System Success

Sarah Walker, an Honors Academy student at Cheyney University, maximizes her opportunities. She has participated in a South Africa study abroad program, returned to the competitive DevCon through the Thurgood Marshall College Fund, and engaged in the HBCU Battle of the Brains. As a PROPEL Center campus ambassador, she demonstrates her leadership and dedication to innovation and connecting others to transformative experiences. 

For Lydia Haulman, graduation from Commonwealth University-Lock Haven was not a finish line. It was a next step. Since earning her degree in environmental biology and ecology in 2025, Haulman has carried with her the values that shaped her time as a student: a love for the outdoors, a strong sense of community, and the belief that meaningful environmental work does not require leaving home behind.

East Stroudsburg University honored Nancy Weaver, Ph.D., former assistant vice president for student affairs, as ESU’s recipient of the fourth annual Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Keepers of the Flame Award from PASSHE. Dr. Weaver’s commitment to ESU began when she was a college student at what was then known as East Stroudsburg State College. She was a member of the Women’s Basketball Team and was inducted into the ESU Athletic Hall of Fame. 

IUP’s Fusion Fellows Program launched this year, focusing on interdisciplinary collaboration to tackle real-world problems. Teaming up, Serena Aumick and Riley Whiskeyman are merging science with storytelling. Additionally, Madilyn House, an applied archaeology master’s student, and Jocelyn McCray, an applied anthropology and history student, are uncovering the “lost” history of the Laurel Hill Settlement near Johnstown.

Christine Price, director of the Women's Center at Kutztown University, was named an inaugural recipient of the L.P. Hill Unity in Sports Award by the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference. This award honors individuals or groups at PSAC member campuses who promote Unity, Equity, and Access through intercollegiate athletics. It is named after Leslie Pinckney Hill, the first President of Cheyney State Teacher's College.

What started as a hobby has turned into a full-time career for Millersville University alumna Lynn April ‘08, who combined her background in biology with a passion for baking to create a successful online platform with over 150,000 Instagram followers and millions of website readers a month. 

Taney Basinger, a senior at PennWest University’s Edinboro campus, spent a summer creating digital content as the Fawcett Digital Multimedia Intern at Fallingwater, the iconic home designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. Located in southwestern Pennsylvania, this historic site is preserved by the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy.

Shippensburg University’s Chemistry Department gained attention on the American Chemical Society’s YouTube channel, Reactions. Dr. John Richardson, Dr. Jeb Kegerreis, and sophomore Rebekah Feight were featured in the viral video, “Coke Just Revolutioned Coke,” which reached one million views. Their research examined the sugar content and chemical composition of various sodas, focusing on the differences in beverages advertised as containing cane sugar.

A Slippery Rock University history faculty member’s work has inspired a creative new theater production based on her 2022 book about an inspiring group of Black women in the 1930s who worked under deplorable conditions for paltry pay in Missouri. 

West Chester University’s Emily Badis M’17 thrives on the “semi-organized chaos” of the NFL draft. Badis is entering her fifth season with the Minnesota Vikings and her second season as the senior manager of football administration. She is involved in three main areas: contract negotiations, CBA and compliance, and salary cap management.