HSS Dean’s Award for Excellence in the Liberal Arts — 2012 Laureates
The ten DAELA Laureates have a mean grade point average of 3.8869, with GPAs ranging from 3.7 to 3.98, so it is not surprising that seven of them are members of Phi Beta Kappa, the nation’s oldest liberal arts honor society, and six of them are members of Phi Kappa Phi, the nation’s most prestigious comprehensive honors society. The ten DAELA laureates are also members of seven different discipline-based honor societies, such as Sigma Tau Delta, for English, Iota Iota Iota for Women’s and Gender Studies, Sigma Iota Rho for International Studies, Phi Alpha Theta for History, and Sigma Delta Pi for Spanish. Five of them won very competitive MUSE awards to engage in research projects with mentoring faculty here on campus. Many wrote an honor’s thesis for their capstone projects. Four presented their research at regional or national conferences and one presented his research at Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, while another has published part of her senior essay in a refereed journal, and still another has published more than 600 news stories.
Corey Dwyer
Corey majored in Political Science with a minor in Holocaust and Genocide Studies. He has been active in Student Government for each of the past four years, and he has spent the past two years in the role of Executive Vice President. He has worked in the Department of Residential Education and Housing, as a Community Advisor and as an Assistant Residence Director. Corey has also served as a College Ambassador. He is a member of both Pi Sigma Alpha, Golden Key International Honor Society, and the TCNJ Honors Program. In addition, he is a member of both Phi Kappa Phi and Phi Beta Kappa. Corey has served as tutor and teaching assistant for a college-level course at Albert C. Wagner Youth Correctional Facility. In addition, he has completed three internships, including one with United States Senator Kirsten E. Gillibrand in New York City. Corey will be joining the Philadelphia Corps of Teach For America this fall, and he will pursue a Master’s degree in Education at the University of Pennsylvania.
Ryan Gale
Ryan, a Criminology Major, was a Bonner Community Scholar. As a Bonner Scholar, he was the site leader for PEI Kids Inc. At PEI Kids Inc., for three years he hed a group of TCNJ student volunteers who worked directly with juveniles on probation. Ryan also tutored inmates at Albert C. Wagner Youth Correctional Facility for three of his TCNJ years. He completed six internships: two with the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office, another with the New Jersey State Police, and another two with the Bureau of Gangs and Organized Crime of the New Jersey Division of Criminal Justice. Working closely with Dr. Charles Fenwick, Ryan contributed to two papers that were presented at international conferences. Moreover, he was a Jeffrey R. Ralston Crime Analytics Fellow. Conducting research, under the guidance of Dr. David Holleran, Ryan gave a poster presentation entitled “Application of Risk Terrain Modeling to Residential Burglary” at an annual meeting of the American Society of Criminology. He is currently working on a research manuscript that he plans to submit to a peer reviewed Criminology journal. Ryan served as president of TCNJ’s chapter of Alpha Phi Sigma and as president of the Criminology Student Association. Ryan will be pursuing a master’s degree in Criminology at the University of Pennsylvania.
Melissa Gutworth
Melissa majored in Psychology, took a minor in Business Administration, and completed a self-designed interdisciplinary liberal learning concentration in Psychology and Criminal Law. During her sophomore year, Melissa served as President of Alpha Phi Omega, directing several projects, including the TCNJ Feed Our Friends 5k (which raised $4,500 for local charities). She co-authored a book chapter with Dr. Jason Dahling. Melissa also participated in MUSE, a TCNJ-sponsored summer research opportunity. Recently, she presented a paper titled “Applying the Normative Conflict Model to Organizational Deviance” at an annual meeting of the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology. Melissa’s senior thesis was published in the 2013 edition of the TCNJ Journal of Student Scholarship. She completed an internship at First Investors Corporation. Melissa serves as a peer mentor for students majoring in Psychology. In addition, Melissa is a member of Phi Beta Kappa. She will be pursuing a PhD in Industrial/Organizational Psychology at Penn State University.
Laura Herzog
Laura double majored in International Studies with a specialization in Diplomacy and Journalism and Professional Writing. She also minored in Religion. Laura contributed to The Signal thorough her four years at TCNJ, moving up the ranks of editorial positions to become news editor in fall 2011. She served as the secretary of International Studies Club. Laura was a member of both Sigma Iota Rho and the TCNJ Honors Program. She is also a member of both Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society and Phi Beta Kappa. Laura studied abroad in Dakar, Senegal. While in Senegal, she volunteered with the nonprofit Centre International pour le Promotion du Leadership Féminin as a mentor for young girls, teaching basic computer literacy and French grammar. After returning from Senegal, Laura volunteered at a local library, exposing 4th and 5th graders to issues of cultural diversity by leading discussions on folktales, plays, fairytales, myths, tall tales and nursery rhymes from other countries. Laura has volunteered with The College of New Jersey Camden Alliance. She has served as student writer for College Relations Department, writing press releases, TCNJ news articles, conducting interviews and writing for TCNJ Magazine. Laura also interned as a social media journalist at Here’s Life Inner City, a non-profit that works to combat poverty and homelessness in New York City.
David Karas
David double majored in (1) Journalism and Professional Writing and (2) Criminology, with a minor in Public Policy, Analysis, and Management. He is a Bonner Community Scholar and has performed more than 1,500 hours of community service to the campus and local communities. He assisted with the Here for Haiti Initiative, and he has served for two years as a trustee for a Trenton-based food pantry and emergency services provider. David has completed three internships and five independent studies spanning three disciplines. In addition to spending a summer studying at Georgetown University, he worked two blocks from the White House at the Christian Science Monitor. David helped launch a program that provides educational opportunities for prison inmates. Further, he transformed an internship at The Times of Trenton into a full-time job. To date he has published nearly 600 stories on topics ranging from municipal budget reform and human trafficking to local crime and skateboarding. For his work as HSS Media Assistant, David has recently been recognized as the 2012 Student Employee of the Year for both TCNJ and the State of NJ. He has won 8 awards from the Garden State Journalists Association, including the award for top photo for 2012. David is the recipient of an Alpha Phi Sigma scholarship. He will be pursuing a MA in Urban Affairs and Public Policy at the University of Delaware.
Stephanie Kraver
Stephanie majored in English and took two minors, one in Philosophy and the other in Arabic. She also completed a self-designed interdisciplinary liberal learning concentration on the Middle East: Language and Culture. She is the founder and president of The College of New Jersey Camden Alliance, a social justice organization. In recognition of her work on social justice issues, Stephanie received the 2011 Harold W. and Rosa Lee Eickhoff Student Leadership Award. She organized a pair of Community Engaged Learning Days in which high school students from Camden visited TCNJ to meet college freshmen. Stephanie studied abroad at Hebrew University in Jerusalem, and, while in Israel, she served as a writer for the Alternative Information Center’s English-website. Stephanie participated in MUSE, a TCNJ-sponsored summer research opportunity, and she contributed to Dr. Lisa Ortiz’s book manuscript on Cuban and Cuban American women writers following the 1959 Cuban Revolution. Stephanie was a member of TCNJ’s chapter of Sigma Tau Delta, the national English Honor Society. She also served as a writing tutor on campus. In 2011, Stephanie received the English Department’s Best Essay in Research and Theory Award. She is a member of Phi Beta Kappa. Stephanie intends to pursue an advanced degree in Middle Eastern Studies.
Trevor McLaughlin
Trevor majored in History / Secondary Education with a minor in USA Studies. In 2010, while serving as an intern in the Registrar Department of the Newark Museum, Trevor accessioned and cataloged photographs of Newark from the late 19th and early 20th century. He also engaged in original archival research both at the Trenton Public Library and at the National Archives and Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. Trevor wrote an honors thesis with Dr. McGreevey and worked in the tutoring center at TCNJ for two years. He is a member of the New Jersey Christian Fellowship and has volunteered at the “Cast Your Cares” Soup Kitchen in Philadelphia. He has also volunteered at the Interfaith Food Pantry in Morristown. Trevor participated in MUSE, a TCNJ-sponsored summer research opportunity, and he collaborated with Dr. Brian Girard on a research project, titled “Pedagogical Relationships in Secondary Social Science Classrooms.” Trevor is a member of Phi Alpha Theta, Golden Key and Kappa Delta Pi. He is also a member of both Phi Kappa Phi and Phi Beta Kappa. In 2011, he was recognized as the Outstanding Junior in History. Trevor received the Bernice Samalonis Award for Pre-Service teachers from the Middle States Council on Social Studies and, recently, he was nominated by the History Department for the NJ Distinguished Student Teacher Award. Trevor will be teaching 8th grade social studies in Caldwell, NJ starting this fall.
Leah Ruediger
Leah double-majored in Sociology and Spanish. She has served as a peer tutor in the Tutoring Center and, for the past 3 years, she has led Spanish Conversation Hours. Leah is a member of both the Spanish Club and the HSS Student Advisory Council. She studied abroad both in Madrid, Spain, and in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Leah worked with Dr. Elizabeth Borland, as a student collaborator, on the TAP program’s research on equity issues at TCNJ. She also participated in MUSE, a TCNJ-sponsored summer research opportunity, conducting research, together with Dr. Borland, on the cultural impact of the Madres de Plaza de Mayo in Argentina. Leah is a member of both Alpha Kappa Delta and Sigma Delta Pi. In addition, she is a member of Phi Beta Kappa. Leah is a member of the TCNJ Honors Program and she recently presented a paper titled “Working a Double Shift: Differential Impact of Work/Life Balance on Male and Female Academics’ Careers at an annual meeting of the Northeast Regional Honors Conference. Leah will be joining the New York City Corp of Teach for America this fall.
Sarah Scholz
Sarah double-majored in (1) Women’s and Gender Studies and (2) Journalism and Professional Writing. She is a member of the Women In Learning & Leadership program (WILL). As a part of WILL, she directed Eve Ensler’s The Vagina Monologues for two years. Sarah is the president of the Iota Iota Iota and she is the recipient of the 2011 Alice Paul Award for Activism. Sarah interned SELF Magazine in New York City. She is a member of Phi Kappa Phi. This coming year Sarah will be pursing a master’s degree in English here at TCNJ. Ultimately, she plans to pursue an advanced degree in Women’s & Gender Studies, while continuing to work as an activist for women.
Domenic Siravo
Dominic double-majored in Philosophy and Political Science. He is a volunteer at the Boys and Girls club in Trenton. He serves as peer mentor for students majoring in Philosophy. Dominic studied abroad at Oxford University. He participated in MUSE, a TCNJ-sponsored summer research opportunity. He has presented refereed research at the CUR Posters on the Hill Conference, in Washington, D.C. Dominic has also presented research at an annual meeting of the Greater Philadelphia Philosophy Consortium. He is a member of Phi Beta Kappa. Dominic plans to work in public policy prior to attending Law School.