Recognizing Alumni Achievements and Service
Spartans of the Year is an annual awards program that recognizes outstanding alumni who have demonstrated dedication, excellence, professional achievement, and a commitment to staying engaged with York College after graduating.
Distinguished Alumni Achievement Award
The Distinguished Alumni Achievement Award is presented annually to an alumna/us who has demonstrated noteworthy and distinctive professional achievements. Achievements may be specific to their chosen career, industry, or leadership experiences. Consideration is also given to a nominee’s contributions to their community and York College.
2025 Distinguished Alumni Achievement Award Recipient: Lisa D. Cooper, PhD, RAC ’00
Lisa D. Cooper, PhD, RAC ’00 is a Senior Director of Regulatory Affairs who has dedicated over 25 years to advancing global health, clinical research, and oncology treatments. Known for her rare ability to operate at the intersection of scientific creativity and regulatory rigor, Lisa is a co-inventor on a U.S. patent for innovative uses of nitric oxide and was a key contributor to the approval of the colorectal cancer therapy Lonsurf. Grounded in early advice from mentors to always "advocate and believe in yourself," she has carried this spirit of empowerment into her career and her nine-year tenure teaching and mentoring students at Rutgers University. Lisa fondly traces her academic journey back to York College, where she found essential mentorship under Dr. Bruce Smith and Dr. Deborah Rickard. Today, Lisa resides in Bucks County, PA, with her husband, Paul, and children, James and Penelope. When she isn't traveling or gardening, she is deeply involved in youth development, volunteering as a Girl Scout leader, softball coach, and upcoming field hockey coach.
Distinguished Alumni Service Award
The Distinguished Alumni Service Award is presented annually to an alumnus who has demonstrated noteworthy and distinctive service to the greater community and/or York College of Pennsylvania throughout their life and career.
2025 Distinguished Alumni Service Award Recipient: Scott Sawicki ’94
Scott Sawicki ’94 has built a distinguished 30-year career in the pharmaceutical and biotech industry, dedicated to Research & Development sourcing and procurement, ensuring critical clinical trials have the appropriates services and resources to succeed. He credits York College—particularly his late advisor, Jeannie R. Barr—with giving him the confidence, resilience, and critical thinking skills necessary to navigate a complex and ever-changing industry. Scott’s passion for giving back is evident in his extensive volunteerism; he served on the Alumni Board for nearly a decade, championed student-alumni networking on the Career Committee, and welcomed prospective students as a Spartan Pen Pal. Whether he is coordinating regional NJ Socials or rallying peers for the annual Day of Giving, Scott consistently lives out the Spartan ethos of service. He resides in Spring Lake, NJ, with his wife, Paradise. Outside of his professional and volunteer work, Scott is an avid traveler, home cook, and passionate sports fan who loves cheering on the Pittsburgh Steelers, New Jersey Devils, and New York Mets.
Distinguished Young Alumni Award
The Distinguished Young Alumni Award is aimed at honoring a York College graduate who, within ten years of graduation, has demonstrated noteworthy and distinctive professional achievements and/or outstanding service to the community.
2025 Distinguished Young Alumni Award Recipient: Catherine Roque '18
Catherine Roque '18 is the Marketing Manager for Hershey Federal Credit Union, bringing a dynamic blend of strategic marketing expertise, graphic design skill, and photo and video production talent to her role. After launching her career as a student intern at York College and later serving as the full-time Marketing Coordinator and Manager at the York County Economic Alliance, Catherine has earned a reputation as a creative problem-solver who thrives on turning ideas into action. She traces her professional foundation to YCP, particularly the engaging marketing courses taught by her advisor, Professor Small, and the life-changing opportunity she received through YCCOSP. Driven by the belief that true success is measured by community impact, Catherine has served on panels such as the YWCA's "YWomen Vote, GenZ" and previously led as Board President of Leadership York. She also serves on the boards of the York Literacy Institute and York City Dollars for Scholars and devotes her time to supporting and mentoring York City students. In her free time, Catherine loves exploring the outdoors, discovering new cities, and savoring new flavors, with a particular fondness for Thai and Caribbean cuisines.
Nomination and Recognition
Eligibility
Alumni are eligible if they have earned an associate, undergraduate, or graduate degree from York College of Pennsylvania, York Junior College, York Collegiate Institute, or York County Academy. To be considered, alumni cannot currently be employees of York College, voting members of the Board of Trustees, or current members of the Alumni Board.
Criteria
York College’s Spartans of the Year awards program recognizes outstanding alumni who have demonstrated dedication, excellence, professional achievement, and most importantly, a commitment to staying engaged with York College after graduating. For more detailed descriptions, please see below:
- A nominee who has demonstrated dedication is someone who continuously gives their full attention to something they are passionate about, whether a cause, others, or their professional goals.
- A nominee who has demonstrated excellence is someone who rises above and beyond standard expectations, personally or professionally, and continuously strives for growth.
- A nominee who has demonstrated professional achievement is someone who has accomplished, or exceeded, their goals and has contributed to furthering their respective field.
- A nominee who has been committed to staying engaged with YCP post-graduation is someone who actively works to keep connected, whether in person and/or digitally, and contributes to the growth of the institution.
Strong nominations will include robust answers with specific examples of why the nominee is deserving of this award. You can also provide any supporting materials such as a resume, newspaper article, LinkedIn account, etc. Please see below for an excerpt of a strong nomination example:
How has this nominee demonstrated dedication, excellence, and/or professional achievement?
NAME has been employed with COMPANY since graduation from York College in 2003. Immediately upon his undergraduate degree, NAME also completed his Masters Degree, working part-time in the evenings, with high honors from Johns Hopkins University. He has demonstrated dedication and excellence through the following accomplishments:
- Established and continues to mentor a team responsible for modeling and simulation of chillers. (Our family of four recently returned from a two and a half year assignment abroad in order for NAME to build this team. He returned to his local colleagues with a fresh perspective as it relates to international business and management. He will continue to serve as the lead for his immediate team; though challenging he is creating best practices to ensure that the growth of that team continues from abroad).
- Six issued patents including heat exchanger design and cooling systems.
- Developed centrifugal chiller performance rating platform.
- Created engineering analysis tools to automate and expedite test data analysis.
NAME is continually recognized for his excellent work and work ethic at COMPANY.
Spartans of the Year Selection Committee
- Hayley Althoff '19
- Allison Dobstetter '17
- Greg Erb '06
- Kate Gaudet '09
- Thomas Gaudet '18
- Julie Kulp '13
- Barb Sleeger '71
- Molly Thate '21
- Sean Umbenhouer '91
- Brooks Walter '12
Following the release of the award winners, the Office of Alumni Engagement will work to feature each recipient through social media and other multimedia channels. Additionally, the Office of Alumni Engagement will work with each recipient to create individualized engagement opportunities where they will be honored and presented with their award, whether at an on-campus event or at a regional event in their area.
Alumni Engagement Staff
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