Josiah Burkett, a senior from Edinboro, received the Thomas H. Turnbull award, which honors a Penn State Behrend student who has contributed to the college community through qualities of character, scholarship, leadership and citizenship.
ERIE, Pa. — Penn State Behrend recognized more than 150 students for excellence in scholastic achievement and engagement at the college’s 75th Honors and Awards Convocation, which was held in McGarvey Commons. The event is one of the college’s oldest traditions.
“There’s a reason that Behrend’s founders created this ceremony within months of opening our doors,” Chancellor Ralph Ford said. “It’s because academic excellence is a cornerstone — a distinguishing feature — of the Behrend student experience.”
It’s something to which Greg Filbeck, interim vice chancellor and associate dean for academic affairs, can attest to.
“As the college’s chief academic officer, I see every day how hard Behrend students work to accomplish their goals inside and outside of the classroom,” Filbeck said. “It’s a pleasure to help recognize the extraordinary efforts that they’ve made and the successes they have achieved.”
Among the awards were the following college-wide honors:
Jenna Seigworth, of Oil City, and Samuel York, of Akron, Ohio, received the Archie K. Loss Undergraduate Thesis Award, which recognizes Schreyer Honors College undergraduate students who have completed or are making significant progress toward completion of an outstanding honors thesis.
Haley Altadonna, of Wattsburg; Isabelle Oberhauser, of Wexford; and Amanda Welsbacher, of Erie, received the Council of Fellows Undergraduate Research Award, which is presented to students who demonstrate excellence in undergraduate research.
Kolton Mehalko, of Wilcox, received the Eric A. and Josephine S. Walker Award, which is presented to students whose outstanding qualities of character, scholarship, leadership and citizenship have been directed into student programs and services.
Grant Walker, of North East, received the Irvin H. Kochel Award, which recognizes an outstanding student who demonstrates qualities of character, scholarship, leadership and citizenship through involvement in programs and service that positively influence other students.
Nicole Croushore, of Smithton, received the T. Reed Ferguson Award, which recognizes a junior-year student whose academic and out-of-classroom leadership promises further achievement in the senior year.
Josiah Burkett, of Edinboro, received the Thomas H. Turnbull Award, which honors a student who has contributed to the college community through qualities of character, scholarship, leadership and citizenship. Outstanding service to the college is the most important criterion for selection.
Rhyann Ogrosky, of Pittsburgh, received the Outstanding First-Year Student Award, which recognizes a first-year student who demonstrates outstanding promise of character, scholarship, leadership and citizenship through achievements in his or her first year of study.
For a full list of this year’s awards and recipients, and to watch a video replay of the program, go to behrend.psu.edu/2024awards.
Robb Frederick
Assistant director, news and information, Penn State Behrend
