Distinguished Alumni Award
The Distinguished Alumni Awards Banquet is held the Friday of Homecoming Weekend, October 11, and it will recognize the 2019 award recipients.
Richard “Rick” Allen ’83
Rick had an outstanding academic and athletic career at the Rock. He was a linebacker on the football team for four years. He was recognized for his football skills by being selected for the Associated Press Small College All American Team and nominated as an Co-SIDA Academic All American during his senior season. Rick was inducted into the Slippery Rock University Athletic Hall of Fame in 2013. Rick also has had an outstanding career in hospital administration. Currently working as the CEO of Warren General Hospital, Rick is credited with advancing Warren General as a leading health care facility in Northwest Pennsylvania. He is also considered a top tier administrator in the health care field. Rick donates his time by serving on multiple different Board of Directors for different professional organizations including the Hospital Association of Pennsylvania, the Pennsylvania Mountain Health Care Alliance, the Warren County Chamber of Business and Industry and the Conewango Club of Warren. He was also recently featured in an article appearing in the Becker’s Hospital Report-the National Forum for Health Care Management. Rick is still very connected to the Rock and has served as a member of the SRU Foundation Board for seven years. 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. He supports SRU in many ways including being a guest lecturer in the Public Health and Social Work Department. Two of Rick’s sons and his stepdaughter are also graduates of the Rock!
Rick and his wife, Janis, currently reside in Warren, Pennsylvania.
Education:
Rick graduated from Slippery Rock University in 1983 with a Bachelor’s of Science in Health Science degree. He then studied at the University of Pittsburgh earning his Master’s degree in Health Administration in 1986.
Janet Hollack ’67
Janet had an impressive athletic career at Slippery Rock and an even more impressive career after graduation. Janet first learned to play field hockey at the Rock, became one of the university’s best upon graduation and was inducted into SRU’s Athletic Hall of Fame in 1985. After graduating with her master’s degree, Janet spent seven seasons as a player for the United States Reserve Women’s Field Hockey team. Representing the USA, she was able to travel to Copenhagen, Africa and played against the Germany and South African teams. Janet worked in public schools in Washington, D.C., and then as an Athletic Director and Field Hockey Coach at Mount Vernon College for 10 years. Besides coaching, Janet established the lacrosse, tennis, and recreational activities and programs for students, faculty and staff of Mount Vernon College. Janet has volunteered with the Arizona Sonoran Desert Museum by working in the Raptor Freeflight Program, the Educational Programs, and women in STEM programs. She has also established and coordinated the GLS endowed scholarship at SRU, created and funded the Anne Hollack Field Hockey Scholarship, in honor of her mother, and it has been awarded to several Slippery Rock students. She also worked on the 50th reunion committee, is a board member of the Slippery Rock Hall of Fame Committee, and has been very generous to SRU Scholarships.
Janet currently resides in Green Valley, Arizona.
Education:
Janet graduated from Slippery Rock University in 1967 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Physical Education. She then graduated from Michigan State University with a master’s degree in 1969.
Lawrence Kelly ’75
Lawrence’s Slippery Rock education allowed him to become a teacher, sports writer for the New Castle News, Customer Relations Manager for Universal Rundle and an attorney. He spent 36 years as an attorney working for Luxenberg, Garbett, Kelly & George, P.C. Through peer evaluations, Lawrence has been named a Pennsylvania Super Lawyer 13 times. He was selected as one of the Top 50 Lawyers in Pittsburgh in 2019 and selected 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. He has also been Past President of the Western Pennsylvania Trial Lawyers Association. He is currently an officer for the Pennsylvania Association for Justice and he served on the Pennsylvania Supreme Court Disciplinary Board. Lawrence has served as President for Cray Youth and Family Services, a social program for at risk children. He is currently President of FEK Baseball Foundation, which Lawrence himself created as a tribute to his father. FEK Baseball Foundation is responsible for raising and donating money toward youth baseball programs in Lawrence County and provides scholarships to Lawrence County athletes. He has coached men and women’s basketball for over 20 years and served as an assistant baseball coach at Westminster College for 5 years. Lawrence supports a scholarship that benefits the Slippery Rock University baseball team for high school players who come from Lawrence County. He also supports the College of Education.
Lawrence currently resides in Ellwood City, Pennsylvania.
Education:
Lawrence graduated from Slippery Rock University in 1975 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education and Communications. He then graduated in 1983 Cum Laude from the University of Akron, School of Law.
Dr. Raymond “Ray” Newman ’78
After leaving Slippery Rock, Raymond continued on the path of higher education and became a professor at the University of Minnesota in the Department of Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology. His research focus is in 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 over the past 30 years. He has also received many accolades and awards for his achievements in the field of biology. In 2011, he was named a Fulbright Scholar to Rhodes University in Grahamstown, South Africa and he also received the University of Minnesota Award for Outstanding Contributions to Post Baccalaureate, Graduate, and Professional Education and is a Member of the Academy of Distinguished Teachers. He has advised 20 MS and 10 PhD students to completion and was Director of Graduate Studies for the Water Resources Science program for 9 years. He has been a referee of manuscripts for over 45 journals and has served on the editorial boards for Freshwater Biology and for Ecology of Freshwater Fish. He also was an associate editor for the Journal of the North American Benthological Society and the Journal of Aquatic Plant Management. Raymond is also a donor to both the Slippery Rock Biology Department and a founder of the Class of 1978 Biology Scholarship.
Raymond currently resides in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Education:
Raymond graduated from Slippery Rock University in 1978 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Biology. He then studied at the University of Minnesota to graduate with both his Master’s Degree in 1982 and his doctorate in 1985.
Rick had an outstanding academic and athletic career at the Rock. He was a linebacker on the football team for four years. He was recognized for his football skills by being selected for the Associated Press Small College All American Team and nominated as an Co-SIDA Academic All American during his senior season. Rick was inducted into the Slippery Rock University Athletic Hall of Fame in 2013. Rick also has had an outstanding career in hospital administration. Currently working as the CEO of Warren General Hospital, Rick is credited with advancing Warren General as a leading health care facility in Northwest Pennsylvania. He is also considered a top tier administrator in the health care field. Rick donates his time by serving on multiple different Board of Directors for different professional organizations including the Hospital Association of Pennsylvania, the Pennsylvania Mountain Health Care Alliance, the Warren County Chamber of Business and Industry and the Conewango Club of Warren. He was also recently featured in an article appearing in the Becker’s Hospital Report-the National Forum for Health Care Management. Rick is still very connected to the Rock and has served as a member of the SRU Foundation Board for seven years. 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. He supports SRU in many ways including being a guest lecturer in the Public Health and Social Work Department. Two of Rick’s sons and his stepdaughter are also graduates of the Rock!
Rick and his wife, Janis, currently reside in Warren, Pennsylvania.
Education:
Rick graduated from Slippery Rock University in 1983 with a Bachelor’s of Science in Health Science degree. He then studied at the University of Pittsburgh earning his Master’s degree in Health Administration in 1986.
Janet Hollack ’67
Janet had an impressive athletic career at Slippery Rock and an even more impressive career after graduation. Janet first learned to play field hockey at the Rock, became one of the university’s best upon graduation and was inducted into SRU’s Athletic Hall of Fame in 1985. After graduating with her master’s degree, Janet spent seven seasons as a player for the United States Reserve Women’s Field Hockey team. Representing the USA, she was able to travel to Copenhagen, Africa and played against the Germany and South African teams. Janet worked in public schools in Washington, D.C., and then as an Athletic Director and Field Hockey Coach at Mount Vernon College for 10 years. Besides coaching, Janet established the lacrosse, tennis, and recreational activities and programs for students, faculty and staff of Mount Vernon College. Janet has volunteered with the Arizona Sonoran Desert Museum by working in the Raptor Freeflight Program, the Educational Programs, and women in STEM programs. She has also established and coordinated the GLS endowed scholarship at SRU, created and funded the Anne Hollack Field Hockey Scholarship, in honor of her mother, and it has been awarded to several Slippery Rock students. She also worked on the 50th reunion committee, is a board member of the Slippery Rock Hall of Fame Committee, and has been very generous to SRU Scholarships.
Janet currently resides in Green Valley, Arizona.
Education:
Janet graduated from Slippery Rock University in 1967 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Physical Education. She then graduated from Michigan State University with a master’s degree in 1969.
Lawrence Kelly ’75
Lawrence’s Slippery Rock education allowed him to become a teacher, sports writer for the New Castle News, Customer Relations Manager for Universal Rundle and an attorney. He spent 36 years as an attorney working for Luxenberg, Garbett, Kelly & George, P.C. Through peer evaluations, Lawrence has been named a Pennsylvania Super Lawyer 13 times. He was selected as one of the Top 50 Lawyers in Pittsburgh in 2019 and selected 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. He has also been Past President of the Western Pennsylvania Trial Lawyers Association. He is currently an officer for the Pennsylvania Association for Justice and he served on the Pennsylvania Supreme Court Disciplinary Board. Lawrence has served as President for Cray Youth and Family Services, a social program for at risk children. He is currently President of FEK Baseball Foundation, which Lawrence himself created as a tribute to his father. FEK Baseball Foundation is responsible for raising and donating money toward youth baseball programs in Lawrence County and provides scholarships to Lawrence County athletes. He has coached men and women’s basketball for over 20 years and served as an assistant baseball coach at Westminster College for 5 years. Lawrence supports a scholarship that benefits the Slippery Rock University baseball team for high school players who come from Lawrence County. He also supports the College of Education.
Lawrence currently resides in Ellwood City, Pennsylvania.
Education:
Lawrence graduated from Slippery Rock University in 1975 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education and Communications. He then graduated in 1983 Cum Laude from the University of Akron, School of Law.
Dr. Raymond “Ray” Newman ’78
After leaving Slippery Rock, Raymond continued on the path of higher education and became a professor at the University of Minnesota in the Department of Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology. His research focus is in 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 over the past 30 years. He has also received many accolades and awards for his achievements in the field of biology. In 2011, he was named a Fulbright Scholar to Rhodes University in Grahamstown, South Africa and he also received the University of Minnesota Award for Outstanding Contributions to Post Baccalaureate, Graduate, and Professional Education and is a Member of the Academy of Distinguished Teachers. He has advised 20 MS and 10 PhD students to completion and was Director of Graduate Studies for the Water Resources Science program for 9 years. He has been a referee of manuscripts for over 45 journals and has served on the editorial boards for Freshwater Biology and for Ecology of Freshwater Fish. He also was an associate editor for the Journal of the North American Benthological Society and the Journal of Aquatic Plant Management. Raymond is also a donor to both the Slippery Rock Biology Department and a founder of the Class of 1978 Biology Scholarship.
Raymond currently resides in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Education:
Raymond graduated from Slippery Rock University in 1978 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Biology. He then studied at the University of Minnesota to graduate with both his Master’s Degree in 1982 and his doctorate in 1985.
