Elise DeRoo, daughter of Mr and Mrs Donald DeRoo, was named as the recipient of the Dean’s Award for academic excellence during the fall 2009 Semester at Colgate University, Hamilton, N.Y., where Elise is a member of the Class of 2012. To be eligible for the Dean’s Award, a Colgate student must achieve a 3.3 or higher average while carrying a full course load of four courses per semester. A 2008 Newtown High School graduate, Elise is concentrating in molecular biology at the university.

Amanda Jurasek of Sandy Hook, a journalism major, Kaitlin Pendagast, a communication major, and Megan Pendagast, a general liberal arts major, were named to the fall 2009 semester Dean’s List at Rider University, Princeton, N.J.

The following students enrolled at Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, were named to the Dean’s List for the fall 2009 semester: Alexandra Caracciolo, a management major, Ethan S. Reed, an industrial and systems engineering major, and Jennifer L. Brill of Sandy Hook, a human development major. To qualify for the dean’s list at the college, students must attempt at least 12 credit hours graded on the A–F option and earn a 3.4 grade point average on a 4.0 scale during the semester.

Victoria Mead of Sandy Hook was named to the 2009 fall semester Dean’s List at Simmons College in Boston. To qualify for Dean’s List status at the college, undergraduate students must obtain a grade point average of 3.5 or higher, based on 12 or more credit hours of work in classes using the letter grade system.

Northeastern University, Boston, recently recognized students who distinguish themselves academically during the course of the school year. The following Newtown residents were recognized on the Dean’s List for the fall 2009 semester at the university: Kyle Kennedy, a psychology major, Sean Laporta, a political science major, Elizabeth O’Connell, a psychology major, Michelle Serock, a behavioral neuroscience major, and Rachel Taback, an international business concentration major. The following Sandy Hook residents were recognized on the Dean’s List for the fall 2009 semester at the university: Marissa Bobkowski, a music major, Keegan Frobey, a nursing major, Lauren Grimaldi, a biochemistry major, Rebecca Huot, a business administration major, Andrea Minor, an English major, Leo Richardson, an architecture major, and Ashley Rothacker, a business administration major. To achieve the dean’s list distinction at the university, students must carry a full program of at least four courses, have a quality point average of 3.25 or greater out of a possible 4.0 and carry no single grade lower than a C during the course of their college career. Each student receives a letter of commendation and congratulation from their college dean.

Newtown residents named to the fall 2009 semester’s Dean’s List at Western Connecticut State University are Jesse S. Birden, Brett J. Burroughs, Rebecca L. Davila, Justin C. Fernandes, Chelsea A. Fowler, Jacquelyn M. Garcia, Erica L. Helsel, James G. Hilton, Kurt L. Koloniaris, Michael F. Mark, Julie K. Meehan, Jacqueline T. Melycher, Catrina C. Morgan, Daniel S. Mortensen, Adam B. Nanavaty, Lauren N. Pade, Jessica L. Ravana, Constance C. Ricciardi, Elissa K. Robertson, Nicole M. Sieber, Diana L. Siebert, Zachariah Silver, Rebecca A. Stephens, Kristen M. Tanski, Karen E. Whippie, Crystal R. Wilder, Katelyn M. Wise and Dora L. Wood. The following Sandy Hook residents were named to the fall 2009 semester Dean’s List at Western Connecticut State University: Kialynn A. Bird, Kristin A. Boyle, Scott M. Buchta, Joshua E. Fintz, Melissa A. Fracker, Scott R. Jackson, Lindsey M. Jones, Kayla E. Koschel, Emily Lee Lockhart, Melissa C. Metzger, and Dana L. Taylor.

Nicole Haylon, Samantha Ciaccia, Shannon Seaman, Alyssa Schankman, and Michelle Steuer were named on the Dean’s List for the fall 2009 semester at Roger Williams University, Bristol, R.I. At the university, full-time students who complete 12 or more credits per semester and earn a GPA of 3.4 or higher are placed on the Dean’s List that semester.

Daniel Berlingeri, son of Mark and Marlene Berlingeri of Sandy Hook, and Newtown residents Katelyn Power, daughter of Michael and Rita Power, and Cristin Carlin, daughter of Mark and Heidi Carlin, were named to the fall 2009 semester’s Dean’s List at Ithaca College, Ithaca, N.Y.