Penn Arts and Sciences has named two students from the College of Liberal and Professional Studies as 2019 Dean’s Scholars. This honor is presented annually to students who exhibit exceptional academic performance and intellectual promise. Eighteen additional students from the College of Arts and Sciences and the Graduate Division were also awarded the distinction.
College of Liberal and Professional Studies Undergraduate Program
Nicholas Berrettini (Bachelor of Arts, ’19) is a senior who has pursued global and local opportunities in support of his love of Italian language and culture, from study abroad and English as a Second Language (ESL) teaching in Bologna, Italy, to serving as Community Manager at Italiani a Philly, an organization helping Italians who have just moved or are looking to relocate to Philadelphia. Nicholas’ honors thesis examines representations of Italian masculinity in polizieschi (crime-detective) television series, taking into consideration the models of Italian masculinity propagated by Berlusconism and fascism. He is a member of the National Italian Honors Society.
Professional Master's Programs
Maria Lorena Levano Gavidia (Master of Behavioral and Decision Sciences, ’19) is recognized in her program and beyond as an exceptional young scholar. In addition to her stellar academic record and service on her program's professional development committee, Lorena was awarded the GAPSA-Provost Fellowship for Interdisciplinary Innovation, enabling her to research Latino youth beliefs about sexual harassment in high schools. Lorena recently presented a paper on the role of trust in online grooming at the Second Annual Latin-American Workshop on Experimental and Behavioral Social Sciences. She was also awarded the Audience Choice award for her 2019 Grad Ben Talk “Sexual Harassment in High Schools From a Social Norms Perspective.”
