A&A Awards
Student, faculty, and staff award winners
Thursday, April 24, 4:00–5:00pm
Spring 2025 Awards Ceremony
Join us at the Music Recital Hall or via livestream to celebrate faculty, staff and student award recipients, acknowledge A&A retirees, and enjoy our vibrant community.
University Faculty and Staff Awards
2025 Penn State Distinguished Professor
Described as “one of the most important scholars in the field of 18th- and 19th-century art, internationally,” Cassie Mansfield joined Penn State in 2018, and was head of the Department of Art History from 2018 to 2023. Mansfield combines technology and art, transforming how we understand art-making; her work has extended beyond the field of art history and impacted the fields of literature, history and information technology. In her current work on artificial intelligence (AI) and art, for which she received two National Endowment for the Humanities Digital Enhancement grants, Mansfield collaborates with colleagues in meteorology, data science and AI.
Read Distinguished Professor announcement
2025 Penn State Distinguished Professor
Charles Youmans is internationally recognized as a leading scholar of both Gustav Mahler and Richard Strauss. His seminal work, “Mahler and Strauss: In Dialogue,” earned acclaim from scholars outside of the field of music and drives international discourse on both composers. He subsequently edited "Mahler in Context" (Cambridge) and contributed all nine chapters on Strauss' tone poems to the “Richard Strauss-Handbuch" (Bärenreiter). Youmans is known for being a dedicated and engaging teacher and mentor, and many of his students have gone on to hold faculty positions at major universities.
Read Distinguished Professor announcement
2025 Penn State Teaching Fellow
Carlos Rosas, professor of art and digital arts and media design, has received the Alumni/Student Award for Excellence in Teaching and have been named a 2025 Penn State Teaching Fellow. Rosas said he’s committed to promoting an environment where students can exercise their creativity.
“I challenge my students to define their relevance by investigating and transcending the traditional mechanics of art and design production and to recontextualize their work as it relates to their contemporal experience and presence in an often-discordant culture.”
Read the Teaching Fellows announcement
A&A Faculty and Staff Excellence Awards
Barbara O. Korner Award for Faculty Outstanding Service
Mihyun Kang is a research professor and director for sustainability in the College of Arts and Architecture, where she has been a faculty member since 2019. She leads college-wide sustainability initiatives, including the formation of the Sustainability Council. Her research focuses on sustainable interior design and design for special populations. Recognizing her leadership, the Pennsylvania Environmental Resource Consortium named her a 2021 Campus Sustainability Champion. Before coming to Penn State, she was a professor at Oklahoma State University, where she held the Chris Salmon Endowed Professorship. She has also taught at the University of California, Davis. She holds a Ph.D. in interior design from the University of Minnesota.
Faculty Award for Outstanding Teaching
Taylor Shipton is an assistant teaching professor of graphic design. She earned both her bachelor's and master's degrees in graphic design at Penn State, where she also received the Creative Achievement Award during her M.F.A. studies. Taylor has a background in experiential design, design photography, and communication design. Her work focuses on the interactive experiences of the user, applicable to both analog and digital design environments, and how these experiences influence one’s information comprehension. Taylor has her own studio, founded in 2017, which specializes in experiential and communication designs, often providing content and design work for Penn State departments. Her design work has been published in Graphis Magazine and featured in a number of exhibitions.
Award for Excellence in Advising and Mentoring
Sarah Watson joined the academic advising team in the College of Arts and Architecture in 2021 after spending five years working as a therapist at Counseling and Psychological Services on campus. She is a Penn State alum and went on to earn a master’s degree in clinical psychology at Towson University. Her thirteen years of experience in the mental health field have uniquely equipped her to approach academic advising with a strong understanding of student mental health, well-being, and the challenges students face. She values supporting students by creating an environment where they feel understood, respected, and empowered to navigate both academic and personal obstacles.
Staff Award for Outstanding Service
Katrina Kasper is the administrative support for three research centers at the Stuckeman School: Ecology + Design, the Hamer Center for Community Design, and the Stuckeman Center for Design Computing. She has embraced this role since joining the team in 2021. In her free time, Katrina enjoys spending time outdoors, whether it's working in her garden or hiking the many trails in the area with her three beloved dogs, who eagerly accompany her on her adventures. Katrina is an avid reader and loves to relax by diving into a good book or spending quality time with her husband of six years.
Staff Morale Award
Following an inspired but flawed performance in her junior high drama production of Antigone, Judy King thought her dreams of the stage would never be realized. That all changed in 2006 when she joined the School of Theatre administration. A staff member at Penn State since 1992, she plans to finish her career here in the College of Arts and Architecture. She is inspired every day by the creative work of its students, and while the world at large is in turmoil, working in the School of Theatre reminds her that art alone endures. She is honored to work with an incredible team of dedicated staff who work tirelessly on behalf of the School of Theatre. She lives in Pennsylvania Furnace with her husband, their oldest son, their dog, and their son’s bird, who is a jerk.
Rising Star Award
Becky Harris joined the team at the Palmer Museum of Art in 2022 as their financial assistant and has since then furthered her breadth of knowledge in the administrative sector. Becky's eclectic education has taken her from the streets of New York to the suburbs of Chiba, Japan, before landing back in Happy Valley where she has since dabbled in translation and editing. When she's not writing, she can be found exploring PA's numerous nature trails.
A&A Sustainability Awards
Palmer Museum of Art Awards
John O’Connor Graduate Fellowship
Holli Turner is a doctoral candidate in the Department of Art History. She received her B.A., B.F.A., and M.A. from Old Dominion University. Holli is a specialist in the art of early modern Europe, with an emphasis on Italian and Spanish painting, and a secondary interest in the art of colonial Latin America. Her dissertation is a revisionist account of the Venetian painter Titian’s poesie for King Philip II of Spain. Apart from using traditional methods, like archival research, this project draws insights from the material turn, technical art history, and Black and postcolonial studies. Holli’s doctoral research has led to her participation in the Center for Curatorial Leadership and has been supported by the Gladys Krieble Delmas, Mellon, and Kress Foundations, the Department of Art History, and the Palmer Museum of Art at Penn State.
2025 University-Level
Graduate Recognition Awards
2025 Penn State Fox Graduate School
Graduate Exhibition Awards
Design Category
Second Place
- Michael Ciaramitaro / Theatre / "Only Funny Business: Designing the Costumes for 'How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying'"
Performance Category
First Place
- Christopher Amado Arceo / Performance, vocal / "Urnong - a cycle of folksongs from the Philippines’ Bicol Region"
Second Place
- Michael Holtzapple / Performance, violin / "Beethoven Sonata No. 4 in A minor Movement 1. Presto" performed with Yirui Ma, piano
Third Place
- Winnie Yang / Performance, piano / "Clementi's Piano Sonata in B-flat Major, Op. 24, No. 2"
People's Choice
- Dante Tramontin de Paula / Performance, double bass / "Latin American Music in Modern Double Bass"
Visual Arts Category
First Place
- Adwar Oguttuh / Art / "Don't Blink"
Second Place
- Elaheh Babaei / Art / "Fashion Accessories: Tokmeh Couture"
Third Place
- Venus Bayat / Art / "The Women Who Keep History Alive"
People's Choice
- Adwar Oguttuh / Art / "Don't Blink"
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Award
Second Place
- Adwar Oguttuh / Art / "Don't Blink"
Research Poster: Arts and Humanities
Third Place
- Nicolas Verdejo / Architecture / "Architecture Education Under the Iron Fist. The Pinochet Dictatorship and the Depoliticization of Chile's Architecture Schools, 1973–1990"
Reuben and Gladys Golumbic Scholarship Award
Valley Family Excellence Scholarship
Alumni Society Scholarships
Department of Architecture
Jeremy Lynn is a fourth-year architecture student with a minor in architectural history and a certificate from the Presidential Leadership Academy. In spring 2025, Jeremy studied abroad at the Pantheon Institute in Rome. While in the Stuckeman School, Jeremy has been involved with AIAS at the local and national levels, NOMAS, and Arts Ambassadors. After graduation, he plans on pursuing a master’s degree in city planning, focusing on community development.
Department of Art History
Abigail Brown is studying anthropology and art history, with a minor in Spanish. She currently works as a research assistant for the Penn State SHEL and SAHND Labs on campus, and as a collections assistant for the EMS Museum Collections Facility off campus. She is pursuing her master’s through an IUG program at Penn State and will complete her graduate degree in 2027.
Department of Graphic Design
Mackenzie Boveri is a third-year graphic design student with a minor in photography who will graduate in May 2026. During her time in the Stuckeman School, she has been involved with the Design Association and will serve as the alumni chair next year. Outside of her classes, she is involved in Club Water Polo, Tri Sigma, THON, and works as an Outdoor Adventures supervisor. Acting on her creativity, Mackenzie has created designs and marketing campaigns for various campus organizations and Penn State Campus Recreation. This summer she plans to get an internship to pursue graphic design and experiential design.
Department of Landscape Architecture
Emma Manwiller is a third-year landscape architecture student, minoring in horticulture and environmental resource management, who will graduate in spring 2026. Passionate about sustainability and environmental stewardship, she combines her love of plants and creativity as flower chair of the Horticulture Club and as an instructor at the Center for Arts and Crafts. This summer, Emma will study abroad in England and Scotland, where she will focus on culturally sensitive landscapes and the impact of climate change on public spaces. She has completed two landscape architecture internships at ELA Group, Inc. (Lititz, PA), and a horticultural internship at Rodale Institute (Allentown, PA). Emma’s work centers on integrating green infrastructure and fostering community connections through resilient landscape design.
School of Music
Aaron Kaufman is a third-year music education student from Johnstown, PA, with a passion for teaching and performing. A dedicated saxophonist, he valued serving as saxophone music section leader for the Blue Band last season. As president of the Penn State chapter of the National Association for Music Educators Collegiate, Aaron embraces collaboration and growth. This scholarship will help him pursue his dream of becoming a secondary band director and sharing his passion with future musicians.
School of Theatre
Ririka Kuroki is a third-year musical theatre student from Japan. Her credits include Penn State Centre Stage’s productions of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (Johanna), Love's Labour’s Lost (Maria/Dance Captain), and Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812 (Ensemble, U/S Natasha). This summer, she will perform with Cortland Repertory Theatre in New York.
School of Visual Arts
Ren Watkins is a fourth-year visual arts student pursuing a B.F.A. (drawing and painting focus) and minor in photography, intending to graduate in May 2026. She has been an intern at the Palmer Museum of Art for the past three years, and is co-founder and current president of SoVA BIPOC, a community arts organization. After graduation, she intends to pursue her M.F.A. for drawing and painting, then to start work in a Philadelphia museum.
World Campus
Andrea Barolo is a senior at Penn State World Campus majoring in digital multimedia design, with certificates in IST and digital arts. Originally from Italy, he is transitioning from a career in culinary arts to the digital media field. He serves as president of the DMD Club and is a media team intern for the Penn State Marching Blue Band. In 2024, Andrea attended both the SIGGRAPH Denver and SIGGRAPH Tokyo conferences as a student volunteer. After graduation, he aspires to a role in board game development, merging his passion for design with the leadership skills he developed in the culinary field.
Creative Achievement Awards
Department of Architecture
Joshua Conroy is a Master of Architecture student planning to graduate in spring 2025. His thesis explores the relationship between storytelling and the architectural design process. During his time at Penn State, he has received multiple honors, including back-to-back Design Excellence Column Awards (2022–23, 2023–24) and this year’s Corbelletti Drawing Competition award. After graduation, he plans to pursue professional licensure while working at an architectural firm.
Nina Ferrante is a fifth-year Bachelor of Architecture student with a minor in architectural history. At Penn State, she has earned recognition in design competitions such as the Hajjar Competition, National Concrete Masonry Association Competition, and the Piranesi Prix de Roma competition. She received the Ewing Cole Endowed Award for academic excellence and serves as vice president and architecture team lead for the DOE Solar Decathlon Design competition. Beyond architecture, Nina works as a studio assistant for Ann Tarantino and explores her creativity through ceramics and painting. After graduation, she plans to pursue an architectural career focused on the impact of the built environment on human health and wellbeing.
Hely Parmar will graduate with a Bachelor of Architecture and a minor in architectural history in May 2025. She is passionate about the ways architecture shapes people's lives and interactions within their communities, with a particular focus on equitable design through community engagement. Her goal is to become a licensed architect and use her expertise to create spaces that foster inclusivity and connection.
Department of Art History
Kate McCowan (she/her) is a second-year master’s student in the Department of Art History. She received her Bachelor of Arts from Muhlenberg College in 2022, where she completed a double major in art history and dance. Most recently, Kate was the 2024 curatorial and exhibitions intern at the Museum of Contemporary Native Arts, Santa Fe, in partnership with the Sealaska Heritage Institute. Upon graduation this spring, Kate hopes to pursue curatorial work in the museum field. She is passionate about promoting contemporary Native arts and is a proud Tigua citizen of Ysleta Del Sur Pueblo.
Rachel Whistler is a fourth-year art history student with a minor in anthropology, planning to graduate in May 2025. She is also pursuing a museum studies certificate. She received an associate’s degree in studio art from Harrisburg Area Community College. Rachel held an internship at the Juniata County Historical Society, where she did research in the archives accompanied by cemetery surveying and collection cataloging. She has also worked at the Bellefonte Art Museum and the Rose Lehrman Art Gallery. Rachel was chosen as one of Penn State’s representatives for the 2025 PA Intercollegiate Art History Symposium.
Amy Orner is a Ph.D. candidate in art history specializing in eighteenth-century British architecture and urbanism. With a focus on Edinburgh's New Town in Scotland, her research questions consider the social and political influences on architecture, as well as the legacy of empire in Scottish town planning. Additionally, she explores how the financial gains from imperial pursuits are used to fund architectural projects. Her research has been supported by the Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in British Art and the Susan W. and Thomas A. Schwartz Endowed Fellowship for Dissertation Research in Art History. Amy received a B.A. in art history from Juniata College in 2017 and an M.A. in art history from Penn State in 2022.
Department of Graphic Design
Elaheh Babaei is a second-year M.F.A. candidate in graphic design at Penn State, graduating in summer 2025. With a background in architecture, she explores the intersection of design, technology, and tradition. She designed Tokmeh Couture, a fashion product line incorporating ceramics, along with its full branding and packaging system, earning a Silver Award for Packaging and an Honorable Mention for Fashion Product in the 2024 IDA Awards. Her thesis focuses on developing a web-based platform that generates unique graphical patterns, combining computational design with cultural aesthetics. Elaheh's focus is Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), and she worked on digital fabrication and 3D printing at Digifab during summer 2024. She integrates physical and digital design methodologies to push the boundaries of creative technology and user experience.
Katie Hackenberg is a third-year graphic design student graduating in May 2026. She enjoys illustration, analog design, and crafting imaginative experiences. Katie had the privilege of interning with Go Welsh (Lancaster, PA) in summers 2022 and 2024, where she grew her skills and found a passion for strategic, impactful design. She is a two-time AIGA Flux competition finalist, recognized for her album packaging design for the band XTC and a sustainable publication addressing agriculture, climate change, and animal injustice. She is also an active member of the Design Association.
Wyatt Poorman is a fourth-year graphic design student who will graduate in May 2025. He worked as a graphic design intern with Design B&B (Chicago, IL) in 2024, where he designed for brands like Butterfinger, Crunch Bar, Greenies, and Special K. Wyatt is the current president of the Design Association and served as creative director for TEDxPSU. He is a recipient of the Graphis Silver Award, UCDA Silver Award, AIGA Philly runner-up, and Flux Design Competition finalist. Wyatt was previously a recipient of the Graphic Design Excellence Award in 2022. After graduation, he plans to pursue employment with a creative agency in the Chicago or New York area.
Department of Landscape Architecture
Alexis Coyle is a graduate student pursuing a Master of Science in landscape architecture. Her thesis focuses on place-based locational change in relation to undergraduate students’ political and personal identities. She strives to understand the human dimensions of landscape architecture by studying identity, behavior, and place theories. During her undergraduate and graduate studies at Penn State, Alexis studied abroad in Spain, Germany, and Peru. She is an active member of Penn State’s National Association of Minority Landscape Architects (NAMLA) chapter. Additionally, she is heavily involved in the Penn State IFC/Panhellenic Dance Marathon (THON) as a public relations captain. Following her graduation this summer, Alexis will begin her professional journey as a designer with EDSA at their New York City office.
Adam Deemer is a fourth-year landscape architecture student who has always been inspired by the relationship between the natural landscape and design. Growing up in the Pocono Mountains, his design work started with a school bus conversion into a tiny house. Traveling to more than twenty-seven states, he has seen how changing landscapes influence design. At Penn State, he has grown an interest in design using unique materials and sculpting landforms. His recent work, titled “Resiliency Square,” uses sculpting landforms and irregular stone to memorialize the historic 1915 flood in Erie, Pennsylvania. He hopes to enter the landscape architecture field focusing on park and institutional design while working toward his landscape architecture certification.
Jayne Steele is a fourth-year landscape architecture student graduating in December 2025. She is deeply committed to collaborating with communities, with a particular focus on developing creative design solutions that address the needs of underserved populations. Jayne’s primary visual tools are watercolor and hand drawing, which she uses to communicate her design ideas. She has gained hands-on experience through her internship with the State College Borough Planning Department and plans to pursue a career in community-focused design.
School of Music
Isabella “Bella” Scotti is a second-year master’s student in percussion performance and will graduate in May 2025. As a performer, Bella has established a diverse career, performing with various ensembles locally and nationally, in addition to delivering multiple solo performances. She is an active private instructor in percussion, with students spanning from elementary school to doctoral candidates. She has participated in numerous large ensembles, including Symphonic Wind Ensemble, Philharmonic Orchestra, Percussion Ensemble, and Mallet Ensemble, where she has also assumed section leader responsibilities. Bella is endorsed by Sonaris Percussion, and a member of the Black Swamp Percussion Educator Network and the Percussive Arts Society Education Committee. After graduation, she will pursue a Doctor of Musical Arts with the goal of becoming a professor in percussion.
Described as engaging, emotional, and thought-provoking, Gabriel L. Newvine’s music explores the personal experiences and intricacies of living through theatrical narratives and kaleidoscopic sound. Gabe’s works have been performed domestically and abroad, by ensembles and soloists such as Loadbang, CAMP, VICE quartet, Lee Hinkle, Velvet Brown, and many more. Gabe is currently pursuing a master’s degree in composition and theory at Penn State with Dr. Baljinder Sekhon and Dr. Sarah Genevieve Burghart Rice.
School of Theatre
Christopher Campbell is a director, choreographer, educator, and third-year M.F.A. candidate in directing. Penn State: How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (Director/Choreographer), Bernarda Alba (Director/Choreographer), Rent (Associate Director/Choreographer), Into the Woods (Choreographer), Hit the Wall (Choreographer). Director/Choreographer: The Bodyguard (Theatre by the Sea), Shel: A Historically Fictionalized Musical, Sister Act, In the Heights, Blood at the Root (University of Michigan), Fugitive Songs (The Boston Conservatory), Spring Awakening. He is the recipient of the 2019 Blois Danse International Choreographic Festival Jury Award for his work on the short film Brothers (MMP). Select performance credits: MJ (Broadway), Hamilton (Puerto Rico/National Tour/Original Australian Company). B.F.A.: The University of Michigan. Proud member of SDC and AEA. www.chriskdc.com
Michael Ciaramitaro is an anthropologist at his core. He sifts through the lives of the imaginary to piece together developed and personal characters as part of any collaborative work. A fully fleshed-out world is written in between the dialogue of a script and nestled between the notes of a score – and Michael will always find himself immersed in this world. His curiosity informs his approach, working with the understanding that anything is possible and through collaboration he can whittle down the endless possibilities into a realized idea. Failure is inevitable in the creative process, and he chooses to let those failures blossom into better beautiful ideas. Above all else, he fosters spaces where the magic of theatre is for all – no matter their background.
Nolan Kocsi is a B.F.A. theatre design and technology student, graduating in May with a double emphasis in lighting design and stage management. Professionally, Nolan worked as a theater electrician for Brandeis University, where he taught incoming students light hang safety, ran events in the theater space, and supported student- and faculty-run projects. Additionally, Nolan worked as an assistant stage manager with Peach State Summer Theatre for the 2024 summer season. During his time in the School of Theatre, Nolan has had various leadership roles in Centre Stage productions, served on the Student Advisory Board, and served as secretary for the Penn State USITT chapter. After graduation, he will serve as a design and programming intern for Image Engineering, a prolific company that supports live entertainment with special effects.
School of Visual Arts
Bianca MacPherson is a second-year M.F.A. candidate in ceramics, graduating in May 2025. She holds a B.F.A. in ceramics from Buffalo State University. While primarily a ceramic artist, her interdisciplinary practice incorporates abstracted photography, wood, glass, plexiglass, and fibers. Her work explores mixed-race identity, challenging binaries, racial hierarchies, and class through historical research and recontextualization. Bianca’s work has been exhibited and published nationally, including in I Like Your Work Podcast’s M.F.A. Catalog Edition 2024. Recent exhibitions include Small Favors (The Clay Studio, 2024) and the NCECA National Juried Student Exhibition (2024). She continues advocacy for nuanced identities as a co-organizer of the Re-Mixed residency at Watershed Center for the Ceramic Arts, Newcastle, Maine, in June 2025.
Shania McGuire is a fifth-year studio arts major who will graduate in May 2025. She is a dedicated visual artist currently pursuing a Bachelor of Fine Arts. During her time at Penn State, she has been active in the Visual Arts Painting Club and the SoVA BIPOC community. She served as a wellness/exploration intern at the Palmer Museum of Art. Shania was a recipient of the Margaret Giffen Schoenfelder Memorial Scholarship for the 2023–24 academic year. After graduation, she plans to pursue her M.F.A.
Milo Nicely is a fourth-year painting and drawing B.F.A. student who will graduate in summer 2025. He had a paid internship at the Palmer Museum of Art in summer 2024 in community engagement. He also received both the Brian Betzler Memorial Award and Margaret Giffen Schoenfelder Memorial Scholarship in the School of Visual Arts for the 2024–25 academic year. He plans to work as an illustrator at a publishing company as he grows and prepares his portfolio for grad school to continue pursuing fine arts.
