dosa2019
dosa2019
2019 Dean's Outstanding Senior Awards
On Monday, April 29, 2019, the Rowan University College of Science & Mathematics/School of Health Professions honored its 2019 Dean's Outstanding Senior Award winners. Each awardee was nominated by a faculty mentor and then selected by their department's faculty. Below are short bios on all of the honorees as well as a video that includes the award recipients and their faculty mentors.
Matthew Holmes - Biochemistry
Matthew Holmes earned his bachelor’s degree in biochemistry this winter. He participated in the Thomas N. Bantivoglio honors concentration and minored in biology and Spanish. Holmes has been active in Rowan’s Emergency Medical Services (EMS) program since 2015 and as an emergency department technician at Cooper University Hospital since 2016. He performed research in two different labs in the chemistry & biochemistry department. Holmes’ dedicated work in the Keck Lab earned him co-authorship on a scientific paper currently in peer review. With clear leadership potential and a remarkable record of service, Holmes will be a future physician and community leader.
Victoria Brady - Biological Sciences
Victoria Brady graduated magna cum laude in December with a degree in biological sciences. She participated in the Thomas N. Bantivoglio honors concentration and earned a minor in psychology. Brady collaborated on a study of diet, nest size, and mating behavior in Siamese fighting fish and completed her own study on diet and sensory biology of Italian wall lizards. She presented research posters at the STEM Symposium, Sigma Xi, and national conferences in Toronto, Ontario and Rochester, NY. Brady served as Senator, and later, as President of the Biology Club for two years. She will begin the Doctor of Physical Therapy program at Arcadia University in August.
Brittany Stinger - Chemistry
Brittany Stinger has a record of excellence as a chemistry major. She has worked in the physical chemistry research lab of Dr. Timothy Vaden since her freshman year. Stinger has coauthored journal articles and presented her research at national conferences. She was awarded Best Chemistry Poster at the 2018 American Chemical Society National Meeting and received the 2018 Edward Morley Award for Excellence in the Art of Measurement. Stinger participated in a prestigious summer research program at the University of Michigan and has been accepted to Ph.D. programs in physical chemistry at the University of California - Berkeley, Northwestern University, and Princeton University.
Russell Binaco - Computer Science
Russell Binaco has a stellar academic record with a double major in computer science and computer engineering and participated in the Thomas N. Bantivoglio honors concentration. Binaco is also pursuing a mathematics minor, a Spanish certificate of undergraduate studies, and is enrolled in the accelerated computer science master’s degree program. Binaco’s most notable research used machine learning to classify cognitive decline levels in Alzheimer’s patients. He volunteers regularly for computer science activities, and as a sophomore, was one of the department’s first learning assistants. Binaco initiated a tutoring service project for three computer science clubs, is a member of two honors societies – Tau Beta Pi (engineering) and Pi Mu Epsilon (math), and is the president of a third, Upsilon Pi Epsilon (computer science).
Paul Menno - Health & Exercise Science
Paul Menno is a senior in the human performance in clinical settings program. His career ambitions are to become a physical therapist and work with neurological populations. He has been accepted into the doctoral program for physical therapy at Rutgers University. He currently works as a physical therapy aid and has worked for Rowan’s “Get FIT” program which provides exercise counseling for individuals with developmental disabilities. He volunteers at Temple University Hospital, Kingsway Learning Center, and Olympic Physical Therapy assisting physical therapists to improve the function of those with physical limitations.
Patrick Bray - Mathematics
Patrick Bray is an outstanding student, one who is highly regarded by all of his math professors and unmatched by his peers in terms of his problem-solving ability and deep understanding of advanced mathematics. His research on the area of the Mandelbrot set has been published in a peer-reviewed mathematics journal. Bray has served as Math Club President and participated in the nationwide Putnam Mathematical Competition where he ranked 439 out 4,638 students. Patrick plans to pursue a Ph.D. in mathematics and will take a gap year to gain industrial experience before attending graduate school, with the goal of becoming a mathematics professor.
Larisa Kavetsky - Molecular & Cellular Biosciences
Larisa Kavetsky is an exemplary student, always eager to take on new challenges to accomplish her goals and dreams. She is a translational & biomedical sciences (TBS) major, in the Thomas N. Bantivoglio Honors Concentration. Since her sophomore year, Kavetsky has been researching the role of microglia in neurodegeneration with Dr. Ileana Soto-Reyes. She has presented her findings at two national scientific conferences. Last summer, she was selected for The Jackson Laboratory Summer Student Program and had the opportunity to investigate vascular pathology in Alzheimer’s disease. She is the president of the TBS Club and will attend osteopathic medical school in the fall.
Teresa Soca - Nursing
Teresa Soca came to this country from Uruguay in 1988 at the age of 20 and settled into a Hispanic community in Orange, NJ. She learned to speak English when her children attended school. She has five children and five grandchildren, starting her higher education when her youngest child entered high school. She volunteers as a mentor and tutor to nursing students and in her community. Soca’s short-term goal is to specialize in mental health care and hospice with a long term goal of owning a long term care/hospice facility. She is an excellent student with the drive and dedication to succeed and embodies the mission and vision of the department of nursing.
Ernest Wallace, Jr. - Office of Health Professions
Ernest Wallace, Jr. is a biological sciences major with plans to attend medical school. He is a special resident assistant for the pre-medical learning community, and has served as a residential counselor for the Rowan STEAM Academy, as well as a mentor for the Achieve the Dream Scholars Program. He has successfully completed phases II & III of the Pre-Medical Urban Leaders Summer Enrichment Program at CMSRU and is president for the Rowan chapter of the Minority Association of Pre-Medical/Health Students (MAPS). Through his outreach, Wallace has been successful in expanding the membership of MAPS to impact students from all underrepresented groups in medicine, including those who are first generation or economically and educationally disadvantaged.
Benjamin West - Physics & Astronomy
Benjamin West is an excellent student and a dedicated student educator. He is most often found around Science Hall: attending class, assisting in faculty research, working in the planetarium and attending club meetings. West’s service to the Ric & Jean Edelman Planetarium, the university, and the community is unparalleled. For the last two years, he has presented nearly every public show at the Edelman Planetarium. During the week, he will take extra shifts to lead shows for visiting K-12 schools as well as perform maintenance on the planetarium equipment. West has presented shows and demos for university clubs, Rowan After Hours, Parent and Family Weekend, Homecoming, Philadelphia Science Festival, and more. (He has done all this work while maintaining a GPA of 3.93).
Jared Richards - Psychology
Jared Richards is in the psychological sciences program and the Thomas N. Bantivoglio Honors Concentration. He is also minoring in neuroscience and biology. Richards served in Dr. Jerry Hough’s animal behavior lab for two years followed by two years in Dr. Jeff Greeson’s mindfulness lab. He participated in Rowan’s Summer Undergraduate Research Program in 2016 and 2018 and attended the competitive Amgen Scholars Program at UCLA in 2017. Richards service has also been exemplary, including leadership positions in the Neuroclub and Psychology Alliance, peer advising, and learning assistantships. He is a member of multiple professional organizations and plans on pursuing clinical research positions with the goal of pursuing a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology.
