Alumni come home to honors

Homecoming at UD is a time not only to see old friends and cheer on the football team but also to recognize distinguished alumni.

This year, during Homecoming weekend, four alumni received Presidential Citations for Outstanding Achievement, two couples were recognized with Medals of Distinction and Outstanding Alumni Awards, and the Lerner College of Business and Economics honored two of its accomplished graduates.

Presidential Citations were awarded to Sujata K. Bhatia, AS ’99, EG ’99, EG’99M, Joan A. Irving, AS ’95M, J. Matthew O’Donnell, AS ’94, and Diane E. Turgeon, CHS ’95.

Bhatia is a medical research scientist for the DuPont Co. in Wilmington, Del., where she is exploring the development of bioadhesives for wound closure and the development of polymers for interventional medical devices. She graduated from UD with three bachelor’s degrees, in biology, biochemistry and chemical engineering, as well as a master’s degree in chemical engineering, and then earned her medical and doctoral degrees from the University of Pennsylvania.

Irving, the head paper conservationist for the Conservation Center for Art and Historic Artifacts in Philadelphia, supervises a staff of 14 paper conservators and technicians who are responsible for conservation treatment and preservation advice to museums, libraries, archives and historical organizations throughout the country. She has treated such documents as Thomas Jefferson’s second hand-written draft of the Declaration of Independence and George Washington’s annotated copy of the U.S. Constitution.

O’Donnell, morning news anchor for WPVI-TV (Channel 6), is one of the youngest news anchors in Philadelphia and also produces a news podcast, Deep Six. He has covered stories throughout the station’s tri-state viewing area, as well as such national stories as the arrest of Michael Jackson, the death of John F Kennedy Jr., the 2002 Washington, D.C.-area sniper case and the 2003 New York City blackout.

Turgeon is a health and fitness specialist at the U.S. Capitol, where she helps maintain the physical fitness of the 14 women members of the U.S. Senate, providing them with programs in health, nutrition and exercise, as well as therapeutic massage. In 1996, she served as a certified athletic trainer and medical services volunteer at the Summer Olympic Games in Atlanta.

In a separate Homecoming ceremony, Robert and Linda Harra, alumni who met on campus as undergraduates, were awarded the UD Medal of Distinction. The medal recognizes individuals in the state and region who have made humanitarian, cultural, intellectual or scientific contributions to society; have achieved noteworthy success in their professions; or have given significant service to the University, the state and the region.

Linda Brinton Harra, CHS ’71, pursued a nursing career for many years and is an advocate for health-care reform. She is a member of UD’s School of Nursing Visiting Committee and also served on the University’s Nursing Scholarship Endowment Campaign. She received the Alumni Association’s Outstanding Alumna Award in 2001.

Robert Harra, BE ’71, who earned his degree in accounting, is the president and chief operating officer of Wilmington Trust Co. A recipient of UD’s Outstanding Alumni Award, he was inducted into the Alumni Association’s Wall of Fame in 1998.

In 1996, the couple established the Linda Brinton Harra Endowed Nursing Scholarship to benefit nursing undergraduates.

Also honored were James and Suzanne Sears, who received the 2006 Outstanding Alumni Awards, which recognize exemplary volunteer work on behalf of UD and its Alumni Association.

James Sears, BE ’70, recently retired as vice president of CIGNA Corp. in Philadelphia and serves on the UD Athletics Visiting Committee. Suzanne Sears, BE ’78, is president of DIY Business of Kimberly-Clark Corp. in Newtown Square, Pa., and is a member of the UD Alumni Association’s Board of Directors.

The Searses recently established the James and Suzanne Sears endowed scholarship in athletics.

And, in a ceremony at the Lerner College, Gregory F. Lavelle and Stoyan Tenev received the college’s 2006 Alumni Awards of Excellence, which recognize professional accomplishments, commitment and excellence and contributions to the community.

Lavelle, BE ’87, is managing director of Puglisi & Associates in Newark, Del., and also is a member of the Delaware House of Representatives.

Tenev, BE ’93M, is a lead economist for The World Bank Group’s International Finance Corp., where he is responsible for strategy development, economic analysis and technical assistance in East Asia and the Pacific.