Campus Notes

UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH ALABAMA, Mobile

Lauren Gessner of Canfield, winner of the 2008 Ohio Junior Miss competition and a freshman student, has been awarded a $40,000 scholarship.

She is one of three Junior Misses to accept the four-year financial assistance for their participation in the America’s Junior Miss program.

Gessner, daughter of Dr. Larry Gessner of Austintown and Renee Gessner, a member of the Canfield Board of Education, won a $6,200 college scholarship in the Ohio Junior Miss competition and $7,000 in scholarships in the national competition in Mobile.

She plans to pursue a career as a news anchor or book editor. The award covers tuition, books, room and board, fees and a laptop computer.

BOWLING GREEN STATE UNIVERSITY, Bowling Green, Ohio

Alison Kemp, a senior from Warren, will be a participant in the German-American Fulbright Commission’s Berlin Capital Program in November featuring representatives from U.S. and German news agencies examining differences between the two countries’ media styles. Kemp is majoring in journalism with a minor in German.

Kemp worked as a copy editor for The Vindicator and previously as a reporter for her hometown paper, the Tribune Chronicle. Since the first day of her freshman year at BGSU, she has worked for The BG News, including as assistant campus editor. This summer she had an internship as a writer for American Spa magazine in New York City. While away, she wrote a Wednesday travel column for the campus paper about life in the Big Apple, and has since been writing about her experience preparing to study abroad in Salzburg. She will continue those dispatches from Austria.

Kemp has earned numerous scholarships, including the prestigious Frazier Reams Fellowship for 2008-09.

VALPARAISO UNIVERSITY, Valparaiso, IND.

Christine Standohar, a senior meteorology major from Cortland, has been named an academic mentor. She will serve as a lab assistant in the Department of Geography and Meteorology. Tutoring and student mentoring will be part of her duties.

YOUNGSTOWN STATE UNIVERSITY

Kristin Frank of Poland has been named recipient of the William L. and Margaret M. Spencer Scholarship in the Sciences for 2008-09.

Frank is a sophomore chemistry major and a 2007 graduate of Poland Seminary High School where she was a member of the National Honor Society. She is to be inducted as a member of the National Society of Collegiate Scholars chapter at YSU this month. Her plans include attending pharmacy school.

OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY, Columbus

Brian Williams of Youngstown was presented with the Board of Trustees’ Student Recognition Award.

Williams, a senior in the university’s College of Social Work, is president of Mwanafunzi, the student chapter of the National Association of Black Social Workers. He is also a member of the African Youth League at Ohio State and is active with the university’s Bell Resource Center, which addresses critical issues in society affecting black men.

The award is presented monthly to a student in honor of his or her academic accomplishments, service to the university and/or community and research achievements.

MOUNT UNION COLLEGE, Alliance, Ohio

Alicia Bousner of Brookfield has been named to the 2008-09 “Fire-Engine” Choir.

The members of the “Fire-Engine” Choir are full-time undergraduate students chosen by a competitive audition process. They serve on the team for one year and are expected to maintain a high degree of musical readiness and must meet high academic expectations.

WESTMINSTER COLLEGE, New Wilmington, Pa.

NEW WILMINGTON, Pa. — Matthew Saines, senior business administration and accounting major from New Castle, and his partner, Bethany Marchetti, senior business administration major from South Park, tied for 55th place in the Best Overall Score in The Business Strategy Game for the week ending Sept. 28.

Working together as “Team EequalsMCsquared,” Saines and Marchetti were one of 1,970 teams from 133 colleges and universities throughout the world participating in the contest, an online exercise where participants are assigned the task of running an athletic footwear company in competition against companies managed by others in the event.

Saines is a son of George and MaryAnn Saines of New Castle and a graduate of Neshannock High School. Marchetti is a daughter of Bruce and Lauren Marchetti of South Park and a graduate of South Park High School.

Dawn McDonough, a freshman elementary education major and daughter of Donald and Linda McDonough of Struthers, won the Westminster Constitution Day competition.

The graduate of Struthers High School correctly answered the most questions on an electoral college quiz.

Two students have been awarded undergraduate research grants by Westminster’s Drinko Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning.

William Kochemba, a senior chemistry major, is a son of Brenda Kochemba-Heck and Chris Heck of Grove City and a graduate of Grove City Area High School.

David Dado, a senior biology major is a son of Robert and Mary Dado of New Castle and a graduate of Shenango High School.