GREENVILLE, Pa.—Academic achievements and alumni accomplishments at Thiel College during 2023 were among the Top 10 news stories in the Thiel College Newsroom based on their number of views, media attention, and social media impact.
10. Vorse recognized with Pedas Award, showcasing College’s mentorship awards
Greg Vorse ’06, a contracted content creator, podcaster, and writer for Cover 1 Sports Network, was the winner of the 2023 James Pedas ’50 H’89 Communications Professional of the Year Award. Vorse’s award is among the awards the College hands out to media, business and science professionals and teachers each year.
9. Thiel hosts one of the top bike events in the country
USA Today this summer named the Bike MS: Escape to the Lake 2023 event that makes an overnight stop at Thiel College as the No. 6 cycling event in the country. The annual fundraising ride generates $500,000 each year to fight multiple sclerosis. It is the second straight year that Thiel has served as the overnight host for the annual Bike MS fundraiser. The Escape to the Lake ride, which is in its 38th year, is one of the five largest in the state, averaging between 400 and 600 riders each year and usually staffed by another 200 volunteers.
8. National college athlete honor society inducts 42 Tomcats
The Thiel College Department of Athletics announced in May that 42 student-athletes were inducted into Chi Alpha Sigma, the national college athlete honor society. Chi Alpha Sigma is a nonprofit organization established to recognize college student-athletes who excel both on and off the field of competition. Chi Alpha Sigma was founded in 1996.
7. Cheer earns bid to nationals and wins championship
The Thiel College Tomcat cheer squad left on April 5 for its second straight to nationals and two days later had the program’s first national championship to show for it.
In 2022, the team finished as a national runner-up at the National Cheerleaders Association College Nationals in Daytona Beach, Florida. In 2023, the 17-member squad won the national championship in the Cheer Spirit Rally Open division at the National Cheerleaders Association College Nationals in Daytona Beach, Fla.
6. Andreozzi, Johnson named Thiel College Student of the Month honorees for March
The Student of the Month honor is awarded to seniors. It is among the most prestigious student awards at Thiel College with only six students each semester earning the honor. Two popular students pushed this annual tradition into the Top 10 list when captain of the lacrosse team Alex Andreozzi ’23 and Academic Honors Convocation student speaker Malajah Johnson ’23 earned the honors in March.
5. Thiel College celebrating 70th choir reunion with free public performance and reception
The interest in the pre-event announcement was reflected when 106 singers returned to campus for the reunion and another 160 people attended the choir performance in the David Johnson Memorial Chapel in July.
4. Thiel alumnus profiled in Record-Argus for his connection to Titan submersible tragedy
In June, the world was watching as the tragedy around the Titan submersible unfolded. That was reflected in the Thiel College Newsroom as clicks came in to learn about the College’s connection to the incident. Historian and Thiel College graduate Hans Myers ’19 was profiled in an article in the Greenville Record-Argus regarding his recent collaborations with renowned Titanic expert Paul-Henri Nargeolet, who perished in the Titan submersible tragedy on June 18. Myers worked with Nargeolet, 77, a former French Navy officer who had made more than 35 dives to the Titanic, to ensure historical accuracy in the development of the educational video game “Titanic: Honor & Glory.”
3. Thiel College physician assistant students get white coats during honored tradition
Thirty-one students in Thiel College’s second cohort of Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies received their white coats as part of the program’s White Coat Ceremony on Saturday, July 15 in Bly Hall of the Academic Center on campus.
The traditional use of white coats in medical professions began around the start of the 20th century. Before that, doctors primarily wore black coats. The switch to white coats promoted a symbol of safety, but also a sense of compassion and honor in the relationship between patients and medical professionals. Shortly after that, the third cohort of PA students began at Thiel College, and, in August, the first class of Master of Science in physician assistant studies students graduated.
2. Eleven students recognized as valedictorians for Thiel College’s Class of 2023
Eleven members of the Class of 2023 received valedictorian honors during Thiel College’s 149th Commencement on May 7 in the William A. Memorial Passavant Center.
Students who graduate with a perfect 4.0 grade point average are awarded valedictorian honors and were also summa cum laude honorees.
Also closely linked to this event was the list of graduates for the College. Because both items were generated from the same event they have been combined on this.
1. Thiel College announces Dean’s List for Fall 2022 and Spring 2023
Thiel College announced this past December that 368 students were on the Dean’s List for the Fall 2022 semester, and in May, the College announced that 362 students were named to the Dean’s List for the Spring 2023 semester.
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.
