I am very pleased to pass along word of yet another recognition of a Scholar’s remarkable achievements. University Scholar alumna Mary Beth Long ‘85 Com, who served as the assistant secretary of defense for international security affairs in the Bush Administration, was one of eight civil servants recognized by the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff on Monday in a ceremony at the Pentagon.
In receiving the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Joint Distinguished Civilian Service Award, Mary Beth was commended for being instrumental in the conclusion of the U.S.-Iraq status-of-forces agreement negotiations. Also noted was her involvement in the efforts to pursue missile defense agreements with the Czech Republic and Poland, which resulted with enhanced security agreements for the United States and Europe. She was responsible for shaping improved relations with Middle Eastern allies, as well as the U.S. response for the Russian invasion of Georgia. She also helped develop approaches for reducing the Taliban’s use of narcotics as a revenue source in Afghanistan.
Last fall, her career accomplishments, which included stints in the Defense Department, the CIA, and the law firm of Williams & Connolly, were recognized by Penn State when she was named named an Alumni Fellow, the highest award bestowed by the Penn State Alumni Association. You can listen to my interview with Ms. Long here (iTunes link).
The complete article about Monday’s Pentagon ceremony can be found here: http://www.defenselink.mil/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=53706
And once again the key word has many meanings. In this case “awards” refers to recognition of accomplishments and scholarship funds.
Student Awards
Beginning with the former, today (March 29, 2009) was the “Student Awards Recognition” ceremony. This is one ceremony when I am not on stage and so sat in the back of the Eisenhower Auditorium and enjoyed watching the hundreds of students go forward to receive their awards. A full description of the awards can be found at the Office of Undergraduate Education website. The awards given were:
- The President’s Freshman Award
- The President Sparks Award
- The Evan Pugh Scholar Award – Junior & Senior
- The Eric A. Walker Award
- The Ernest B. McCoy Memorial Award
- The Outstanding Adult Student Award
- The W. LaMarr Kopp International Achievement Award
- The Graduate Student Service Award
- The Graduate Assistant Outstanding Teaching Awards
- The W. LaMarr Kopp International Achievement Graduate Award
As you might expect, a large number of Schreyer Scholars were represented, as well as many, many other great Penn Staters, so I will not list any particular students here, but I hope you all know how proud I am of all of your accomplishments.
Financial Awards
I know that many students who have just received their offer of admission are also eagerly awaiting word about additional financial aid. All our incoming first year students automatically receive the $3,500/year Academic Excellence Scholarship, as your letter of offer of admission stated. We also have additional scholarships that we have recently allocated. These funds were awarded based upon both need and merit. In order to determine if you have received any additional funds, either from the SHC or any other PSU unit (academic college or the Office of Financial Aid) you can log in to you MyPennState account and check there.
These are, of course, very difficult financial times and we are working hard to make as many awards to as many deserving students as possible. For further aid and advice on tuition assistance be sure to contact the Office of Student Aid.
Today I had the great privilege to interview our upcoming Schreyer Signature Speaker Ms. Asra Nomani. You can download the podcast through iTuneU at this link. The press release is below.
Wall Street Journal Reporter’s Abduction and Murder Subject of Lecture
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.—Journalist and author Asra Q. Nomani will speak about the 2002 abduction and murder of her colleague and friend Daniel Pearl at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, March 25, in Penn State’s Schwab Auditorium on the University Park campus.
Nomani’s lecture, “Danny Pearl: The Truth Left Behind,” is being sponsored by the Schreyer Honors College and the Schreyer Honors College Student Council. The event is free and open to the public.
Pearl’s disappearance and the U.S. government’s investigation into his death were the subject of the motion picture “A Mighty Heart.” In conjunction with Nomani’s visit to Penn State, Penn State Movie Channel 72 will be broadcasting “A Mighty Heart” during the month of March.
Nomani was one of the last people to see Pearl before he disappeared in Pakistan in January 2002. In 2007, while a professor in the practice of journalism at Georgetown University’s School of Continuing Studies, Nomani headed The Pearl Project, an investigative journalism seminar focused on identifying Pearl’s killers and their motives for his death.
Nomani’s articles on Islamic issues have appeared in the Washington Post, the New York Times, Time magazine, and Slate. She is the author of “Standing Alone in Mecca: An American Woman’s Struggle for the Soul of Islam” and documented her spiritual journey in “Tantrika: Traveling the Road of Divine Love.”
For more information about Nomani’s lecture, contact the Schreyer Honors College at 863-2636.
Some students and I will be presenting on our blogging initiative at the Penn State TLT Symposium this spring.
Reimagine Scholarship | Symposium for Teaching and Learning with Technology.
Reflective blogging across a student’s college career
Schreyer Honors College Dean Chris Brady and two students describe a pilot in which the students are asked to blog about their college experiences. Students are asked to relate their posts to the Honors College mission of academic excellence with integrity, building a global perspective, and creating opportunities for leadership and civic engagement.
(I just realized I never posted this on the blog! Mea culpa!)
A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of sitting down with Schreyer Scholar Sean Lobar. Sean is a senior majoring in Life Sciences and International Studies. In his 4 years in the Schreyer Honors College at Penn State Sean has travelled to Peru, Argentina, Guatemala, Jordan, and Abu Dhabi.
Head over to iTunesU to hear this fun interview!
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