SCRANTON, PA-May 12, 2007.

Marywood University awards one doctoral, seven graduate and 30 undergraduate medals for academic excellence and achievement today during separate hooding and honors convocation ceremonies.

Marywood University will award over 747 baccalaureate, master's and Ph.D. degrees on Sunday, May 13, at the 89th annual commencement ceremony, which will be held at the Wachovia Arena, Casey Plaza, in Wilkes-Barre. The honored graduates are from Marywood University's Reap College of Education and Human Development, Insalaco College of Creative Arts and Management, College of Health and Human Services and College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

Sister Mary Reap, I.H.M. Ph.D. will present Senator Robert P. Casey with an honorary doctorate, and Senator Casey will be the keynote speaker. Alan B. Graf, a former area businessman and retired Marywood Trustee, will also be presented with an honorary doctorate.

Dickson City native, Elizabeth Zaydon will speak as the valedictorian of Class of 2007.

Graduate Medalists include:

William G. McGowan Medal for Excellence in Doctoral Studies, awarded to Ellen Currie Cimino, Stroudsburg. This medal was established in honor of William G. McGowan, a founder of MCI Communications Corp., by the William G. McGowan Charitable Fund. The medal recognizes scholarship, integrity, discipline, creativity and human service.

Ruane Medal for Excellence in Art, awarded to Jonathan David Parks, Scranton. This graduate medal was founded by Hazel F. Ruane, in memory of Ella T. Ruane.

Sister Saint Agnes Medal for Excellence in Business, awarded to Florence M. Horecky, Barryville, N.Y. This graduate medal was founded by Ms. Angela Moran in honor of Sister St. Agnes Moran.

Haggerty Medal for Leadership and Academic Excellence in Counselor Education, awarded to Kari N. Kromko, Waymart. This graduate medal was founded by Trustees of the estate of Loretta Haggerty.

Geffen Medal for Outstanding performance in Practicum Education, awarded to Janet Yusko Caffo, Scranton. This School of Social Work medal was founded in memory of Albert Geffen by friends and co-workers.

Walton Medal for Excellence in Public Administration, awarded to Amy M. Szydlowski, Moosic. This graduate medal was founded by Dr. Clarence C. and Elizabeth Walton.

Polizzi Medal for Scholarship and Community Service, awarded to Kimberly Anne Bauer, Bloomsburg. This School of Social Work medal was founded by the Student Association, School of Social Work, in memory of Anthony C. Polizzi.

Thomas J. Keenan M.D. Medal of Excellence in the Physician's Assistant Program, awarded to Cheryl Bessoir, Dunmore. This medal was founded by Mrs. Mary Keenan Hecht in honor of her brother, Thomas J. Keenan, M.D.

Undergraduate Medalists include:

Kappa Gamma Pi Medal for General Excellence, awarded to Elizabeth Mary Zaydon, Dickson City; horable mention to Michelle Marie Perzia, Luzerne. This medal is donated by the Scranton Chapter of Kappa Gamma Pi, National Catholic College Graduate Honor Society.

Saint Luke Medal for Excellence in Art, awarded to Brooke Danielle Wandall, Dalton; honorable mention to Jessica N. Sciarabba, East Stroudsburg. This medal was founded by Miss Helen Leonard in memory of Miss Mary E. Barrett.

Edward Gayeski Medal for Excellence in Design, awarded to Todd T. Pousley, Perkasie; honorable mention to Jessica N. Sciarabba, East Stroudsburg. Mrs. Alba Gayeski founded this medal in memory of her husband, Edward Gayeski.

Anna and James Foley Medal for Excellence in Art Education, awarded to Danielle Marie Gyles, Scranton,; honorable mention to Regina M. Kaufmann, Damascus. This medal was founded by Sister Ave Maria Foley, I.H.M., in memory of her parents and brother.

Thomas and Norah Clarke Medal for Excellence in Business, awarded to Yvonne R. Depew, Uniondale and Sean Stephen Donnelly, Woodside, NY; honorable mention to Wesley Anthony Fagan, Holmdel, N.J. This medal was founded by the Clarke family in memory of their parents, Thomas and Norah Clarke.

Lynett Medal for Academic Distinction in Communication Arts, awarded to Theresa A. Dunlap, Wilkes-Barre; honorable mention to Daniel Tortora, Syracuse, NY. This medal was founded by the late E. J. Lynett, in memory of his wife, Ellen Ruddy Lynett.

Margaret T. Lunney Medal for Outstanding Performance in the Study of Communication Sciences and Disorders, awarded to Susan Grace MacDonald, Sussex, NJ. Miss Dorothy R. McNulty founded this medal in honor of Miss Lunney.

Sister Regina Barrett Medal for Excellence in Early Childhood Education, awarded to Meghan Bridget Mileski, Archbald. This medal was established in honor of Sister Regina Barrett, I.H.M., by Superintendent Patricia C. Leamy.

Sister M. Immaculata Gillespie Medal for Excellence in the Secondary Education Program, awarded to Jamie Lynn Valis, Atgeln. This medal was founded by Elizabeth King Young Arvad, M.D.

Rosemary Carroll Kazimer Medal for Excellence in Elementary Education, awarded to Elizabeth Mary Zaydon, Dickson City. This medal was founded by Dr. Mary Louise Keeney in honor of Mrs. Kazimer.

Margaret Ruddy Dougherty Medal for Academic Excellence in Special Education, awarded to Jessica Allyn Schield, Uniondale; honorable mention to Ashley Marie Elizabeth Coar, Dunmore. This medal was founded by the estate of Margaret Ruddy Dougherty.

J. Harold Brislin Medal for Distinction in Creative Writing, awarded to Sheila Mercedes Fuentes, Tivoli, NY; honorable mention to Laura Marie Catherine Robold, Perkasie. This medal was founded by the late Gene Brislin, in memory of her husband, J. Harold Brislin, a Pulitzer Prize Winner.

Sister M. Charitas Loftus Medal for Excellence in Poetry, awarded to Sheila Mercedes Fuentes, Tivoli, NY; honorable mention to Laura Marie Catherine Robold, Perkasie. Founded in memory of Sister M. Charitas Loftus by friends and alumni.

Dr. Wanda Persichetti Medal for Excellence in Foreign Language Study, awarded to Adam E. Baker, Dalton. This medal was founded by friends of Dr. Wanda Persichetti in her honor.

Sister M. Clare Kelley Medal for Excellence in Music, awarded to Sonia Maria Englot, Swoyersville; honorable mention to Elaine Catherine Shedd, Ashburnham, MA. This medal was founded in memory of Sister M. Clare Kelley by her former music students.

Sister Davidica Kildea Medal for Excellence in Voice, awarded to Sandra Nicole Thompson, La Junta, CO. This medal was founded in memory of Sister M. Davidica Kildea I.H.M. by the Kildea Family.

Nemotko Medal for Distinction in Nursing, awarded to Angela J. Martin, Honesdale; honorable mention to Karon Marie Marold, Honesdale. This medal was founded by Mrs. Anthony J. Nemotko, in memory of her husband, Anthony J. Nemotko.

Shaffer Medal for Nutrition and Dietetics, awarded to Valerie Lynn Perkoski, Dunmore; honorable mention to Jo Anna Popielarski, Plains and Alyson DiSabella, Hazleton. This medal was founded by C. Norman Shaffer, LL.D., in memory of Sister Mary of the Sacred Heart Walsh, I.H.M., and Sister Margaret Mary Howley, I.H.M.

Medal for Excellence in Psychology, awarded to Amanda Maxine Silav, Scranton; honorable mention to Matthew Silveri, West Wyoming and Erin N. Kennedy, Jim Thrope. This medal was founded by the Psychology Club in honor of Sister M. St. Mary Orr, I.H.M., and Sister M. Bernardina McAndrew, I.H.M.

Czachor Medal for Academic Excellence in Religious Studies, awarded to Sandra Nicole Thompson, La Junta, CO. This medal was founded by the Czachor Family of Archbald, Pennsylvania.

Sister Maria Laurence Maher Medal for Excellence in Biological Studies, awarded to Claudia Marie Astorino, Conyngham. This medal was founded in memory of Sister Maria Laurence Maher, I.H.M., by her family.

Sister M. Sylvia Morgan Medal for Pre-Medical Studies, awarded to Laura Christine Beale, Mechanicsburg. This medal was founded by Elizabeth King Young Arvad, M.D., in memory of Sister Maria Laurence Maher, I.H.M.

Philip E. Mulry Medal for Excellence in Chemistry, awarded to Joshua Slee, New Oxford. This medal was founded in memory of Philip E. Mulry, Sr.

Jenkins-Colis Gilroy Medal for Excellence in Undergraduate Social Work, awarded to Kira Jo vonRonn, Blakely. This medal was founded by BSW students, in memory of Brian Jenkins, Class of 1979, and Patricia Colis Gilroy, Class of 1976.

Barrett Medal for Outstanding Service and Scholarship in the Field of Legal Studies or Criminal Justice, awarded to Lindsay Jo Genth, Sunbury. This medal was founded by Sigma Pi Mu in honor of Dr. John W. Barrett.

Jordan Medal for Excellence in the Social Sciences, awarded to William Ziegelbauer, Monroe, NY; honorable mention to Christina Evonne Poulos, Woodbourne, NY. This medal was founded by the Misses Jordan, in memory of their brother, Reverend Richard D. Jordan, J.C.L.

Dolores M. Ackourey Medal for Excellence in Leadership and Human Relations, awarded to Susan Grace MacDonald, Sussex, NJ;.honorable mention to Emily Elizabeth Reineke, Westtown, N.Y. Mr. and Mrs. William P. Ackourey founded this medal, in memory of their daughter, Dolores.

Judy Piznar Medal for Leadership and Service to Youth, awarded to Erin Leigh Shannon, Endwell, NY.; honorable mention to Meghan Bridget Mileski, Archbald. This medal was founded in memory of Judy Piznar, Class of 1990.

Sister M. Margrete Kelley Medal for Distinction in Service, awarded to Todd T. Pousley, Perkasie; honorable mention to Jamie Lynn Valis, Atglen. This medal was founded by Anna G. Kirby, in memory of her sister, Sister M. Margrete Kelley, I.H.M.