Lackawanna College Police Academy Graduation to Host Scranton Police Detective

WHEN: Tuesday, July 30, 2024, at 6:00 p.m. Doors open at 5:30 p.m.

WHERE: Lackawanna College’s Peoples Security Bank Theater, Angeli Hall, 501 Vine St., Scranton, PA.

WHAT: The Lackawanna College Police Academy will graduate the full-time Class 262. The graduating class includes 26 cadets who are set to embark on their careers in law enforcement.

Kevin Mahoney, Director of Police Academy Operations, will welcome attendees and present certifications to the cadets. We are honored to have Scranton Police Detective Kyle Gilmartin as our guest speaker. Detective Gilmartin will share his insights and experiences to inspire the new graduates.

MEDIA RSVP: Space is limited, and media representatives are requested to RSVP prior to attending the event. Please contact Eric Eiden, Media Relations Coordinator, at eidene@lackawanna.edu or (570) 961-7807.

Lackawanna College Graduation to Feature Speech by Scranton Police Detective

The Lackawanna College Police Academy is proud to announce the graduation of its full-time Class 262. This distinguished class comprises 26 dedicated cadets who are set to embark on their careers in law enforcement.

The ceremony will take place on Tuesday, July 30, 2024, at 6:00 p.m. in Lackawanna College’s Peoples Security Bank Theater, Angeli Hall, 501 Vine St., Scranton, PA. Doors will open at 5:30 p.m.

Kevin Mahoney, Director of Police Academy Operations, will welcome attendees and present certifications to the cadets. We are honored to have Scranton Police Detective Kyle Gilmartin as our guest speaker. Detective Gilmartin will share his insights and experiences to inspire the new graduates.

Space is limited, and media representatives are requested to RSVP prior to attending the event. Please contact Eric Eiden, Media Relations Coordinator, at eidene@lackawanna.edu or (570) 961-7807.

Celebrating the Future Leaders of Tomorrow!

The Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce professional development and community leadership division, Leadership Lackawanna, celebrated 44 high school juniors who graduated from the organization Tomorrow’s Leaders Today (TLT) program. Tomorrow’s Leaders Today is sponsored by NBT Bank.

Tomorrow’s Leaders Today is a seven-month program that develops the leadership, interpersonal, and managerial skills of high school juniors and provides real-world experiences in financial literacy, health care, STEAM, philanthropy, crime and corrections, nonprofit organizations, and community service. 

Class of 2024 participants:

  1. Dhruv Amin
  2. Jacob Antolick
  3. Ashley Bossick
  4. Giada  Costa
  5. Joseph DiStasi
  6. Chloe   Dong
  7. Gabriella Estadt
  8. Nicholas Giumento
  9. Abigail Harshbarger
  10. Joseph Healey
  11. Matthew Hill
  12. Cole Johnston
  13. Zachary Kovaleski
  14. Kylie Krzak
  15. Caroline Luyster
  16. Jordan Malar
  17. Jack Maloney
  18. Mandie Martin
  19. Isabelle Maurer
  20. Sarah  McCullon
  21. Roland McLaine
  22. Isabella Moher
  23. Declan Moran
  24. Reese  Morgan
  25. Clinton Muir
  26. Ivy Neureuter
  27. Sarah O’Brien
  28. Justin Osman
  29. Ava Page
  30. Dante Pallazari
  31. Margaret Pegula
  32. Anthony John  Piestrak
  33. Abygale Plevyak
  34. Hope Polishan
  35. Gabriella Potis
  36. Lily Rozzi
  37. Elizabeth Schneider
  38. Gia Serge
  39. Akhilesh Velaga
  40. Ava Wallace
  41. Makayla Walton
  42. Nico Warhola
  43. Elizabeth Washine
  44. Faith Wormuth

Throughout the program, students were engaged in various sessions facilitated by local organizations serving the greater Scranton area. In addition to invaluable lessons in the program focus areas, students were given the unique opportunity to engage with business leaders and network with students from 16 local schools. Their program culminated with the allocation of $15,000 in grant money from the Scranton Area Community Foundation to five deserving local nonprofits selected by the students. The nonprofits that received the 2024 grants are the Catherine McAuley Center, Indraloka Animal Sanctuary, Keystone Mission, Lackawanna County Area Agency of Aging, and the Women’s Resource Center. 

In addition, each student completed five service hours for a total of 220 hours, dedicated to helping 8 local nonprofit organizations.

Leadership Lackawanna’s TLT Program accepts applications from sophomores who attend high school in Lackawanna County and its surrounding areas, as well as all charter and technical schools and homeschool students. Learn more online at www.LeadershipLackawanna.org.

Lackawanna College Announces Police Academy Cadet Graduation

The Lackawanna College Police Academy will graduate the full-time Class 261 of Hazleton during the ceremony. The graduating classes includes 29 total cadets, who will begin their careers in law enforcement.

Director of Police Academy Operations Kevin Mahoney will welcome those attending and present certifications to the cadets during the ceremony. Guest speaker Jenny Roberts, Esq. Assistant U.S. Attorney, will attend the ceremony to speak to the cadets.

Tuesday, May 14 at 6:00 p.m. Doors open 5:30 p.m.

Lackawanna College Peoples Security Bank Theater, Angeli Hall, 501 Vine St., Scranton, Pa.

Media are requested to RSVP prior to attending the event. Contact Eric Eiden, media relations coordinator eidene@lackawanna.edu or 570-961-7807.

Dime Bank Employees Graduate from School of Banking

Several Dime Bank employees recently completed coursework offered by the Pennsylvania Bankers Association (PA Bankers), the state’s leading banking trade association offering extensive continuing education programs.

Viktoria L. Beiter, Lake Region branch universal banker III, and Riley P. Terysen, Indian Orchard branch manager, graduated from PA Bankers Advanced School of Banking on Thursday, July 27, 2023, at the Penn Stater Conference Center, State College. 

PA Bankers’ Advanced School of Banking is a three-year program that teaches financial services knowledge and skills and paves the road for participants to become leaders at any level within their organization. The curriculum provides a greater understanding of the multiple banking disciplines and how those disciplines work together within the bank. It is analogous to 200-, 300- and 400-level college course study.

Beiter received the prestigious Dr. Philip O. Benham, Jr. Achievement Award. Only one or two students each year qualify to receive the Dr. Philip O. Benham, Jr. Achievement Award, as they must achieve the highest academic achievements throughout the three-year school. The award honors the late Dr. Philip O. Benham, Jr., a longtime PA Bankers’ Advanced School of Banking faculty member and curriculum coordinator from Hollidaysburg, PA. Benham, Jr. taught leadership skills and management development, authored several novels, and was nationally recognized as an expert judge on publication of leadership articles in leading educational journals.

Nicholas Pomroy, assistant vice president network administrator, Elisabeth McConnell, commercial lending administration specialist, and Brandon Stanton, Accountant II, graduated from PA Bankers School of Banking.

The PA Bankers School of Banking provides students with a broad base of knowledge of the financial services industry, which can be applied in a practical manner. Topics taught at this 100-level school cover the banking system, understanding bank financial statements, marketing to customers, compliance, lending, motivation, and supervision.

President and Chief Executive Officer Pete Bochnovich stated, “As a community bank, we are driven to provide opportunities for our employees to enhance their education and we are proud of this year’s graduates who made a big commitment to expand their knowledge of the banking industry and thus enrich their abilities to service our customers and grow with The Dime Bank.”

Lackawanna College Police Academy Cadets Graduate

The Lackawanna College Police Academy graduated the part-time Class 258 of Scranton and full-time Class 259 of Hazleton during the ceremony. The graduating classes includes 36 total cadets, who will begin their careers in law enforcement.

Director of Police Academy Operations Kevin Mahoney welcomed those attending and presented certifications to the cadets during the ceremony. This graduation comes after Governor Shapiro’s visit to the Lackawanna College Police Academy in March to discuss a police recruitment proposal via a $2,500 tax credit yearly for the next three years.

Johnson College to Celebrate Largest Graduating Class

Johnson College will celebrate its largest graduating class at its commencement ceremony on May 13, 2023, at 10 a.m. on its Scranton campus. Graduating students will report to the Moffat Student Center gym by 9 a.m.

Graduates will complete programs for Associate of Science and Associate of Applied Science degrees, academic certificates, and Readiness in Skilled Employment (RISE).

John W. Cosgrove, Chief Executive Officer of AllOne Foundation & Charities, will give the commencement address. Degrees will be presented by Katie Leonard, Ed.D., President & CEO of Johnson College, and Heather Bonker, General Education Director of Johnson College.

Recipients of Johnson College’s Award for Academic Excellence A.A.S., Jacob Banta, an Automotive Technology program graduate, and Richard Christianson, a Heating, Ventilation & Air Conditioning Technology program graduate, will serve as student speakers.

Matthew Michalek ’85, Vice President of Operations of L.R. Costanzo Company, and Co-Owner of B & M Property Development, will give the alumni address to the newly graduated Johnson College class of 2023.

The event will be live-streamed on the College’s YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/user/JohnsonCollegePA.

Alpha Beta Kappa (ABK) is the premier national collegiate honor society for trades and essential occupations. The society honors excellence not only in the classroom, but also in shop, studio, and laboratory study. Additionally, students must be a member of a student organization or club to become Alpha Beta Kappa members.

The National Technical Honor Society (NTHS) is an educational non-profit that exists to honor, recognize, and empower students and teachers in Career & Technical Education The appearance of the degree candidate’s name does not verify satisfactory completion of degree requirements.

The Wright Center Graduation Ceremony

The Wright Centers for Community Health and Graduate Medical Education celebrated the accomplishments of 69 residents and fellows who completed their specialized education and training during the 44th annual graduation ceremony on Saturday, June 25, at the Scranton Cultural Center at the Masonic Temple.

The Class of 2022, known for its resiliency and dedication in the face of a worldwide pandemic, features graduates from Internal Medicine (28), Regional Family Medicine (11), National Family Medicine (16) and Psychiatry (4) residents, and Cardiovascular Disease (3), Gastroenterology (2) and Geriatrics (3) fellowships, many of whom will continue their education or practice of medicine in Northeast Pennsylvania.

The graduating class also includes the first two dental graduates who are members of The Wright Center’s affiliation with the New York University Langone Dental Medicine Postdoctoral Residency Program.

The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education’s cohort of highly skilled and compassionate caregivers will help to address the nation’s physician workforce shortage and improve access to care after working in The Wright Center for Community Health’s network of primary care practices in Lackawanna, Luzerne and Wayne counties and regional hospitals and other health care facilities.

“Through it all, though, The Wright Center has remained true by following our guiding mission and core values, which remain our bedrock,” said Linda Thomas-Hemak, M.D., president and CEO, in her welcoming remarks. “We have addressed the far-ranging effects of world events on the people we aim to lift up and provide opportunity to every single day.

“There is no doubt that COVID-19 has reshaped health care and how we train and educate our residents and fellows, who offer hope for the future of our national health care delivery and educational systems,” she said. “I know the experience has been challenging – fraught with uncertainty, anxiety and unconscionable loss. The Wright Center is extremely proud of the innovation, teamwork and togetherness exhibited by each of you.”

Graduates of this year’s class who plan to stay in the region to practice medicine or continue their studies include Dr. Gurminder Singh, who will begin an internal medicine residency at The Wright Center; Dr. Roger Elliott, who will join Adfinitas Health, Scranton, as a hospitalist; Dr. Pranav Karambelkar and Dr. Purveshkumar Patel who will remain with The Wright Center for a Cardiovascular Disease fellowship; Dr. Jacob Miller, who will join the Veterans Administration Medical Center in Wilkes-Barre as a teaching hospitalist, and Dr. Saba Safdar who will join the recently opened Lehigh Valley Hospital in Dickson City as a hospitalist.

Other members of the graduating class will continue their education or begin practicing medicine across the United States in Arizona, California, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Washington, D.C.

Following the welcome address, Pranav Karambelkar, M.D., an internal medicine chief resident and president of house staff council, congratulated his fellow graduates on their successful completion of their residencies and fellowships.

“The onset of the pandemic threw a mixed bag of emotions at us, including a sense of fear, uncertainty, fatigue, isolation, anger and grief. It tested our knowledge, our patience and our confidence,” he said during his graduate remarks. “We call them ‘challenges,’ but at times that felt like a major understatement. We knew little about how to tackle this virus and how to comfort our patients, friends, families and ourselves. But we as residents never backed down. We wore those fearless faces under our masks everyday with pride as we cared for our patients.

“We looked to each other for emotional support and a sense of normalcy in a life that was otherwise stressful,” added Karambelkar. “The sense of camaraderie was like no other and it’s a feeling I’ll never forget.”

Jumee Barooah, M.D., The Wright Center’s designated institutional official, acknowledged the graduates’ “dedication and determination and patient and community service” that played an oversized role in their success.

“As practicing physicians, you are also lifelong learners and you are not finished growing as individuals and clinicians,” she said. “You will continue to be problem-solvers as you adapt, study and research symptoms and issues in order to shape and improve your chose profession.”

Keynote speaker Harold Baillie, Ph.D., chairperson of The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education Board of Directors, provided sage advice to each member of the class as they embark on a lifelong career of care and service to their patients.

“That magic, the world of science and skill and experience that you bring to the patient, and the world of needs, and fears, and hope, and most of all trust that the patient brings to you, are the source of what I consider to be the two greatest and most challenging virtues you will need: humility and responsibility,” he said. “You don’t know everything, you can’t control nature, and at best you are a learning partner with your patient, as your patient, not you, suffers their biology. That humility leads directly to your responsibility: They have come to you in trust, for whatever help and hope you can give them. By welcoming them, you take on the utmost responsibility to see them through their journey. The dignity and resources of that human being now in your charge demands of you no less.”

In his closing remarks, Lawrence LeBeau, D.O., program director of the National Family Medicine Residency, reminded graduates that their experiences during their time with The Wright Center do not define their futures as medical professionals.

“You have all shown remarkable resilience and a resolve to learn your craft while providing compassionate, high-quality, community-oriented care despite all the additional challenges thrown at you by the pandemic,” said LeBeau. “Hopefully, the experience and some of the lessons learned from it will help to guide your career by motivating you to be strong advocates for your patients, strong advocates and supporters of a more just and equitable health care system and, more broadly, as leaders in your communities to support the changes needed to build a more just and equitable society as a whole.”

Established in 1976, The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education is the nation’s largest Health Resources and Services Administration-funded Teaching Health Center for Graduate Medical Education program, a critical component of the country’s physician workforce pipeline that fills an urgent need for primary care physicians.

For more information about The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education, go to TheWrightCenter.org or call 570-230-0019.

Johnson College’s 103rd Commencement Ceremony to be Held May 20 at the Circle Drive-In

Johnson College will confer degrees to over 180 graduates at commencement exercises to be held at the Circle Drive-In on the Scranton Carbondale Highway in Scranton on Saturday, May 20, 2022 (Rain date: Thursday, May 19, 2022). The ceremony will begin at 10 a.m. and will be live streamed on the College’s YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/user/JohnsonCollegePA. Graduates will be awarded Associate in Science degrees (A.S.), Associate of Applied Science degrees (A.A.S.), and academic certificates.

Nicholas J. Scarnato, CCO at Producto, graduate of Johnson College, class of 1980, and Old Forge, PA native, will give the commencement address. Degrees will be presented by Katie Leonard, Ed.D., president and CEO of Johnson College, and Marianne Gilmartin, Esq., chairperson of the board of directors.

Evan Wilcox, a graduate of the Radiologic Technology program and recipient of the Johnson College Award for Academic Excellence in the Associate in Applied Science programs will serve as the student speaker.

Matt Cirba, Johnson College Computer Information Technology program instructor and alum of the Class of 2009 will give the alumni address to the newly graduated Johnson College class of 2022.

Following is a list of the 2022 Class of Johnson College:

ASSOCIATE IN SCIENCE PROGRAMS

Computer Information Technology

Jacob Brodowsky                     Lake Ariel                                Pennsylvania

Casey Deaton                           Pittston                                     Pennsylvania

Michael Frazier                        South Abington                        Pennsylvania

Brandon Graham                      Clifford Twp                            Pennsylvania

Justin Greenberg (ABK)           Scranton                                  Pennsylvania

Mason Hoeffner                       Exeter                                      Pennsylvania

Justin Kemble                          Scranton                                  Pennsylvania

Brian Langieri                          Clarks Green                            Pennsylvania

John Lee (S)                             Old Forge                                 Pennsylvania

Ryan Mascaro                          Olyphant                                  Pennsylvania

Aidan Mullen (ABK)                Clarks Summit                         Pennsylvania

Max Rubart                              Greentown                               Pennsylvania

Jamar Rymer                            Scranton                                  Pennsylvania

Michael Salansky (H) (S)          Susquehanna                            Pennsylvania

Emily Williams (ABK)             Scott Township                        Pennsylvania

Physical Therapist Assistant

Alexander Calabro                    Exeter                                      Pennsylvania

Ian Farr                                    Mehoopany                              Pennsylvania

Danny Fuentes (C)                    Edwardsville                            Pennsylvania

Brittany Gilley (H) (M) (ABK)  Pittston                                     Pennsylvania

Brianna Ketcho                        Dupont                                    Pennsylvania

Helga Linhares (C)                   Clarks Green                            Pennsylvania

Lauren Miskell (C)                   Archbald                                  Pennsylvania

Darius Powell                           Jefferson Township                  Pennsylvania

Ireland Reilly                           Thornhurst                               Pennsylvania

Hailey Taylor                           Kingsley                                  Pennsylvania

Radiologic Technology

Jessica Cann                            Larksville                                 Pennsylvania

Hailey Cruser                           Dunmore                                  Pennsylvania

Tamar Elba-Kops (H) (C)         Easton                                      Pennsylvania

Brittany Doran                         Avoca                                      Pennsylvania

Alexis Drab                              Friendsville                              Pennsylvania

Michelle Gibbons                     Trucksville                               Pennsylvania

Justin Hall                                Wilkes-Barre                            Pennsylvania

Kristen Kasa                            Mocanaqua                              Pennsylvania

Christine Margavitch                Scranton                                  Pennsylvania

Hope Miller                              Catawissa                                 Pennsylvania

Alexander Mros (C)                  Wilkes-Barre                            Pennsylvania

Tanya Patterson                        Monroe Township                    Pennsylvania

Allana Warner                          Montrose                                 Pennsylvania

Veterinary Nursing

Brittany Bethel (S)                    Dallas                                      Pennsylvania

Lauren Cann (C)                       Larksville                                 Pennsylvania

Jasmine Deitrick                        Aberdeen                                 Maryland

Kayla Dishong                         Browndale                               Pennsylvania

Kyler Kephart                          Woodland                                Pennsylvania

Megan Krakosky                      Shavertown                              Pennsylvania

Kaitlyn Littzi                            Dallas                                      Pennsylvania

Moriah Lovell                          Scranton                                  Pennsylvania

Jaime Martinek                        Greeley                                    Pennsylvania

Alexander Nallin* (H) (S)         Scranton                                  Pennsylvania

Cassidy Payton                         Williamsport                            Pennsylvania

Victoria Pettinato (ABK)          Carbondale                              Pennsylvania

Tresa Savidge (ABK)               Danville                                   Pennsylvania

Kiran Singh                              Lords Valley                            Pennsylvania

Robert Thompson                     Courtdale                                 Pennsylvania               

ASSOCIATE IN APPLIED SCIENCE PROGRAMS            

Advanced Manufacturing Technology

Brendan Chandler                     Honesdale                                Pennsylvania

Samuel Hopkins                       Honesdale                                Pennsylvania

Aden Cardone                          Clarks Summit                         Pennsylvania

Brian Marianelli                       Taylor                                      Pennsylvania

John Wesnesky (H)                   Clarks Summit                         Pennsylvania

Architectural Drafting & Design Technology

Corey Desanto                         Jermyn                                     Pennsylvania

Rocco LaCapra                         Dunmore                                  Pennsylvania

Cody Mackin (S)                      Taylor                                      Pennsylvania

Evan Wilcox** (H) (S) (ABK)  Milanville                                Pennsylvania

Automotive Technology

Jason Chilko (H) (S)                 Bartonsville                             Pennsylvania

Justin Fay                                 Dunmore                                  Pennsylvania

Michael Fordham                     Greentown                               Pennsylvania

Keith Jacob                              Gouldsboro                              Pennsylvania

Zachary Kearney                      Greenfield Township                Pennsylvania

Colby Kogan                            Tobyhanna                               Pennsylvania

Allison Petty                            Scranton                                  Pennsylvania

Jacob Price                               Throop                                     Pennsylvania

Michael Santarsiero                  Moscow                                   Pennsylvania

Michael Sklareski                     Archbald                                  Pennsylvania

Riley Teel                                Montrose                                 Pennsylvania

Nicholas Wilson                       Stillwater                                  Pennsylvania

Biomedical Equipment Technology

Hannah Acevedo                      Old Forge                                 Pennsylvania

Kelly Barron (ABK)                 Dickson City                            Pennsylvania

Vincent Bonello                       Scranton                                  Pennsylvania

Nico Colachino                        Olyphant                                  Pennsylvania

James Goetz                             Scranton                                  Pennsylvania

Tyler Nolan                               Olyphant                                  Pennsylvania

Blake Sphabmixay                    Scranton                                  Pennsylvania

Benjamin Terry (H) (S) (ABK)  Richmondale                            Pennsylvania

Carpentry & Cabinetmaking Technology

Joshua Bilinski (C) (ABK)        Covington Township                Pennsylvania

Jonathon Dutter                        Greenfield Township                Pennsylvania

Carl Galavitz                            Carbondale                              Pennsylvania

Tyler Gries (H) (C) (ABK)        Honesdale                                Pennsylvania

Timothy Gromelski                  Scranton                                  Pennsylvania

Spencer Jones                          Clarks Summit                         Pennsylvania

Fantajah LaRoche                     Carbondale                              Pennsylvania

Andres Ledee                           Pittston                                     Pennsylvania

Nathan McKane                       Archbald                                  Pennsylvania

Diesel Truck Technology

Nicholas Dutter                        Hudson                                    Pennsylvania

Michael Frey                            Barryville                                 New York

Austin Fromert                         Moscow                                   Pennsylvania

Antonio Gay                            Carbondale                              Pennsylvania

Joseph Ingraham (H) (M)          Binghamton                             New York

Vincent Kearney                      Taylor                                      Pennsylvania

Nicholas Neiger                        Narrowsburg                            New York

Dylan Rinker                            Canadensis                               Pennsylvania

Robert Rodriguez                     Scranton                                  Pennsylvania

Electrical and Construction Technology

Jalen Alston                              Saylorsburg                              Pennsylvania

James Ambrosia                       Scranton                                  Pennsylvania

Kyle Barrett                             Jessup                                      Pennsylvania

Matthew Calvey                       Clarks Summit                         Pennsylvania

Ethan Campbell (C)                  Shavertown                              Pennsylvania

Tyler Chesla                             Dalton                                      Pennsylvania

Devin Coombs                         Taylor                                      Pennsylvania

Philip Davitt (H) (S) (ABK)      Dickson City                            Pennsylvania

Brandon Doherty                      Archbald                                  Pennsylvania

Sean Eidenberg (ABK)             Scranton                                  Pennsylvania

Jason Enger                              Lakeville                                  Pennsylvania

Luke Falcone (C)                      Dalton                                      Pennsylvania

Nicholas Ferraro                       Dunmore                                  Pennsylvania

Tyler Ford                                 Jermyn                                     Pennsylvania

Matthew Foytack (ABK)          Madison Township                   Pennsylvania

Liam Galloway                        Equinunk                                 Pennsylvania

Michael Hannah                       Dunmore                                  Pennsylvania

Jack Islas                                 Peckville                                  Pennsylvania

Peter Jakubiak                          Bartonsville                             Pennsylvania

Jonathon Kaville (M)                Old Forge                                 Pennsylvania

Ryan Lesh (ABK)                    Scranton                                  Pennsylvania

Anthony Marsico                      Old Forge                                 Pennsylvania

Jack McCabe (D)                     Old Forge                                 Pennsylvania

Dondy Normil                          Scranton                                  Pennsylvania

Nichole Nye (C)                       Archbald                                  Pennsylvania

Tyler Purdy                              Dalton                                      Pennsylvania

Patrick Redman                        Peckville                                  Pennsylvania

Alexander Reese                      Dunmore                                  Pennsylvania

Matthew Romanowski              Harding                                    Pennsylvania

Matthew Rosengrant (S)           Lake Ariel                                Pennsylvania

Derrell Sapp                             Honesdale                                Pennsylvania

Shawn Smith                            Scranton                                  Pennsylvania

Jakob Snopkowski                    Scranton                                  Pennsylvania

Calvin Sutcliffe                        Moosic                                     Pennsylvania

Anthony Tarantini                     Springbrook                             Pennsylvania

Matthew Urda                          Carbondale                              Pennsylvania

Shawn Van Fossen (C)             Plymouth                                 Pennsylvania

Zachary Walter (C)                   Clarks Summit                         Pennsylvania

Matthew Warden                      Dunmore                                  Pennsylvania

Gavin Williams                        Taylor                                      Pennsylvania

John Wilson                             Olyphant                                  Pennsylvania

Electronic Engineering Technology

Dominic Allan                         Dickson City                            Pennsylvania

Carla Bustamante                     Tobyhanna                               Pennsylvania

Alec Ciaglia                             Roaring Brook                         Pennsylvania

Cody Emrey                             Tobyhanna                               Pennsylvania

Jacob Hansen (H)                     Clarks Summit                         Pennsylvania

Matthew Parry                          Wilkes-Barre                            Pennsylvania

Heating, Ventilation & Air Conditioning

Dante Clark                              Olyphant                                  Pennsylvania

Andrew Demming                    Scott Township                        Pennsylvania

Ken Francis                              Moosic                                     Pennsylvania

Joseph Healey (C) (ABK)         Throop                                     Pennsylvania

Ethan Hosier                            West Pittston                            Pennsylvania

Al-Mauriece Ingram                 Dunmore                                  Pennsylvania

Jordan Kazmierski                    Clifford Township                    Pennsylvania

Nicholas Klapatch                    South Abington Township        Pennsylvania

Omar Maldonado                     Scranton                                  Pennsylvania

Damon Martin                          South Abington Township        Pennsylvania

John McDonald (H) (M)           Pittston                                     Pennsylvania

Michael Mondlak                     West Pittston                            Pennsylvania

Francis Moran                          Moosic                                     Pennsylvania

Jonathan Nicholoff                   Old Forge                                 Pennsylvania

Jake Norris                               Thornhurst                               Pennsylvania

Gage Nudo                               Wilkes-Barre                            Pennsylvania

Jamie Spindler                         Scranton                                  Pennsylvania

Caleb Tratthen                         Scott Township                        Pennsylvania

Arthur Vitagliano                     Prompton                                 Pennsylvania

Daniel Walsh (ABK)                Spring Brook Township            Pennsylvania

Alec Yanisko (ABK)                Dunmore                                  Pennsylvania

Heavy Equipment Technology

Leonard Nardozzo                    Nanticoke                                Pennsylvania

Julia Price (H)                          Scranton                                  Pennsylvania

CERTIFICATE PROGRAMS                       

Building & Property Maintenance

Joseph Church                          Hawley                                    Pennsylvania

Derek Segear                            Wilkes-Barre                            Pennsylvania

Welding Technology

Charles Atherton-Ely                Old Forge                                 Pennsylvania

Ethan Coffay                            Wilkes-Barre                            Pennsylvania

Xander Davis                           Honesdale                                Pennsylvania

Isabella DeFlice (D)                 Scranton                                  Pennsylvania

Bilal Floyd                               Scranton                                  Pennsylvania

Naim Kendricks                       Scranton                                  Pennsylvania

Kadin King                              Tunkhannock                           Pennsylvania

Jason Kutch                             Honesdale                                Pennsylvania

Conor Leone                            Milford                                    Pennsylvania

Cole Maciak                             Clarks Summit                         Pennsylvania

Luke Noble (D) (H)                  Milanville                                Pennsylvania

Kenneth Rought                       Carbondale                              Pennsylvania

Joseph Siggins                          Thompson                                Pennsylvania

Philip Sprong                           Honesdale                                Pennsylvania

Wesley Stetler                          Nicholson                                Pennsylvania

Abigail Tirva                            Clarks Summit                         Pennsylvania

(D) Dual Enrollment (H) Departmental Honors (S) Summa Cum Laude: GPA of 3.90 or HIGHER

(M) Magna Cum Laude: GPA 3.89 – 3.80 (C) Cum Laude: GPA 3.79 – 3.70

Based on GPA to December 2020 (ABK) Alpha Beta Kappa Member

* Recipient of Johnson College Award for Academic Excellence, Associate in Science

** Recipient of Johnson College Award for Academic Excellence, Associate in Applied Science

Alpha Beta Kappa (ABK) is the premier national collegiate honor society for trades and essential occupations. The society honors excellence not only in the classroom, but also in shop, studio, and laboratory study. Additionally, students must be a member of a student organization or club to become an Alpha Beta Kappa member.

The appearance of the degree candidate’s name does not verify satisfactory completion of degree requirements.

Johnson College provides real-world, hands-on learning in a supportive environment and prepares graduates to enter into or advance their careers. Johnson College degrees become essential careers. Johnson College was founded in 1912 and is the region’s only technical college, offering 17 associate degree and 4 academic certificate programs. A low student-to-instructor ratio supports an emphasis on hands-on learning. Located in Scranton on a 44-acre campus, the College is an accredited, private, non-profit, co-educational institution with a strong tradition of working with regional businesses and industries to ensure a skilled and qualified workforce. For additional information on Johnson College, please call 1-800-2-WE-WORK, email enroll@johnson.edu, or visit Johnson.edu.

The Wright Center Celebrates 81 Graduates, Addressing Regional and National Need for Physicians

Eighty-one medical residents and fellows are completing their training this year at The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education, with many members of the Class of 2021 choosing to remain in Northeast Pennsylvania for further studies or to enter practice here and care for patients.

The Wright Center’s newest cohort of highly skilled, compassionate caregivers – whose training overlapped with the outbreak of the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic – will help to address the nation’s physician workforce shortages and improve access to care. Sixteen graduates plan to continue their careers in Pennsylvania, 10 of them in this region.

The Wright Center celebrated its graduates’ accomplishments with a virtual commencement on Friday, June 18. The event can be viewed online at TheWrightGraduation.org.

Established locally in 1976, The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education has since blossomed into the nation’s largest Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education (THCGME) program, a critical part of the country’s workforce pipeline needed to fill an urgent need for more primary care physicians. Unlike traditional residency programs based out of hospitals, the THCGME program provides training sites in community-based settings and serves to inspire physicians to work in rural and other medically underserved communities 

For graduates of The Wright Center’s pioneering regional and national programs, this week’s commencement marked the completion of a three-year, or longer, graduate medication education training period during which they treated patients under the guidance of faculty physicians and simultaneously honed their skills to become highly competent, licensed caregivers.

Notably, the Class of 2021 includes the first physicians to have successfully finished The Wright Center’s three newest programs: its psychiatry residency and its gastroenterology and geriatrics fellowship programs. The graduation ceremony also recognized physicians who completed The Wright Center’s longer-established residencies – internal medicine, regional family medicine and national family medicine – and its cardiovascular disease fellowship program.

The graduating class includes Clarks Summit native Daniel Kazmierski, M.D., chief resident of the internal medicine program. Internal medicine residency graduates who plan to stay in Northeast Pennsylvania to practice medicine or continue their studies include: Anjalika Gupta, M.D., who will begin an addiction medicine fellowship at Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center, Wilkes-Barre; Abdul Haseeb, M.D., Husnain Shaukat, M.D., and Mousa Thalji, M.D., all of whom will join Geisinger Wyoming Valley as hospitalists; and Rahool, M.D., and Umesh Singla, M.D., both of whom will stay with The Wright Center to join the geriatric fellowship program.

Family medicine graduates who plan to stay in NEPA include chief resident Ebi Rowshanshad, D.O., who will join Wayne Memorial Hospital in Honesdale; and Steven Archambault, D.O., who will remain with The Wright Center as faculty. Geriatric fellowship graduates Nirali Patel, M.D., and Naeem Ijaz, M.D., will also stay on as faculty physicians with The Wright Center.

The commencement was held virtually for the second year in a row due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The online event featured remarks and congratulations from Gerard Geoffroy, Chair of The Wright Center for Community Health Board of Directors; Harold Baillie, Ph.D., Chair of The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education Board of Directors; and William Waters, Ph.D., Vice Chair of The Wright Center for Community Health Board of Directors and Co-Chair of The Wright Center for Patient and Community Engagement; graduates and program directors as well as executive leadership, including President/CEO Dr. Linda Thomas-Hemak; Chief Medical Officer Dr. Jignesh Y. Sheth; and Designated Institutional Official Dr. Jumee Barooah.

“I’ve been awed to observe firsthand as each of our residents and fellows faced hardship with humility, calmed concerns with compassion, and grounded the practice of medicine in grace,” Dr. Barooah said during her remarks. “Resilience has been the defining trait of our graduates, and it is a characteristic that will continue to serve them well throughout their lives and careers. They have served as brothers and sisters in arms on the front lines of healthcare, and have all solidified their place in The Wright Center’s history and family.”

“The pandemic brought an unexpected final act to these years of residency: a wake-up call to the profession and indeed to the world, that the object of your practice is not limited to your individual patients, but to them, their families, their communities, and ultimately, the world,” Dr. Baillie said to graduates. “You rose to that challenge in extraordinary ways, going beyond your training to care for the community: providing vaccinations, being alert to the ailments of your patients, and assisting the community in holding back the tsunami of the virus.”