HONORARY DEGREE DOCTOR OF HUMANE LETTERS ( Posthumously awarded ) Joseph DiMino , DO
Joseph DiMino , DO , a long-time friend of the Gwynedd Mercy University community , served on the President ’ s Council and the Frances M . Maguire School of Nursing and Health Professions Nursing Advisory Board for 10 years . Dr . DiMino was also a dedicated supporter of GMercyU ’ s Autism Institute . Dr . DiMino served on the Board of Directors of the Child Development Foundation in Norristown . It is through the Foundation that Dr . DiMino facilitated a grant to fund the University ’ s autism programming , specifically the Autism Institute . With Dr . DiMino ’ s help , the Child Foundation of Norristown has raised nearly $ 300,000 for the University ’ s autism education initiatives .
HONORARY DEGREE DOCTOR OF HUMANE LETTERS Leigh Middleton
Leigh Middleton was nominated by Project HOME for her philanthropic work focused on ending homelessness in the Philadelphia region , and her continued support in education , workforce development , and medical research . She has served on Project HOME ’ s Board of Trustees since 2007 , and also serves as co-chair of the Development Committee and sits on the Board ’ s Executive Committee . Together with her husband John , Leigh made one of the largest single private gifts to Project HOME to end and prevent chronic street homelessness in 2014 . Through this transformational investment , MPOWER was born - a supercharged engine to not only sustain Project HOME ’ s work , but to strengthen it . Since then , MPOWER has unlocked resources to scale solutions and has significantly accelerated progress to end and prevent chronic homelessness in Philadelphia .
TENDER COURAGE AWARD Alexandra Jabara Johnston
Established in 1993 to honor Sister Isabelle Keiss , the Tender Courage Award acknowledges members of the staff and administration who work tirelessly behind the scenes to help to make our University the special place it is . Nominated by colleagues and peers , this award highlights someone whose accomplishments exemplify the ideals of our Catholic , Mercy mission . They practice integrity in word and deed , respect for the dignity of all people , service to society , and social justice , and display a commitment to the Critical Concerns of the Sisters of Mercy .
This year ' s Tender Courage Award winner was Alexandra Jabara Johnston , Associate Director for Leadership Programs .
One nominator said the following about Ali :
“ I literally believe that Ali fits every single component that makes up someone qualified for this award . Ali is diligent in learning about different cultures and history . She respects everyone no matter their circumstances and is always a helping hand to ANYONE in need . She fights for social justice within our small campus community and in the world . Ali even makes time in her daily life to provide service to our society and helps people get involved in things that we should care about . Overall , Ali is a person that expresses mercy every day through her life and an excellent leader for students and staff within the Gwynedd Mercy community . There is no one more qualified for this award than this amazing woman .”
Ali was awarded the Tender Courage Award at the Baccalaureate Mass on Friday , May 13 .
OUTSTANDING UNDERGRADUATE ALUMNI AWARD Seydel Acuna
Seydel Acuna graduated with her Bachelor of Science in Biology with dual minors in Chemistry and Psychology . During her time at GMercyU , Seydel conducted research , which focused on the formation of biofilms upon several freshwater species and the various factors that have an impact . Seydel presented her findings at the Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students where she was honored with a presentation award and served as GMercyU ’ s first undergraduate student to present . Seydel also helped to lead the Mercy Milkweed Service project on campus , which supports the Sisters of Mercy initiative of establishing butterfly gardens . In addition to her academic and service achievements , Seydel was a member of GMercyU ’ s Women ’ s Lacrosse team all four years and was selected to serve as the team ’ s captain during her sophomore year , maintaining the position for the following two years . After graduation , Seydel plans to volunteer in hospitals to obtain patient care hours to assist in her application to Physician ’ s Assistant ( PA ) school . Her goal is to become an Emergency Room Physician Assistant .
OUTSTANDING GRADUATE ALUMNI AWARD Phelicia ( Lisa ) Baker
Phelicia ( Lisa ) Baker graduated with her EdD in Educational Leadership with a concentration in Teaching & Learning in Higher Education . She currently serves as an Instructional Coach for the Mary McLeod Bethune Day Academy in Washington , D . C . In this role , she helps support the instructional development of teachers , provides technical support , guides teachers and teams on how to use student
[ continued ]
TODAY 7