Program
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Welcome
Angela Sheffield '88 -
Introductory Remarks
Dr. David Callejo Pérez, Chancellor -
People to Watch Awards
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Alumni Society Scholarship Recognition
Laura Snyder '10, '20g -
Alumni Achievement Awards
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Closing
Angela Sheffield '88
Award Winners
People to Watch Award
Lynne Calamia
Lynne is a leader in the field of Public History, with more than a decade of broad, hands-on experience at museums, historic sites, and archives. At the core of her work is the drive to turn historical stories into engaging experiences that make history accessible and relevant for people today.
As the Executive Director of the Roebling Museum, Lynne draws on her deep academic background - holding a master’s degree earned in 2008 and her Ph.D. earned in 2015, both in American Studies from Penn State Harrisburg. Her research on historic preservation and labor history prepared her for her role at the Roebling Museum, a hidden-gem industrial history site in New Jersey. Under her leadership, the museum created dynamic programs, exhibits, and tours that celebrate the stories of everyday people who lived and worked in Roebling. Most notably, she has built new relationships with descendant families to expand and diversify the museum’s collection, partnered with the Smithsonian on an exhibit about labor in the United States, and acquired a historic immigrant-worker’s house across the street from the museum to turn into an immersive experience for visitors.
Before joining the Roebling Museum, she was the founding Executive Director of Arch Street Meeting House Preservation Trust, a historic Quaker Meetinghouse in Philadelphia, where she oversaw the operation, preservation, and interpretation of a National Historic Landmark and two-acre burial ground. Additionally, she built a strong foundation of practical research and preservation techniques as an Archives Assistant at Hershey Community Archives, Penn State Harrisburg Archives and Special Collections, and the Pennsylvania House of Representatives Archives.
Her academic training from Penn State Harrisburg, combined with her professional experience, has honed her ability to make complex historical topics engaging and accessible - both within museums and beyond.
Lynne’s dedication to her field has been recognized with several awards including the Hunter-Burley Award from the Small Museums Association and the Young Preservationist Award from Preservation New Jersey.
Lynne served as an appointed member of the Pennsylvania State Historic Preservation Board from 2018 to 2022. She is active on the American Association for State and Local History’s Small Museums Steering Committee, and on the board of the New Jersey Museum Association.
Nicholas Giglio
Nick graduated from Penn State Harrisburg in 2019 with a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering. While growing up, he enjoyed learning about bridges and highways, often taking progress pictures of nearby roadwork and construction, and learning about different aspects of civil engineering – making it clear that it was a passion of his.
While attending Penn State Harrisburg, he was involved with the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) student chapter and spent a few semesters as a board member. After graduating, he started working for Urban Engineers as a Transportation Construction Inspector. This job allowed him to be a part of the construction management team on large scale PennDOT projects and learn about all the different aspects of bridge and highway construction.
Soon after settling into his job, Nick had a desire to get involved and network with the right people to set himself up for success and career growth. He obtained his Engineer-In-Training license after graduation and began the lengthy process of obtaining the required experience and responsibilities for the next big step, the Professional Engineer license, which he earned in March of 2024.
After college Nick joined his local ASCE section, the Lehigh Valley Section, to build a support system in the industry. Nick became involved in two long-term volunteer projects – the ASCE Lehigh Valley Section 100th Anniversary Photobook, and the ASCE Pennsylvania 2022 Infrastructure Report Card. He has been awarded ASCE Lehigh Valley’s 2021 Young Engineer of the year, ASCE’s 2022 New Face of Civil Engineering, PSPE-LV’s 2023 Young Engineer of the year, and ASCE’s 2023 Outstanding Younger Member in Government Relations. Nick has maintained a consistent involvement in the ASCE Lehigh Valley Section, and has been elected to Section President for 2024-2025 – at 28, he will be one of the youngest presidents in the section’s 100+ year history.
Nick still works with Urban Engineers as a Construction Engineer and continues to serve on the construction management team of long-term bridge and highway projects for PennDOT.
Kevin Matos
Kevin is a 2016 graduate of Penn State Harrisburg with degrees in Marketing and Management. Also known by his nickname as “Seven,” he is the founder of Profit Rocket. Profit Rocket is an investor ecosystem generating millions collectively, mostly through stock options trading and long-term investing. Stemming from humble beginnings in the Bronx, N.Y, Kevin’s time at Penn State Harrisburg was impactful. He was named a Kappa Alpha Psi Brother of the Year recipient in 2015 and 2016, which is a testament to his leadership and empowering advocacy.
As a curator of many financial literacy events throughout his career, Kevin has also held public workshops in New York, Pennsylvania, Georgia, and Florida. Additionally, he has been a keynote speaker for multiple events at St. Johns University, the Police Athletic League, Salesian High School, and multiple other New York educational facilities. He accomplished this while working for a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting at-risk youth individuals in his community. He represents Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. at prominent performing events at venues such as the Barclays Center, the U.S. Open, and various educational institutions.
Corey Read
Corey is the Regional Planner for the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) Region 3, headquartered in Philadelphia. Corey has been in his current position since June 2022. In this role, Corey oversees the Region’s Strategic Annual Implementation Plan, All-Hazard Plans and Continuity of Operations Plan. He recently completed CISA’s Federal Cyber Defense Skills Academy and is in the process of transitioning into cybersecurity focused on our critical infrastructure.
Prior to joining CISA, Corey served as an Operational Planner in Response, as well as a Data Project Lead in Recovery for the Federal Emergency Management Agency Region 3. In these roles, Corey focused on All-Hazard planning as well as integration of key data systems for long-term recovery efforts for disaster recovery.
Prior to moving to federal positions with the Department of Homeland Security, Corey began his career in emergency management with the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency (PEMA), serving as an Operational Planner and with the Department of Human Services as an Emergency Response and Recovery Manager.
In 2019, Corey and his family embarked on a new journey to revitalize his family’s 87-acre farm in Northeast Pennsylvania, called Shupp Hill Farms, where they focus on raising and selling registered Irish Dexter Cattle.
Corey earned a master’s in professional studies in Safety and Security Leadership in 2013 and a bachelor of science in Public Policy in 2011 from Penn State Harrisburg. He is a USMC veteran, serving two tours overseas, and is currently commissioned as an officer in the Pennsylvania Army National Guard, serving with the 2/112th Infantry. He lives on his family farm with his wife Esther, who is also a two-time Penn State alumna, and two daughters, Peyton and Kalia.
Marcellus Taylor
Marcellus serves as Director of Health Equity at the Partnership for Better Health. He joined the foundation in 2021 and leads a portfolio of grants and initiatives focused on advancing health equity. He mobilizes strategies to engage historically marginalized communities and people with lived experience through the sharing of power and decision making, towards addressing health disparities and shaping a more equitable future.
Marcellus brings 10 years of experience in engaging diverse populations in leadership development. He completed his dissertation on the experiences of Black males in educational doctorate programs and he is the author of Don’t Box Me In: 9 P’s of Creative Leadership. Prior to joining the foundation, Marcellus served as Director of Diversity and Inclusion for the Penn State College of Medicine. He also spent five years as Assistant Director of Student Life at Penn State Harrisburg, where he oversaw a wide range of multicultural programs for students, facilitated spiritual life activities, and designed co-curricular learning opportunities. Marcellus chaired the Diversity & Educational Equity Committee at Penn State Harrisburg and he has developed numerous trainings and workshops to address the goals of diversity, equity, and inclusion. He is a co-founder and CEO of Blossburg & Cedar, a leadership and learning consulting firm based in Harrisburg.
Marcellus received his Doctorate in Education from Indiana University of Pennsylvania, a master of education in Training & Development from Penn State Harrisburg, and a bachelor of science degree in Sociology from Penn State Harrisburg. He and his wife Denise have three children.
Alumni Achievement Award
Jennifer Homendy
Jennifer has served as the 15th Chair of the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) since August 2021 and as the agency’s 44th Board Member since August 2018. In May 2024, the U.S. Senate unanimously confirmed the President’s renomination of Jennifer to continue serving as Chair through 2027 and as Board Member until 2029. She is the fourth woman to serve as NTSB Chair since the agency was created in 1967.
A tireless advocate for safety, Jennifer has spent over two decades supporting the critical safety mission of the NTSB, the independent federal agency that investigates crashes in all modes of transportation, determines the probable causes, and issues recommendations to improve the safety of transportation systems in the United States and around the world.
From 2004 to 2018, Jennifer served as the Staff Director of the Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials under the jurisdiction of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the U.S. House of Representatives. She previously held positions with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, the Transportation Trades Department of the AFL-CIO, and the American Iron and Steel Institute.
Jennifer completed her undergraduate studies at Penn State Harrisburg with a degree in Humanities. She recently obtained her Master of Transportation Safety Administration degree from the Institute for Global Road Safety and Security at Clemson University.
Robert Lambert
Robert has spent over 25 years building and driving revenue-generating operations for York County Libraries. By engaging the library with the community and building partnerships with a wide array of nonprofit organizations and schools, he’s ignited revenue growth. Most notably, he’s shifted the libraries’ perception from a “place to check out books” to an entrepreneurial organization that delivers quality services beyond expectations.
Robert currently serves as the President of York County Libraries, where he provides strategic leadership and ensures that fiscal, fundraising, marketing, human resource, government relations, technology, programmatic, and operational strategies are effectively implemented across all segments of the organization. His impact includes sustaining institutional advancement and marketing through fundraising, business development, advocacy, and community partnerships. Robert cultivates communication and relationship-building with government entities and board relations, ensuring fiscal and asset management through facilities, staff talent management, operations, and quality control.
From 2008 to 2016, Robert served as the elected Controller for the City of York, overseeing an $89 million budget and improving the City’s financial condition by reducing budget shortfalls, pension and healthcare liabilities, and infrastructure asset management challenges.
Robert is an active member serving on numerous local public and not-for-profit boards, including Traditions Bank, Capital Blue Cross, the York Symphony Orchestra, and the York Water Company.
His academic credentials include an master’s degree in Public Administration from Penn State Harrisburg, a master’s degree in Library and Information Science from the University of Pittsburgh, and a bachelor’s degree in Speech Communication from York College of Pennsylvania. He also completed an Executive Certificate in Social Entrepreneurship and Innovation from Stanford University.
Joseph Marinko
Joe is a 1977 graduate with a degree in Electrical Engineering Technology and is currently the General Manager at FUJIFILM Healthcare Americas Corporation. In 1980, Joe and a fellow entrepreneurial colleague established an engineering and manufacturing company, Performance Controls, Inc.
Joe and his team design and manufacture electronic power amplifiers, a key component in a wide variety of products. With numerous patents, Joe and his team have an excellent track record for quality, on-time customization, and problem solving.
Joe’s early product designs and his subsequent leadership of PCI’s engineering team have contributed substantially to the health, safety, and well-being of humanity through a broad portfolio of power electronics products. Products developed by Joe and his team are used in advance tornado warning systems, systems to eliminate wind-shear accidents at airports, accurate non-invasive medical imaging, advanced tissue-sparing cancer treatment, environmentally-friendly oil exploration, safer power generation, warehouse automation, and scientific test equipment. In 2021, Performance Controls, Inc became a subsidiary of FUJIFILM Holdings America Corporation.
Growing up in an old coal mining city, Joe did not have college in mind. However, after a year of factory work, Joe enrolled at Penn State Hazleton, where professors recognized Joe’s ability and encouraged him to continue his education at Penn State Harrisburg.
Joe met and fell in love with a fellow student, Carolyn, at Penn State Harrisburg. Joe and Carolyn have a 25-year-old daughter, Mindy. As a family, they enjoy traveling and hiking in National Parks all over the United States.
Khalid Mumin
For over 25 years, Khalid has served in various capacities as a teacher, dean of students, principal and central administrator – and he now serves as the Secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Education. Previously, he served as the Superintendent of Schools at Lower Merion School District. Prior to Lower Merion, he was the Superintendent of Reading School District for seven years.
Beginning as a Secondary English teacher in Scotland, Pennsylvania in 1997, Khalid rose through the leadership ranks of the education system in Pennsylvania. He is committed to promoting and sustaining student achievement, equity and access to educational programming for all students, as well as creating plans that are fiscally responsible. He has been recognized nationally as a “School Board Savvy Superintendent,” and is the author of the book “Problem Child: Leading Students Living in Poverty Towards Infinite Possibilities of Success.”
Khalid earned a Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership from the University of Pennsylvania, a master of education in Teaching and Curriculum from Penn State Harrisburg, a bachelor of arts in Secondary English Education from Shippensburg University, and an associate of arts in English from Northeastern Christian Junior College.
John Tierney
John Tierney has had a robust career managing complex corporate financial and accounting issues for the region’s most dynamic companies, including the Hershey Company, Intercon Systems, TE Connectivity, and TVC. His vast experience in corporate finance laid a solid foundation for his entrepreneurial ventures. John has an impressive track record of starting over 20 different businesses.
In 2013, he founded Lift Development, LLC with his business partner Matt Tunnell. Lift is a leading real estate development firm that navigates the complexities of urban real estate development, student housing and management. Under his leadership, Lift Development has established itself as a key player in the region, utilizing John’s strong financial and operational background to guide its strategic vision. One of John’s notable projects includes the ownership and operation of The Midtown Cinema, the premier art house movie theater in the region. This endeavor showcases his passion for the arts and his desire to enhance the cultural landscape of our community. Additionally, John is majority owner of Zeroday Brewing Company, a well-known craft brewery with multiple locations. In 2012 former Chancellor Mukund Kulkarni, who was John’s finance professor from the 1980’s, approached John about developing student housing for Penn State Harrisburg. John and Matt went on to develop housing for nearly 1000 students at the college.
John earned his bachelor of science from Rollins College in 1982, and his master's in Business Administration from Penn State Harrisburg in 1989. John also attained his Certified Public Accountant status in 1986. John is active in his community, serving on various boards and committees, including Open stage of Harrisburg, the West Shore Foundation, Dauphin County Historical Society, Harrisburg Regional Chamber – CREDC, The Volunteer Center, Leadership Harrisburg Area, and United Way of the Capital Region.
John’s career reflects a unique blend of financial acumen, entrepreneurial spirit, and community engagement. His contributions to business and local culture have left a lasting impact on the region.
Matthew Tunnell
Matt has been a lifelong resident of south central Pennsylvania and is a prominent figure in the region's real estate development, business investment, and economic development community. With over two decades of experience, Matt has been instrumental in many of the region’s high-profile projects, earning a reputation for his expertise in managing complex projects and collaborating effectively with leaders at the federal, state, and local levels.
In 2013, Matt co-founded Lift Development, LLC, a leading real estate development company focused on south central Pennsylvania, with John Tierney. Under his leadership, Lift Development has become one of the largest providers of off-campus student housing for Penn State Harrisburg. The company also owns and operates the Midtown Cinema, the premier art house movie theater in the region. Additionally, Matt is part of the ownership group of Zeroday Brewing, a well-known craft brewery with multiple locations in south central Pennsylvania.
Prior to founding Lift Development, Matt held leadership roles at several major Pennsylvania-based real estate development organizations. His experience spans a variety of commercial, office park, and industrial development projects throughout the region. From 1995 to 2002, Matt served in various leadership positions within the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development. He culminated his public service as the agency’s Executive Deputy Secretary, where he played a key role in shaping and implementing economic development initiatives that led to the creation of over 400,000 jobs in Pennsylvania during his tenure.
Matt is actively involved in his community, serving on the Penn State Harrisburg Board of Advisers, the Dauphin County Redevelopment Authority, the Dauphin County Land Bank Authority, the Dauphin County Gaming Advisory Board, and the Derry Township Planning Commission. He holds a B.A. from Bucknell University and an M.B.A. from Penn State Harrisburg.