Alumni Medal
The Alumni Medal is the College’s oldest and most prestigious recognition and is awarded for steadfast loyalty and many years of distinguished service to Allegheny.
Rob Smith ’73 and Nancy Newton Smith ’74
Through their decades of involvement and dedication, Trustee Emeritus Rob Smith ’73 and Professor Nancy Newton Smith ’74 have strengthened Allegheny College inestimably while paving the way for others to learn and succeed.
“The deep care and commitment that Rob and Nancy Smith have for Allegheny and Meadville is evident by their actions — their leadership and service continues to change lives in our community through education, economic development, generous philanthropy, and by helping to paint a strategic vision for a vibrant future for the College and our region,” President Ron Cole ’87 says.
The Smiths have undoubtedly created a positive, meaningful legacy throughout the Allegheny campus.
“Rob and Nancy represent all the best of what it means to be Allegheny — creative, intellectually curious, generous, and committed to service as citizens,” President Emeritus James H. Mullen, Jr., says. “Most of all, they are a wonderful team.”
Nancy shared her mastery and love of languages as a French and Spanish instructor at the College for 21 years, retiring in 2019. Professor of Spanish Barbara Riess notes that Nancy went above and beyond in her work because she “cares about the institution — and those of us lucky enough to be here — and has wanted Allegheny to be the best institution it can be.”
Known as a rigorous yet caring instructor and advisor to students, Nancy was also a key contributor to curricular development and a respected colleague among faculty. Former students share that Nancy always challenged them to be the best they could be — and that her kindness and patience helped them immensely as they progressed through their Allegheny education and their next steps after graduation.
Rob served with distinction on the College’s Board of Trustees for 20 years — chairing the Board from 2013 to 2016 — and was conferred with emeritus status in 2022. He shared his business acumen and leadership expertise on more than a dozen board committees spanning nearly every aspect of the College, from the student experience to budget to planning and more. Through the Bruce R. Thompson Center for Business & Economics, Rob has served as a panelist for the Executive Roundtable and mentored students as a judge in the Zingale Big Idea Competition.
Along with their hands-on leadership and service, the Smiths have been generous financial supporters of many initiatives at the College, including the Annual Fund, Gator athletics, the Music Department, and the Bentley Hall restoration project. The Smiths were also leaders in the acquisition and renovation of the College’s Guest House, and Rob is particularly proud that a sign above the house’s bar bears his and fellow Trustee Doug Ziegler’s names.
“Allegheny College and Meadville would not be what they are today without Rob and Nancy Smith,” Vice President for Institutional Advancement Matt Stinson says. “While their investments in Meadville are very visible, their investments in the College are often made quietly without any fanfare. They epitomize what is meant by giving sacrificially of time, talent, and treasure.”
The Smiths have indeed worked tirelessly to strengthen the Meadville community. Now the executive chairman of Acutec Precision Aerospace, Inc., Rob built the business from 17 people in 1994 to over 430 employees at facilities in three locations, including Meadville and Saegertown.
Acutec has also forged deep ties with Allegheny by hiring graduates and providing valuable learning opportunities for current students. Initiatives include internships, a 3D design co-op course taught on campus by an Acutec employee, and an innovative Manufacturing Advanced Placement Program through which Allegheny students can gain valuable work experience and, following graduation, receive 100% defrayed tuition in the Master of Manufacturing Management Program at Penn State Behrend.
In addition, Rob and Nancy have given selflessly through volunteer leadership roles in the Meadville community. They have become stalwarts in and champions for the region. A wide array of organizations have benefited from their insights and work, including Women’s Services, Inc., Meadville Medical Center, the Academy Theater, the Meadville Martin Luther King, Jr. Scholarship Board, and the Economic Progress Alliance, among others.
The Smiths are also actively committed to economic revitalization in the community and are part owners of French Creek Coffee and Tea, French Creek Framing and Fine Art, YogaSpot Meadville, and Cussewago Creek Distillery. Recognizing the importance of a vibrant, attractive downtown, Rob devotes significant time to real estate renovation in the heart of Meadville.
On the Allegheny campus, Rob and Nancy have also been a valued and enthusiastic presence at Gator athletic contests, particularly basketball and soccer. Over the years, the Smiths have developed relationships with coaches and student-athletes, forging lasting and rewarding bonds.
“Rob and Nancy’s unwavering support of the College and in particular the Athletics and Recreation Department has meant the world to us — not just because of their financial support but because it was done with love,” Director of Athletics and Recreation Bill Ross says. “Their love for Allegheny, love for the students, staff, and alumni, and love for the Meadville community are unmatched.”
Rob and Nancy Smith have demonstrated outstanding loyalty and generosity that have greatly benefited their alma mater and the students, faculty, and staff throughout this learning community. It is with deep gratitude that we recognize them with the Alumni Medal, the College’s oldest and most prestigious award.
Blue Citation
The Blue Citation is awarded to an Allegheny graduate in recognition and appreciation of outstanding service to the College.
Tim Reeves ’83
While serving as former Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Ridge’s press secretary, Tim Reeves ’83, was known to be analytical, adaptable, passionate, and compassionate. He employed those qualities to interact with members of the news media daily. He has since used those same attributes in his volunteer work on behalf of Allegheny College.
In 2007, Tim was appointed to the College’s Board of Trustees, where he would serve with distinction until 2021. He was elected vice chair in 2013 and served on numerous task forces during his tenure including finance, advancing Allegheny, the Allegheny experience, and enhancing Allegheny’s visibility, to name just a few.
“Tim’s service to Allegheny has been extraordinary and grows from his deep love for his alma mater,” said President Emeritus James H. Mullen Jr. “As a leader on the Board of Trustees, Tim provided a powerful voice for Allegheny’s place as a national leader among residential liberal arts colleges. He was a driving force in creation of the Allegheny College Prize for Civility in Public Life and played the key role in making it a signature part of Allegheny’s national reputation.”
Tim started his career as a journalist, beginning and ending his reporting career with the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. After his days in state government, Tim became the CEO and owner of the Neiman agency, and then a partner in Boston-based Allen & Gerritsen, both public relations and advertising firms.
“His strategic vision and unfailingly wise counsel were foundational to our success in advancing Allegheny’s national reputation,” said Mullen. “He was always there for Allegheny, unfailingly generous in every way.”
Tim’s commitment to service continues as he currently works as senior communications officer for the Richard King Mellon Foundation.
“As the college planned for its Our Allegheny: Our Third Century Quest campaign, Tim led the effort to create the case statement underpinning the campaign,” said Mark Campbell ’82, former Chair of Allegheny’s Board of Trustees. “Thanks to that work, the college completed the largest campaign in its 207-year history.”
Tim is part of a group of a dozen Allegheny friends, who still convene every summer at the home of Joe Frelick ‘83 to ensure the celebratory skills they honed at Allegheny remain fresh.
Tim has been married since 1989 to Anne McGraw Reeves, herself a former journalist now writing her first novel. They have four adult children: Kate, Megan, Danny and Molly. He is the son of Erla Jean Reeves and the late Rev. Bruce Reeves, whose sacrifices enabled him to attend Allegheny.
For his untiring efforts on behalf of Allegheny and his commitment to his alma mater, the College is proud to present the Blue Citation to Tim Reeves.
Gold Citation
The Gold Citation is awarded to an Allegheny graduate in recognition and appreciation of honor reflected upon the College by virtue of professional or volunteer activities.
Patricia “Pat” Dawson ’71
Dr. Patricia “Pat” Dawson ’71 spent much of her life breaking barriers in the medical profession for the generations of women who would follow her.
As Pat transitioned from Allegheny to medical school and then the surgical field, she found herself to be among the relatively small number of women pursuing the same career path.
“Patricia Dawson reflected honor upon Allegheny College through her exceptional career in medicine, her dedication to social justice, and her longstanding association with the College as an outstanding alumna volunteer,” said Thom Myers, co-chair of Allegheny’s 50th Reunion Committee in 2021.
While pursuing her studies and career, she took the time to share her trail-blazing journey by writing “Forged by the Knife: the Experience of Surgical Residency From the Perspective of a Woman of Color,” a book which brought attention to the impacts of gender and race on the practice of medicine.
From 1983 to 1998, she served as a general surgeon at the Group Health Cooperative of Puget Sound in Seattle before specializing in breast surgery and then serving as the director of medical staff diversity.
Pat earned a doctorate in human and organizational systems in 1998 from the Fielding Graduate University in Santa Barbara, Calif., and went on to serve as medical director for healthcare equity at University of Washington Medicine healthcare system.
She eventually became a breast-cancer surgeon and medical director of the True Family Women’s Cancer Center of Seattle, a nationally recognized multidisciplinary organization to support all aspects of care for women with breast cancer. She considered this the crowning achievement of her career. She retired from that position in 2018.
Even as she reached her goals and succeeded in the medical profession, Pat offered a hand to those around her. As a member of the University of Washington Women’s Center Board of Directors, she was among the group that founded Making Connections, a program to help young women of color pursue the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
As a director on the board of the Cross Cultural Health Care Program in Seattle, Pat sought to support its mission to bridge communities and healthcare institutions by promoting access to culturally and linguistically appropriate healthcare.
For her efforts as a surgeon and mentor, Pat was selected in 2010 as “A Woman of Influence” by the Puget Sound Business Journal and one of “100 Pioneering Women in Washington State” by the University of Washington Women’s Center.
When Pat joined Allegheny’s 50th Reunion Planning Committee for the Class of 1971, she told the committee she had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and did not know how long she would be able to serve. Pat died on Dec. 13, 2020.
Allegheny College is proud to present posthumously the Gold Citation to Dr. Patricia “Pat” Dawson for her patient advocacy in the medical profession and for her efforts to open the medical field to all who wish to pursue those disciplines.
Young Alumni Citation
The newly created Young Alumni Citation is awarded to an Allegheny graduate from the past 15 years who embodies the values espoused by Allegheny College, in recognition and appreciation of their exceptional professional accomplishment, contributions to their community, and/or dedicated service to Allegheny.
Katie Fleet Shipp ’09
The College this year introduces the Young Alumni Citation, an honor bestowed upon a graduate from the past 15 years who embodies the values espoused by Allegheny.
As an advocate and legal representative for survivors of sexual abuse, Katie Fleet Shipp ’09 meets this award’s standard of “exceptional professional accomplishment, and significant contributions to their community.” Through her diligent work, Katie reflects honor upon the College and serves as an inspiration to current students, alumni, and future generations of Gators.
Katie is the managing partner at the Marsh Law Firm in Pittsburgh and has devoted her legal career to representing survivors of sexual abuse. She practices in both New York State and Pennsylvania and is passionate about making sure that victims’ voices are heard. Katie has successfully resolved hundreds of claims on behalf of survivors who were sexually abused as children. She earned her law degree from the University of Pittsburgh.
Katie advocates for the passage of comprehensive statute of limitations reforms when it comes to childhood sexual abuse throughout the country.
In March 2023, Katie testified before the Pennsylvania Judiciary Committee in Harrisburg, stressing the importance of opening the statute of limitations window for victims of childhood abuse. This would allow voters to enact a two-year window to bring civil suits involving childhood sexual abuse that would otherwise be outside the normal statute of limitations.
Katie also works to protect the rights of victims of online exploitation and childhood sexual abuse material. She has worked closely on different initiatives that seek to protect the rights of crime victims through comprehensive policy reform. This includes advocating for the 2018 passage of the Amy, Vicky, and Andy Act, the federal law which changes how courts determine the amount of restitution victims of child pornography offenses receive.
She serves on the board of the Women’s Law Project of Pennsylvania and is a member of the Allegheny County Bar Association and the National Crime Victims Bar Association. She supports the Women’s Center and Shelter of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh Action Against Rape, and the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.
Allegheny College is proud to recognize the efforts and advocacy of Katie Fleet Shipp with the inaugural Young Alumni Citation.
Teaching Awards
The Julian Ross Award for Excellence in Teaching
The Julian Ross Award for Excellence in Teaching is presented to a faculty member who has been at Allegheny College for more than 10 years.
Richard Bowden, Professor of Environmental Science & Sustainability
Professor Richard Bowden has spent more than 30 years at Allegheny College introducing students to the natural world and the environment that surrounds them.
Whether it’s plying the waters of Lake Erie, exploring the woods of the Bousson Environmental Research Reserve, or just holding class under the canopy of trees outside Carr Hall, Rich, a professor of Environmental Science and Sustainability, likes to use the great outdoors and the wonders of nature as his classroom.
“Rich was the one who helped me develop my passion for solving environmental problems with a nuanced understanding of the issues,” said Sebastian McRae ’22. “How did he teach this? Rich and I would talk in the van on the way out to field sites during my FS101. I would make a claim, and Rich would chisel away at all the nuances I hadn’t considered until I grasped the complexity of the issue at hand.”
Over the years, Rich has helped students succeed by encouraging them to take risks. Students enjoy the way Rich guides them but allows them to design their own experiments and experiences. This balance of knowing when to moderate and when to offer his input allows Rich’s students to reach their full potential as scientists, they say.
“Rich goes out of his way to provide his students with opportunities. For example, after I finished taking Forest Ecology and Management with him, he asked me to turn my lab report into a published paper. He helped me edit it to turn it into my first publication,” said Grace Hemmelgam ’22.
The connections Rich has made with his students have served them well, sometimes far from the classroom.
“He stands as one of the significant mentors and role models of my life and has impacted me in a deep and long-lasting way,” said McRae. “For instance, when I went blueberry picking one summer, I sent him photos of the farm, because I knew he would appreciate seeing me connecting with nature and where my food comes from. I have sent him lots of other photos, mostly of nature, and academic articles that I think he would be interested in, and we have often chatted over email about environmental issues, even when I’m not taking his classes.”
Helping students outside the classroom is not new for Rich who for years has opened his home at Thanksgiving break for students who stay on campus for the holiday.
“I have maintained a close friendship with Rich since graduation and can honestly say that when I think of Allegheny College, I think of Rich Bowden,” said Jennifer Reilly ’17.
It is with great pleasure that Allegheny College presents to Professor Richard Bowden the 2023 Julian Ross Award for Excellence in Teaching.
The Thoburn Award for Excellence in Teaching
The Thoburn Award for Excellence in Teaching is presented to a faculty member who has been at Allegheny College for 10 years or less.
Jennie Votava, Professor of English
Associate Professor of English Jennie Votava shares a deep love of English Literature with her Allegheny students and has done so for the past 10 years. With a degree from the Harvard Medical School, Jennie brings a unique set of skills to her interdisciplinary teaching.
“Professor Votava is, in every sense of the word, an interdisciplinary thinker, scholar, and professor. With a background in both literature and medicine, she has the ability to not only connect ideas and information from a variety of disciplines but does so in a way that speaks to a variety of students.” said Margaret Zeller ’20, a former student.
Jennie, who serves as the chair of the English Department, uses her expertise in different disciplines to appeal to students whose interests do not lean toward the humanities. “Her excitement and enthusiasm is absolutely infectious, and transcends to her students at any level of course, whether it is within a Shakespeare course or an Early British Literature course,” said Zeller.
Jennie’s ability to dissect literary phrases and translate difficult prose is key to her success as a teacher. “To sit in Jennie’s class is to enter a kind of torrent of thinking, interdisciplinary connection, and very good humor,” said Benjamin Slote, professor of English. “The velocity starts with her, but she is amazingly good at getting her students to rev their own engines as well. And this is with the high challenge of 16th and early 17th century English texts. She has also been tireless in bringing these old literary works, starting with Shakespeare’s plays, into 21st century frameworks of meaning, particularly in having students explore modern performances of the plays.”
Students say Jennie’s success in the classroom is due to her ability to welcome new ideas and interpretations. She knows that literature is subjective and that there is more than one way to interpret a story or theme. In Jennie’s classroom, an open exchange of ideas and theories is encouraged, according to her students.
“She has that uncanny ability of hitting the teaching ‘sweet spot.’ She pushes students out of their comfort zone, while also providing an environment that feels secure for those very ideas that seem strange or different to be put on the table and sincerely discussed,” Zeller said.
As an educator, Jennie has proven to be tough but fair. She challenges students to share their best ideas and gets them to exceed their own expectations.
“Jennie Votava possesses a first class mind, a fact reflected in both her ambitious, richly interdisciplinary scholarship and her classroom instruction,” Slote said. “We are unspeakably lucky to have her helming the English department and leading students into the high art of rigorous literary and critical thinking.”
Allegheny is pleased to present Associate Professor Jennie Votava with the 2023 Thoburn Award for Excellence in Teaching.
The Robert T. Sherman Distinguished Service Award
The Robert T. Sherman Distinguished Service Award is given to an Allegheny staff member who has provided exceptional long-term support to College programs or activities and/or contributed to the College in areas not required by their job description. The recipient’s performance should exceed expectation, and they should embody excellence, service and dedication to Allegheny. The recipient must be a current or retired non-teaching employee.
Wendy Kedzierski, Director of Creek Connections
Creek Connections Project Director Wendy Kedzierski has explored miles upon miles of the wild streams and fields that span the landscape of Western Pennsylvania, and she hasn’t done it alone. She’s been accompanied by scores of Allegheny College students, local school teachers, and thousands of young students who want to learn about and help preserve the natural environment around them.
Wendy, a Crawford County native, has led Allegheny’s watershed education program for almost 20 years. “Perhaps far more meaningful than the program management skills she brings to this well-recognized and award-winning program is the outstanding mentorship she provides to her ‘Creekers,’ the Allegheny students whom she trains to support and deliver programming,” said Andy Walker ’00, executive director for economic, civic and community engagement at the College.
“She has mentored many college students who have developed a love for Allegheny and a passion for community service because of her direction,” said Isabella Petitta ’21. “Wendy’s service to Allegheny and Meadville is constant, and she deserves recognition for all the work she does for the college community.”
Wendy has demonstrated a willingness to help Allegheny students with course work, decision making, and developing long-term plans for career goals. She also offers many learning resources to local teachers and students through the Creek Connections program.
“She was very willing to help me plan my future and college learning endeavors while guiding me to complete my work for the Environmental Education project,” recalled Jessica Perryman ’06. “After I graduated from Allegheny, she continued to be a strong role model in my life.”
Wendy also is a member of the French Creek Valley Conservancy Board of Directors and is a supporter of the annual French Creek Cleanup. Allegheny has long benefited from her work as an outreach resource, and her ability to support staff, faculty, and students has made her an invaluable researcher at the college.
“She is a valued member of the Environmental Science and Sustainability department,” said Eric Pallant, professor of Environmental Science and Sustainability. “She connects faculty with community partners, brings a great outlook to all of our meetings, and ensures that no one is left out. She makes Carr Hall a better place to work.”
For her work on behalf of the College and the community, it is with great pleasure that Allegheny honors Wendy Kedzierski with the 2023 Robert T. Sherman Distinguished Service Award.