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Students in the Lee College reflect on the experiences they had that led to them earning awards that recognized excellence in academics, research, campus involvement, and hands-on learning opportunities.

August 12, 2019

By Renee Chmiel, Office of Marketing and Communications

Alyssa Stolecki ’20, a criminal justice major, has immersed herself in hands-on learning opportunities throughout her time at the University of New Haven. Among her most memorable experiences were her internships with the , the , and the .

Her participation in these experiences led to her receiving this year’s Excellence in Experiential Education Award from the Henry C. Lee College of Criminal Justice and Forensic Sciences.

"I was honored to receive this award," said Stolecki, who also published a paper examining the War on Drugs that was published in the . "Experiential education opportunities drew me to the University of New Haven. To have been recognized by criminal justice faculty members as having excelled in this area is amazing."

In addition to the dozens of students who were recognized, Megan M. Murphy ’04, ’16 M.S., fire marshal and emergency management director for Trumbull, Connecticut, and Robert E. McDonald, Jr. ’86, ’95 M.S., director of NBA security and international events, were honored. They received the Alumni Fellowship Award and the Lifetime Achievement Award, respectively.

Students were recognized for excellence in areas such as academics, research, public service, and leadership. Edmund Schultz ’20, a fire science major, received the Outstanding Student in Fire/Arson Investigation Award.

"This award is a testament to the amazing opportunities that I have had at the University," said Schultz. "The fire science faculty members have a passion for helping students succeed, and they helped pave the way for me to be successful."

"This award is a testament to the amazing opportunities that I have had at the University."Edmund Schultz ’20

For Stolecki, receiving the award was meaningful recognition of her hard work, and she’s grateful for the opportunities that she has had at the University.

"I have my education and my co-curricular involvement to thank for giving me the confidence and leadership skills that I needed so that I could put myself out there in the field and be successful," she said.

2018-19 Award Recipients

• Outstanding Student in Fire/Arson Investigation: Edmund Schultz
• Outstanding Student in Fire Administration: Michael Herold
• Outstanding Student in Fire Protection Engineering: Adam Jakubowski
• Outstanding Student in Paramedicine: John Albini
• John "Jack" Obier Award (recognizes outstanding fire science student): Gabriel Bitzer
• Chief William S. Johnson, Jr. Award Eric Smith
• Fire Science Distinguished Service Award: Johnathan Matyasich
• Martin O’Connor Public Service Award: Chelsea White
• Outstanding Part-Time Student in Criminal Justice: Kaylie Ryan
• Outstanding Full-Time Student in Criminal Justice: Sophia Gentile
• Distinction in Leadership: Joshua Kealer
• David Maxwell Law Award: Kayla Steefel
• Veteran’s Service Award in Criminal Justice: Kyle Van Almkerk
• Criminal Justice Rising Star Award - Human Services: Laura Nolterieke
• Criminal Justice Rising Star Award - Law Enforcement: Polina Boteva
• Excellence in Experiential Education: Alyssa Stolecki
• Outstanding Undergraduate Research: Talya Davis-Day
• Outstanding Criminal Justice Graduate Student: Mackenzie Upshaw
• Outstanding Criminal Justice Doctoral Student: Kristi Greenberg
• Outstanding National Security Undergraduate Student: Sarah Illis
• Outstanding National Security Graduate Student: David Berghel
• Outstanding Investigations Graduate Student: John Gorman
• Academic Integrity in National Security: Adam Brown
• Outstanding Student in Forensic Science: Alicia Wagner
• Outstanding Forensic Science Dedication Award: Claudia Von Suskil
• Forensic Science Outstanding Researcher: Alexandra Goriounova
• Forensic Science Rising Star: Chase Notari
• Graduate Thesis Award in Forensic Science: Howard Harris