Penn State Wilkes-Barre presents leadership, athletics awards

Group of students standing together

Some of the award recipients from Penn State Wilkes-Barre's Leadership and Athletics Awards Ceremony.

Credit: Penn State

DALLAS, Pa. — Penn State Wilkes-Barre held its annual Leadership and Athletics Awards Ceremony on April 27 at AppleTree Terrace in Dallas, Pennsylvania, presenting campus awards and honoring outstanding student leaders and student-athletes at the campus.

Awards and their recipients were:

Outstanding Club Members Awards: Recipients were Hannah Corson, Surveying Society; Niko Feduchak, Veterans Support Club; Hannah Farber, Four Seasons Club; Ian Atkinson, STEAM Club; Cristina Orozco, The Revolt; Abigail Yatsko, Business Club; Cloe Mazzatosta, Blue and White Society; Jason Eiden, Radio Club; Logan Broody-Walega, JAM; Kayla Hopple, Nerd Herd; Alixsandria Rovinski, Students for Justice; Abbey Gaffney, Lion Ambassadors; and Hailey Carey, THON.

Outstanding Club of the Year Award, presented to the Four Seasons Club: Members of the student body, the Student Government Association and Student Affairs select the Outstanding Club Award. This award recognizes the student organization that has done exceptional campus and community service, has represented the campus to the best of its ability, and has had the greatest positive impact on co-curricular life of students at Penn State Wilkes-Barre.

The Outstanding Student Government Association (SGA) Member of the Year Award, presented to Benjamin Cebula: The Outstanding SGA Member of the Year is chosen for his/her sincere dedication, devotion and overall excellence toward his/her position as a senator, club representative or executive board member and as a Penn State Wilkes-Barre student.

The Edward H. Kaminski Memorial Scholarship Award, received by Gerald Rusek: This award was established by Betsy Hughes in memory of her late husband, who graduated from the Wilkes-Barre campus in 1974. This award is presented to a Penn State Wilkes-Barre student-athlete by Student Affairs based on academics, campus and athletic participation, and positive qualities of leadership and character.

Hayfield Award, received by Melisa Littleton: The faculty member selected for this award is designated by the Student Government Association as the outstanding instructor for the academic year. The award is based on a combination of teaching excellence and contribution to the general welfare of students at Penn State Wilkes-Barre.

Pride of the Lion Award, presented to the Information Technology Services department: This award honors a member of the campus community, faculty, staff, student(s) or community volunteers who have consistently worked to assist the Student Activities office to help improve the quality of student life at Penn State Wilkes-Barre, through their encouragement and coordination of and/or participation in co- and extracurricular programming and events.

Lifelong Lion Award, presented to Alixsandria Rovinski and Robert Mastropole: The Lifelong Lion Award was created by the Penn State Wilkes-Barre Alumni Society to recognize graduating students who exemplify what it means to be a Penn State student in spirit and truly “bleed blue and white.” The award includes a paid lifetime membership to the Penn State Alumni Association. 

Outstanding Adult Learner of the Year Award, received by Brad Killian: This award is sponsored by the Luzerne County Council on Adult Higher Education (LCCAHE), a council formed with the interest of the continuing education of today’s professionals. LCCAHE includes the continuing education units at Penn State Wilkes-Barre, Misericordia University, King’s College, Wilkes University and Luzerne County Community College. Every year, each school chooses a recipient.

Lee Sweinberg Scholarship, received by Gerald Rusek: The purpose of this award is to provide recognition for students enrolled in an engineering program who have demonstrated Penn State pride through campus service.

The Florence C. Dougherty Pride of the Lion Award, received by Alixsandria Rovinski: In honor of Florence C. Dougherty, this award is given to an undergraduate student of sophomore, junior or senior academic standing enrolled at Penn State Wilkes-Barre, in recognition of exemplary qualities of personal character, campus and university spirit and Penn State pride through active involvement in campus and community activities aimed at promoting Penn State Wilkes-Barre and/or the University.

The Martin U. Dougherty Emerging Leader Award, presented to Verena Lake: The Dougherty family established this award in remembrance of their husband/father, Martin, who served on the campus advisory board; his firm, The Architectural & Engineering Group Inc., designed the Carriage Room in the campus' Student Commons, which won the 2003 “Pride of Place” Award from the then-Greater Wilkes-Barre Chamber of Commerce. This award recognizes a student of junior status at the campus who has at least a 3.0 cumulative GPA and has demonstrated excellence in scholarship, leadership, citizenship, service and character.

The John R. Murphy Award for Excellence in Leadership and Service, received by Robert Mastropole: In honor of former Director of Student Affairs John R. Murphy, who served Penn State Wilkes-Barre from 1967 to 2004, this award was established to recognize a graduating senior whose outstanding qualities of leadership, service, scholarship, citizenship and character have been directed into programs and service on campus and/or the community that have positively influenced fellow students and have contributed to the prestige and well-being of the Wilkes-Barre campus and the reputation of the University as a whole.

The Eric A. and Josephine Walker Award, presented to Hannah Farber: The purpose of this award is to recognize the Commonwealth Campus student whose outstanding qualities of character, scholarship, leadership and citizenship have been directed into programs and services that have positively influenced fellow students and have contributed to the prestige and well-being of their campus and, hence, to the reputation of the University as a whole. The award is made annually, at or near the end of the spring term, to a full-time undergraduate student who is completing two full years of freshman-sophomore study at a Commonwealth Campus.

Athletic awards were presented as follows:

Coaches’ Awards: golf, Gerald Rusek; soccer, Kyler Burke; volleyball, Chloe Inniss; women’s basketball, Sheila Carr; and men’s basketball, Anthony Picott.

Soccer awards: PSUAC Academic All-Conference, Steven Artzt, Kyler Burke, Phoenix Campanile, Mark Hutsko and Maria Luna; John Fritz Award, Maria Luna; school record most saves by goalie (157), J’Von Farbes; USCAA All-American, JJ Farbes and MVP, JJ Farbes.

Golf awards: PSUAC Academic All-Conference, Cooper Kelley, Francesco Nocito, Gerald Rusek, Tanner Smith and Jacob Yuhas; PSUAC All-Conference First Team All-Conference, Cooper Kelley; USCAA Academic All-American, Francesco Nocito, Gerald Rusek and Jacob Yuhas; John Fritz Award, Francesco Nocito; and MVP, Cooper Kelley.

Women’s volleyball awards: PSUAC Academic All-Conference, Alijah Chamberlain, Izara Crown, Abigail Gaffney and Verena Lake; USCAA Academic All-American, Abigail Gaffney and Verena Lake; John Fritz Award, Chloe Inniss; and MVP, Izara Crown.

Women’s basketball awards: PSUAC Academic All-Conference, Kyler Burke; John Fritz Award, Shamonie Rose; and MVP, Chinelle Nelson.

Men’s basketball awards: PSUAC Academic All-Conference, Marin Bandalo, Kaii Gilliam, Frantz Jean Pierre and Peter Kotzo; PSUAC All-Conference Honorable Mention, Jedidiah Ashton and Kaii Gilliam, First Team All-Conference, Kevin Major, and Player of the Week (February 8), Kevin Major; PSUAC Statistical Leaders Field Goal Percentage (64.8), Jedidiah Ashton, 3 Point Field Goal Percentage (50.6), Clifton Tracey, and Assists Per Game (6.4), Kevin Major; USCAA All American First Team, Jedidiah Ashton, All American First Team, Kevin Major, Honorable Mention, Kaii Gilliam, Player of the Week (January 25),  Kevin Major, All-Tournament Team, Jedidiah Ashton, and Academic All-American, Marin Bandalo; USCAA Statistical Leaders, Field Goal Percentage, Jedidiah Ashton, and Assists per Game, Kevin Major; John Fritz Award, Anthony Picott; MVP, Kevin Major; 1,000 Points, Kevin Major; and 100 Wins/150 Career Wins, LeShawn Hammett.