Five alumni were honored at the College of Arts and Sciences'
fifth annual Celebration of Achievement and Success in May. These talented alumni
received awards for their many accomplishments throughout their careers and
their continued dedication to the University.
Dean George Watson, who also recognized several faculty members
and students at the ceremony, spoke to the breadth of achievement represented
by the five alumni winners. The recipients have made marks in the fields of arts,
humanities, natural sciences, social sciences and public service.
This distinguished group of alumnis commitment to our
college helps strengthen our mission, vision and reach, said Watson.
Susan L. Buck, 91M 03PhD
Susan Buck is a private art conservator whose expertise has taken
her from historical institutions in the U.S. to China and the Czech Republic. Buck
completed her Ph.D. in art conservation research in 2003, when she received an award
for the outstanding doctoral dissertation in the humanities.
She received her masters degree from the graduate Winterthur/University
of Delaware Program in Art Conservation and remains involved as a co-teacher.
She also teaches a graduate program in Beijing. Buck was nominated for the colleges
alumni award for the extensive work she has done to to inspire, educate and
inform those emerging into her field.
Im very pleased to be recognized as a conservator and
graduate, said Buck. The art conservation program at UD is the best in the
country, so to be recognized for that is quite an honor. This is not just an
award for me, but for the program.
Kendel Sibiski Ehrlich,
83
Kendel Sibiski Ehrlich earned her alumni award for her rich
career in law and public service. She has held numerous titles since graduating
from the University with a bachelors degree in criminal justice.
If the college you went to recognizes what youve done
after youve left, its an incredible honor and sense of accomplishment, said
Ehrlich. UD gave me a foundation in my career choice in criminal law.
Some of Ehrlichs job titles have included first lady of
Maryland, public defender, prosecutor, lawyer, consultant, producer for Comcast
and even radio personality. Ehrlich also established and managed two nonprofits
and has served on various charitable boards. She holds a Juris Doctor degree
from the University of Baltimore Law School and currently teaches as an adjunct
professor of criminal law at Anne Arundel Community College in Maryland.
Matthew B. Geller, 78M
Matthew Geller is an internationally recognized artist based
in New York City. Geller graduated with a bachelors degree in fine arts from
Connecticut College and went on to earn his Master of Fine Arts degree in sculpture
form the University of Delaware.
Geller is drawn to overlooked or underutilized environments
and seeks to involve the public and foster a sense of community through his
artwork. He has received numerous grants, fellowships and awards for his art
and has been featured in galleries and museums. Over the next two years, Geller
will have new public art commissions opening in Brooklyn, Miami, El Paso,
Seattle, Calgary, Cleveland and San Francisco.
Its very gratifying to have your career recognized, said
Geller. My two years as a graduate student here had a profound effect on my
personal life, more than any other two years in my adult life.
Guillermina
Gonzalez-Sobrero, 09M
Guillermina Gonzalez-Sobrerois a multicultural professional with experience in the United
States, Mexico and Europe. She holds a Certificate in Leadership and Public Management
from the University of Delaware, where she graduated from the Liberal Studies
Program with a masters degree in 2009. Gonzalez-Sobrero
said UD was her first intellectual home in Delaware and expressed her
gratitude for the award on behalf of the people who have helped her get to this
point in her profession.
Gonzalez-Sobrero began her career working for multinational
organizations and has since moved to the nonprofit sector. She is currently executive
director of the Delaware Arts Alliance, a highly active advocacy group. Gonzalez-Sobrero
also stays involved in the community by serving on various boards in Delaware
and lending her expertise to the media.
Lawrence M. Principe,
83
Lawrence Principe earned his Honors bachelors degree in
liberal studies and a second bachelors degree in chemistry, both in 1983 at UD.
Currently, Principe is director of the Charles S. Singleton Center for the
Study of Premodern Europe at Johns Hopkins University. He received two doctoral
degrees, in organic chemistry and in the history of science, and has since held
various teaching positions, for which he has won numerous awards.
Principe combines his passion for science and history by
studying alchemy, a specialization that began during his time as an
undergraduate at UD. He has written more than 45 scholarly articles, several
books and produced video courses on the history of science and on the
interactions of science and religion.
Im extremely honored to receive this award, as this means
even more to me because it comes from the University of Delaware, which has
been without question, the place most formative and foundational for my
thinking, my career, my life, said Principe. I owe much of what I have accomplished
to the opportunities that were richly and freely given to me to me at UDopportunities
that allowed a student with crazy, idiosyncratic ideas to pursue those ideas
seriously and eventually make a career out of them.
