Over 70 Class of 2025 Graduates Receive Excellence Awards at Honors Convocation

Students, faculty honored for their academic accomplishments and impact on the university

Over 70 Alvernia University students received academic, service and experiential learning excellence awards at the 2025 Honors Convocation Award Ceremony.

"Each of you is valued for your unique talents, and your contributions to our community are what makes it so unique. Your success was no easy accomplishment, and we can certainly appreciate the balancing act," said Alvernia University President Glynis A. Fitzgerald, Ph.D. "From your lectures in the classroom, experiments in the labs, and research and study groups in the libraries to your experiential learning experiences through service-learning, clinicals and internships, there is no doubt that your plates were full. But most of you also balanced your busy lives outside of work, from athletics, clubs and service work to holding a part-time or full-time job and even raising a family. It is this mix that makes all of your achievements that much more extraordinary."

The awards were presented by President Fitzgerald as well as faculty and staff representatives from the College of Business, Communication and Leadership; the College of Humanities, Education, and Social Sciences; the College of Health Sciences; the College of Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics; and the university.

2024-25 Senior Scholar Kacie Walters addressed the audience, thanking Alvernia professors, mentors and staff and sharing words of encouragement for her peers.

"Today, we stand at the top of the mountain," she said. "We’re proud. We’re excited. We’re full of hope. We’re here, caps on our heads, pride in our hearts and surrounded by those who cheered us on."

She concluded her remarks by encouraging her fellow graduates to "move forward, not in certainty, but in courage" before the torch was passed to the 2025-26 Senior Scholar, Alexa Ullrich.

President Fitzgerald presents the 2025-26 Senior Scholar Award to rising senior Ullrich.

The Senior Scholar Award is presented to a student who represents the best characteristics that are found in the Alvernia student body, including a strong interest and commitment to their major, the university and the community. The recipient is also a full-time student who has met the criteria of having senior standing in the fall semester, who has a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.7 and who has completed at least 45 credits. As the 2025-26 Senior Scholar, Ullrich, who is studying computer science with a minor in mathematics, will make a scholarly contribution in her discipline during her senior year. This will take the form of research or another major project guided by a faculty member of her choice. She will also speak at next year’s Opening Convocation and Honors Convocation.

In addition to the student awards, Senior Vice President and Provost Leamor Kahanov, Ed.D., presented the 2025 Teaching Excellence Award and the Justice, Equity, and Diversity Faculty Award to two professors.

Assistant Professor of Physics Teri Price, Ph.D., received the Teaching Excellence Award. This award recognizes excellence and innovation in teaching among faculty and is especially meaningful to its recipients because nominations for the award come directly from Alvernia students and alumni. It recognizes excellence and innovation in teaching among faculty and is especially meaningful to its recipients because nominations for the award come directly from Alvernia students and alumni.

Price finished her second year at Alvernia as an Assistant Professor of Physics, where her teaching focus has been on our introductory physics and modern physics classes. She has modernized the physics curriculum by incorporating dynamic real-world examples and interactive demonstrations into lecture and lab settings. Prior to joining Alvernia's faculty, she completed her doctorate at Lehigh University and taught in the physics department at Penn State University, Berks Campus. Dr. Price's research involves modeling collisions between atoms and molecules, some of which is funded by NASA to study collisions occurring in star-forming regions.

Professor of Psychology Ana Ruiz, Ph.D., received the Justice, Equity, and Diversity Faculty Award. This award recognizes a faculty member who demonstrates and advances the ideals of justice, equity, and diversity in teaching, service, or research with a deep commitment to Catholic social teaching and its emphasis on protecting human dignity.

Ruiz has been a professor of psychology at Alvernia since 1993. She earned her Bachelor of Science from the Catholic University of Pernambuco in Brazil, a Master of Arts in Cognitive Development from the Federal University of Pernambuco, and a Ph.D. in Developmental Psychology from Cornell University. Ruiz is passionate about service learning, ethics and social justice. Her publications include the books "Service Learning in Psychology: Enhancing Undergraduate Education for the Public Good" and "Service-Learning Code of Ethics." She is nearing the conclusion of her two-year term as a Neag Professor of Teaching Excellence and Innovation. Additionally, Ruiz serves on the Justice, Equity, and Inclusion (JEI) Council, which is dedicated to fostering an inclusive community at Alvernia that embraces diverse thoughts, cultures, ideals and visions.