown], Robert Costello [Pittston], Bryan Morgan [Dallas], Tianyi Wang [Beijing], and Caihui Xiao [Xiangtan].
The 2015 President Sparks Award, presented annually to those undergraduate degree candidates who have earned a 4.00 cumulative grade point average based on at least 36 graded Penn State credits completed, was received by Andrew Osolnick [West Wyoming].
College Academic Achievement Awards are given to the top student in a College regardless of their major. Students must be in their last spring semester at the Penn State Wilkes-Barre campus, or changed assignment in the previous summer or fall semester, and have a minimum of 24 credits completed and a minimum 3.33 cumulative GPA. The following students were awarded: College of Education - Aaron Aciukewicz [Trucksville], College of Health and Human Development - Simone Person [Buskill], College of Engineering - Theodore Frear [Factoryville], Smeal College of Business - Andrew Osolnick [West Wyoming], and Eberly College of Science - Tessa Wells [Falls].
Program Academic Achievement Awards are given to top students in their last semester at Penn State Wilkes-Barre before completing their degree, or have satisfactorily completed their degree requirements at the conclusion of the previous summer or fall semester. Students must have a minimum of 45 credits completed at the Wilkes-Barre campus for baccalaureate students or a minimum of 24 credits for associate degree students, and a minimum 3.33 cumulative GPA. Following are the students who were awarded the program academic achievement awards: Electrical Engineering Technology - Brenda Carrasco [Wilkes-Barre], English - Meghan Flanagan [Wilkes-Barre], Letters, Arts & Sciences - Daniel Nawrocki [Exeter], Surveying Engineering - Heather Nicholson [Lehman], Business - Ali Paris-Hasan [Dallas], Surveying Engineering Technology - Michael Vadas [Hollidaysburg], Administration of Justice - Sarah Walker [Wapwallopen], and Information Sciences & Technology - Randall Welsh [Hunlock Creek].
The Penn State Wilkes-Barre Honors Program provides co- and extra-curricular enrichment for selected members of the student body qualified on the basis of scholastic aptitude, test scores, and/or high school or college grade point average. Honors Program advisors at Penn State Wilkes-Barre are Dr. Joseph Jumpeter, Assistant Professor of Music, William Bachman, Sr. Instructor in Communications, and Therese Clemente, Instructor of Business. Honor Society Awards were presented to the following students: Kaitlyn Benczkowski [Bear Creek], Michele Brisco [Pocono Pines], Drew Cohen [Shavertown], Michael Harding [Exeter], Anthony Kivler [State College], Dashiel Lopez Mendez [Benton], Gabriel Micca [Kingston], Devon Nicoletti [Kingston], Andrew Osolnick [West Wyoming], Ali Paris-Hasan [Dallas], Kathleen Ritter [Dallas], Rocky Rutkoski [Wyoming], Nathan Sauers [Plains Twp], Jacob Sorber [Sweet Valley], Andrew Swiatek [Shickshinney], Caitlyn Traver [Mehoopany], Cary Vailes [Dallas], Erin Van Buren [Dingmans Ferry], Sara Waclawski [Hanover Twp], Tianyi Ellie Wang [Dallas] and Randall Welsh [Hunlock Creek].