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SVC hosts annual Winter Honors Convocation, Founders’ Day

SVC hosts annual Winter Honors Convocation, Founders’ Day

by Public Relations | November 21, 2022

LATROBE, PA—At the annual Founders’ Day Honors Convocation, Saint Vincent College president Father Paul Taylor, O.S.B., awarded honorary doctorates of humane letters to Sister Joseph Spring, SCC, M.A., of the Sisters of Christian Charity; Sister Teresa A. Bruno, SC, B.A., M.A., Ed.D., of the Sisters of Charity of Saint Elizabeth; and Abbot Augustine J. Curley, O.S.B., B.A., M.A., Ph.D., the third abbot of Newark, NJ.

Sister Joseph and Sister Teresa both serve at the Assumption College for Sisters in Denville, NJ, in the roles of President and Academic Dean, respectively. Abbot Augustine is the Prior, Abbey Librarian and Archivist for the Newark Abbey and St. Benedict’s Prep community and is also an adjunct faculty member at Seton Hall University.

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In addition to the conferral of Honorary Degrees, employees were recognized for years of service to Saint Vincent, Graduate Awards for Excellence in Program of Study were presented and the Thoburn Excellence in Teaching Award and the Projecktenmacher Award were presented to members of College faculty.

Employees recognized for 25 years of service to Saint Vincent were Donna Gerhart, Victoria Gyenes and Kim Metzgar.

Graduate students who each received an award for excellence in their chosen programs of study included: 

  • Sharon Farrel, C’18, G 22, of New Kensington, for the Master of Science in Management: Operational Excellence program;
  • Shayela Harmon, C’21, G 22, of Washington, for the Master of Science in Criminology, Law and Society program;
  • Molly Massimo, C’20, G 22, of Johnstown, for the Master of Science in Instructional Design and Technology program;
  • Br. Xavier Timothy O’Mara, O.S.B., C’08, G 22, of Latrobe, for the Master of Science in Counselor Education program;
  • Bridget Riley, DNAP 22, of Fairmont, WV, for the Doctor of Nurse Anesthesia Practice Program; and
  • Megan Scott, G 22, of Grove City, for the Master of Science in Curriculum and Instruction Program.

Dr. Tracy McNelly, Associate Professor of Education in the School of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences (AHSS), was presented with the Thoburn Excellence in Teaching Award.

The Projektenmacher Award was presented to the Saint Vincent College Center for Catholic Thought and Culture (CCTC). Accepting the award for the CCTC were Dr. Jerome Foss, Associate Professor of Politics in the Alex G. McKenna School for Business, Economics and Government and Director of the CCTC; Dr. Michael Krom, Professor and Department Chair of Philosophy in AHSS and director of the Benedictine Leadership Studies program; Samantha Firestone, C’17, G’19, Coordinator of the CCTC; and Dr. Lucas Briola, C’13, Assistant Professor of Theology in AHSS.

Following Honors Convocation, members of the SVC community were invited to the annual Founders’ Day Dinner, which was followed by a fireworks show.

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