Brenna Fisher, a senior majoring in sociology and criminology in the College of the Liberal Arts, has been named recipient of the 2018 Ralph Dorn Hetzel Memorial Award.

Named for Penn State’s 10th president, the Hetzel Award recognizes a combination of high scholastic attainment together with good citizenship, and participation and leadership in student activities.

A nominator said since Fisher joined Penn State she has been hitting the ground running with special projects to enhance her learning experience and to better the lives of others.

Fisher is an ROTC cadet captain, teaching assistant, member of the President’s Leadership Academy and served as president of the Penn State Justice Association. She also assists on research projects.

One such project focuses on the effects of childhood sexual abuse and how victims exhibit different moral institutions later in life. A nominator called this research “highly original,” adding that it is “bound to be of interest to both scholars of sexual abuse and moral development.”

Fisher will use a grant from The Rock Ethics Institute in the Department of Sociology to travel to Iceland where she will tour the University of Reykjavik and discuss her research with the Icelandic research team that gathered the data. This work will also double as her graduate thesis.

“Throughout the thesis process, Brenna has demonstrated an incredibly high degree of responsibility and creativity, and a strong determination to produce high-quality work,” a nominator said. “I've been particularly impressed with her ability to tackle a complex project, solve problems as they arise, and to maintain a high degree of enthusiasm and determination at each juncture.”

Fisher also was a summer clerk at the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office in Chicago in 2017 and an intern at the State College Police Department in 2016. Her GPA is 3.94.

Article posted from Penn State News