Student Awards and Recognition
IST undergraduate and graduate students were recognized with a variety of college and University-wide awards.
Learning Assistant Awards
The David and Kathy Hozza Learning Assistant Awards were presented to undergraduate learning assistants (LAs) for helping to advance IST’s commitment to teaching and learning. The awards program is funded by former assistant teaching professor and now part-time adjunct instructor David Hozza and his wife, Kathy.
Each winner received a $200 prize:
- Brooke Connelly (new LA)
- Alize Portuguez (new LA)
- Matthew Cleary (returning LA)
- Shen-Han Chiu (returning LA)
Four honorable mentions each received $50:
- Paige Barnes
- Vivien Carroll
- Kristen Kutufaris
- Zayna Talaat
Graduate Student Awards
The college presented three awards to doctoral students:
- Shraddha Pathak received the Award for Excellence in Teaching Support for exhibiting exemplary commitment to student learning, reflective teaching practices, leadership, and professional growth.
- He “Albert” Zhang received the PhD Award for Research Excellence for outstanding research, scholarship, and/or creativity (post-comprehensive exam).
- Ruyuan Wan received the Rising Star Award for outstanding research, scholarship, and/or creativity (pre-comprehensive exam).
One IST student was among the thirty-one winners of the University-wide Graduate Exhibition, hosted by the J. Jeffrey and Ann Marie Fox Graduate School.
- Zina Zhang placed third in the Research Poster Category–Social and Behavioral Sciences for her project “Casual Competition by Design.”
Connect with IST on LinkedIn
The power of IST is in our community. Join us on LinkedIn to stay connected with IST alumni and stay up-to-date the latest from the college.
Also in This Issue
Competing and Educating
Penn State’s Competitive Cyber Security Organization earned regional, national, and global recognition in 2024-2025.
Doing It All
David Richards, a rising senior from Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania, is using every opportunity to make an impact at the University and set himself up for success.