May 12, 2003
IUP senior wins third Syed R. Ali-Zaidi Award
Contact: Kevin Hensil, khensil@passhe.edu
Joanna Stone of Indiana University of Pennsylvania is the recipient of the third Syed R. Ali-Zaidi Award for Academic Excellence.
Stone of Lititz received $1,000 and a medallion in recognition of her outstanding academic performance and involvement in extra-curricular activities. She graduated Saturday with a double major in anthropology and Spanish and a minor in Latin American studies, all from IUP’s Robert E. Cook Honors College.
She plans to begin graduate studies in applied anthropology at the University of Arizona in Tucson. After graduate school she intends to work in international development and eventually become a professor of anthropology.
Stone spent a year studying abroad at the University of Seville, Spain, and completed an internship at an ethno botanical garden in Mexico. She has also served with Habitat for Humanity and coordinated language exchange programs for Mexican immigrants. She has been a member of the Spanish club, the anthropology club, and was a resident assistant on the Spanish floor in Turnbull hall.
The Ali-Zaidi award was established by Syed R. Ali-Zaidi, a founding member of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education’s Board of Governors, to annually recognize and reward a graduating senior from one of the 14 state-owned universities. Funds for the annual award come from donations made to the Fund for the Advancement of the State System of Higher Education, Inc.
Each of the 14 State System university presidents was asked to nominate a student for the 2003 Ali-Zaidi award. The Board’s Academic and Student Affairs Committee selected this year’s winner from among 13 nominees.
Samantha Cunningham of Mansfield University of Pennsylvania and Micah W. Smith of Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania are this year’s runners-up for the award.
Other students who were nominated by their university presidents for the Ali-Zaidi award are Amanda Edelman of Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania, Olisvier Ortiz of Cheyney University of Pennsylvania, Seth J. Brown of Clarion University of Pennsylvania, Karl Ackerman of East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania, Carmen Quatman of Edinboro University of Pennsylvania, Anya Szlachtianchyn of Kutztown University of Pennsylvania, Megan Kaufman of Millersville University of Pennsylvania, Karen Lynnae Page of Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania, Susan Fox of Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania and Mary Linn of West Chester University of Pennsylvania.
Dr. Ali-Zaidi served two terms on the Board of Governors. He initially was appointed to the Board by then-Gov. Dick Thornburgh, upon the creation of the State System in 1983. He later was re-appointed by then-Gov. Tom Ridge. He served as chair of the Academic Policy and Planning Committee, the Board’s long-range strategic planning task force and the Task Force on Science and Advanced Technology Education, Workforce Development and Implementation Research.
With more than 101,000 students, the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education is the largest provider of higher education in the Commonwealth. Its 14 universities offer more than 250 degree and certificate programs in more than 120 areas of study. More than 360,000 System alumni live and work in Pennsylvania.
The state-owned universities are Bloomsburg, California, Cheyney, Clarion, East Stroudsburg, Edinboro, Indiana, Kutztown, Lock Haven, Mansfield, Millersville, Shippensburg, Slippery Rock and West Chester Universities of Pennsylvania. The System also operates branch campuses in Clearfield, Kittanning, Oil City and Punxsutawney and several regional centers, including the Dixon University Center in Harrisburg. The regional centers are part of the Educational Resources Group, which is responsible for coordinating statewide programming.