Ursinus Magazine

Alumni Award 2022 grid

The Best Bears Among Us

Ursinus celebrates the accomplishments of outstanding alumni and graduating students. These are Ursinus Bears who have demonstrated exemplary leadership and have gone above and beyond to make a difference in our community.

Tony Sierzega The Rising Star Alumni Award recognizes an accomplished graduate of the past 10 years for significant contributions to and leadership in their profession, their community, and/or Ursinus College. A first-generation college student, Anthony “Tony” Sierzega ’15 is staff attorney with Community Legal Aid Society, Inc. in Wilmington, Del., where he represents underserved community members at no cost. He also worked at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in the Office of Civil Rights and was a legal fellow for the Pennsylvania Harm Reduction Coalition.

Ronald Hirokawa The Alumni Award for Professional Achievement is awarded to an individual who has displayed exemplary leadership specific to a chosen career, industry, or entrepreneurial quest. Ronald Hisao Hirokawa ’67 spent nearly five decades practicing medicine in the field of otolaryngology, including 13 years in the U.S. Navy. A top educator of doctors, he is still practicing medicine in New Haven, Conn., has been published in peer-reviewed journals, and developed presentations and instructional courses that are used in academic settings across the nation.

Patsy McGregor The Alumni Award for Service to Humanity is given to a Bear who has exhibited outstanding service to society. Patsy McGregor ’81, P’12 is the director of spiritual formation at St. Mary’s Episcopal Church in Stuart, Fla., where she has been devoted to providing spiritual and humanitarian aid to communities in need across the globe, particularly in Kenya and Madagascar. She founded a center focused on improving economic opportunities for women and families, as well as a center to educate girls on health and well-being.

M. Karen Jogan The Henry P. and M. Page Laughlin Educator Award recognizes an individual who has made outstanding contributions in the field of education. M. Karen Jogan ’70 is a two-time Fulbright Scholar, first founding an organization dedicated to providing instruction and access to the latest tools and methodologies to educators from across Peru; and then supporting institutions of higher education in Chile, where she still frequently consults on cutting-edge curriculum development projects.

Simbarashe Kanjanda Abigail Coachi Abigail Coachi ’22 and Simbarashe Kanjanda ’22 are the recipients of the Senior Alumni Award. Coachi is a biology major and member of the Neuroscience Honor Society, president of the Neuroscience Club, and president of the Minority Association for Pre-Medical Students. She cofounded the first completely virtual student-run community service program at Ursinus, and cofounded Art for Visibility, which displays artwork from students of color in first-year residence halls. Kanjanda, a biology major and Melrose Fellow, is a member of the Beta Beta Beta Biological Honor Society, the Cub and Key Society, the Brownback-Anders Pre-Health Society, and the Minority Association of Pre-Medical Students. A Watson Fellowship finalist, he is engaged in multiple service projects, including teaching GED classes to inmates at the Montgomery County Correctional Facility.

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