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For printable image click here. Zachary Bachrach Schafer UD photo by Kathy F. Atkinson

For printable image click here. Carol Anne Cipriani UD photo by Kathy F. Atkinson

Zachary Bachrach Schafer, of Unionville, Pa., and Carol Anne Cipriani, of Philadelphia, have been named the outstanding man and woman of UD's Class of 2008 and, as such, are the recipients of the Taylor and Warner awards, respectively, given annually by the UD Alumni Association.

The Taylor Award, first awarded in 1968, is named in honor of Alexander J. Taylor Sr. (1875-1940) and is presented to the outstanding senior man. The Emalea Pusey Warner Award, honors the late Mrs. Warner (1853-1948), and has been given to the outstanding senior woman since 1950.

Emalea Pusey Warner is remembered as a champion of education. In 1911, she became chairperson of the State Federation of Women's Clubs' Committee on Education, working diligently toward establishing a state-supported women's college in Delaware. She later became the first woman member of the Delaware College Board of Trustees. Both Warner Hall on the UD campus and Warner Elementary School in Wilmington are named in her honor.

Valedictorian of the Class of 1893 with a degree in civil engineering, Alexander J. Taylor Sr. was an active alumnus who was elected to the Board of Trustees in 1927, 1932 and 1938, serving on the Grounds and Buildings Committee, the Executive Committee and chairing the Finance Committee. Taylor Hall was named in his honor.

Students considered for the $2,500 awards must have demonstrated leadership, academic success and community service as exemplified by Mrs. Warner and Mr. Taylor. Applicants also must have a cumulative grade point index of 3.0 or better at the end of the first semester of their senior year. The awards are presented each year at a luncheon with UD President Patrick T. Harker, held on Honors Day. The recipients also lead the alumni delegates' procession at Commencement.

Now completing a course of independent study and working for UD's Office of Development and Alumni Relations and as a teaching assistant for Ralph Begleiter, Edward and Elizabeth Goodman Rosenberg Professor of Communication and distinguished journalist in residence at UD, Schafer is a triple major in economics, history and international relations who also has taken several graduate-level courses in energy and environmental policy. He completed his official coursework in the fall with a 3.7 grade point average, said he isn't quite ready to leave UD.

Schafer said immediate plans after graduation include working for UD's Office of Development and Alumni Relations while restoring a sailboat, planting an orchard, renovating his family's summer home in Elkton, Md., and launching a business specializing in high-end computer graphics technology with a roommate and fellow UD alumnus. Schafer said he plans to run the marketing and business end of the enterprise and, true to his entrepreneurial streak, has already begun conducting market research.

An elementary education major, with the added credentials of special education and middle school math specialization, Cipriani, who carries a 4.0 grade point average, said that nothing inspires her quite as much as inspiring others. And along with her desire to teach lies a commitment to boost math confidence in kids who struggle with numbers.

As a peer tutor and an ambassador for CHEP, Cipriani said she has plenty of opportunities to find others dedicated to education, however. And several opportunities during her UD career have broadened horizons, as well, including a semester abroad in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, where she took education and history courses.

Media contact: Becca Hutchinson, (302) 831-1418, [playfair@udel.edu]
May 13, 2008