HomepageNewsHonoring Alumni Excellence

Honoring Alumni Excellence

Four Ursinus alumni and two graduating students were recognized for their academic and professional accomplishments, humanitarian efforts and exemplary loyalty to Ursinus during alumni weekend on April 13.

Matthew Weintraub ’90, Alumni Award for Professional Achievement

Weintraub serves as district attorney for Bucks County, Pa. Over the course of his career, he has tried more than 100 cases before juries and judges. In addition to his elected duties, he works as an adjunct professor at three universities and is an active volunteer at Ursinus College and within his local community. He previously served as chair of the Ursinus Class of 1990 and he is involved with the college’s extern and pre-law mentoring programs.

Ross Doughty ’68, Henry P. and M. Page Laughlin Educator Award

The late Dr. Doughty devoted his life to education and to Ursinus. Over his 43 years of service to the college, he served as history department chair on two separate occasions, lent his leadership to the education department as acting chair, assisted with the establishment of the East Asian Studies minor and was an advocate and volunteer for the International Relations Program. He was noted as being a tough, but fair teacher, a leader and a mentor to both students and his faculty colleagues. 

Samuel C. Totaro, Jr. ’69, Alumni Award for Service to Humanity

Totaro is well known for his accomplishments in the field of adoption law and related adoption litigation, having participated in over 4,000 adoptions of children, representing adoptive parents, birth parents and adoption agencies. As a student, he helped underserved groups while a member of the college’s service fraternity, Alpha Phi Omega, before graduating from Ursinus in 1969. Totaro is currently a partner at Curtin & Heefner LLP.

Elizabeth Cannon ’10, The Rising Star Alumni Award

As a student, Cannon was integral to the creation of UCARE, the Center for Advocacy, Responsibility and Engagement at Ursinus and currently works as senior associate director at Civic House at the University of Pennsylvania. She interfaces with Penn students in support of community service and social advocacy work in the West Philadelphia community and beyond. In her free time, she volunteers on the executive board of the Victim Services Center of Montgomery County.

Johnathan Myers ’19, Senior Alumni Award

Myers earned bachelor’s degrees in applied economics and English while distinguishing himself in academics, extracurricular activities and athletics. He is a member of the prestigious Cub and Key Society; the Sigma Tau Delta (English) and Omicron Delta Epsilon (economics) academic honor societies; and the men’s swimming team. As president of the college’s investment club, he helped lead a student-managed investment fund, which was used to make a donation to the Ursinus Annual Fund.

Susana Zelaya Rivera ’19, Senior Alumni Award

Zelaya Rivera earned bachelor’s degrees in Spanish and a self-designed culture and health studies major while minoring in Latin American Studies. Through her scholarship and research, she has worked to address global issues of social justice and health equity. A fellow for both the Parlee Center for Science and the Common Good and the Melrose Center for Global Civic Engagement, she focuses on creating new health education programs for Latinx adolescents and her research has centered on aspects of health and healthcare outcomes for people of color.

News Home