Skip to main content
Penn State Harrisburg
Report a Concern Visit Apply Give
  • Academics
    • Undergraduate Degrees
    • Graduate Programs
  • Admissions and Financial Aid
    • Office of Admissions
    • Tuition and Financial Aid
  • Research
  • Information For
    • Future Students
    • Parents & Families
    • Alumni & Supporters
    • Current Students
    • Faculty & Staff
    • Workforce Professionals
Full site navigation menu

This dialog contains the full navigation menu for this site.

Penn State Harrisburg
Enter the terms you wish to search for.
Search type:
Report a Concern Visit Apply Give
  • This is Penn State
    • Vision, Mission and Values
    • Diversity and Inclusion
    • Academic and Administrative Leadership
    • Chancellor's Office
    • Board of Advisers
  • Academics
    • Academic Calendar
    • Undergraduate Degrees
    • Graduate Degrees
    • Accelerated Degree Programs
    • Fast-Track Degree Programs
    • Minors and Undergraduate Certificates
    • Graduate or Postbaccalaureate Certificates
    • Education Certifications and Endorsements
  • Admissions
  • Tuition & Financial Aid
  • Research
  • Athletics
  • Student Life

Find Information For:

  • Future Students
  • Parents & Families
  • Alumni & Supporters
  • Current Students
  • Faculty & Staff
  • Workforce Professionals

Helpful Links

  • Contact Us
  • Give Today
  • Directory
  • Events Calendar

Connect With Us

  • facebook
  • linkedin
  • flickr
  • youtube
  • instagram
  1. Home
  2. Alumni Relations

Alumni Awards

Penn State University Awards

Established by the Board of Trustees in 1951, the Distinguished Alumni Award is the highest honor that The Pennsylvania State University bestows upon an outstanding alumna or alumnus. The award salutes the achievements of outstanding alumni whose personal lives, professional achievements, and community service exemplify the objectives of their alma mater.

Past Recipients

  • 2009- Jeff Miller '01
  • 2009 - Ralph Papa '69
  • 2006 - George Zoffinger '70
  • 1988 - Emmett Paige Jr. '74

The Alumni Fellow Award is the most prestigious award given by the Penn State Alumni Association. Since 1973, the Award has been given to select alumni who, as leaders in their professional fields, are nominated by an academic college, and accept an invitation from the President of the University to return to the campus to share their expertise with students, faculty, and administrators. The award provides a dimension to the academic curriculum not otherwise available in the traditional college classroom. The title of Alumni Fellow is permanent and lifelong.

Past Recipients

  • 2024 – Jeffrey Merritt ‘85 Engineering
  • 2021 – William Terrill - ’92 Criminal Justice
  • 2020 – Jeannine Peterson - ’78 Public Affairs 
  • 2019 - Heather L. Neary - ’09 Business Administration
  • 2018 – Phillip Wenger  ’79 Finance, ’87g Business Administration
  • 2016 - Anthony Bihl – ’78 Business
  • 2016 –Jennifer Chambers, M.D. – ‘90g Business Administration
  • 2015 - Brian S. Funkhouser - ’78 Surveying Technology, ’80 Water Resources Engineering Technology
  • 2015 - Rosaclara Solines Stroh - ’79g Business Administration
  • 2014 - J. Alexander Hartzler - ’90 Economics
  • 2013 - Jane Leipold -’82 Quantitative Business Analysis, ’88g Business Administration
  • 2012 - William Lambert - ’78 Mechanical Engineering, ’80 Mechanical Design and Engineering Technology
  • 2012 - Michael Fiaschetti- ’04g Business Administration
  • 2010 - Kevin Harter - ’90 Information Systems, ‘05g MBA
  • 2009 - Christine Sears -’77 Business
  • 2009 - Gerald J. Parsons - ’74 Electrical Design and Engineering Technology
  • 2008 - Salvatore Fazzolari - ’77 Business
  • 2007 - Jeffery Miller – ’01g Public Administration
  • 2007 - Shelly Nichel - ’78, ’82g Public Administration
  • 2006 - Douglas Neidich – ’80 Engineering
  • 2005 - Pedro A. Cortes- ’99 Juris Doctorate, ’00g Public Administration
  • 2004 - Kathleen Smarilli - ’71 Liberal Arts
  • 2003 - George R. Zoffinger - '70 Business
  • 2002 - Charles F. Conroy – ’73 Electrical Design and Engineering Technology
  • 2002 - Hasu P. Shau - '75g Engineering
  • 2001 - Ted Kauffman - '70 Business
  • 2000 - George L. Harakal, Jr. - '73 Construction Technology
  • 1998 - Valerie C. Lorenz - '75, '78g Social Science
  • 1997 - Gerald K. Morrison - '65 Accounting
  • 1996 - R. Barry Uber - '69 Business Administration
  • 1994 - Frederick G. "Chip" Merkel - '89g Public Administration
  • 1993 - Emmett Paige, Jr. - '74g Public Administration
  • 1992 - D. Rodney Chamberlain – ’82g Teaching and Curriculum, ’87g Ph.D Curriculum and Instruction
  • 1992 - Walter F. Ulmer, Jr. - '73g Regional Planning
  • 1991 - William F. Christ - '73g Business Administration
  • 1990 - Ralph J. Papa - '69 Social Science
  • 1989 - Richard M. Barger - '71 Business Administration
  • 1988 - Gail T. South - '76g American Studies
  • 1987 - John O. Vartan - '73g Engineering
  • 1986 - James M. Mead - '67 Business Administration, '70g Liberal Arts
  • 1985 - Floyd L. Strelow - '80g Administration
  • 1975 - William Forrey - ’71 Regional Planning

The selection committee includes, but is not limited to, the provost of the University, the vice president for development and university relations, the executive director of university relations, a member of the Alumni Council, and the executive director of the Alumni Association.

The nominee for this award must be a graduate of Penn State Harrisburg and should meet one or more of the following criteria: be of under 35 years of age, active in community affairs, demonstrated leadership in his/her profession, and/or significant contribution to the betterment of society.

Past Recipients

  • 2016 – Scott Shirley – ’03, ’04g Civil Engineering
  • 2013 – Susan Dickinson '11g
  • 2012 - Meghan Jasani '99
  • 2011 - Bernard Hershberger '02, '07g
  • 2010 - Heather Neary '09g
  • 2008 - Erik Keptner '94
  • 2007 - Alexander Guk '00
  • 2005 - Steve Burkholder '94

The Honorary Alumni Awards have been given by the Penn State Alumni Association since 1973 to honor people who are not graduates of Penn State University but have made significant contributions toward its welfare, reputation, or prestige. The award is given only when the Alumni Association wishes to honor an exceptional person. The award is life membership in the Penn State Alumni Association and a cast bronze medallion.

Past Recipients

  • 2020 – William Stout
  • 2011 - Kurt Moses
  • 2010 - James Byerly
  • 2006 - Richard Ziegler

Penn State Harrisburg Awards

The Penn State Harrisburg Alumni Achievement Award is given to an alumnus who has risen to high levels of success and meets one or more of the following criteria: demonstrates leadership in his/her profession, is active in community affairs and/or has made a significant contribution to the betterment of society. An award is annually given to an alumnus from each of the five academic schools.  

Past Recipients

2024

  • Jennifer Homendy ’94 Humanities
  • Robert Lambert ’00g Public Administration
  • Joseph Marinko ’77 Electrical Engineering Design Technology
  • Kalid Mumin ’01g Teaching and Curriculum
  • John Tierney ’89g Business Administration
  •  Matthew Tunnell ’00g Business Administration

2023

  • Douglas Charney '82 Business
  • Dennis Hodgson '94 Public Policy 
  • John Lucey '77 Water Resources Engineering Technology
  • Kesha Morant Williams '05g Humanities 
  • Rebecca Pringle '89g Teaching and Curriculum 

2022

  • Jacquelyn Anderson '00 - Professional Accountancy 
  • Tracy Brundage '97g, Training and Development, '11 Ph.D. Work Force Education and Development 
  • Scott Kupper '93 Electrical Engineering Technology '96g, Engineering Science 
  • John Saich '91 Art, '98g - Public Administration 
  • Tom Stoessel '95 Communication, '11g Business Administration

2021

  • Jay Badame '78 Buidling Construction Technology
  • Jewel Cooper '88 Behavioral Science 
  • Lyndsay Kensinger '07 Humanities, '18g Communications
  • Robert Scaer '94g Business Administration
  • Fred Sembach '77 Political science, '78g Public Administration

2020

  • Rita Girondi ’70g Teaching and Curriculum
  • Brian  Rusignuolo ’13 Business Administration
  • Carol Schaubhut ’91 Communications
  • LaVerna Fountain ’83 Public Policy
  • David Ellis ’91 Electrical Engineering

2019

  • James Wallace ’74 Electrical Engineering
  • Amy Zeigler ’03g American Studies
  • Charles McLister ’08g Applied Psychology
  • Joseph Murphy ’78 Business Administration
  • Gerald Galloway ’74g Public Administration

2018

  • Stephen Guillard ’81g Public Administration
  • William H. Pugh ’76 Business
  • Judy Hricak ’89 Communications
  • Jay Spector ’70, ’72g Social Science
  • Susan Steele ’01, ’06g SDCET

2017

  • Michael C. Potteiger ’89 Criminal Justice
  • Heather Neary ‘90g MBA
  • Robert M. Francis ’72 Social Sciences
  • Dennis Butler ’93  Mechanical Engineering Technology
  • Cate Barron ‘13g  American Studies

2016

  • Thomas O. Dekle ’84 Humanities
  • Jeannine Peterson ’78 Public Administration
  • H. William Weik ’97 Professional Accountancy
  • Yvonne Hollins ’72 ’79g Elementary Education
  • Michael J. Sullivan ’80 Electrical Engineering

2015

  • Mmantsetsa Marope – ’85g Teaching and Curriculum
  • Ophelia Chambliss - ‘13g Communications
  • Martin Ciccocioppo – ‘86 Health Care Management, ’87g MBA, 98g MHA
  • Daniel Fichtner – ‘74 Building Construction Technology
  • C. Andy Klinger – ‘81 Business, ‘90g MBA

2014

  • Peter Gurt – ‘97g Training and Development
  • Matthew Hartzler – ‘95 SDCET
  • Amanda Moyer – ‘02 Communications
  • James Talalai – ‘94g Information Systems 
  • William Terrill – ‘92 Criminal Justice

2013

  • Michael Gurreri - '97 Mechanical Engineering Technology, '05g Engineering Science
  • Andy Hoover - '08g Community Psychology and Social Change
  • Leah Kithcart - '03 Public Policy
  • Matthew Singer - '92g American Studies
  • Douglas Wisehaupt - '86 Management

2012

  • S. Luke Kempski - '95g Training and Development
  • E. Philip Wenger - '79 Finance, '87g MBA
  • Kathy Marley-Dunbar - '89 & '93g American Studies
  • Richard White - '97g Doctorate in Public Administration
  • John Mason, Jr. - '70 Drafting Design Technology, '72 Transportation Technology

2011

  • Jane Leipold - '82 Quantitative Business Analysis, '88g MBA
  • Michael A. Fiaschetti - '04g MBA

2010

  • William Lambert - '78 Mechanical Engineering, '80 Mechanical Design and Engineering

2009

  • Hooshang Heshmat - '77 Mechanical Design Engineering Technology

2007

  • David Trego - '80 Building Construction Technology, '93g MBA

2006

  • Salvatore Fazzolari - '77 Business

2005

  • Christine Sears – ‘77 Business

2004

  • Pedro Cortes - '99 Juris Doctorate, '00g Public Administration

2003

  • Dr. Carolyn Kitch – ‘95g American Studies

2002

  • Peter S. Seibert – ‘87, ‘92g American Studies

2001

  • Karl L. Martz, Jr. – ‘93g Training and Development

2000

  • Donald w. Snyder – ‘73 Business

1999

  • Thomas J. Cantone – ‘72 Social Science
  • Mark R. Flannery – ‘83 Humanities

1998

  • Joseph Grosso – ‘71 Business Administration

1996

  • Joseph Capita – ‘76g American Studies
  • Dr. Valerie Lorenz – ‘78g Psychosocial Science

1995

  • Dr. Irene Baird - '94g Doctorate in Adult Education

1994

  • Jean Beatty - '76 Humanities

1993

  • Sulong Mahamad - '78g Regional Planning

1991

  • Dr. April L. Hamel - '75 Social Science

1988

  • James Wise - '74 Electrical Design Engineering Technology, '78g Administration

1987

  • Earl F. Gohl Jr. - '73g Public Administration

1986

  • Peter C. Wambach - '70 Social Science

1985

  • Walter F. Ulmer - '73g Regional Planning

1984

  • Richard Koch - '72g Regional Planning
  • Janis Rozelle - '79 Humanities

1983

  • A. Jane Perkins - '71 Humanities

1982

  • Richard Barger - '71 Business Administration
  • John Vartan - '73g Engineering Science
  • William Forrey - '71g Regional Planning

1981

  • Laura Landman - '74 Social Science, '77g Psychosocial Science
  • Floyd Strelow - '80g Administration  
  • Maxine Lewis- ‘73 Humanities, ‘76g Humanities 

To be eligible for the People to Watch Award, you must be graduate of Penn State Harrisburg and have made a significant contribution to the betterment of society and in one or more of the following areas: active in community affairs, advancing in his/her profession, achieved academic distinction at Penn State Harrisburg, involved in campus activities while at Penn State Harrisburg, active in community activities or professional organizations.

Past Recipients

(1985 to present)

2024

  • Lynne Calamia ’08g American Studies, ’15 Ph.D. American Studies
  • Nicholas Giglio ’19 Civil Engineering
  • Kevin Matos ’16 Marketing and Management
  • Corey Read ’11 Public Policy
  • Marcellus Taylor ’12 Sociology ’14g Training and Development

2023

  • Larry Asu '14g Training and Development 
  • Ariel Gardner '19 Biology 
  • Gibran Jones '08 Information Science and Technology
  • Jeffery Swinehart '09g public Administration
  • Emilia Yang '14g Communications 

2022

  • Douglas Downing '10 Electrical Engineering Technology, '17g Engineering 
  • Lori Ezzedine '16, '18g Applied Clinical Psychology 
  • Rafael Fulton Fernandes '17 Project & Supply Chain Management 
  • Chalsey Hall '15 - Communications
  • Guy Suter '21 - Public Policy

2021

  • Shyamili Dhivakar '15g Information Systems
  • Corey Dupree '14 Communications
  • Bryan Majors '12g Public Administration
  • Kathryn Peterson '08g Applied Behavioral Analysis
  • Christopher Spittle '16 Structural Design and Construction Engineer

2020

  • Toan Ngo – ’11 Information Science and Technology
  • Megan Armour – ’08g Training and Development
  • Laura Kurtz – ’07 Public Policy, ’08g MPA, ’16Ph.D Public Administration
  • Katie Sandoe – ’13g Communications, ’17g Adult Ed
  • Siddharth Dahiya – ’13 Math and Computer Science, ’15g Computer Science

2019

  • Fe Amarante - ’13g Business Administration
  • Kelly Fedeli - ’01g Public Administration
  • Jason Hostetter - ’98, ’06g Engineering Science
  • Amy K. Milligan - ’12g American Studies
  • Brad Sterner - ’00, ’05g Teaching and Curriculum

2011

  • Lisa Tryson- ’94 Marketing

2010

  • Lynn Gummo- ’87g Professional Accountancy

2009

  • Oscar D. Beisert, Jr. – ’07g American Studies

2007

  • Robert Scaer - ’94 MBA

2006

  • Robert Bylone Jr. - '95, '06 Mechanical Engineering

2005

  • Thomas T. Posavec - '93 Finance

2004

  • Steven Moses - '02 Electrical Engineering

2003

  • Michael C. Potteiger - '89 Criminal Justice

2002

  • Ronda Graby Stump - '88, '94g Humanities/Training #& Development

2001

  • Lori M. Koontz - '93 MBA

2000

  • David W. Trego - '80 Building (Instruction Technology), '93 MBA
  • Evon G. Williams - '73 Social Science

1999

  • Michael A. Campbell - '97 Elementary Education
  • Christopher S. Fegley - '98 Applied Behavioral Science

1998

  • Anna Marie Anderson - '85 Business Administration
  • Sharon Cole - '89 Behavioral Social Science
  • Edwin (Josh) Hoffman - '71 Humanities
  • James Malm - '97g M. Public Administration

1997

  • None awarded

1996

  • Carol Kilko - '90g Public Administration
  • Gail Feldman - '94 Humanities
  • Karl Martz - '93g Education

1995

  • LaVerna Fountain - '83 Public Policy

1994

  • Raymond Spencer - '78 Business Administration
  • Fran Hultzapple - '85 Humanities
  • Jeffrey Zunic - '83 Business Administration

1993

  • Fred Sembach - '77 Business Administration, '78g Public Administration

1991

  • Thomas R. DeAngelis - '84g Administration
  • Keavin L. Nelson - '77 Structural Design and Construction Engineering Technology
  • Thomas J. Perry - '73 Mechanical Design Engineering Technology

1990

  • Colleen Gallagher - '89g Business Administration
  • Diane Delozier - '74 Transportation Engineering Technology
  • Greg William Weigle - '76 Mechanical Engineering Technology

1989

  • Richard Cairo - '73 Social Science, '75g Regional Planning

1988

  • Michelle Madonna - '85g Administration

1986

  • Cynthia L. Sadler - '81 Business Administration, '85g Administration
  • Mark R. Flannery - '83 Humanities
  • Janice Archibald - '74 Mathematical Science, '85g Administration

1985

  • Elizabeth Hanson Hoffman - '74 Social Science, '75g Psychosocial Science, '81g Lib

Alumni Relations

  • Capital Connections at Home
  • Mentor Program
  • Alumni Awards
  • Student Awards and Scholarships
  • Board of Directors
  • Campus Visitor Form

Penn State Harrisburg Alumni Awards Nomination Form

See Also

  • Staff Directory
  • Development and Alumni Relations
  • The Lion Ambassadors
  • Penn State Alumni Association
  • Alumni Contact Info Update Form
  • Subscribe to College News
  • Currents (College Magazine)
  • Taste of Campus Series
Pennsylvania map showing Penn State campuses with Penn State Harrisburg highlighted

Penn State Harrisburg

A comprehensive college in southcentral Pennsylvania offering more than 70 undergraduate and graduate programs.
  • facebook
  • linkedin
  • flickr
  • youtube
  • instagram
Visit Apply Give
  • This is Penn State
    • Vision, Mission and Values
    • Diversity and Inclusion
    • Academic and Administrative Leadership
    • Chancellor's Office
    • Board of Advisors
  • Academics
    • Undergraduate Degrees
    • Graduate Degrees
    • Academic Calendar
  • Admission
    • Office of Admissions
    • Housing Options
    • Veterans Services
  • Tuition & Financial Aid
    • Office of Student Aid
    • Bursar's Office
  • Research
    • Office of Research and Outreach
    • Harrisburg LaunchBox
  • Student Life
    • Office of Student Engagement
    • Division of Student Affairs
    • Student Initiated Fee
  • Community Safety & Health
    • University Police and Public Safety
    • PSUAlert
    • Weather Policy
Penn State University
777 West Harrisburg Pike, Middletown, PA 17057 717-948-6000

Footer Legal Menu

  • Privacy
  • Non-discrimination
  • Accessibility
  • Copyright
  • Directory
  • The Pennsylvania State University © 2025
  • We Are Penn State