Select staff, faculty members to be honored during Founders’ Day celebration

GREENVILLE, Pa.—President Susan Traverso, Ph.D., invites members of the College and Greenville-area communities to its annual Founders‘ Day ceremony as Thiel continues its sesquicentennial celebration at 11 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 2 in the Howard Miller Student Center.

Thiel College will present the annual Louis and Barbara Thiel Award and distinguished faculty and staff awards at the event.

Five faculty members will be honored:

• Distinguished Professor of the Year – Matthew R. Morgan, Ph.D., professor of philosophy and director of the Dietrich Honors Institute, of Greenville, Pa.;
• Distinguished Scholar – Marie C. Courtemanche, Ph.D., assistant professor of political science and department chair, of Sharpsville, Pa.;
• Distinguished Teacher – Curtis L. Thompson, Ph.D., professor of religion and founding director of the Dietrich Honors Institute, of Greenville, Pa.;
• Distinguished Service – Patrick C. Hecking, Ph.D., professor of physics and department chair, of Greenville, Pa.; and
• Distinguished Adjunct – Rebecca M. Hecking, adjunct professor of biology, math and computer science, of Greenville, Pa.

Six staff members will be recognized with special awards:

• Marla J. Barr, director of custodial services, of Greenville, Pa.;
• Christine L. Cianci ’96, director of student health services, of Greenville, Pa.;
• Denise A. Urey ’00, registrar, of Mercer, Pa.;
• Deborah A. Schreiber, assistant registrar, of Hadley, Pa.;
• Janet M. Groves, data analyst, of New Wilmington, Pa.; and
• Michael D. Battisti, media specialist and production engineer, of Greenville, Pa.

John ’71 and Nancy (Gibson) Hauser ’75 will be given the Louis and Barbara Thiel Distinguished Service Award as part of the ceremony. The Hausers have given many years of service to the College, and John continues to work curating the extensive Thiel Archives. The Distinguished Service Award is presented annually to individuals who demonstrate exemplary character, continuity of leadership, and long-term service to Greenville and the surrounding area. The recipients must demonstrate a commitment to the common good above private interests. The award is named after Louis and Barbara Thiel, whose generosity made the founding of Thiel College possible in 1866.

Related Link

• About Founders‘ Day

Related Stories

• Nancy and John Hauser to receive Thiel Distinguished Service Award for Founders’ Day (January 12, 2017)
• Foundation, legislators and employees celebrate launch of Thiel College’s sesquicentennial (February 4, 2016)
• Faculty and staff to be recognized, sesquicentennial to kick off at Founders’ Day (January 26, 2016)
• The Dietrich Foundation to receive prestigious award during sesquicentennial kickoff (January 18, 2016)

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About Thiel College

Thiel College is an independent college founded in the Lutheran tradition. Located in Greenville, Pa., the College offers 60 majors and minors, 24 varsity sports, and an 11:1 student-faculty ratio. The College is also home to a new Master of Science in speech-language pathology and 2Master of Business Administration. Both master’s degree programs offer innovative and accelerated five-year paths which allow students to earn a bachelor’s and master’s degree in five years. The speech-language pathology program also has an accelerated 15-month graduate-level program. The M.B.A. program also has a 12-month post-graduate program.A dedicated faculty paired with dynamic research and internship opportunities produce numerous graduate school and job placements. Coeducational from its beginnings, the College remains committed to combining tradition with innovation as it celebrates 150 years.