ESU

East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania recognized 362 students who were scheduled to be recognized at this year’s annual honors convocation, which was not held due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Coplay: Marina Zardet

Northampton: Sarah Heidecker, Tyler Miller, Sara Pease

Walnutport: Colin Marth, Drake Pristash, Kirstin Stettler

The 362 students recognized have had great academic achievements at the university. Honor students must have of a minimum quality-point average of 3.5, reflecting at least 36 semester hours of work completed at ESU and completion of at least 96 semester hours in their collegiate career by Jan. 1 of the year, in which the award is considered, and a minimum of two semesters as a full-time student.

Certificates of recognition were sent to each student.

East Stroudsburg University, one of the 14 institutions in the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education, opened in 1893 as East Stroudsburg Normal School. Today, ESU is a comprehensive university in northeastern Pennsylvania offering 58 undergraduate programs, 21 master’s programs and two doctoral programs. More than 6,000 students are enrolled for the high quality, affordable and accessible education ESU provides. Nearly 30,000 ESU alumni live in Pennsylvania.

Bloomsburg University

Abbygail Hill, of Coplay, has been named Bloomsburg University Department of Languages and Cultures Foreign Language Award winner for French and German. This department named the winners of its outstanding achievement awards in foreign languages for 2019-20. The outstanding achievement award in foreign language goes to a graduating senior in each language who has excelled in the major and in all work at the university, has successfully participated in extracurricular activities and is recommended by the majority of faculty in the major language track. The awards were to be presented at an end-of-semester awards ceremony, but that has been canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Bloomsburg University is one of 14 universities in Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education. The university serves approximately 8,200 students, offering comprehensive programs of study in the colleges of education, business, liberal arts and science and technology.

Bloomsburg University

Jared Strauss, of Coplay, has been named to the Xi Omega chapter of Lambda Pi Eta, the National Communication Honor Society for 2019-20. The honor society inducts communication studies majors and minors each year based on their academic achievements. Despite the postponement of the 2019-20 induction ceremony until next year, the chapter welcomed 24 new students this year. To be eligible for induction into the honor society, students must have completed 60 semester credit hours, have a minimum overall GPA of 3.0, complete the equivalent of 12 semester credit hours in communication studies, have a minimum GPA of 3.25 for all communication studies courses and currently be enrolled as a student in good standing.

Lambda Pi Eta became part of the National Communication Association in 1988 and was made the association’s official honor society in 1995. Its main purpose is to recognize, foster and reward students who have outstanding scholastic achievement in communication studies. It also aims to promote professional development and create a closer bond between professors and students.

Bloomsburg University is one of 14 universities in Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education. The university serves approximately 8,200 students, offering comprehensive programs of study in the colleges of education, business, liberal arts and science and technology.

Lehigh University

Naakesh Gomanie, of Whitehall, received Lehigh University’s James J. Duane III Student Life Leadership Award in the spring 2020 semester. The James J. Duane III Student Life Leadership Award is given to seniors in recognition of extraordinary performance as a student leader at Lehigh University. The following areas are used as a basis for evaluating outstanding performance: overall impact on Lehigh students, program development and implementation, bridging cultural differences and student governance by taking a role to improve student, faculty and staff interactions.

For more than 150 years, Lehigh University (lehigh.edu) has combined outstanding academic and learning opportunities with leadership in fostering innovative research. The institution is among the nation’s most selective, highly ranked private research universities. Lehigh’s five colleges - College of Arts and Sciences, College of Business, College of Education, College of Health and the P.C. Rossin College of Engineering and Applied Science - provides opportunities to 7,000-plus students to discover and grow in an academically rigorous environment along with a supportive, engaged campus community.

Kutztown University

Nearly 1,300 Kutztown University students have been approved to receive their diplomas following the conclusion of the 2020 spring semester. While KU will not hold its traditional spring commencement, originally scheduled for May 8-9, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a formal on-campus commencement ceremony will be held at a later date. Nearly 1,100 students are slated to receive their bachelor’s degrees, while 177 students will receive their graduate degrees, including 11 doctorate degrees.

Bath: Rebecca Brown

Catasauqua: Quinn Bachman

Coplay: Erik M. Gwozdz, Brianna Parry, Shelbey Ziegler

Danielsville: Sarah Danielle Schaffer

Northampton: Matthew Achey, Austin R. Jones, Chase Kleppinger, Nathan Kranzley, Jolene Lynn Makovsky, Morgan Alexandra Martinez, Thomas Joseph Villani, Emily Pisco

Walnutport: Briana Nicole Decker, Maggie Elizabeth Schmoyer, Cassandra Woolever

Whitehall: Mariana Londono, Shannon Lea Dunnigan, Megan Fink, Sarah E. Hersh, Tiandra Riegel, Samantha-Jo Sallit, Shannon Shafnisky, Tyler Edward Vandergrift, Jishitha Nambiar

Founded in 1866, Kutztown University of Pennsylvania is a proud member of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education located on 289 acres nestled in the beautiful East Penn Valley in Berks County. As the region’s center for excellence in academics, culture and public engagement, KU’s programs and reputation for quality offer students the opportunity to discover lifelong avenues of learning and discovery. KU students select from more than 100 areas of study within four colleges in a diverse liberal arts academic environment. To complement their studies, KU’s NCAA Division II athletics program with 21 varsity sports joins the more than 160 student clubs and organizations providing students with a variety of activities for learning and discovery.

LCCC

The following Lehigh Carbon Community College students were recently inducted into Alpha Omicron Alpha, the college’s Phi Theta Kappa chapter, the national honor society for two-year colleges.

Catasauqua: Angelique Brogan, Charlotte Snyder

Coplay: Stephen Frang, Cosimo Morelli, Jessica Squitieri

Danielsville: Lauren Pitts

Walnutport: Nicole Secara

Whitehall: Kaitlyn Carlin, Alanna Ciarlo, Elianna Encarnacion, Lenny Gomez, Youssef Gourrame, Richard Harimenshi, Michelle Hutchens-Baratta, Amber Ledford, Katelyn Piff, Ousmane Sacko, Trevor Sargent, Amanda Sodl, Truc Tran, Janet Verga

Phi Theta Kappa is the only nationally-acclaimed honor society serving two-year colleges, which offers associate degree programs. Membership into Phi Theta Kappa is by invitation only. To be considered, a student must be enrolled in an associate degree program, have completed at least 12 credit hours of coursework, have established a minimum GPA of 3.5, have established a record of academic excellence as judged by the faculty and be of good moral character and possess recognized qualities of citizenship.

LCCC’s Alpha Omicron Alpha Chapter was recently awarded several distinguished awards, including Middle States Region Most Distinguished Chapter. This is the first time LCCC’s chapter of Phi Theta Kappa won multiple awards on the regional and international level.

Colgate University

Samantha Rodriguez, of Bath, a member of the Colgate University Class of 2021, has earned the fall 2019 dean’s award with distinction. Students who receive a term GPA of 3.6 or higher while completing at least three courses during the fall 2019 semester earn this honor. Rodriguez is a graduate of Easton Area High School.

Colgate is a leading American university for students who want classes with rigor, faculty with passion and confidence in knowing they will learn how to thrive in work and life. Colgate offers 56 majors and supports 25 Division I athletic teams on a campus of about 2,900 students in central New York.