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Major: Environmental Biology

Hometown: Asbury, NJ

Words of wisdom: Initiative opens doors. Don't always wait to be told what to do. Sometimes, the best opportunities come from just asking the question and starting, even if you don't know where you'll end up.

Dr. Chelsea Berns said, "I would like to nominate an exceptional student, Ian Clancy-Mallue, for recognition of his efforts, especially for this month. In my years teaching, I have only had three students that I have felt should be so highly acknowledged, and Ian is one of those three. I had Ian in BIOL375, and he has been researching with me this spring. I continue to be impressed by his maturity, passion, and drive. Ian has been the lead student on a project with me this semester about hummingbird beak morphology. While 3 other students are also working with me, Ian took the lead and is the student that ensured we had a poster to present at SUSRC. He found and summarized countless scholarly articles and did the majority of writing in addition to making, formatting, and printing the poster. Ian and one other student formed the ideas and topics for the project and in doing so, I have seen Ian be a great leader and team player. He helped motivate the other students in the lab and kept morale up when we had to change our questions based on the data available to us. In just one month while working on putting the poster together, he created a summer research project completely on his own. Ian applied for the Student Summer Research Program and completed his proposal on his own, with very little assistance from me. I am stunned by the quality of his proposal, which is beyond the expectations of a senior undergraduate. As he was doing all of the activities listed above, he has also been mentoring another student on our summer project and has very little college experience. Recently we added a third student to the team and as always, Ian has been welcoming and helpful in every way possible. The amount of time, persistence, and dedication that he has forth in this month is astounding and I fully believe that he can, and will, do anything that he sets out to accomplish. It is my honor to give Ian my highest recommendations with no reservations."

Professor Stephanie Simmons said, "Mac is an extraordinary student. Some of the attributes that brought him to mind for this award are that he is always on time for class without fail, his work is always completed before deadlines, and the work he produces is excellent in every way. His design sensibilities are innate, yet as he learns and matures in his craft, he effectively applies critique and new knowledge towards his curiosities and continuously delivers improvements throughout project developments. Additionally, he contributes well-articulated contributions towards peer critique. Mac is a straight A student and outstanding classroom citizen. He has every reason to be proud and boastful, but not once has he ever gloated or held himself in higher esteem than his peers. He is humble, respectful, talented, diligent, intelligent, and a very hard worker. His character and integrity serve as a stellar example of a model citizen and student within our SU-USG community. I recommend, without hesitation, Mac to receive recognition as the March Scholar Holler recipient."

Major: Social Work

Minor: Art and Psychology

Hometown: Salisbury MD

Words of wisdom: When I started at Salisbury University, I was really worried about fitting in. I was worried about making friends and feeling like I belonged. In reality, all I actually had to do was be myself. It's cliche, but for a reason. I was always afraid I was too loud. That I laughed too hard or too loudly. That I was too energetic and silly. Turns out you can never be too much or too little to the right people. For a while I dulled myself at the idea that I would annoy others or embarrass myself. But the right people will laugh with you when you do something dumb (like spill an entire coffee in an elevator or trip down the stairs in front of your whole class). The right people will see your energy and double or return it. Don't dull yourself for anyone! Instead, smile and be kind to those who just don't get your vibe. They just aren't on the same wavelength, and that is okay! If you are still looking for your people, just know that you will find them when the time is right. Live in the now and appreciate all the beautiful things that come when you stop worrying about the opinions of others. Work hard, laugh loudly, smile whenever you get the chance, chase what you want, and most importantly, allow yourself to enjoy all the moments big and small.

Librarian Emily Zerrenner said, "Meg has been an integral part of the library’s student workers since Spring 2023 and has done an amazing job at both the research help desk and the circulation desk. She is honest, hardworking, and caring about her fellow students. She does this while balancing her heavy class load and internship responsibilities for social work, and her dedication to all three is truly impressive.

One thing particularly noteworthy about Megan is her great sense of humor. Her humor helps put people at ease and simply adds to her overall friendliness. When a fellow student asks for research help, I know that they are in great hands with Megan; she is exceptional at helping them get to what they need while also teaching them how to do it for next time.

From Jennifer Bowler at the library: “Megan is an extremely hard working and knowledgeable student employee. She is a quick learner and is always eager to assist our patrons and staff. Not only is Megan a full-time student, employed part-time in the library (working both reference and circulation), but she is also a social work intern, a pet sitter, and in her free time, she rides horses competitively. (Meg actually won first place last semester in Dressage - a discipline that she had just recently learned!). “

From Cassy Lewis, assistant head of circulation: “I have observed Meg firsthand volunteer to help other coworkers and do extra work in both the roles of Circulation and RIS desk assistant. She has, over and over, gone the extra mile to help students who are unsure, insecure, or outright panicking. She handles any question or situation in a calm, competent, professional, and truly CARING manner. She never acts too busy to listen or to jump to assist a student, community member, or coworker. She has an open and supportive positive attitude at all times.

From Dr. Ellen Schaefer-Salins: “[Meg] is a great person to nominate! She is smart and is well spoken and writes well... She will be a great social worker!”

Majors: Psychology

Minor: Cognitive Science and Gerontology

Hometown: Glen Burnie, MD

Words of wisdom: Trust your heart - it knows where you’re meant to go. When you follow what you love, everything will fall into place. Even if it doesn’t make sense to others, trust yourself. Nobody knows you better than yourself.

Dr. Echo Leaver and Dr. Meredith Patterson said, "Delaney is an exceptional undergraduate student who has taken the lead on several collaborative research projects between Dr. Leaver’s and Dr. Patterson’s labs. Her dedication and diligence stand out in all aspects of her work. Delaney has consistently demonstrated initiative and leadership, troubleshooting equipment issues, scheduling participants, and ensuring the smooth progression of projects. In addition, she has played a vital role in training other students in data collection and processing, fostering a collaborative and productive environment within both labs. Moreover, Delaney has actively contributed to manuscript writing, showcasing her academic and research skills. Her commitment to excellence and her ability to balance multiple responsibilities make her a role model for her peers. Delaney’s tips for academic success would undoubtedly inspire and benefit other students at SU. She exemplifies the values of hard work, perseverance, and leadership, making her highly deserving of this recognition."

Majors: Early Childhood Education

Minor: Special Education

Hometown: Gambrills, MD

Words of wisdom: Apply yourself—you’re capable of far more than you may realize! We often underestimate our own potential, but when you push past your doubts and commit to putting in the effort, you’ll discover strengths and abilities you never knew you had.

Dr. Diana Wagner said, "Tori is enrolled in my ODEL 200 class. Her discipline, professionalism, and work quality are really exceptional. She is an excellent writer, but what I most appreciate about her is that she is a very careful and reflective thinker. Her work—whether a short discussion post or a longer journal entry—always makes connections with her coursework. She really does see outdoor education through the holistic lens we teach. When I plan class, she is one of the people I have in mind. I try to anticipate the question she might ask—because she will ask the thing no one else thinks of. I always learn something from her written work. Aside from that, she is one of the most pleasant and professional undergrads I’ve ever had in class. She is rather quiet and certainly doesn’t look for accolades. That’s one of the reasons that she ought to be recognized."

Majors: Computer Science, Cyber Security and Computer Networks track

Minor: Data Science and Mathematics

Hometown: Salisbury

Words of wisdom: My favorite Haitian proverb, "Sa ou fè se li ou wè", which translates to "What you do is what you see". It means what you see in life is from the results of your actions. Plant the seeds, nurture the dreams, and soon you’ll reap a vibrant reality.

Dr. Kristen Walton said, "Ms. Alberi is an exceptional student with a strong record of academic achievements, awards, study abroad experiences, civic engagement, and research. Stephora is spectacular. She has become one of our campus leaders who also, while First Gen and a Pell Grant student with a family who immigrated to the US from Haiti (via the Dominican Republic), spends much of her time engaged with our community - she even set up a "scholarship group" for TRIO students to introduce them to scholarship opportunities. As a Black woman computer science major, she is a trailblazer for other students and has worked hard to build a community of support for her other students, including working on HenHacks and the Cybersecurity Accelerator program. She has engaged in extensive undergraduate research while on campus, and did a study abroad this summer in Estonia that was aimed for graduate students (she was one of 2 undergraduates) – that led her to her proposed Fulbright Scholarship.

Her engagement with campus, though, goes far beyond her skills with machine learning to help the feature detection algorithms with the first Estonian Space Rover, a project she worked with this summer at Tartu. At Salisbury she worked with a faculty member working with Deep Learning for human facial emotion detection. She is taking some of the most challenging courses at SU.

Stephora’s achievements and strengths go beyond the classroom. She was invited by the President’s office to speak with the Board of Regents this June and was one of the students featured in the President’s video for the State of the University address last month. She also is a Presidential Citizen Scholar working closely with PACE, investigating road safety on the West Side of town, which has been instrumental in improving safety in our community. She is an engaged member of several clubs on campus as well as with the TRIO student support center. I recently brought her on as one of my volunteer Fellowships Ambassadors due to her way of connecting with others in a warm and comfortable manner. Furthermore, to round out the rest, she is actually a Cellist and has played with PRESTO and found a band to play with in Estonia this summer. She is the real deal."

Majors: Dual majors in Psychology and Communication

Minor: Philosophy

Hometown: Rehoboth, Delaware

Words of wisdom: Let yourself try and let yourself care. You'll be amazed at what can happen.

Dr. Suzanne Osman said, "I give Colleen McCann my strongest nomination for the Scholar Holler Award. Colleen was the top performing student in my PSYC 325 course during the Fall, 2023 semester, during which she showed great interest in my research lab and a strong intrinsic motivation to learn about the research process. That semester, she enthusiastically began working with me on a research project examining rape empathy, sexual victimization and identity, and has continued working with me since then. Her intellectual contributions have clearly demonstrated her unique independent ability to deeply process and synthesize the scientific literature, and skillfully express her thoughts and knowledge in her writing. Her work on this project led her to travel to Philadelphia last March and present at a professional conference, the annual meeting of the Eastern Psychological Association (EPA). She also presented this work on campus at the Salisbury University Student Research Conference (SUSRC) in April. In addition, Colleen worked on writing this summer to co-author a manuscript, which is currently under review for publication with a professional journal. Colleen is now working on a second related project examining sexual assault acknowledgment and identity, which she plans to submit for presentation at the 2025 EPA meeting in NYC, and the 2025 SUSRC. I will also mention that Colleen has a dual major (Psychology and Communication), has a minor in Philosophy, has taken 19-21 credits over each of the past four semesters, has an incredibly impressive overall GPA, and belongs to the Psi Chi National Honor Society."

Major: Exercise Science

Hometown: Delmar, MD

Words of wisdom:
Put in the work now and it will pay off in the long run. Every day is a new day so make the most of it while doing the things you enjoy.

Dr. Scott Mazzetti said, "Austen Cave should be the Salisbury University Scholar Holler of April 2024 because he continues to compete as an athlete on the track and field team as a distance runner, improve his GPA with stellar academic discipline and effort, and has embarked on an exploration of a career path in academia and scientific research. Specifically, Austen has led a few of his younger student colleagues over the past 6 months in working with me to design and pilot a new research study with new research equipment from scratch. We are learning the techniques, and problem solving the challenges of the data collection together, and Austen has led us all in the motivation, scheduling and sacrifice that is necessary for young research teams (like ours) to break through frustrations and hopeless moments at 6am when many of us thought we might abort the study idea, potentially leaving us with nothing to show for our efforts since last fall. April has been particularly challenging with several students volunteering their own efforts in every way including performing the study protocols themselves to make sure we have details of the study design feasible and unbiased, particularly Austen. His efforts have made the difference in getting us past the threshold of study genesis into an actual project, and not surprisingly has been a great source of motivation for all members of the lab. Thanks Austen!"

Major: Public Health

Hometown: Marriottsville, MD

Words of wisdom:
Never be afraid to ask! People often appreciate taking initiative and focusing on the details many may miss. 

Professor Ryan Weaver said, "As a Presidential Citizen Scholar and Public Health major at SU, Abbie has been instrumental in leading her PCS group to address the lack of access to sanitary products, menstrual hygiene education, and the stigma behind menstruation for middle school students in Wicomico County. Abbie and her PCS group have partnered with AETNA Better Health to pilot a program at Salisbury Middle School to distribute free menstruation resources through the Wicomico County Public Schools Health Department."

Major: Environmental Studies

Minor: Communications

Hometown: Accokeek, MD

Words of wisdom:
When navigating college life, remember the importance of three key pillars: networking, self-care, and time management. Building a strong network isn't just about making friends; it's about forging connections with peers, professors, and professionals that can shape your academic and professional journey. Taking care of yourself goes beyond just studying; it's about prioritizing your mental and physical well-being through proper sleep, nutrition, exercise, and stress management. And when it comes to managing your time, it's all about setting priorities, realistic goals, and finding strategies to make the most of your precious hours. By focusing on these areas, you can build a solid support system, nurture your health and happiness, and make the most out of your college experience.

Professor Ryan Weaver said, "As a Presidential Citizen Scholar and Environmental Studies major at SU, LaMaree has been instrumental in leading her PCS group to conduct an IRB-approved community research project focused on transportation equity and road safety in the City of Salisbury. LaMaree and her PCS group have presented their research to the Salisbury City Council, Salisbury Transportation Department, Salisbury/Wicomico Metropolitan Planning Organization, and Shore Transit, resulting in a new bus stop to increase equitable access to public transportation for the Haitian and Latinx community on the west side of Salisbury. "

• • Scholar Holler 2023
    • November 2023 - Jamie Kost
    • October 2023 - Kaiu Ricketts
    • September 2023 - James Montebell
    • May 2023 - Jessica Tyler
    • April 2023 - Grace DePanise
    • March 2023 - Vicky Vazquez
    • February 2023 - Joshua Killen
  • Scholar Holler 2022
    • December 2022 - Grayson Fipps
    • November 2022 - Kayli Shaw
    • October 2022 - Francis LopezChilel
    • September 2022 - Alonzo Strickland
    • April 2022 - Madison Darrah
    • April 2022 - Madison Darrah
    • March 2022 - Shemar Watts
    • February 2022 - Tieryn Gingerich Heishman
  • Scholar Holler 2021
    • December 2021 - Caitlyn Edman
    • November 2021 - Soleil Darbouze
    • October 2021 - Gabrielle Swilley
    • September 2021 - Ethan Robbins
    • April 2021 - Kamryn Tross
    • March 2021 - Marrissa Izykowicz and Kayla Wagerman
  • Scholar Holler 2020
    • November 2020 - Isabella Gordon
    • October 2020 - Bilal Chaudhry
    • September 2020 - Jamie Nicholson
    • April 2020 - Nathaniel Sansom
    • March 2020 - Ashley Olortegui
    • February 2020 - Andrea Cottingham
    • February 2020 - Austin Dabbs
  • Scholar Holler 2019
    • November 2019 - Amar Naboulsi
    • October 2019 - Harrison Leon
    • September 2019 - Courtney (Nicole) Hammond
    • April 2019 - Jade Gomez
    • March 2019 - Taylor Garner and Robert Guy
    • February 2019 - Gina Santoriello
  • Scholar Holler 2018
    • October 2018 - Noah Cline
    • September 2018 - Lauren Delong
    • May 2018 - Nelcy Denice Avila
    • April 2018 - Brendan Wille
    • March 2018 - Kelly Surkovich
    • February 2018 - Diamond Brown
  • Scholar Holler 2017
    • November 2017 - Storm Galloway
    • October 2017 - Arthur Lembo
    • September 2017 - Danielle Amanda Walker
    • April 2017 - Nicholas Anthony Carlini
    • March 2017 - Juliet Vapsva
    • February 2017 - Kristy Trojan
  • Scholar Holler 2016
    • November 2016 - Brittany Bursa
    • October 2016 - Aaron Wall
    • September 2016 - Megan Newcomer
    • April 2016 - Nicholas Carlini
    • March 2016 - Katherine Potvin
    • February 2016 - Aaron Wilson
  • Scholar Holler 2015
    • December 2015 - Christy Bertolaccini
    • November 2015 - Alex Potocko
    • October 2015 - John Talbot
    • September 2015 - Megan Mahedy
    • May 2015 - Zach Grogan & Rachel Lisk
    • April 2015 - Kirsten Hawkins
    • March 2015 - Andrea Korell
    • February 2015 - Maryam Aboul-Enein