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Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University recently announced the names of the fall 2002 graduates. A total to 1,059 undergraduate and 1,026 graduate students were awarded their degrees in the fall commencement ceremony which took place in December in Cassell Coliseum on Virginia Tech's Blacksburg campus.
The following students from Springfield received their diplomas during this ceremony:
Benjamin Adams Jr., BA, computer engineering; Kathleen Baker, BS, housing, interior design and resource management, magna cum laude; John Bartos, BS, biology; Jeffrey Black, BA, history; Julie Campbell, BS, housing, interior design and resource management; Ryan Clark, BS, business management; Andrew Cohen, BA, interdisciplinary studies; Jeffrey Creskoff, MBA, BAD; Erica Ervine, BS, environmental science; Michael Esposito, MS, CSA; William Forrester, BS, psychology; William Freund, BA, history; Srikanth Gorugantula, MS, CE; Catherine Hayes, BA, international studies, BA, Spanish; James Houff, BS, marketing management, cum laude; Jeffrey Koelemay, BA, English, BA, communications, Commonwealth Scholar; Shane Lee, BFA, fine arts; Daniel Norton Jr., BA, political science; Catherine Quigley, BS, human development; Kimberly Sebunia, BS, marketing management; Julie Sherman, BS, business information technology; and Vincent Telfer, BS, engineering science and mechanics.
Daniel Persica, son of Lonny and Vickie Persica of Springfield, was recently inducted into Beta Gamma Sigma, the business honor society, at James Madison University. Persica will graduate in 2003 with a bachelor of business administration in management.
Alison Douglas, a 1999 graduate of Robert E. Lee High School, finished her college athletic career by playing for the last four years for the Radford University field hockey team. Douglas was named to the NorPac All Conference team and the NorPac Conference All tournament team this fall. She played in every game during her career with the Radford team, starting all but five games, while maintaining a 3.89 grade point average and achieving dean's list honors since starting at Radford in the fall of 1999. She was a four-time member of the National Field Hockey Coaches Association All Academic Team.
Douglas will graduate with a degree in education.
Priya Chhaya of Springfield was admitted into Phi Alpha Theta, the history honor society at the College of William and Mary. To become a member, a students must earn a 3.1 grade point average, both in history and overall.
Julie Issa of Springfield was named to the fall 2002 dean's list at American University. To achieve this list a student must obtain a grade point average of 3.5 or better.
Christopher J. Plehal of Springfield has been cited for outstanding achievement in linguistics at Dartmouth College. Dartmouth faculty are invited to submit citation reports when a student's work is sufficiently distinguished to merit special recognition. Typically, only a few undergraduates receive citations each term. Plehal is scheduled to graduate in 2004.
Matt Kapuscinski of Springfield was inducted into the Cap and Gown chapter of Mortar Board at Mary Washington College in Fredricksburg. Mortar Board is a national honor society based on scholarship, leadership and service. Requirements for induction include senior status, a minimum grade point average of 3.0 and election through interview. Kapuscinski is a junior majoring in economics.
Laura Hodulich, daughter of Patricia and David Hodulich of Springfield, performed with the Westminster Chapel Choir at the Washington National Cathedral on Saturday, April 13. Westminster Choir College is one of the four colleges of Rider University in Lawrenceville, N.J. Hodulich is a 2002 graduate of Robinson Secondary School.
Robert S. Coyle of Springfield was named to the dean's list for fall 2002 at Beloit College in Beloit, Wis. Students achieve this honor by maintaining at least a 3.4 grade point average for the semester.
Springfield resident Matthew Frank Klinger, who is a Monroe Scholar majoring in computer science and mathematics, has been elected to the Alpha of Virginia chapter of Phi Beta Kappa at the College of William and Mary. He will be inducted at a ceremony on May 9.
Emily Dere of Annandale, a junior majoring in design/technical theater in the college of visual and performing arts at Syracuse University, was the costume designer in the drama department's recent production of "Othello."