For Penn’s College of Liberal and Professional Studies (LPS), the graduation ceremony in May is an occasion to honor and celebrate the academic achievements of our community. Graduates of the Bachelor of Applied Arts and Sciences degree take the stage alongside faculty and graduates of LPS professional master’s degree programs, and several outstanding students are singled out for academic distinction and community recognition.
Joe Daniel Barreto receives the Dean’s Scholar Award, presented annually to School of Arts and Sciences students who exhibit exceptional academic performance and intellectual promise. As a Dean’s Scholar, Joe was also recognized at the 2024 Stephen A. Levin Family Dean's Forum on April 17 alongside graduate and undergraduate students from Penn’s College of Arts & Sciences and the Graduate Division. Joe graduates with a Bachelor of Applied Arts and Sciences in Physical and Life Sciences, and has earned four certificates: Science Foundations, Advanced Neuroscience, Data Analytics, and Leadership and Communication. He currently works in a research lab at the University of Colorado and plans to pursue a PhD in neuroscience.
Rafael Álvarez Febo receives the Linda Bowen Santoro Award, presented annually by the College of Liberal Professional Studies Alumni Association to a graduating LPS student who displayed unusual motivation and dedication in the pursuit of an undergraduate degree. Rafael is currently the vice president for Advocacy and Community Development at Esperanza, and graduates with a Bachelor of Applied Arts and Sciences in Literature, Culture, and Tradition.
Trevor Bradley Beauchamp receives the Ronald J. Caridi Award, presented to the student who best exemplifies the uncompromising commitment to scholarship, hard work, and the life which the late Ronald J. Caridi embodied and shared with so many. Trevor is currently a faculty member at Trinity Classical Academy in California and founder of the digital tutoring service Brudda. He graduates summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Applied Arts and Sciences degree with a concentration in Individualized Studies focusing on leadership, organizational anthropology, and global studies; he completed certificates in Advanced Professional Writing, Advanced Upskill, Global and Regional Studies, Digital Strategies and Culture, and several extracurricular Wharton Online certificates in Fintech: Foundations and Applications of Financial Technologies and Entrepreneurship Specialization.
Kristina L. Clark receives the LPS Distinguished Student Service Award, presented to an individual who, through extraordinary leadership, service, and dedication, has helped to advance the mission of the College of Liberal and Professional Studies and in particular, the success of its students. Kristina is currently the Director of Operations & Special Programs for Penn Alumni Relations. She graduates with a Bachelor of Applied Arts and Sciences in Organizational Studies, and completed five certificates including Applied Positive Psychology, Organizational Anthropology, Professional Writing, and Upskill.
Fernanda Correia De Oliveira receives the Association of Alumnae Continuing Education Award, awarded annually to the College of Liberal and Professional Studies student whose scholarship and personal qualities of leadership are regarded as being the most outstanding. Fernanda recently retired as a professional ballet dancer, and looks forward to her next career step as an AnBryce Scholar at New York University School of Law. She graduates with a Bachelor of Applied Arts and Sciences in Data Analytics and Psychological Sciences.
Erin Faye McClain receives the LPS Award for Academic Achievement in the Natural Sciences, presented in recognition of outstanding academic achievement in science studies and dedication to a career in the sciences. Erin is a professional photographer and Deputy Blog Editor for the Penn Undergraduate Law Journal, as well as a National Climate Fellow with Change the Chamber. She graduates with a Bachelor of Applied Arts and Sciences degree with a concentration in Individualized Studies focusing on climate change, creative writing, and mathematical sciences.
We warmly congratulate each of these remarkable students. It has been our pleasure to learn with and from you, and to cheer for you and your peers as you walk the final steps in your undergraduate journey.
