May 2, 2003 EH Cl PR RE Ee ol a Rr IR J ra Re eS A The Lion’s Eye SE NG METI RC oR CT! NOx. Ball, SA ROR Wr Yond Re ri So oo OF Pye on Campus . Page 3 By RENEE BLISARD REB202@psu.edu Lion's Eye staff writer George W. Bush visited Penn State Delco in 2002, KYW news was at the campus to cover Disability Awareness Day April 23 and now Penn State Delco is in the limelight again, with yet anoth- er of its students winning the prestigious Egli Award. The award was established in honor of Assistant Professor John Egli, in recognition of his long dedication and devotion to The Pennsylvania State University, w here he served as student, athlete, faculty member and coach, and established the athletic programs Qadeer cops a Kopp UNIVERSITY PARK — Muhammad Uzair Qadeer of Morton and Corrine Thatcher of State College received Penn State's 2003 W. LaMarr Kopp International Achievement Award for Undergraduate Students at the University's annual Student Awards Ceremony at the Penn Stater Conference Center Hotel. This annual award recognizes under- graduate students who significantly con- tribute to the advancement of the University's international mission. It is . named for the retired deputy vice presi- dent for international programs. The award's designation of achievement includes, but is not limited to, the display of excellence in: an academic course of study and/or research with a significant international component; leadership in improving relations among people from different regions of the world; participa- tion in international programs and/or field projects; and service to the interna- tional community. This year, Qadeer, a student majoring in electrical engineering at Penn State Delaware County, developed the International Awareness Club. This new student club not only plans and partici- pates in cultural programs, but also writes, anchors, films and produces a weekly international news broadcast - the Breakfast Hour News - shown across the campus. Qadeer coordinated the ini- tial advertising, recruited reporters and editors, coordinated reporter screen test- ing and worked diligently with campus administration to better facilitate the club's goals. The club's membership is quite diverse, as it's membership includes stu- dents from India, Kuwait, Pakistan, Turkey, Egypt, Latin America, Israel and the United States. Many of the students speak at least two languages. Qadeer himself speaks four. He also serves as a campus Lion "enjoyed by countless Commonwealth Campus students," according to the pro- gram for the Commonwealth Campus Athletic Conference. Christine Kelly, a sophomore volley- ball captain, basketball player and a top : student at Delco, received her Egli for her outstanding academic and athletic achievement at the Commonwealth Campus ‘and Athletic Conference at University Park April 14 from Tim Curley, the Athletic Director at Main and Dean Diane Disney. Kelly has also been all-conference for volleyball and basketball for the past two years, is actively involved in THON and volunteers as a track coach at her church. President. Ambassador and has been nominated to serve on the Student Government execu- tive board. He "has become a major pres- ence on campus through his various con- tributions to international understand- ing," said Michael De Rosa, International Awareness Club co-advi- sor. "I cannot remember another student who has made a greater impact on fur- thering understanding and awareness among different groups and cultures." Thatcher, a Schreyer Honors Scholar majoring in Latin American Studies and minoring in Spanish and geography, began her education at Penn State with a goal to make a difference. She has main- tained a 4.0 GPA while giving her time to A second Kelly takes home Egli Four other Penn State Delco students have received the award. Kelly's sister Colleen won the award in 2001. Another pair of sisters, Mary and Rita Varano, won the award in 1991 and 1995 respec- tively, and Carolyn Hildon received it in 2002. = Asked about how she feels about receiving the award and her sister receiv- ing it in the past, Kelly said, "I am very honored. I guess I'm just trying to follow in (Colleen's) footsteps. We were both very lucky in receiving this award." Dorothy "Tiz" Griffith, athletic direc- tor for 15 years at Delco, says she is “absolutely thrilled" about so many ath- letes at Delco winning the award and that "Delco has the second highest number of a diverse group of community service activities. She strives to raise awareness about the living and working conditions that exist in the developing world. Through Penn State, Thatcher and several c lass- mates traveled to the Civil Society Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg, South Africa. Upon their return to campus, the students organized "The Joburg Project" to raise awareness about issues facing Johannesburg. The project included a four-hour long event with guest speakers, an African dance performance and displays that provided information ranging from HIV/AIDS to water rights. : Photo courtesy of the International Awareness Club Uzair Qadeer, pictured seated at right, received Penn State's 2003 W. LaMarr Kopp International Achievement Award for - Undergraduate Students. He runs the International Awareness Club at Delco and will be next year’s Student Government University Park Academic All- Conference Award for their academic achievement.” Rita Varano has gone on to become involved in the Peace Corps and Mary Varano is a nurse. Colleen Kelly graduates in April with a degree in nursing. Carolyn Hildon got her degree in education. Christine Kelly plans to major in education as well. Asked about whether she thinks any more Kellys will win the award, Christine said, "There is a possibility, but not for a couple of years, my little sister is still in high school." Thatcher also went on class trips to Juarez, Mexico and Lame Deer, Montana. In both instances, she gave of herself to better the lives of those around her and when she returned, shared her experiences with others through letters to the editor and columns in both The Daily Collegian and The Centre Daily Times. "Dr. Kopp would delight in Cori Thatcher's example and be moved by her accomplishments," said Cheryl Achterberg, dean of the Schreyer Honors College. "She leads by simply 'being' and I am certain she will 'make a differ- ence’ in the future, a difference we can all point to with pride."
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