President's Newsletter
May 2025
Dear Juniata Community,
This was a weekend to remember as we came together to mark Juniata’s 147th Commencement and celebrate our graduating students with a crowd of more than 500 family, friends, trustees, alumni, faculty, and staff.
When I think of the Class of 2025 and of our honorary degree recipients, Dr. Jim Metz '89, Carol Pletcher '66, and Lt. James Wagner, I think of courage. All illustrate courage on different levels in different ways that should serve as examples for all of us.
What an honor it was to confer degrees upon 317 graduates, including 59 master’s degrees–the largest cohort in the history of our graduate program. The joy of welcoming each one as a proud alum never fades. As you will see in the photos below, a spirit of pride and accomplishment was evident in every face.
Commencement offers a milestone moment perfect for reflection on the recently concluded academic year and recognition of the accomplishments of our faculty, students, and alumni.
At our Spring Convocation, four faculty members were honored with distinguished teaching and service awards and students were recognized for outstanding accomplishments. We celebrated athletic achievements later that same day at the Alfie awards.
Juniata athletic teams soared into post-season play this spring. The historic 2025 season for the men’s volleyball team came to a hard-fought end on April 25, falling to Southern Virginia University in the NCAA Division III National Semifinals at Roanoke College. The women’s lacrosse team marked the second year in a row the team advanced to the Landmark Conference semifinals. Women’s and men’s tennis each reached the Landmark Conference Tournament.
We are also heading into the end of our giving year, May 31. If you haven’t made your gift to Juniata this year, we encourage you to do so (and ask you to share a reminder with your classmates and fellow alumni). These gifts make a world of difference in the lives of our students!
Please join us in celebrating another successful academic year and in congratulating the members of the Class of 2025!
Warm regards,
President James A. Troha
147th Commencement Ceremony
Juniata College celebrated its 147th Commencement Ceremony on May 17, honoring 317 graduates, including 258 bachelor’s and a record 59 master’s degree recipients. President James A. Troha praised the Class of 2025 for their courage, perseverance, and commitment to community. “Courage is an attribute of character,” Troha said, “often guided by your core personal values.”
Dr. James M. Metz ’89, a leader in radiation oncology at the University of Pennsylvania, delivered the commencement address and reminded students to follow their passions. “People who do what they love make the biggest impact,” he said. Metz also announced a gift to support Student Accessibility Services in honor of the Class of 2025’s efforts to create an inclusive campus.
Metz, along with Carol H. Pletcher ’66 and Lt. James A. Wagner, received honorary degrees recognizing their leadership, service, and resilience. The ceremony can be viewed HERE
Baccalaureate Service
Members of the Class of 2025, their parents, grandparents, extended family, friends, and supporters gathered with the Juniata community for the Baccalaureate Service in Memorial Gymnasium, Kennedy Sports and Recreation Center, on Friday, May 16, to reflect on the journey of the past four years. Watch the service HERE.
Spring Awards Ceremonies
Professor Alison Fletcher, winner of the 2024 Beachley Award for Distinguished Teaching, presented "A Brief History of Journeys Most Unlikely," at Juniata's Spring Awards Convocation. Provost Lauren Bowen announced the honorees for student academic recognitions and prizes, while President Jim Troha introduced recipients of the 2025 faculty awards. View the Spring Awards Convocation HERE.
Alfie Awards
Juniata College’s Athletics Department hosted the 10th annual Alfie Awards, a celebration of the achievements, perseverance, and spirit of its student-athletes. The highly anticipated event featured the announcement of the prestigious "Big Five" awards—the John E. Blood, William R. Smaltz, Carolyn Stambaugh, Stanford Mickle, and Charles Bargerstock Awards—selected by Juniata’s head coaches to honor excellence in athletic performance, leadership, and sportsmanship. The evening also highlighted the voice of the student-athletes themselves through the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) Awards, with categories including Best Moment, Best Comeback Performance, Best Upset, Best Performance, Best Women’s Individual Performance, Best Men’s Individual Performance, and Best Team—all voted on by Juniata's student-athletes. View the Alfie Awards HERE.
Faculty Members Honored with Awards
Juniata College honored four faculty members with distinguished teaching and service awards during the annual Awards Convocation, which took place May 7.
Charles A. Dana Professor of Biology Jill Keeney was named the 58th recipient of the Beachley Award for Distinguished Teaching. Professor of Communication Sarah Worley, who graduated from Juniata in 2000, received the 36th annual Beachley Award for Distinguished Academic Service. Assistant Professor of Biology T.J. Firneno was honored with the 30th Henry ’57 and Joan Gibbel Award for Distinguished Teaching, which goes to faculty members with fewer than six years of service at Juniata. Professor of Biology Randy Bennett earned the fourth annual Eagle Advising Award, which is awarded to a faculty or staff member who has served as an adviser for at least three years.
Award nominations are received from students, faculty, administrators, alumni, and trustees. The selection committee includes the college president, provost, student government president, and the three most recent award recipients.
Breaking Ground for the Gateway Center
Juniata College held a ceremonial groundbreaking on April 25 for the new Gateway Center, a transformative three-story facility that will expand healthcare access in rural Pennsylvania and train the next generation of healthcare professionals.
e three most recent award recipients.
Rohit Raj '25
Driven by a deep curiosity, Rohit Raj ’25 pursued physics at Juniata College—and his groundbreaking research has earned national recognition. The Society of Physics Students honored him with its Award for Outstanding Undergraduate Research for his work on rare stars in nearby galaxies. Using the Hubble and Keck Telescopes, Rohit identified Wolf-Rayet and other unusual stars millions of light-years away, creating a custom analysis tool to separate them from surrounding stellar “noise.” His project stood out for its rigor and originality. Rohit’s journey began in India with big questions—and at Juniata, he found the support to start answering them. Read more HERE.
Celebrating 2025 Fellowship Awards
Juniata College is proud to announce the newest recipients of prestigious national and international fellowships—awards that support outstanding undergraduates and graduating seniors as they pursue research, study, and graduate education. Through the dedicated efforts of our faculty and the Student Research and Fellowship Committee, Juniata continues to identify and support exceptional students in securing competitive opportunities.
Fulbright Program
Grace Gibbs '24
Isabel Kruse '24
The Fulbright U.S. Student Program expands perspectives through academic and professional advancement and cross-cultural dialogue. Fulbright creates connections in a complex and changing world. In partnership with more than 140 countries worldwide, the Fulbright U.S. Student Program offers unparalleled opportunities in all academic disciplines to passionate and accomplished graduating college seniors, graduate students, and young professionals from all backgrounds. Program participants pursue graduate study, conduct research, or teach English abroad. Grace will study in the United Kingdom and Isabel will study in Bulgaria.
Gilman Program
Chris Sparks '26
Fernando Molina-Gomez '28
The U.S. Department of State’s Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program (Gilman Program) supports to study or intern abroad, providing them with skills critical to our national security and economic prosperity. The Gilman Program is a competitive, merit-based scholarship.
Newman Civic Fellowship
Tamanna Chhabra ’26
The Newman Civic Fellowship is a year-long program that recognizes and supports student public problem solvers at Campus Compact member institutions. Fellows are nominated by their president or chancellor based on their potential for public leadership and their work with communities.
Shepherd Higher Education Consortium on Poverty (SHECP)
Austin Clees '27
Addison Ganey '26
Estefany Granados-Saravia '27
Astrid Lucas '26
The Shepherd Higher Education Consortium on Poverty (SHECP) encourages the study of poverty as a complex social problem, by expanding and improving educational opportunities for college students in a wide range of disciplines and career trajectories. Through its programs, SHECP and its member institutions prepare students for a lifetime of professional and civic efforts to diminish poverty and enhance human capability.
Freeman Asia Award for Study in Asia
Jadyn Slovick ’25
Freeman Awards for Study in Asia (Freeman-ASIA) provides scholarships for undergraduate students to study abroad in East or Southeast Asia. Jadyn will study in Taiwan.
Liberal Arts Symposium
Juniata’s Liberal Arts Symposium (LAS) held on April 24 was a day to remember, with events happening all across campus. Also known as Mountain Day of the Mind, LAS is a celebration of academic discovery—where students share their passions, findings, and innovations with the campus community.
End-of-Semester Fun
As the Spring 2025 semester drew to a close, events like Multicultural Storyfest, the Sustainability Dinner, and musical performances brought the community together for fun and fellowship.
Juniatians know the Juniata Journey is filled with joy and fueled by generosity.
A Juniata education creates outstanding opportunities—undergraduate research, community-engaged learning, and international study—that prepare students for a lifetime of leadership. Your support makes all the difference. Make your gift before the giving year ends on May 31!
Juniata College Graduate Programs
Juniata College celebrated the accomplishments of the largest cohort of master's degree recipients in the history of our graduate program at our 147th Commencement ceremony Saturday. Programs in accounting, business administration, bioinformatics, data science, applied ecology and natural resource management, education, organizational leadership, and public health, are offered with accessibility and versatility in mind. Click below to learn more!
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