Alumni, Friends Honored During Reunion Weekend
Editor's note: This article was written prior to University of the Sciences' merger with and into Saint Joseph's University and does not reflect the current, combined institution. References to programs, offices, colleges, employees, etc., may be historical information.
See more photos from the event here.
Alumni of all ages gathered on campus for the 2021 Reunion celebration on October 9, 2021. Golden Graduates, celebrating 50 years since their graduation, gathered on D’Angelo Mall where they collected the Golden Graduate statues and reminisced about their time as students.
They joined graduates from other classes for the annual Alumni Award Ceremony and Reunion Dinner. Awards were given to William C. Sessa, Jr. '84 (P), Megan Mohadjer Beromi '14 (C), and Gloria Goodwin. The evening continued with our Bicentennial Exhibition, a silent auction, historical reenactors of some of our founders, dinner and even some dancing.
Dr. Sessa was awarded the Annual Alumni Award, in recognition of his 28-year tenure at Yale School of Medicine where he serves as Alfred Gilman Professor of Pharmacology and Professor of Medicine. He is also Vice Chairman of Pharmacology and Director of the Vascular Biology & Therapeutics Program. Dr. Sessa’s principal contributions to science revolve around how endothelial cells that line all the blood vessels in the body regulate aspects of atherosclerosis and heart disease.
The Young Alumnus Award was given to Dr. Mohadjer Beromi, to recognize her work with Dr. Paul Chirik lab at Princeton University. At Princeton, she developed the novel hydrocarbon polymer that can be chemically recycled back to monomer. This plastic has the potential to be recycled indefinitely. After a two-year postdoctoral tenure at Princeton, Dr. Mohadjer Beromi joined the United States Naval Academy’s Department of Chemistry as an Assistant Professor in the summer of 2021, with plans to continue her research in the metal-mediated chemical recycling of plastics.
In honor of her exemplary dedication to the University, Goodwin, Bibliographic Control Technician, was awarded the Honorary Alumnus Award. Outside of work, she is dedicated to the University through her role as President of The Friends of USciences.
Founded in 1929, as the Women’s Club, the Friends of USciences is dedicated to serving the students through scholarships and commencement prizes. Mrs. Goodwin has been president since 2012 and oversaw the establishment of a Student Relief Fund to provide emergency support allowing students to continue their education in the face of life’s challenges in 2014.
The Samuel P. Wetherill Prize, which is presented to the class with the largest percent increase in participation in gifts to the Annual Fund, was awarded to the Class of 1996. The Marshall Prize, presented to the class who achieved the highest increase in contributions to the Annual Fund was the Class of 1971.