Dr. Charles Davis, Penn State Wilkes-Barre Chancellor, and the Penn State Wilkes-Barre Student Government Association are pleased to announce the 2012-2013 student recipients of The John R. Murphy Award for Excellence in Leadership & Service, The Martin U. Dougherty Emerging Leader Award, The Eric A. & Josephine Walker Award, and the Penn State Wilkes-Barre Who's Who in American Colleges & Universities.
The 2012-13 John R. Murphy Award for Excellence in Leadership & Service was awarded to graduating senior and Buck Hill Falls native, Katharine Lewis. Rick Barry, a former Penn State Wilkes-Barre student and Walker Award recipient, made this endowed award possible to honor former Director of Student Affairs, John R. Murphy, who served Penn State Wilkes-Barre from 1967 to 2004. The 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. Kate has served as the Student Government Association president for the past year, will be graduating with a Bachelor of Sciences degree in Administration of Justice, and plans on attending law school.
The 2012-13 Martin U. Dougherty Emerging Leader Award was awarded to Middletown, New York native, Laura Mann. The Dougherty family established this award in remembrance of their husband/father, Martin, who served on the Penn State Wilkes-Barre Campus Advisory Board. Martin's 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 Greater Wilkes-Barre Chamber of Commerce. Martin's son, Dr. Jonathan U. Dougherty will be the Penn State Wilkes-Barre 2013 Commencement Speaker. This award recognizes a student of junior status at our campus who has at least a 3.0 cumulative GPA and has demonstrated excellence in scholarship, leadership, citizenship, service and character. Laura is an Administration of Justice major who serves as the campus' THON chair.
The 2012-13 Eric A. & Josephine Walker Award was awarded to graduating senior and Honesdale native, Cory Blowers. 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. Cory has served on the campus Student Government Association and will be graduating with a Bachelor of Sciences degree in Administration of Justice.
Each year members of the campus are asked to nominate students for the Who's Who in American Colleges and Universities Award. The criteria for this award is based on scholarship, participation and leadership in academic and co-curricular activities, citizenship and service to Penn State Wilkes-Barre and the surrounding community and potential for future achievement. The 2012-13 Penn State Wilkes-Barre recipients are: Cory Blowers [Honesdale], William Elko [Pittston Twp], Katharine Lewis [Buck Hill Falls], John Lombardo [Wilkes-Barre], Ryan McDermott [Stroudsburg], Amy Novak [Exeter], Jillian O'Connell [Dallas], Isaura Olivares [West Hazleton], and AnnMarie Wempa [Trucksville].
