Three seniors receive 2017 President’s Awards

This spring, three Rider University seniors received the 2017 President’s Awards in recognition of their exemplary academic record and other achievements.

Ruth Del Pino, a baccalaureate scholar with a triple major in American studies, political science and global studies, and Ryan Hopely, a baccalaureate scholar with a major in public relations and a minor in event planning, were recognized at a ceremony on April 30. Emily Maclain Hardi, a voice performance major who has appeared on the Dean’s List six times, received the award on April 20 at the Westminster Choir College Spring Convocation ceremony.

On each occasion, President Gregory G. Dell’Omo, Ph.D., expressed his pride in the recipients and congratulated them and their families. “We are all very proud of you,” he said.

Del Pino has been a member of the Leadership Development Program for four years and held executive-level leadership positions in the SGA for the last three years. She studied abroad in Northern Ireland in her sophomore year and Peru in her junior year. While in Peru, she took an internship working with victims of sexual violence, ages 5 to 17, and worked in impoverished communities, building orphanages. As a result of her work in Peru, she chose to focus her senior honors thesis on counterinsurgency socialization of hyper-masculinity and its effect on indigenous women.

Del Pino’s post-graduation plans including teaching English in Thailand, joining the Peace Corps and pursing a doctorate. Ultimately, she wants to work for the United Nations.

Ryan Hopely is a member of Omnicron Delta Kappa and Who’s Who in American Colleges and Universities. The Student Government Association president since 2013, he has been on the Dean’s List six times.

As a Bonner Community Scholar, he completed 300 service hours per year and served on the Civic Action Planning Committee to meet the Campus Compact Civic Engagement goals. As the residential learning coordinator for Sigma Phi Epsilon Fraternity, he oversaw the academic mentoring program for fraternity brothers struggling with their studies. He also served as the student representative on many important committees.

Hopely's goal upon graduating includes obtaining a graduate degree in higher education from Florida State University with the intent of becoming a dean of students at a small, private college or university like Rider. “Having had the pleasure of working closely with Ryan these past few years, I have no doubt that he will achieve all this and more,” Dell’Omo said.

Emily Maclain Hardin has been the recipient of the Provost scholarship and has been named to Who’s Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges. She was an active member of the Student Government Association, working with the SGA president in the 2016 spring semester to plan the first annual cross-campus College of the Arts Cabaret.

For three years she served as the artistic director for the Westminster Players, Westminster’s student-run musical theater troupe. In that role, she chose the productions each semester, obtained rights and royalties, created budgets and held auditions to cast the shows.

Upon graduating, she plans to pursue a Master of Fine Arts in theater and become the director of education at a regional or community theater. “I have every confidence Emily will achieve these goals and more,” Dell’Omo said.

The President’s Award is presented annually to outstanding students selected by a committee of faculty, students and administrators. Awardees exemplify academic performance, extracurricular achievement and service to the University.

The award is presented annually to one male and one female senior from the Lawrenceville campus and one from the Westminster campus; the award is made possible by a gift from the Class of 1974. Other gifts over the years have augmented this, allowing the award to be sustained in perpetuity. In addition to an inscribed gift, recipients' names are placed on a permanent plaque displayed in the Student Center.