Air Force Airman Nicholas W. Haseltine graduated from basic military training at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, San Antonio, Texas. The airman completed an intensive, eight-week program that included training in military discipline and studies, Air Force core values, physical fitness, and basic warfare principles and skills. Airmen who complete basic training earn four credits toward an associate in applied science degree through the Community College of the Air Force. Haseltine is the son of Laura A. Antonellis of Westfield. He is a 2010 graduate of Westfield High School.
Area Student Receives Recognition at Champlain College Dinner
BURLINGTON, VT – Spencer Martin, a resident of Blandford was honored at Champlain College’s annual awards dinner for the Division of Information Technologies & Sciences Division. Martin, a Computer Science and Innovation received the Contribution Award. The annual dinner, which took place at the Burlington Country Club recognized outstanding students and their achievements throughout the Division of Information Technologies & Sciences.
Southwick Native named Neuroscience Student of the Year and receives award
SOUTHWICK – Southwick native Courtney Birchall was honored at the 2014 Student Life Awards at Stonehill College recently. Birchall, a member of the Class of 2014, received the Community Service Award. The Community Service Award is presented to individuals who have demonstrated a strong commitment to community service. At the recent Scholars Celebration at Stonehill College, Southwick native Courtney Birchall was named the Neuroscience Student of the Year Award in recognition of her outstanding academic achievement in the neuroscience program.
Brittany Hughes of Westfield Graduates from Nazareth College
ROCHESTER, NY Brittany Hughes, of Westfield, MA, received an undergraduate degree during the College’s 87th Commencement Exercises held on Sunday, May 11, 2014. Hughes received a bachelor of science in Commun Science & Disorders.
The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi Inducts New Members
BATON ROUGE, LA – The following local residents recently were initiated into The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi, the nation’s oldest and most selective collegiate honor society for all academic disciplines:
Zachary Grobe of Westfield initiated into University of Massachusetts Amherst chapter
Emma Gronbeck of Westfield initiated into University of Massachusetts Amherst chapter
Brendan Teich of Westfield initiated into University of Massachusetts Amherst chapter
These residents are among approximately 32,000 students, faculty, professional staff and alumni to be initiated into Phi Kappa Phi each year. Membership is by invitation and requires nomination and approval by a chapter. Only the top 10 percent of seniors and 7.5 percent of juniors, having at least 72 semester hours, are eligible for membership. Graduate students in the top 10 percent of the number of candidates for graduate degrees may also qualify, as do faculty, professional staff, and alumni who have achieved scholarly distinction.
Founded in 1897 at the University of Maine and headquartered in Baton Rouge, La., Phi Kappa Phi is the nation’s oldest and most selective all-discipline honor society. The Society has chapters on more than 300 college and university campuses in North America and the Philippines. Its mission is “To recognize and promote academic excellence in all fields of higher education and to engage the community of scholars in service to others.”
Westfield resident inducted into Honor Society
PROVIDENCE, RI – Katie Logan, a resident of Westfield was recently inducted into Providence College’s chapter of Gamma Kappa Alpha, the national honor society for Italian. Logan, a member of the class of 2014, is pursuing a degree in Psychology.
Cameron Hoyt Honored at Curry College Awards Ceremony
MILTON, MA – On Friday, May 2, Cameron Hoyt of Westfield received the Emerging Leader Award at Curry College’s 45th Annual Awards Recognition Ceremony. This special event honored Curry College students who have achieved excellence in academics, student life, the arts, and athletics. In all, more than 70 awards were presented to deserving students.
College Graduates Class of 2014
KEENE, NH – Keene State College has announced the names of 1,091 students who are candidates for graduation this month with associate’s, bachelor’s, or master’s degrees. This year’s graduating class includes:
Courtney Lynch of Southwick graduating with a BS
Stephen Cipriani of Westfield graduating with a MS
Christopher Feyre of Westfield graduating with a MS
Kristen Simeone graduates from Coastal Carolina University
CONWAY, SC- Kristen Simeone, of Tolland earned a Bachelor of Science in Exercise and Sport Science Magna Cum Laude.
Simeone was among 1,081 undergraduate and graduate candidates for degrees at Coastal Carolina University’s Spring 2014 commencement ceremony.
She also made President’s List at Coastal Carolina University
Local Students Graduate from Champlain College and get named to Champlain College Dean’s List
BURLINGTON, VT – The Champlain College 136th Commencement took place outdoors under a tent on Edmunds Field in Burlington, Vermont on Saturday, May 3, 2014. In all, 476 undergraduates earned their degrees. Local students who received their degrees from Champlain College include Alisha Seney of Huntington, who received a bachelor’s degree in Professional Writing and Diane Chabot of Southwick, who received a bachelor’s degree in Marketing. Both area residents have also been named to the Spring 2014 Dean’s List at Champlain College, a private baccalaureate institution, located in Burlington, Vt. It is a national leader in educating students through its unique program that prepares students for life beyond college with a mix of professional training, academic enrichment and cultural immersion.
2014 UMass Dartmouth Commencement is celebrated May 16-17
NORTH DARTMOUTH, MA – This year’s Undergraduate and Graduate Commencement Ceremonies held May 16, 17 were celebrated at UMass Dartmouth Main Campus. The following is a list of the University of Massachusetts undergraduate and graduate students from your readership area.
Blandford, Martin Cotti Summa Cum Laude and Westfield, Breanna Marcyoniak
Worcester Polytechnic Institute announces 2014 scholars
WORCESTER, MA – Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) has announced the following local students as Charles O. Thompson Scholars for the 2013-14 academic year.
Natalie Diltz of Westfield is a first-year student majoring in mechanical engineering.
Benjamin Parent of Westfield is a first-year student majoring in biomedical engineering.
Named in honor of the first president of WPI, this honor recognizes outstanding performance by first-year students. To be eligible for membership, students must achieve all A’s and B’s (with a minimum of six A’s) in their academic subjects during their first three terms at WPI.
Local Students Named to Keene State’s Dean’s List
KEENE, NH – About 1,470 students have been named to the spring 2014 dean’s list at Keene State College. To qualify for the dean’s list, Keene State undergraduates must be enrolled in a degree program and must have completed a minimum of six credit hours in the semester, receiving no failing or incomplete grades. Students must achieve a 3.5 or higher grade point average on a 4.0 scale to earn dean’s list honors.
Among this semester’s honorees are the following local students:
Shannon Kane of Westfield
Sean Millikan of Westfield
Emily Orell of Westfield
Joseph Clark of Westfield
Christopher Pray of Westfield
Local student earns degree at Skidmore College
SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY – The largest class in Skidmore College history–the 712 members of the Class of 2014–was recognized at the college’s 103rd Commencement May 17 at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center.
Leland Martin of Blandford received a BA degree Magna Cum Laude.
Two distinguished individuals–evolutionary biologist and author Neil Shubin, host of this spring’s PBS miniseries Your Inner Fish, and Skidmore alumna Janet Lucas Whitman, a trustee emerita of the college–received honorary degrees at the ceremony. Each delivered brief remarks to the class.
Shubin is the best-selling author of Your Inner Fish: A Journey Through the 3.5-Billion-Year History of the Human Body (Pantheon), which was the summer reading for Skidmore’s Class of 2014 and the foundation for the PBS series. His Commencement appearance marked something of a reunion for Shubin, who addressed the class early in their first year on campus. On Saturday he told them, “I hope that your time at Skidmore has opened up new ways of seeing for you. I hope it has cultivated your ability to see what is important to you, given you the tools to understand the hidden meaning of what you see, and, before you get too comfortable, to reveal to you how much you must continually jostle and challenge your established ways of seeing.”
Whitman, a member of Skidmore’s Class of 1959, was elected to the college’s board of trustees in 1994 and was board chair from 2008 until she retired in 2012. Whitman served two four-year terms as mayor of her hometown of Summit, N.J., where she was instrumental in raising funds for a new city hall and for renovations to the public library.
Her extensive volunteer experience informed her advice to the graduates. She urged them, “Say yes when asked to serve…It is the most satisfying privilege you can imagine, and volunteer service is what makes this country great.” Whitman added, “Continue to explore, engage in lifelong learning. Attack each challenge with a sense of purpose and a sense of humor.”
Following Skidmore tradition, a faculty member selected by the graduates delivered the commencement address. Peter McCarthy, field coordinator of the College’s Social Work Program and a member of the social work faculty, addressed the graduates, as did Linda Toohey, chair of the board of trustees, Xavier Hatten, president of the Class of 2014, and Skidmore President Philip A. Glotzbach.
Kasie Fagan, graduated from The College of Wooster with a BMEd focus in music therapy. She made the Dean’s list for the Spring Semester.
Students Receive Cocurricular Awards at AIC
SPRINGFIELD – Students at American International College were recognized for their participation in campus activities at a ceremony in the Griswold Theatre. More than 70 students received awards at the Co-Curricular Awards night program, as students, parents, faculty and administrators gathered to honor the student leaders.
Marguerite Pratt of Granville received the Henrieta Littlefield Award.
Tara Scagliarini of Westfield received the Senior Involvement Recognition Award.
Brian O’Shaughnessey, vice president for student affairs, said the ceremony is special to the students because it recognizes their involvement in campus life not only by faculty and administrators, but by their peers, as well. Campus involvement is a very important part of the college experience,” O’Shaughnessey told the audience, “and we are very proud of these students who were able to balance school work with clubs and other activities. They have made the AIC campus a better place,” he said.
Eric Charles of Westfield among Nichols College Graduates
DUDLEY, MA – Nichols College in Dudley, Massachusetts held its 2014 Commencement on Saturday morning, May 10th for 399 undergraduate and graduate students, including Eric Charles, cum laude Bachelor of Science in Business Administration. The Nichols graduates received praise for their academic accomplishments and advice for their futures from former White House Chief-of-Staff Andrew Card.
Haley Armstrong Named to Dean’s List for Academic Achievement at Elmira College for the Spring 2014 Term
ELMIRA, NY – Haley Armstrong ’15 of Westfield is currently studying Speech and Language Disabilities at Elmira College.
Bridgewater awards bachelor’s degrees
BRIDGEWATER – Bachelor’s degrees in the arts, science and education were presented during Bridgewater State University’s 173rd Spring Commencement Convocation on Saturday, May 17 on the Boyden Quadrangle.
More than 800 undergraduate majors from the College of Humanities & Social Sciences received their degrees during the morning ceremony, while nearly 700 graduates earned degrees from the Ricciardi College of Business, College of Education & Allied Studies, and the Bartlett College of Science & Mathematics in the afternoon.
Dr. Dana Mohler-Faria, president of Bridgewater State University, and Louis M. Ricciardi, ’81, chairman of the institution’s Board of Trustees, addressed the graduating class at both ceremonies.
Distinguished Service Awards were presented to Cheryl Opper, founder and executive director of the Brockton-based School on Wheels of Massachusetts, and June Saba, ’94, G’04, executive director of learning and teaching PreK-5 in Brockton public schools, at the morning and afternoon ceremonies respectively.
The student address was delivered by Hanna Taverna of Brockton, a social work major, in the morning while Deborah J. Shaw of Rumford, RI, a health studies major, addressed her fellow graduates in the afternoon.
The following area residents were among those who graduated:
Colin E. Fontaine and Andrew K. Wheeler of Westfield
Pamela MacRae Awarded Inaugural Unity College Mentor Award
UNITY, Maine – Unity College Assistant Professor of Sustainable Fisheries Management Pamela MacRae has been named the recipient of the newly established Unity College Undergraduate Research Mentor Award.
Earlier this year, the directors of the Unity College Undergraduate Research Program and the office of the Vice President of Academic Affairs issued a call to faculty to submit proposals for mentoring undergraduate research. Designed to give opportunities to facilitate a robust faculty-student collaborative learning environment, the annual Undergraduate Research Mentor Award allows beneficiaries $1000 in seed money to commence the project, as well as a crucial 3-credit course release in order to have enough dedicated time to pursue the research. A top criterion for selecting a winning submission is that the faculty member offers a clearly detailed explanation of how students will be included in the entire process, from implementation to intensive subject research through completion of the project.
In her proposed project, “A Comparison of Fish Assemblage Structure in Lakes with and without Alewife,” MacRae and a student collaborator will study fish assemblage structure in lakes and investigate the impact of alewives in local Maine waters. They will begin their research Fall 2014.
Specifically, MacRae and her research student will look at the effects of re-introducing alewives on small schooling fishes in the littoral zone, the area of the lake that is close to the shore. These fish typically feed on plankton and are prey to the area sport fish, occupying an important place in aquatic food webs.
“Maine’s historically thriving alewife population has plummeted over the last two centuries, largely due to dams that block the natural spawning migration pattern of the species,” said MacRae. “While the effect on recreational fish of alewife re-introduction has been the focus of various local studies, as a fish community ecologist I think it is as important to examine the impact of the small forage fish in these lakes.”
Wildlife and Fisheries Management major Brian Eaton ‘16, was chosen to work with MacRae on the project. Eaton, a student in MacRae’s Population and Community Ecology course, was a fitting choice having had previous research experience on a project studying fish communities. Additionally, Ian Sypek ’15 and Richard Lee ’15, a Wildlife and Fisheries major from Westfield, Massachusetts, will be volunteering on this project, helping Eaton with sampling.
“Pamela’s proposal stood out given her coherent research objectives, a sound timeline and the outline of rigorous student learning outcomes,” said Kevin Spigel, Associate Professor of Geoscience and co-director of the Undergraduate Research Program at Unity College. “Her project also indicated robust student involvement, and clearly illustrated the reciprocal benefits of close faculty mentorship which ultimately contributes to a richer undergraduate education.”
In recent years Unity College has gained national attention for a variety of achievements including its focus on sustainability science, the vanguard in the fight for the mitigation of global climate change. Other ground-breaking “green” innovations include the award-winning TerraHaus, the first student residence on a college or university campus built to the Passive House standard, the most energy efficient building standard in the world, and its first-in-the-nation decision to divest from investments in fossil fuels, igniting a growing national movement in higher education.
Through the framework of sustainability science, Unity College provides a liberal arts education that emphasizes the environment and natural resources. Through experiential and collaborative learning, our graduates emerge as responsible citizens, environmental stewards, and visionary leaders.
Kenneth P. Lombardini, Jr., son of Kenneth P. Lombardini, Sr. and Laura Lombardini, of Westfield, received an Academic Excellence Award from the Department of Communications at a special ceremony held at Westfield State University on April 29. Lombardini is a Dean’s list student and member of the Phi Kappa Phi in the Class of 2014.
Congratulations to Andrea Onyski for earning a place on the Spring 2014 President’s List at Southern New Hampshire University. The President’s List is an academic achievement awarded to a select group of students who have committed to academic excellence during a semester or term. To be eligible for this honor, a student must attain an academic grade point average of 3.70 – 4.0. Andrea is the daughter of William and Gina Onyski.
