SRU honoring quartet of distinguished alumni Oct. 11
Sept. 27, 2019
SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. — Four outstanding Slippery Rock University graduates will be honored as Distinguished Alumni at the 2019 Distinguished Alumni Awards Dinner, 5 p.m., Oct. 11 at the Russell Wright Alumni House and Conference Center. The Distinguished Alumni Awards, given annually by the SRU Alumni Engagement Office, honor alumni that have distinguished themselves professionally and personally.
The award recipients include: Richard Allen, '83; Janet Hollack, '67; Lawrence Kelly, '75; and Raymond Newman, '78.
"We're just so proud that we have so many wonderful alumni who we can recognize every year because they are such great representatives of the University," said Tracy Allison, assistant director of alumni engagement. "We were proud of them as students and then they go out into the world and make a difference through their service, their careers and as mentors to current students, our future alumni."
Richard Allen, '83
ALLEN
Allen had an outstanding academic and athletic career at The Rock.
Allen was a three-year starter for SRU football teams coached by Bob DiSpirito, Fred Goldsmith and Don Ault and earned Small College All-America honors at the conclusion of his senior season. As a senior in 1982, Allen also earned first-team All-Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference-Western Division, first-team All-ECAC and first-team Pittsburgh Post-Gazette all-district honors and was nominated for Academic All-America honors.
Allen, a native of Warren, received a Bachelor of Science degree in health science from SRU in 1983 and a master's degree in health/hospital administration from the University of Pittsburgh in 1986.
The father of four children, Allen has served as a youth sports baseball, football and basketball coach in the North Allegheny School District.
Allen is currently the CEO of Warren General Hospital. He is credited with making it a leading health care facility in northwest Pennsylvania.
Allen is also active in the community, serving on a variety of boards including the Hospital Association of Pennsylvania, the Pennsylvania Mountain Health Care Alliance, the Warren County Chamber of Business and Industry, the Conewango Club of Warren and the SRU Foundation, Inc.
He also serves on the Rock Football National Championship Committee and organizes the annual Rock Football Golf Outing, an event that supports Rock Football Scholarships.
Allen and his wife, Janis, currently reside in Warren.
Janet Hollack, '67
HOLLACK
After earning a bachelor's degree in physical education from SRU, Hollack would go on to earn a master's degree in the same area of study from Michigan State University in 1969.
During her time at SRU, Hollack, who never played field hockey before enrolling at The Rock, would become one of The Rock's all-time best players, as evidenced by her induction into the SRU Athletic Hall of Fame in 1985.
Following her time at SRU, she would go on to spend seven seasons as a member of the U.S. Reserve Field Hockey squad. While representing the U.S., Hollack was able to travel to Copenhagen, Africa and played against the Germany and South African national teams.
In addition to working in Washington, D.C.-area public schools, Hollack was the athletic director and field hockey coach at Mount Vernon College for 10 years. Besides coaching, she established the lacrosse, tennis and recreational activities and programs for students, faculty and staff at Mount Vernon.
She has established and coordinated the GLS endowed scholarship at SRU and created and funded the Anne Hollack Field Hockey Scholarship, in honor of her mother.
Hollack resides in Green Valley, Arizona.
Raymond Newman, '78
NEWMAN
After graduating from SRU with a bachelor's degree in biology, Newman earned his master's (1982) and doctoral (1985) degrees from the University of Minnesota.
He would go on to become a professor in UM's Department of Fisheries, Wildlife and Conservation Biology, where he researched aquatic ecology, invasive species and fisheries management. He has taught various subjects including fisheries ecology and management, marine biology, invasive plants and animals, and stream and river ecology during the past 30 years.
In 2011, Newman was named a Fulbright Scholar to Rhodes University in Grahamstown, South Africa; as well as receiving UM's Award for Outstanding Contributions to Post Baccalaureate, Graduate and Professional Education. A member of the Academy of Distinguished Teachers, he has advised 10 Ph.D. students to completion and has been a referee of manuscripts for more than 45 journals while serving on the editorial boards for Freshwater Biology and Ecology of Freshwater Fish. He was also an associate editor for the Journal of the North American Benthological Society and the Journal of Aquatic Plant Management.
He is a donor to the SRU Biology Department and a founder of the Class of 1978 Biology Scholarship.
Newman resides in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Lawrence Kelly, '75
KELLY
Kelly, who resides in Ellwood City, graduated from SRU with bachelor's degrees in elementary education and communication before graduating cum laude from the University of Akron's School of Law (1983).
His career has seen him log time as a teacher, sports writer for the New Castle News, customer relations manager for Universal Rundle and an attorney.
He spent nearly four decades as an attorney at Luxenberg, Garbett, Kelly & George, P.C., during which time he was named a Pennsylvania Super Lawyer 13 times. He was selected as one of the Top 50 lawyers in Pittsburgh in 2019 and as one of the 10 best personal injury attorneys in Pennsylvania by the American Institute of Personal Injury Attorneys. He has received the highest rating for legal ability and ethics by Martindale-Hubbell, a lawyer rating agency; is the past president of the Western Pennsylvania Trial Lawyers Association; served on the Pennsylvania Supreme Court Disciplinary Board; and has served as president for Cray Youth and Family Services, a social program for at risk children. He is currently an officer for the Pennsylvania Association for Justice.
Kelly also serves as president of FEK Baseball Foundation, which he created as a tribute to his father. The foundation is responsible for raising and donating money for youth baseball programs in Lawrence County while also providing scholarships to Lawrence County student-athletes. He has coached men and women's basketball for more than 20 years and served as an assistant baseball coach at Westminster College for five years.
A supporter of SRU's College of Education, Kelly also donates to a scholarship that benefits Lawrence County baseball players that study and play at The Rock.
MEDIA CONTACT: Robb King | 724.738.2199 | robb.king@sru.edu