Past Alumni Award Winners

Recognizes exceptional professional achievement, public service to the advancement of the educational field, and a commitment to the continued success of the Pitt School of Education and the University of Pittsburgh. All Pitt Education alumni with more than 15 years of experience are eligible for the award.

• Phyllis A. Jones (2024)
• Randal A. Lutz (2023)
• Silver Francis Oonyu (2023)
• Marilyn Hoyson, PhD (2022)
• David A. Squires, PhD (2022)
• Isabel L. Beck, PhD (2021)
• Linda Rose Frank, PhD, MSN, FAAN (2021)
• Mary Ann Watson, PhD (2020)
• Chris Groark (2019)
• Julius Kitutu (2019)
• Carol O’Donnell (2018)
• Karen VanderVen, PhD (2017)
• Renée K. Goldman, EdD (2016)
• Rita M. Bean, PhD (2016)
• Carol McGrevin, PhD (2015)
• R. Rudy Filek, PhD (2014)
• Richard Goldman, PhD (2013)
• Andrew R. Hughey, PhD (2012)
• Kathleen Mary Huebner, PhD (2011)
• Gwendolyn Cartledge, PhD (2010)
• Lizanne DeStefano, PhD (2009)
• Nancy R. Bunt, EdD (2008)
• Richard L. Welsh, PhD (2008)
• Susan Albrecht, PhD (2007)
• Marilyn H. Oermann, PhD (1999)
• Jerlean E. Daniel, PhD (1997)
• George S. Morrison, EdD (1997)
• Doreen E. Boyce, PhD (1996)
• Richard L. Ferguson, PhD (1996)
• Donald M. Carroll, Jr., MEd (1995)
• Carol A. Cartwright, PhD (1994)
• Helen S. Faison, PhD (1994)
• Nick J. Staresinic, PhD (1994)
• John N. Mangieri, PhD (1992)

Honors a recent alumnus or alumna for outstanding accomplishments in the classroom, administration, support services, and/or extracurricular activities and programs. All Pitt School of Education alumni with less than 10 years of professional experience after completing their degree from the school are eligible for the award. 

• Emiola Oriola Jr. (2024)
• Nikki Cristobal (2023)
• Aaron Thomas (2023)
• Adan J. Alvarez, PhD (2022)
• Kalani M. Palmer, PhD (2022)
• Seth A. Creasy, PhD (2021)
• Jasmine D. Williams, PhD (2021)
• Treg Campbell (2020)
• Ira Murray (2019)
• Kakenya Ntaiya, PhD (2018)
• Mandi Davis Skerbetz, EdD (2017)
• Timothy Wagner, EdD (2017)
• Susan M. Hicks, PhD (posthumous) (2016)
• Lauren A. Silverstein, PhD (2015)
• Francesca Amati, PhD (2014)
• Katie Clark Patterson, MEd (2014)
• Christine Carnevali, MAT (2013)
• Thomas E. Platt, EdD (2012)
• Michael P. Lucas, EdD (2011)
• Fabio Fontana, PhD (2010)
• Carena Sue Winters, PhD (2009)
• Veronica I. Ent, EdD (2008)
• Patricia A. Pierce, PhD (2007)

Recognizes a PreK-12 educator for their outstanding accomplishments in the classroom, administration, support services, and/or extracurricular activities of programs. All Pitt Education alumni with more than 10 years of professional experience within the PreK-12 education setting are eligible for the award.

• Shannon Finley-Cressler (2024)
• Marlon J. Mussington, Sr. (2023)
• Kenda L. Hammer, MEd (2022)
• Virginia R. Hill, EdD (2021)
• Janet Marie Sardon, EdD (2021)
• William Hale Kerr, Jr., EdD (2020)
• Timothy Hetrich (2019)
• Bart Rocco (2018)
• Mary Catherine Reljac, EdD (2017)
• Tracy L. Vitale, EdD (2016)
• Brian White, EdD (2015)
• Brent Johnson, MEd (2014)
• Pamela Armstrong, EdD (2013)
• Jeffrey D. Derda, MAT (2011)
• Mark A. Miller, MEd (2011)
• Kathleen Harrington, EdD (2010)
• Paula Ann Calabrese, PhD (2009)
• Regina B. Holley, PhD (2008)

Honors outstanding alumni across Pitt Education’s three academic departments: Educational Foundations, Organizations, and Policy; Health and Human Development; and Teaching, Learning, and Leading. All alumni with at least 10 years of professional experience are eligible to receive the award. Alumni can be nominated by fellow alumni or by faculty within the department.

Department of Educational Foundations, Organizations, and Policy

• Dawna M. Jones (2024)
• Roberta L. Schomburg (2023)
• Barbara S. Stengel, PhD (2022)

Department of Health and Human Development

• Robyn Tedder (2024)
• Dennis Floyd Jones (2023)
• Lynn Dale Housner, PhD (2022)

Department of Teaching, Learning, and Leading

• Ryan D. Hardesty  (2024)
• Chantee L. Earl (2023)
• Davonia D. Bryant, MAT (2022)

Former Department Awards

The academic departments at the Pitt School of Education were restructured in 2021. The Departmental Distinguished Alumni Award recipients from 2007-2021 are listed below.

Department of Instruction and Learning

• Rebecca S. Pringle (2021)
• Gary R. Snyder, EdD (2020)
• Tsipy Gur (2019)
• Judith Summerfield (2018)
• Diane Pomeroy Wormsley, PhD (2017)
• JoAnne E. Burley, PhD (2016)
• Kay Alicyn Ferrell, PhD (2015)
• Sean McComb (2014)
• Beverly K. Michael, PhD (2013)
• Jacqueline Lee Dempsey, PhD (2012)
• Walt A. Stoy, PhD (2011)
• Mary Cataldi, EdD (2010)
• Richard David Wertheimer, EdD (2009)
• Richard P. Mathews, MEd (2007)

Department of Health and Physical Activity

• Niall M. Moyna, PhD, FACSM, FFPHMI (2021)
• Reed Humphrey (2020)
• Robert Spina (2019)
• Jennifer Pintar (2018)
• Enzo Cafarelli, PhD (posthumous, 2017)
• John R. Tomayko, PhD (2016)
• Andrea M. Kriska, PhD (2015)
• Robert Robertson, PhD (2014)
• Alan C. Utter, PhD (2013)
• Patricia A. Nixon, PhD (2012)
• Carl J. Caspersen, PhD (2011)
• Paul Morgan Ribisl, PhD (2010)
• Stella Lucia Volpe, PhD (2009)
• Donna Sanft, MEd (2008)
• Kent B. Pandolf, PhD (2007)

Department of Administrative and Policy Studies

• Mary Catherine Reljac, EdD (2021)
• Alphonse DeSena, PhD (2020)
• Patrick O’Toole (2019)
• Amy Pfender (2018)
• Donna L. Imhoff, PhD (2017)
• Gloria P. Hill, PhD (2016)
• Erica Kolat, EdD (2015)
• Cynthia Reed, EdD (2014)
• Carol Wooten, EdD (2013)
• S. Allen Condeluci, PhD (2012)
• Gregg S. Margolis, PhD (2011)
• Maria Eugenia Piantanida, PhD (2010)
• Namgi Park, PhD (2009)
• Charlene Mickens Dukes, EdD (2008)
• Yidan Wang, PhD (2007)

Department of Psychology in Education

• Cynthia J. Popovich, EdD (2021)
• Leon E. Wiles (2020)
• Matthew Fasano-McCarron (2019)
• Denise Esposto (2018)
• Michelle Figlar (2017)
• Bernard E. Beidel, MEd (2016)
• Hedda Sharapan, MS (2015)
• Antoinette Y. Farmer, PhD (2014)
• Natalie Kaplan, MEd (2013)
• Pamela Moss, PhD (2012)
• Jennifer Engel, MS (2011)
• Larry Irwin Edelman, MS (2010)
• Richard C. Carney, MS (2009)
• James E. Hughes, PhD (2009)
• Dr. Dale H. Curry, PhD (2008)
• Merle D. Griff, PhD (2008)
• Sister Madeleine Rybicki, MS (2008)

Recognizes a student for his or her accomplishments, contributions, and/or service to Pitt Education and the University of Pittsburgh. Students are recognized for, among other things, their research, presentations at conferences and seminars, and service on the Council of Graduate Students in Education (CSGE), the School Council, and other school or university committees. All current students or recent graduates (previous academic year) are eligible for the award. 

• Hillary Chelednik (2024)
• Hannah G. Goldstein (2024)
• Yuan Gao (2023)
• Sendi Judith Estrada (2022)
• Sarah E. Kurz (2021)
• Ashley Shafer (2020)
• Paulette Vincent-Ruz (2019)
• Qiana Lightner-Lachaud (2018)
• Jasmine D. Williams (2017)
• Ida Chavoshan (2016)
• Everett Herman (2015)
• Joshua Childs (2014)
• Aaron Kessler (2013)
• April A. Mattix (2012)
• Christina L. Scanlon (2011)
• Jorge E. Delgado (2010)
• Chantee McBride (2009)
• Francesca Amati (2008)
• Wendy M. Sink (2007)

Honors students for their outstanding dissertations that make contributions to the field of education. The award is offered to students in the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) and Doctor of Education (EdD) programs.

Outstanding PhD Dissertation Award

• Alberto Guzman-Alvarez, PhD (2024)
• Jenay F.E. Willis, PhD (2024)
• Emily Rose Korn Koren, PhD (2023)
• Rachel Anne Schles, PhD (2021)
• Lauren E. Moran, EdD (2020)
• Eben B. Witherspoon, PhD (2020)
• Ross Higashi, PhD (2019)
• Stacy Kehoe, PhD (2018)
• Anita M. Schuchardt, PhD (2017)
• Laura Northrop, PhD (2017)
• Joshua Childs, PhD (2016)
• Lisa Brahms, PhD (2015)
• Miray Tekkumru Kisa, PhD (2014)

Outstanding EdD Dissertation Award

• Joanna Mittereder, EdD (2024)
• Julie Schultz (2023)
• Christian Alberto, EdD (2022)
• Julia Adele Cavallo, EdD (2021)
• Elizabeth LaGamba, EdD (2019)
• Tracy Driver, EdD (2018)
• Joseph McCormick, EdD (2016)