Eight UD alumni, who have graduated within the past 20 years and have exhibited great promise in their professional and public service activities, received the Presidential Citation for Outstanding Achievement at an October ceremony in Bayard Sharp Hall.

Following President David P. Roselle's welcome and remarks by Provost Mel Schiavelli, a musical selection was presented by David Herman, Trustees Distinguished Professor of Music and University Organist.

With a bachelor's degree in economics, Robert T. Ashman is assistant vice president of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, helping direct the Wholesale Payments Product Office and managing national funds transfer products and technology issues. His work was instrumental in the Y2K conversion of the Federal Reserve's computer systems. He and his wife, Susan, CHEP '80, '82M, reside in Yardley, Pa.

"I will always remember my years at the University as both enjoyable and challenging," Ashman says. "My academic coursework taught me critical thinking skills that I have applied throughout both my personal and professional life. Through my extracurricular activities in student government, I learned presentation skills and group dynamics. Also, interacting with members of the administration gave me experience that I have used in communicating with senior management.... Finally, the diversity of the University allowed me to meet and interact with people with a broad range of interests and backgrounds and allowed me to explore different fields of study."

With a degree in fine arts, Lisa Bartolozzi of Newark is a rising star in the world of art, whose work has been presented in a number of solo exhibitions, including shows in Wilmington, Philadelphia, New York and Florence, Italy. Currently an adjunct faculty member of the New York Academy of Art, Bartolozzi has taught at several art schools and museums and has served as a visiting artist at UD.

"During my years at the University of Delaware, the foundations for building the career of a visual artist were set before me," Bartolozzi says. "First and foremost, I had to learn how to paint... Second, I learned to achieve the professionalism of a fine artist... Third, I learned creativity demands openness to all knowledge and life experience...."

Wayne W. Campbell, who earned his bachelor's degree in nutritional sciences with a minor in chemistry, is currently assistant professor of foods and nutrition at Purdue University, where his research focuses on the effects of nutrition and exercise on older men and women as they age. He lives in West Lafayette, Ind.

"My experiences at the University of Delaware...were extremely rewarding and valuable to me," Campbell says. "I am especially grateful to my nutrition professors for the strong nutrition foundation and ethical standards they provided... As a scientist and professor, I continue to draw upon their example and strive for their excellence. Perhaps my fondest memories at the University of Delaware relate to the special friends and experiences I enjoyed as a campus tour guide."

Graduating from UD with a degree in health and physical education, Robert W. Greene III now lives in Fisher Island, Fla., and has turned his interest in health and exercise into a worldwide business as the owner and president of Bob Greene Enterprises Inc., which provides exercise training and nutritional consultation services and promotes healthy living concepts. His books include Make the Connection: 10 Steps to a Better Body; A Journal of Daily Renewal: The Companion to Make the Connection, with coauthor Oprah Winfrey; and Keeping the Connection. Greene also released a best-selling video version of Make the Connection.

"I think of the friends I made here, the classes I took, the professors that taught and prepared me so well," Greene says. "I find myself smiling at the funny things that happened in those four years, and, suddenly, I'm overwhelmed with gratitude that my education comes from this place that feels so much like home."

With a bachelor's degree in community and family services and a master's degree in public administration from UD, Robin Mayhew, who lives in Philadelphia, has distinguished herself as a leader in the field of transportation planning and solutions. She currently works as a community planner for the Federal Transit Administration, assisting the state of Pennsylvania. She is the daughter of Frances Mayhew, UD associate professor of consumer studies.

"I recall walking the path with big trees as a child, led by my mother's hand," Mayhew says. "Then, I walked the path as an undergraduate. Here, I grew from child to adult. Years later, I returned for the master's in public administration program.... The path provided a framework from which I have evolved. And the path--the University of Delaware Mall--remains for many to come..."

A graduate of UD's joint master's degree program with Longwood Gardens, David Murbach has had a successful career in ornamental horticulture, including serving as director of the Gardens Division of Rockefeller Center, which includes the world famous Rockefeller Center Christmas tree. Currently on sabbatical leave as a Loeb Fellow at Harvard University, Murbach is studying Cuban landscapes and designs and working as executive director of the Horticultural Society of South Florida. While on sabbatical, he resides in West Palm Beach, Fla.

"Of all the educational systems in the U.S., only the University of Delaware/ Longwood Graduate Program offered the unique opportunity to experience both classroom teaching and the living 'laboratories' of the museums and botanical gardens in the Delaware Valley," Murbach says. "My UD master's degree gave me the opportunity of my life--to work at Rockefeller Center as director of gardens."

A graduate of the Department of Art's visual communication program, Mylene Turek Pollock currently serves as chief creative officer at Long Haymes Carr in Winston-Salem, N.C., where she resides, after a successful career in New York City. Her projects have achieved recognition for effectiveness and creativity in every major international advertising competition. Throughout her career, she has mentored UD students as interns and has hired them after graduation.

"The University of Delaware offered me the best of both worlds," Pollock says. "I was able to experience everything that a large, successful university has to offer, while at the same time, benefiting from the structure and support of a small, nurturing, healthy competitive program. I was taught an awful lot about thinking, problem solving, learning and 'working in the real world.' This filled me with confidence as I set about making my way in the competitive advertising scene...."

Joseph Susan earned a bachelor's degree in psychology and a master's degree in physical education at the University. Currently head football coach of the Wildcats at Davidson College, Susan was an offensive lineman at UD who helped lead the Fightin' Blue Hens to two appearances in the NCAA Division II playoffs. He resides in Davidson, N.C.

"The most enduring factor that I carry with me from my experience at Delaware is the passion of the good people I had the privilege of working with," Susan says. "The impact of these role models has assisted me in constructing my philosophy as my career evolved. I look back at the time I spent at this special place with great emotion and a strong sense of pride. We all long to relive certain parts of our lives, and my memory of being a Blue Hen is something I return to often."