UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The Penn State Alumni Association will recognize 16 outstanding Penn Staters during a virtual ceremony on Tuesday, April 13. Registration is open and free to all Penn Staters, and you can sign up online.

The Alumni Achievement Award recognizes alumni 35 years of age and younger for their extraordinary professional accomplishments. These prominent young alumni are nominated by an academic college and invited by the president of the University to return to campus to share their expertise with students, faculty and administrators. They demonstrate to students that Penn State alumni succeed in exceptional fashion at an early age.

Below are the names, graduation years, and academic colleges of this year’s recipients, and tune in April 13 to learn more about their stories and how Penn State has impacted them.

  • Natasha Bansgopaul: 2010g Smeal College of Business; co-founder and chief operating officer, DarcMatter, Konstellation, and VegaX Holdings
  • Heather Bennett: 2008 College of the Liberal Arts, 2013g Penn State Law, 2017g College of Education; director of equity services, Pennsylvania School Boards Association
  • Zachary Brecheisen: 2012 Penn State Law; associate, mergers and acquisitions, Jones Day
  • Allison Cleary: 2014g and 2016g College of Medicine; pathologist and chief resident in anatomic pathology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital
  • Hallie Grossman: 2007 College of the Liberal Arts; writer/reporter, ESPN
  • Moises Hernandez: 2016g Penn State Law; senior legal counsel and compliance officer, TC Energy Mexico
  • Courtney Kiehl: 2015g Penn State Law; associate attorney, Paul Mones, P.C.
  • Balaji Krishnaiah: 2017g College of Medicine; assistant professor of neurology; director, neural and behavioral science course; associate program director, neurology residency; University of Tennessee Health Science Center
  • Sina Memari: 2012 Eberly College of Science; emergency physician, Silver Cross Hospital and Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital
  • Robert Mukahlera: 2014g School of International Affairs; strategy manager, Caterpillar Inc.
  • Jeremy O’Mard: 2013 Penn State Behrend; managing consultant and systems engineer, IBM
  • Carson Parr: 2009 and 2010g College of Arts and Architecture; partner and architect, RLPS Architects
  • Titilayo Shodiya: 2010 College of Earth and Mineral Sciences; deputy quality manager, National Institute of Standards and Technology
  • Brianna Smith: 2006 College of the Liberal Arts, 2010g School of International Affairs; Africa regional HIV/AIDS adviser, United States Agency for International Development
  • Lindsay Sudell: 2007 College of Health and Human Development; owner, occupational therapist and fascial stretch therapist, Simply Stretch LA
  • Emily Zheng: 2014 Smeal College of Business and College of the Liberal Arts; senior associate, Brookfield Technology Partners

Last Updated March 15, 2021