Cedar Crest College

Congratulations to the exceptional students who have been named to the Dean's List for the Spring 2023 semester. This esteemed recognition highlights the dedication and academic prowess required to achieve a grade point average of 3.65 or higher. These students have demonstrated an unwavering commitment to their studies, setting a high standard for excellence within our institution. Please join us in applauding their achievements and celebrating their place on the Spring 2023 Dean's List.

Delphi, the esteemed honor society at Cedar Crest College, recognizes students who have completed 86 or more total credits (including at least 60 graded credits of academic work at the college) and maintain a cumulative grade-point average of 3.8 or above. These exceptional students are honored as members of Delphi.

Cedar Crest College conferred over 200 bachelor's, 60 master's, and 10 doctoral degrees upon the Class of 2023 on May 13 at its 153rd Commencement Ceremony at the PPL Center in Allentown, PA. Graduates hailed from 23 States and 13 countries. The ceremony marked the culmination of a week of festivities celebrating the accomplishments of the Class of 2023 and their transformative journey at Cedar Crest College.

The Department of Health Sciences is proud to acknowledge the following students who worked with Dr. Hollie Gibbons, Assistant Professor of Health Sciences, to complete two community-based public health projects. Ela Patel (Public Health major) and Morgan Bentley (Public Health minor) worked with Communities In Schools to complete a State of the Student project to identify nonacademic needs of students in Lehigh, Northampton, and Berks counties. Crystal Levene (Public Health major) and Sara Reagle (Public Health major) worked with Community Services for Children to complete a community needs assessment focusing on Early Head Start and Head Start.

On Friday, April 21, three Cedar Crest students were inducted into the Delta Pi chapter of Alpha Sigma Lambda. Alpha Sigma Lambda is a national honor society for adult students. The goal of the organization is to recognize the achievements of adults who accomplish academic excellence while facing competing interests of home and work. To be eligible, students must meet certain academic requirements. The group aims to motivate students to achieve academic and leadership excellence while creating a network of outstanding students and faculty.

The Best of the Crest ceremony held on Sunday, April 23, at the Alumnae Hall Auditorium celebrated the accomplishments of Cedar Crest College's student leaders. Recognizing excellence beyond the classroom, the awards highlight the contributions made by students through their exemplary leadership in various clubs, organizations, and other opportunities. Best of the Crest Awards Emerging Student Leader - Corinne O'Connor For a first-year student or sophomore who has shown initiative, motivation, and potential for continued student leadership early in their career. Capstone Student Leader - Emily Demarest For a student in their junior or senior year who has demonstrated a capacity for impacting the Cedar Crest community and served as a role model to younger students. Outstanding Student Involvement - Morgan Bentley To the individual who is highly involved within the campus community without sacrificing efficiency and dedication. The Bridge Award - Rachel Bilger To the individual who has demonstrated outstanding innovation and leadership in bridging the gap between co-curricular activities. Unsung Hero - Madelyn Chase For a student from any class level who may or may not hold a formal position, but whose behind-the-scenes dedication and labors have proven invaluable to the success of a project, program, cause, or movement on campus. Student Organization of the Year - Psychology Club For a student organization that has consistently made positive contributions to the campus community and encouraged leadership through its membership, events, or programmatic initiatives. Miguel Marroquin - Lynnsae Powers Dedicated to the family and staff of Miguel Marroquin. Given to the staff member who demonstrates a students-first attitude and commitment to working with students. Outstanding Advisor - Crystal Stubbs Given to the advisor who has been deemed by their club or organization as someone who has shown dedication to supporting the club, its members, and the events and programmatic initiatives created by the membership. Outstanding Graduate Student - Cristina Lemus For a graduate student who has demonstrated a capacity for impacting the Cedar Crest community through their initiatives, motivation, and student leadership. Senior Crest Awards Religio - Carter Reichard The seated figure on the left of the Seal represents a student who strives to apply enduring standards of value to the circumstances of their life, to guide their own actions, and to demonstrate those values to others. Libertas - Rosemarie Kramer The figure in the center of the Seal represents a student who stands as a guardian of the liberal arts and the personal freedom of individuals. Scientia - Joslyn Schwieterman The seated figure on the right of the Seal represents a student who scans the globe for opportunities to extend their learning skills into the community for the benefit of others. Housing & Residence Life Awards Rising Resident Award - Zenaidia Douglas This award recognizes a resident student who can always be seen in the residence halls, engaging with the residential community, and attending events. One to Watch Award - Rachel Bilger Given to a new RA, who has worked as an RA for one year or less, who has exceeded job expectations and really grown into the role of an RA. RA of the Year Award - Catherine Strickland Given to the RA who consistently exceeds the job requirements and develops a strong sense of community in their residence hall. First Year Experience Awards Mentor of the Year - Ali Porchick Awarded to the mentor who has shown exceptional work ethic and support for their students. Rookie Mentor of the Year - Anaya Duncan Awarded to the first-time mentor who has shown exceptional work ethic and support for their students. Most Improved Mentor - Tyssina Bright Awarded to the mentor who has shown exceptional growth and the ability to implement feedback into their role. Lutz Center Awards Volunteer Organization of the Year - Psychology Club Awarded to the club or organization that serves through their interests and actions to recognize, advocate, and effect positive social change for our community. Student Volunteer of the Year - Maliha Asad Awarded to a student who embodies the knowledge of service and accepts opportunities for action while also recognizing, advocating, and effecting positive change for our community. Faculty/Staff Volunteer of the Year - Cara Cavall Awarded to a faculty and/or staff member that actively utilizes their time and skills to recognize, advocate, and effect positive social change for our community. Center for Diversity and Inclusion Awards Inclusion Advocate of the Year - Charlie McClain Awarded to a student who, through their work at the Center for Diversity and Inclusion (CDI) for the last year, has gone above and beyond to fulfill their role as an Inclusion Advocate. Commitment to Diversity & Inclusion Award - Nicole Lewis Awarded to someone who, throughout the year, has embodied the Cedar Crest College Diversity Statement and has encouraged others through their work, academia, and/or service. https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjAB46T

The 2023 Class of the Doctor of Nursing Practice presented the following scholarly project presentations, sponsored by Lehigh Valley Health Network, on April 20: Pear Murphy, BSN, RN, SRNA: Gender-Affirming Perioperative Care for the Transgender Patient Kevin Udo, BSN, RN, SRNA: Culturally Competent Education for Nigerian Women on Epidural Analgesia During Labor Hannah Parker, BSN, RN, SRNA: Use of the STOP-Bang Questionnaire to Increase Referrals for Follow-Up Care for Patients at Risk for Obstructive Sleep Apnea Rochelle Graf, BSN, RN, SRNA; Jennifer Perry, BSN, RN, SRNA; Candice Townsend, BSN, RN, SRNA: The Use of Point of Care Ultrasound in Nurse Anesthesia Practice Liane Bacon, BSN, RN, SRNA: Implementation of an Educational Intervention to Increase the Use of Quantitative Neuromuscular Monitoring Mitchell Dent, BSN, RN, SRNA; Quinn Luckenbill, BSN, RN, SRNA; Peter Caruso, BSN, RN, SRNA: Health Policy Advocacy for Full Practice Authority for Nurse Anesthetists

On April 14, twenty-one students were inducted into the Rho Xi Kappa Chapter of Gamma Sigma Epsilon, the national chemistry honor society.

The Cedar Crest College Honors Program is proud to acknowledge the accomplishments of its seniors who recently attended the Northeast Regional Honors Conference in Pittsburgh. The conference theme was Building Resilience from Tragedy: Understanding Hate, Violence, Loss, & Reconciliation, and this was reflected throughout all of the conference events: the Pittsburgh history tours (e.g., Cathedral of Learning), author talk (Brian Broome "Punch Me Up to the Gods"), Keynote Speech (columnist and feature writer Tony Norman), and intellectually engaging research presentations by students from Honors colleges throughout the northeast. Oral Presentations given by Cedar Crest College students: Megan Dunkle (research mentor: Larry Quarino): The Importance of Bodily Fluid Identification in a Court of Law Patsy Holtz (research mentor: Audrey Ettinger): Resilience in the Face of Controversy: Using Rocio ostofasciata Stem Cells to Study Antidepressant Induced Neurogenesis Khoula Jaber (research mentors: K. Joy Karnas, Rich Kliman, Josh Harrington): Modeling Bacterial Resilience: Simulation of Environmental Antibiotic Exposure to Substantiate the Predictive Power of Mathematical Models Art Show Participants: Megan Dunkle "Leaving Your Mark on the World" Patsy Holtz "Moonlight"

On April 16, three students were inducted into the Xi Kappa Chapter of Sigma Tau Delta, an international English honor society. Congratulations to Stephanie Michelle Astacio Mackenzie Gregory Alyson Miller

On April 12, seven members of the Cedar Crest Community were inducted into the Lambda Chi Chapter of Delta Mu Delta. Delta Mu Delta was founded in 1913 by faculty from Harvard, Yale, and NYU to recognize exceptional students in the field of business; Cedar Crest's chapter was established in 2010. Please join us in celebrating our latest inductees: Faisal Alnowaiser Salina Escobar-Gonzalez Megan Fiedler Alexandra Uzar Carolyn Weiss Kevin DeCusatis (Master's) Lyn Williams (Honorary)

On April 1, 2023, Cedar Crest senior Sydney Jones, along with Dr. Jenny Hayden, assistant professor of biology, attended the TriBeta Northeast District 2 Convention at Penn State Schuylkill. TriBeta is a national biology honor society, and Jones is a member of Cedar Crest College's Theta Psi chapter. The Cedar Crest representatives discussed research with faculty and students from PA, NY, NJ, and DE over the course of the day. Jones presented a poster detailing her independent research conducted with Dr. K. Joy Karnas, professor of biology, and earned a second-place award for her work and presentation.

The Department of Chemical, Physical, and Forensic Sciences at Cedar Crest College is proud to announce the accomplishments of seniors Amanda Endy (Chemistry & Forensic Science Dual Major, Biology Minor) and Christina Alberici (Biochemistry Major, Math Minor), who attended the National American Chemical Society meeting in Indianapolis, Indiana, March 27-30, 2023. They presented a poster entitled "Study of the degradation of azo dyes: Sunset yellow and acid orange with zero-valent iron" in the Environmental Division (Research Advisor: Jeanne Berk). The theme of the meeting was Crossroads of Chemistry and thousands of chemistry professionals attended to share ideas and advance scientific and technical knowledge.

Dr. Ivonne Miranda, Assistant Professor of Education and her students Emmeline Bensinger, Teresa Clay, Arielle Gallicchio, Alyssa Horton, Savanah Keefe, Rachel Miller, Julia Pimentel, Lillian Seiling, Jaycie Seland, Autumn Soccio-Knapp, Catherine Strickland and Madison Watson facilitated a STEAM family night at Dodd Elementary school. Preservice teachers expertly ran stations in which students and parents created light-up circuit boards, popsicle wands, friendly robotics, glow-in-the-dark pendulum, and coding a snow plowing course with Dash robots.

On March 29, six students were inducted into the Omega Chi Chapter of Kappa Delta Pi, an international honor society in education made up of teachers supporting teachers around the world. This society provides undergrads and graduates with scholarship and grant opportunities along with many other resources.

Annabella Bastien '23 and Morgan Bentley '24 attended the PLEN STEM Policy seminar on March 14-16. For 40 years, PLEN has been bringing women and marginalized gender groups from across the country and the world to Washington, D.C. to explore careers in policy and connect with public policy leaders. The students had the opportunity to hear from women who are doing the work in STEM Policy and network with them as well as students from other institutions. Some of the sessions included STEM Policy, National & Data Security, Environmental Science & Policy, and Launching a career in STEM policy as well as advice on securing and succeeding in a career on Capitol Hill.

Senior nurse anesthesia DNP student Kevin Udo, BSN, RN, CCRN, SRNA, presented his DNP Project poster "Changing the Perception of Epidural Analgesia in Nigerian Immigrant Women Living in the United States" at the 35th Eastern Nursing Research Society (ENRS) Annual Scientific Sessions on March 24 in Philadelphia, PA. The theme this year was Promoting Liberty: Addressing Determinants of Health Through Nursing Science.

Earlier this month, the Lutz Center hosted seven students for their "In the Valley, For the Valley" Alternative Spring Break. Michele Moyer, Director of Career Development and Community Engagement, and Takyra Batz, Assistant Director for Community Engagement and Leadership Development, coordinated and led the week of service. Alternative Spring Break offers students the opportunity to join their campus community for a week of service to a community, rather than a traditional spring break vacation. The inaugural "In the Valley, For the Valley" model used this year focuses on sharing our Greater Lehigh Valley community's needs, businesses, and sites with our students without requiring a cost to attend the program. Students can fully engage in the community for the full week. The participants received the following experiences: PPL Center Tour, Phantoms Game, ArtsQuest (5 hours of service), Zekraft Cafe - Bethlehem, SteelStacks, Fegley's Bethlehem Brew Works, Wildlands Conservancy (5 hours of service), Nowhere Coffee Co - South Mountain, Downtown Emmaus Shopping (FD Market, Grandpa Joe's Candy Shop, Let's Play Books Bookstore, Conversational Threads Fiber Arts Studio), Cactus Blue Mexican Restaurant, Second Harvest Food Bank (5 hours of service), Martin Guitar Museum, Detzi's Tavern, Udder Bar and the Valley Against Sex Trafficking (5 hours of service). The following students used their time off for Spring Break to serve others: Senior: Rosemarie "Rosie" Kramer, Juniors: Lyss Marino, Lataisha "Latty" Jenkins, Mary Scannell, Sophomore: Deshian Garricks, Maliha Asad, and Alexie "Alex" Blum.

This March 23, 24, 25 at 7 p.m. and March 26 at 2 p.m., Cedar Crest Performing Arts will present Jane Martin's controversial play, "Keely and Du." Performances will be held in the Tompkins College Center & Samuels Theatre on the campus of Cedar Crest College, Allentown, PA. Tickets may be purchased online at cedarcrest.edu. The cast includes: Du - Sofia Barbour Keely- Rosemarie Kramer Walter- Andrew Galindez Cole- David Lippincott Prison Guard- Mahek "Jayden" Dhawan Orderlies- Chelsi Fread, Lizbeth Parra, Ashly Rodriguez- Ascencio For information, please visit https://www.cedarcrest.edu/academics/performing_arts/events.shtm

Cedar Crest College's literary club, Preterite is pleased to announce the winners of its annual writing contest. Winners are honored at the History, Literature, and Languages Department's Celebration of Creativity, to be held this year on Sunday, April 16 from 2-4 p.m. in the TCC Conference Center. Cover photo for Onyx chapbook: Juno Thomas, for "Falling Jellyfish" Poetry 1st place: Deshian Garricks, for "Lyrics of Black History Month" 2nd place: Fatimah Abdulqaher, for "Brotherhood of Poetry" 3rd place: Tara Tevald, for "Speaking to the Inner Child" Honorable Mention: Anya Stott, for "Orphan" Fiction 1st place: Tara Tevald, for "A Visit Home" 2nd place: Mackenzie Gregory, for "In the Woods Somewhere" 3rd place: Anya Stott, for "The Circus" Creative Nonfiction 1st place: Taylor Hutson, for "Loss" Preterite wishes to thank all of the students who submitted their work for consideration.

The Cedar Crest College Department of Biological Sciences is proud to acknowledge the accomplishments of its research program. Fourteen students presented their data at the 98th Annual Meeting of the Pennsylvania Academy of Science this weekend. Over 100 presentations were made by undergraduate and graduate students from 31 universities, colleges, and institutions, and the twelve posters and talks from Cedar Crest College placed us at the top of the list for total number of presentations. The conference concluded with an awards ceremony where travel grants, research grants, and the Anne Spychala Presentation Awards were distributed. Cedar Crest College received thirteen total awards: 4 presentation awards (Bonser & Edwards, Jaber, Delgado & Heiney, Large & O'Donnell), 3 research grants, (Franzone, Spagnola, Wolfinger), and 6 travel grants (Bonser, Franzone, Jaber, Jones, Lay, Nemec) were awarded to Cedar Crest students, as further detailed below.

The following senior nurse anesthesia Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) students presented their DNP projects at the Annual Philadelphia Advisory Group of Nurse Anesthesia Programs, Spring CRNA/Nurse Anesthesia Resident DNP Projects Professionalism Symposium held on Thursday, March 9, 2023, at Villanova University Fitzpatrick College of Nursing. This event was sponsored by the Pennsylvania Association of Nurse Anesthetists (PANA). The four NAP seniors will graduate in August 2023. Pear Murphy, BSN, SRNA, CCRN Mitchell Dent, BSN, SRNA, CCRN Quinn Luckenbill, BSN, SRNA, CCRN Peter Caruso, BSN, SRNA, CCRN

Cedar Crest College's Performing Arts Department presents: COMPANY February 23-25 at 7 p.m. February 26 at 2 p.m. Starting off the new year, Cedar Crest College's Performing Arts Department will present Stephen Sondheim's musical "Company" at Samuels Theater. The production, featuring music and lyrics by Sondheim and written by George Furth, delves into the themes of modern dating, marriage, and divorce. "Company" employs a non-linear plot, depicting the life of bachelor Bobby through a series of amusing vignettes, as he mingles with his married friends who have arranged a surprise party for his 35th birthday. The Cedar Crest production is directed by William Mutimer, head of the Northampton Community College Theatre Department. Songs include "Another Hundred People," "Side by Side by Side," "Being Alive," and the title song. The cast features Patrick Mertz (Bobby), Rosemarie Kramer (Sarah). Nik Georgievski (Harry), Lydia Walker (Susan), Max Wetherhold (David), Cindy J Lozada (Jenny), Josh Raub (David), Amelia Illingworth (Amy), Connor Sternberg (Paul), Kimberly Mertz (Joanne), Josh Crowley (Larry), Noel Cruz (Marta), Zaria Berry (Kathy) and Olivia Byrne (April). Chad Miller is music director, and choreographer is Joey M Schubert. For information, please visit https://www.cedarcrest.edu/academics/performing_arts/events.shtm

Nalan Lawson, a student in the Didactic Program in Dietetics, has received the Jane Hartman Award from the Maryland Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (MAND) Foundation. Scholarships in Jane Hartman's name have been established by both the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Foundation and the MAND Foundation, honoring her vision of the expanding field of dietetics and nutrition. The award is for outstanding students pursuing an undergraduate degree in dietetics or a dietetic internship.

Delphi is the college's honor society for undergraduate students. Students who have a cumulative grade point average of 3.8 at the end of their junior or senior year are recognized as members.

Congratulations to the following students for making the Dean's List for the fall 2022 semester. The Dean's List recognizes students who have earned a grade point average of 3.65 or higher in the academic semester.

In Spring 2022, Cedar Crest College named Giovanna Sodano as the winner of a four-year, full-tuition scholarship. Sodano competed against more than 80 students from 14 different states at the College's 13th Annual Scholarship Competition held in February 2022.

Cedar Crest College is recognizing 58 students who received their degrees in January 2023.

On Thursday, November 10, nineteen students were inducted into the Zeta Chapter of Alpha Alpha Alpha (Tri-Alpha), a national honor society for first-generation college students. Dr. Jill Purdy, professor and Education Department chair, and Lynnsae Powers, director of persistence support resources, were inducted into the honor society along with the group of students. The mission of the honor society, which was founded at Moravian University in 2018, is to encourage and reward academic excellence among first-generation college students pursuing a bachelor's degree at accredited institutions of higher learning. Tri-Alpha chapters provide members opportunities for personal growth, leadership, and campus and community service. The ceremony and reception were held in the Tompkins College Center.

In October, Cedar Crest College Performing Arts presented a pair of one-act plays: Ghost Stories and Approaching Lavendar. Both plays were directed by Clair M. Freeman and focused on women in the midst of sorting out their lives. The audience shared the stage in an intimate black box setting. In Ghost Stories, by Annie Evans, three college friends find that a story told around a campfire's glow leads to bitter truths about the lives they've created for themselves. The cast included Carter Reichard, Madison Paige Anusky, and Anjolene Johnson. Approaching Lavendar, Julie Beckett Crutcher's charming comedy, concerns two sisters who come face to face with the newest member of their extended (and extensive) family. The cast included Katie Moyer, Chelsi Fread, and Sofia Barbour.