03/04/2009
Six SUNY Cortland students have been named SUNY Cortland's Phi Kappa Phi Scholars of the Year, and two are being recognized with honorable mentions.
The SUNY Cortland chapter of the national honor society recognized the students based on their academic accomplishments and their leadership and volunteer involvement at the College. The six scholars will receive $50, and all of the students will be honored at Phi Kappa Phi's induction ceremony at 10 a.m. on Saturday, April 18, in the Corey Union Function Room. The event is free and open to the public.
Founded in 1897 at the University of Maine, Phi Kappa Phi is the nation's oldest and largest honor society for all academic disciplines. Each year, about 30,000 members are initiated into the society on nearly 300 campuses in the United States, Puerto Rico and the Philippines. SUNY Cortland's Phi Kappa Phi Scholars of the Year are:
Matthew Beattie
A graduate student studying arts in adolescence education: physics from Endicott, N.Y., Matthew Beattie, the son of Gary and Martha Beattie of 326 Antoinette Drive, has maintained a 4.06 grade point average. He has been active with Cortland Students Advocating for a Valuable Environment (CSAVE), the Education Club and SUNY Cortland Residence Life and Housing. He works as a hardware technician for Academic Computing Services.
Currently, Beattie is completing an independent study project with Brice Smith, assistant professor and chair of the Physics Department, that involves constructing a photovoltaic cell display for Bowers Hall. The cell will take sunlight and convert it into electricity, which will power part of the building.
Following graduation, Beattie aspires to obtain a doctorate in education and become a school administrator.
Ashley Chapple
Ashley Chapple, a senior physical education major from Albany, N.Y., has been recognized for being in the top 10 percent of her junior class. Chapple, the daughter of Tonni Chapple of 575 Morris Street, has maintained a 3.71 grade point average and has made the Dean's List and President's List.
She has volunteered with several organizations at SUNY Cortland, including serving as a member of Multicultural Life: Black Student Union (BSU), Caribbean Student Association, La Familia Latina, Men of Values and Excellence, and Women of Color. She also was an orientation assistant, residential assistant, student justice for Judicial Affairs, a student panel presenter for the Cortland College Foundation and an intramural basketball participator.
After graduation, she hopes to attend graduate school to obtain a master's degree in athletic administration. Chapple would like to work in a high-need urban school district in the inner city.
Ashley Hudson
Maintaining a 3.92 grade point average, Ashley Hudson, a senior childhood education major from Victor, N.Y., received five scholarships or awards in 2008. Hudson, the daughter of Don and Donna Hudson of 865 Taylor Rise, has made the Dean's List and the President's List.
The founder and president of the National Residence Hall Honorary at SUNY Cortland, Hudson is a senior resident assistant, a member of Cortland Students Advocating for a Valuable Environment (CSAVE), and served as a teaching assistant for COR 101 and as an orientation assistant in 2007-08. As a future educator, Hudson hopes to make a difference in the lives of her students.
Janel Kierecki
A senior inclusive special education major from Spencerport, N.Y., Janel Kierecki is a member of the National Honor Society in Psychology, Psi Chi. She has been in the top 5 percent of her class from her freshman to junior year. Kierecki, the daughter of John Kierecki and Jane Gebhardt of Spencerport, has kept a 3.94 grade point average and made the Dean's List and President's List.
Kierecki is a member of the Special Education Club, Field Hockey Club, Relay for Life and intramural sports. She also participates in therapeutic horseback riding and the Wyomoco 4-H Horsemanship Camp. Upon graduation, Kierecki aspires to pursue a master's degree in literacy and become a special education teacher.
Theresa Pellecchia
Theresa Pellecchia, a senior childhood education major with a concentration in environmental science from Brewster, N.Y., has maintained a 4.0 grade point average and has made the Dean's List and President's List. She is a member of the Kappa Delta Pi Education Honor Society.
Pellecchia has volunteered with several organizations at SUNY Cortland, including the Relay for Life and the Education Club. She is a member of Habitat for Humanity and a broomball intramural team. The daughter of Ray and Kathy Pellecchia, Pellecchia is hoping to pursue a career as an elementary school teacher after graduation.
Shirley Tyler
A senior sport management major from Cooperstown, N.Y., Shirley Tyler has maintained a 3.56 grade point average and has made the Dean's List. She received the renewable Clark Foundation Scholarship in Fall 2005 and earned five awards in 2008, including Sport Management Junior of the Year.
She is a member of Habitat for Humanity, Relay for Life, the Sport Management Club, the Team Handball Club, Club Field Hockey and has served as an academic peer mentor, resident assistant, teacher's assistant and as a lab assistant.
After Tyler completes an internship with the New York Mets this spring, she hopes to pursue a career as an event manager. Her legal guardians are Kenneth and Marjorie Tyler of Cooperstown.
The two students who received Honorable Mentions in SUNY Cortland's Phi Kappa Phi Scholars of the Year program are Korin Edwards amd Michael Scala.
For more information on the awards, contact Sharon Steadman, associate professor of sociology and anthropology, the Scholar of the Month-committee chair for Phi Kappa Phi at (607) 753-2308.