College of Arts and Architecture Spring 2007 Student Marshals
May 11, 2007
College Marshal
Department of Architecture
Department of Art History
Department of Integrative Arts
Department of Landscape Architecture
School of Music
School of Theatre
School of Visual Arts
Craig Schwartz, son of Ilene and Michael Schwartz of Arlington, Va., has been named the spring 2007 student marshal for the Penn State College of Arts and Architecture. The title of marshal is awarded to the student who has earned the highest overall grade-point average in the college. Schwartz will earn a bachelor of music in composition and a bachelor of science in meteorology.
A Schreyer Honors College scholar, Schwartz studied music in Salzburg, Austria, and on March 27, 2007, held a concert comprised entirely of his original music. For his efforts in the arts, Schwartz has garnered several awards, including the Arts and Architecture Creative Achievement Award (2007), Alumni Society Scholarship (2006) and the Golumbic Scholarship Award for Humanistic Achievement in the Arts (2005). He has also received honors for his studies in meteorology, including the Penn State John A. Dutton Award in Atmospheric Dynamics (2007), Dr. Joel and Peggy Myers Scholarship in Meteorology (2006-2007) and national recognition by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) as a recipient of the Hollings Scholarship (2005-2007). Other University awards have included the Evan Pugh (Junior and Senior years) Scholar Award for Academic Achievement (2005-2007) and John W. White Graduate Fellowship (2007).
Schwartz has been active with the No Refund Theatre, serving as pianist and music director for several musicals. He was elected president of Penn State’s Campus Weather Service for the 2006-2007 academic year, and served as editor for two semesters of Problem Child, Penn State’s alternative literary magazine. Schwartz plans to continue his graduate education in meteorology.
Gillean Denny, daughter of Michael and Valerie Denny of Springfield, Pa., has been named the spring 2007 student marshal for the Penn State Department of Architecture. The title of marshal is awarded to the student who has earned the highest overall grade-point average in his or her academic unit. Denny will earn a bachelor of architecture degree.
Denny has studied architecture abroad in Italy and Panama and has been involved in sustainable design-build initiatives such as the Solar Decathlon and Montana Straw Bale Project. A Fulbright finalist, she has received the Gates Cambridge Trust Scholarship (Cambridge, UK), a $20,000 Floyd A. Naramore Architectural Memorial Fund (University of Washington, Seattle, Wash.), College of Arts and Architecture Ewing Cole Cherry Award for highest cumulative grade-point average in the department of architecture (2005-2006), Society of Distinguished Alumni Endowed Scholarship (2006) and the Golumbic Scholarship Award for Humanistic Achievement in the Arts (2006).
Denny plans to continue her graduate education in the fall at the University of Cambridge, United Kingdom, earning a master of philosophy and doctor of philosophy in environmental design. Before then, she plans to finish work on the Morningstar Solar Next House as part of the Solar Decathlon and take a graduation grand tour of Europe with her brother, who is also graduating this year.
Amy Raffel, daughter of Amy K. Raffel of Madison, N.J., has been named the spring 2007 student marshal for the Penn State Department of Art History. The title of marshal is awarded to the student who has earned the highest overall grade-point average in his or her academic unit with a 3.99. Raffel will earn a bachelor of arts with honors in art history, as well as a double major in advertising and a minor in business.
A Schreyer Honors College scholar, Raffel completed her honors thesis with a presentation of her paper, “General Idea’s 1980 Boutique and the Museum Gift Shop,” at the second annual Undergraduate Art History Symposium at Bucknell University. She is a member of Phi Beta Kappa Society, National Society of Collegiate Scholars and Kappa Tau Alpha National Honor Society (communications) where she won the top scholar award. She has studied abroad in Italy and had selected artwork from her experience exhibited in the Woskob Family Gallery in the Downtown Theatre Centre in State College. Her outstanding academic work has been recognized with several awards, including the College of Arts and Architecture Creative Achievement Award (2006 and 2007), Evan Pugh Scholar Award for Academic Achievement (2006 and 2007), President’s Sparks Award and Freshman Award and the Christopher Frassinelli Memorial Scholarship for Study Abroad.
Raffel recently served as an intern at the Palmer Museum of Art, where she conducted research on objects in the American art collection and contributed to future exhibition development. She was involved in the organization and installation of a student-run art exhibition, “2006-Identity Through Art.” Raffel also interned in the BravinLee Programs in Chelsea, N.Y. and the Marlborough Gallery in Manhattan, N.Y. She has been an active participant in the art history association and in the organization of dance marathon (Thon) events for the past four years.
Department of Integrative Arts
Valerie E. Sanders, daughter of Victor and Joanne Sanders of Martinsburg, Pa., has been named the spring 2007 student marshal for the Penn State Department of Integrative Arts. The title of marshal is awarded to the student who has earned the highest overall grade-point average in his or her academic unit. Sanders will earn a bachelor of arts in integrative arts with an emphasis on photography, as well as a liberal arts business minor.
Sanders has been on the Dean’s List every semester at Penn State and is a member of the Golden Key International Honor Society and Alpha Lambda Delta Honor Society. She has participated in the Penn State cycling club, ski club and intramural soccer.
After graduation, she will be employed as a photographer’s assistant with Bill Coleman Photography in State College, Pa.
Department of Landscape Architecture
Robert E. Barusefski, son of Susan and Robert A. Barusefski of Haymarket, Va., has been named the spring 2007 student marshal for the Penn State Department of Landscape Architecture. The title of marshal is awarded to the student who has earned the highest overall grade-point average in his or her academic unit. Barusefski will earn a bachelor of arts in landscape architecture, with a minor in geography.
Barusefski has studied abroad in Italy and interned at Cheekwood Botanical Garden and Museum of Art in Nashville, Tenn. He is a member of the Phi Eta Sigma Honor Society and served on the Penn State equestrian team. He has received several awards and scholarships, including the Department of Landscape Architecture’s Excellence in the Study of Landscape Architecture Award (2004-2006), John O. Simonds Landscape Architecture Department Scholarship (2006), American Society of Landscape Architects Honor Award (2007), University Scholars and Campus Honors Program and Academic Excellence Award for Outstanding Achievement in Humanities. He has been on the Dean’s List for eight semesters and was awarded a $2,500 Discovery Grant for Cutural Landscape Research (2005).
After graduation, Barusefski will be employed with Urban Resources Group in Washington, D.C.
Michquelena Potlunas, daughter of John and Michelle Potlunas of Pottsville, Pa., has been named the spring 2007 student marshal for the Penn State School of Music. The title of marshal is awarded to the student who has earned the highest overall grade-point average in his or her academic unit. Potlunas will earn a bachelor of science in music education.
A Schreyer Honors College scholar, Potlunas is a member of the National Society of Collegiate Scholars, has been on the Dean’s List every semester and received the Ned C. Deihl Scholarship. She has participated in the Penn State symphonic wind ensemble, marching blue band, philharmonic orchestra, chamber orchestra, symphonic band, horn ensemble and choir. She was a student officer of the blue band and president of the Penn State chapter of the Pennsylvania Collegiate Music Educators Association. Potlunas is a member of the Music Educators National Conference, Pennsylvania Music Educators Association, Pennsylvania State Educators Association and Sigma Alpha Iota Music Fraternity for Women.
Natalie Melle McCabe, daughter of Gary McCabe and Donna Melle of Collegeville, Pa., has been named the spring 2007 student marshal for the Penn State School of Theatre. The title of marshal is awarded to the student who has earned the highest overall grade-point average in his or her academic unit. McCabe will earn a bachelor of arts in theatre, with a minor in international arts.
A Schreyer Honors College scholar, McCabe has studied abroad in Ireland and traveled for two weeks with other Schreyer students on the London Theatrical Study Tour. She is a member of Penn State’s Dance Marathon, No Refund Theatre and the Vegetarian Advisory Board. McCabe has received the Peg French Award.
McCabe will work this summer as a storyteller for Historic Philadelphia’s Once Upon a Nation, and then move to Toronto, Canada to pursue a career in acting and directing.
Laura J. Bailey, daughter of Debra and Keith Bailey of Pittsburgh, Pa., has been named the spring 2007 student marshal for the Penn State School of Visual Arts. The title of marshal is awarded to the student who has earned the highest overall grade-point average in his or her academic unit. Bailey will earn a bachelor of fine arts with honors and highest distinction with printmaking emphasis, as well as Italian and art history minors.
A Schreyer Honors College scholar, Bailey has studied abroad in Italy and attended Pittsburgh Filmmakers School of Film. She is a member of Phi Beta Kappa Society and Gamma Kappa Alpha National Italian Honor Society. Her outstanding academic work has been recognized with several awards, including the College of Arts and Architecture Creative Achievement Award (2007), Distinguished Alumni Society Scholarship (2006), Bruce Shobaken Undergraduate Honorary Endowed Award in Printmaking (2006), Graham-Rath Scholarship (2006) and President’s Freshman Award.
Bailey recently organized the first Studio Crawl, a showcase of students’ work, for Penn State’s School of Visual Arts. The school plans to make this event an annual tradition. She has served as co-president for the past two years of the Visual Arts Student Alliance, and has been active as a tutor for elementary and high school students to improve their writing skills, participated in Habitat for Humanity and Pennsylvania Literacy Corps, ESL tutoring and taught art classes for children, ages 8-17, as part of the Penn State Center for Arts and Crafts.
Bailey plans to continue her graduate education, pursuing a masters in art history or master of fine arts in printmaking.
Contact: Flora W. Marynak, fwm@psu.edu or 814.863.0621