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Alumni to be Recognized at CU-Bloomsburg Celebration

Bloomsburg, PA (05/09/2025) — The Bloomsburg Alumni Association will honor four alumni on Friday, May 30, in the Kehr Union Ballroom on the Commonwealth University-Bloomsburg campus.

Among the 2025 honorees are a school district leader, a sustainability advocate, a youth advocate, and a volunteer and leadership mentor. Nominees are submitted for consideration by their peers and colleagues and are then evaluated by a committee of the Alumni Board of Directors.

"The Bloomsburg Alumni Awards recognize fellow Huskies who have made significant contributions to both the university and their communities," explained Rachel Melnick '03, co-chair of the Bloomsburg Alumni Association Awards Committee. "The annual Alumni Awards dinner provides an opportunity for us to come together and celebrate these change makers."

In addition to the Grimes Loyalty Recognition, which will acknowledge 364 alumni for their engagement with the university over the past year, the Bloomsburg Alumni Association will award the following:

The Distinguished Service Award recognizes alumni who have had significant professional accomplishments, outstanding service to the university and/or the alumni association, and contributions to humanity. Jennifer Inaba '06, Reports & Research Senior Manager at the Textile Exchange in Las Vegas, and Dr. Elizabeth Welsh Robison '88M, Superintendent of Schools for the Pocono Mountain School District, are the 2025 recipients of the Distinguished Service Award.

Inaba is deeply engaged in community leadership and sustainability advocacy and is a founder of the Las Vegas Women in Business for Good giving circle, which has granted nearly $60,000 to local nonprofits. She serves as a mentor and advisory board member for The Climate Reality Project and has been active in Fashion Revolution USA and the Las Vegas Fashion Council to advance sustainable and ethical practices in fashion. Inaba has volunteered for the Commonwealth University Careers in the Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities (CASSH) Conference to speak with undergraduate communication majors about her career path and has been part of the Husky Student Leadership Summit and the Center for Leadership and Engagement to speak on leadership and public speaking topics.

Dr. Robison has been a public educator for 37 years at Pocono Mountain and has worked extensively with teachers to use data-driven decision-making in the classroom and to develop various instructional strategies that match a student's readiness level. She has been a presence every year at the Collaborating to Assist Teacher Candidate Hiring (CATCH) Conference administrator panel and regularly speaks with underclassmen education majors during the Student PSEA Aspiring Educators Conference. She has also volunteered as a campus recruiter on behalf of Pocono Mountain School District.

The Maroon and Gold Excellence Award recognizes alumni who have graduated within the past 15 years, have met one or more criteria for the Distinguished Service Award, and have demonstrated outstanding potential for further contributions. Saroya Royster '10, Master Internship Coordinator and Sophomore Seminar Teacher for Simon Gratz Mastery Charter School in Philadelphia, is the 2025 recipient.

Royster has been actively engaged in youth development and education for the entire span of her professional career and has founded The Tribe Connection, which serves as a safe space and community for Black Women. Royster has served on the Bloomsburg Alumni Association Board of Directors and as a speaker for the Day of Dialogue student diversity event, and is a current mentor for the Thank God I'm Female (TGIF) campus mentoring program. Royster also actively collaborates with the Emerging Scholars Program, which allows Simon Gratz students to visit the Bloomsburg campus to observe courses and meet current students.

In addition, the association will honor William T. Derricott Volunteer of the Year, Jessica Harry '07M, Ed.D., special education and off-site facilities program supervisor for the Central Susquehanna Intermediate Unit, who was formally announced last month.

"I am immensely proud of our Husky alumni family and the profound dedication they continue to demonstrate, not only to their alma mater, but also to their communities and professions," said Dr. Bashar W. Hanna, CU president. "Congratulations to Jennifer, Elizabeth, Saroya, and Jessica as we celebrate your outstanding accomplishments, and we wish you continued success."

The Annual Alumni Awards Celebration will be held on Friday, May 30. Learn more about the awards and honorees or register online at www.commonwealthu.edu/alumni/bloomsburg-alumni/awards.

For more information, contact Nathan Conroy, Director of Alumni Engagement at 570-389-4215 or email nconroy@commonwealthu.edu.