Approximately 300 undergraduate and graduate students received scholarships and awards at a series of ceremonies during Honors Week.
Tens of thousands of dollars in scholarships were presented during at events sponsored by the Bartlett College of Science and Mathematics; the College of Education and Allied Studies; the College of Graduate Studies; the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, and the Ricciardi College of Business, plus the BSU Honors Program, Division of Student Affairs and a Donor Reception hosted by the BSU Development Office to recognize scholarship contributors and student recipients.
President Dana Mohler-Faria was the featured speaker at each of the eight programs.
Below are selected short profiles from the week’s events.
1 Tia Leonidas is pursuing a master’s degree in social work and received the Elsie Golush Frank Fund for Social Work Scholarship. According to the award citation, Ms. Leonidas “believes the experience has greatly enhanced her knowledge of theoretical concepts and social issues that continuously challenge our society . . . Tina believes her MSW degree will help her acquire the skills and core values of the social work profession.”
2 Danielle Poto, ’16, received the Dr. Henry Rosen Memorial Scholarship at the College of Education and Allied Studies Honors Awards Ceremony. She is a Spanish major with a minor in secondary education. Ms. Poto has made the dean’s list every semester she has been enrolled at Bridgewater and, according to the award citation, “has earned herself league, conference and division-wide athletic recognition in cross-country and track.” She has been selected for MASCAC All-Academic Team as an athlete of distinction and top-ranked scholar.
3 Devin Kenney was awarded the Walking With Jane Dybowski Scholarship, named in memory a 1976 graduate of Bridgewater State University and longtime public school teacher. Harry Proudfoot has established a foundation to support research in cancer prevention and treatment, in honor of his late wife. The award was presented during the Donor Recognition Reception held in the Heritage Room of the Maxwell Library, where those who support BSU students with scholarships are invited to meet the recipients.
Mr. Kenney’s professors speak about his outstanding academic performance, and the care, consideration and attention to detail he imparts in all his work, said Jeanne Brown, assistant director of donor relations at BSU.
“His strong work ethic most likely originates from his work at Trucchi’s grocery store, and with his brothers in their family business called Joe’s Crazy Critters,” Ms. Brown said. “Devin takes pride in being active at BSU, serving as a peer learning assistant for chemical principles, where his patience and understanding which allows him to explain information to other students without being critical. Devin’s participation and leadership also played a significant role on a student group who started the Pre-Medical club in spring 2014. Devin has all the characteristics of not only a strong leader, but also a wonderful individual who is friendly and respectful.”
Mr. Kenney will graduate in spring 2016, and his current plans are to possibly spend a year doing relief work before applying for medical school. He is from Abington.
4 Rebecca Fenn is the 2015 recipient of the Dr. William J, Wall Memorial Award in Biological Sciences, which was presented to her at the Bartlett College of Science and Mathematics Honors Award Ceremony.
Her award citation noted that she discovered from an early age an interest in biology and as her love for science grew, “she realized that her true passions were within the field of cell ad molecular biology.”
For the past year she has been engaged in research with her faculty mentor, Dr. Ken Adams, “during which she started a new project investigating how cells regulate a protein called EGR1. Regulation of EGR1 plays important roles in human development and Alzheimer’s Disease.”
Her future plans include obtaining a position in a molecular biology research lab and then applying for a doctorate program focused on cell and molecular biology. (Story and photos by David K. Wilson, ’71, University News)
