SIHSS Presidential Award Winners

winners

The Robert Morris University SIHSS class of 2020 produced many high achievers. 

Every year two graduating seniors from every school are honored as the top academic performers with the Presidential Undergraduate Awards. Recipients are decided by the Dean and faculty of the school in which they studied and approved by the university President. Winners of this award have demonstrated exemplary scholarship during their time at the university, as well as engagement in campus activities, volunteer service, and internships.

The SIHSS Class of 2020 Presidential Undergraduate Award winners are Christina Kowalski and Alex Minford. 

Christina Kowalski (Sport Communication) finished her degree in only seven semesters. Last September she was chosen to be one of 16 students from around the country to travel to Dallas and be part of a College Football Playoff mock selection committee, even sitting in the seat at the conference table normally occupied by RMU President Chris Howard, who recently finished his term on the committee. Christina was the copy editor for sports news at Sentry Media, treasurer of the campus chapter of Public Relations Student Society of America, and a club hockey manager. She also traveled to Ireland for two weeks as part of a faculty-led education abroad program, and had two internships, including one at Total Sports Enterprises, which offered her a position when she graduated.

Alex Minford (Political Science) has been a mainstay of RMU’s Division I football program, playing, at one time or another, all five offensive line positions during his 30 starts, and serving as team captain in 2019. He is one of our top examples of the student-athlete model, having achieved this record of intercollegiate athletic success while accomplishing classroom success as well. A Patriot Scholar with a near-perfect GPA, he has more than fulfilled the challenges of being a member of the University Honors Program, and has a long record of undergraduate research that he has pursued both inside and outside of his classes. Alex has also been active in University life as a leader in both the Political Science Club and the Pre-Law Society, and community volunteer as well, organizing the football team his freshman year to make a significant donation of books, toys, and games to Children’s Hospital, which he then personally delivered.