On Sunday, May 17, graduating students from the College of Liberal and Professional Studies (LPS) gather to mark the completion of their degrees at the 2026 LPS graduation ceremony. This momentous event offers family, friends, faculty, and staff the chance to celebrate our students’ achievements. And each year, a select few graduates are also honored with awards for academic distinction and community recognition. This year’s Bachelor of Applied Arts and Sciences student awardees are:
Bria Lanay Hughes, Bachelor of Applied Arts and Sciences, December 2025 – 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.
Bria Hughes graduated with a Bachelor of Applied Arts and Sciences Summa Cum Laude in December 2025 with an Individualized Studies concentration in Leadership and Communication and Dialogue, Ethics, and Social Good. She also earned three certificates: Dialogue, Ethics, and Social Good, Leadership and Communication, and Upskill. Bria is a member of the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society, and she completed her BAAS degree while working as a research financial coordinator in Penn’s Division of Infectious Diseases. Bria aims to combine her coursework in leadership and communication and ethical decision-making with her passion for technology. She is currently pursuing a career transition into technology with the goal of driving innovation and impact. In January 2026, Bria started the Master of Computer and Information Technology program at Penn Engineering with the Dean’s Master’s Scholarship.
Brandon Danilo Abella, Bachelor of Applied Arts and Sciences, May 2026 – Ronald J. Caridi Award
For the student who best exemplifies the uncompromising commitment to scholarship, hard work, and the life that the late Ronald J. Caridi embodied and shared with so many.
Brandon Abella is graduating with a Bachelor of Applied Arts and Sciences with a concentration in Physical and Life Sciences in May 2026 with expected Summa Cum Laude honors. He will also be earning certificates in Neuroscience and Science Foundations. Brandon is a strategic operations executive with over 18 years of experience leading multi-site facilities and scaling operations. While managing the industrial services company he founded, Brandon enrolled at Penn to reconnect with his interests in science and medicine. Brandon continues to build new ventures, including a workflow optimization platform for service industries and exploring opportunities within health and medicine.
Amy Marie Quast, Bachelor of Applied Arts and Sciences, May 2026 – Linda Bowen Santoro Award
Presented annually by the College of Liberal and Professional Studies Alumni Association to a graduating LPS student who displayed unusual motivation and dedication in the pursuit of an undergraduate degree.
Amy Quast is pursuing a Bachelor of Applied Arts and Sciences with an Individualized Studies concentration in Professional Writing and Global and Regional Studies. She is the recipient of the Bread Upon the Waters Scholarship and plans to graduate in May 2026. Upon graduation, Amy will also earn four certificates: Professional Writing, Global and Regional Studies, Advanced Global and Regional Studies, and Upskill. As a retired US Air Force veteran, Amy was inspired during her time at Penn to start her own business. She founded Bar 85 Ranch, LLC, a 100% veteran-owned ranch in Colorado where she raises Columbia sheep. The ranch focuses on sustainable wool production with the goal of strengthening the wool industry while benefiting the environment. Amy’s personal goal after graduation is to help fellow veterans become involved in sustainable agricultural practices.
Steven Overlander, Bachelor of Applied Arts and Sciences, May 2026 – LPS Award for Academic Achievement in the Natural Sciences
In recognition of outstanding academic achievement in science studies and dedication to a career in the sciences.
Steve Overlander is graduating with a Bachelor of Applied Arts and Sciences with a concentration in Physical and Life Sciences in May 2026. He will be earning certificates in Climate Change and Science Foundations. Steve currently works at Penn as a lab technician, where his hands-on lab work has sharpened his analytical thinking skills and attention to detail. Though he gained valuable life and professional experiences over the years, Steve carried the long-standing goal of completing his bachelor’s degree. Determined to finish what he started, he returned to Penn while continuing his work as a Penn employee, embracing the challenge of balancing a full-time job and school. After graduation, he will continue at Penn in the Master of Environmental Studies program.
We warmly congratulate each of these remarkable students and all our bachelor’s degree graduates. It has been our pleasure to learn with and from you, and we are pleased to join in celebrating your success as you walk the final steps in your undergraduate journey.
