Distinguished Alumnus Award 2010

From left: Dr. Jack S. Brenizer Jr., Frederick Potthoff, SU President Bill Ruud, Sonia Haynes, Jean Marie Scott and Wendy McCrory Rotz, SU Alumni Association president.

University presents 4 with Distinguished Alumnus Award

Four individuals are recipients of the 2010 Jesse S. Heiges Distinguished Alumnus Award from Shippensburg University. They are Dr. Jack S. Brenizer Jr. '72, Sonia Haynes '79, Frederick D. Potthoff '70 and Jean Marie Scott '81M.

The Heiges Award was established in 1959 through gifts from Ralph and Jesse G. Heiges to honor their father, Shippensburg's first dean of instruction from 1901 to 1934. The university's highest award, supplemented by a gift from the Class of 1911 on its 50th reunion, recognizes each recipient's distinguished and outstanding achievements in his or her field to the benefit of the community and society.

Brenizer, of Port Matilda, is chair of nuclear engineering and the J. "Lee" Everett Professor of Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering in the Pennsylvania State University's College of Engineering. He is actively involved in the research areas of radiation detection, neutron radiography and imagining, and neutron activation analysis. He has authored more than 50 journal articles on nondestructive testing that dovetails with his role as chair of ASTM International's Committee E07 on Nondestructive Testing, a position he has held since 2006. Last year, ASTM honored him with its Award of Merit for his contributions to their standards activities.

Brenizer is a member of the American Nuclear Society, the Health Physics Society, Sigma Xi, the American Society for Nondestructive Testing, the American Society for Engineering Education and the International Society for Neutron Radiography. He is also a member of Shippensburg University's College of Arts and Sciences Advisory Board.

Haynes, of Philadelphia, has been with the City of Philadelphia Department of Public Health for more than a decade. She is the program analyst supervisor and project manager for the Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program. Previously she was a public health program analyst in the Division of Maternal, Child, and Family Health, and a community development specialist in the Office of Maternal and Child Health.

She has additional social work/public health experience through her volunteer activities and is an adjunct faculty member at Drexel University's School of Public Health. She has chaired the scholarship committee at her church for more than five years, raising funds so each graduating high school student at her church who goes on to higher education receives a $500 scholarship. In 2006 she was the grand prize winner of the STAR award for best demonstration of science translated to action by raising awareness of proper sleeping positions for infants to reduce the risks of Sudden Infant Death. She is a member of the SU Philadelphia Area Chapter Planning Committee and the SU Alumni Association Board of Directors.

Potthoff, of Wexford, is co-founder and partner of Kroff Chemical Inc. in Pittsburgh, an innovative water treatment specialist company. He parlayed 18 years experience in various positions into a company that is known for providing custom, innovative solutions to its customers. During the past 20 years, Kroff has expanded and evolved its services to include materials reprocessing and outsourcing of water treatment services while posting an average 24 percent a year growth rate since 1990.

He was the first two-time chair of the International Water Conference, the oldest and most prestigious water treatment conference in the world, and has been on its executive board for 10 years. He is a board member for the Association of Water Technologies and holds memberships in the Association for Iron and Steel Technology, Building Owners and Managers Association, International District Energy Association, and the Association of Water Technologies. He is also a member of the Shippensburg University John L. Grove College of Business Advisory Board.

Scott, of Santa Cruz, Calif., is the associate vice chancellor for student affairs in the Colleges and University Housing Services at the University of California Santa Cruz, a position she has held since 2000. There she manages all aspects of the college student life and residential programs. She has led the construction, organizational planning, and program development for the establishment of two residential colleges as well as the merger and reorganization of UCSC Colleges and University Housing to include development and implementation of new policies. She was also acting vice chancellor for a year.

Prior to joining UCSC, she was at the University of Delaware and Slippery Rock University, and spent five years as the associate director of residential life at San Jose State University. Her first position at UCSC was as the college administrative officer, Porter College where she managed the daily operation of student life activities and programs for seven years. She is a member of the American College Personnel Association, the Association of College and University Housing Officers International, the National Society of Student Personnel Administrators, and the Society for College and University Planners.