Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania

Sewer cut and fill and resume writing were among the tasks won by Slippery Rock University students at the American Society of Civil Engineers' 2025 Mid-Atlantic East and West Symposium, March 27-29 at Penn State University. SRU students competed in surveying tasks, poster presentations and more against more than 500 students and teams from 21 universities.

A Slippery Rock University student received an award for his poster presentation at a professional conference. Charles Reilly, a freshman hospitality and tourism major from Export (Franklin Regional HS), earned an honorable mention for best student-led poster presentation at the 2025 NENA-CHRIE Conference, March 28-30, in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

Ten Slippery Rock University students presented research at the 56thAnnual Meeting of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania University Biologists Meeting, April 5, at Commonwealth University, Bloomsburg.

Three Slippery Rock University students presented research at the Interdisciplinary Association for Philosophy and Religious Studies Conference, March 29, at East Stroudsburg University, including one that was recognized for the conference's best paper. Jordan Ensign, a senior dual English writing and philosophy major from Strongsville, Ohio (Strongsville HS), presented a critique of John Hick's Irenaean theodicy, which received the IAPRS prize for best paper.

Slippery Rock University engineering students can design and create innovative, hands-on projects in the 3D printing laboratory. One student was recently recognized for her work at a national conference. Jennifer Cichra, a junior mechanical engineering major from Renfrew (Butler HS), came up with an idea while hiking with her family in the Rocky Mountain last summer. She was using crampons on her boots to gain traction, but that's when she began to think like an engineer.

The culminating work of six Slippery Rock University Bachelor of Fine Arts dance majors will be presented in an inspiring, entertaining and passionate showcase of dance. There will be two shows of "Roots to Branches: A Senior BFA Concert," 2 p.m. and 5 p.m., April 26, in the Stoner West Dance Studio. Tickets are $10 for each show and they are available for purchase online at sru.edu/tickets.

Audiences have four opportunities to watch the Slippery Rock University's production of the Tony Award-winning play, "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time." Based on the popular novel by Mark Haddon, the play is about a brilliant yet socially challenged 15-year-old. The SRU Theatre Department will host shows April 18, 19, 21 and 22 at the Miller Theater in the Performing Arts Center. Show times and dates are 7:30 p.m., April 18, 21 and 22, and noon, April 19. Tickets are $12 for SRU students and $15 for general admission. Tickets can be purchased online at sru.edu/tickets or in person at the Performing Arts Center ticket counter up to one hour before each performance.

Slippery Rock University recognized its most accomplished students at its annual Celebration of Achievement awards ceremony, April 1, in the Smith Student Center Ballroom, including the highest honor: the University's nominee for the Syed Ali-Zaidi Award for Academic Excellence. Brooke Hamilton, a senior music education major from South Park (South Park HS), is SRU's finalist for the Ali-Zaidi award, which is given to a graduating senior in Pennsylvania's State System of Higher Education who exemplifies academic excellence and involvement. A selection committee appointed by the State System chancellor reviews all nominees' accomplishments and selects a winner. The winner will receive $1,000 and will be announced later this month. The award was established by Syed Ali-Zaidi, a charter member of the PASSHE Board of Governors.

Continuing to apply their classroom learning at some of the largest sporting events in the country, students from Slippery Rock University's sport management program worked at the 2025 NCAA Men's Final Four basketball games, April 5-7, in San Antonio, Texas.

Noah Suto, a Slippery Rock University senior management major from Parker (Allegheny-Clarion Valley HS), was named an SRU Outstanding Student Academic Leader. These awards recognize students from each of SRU's five colleges based on their outstanding leadership within an academic department or college. Suto is president of the Society for Human Resource Management Chapter at SRU, a member of the College of Business Student Advisory Board, and a member of the SRU Green Fund Advisory Board, where he contributed to student-focused initiatives, curriculum development and sustainability efforts.

Kelli Galbraith, a Slippery Rock University graduate student majoring in secondary education mathematics and science from Gibsonia (Deer Lakes HS), was named an SRU Outstanding Student in Research, Scholarship or Creative Activity. These awards recognize students from each of SRU's five colleges based on their involvement in a variety of research, scholarly and creative projects. Galbraith has been involved with research projects during her 10-week internship at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee that centered on identifying faults in power grids and she was part of a study that was accepted for presentation at the North American Power Symposium, as well as writing a peer-reviewed paper for the conference proceedings.

Olivia Evans, a Slippery Rock University senior early childhood and special education major from Zelienople (Freedom HS) was named an SRU Outstanding Student Academic Leader. These awards recognize students from each of SRU's five colleges based on their outstanding leadership within an academic department or college. Evans is president of the Council for Exceptional Children, a student organization with 100 members that helps lead sensory-friendly activities in the community, and she's also presented at the Council for Exceptional Children's Convention in San Antonio, Texas.

Jebediah Jorden, a Slippery Rock University senior mathematics major from Wexford (North Allegheny HS), was named an SRU Outstanding Student in Research, Scholarship or Creative Activity. These awards recognize students from each of SRU's five colleges based on their involvement in a variety of research, scholarly and creative projects. Jorden is one only five SRU students in the history of the mathematics program to score a 10 on the International Putnam Exam, and he's passed two professional actuarial exams with international pass rates around 45%.

Kylie Crescenzo, a Slippery Rock University senior dual physics and mathematics major from Greensburg (Hempfield HS) was named an SRU Outstanding Student Academic Leader. These awards recognize students from each of SRU's five colleges based on their outstanding leadership within an academic department or college. Crescenzo, the president of the Physics and Engineering Club at SRU, is active in various open houses, majors-minors fairs, admitted student days, and orientation sessions, while also leading programs such as Science & Math Days and visits by area schools to the planetarium.

Chase Decker, a Slippery Rock University senior recreational therapy major from Spring Mills (Octorara HS), was named an SRU Outstanding Student in Research, Scholarship or Creative Activity. These awards recognize students from each of SRU's five colleges based on their involvement in a variety of research, scholarly and creative projects. Decker is involved with research that uses equine-assisted services through a grant-funded project from the National Council on Therapeutic Recreation Certification and she's presented at national conferences while also co-writing a manuscript for publication in the Therapeutic Recreation Journal.

The following people recently were initiated into The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi, the nation's oldest and most selective collegiate honor society for all academic disciplines.