Founder’s Day Program Honors 61 Scholars
Rider’s Family Weekend was highlighted by the Founder’s Day Awards Ceremony, a tradition that honors Rider’s top students as Andrew J. Rider Scholars, on Saturday, November 7. The award, named for the founder and first president of the institution, honors the top one percent of sophomores, juniors and seniors in each of Rider’s six academic colleges and schools – the College of Business Administration, the School of Education, the School of Liberal Arts and Sciences, the College of Continuing Studies, Westminster Choir College, and the School of Fine and Performing Arts – based on their grade point averages.
President Mordechai Rozanski awarded certificates to 61 students during the ceremony, held inside the Bart Luedeke Center Theater. Dr. Roderick McDonald, professor of history, received the Dominick A. Iorio Faculty Research Award, in absentia, and Robert Lackie, professor-librarian, presented the faculty address. Meghan Brett, a senior Elementary Education and Psychology major, gave the student address.
This year’s Andrew J. Rider Scholars are:
College of Business Administration
Seniors
Erin C. Bethke**
Matthew MacFarlane*
Samantha Rothlein
Yan Tang
Juniors
Ellen M. Carey*
Rebecca J. McCue*
Tara Melick
Sophomores
Angelika Dybka
Alexander Pinho
Christopher Splaine
Natasha Tukeva
College of Liberal Arts, Education, and Sciences
School of Education
Seniors
Meghan E. Brett**
Michelle M. Falconio
Jessica L. Hutchins
Diana N. Visicaro
Juniors
Angela M. DiFranco
Jessica A. Haughton*
Tara E. Vacha*
Sophomores
Patricia N. Ashmore
Brianne K. Bergen
Jessica C. Nagle
School of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Seniors
Hanna Budayeva
Jessica Hoogendoorn
Stephanie L. Lauer**
Lauren Musumeci
Juniors
Eden McConnell*
Lauren McConnell
Alexandra M. Ward*
Sophomores
Jennie Mugrace
Erin McCafferty
Adrienne Stazzone
College of Continuing Studies
Seniors
Jessica L. Coons**
Diana Friscia
Louis Gallinaro*
Shirley Koenig*
Michela Monaco
Monica Rzepka
Juniors
JoAnn Brown
Diane Elrath
Jamie Gerber
Sophomores
Brian Riddle
Jose Rodriguez
Westminster College of the Arts
Westminster Choir College
Seniors
Stephen Buzard**
Thomas Cunningham*
Lydia Pirilli*
Thomas Sheehan*
Juniors
Kathleen Echols*
Michela Imbesi
Sophomores
Hannah Guerra
Heather Jones
Frank Pisaturo
School of Fine and Performing Arts
Seniors
Marlayna Allen
Michael Dylan Ferrara*
Rose Lynn
Joanne Nosuchinsky**
Juniors
Melanie Andrejev
Brianne Applegate
Matthew Cintron*
Sophomores
Christina Fuscellaro
Brittany Santos
Valerie Stevens
*Second-year scholar **Third-year scholar
