Five Lebanon Valley College alumni were recognized during the College’s Alumni Awards on Sunday, Oct. 15, 2023. The awards are held annually during Homecoming Weekend.

The honorees (bios below) were:

Bob Johns ’75 received the Betty C. Hungerford ’54, H’09 Award for Distinguished Service to Lebanon Valley College. The award is named in honor of one of Lebanon Valley College’s greatest ambassadors and most passionate and committed volunteers. Recipients have served the College as a volunteer for 10 or more years consecutively, demonstrated a great passion for the College and its constituents, regularly attended LVC events and activities, and represented LVC positively beyond the LVC community.

Dr. Anthony Marasco ’08 was honored with the Creative Achievement Award. This award is presented to LVC alumni for distinguished creative accomplishments in the arts and journalism. Hear what Dr. Scott Eggert, Professor Emeritus of Music, said about Marasco here.

Betty Ross ’14 was recognized with The Young Alumni Award. LVC honors alumni who graduated within the past 15 years for achievements in their profession and significant service to their community or College. Hear what Professors Lister and Snyder said about Ross here.

Cornell Wilson ’96 received an Alumni Citation. Alumni Citations are given each year to LVC graduates who have achieved outstanding accomplishments in their field. See event video here. Hear what Jen Liedtka ’92, M’00 and Jen Evans said about Wilson here.

Karen A. Young, SPHR, SHRM-SCP ’84 received The Distinguished Alumnus Award. This award is one of LVC’s highest honors, signifying service to their profession, the community, and to the College. Here what Jayanne Savast ’01 and Dr. T. Horning said about Young here.

Bob Johns ’75—Betty Hungerford ’54, H’09 Award for Distinguished Service to Lebanon Valley College

Bob Johns graduated with degrees in Economics and Business Administration in 1975. After graduation, he had a 39-year hospitality career with the Host Farm and Corral Resorts, Harrison Conference Center, Babson Executive Conference Center, and Lookaway Golf Club.

He was actively involved in the International Association of Conference Centers (IACC), serving on the North American Board of Directors, including as vice president, and then vice president and president of IACC’s Global Board. In 2006, Johns was awarded IACC’s highest honor, the Mel Hosansky Award.

At LVC, Johns was a Lazin Executive in Residence, hosted the first regional Leadership Council Meeting, and supported the Lebanon Valley Educational Partnership. He co-chaired the 150th Anniversary celebration with Larry Bowman ’70 and chaired the Leadership and Alumni Council.

He and his wife, Holly, moved to North Carolina to be nearer to their son, Bob, daughter-in-law, Claire, and granddaughter, Addison.

Dr. Anthony T. Marasco ’08—Creative Achievement Award

Anthony T. Marasco is an internationally recognized composer and sound artist who has produced various works for electroacoustic ensembles, computer performance systems, and multimedia installations. His music and installations have been presented throughout the U.S. and in five countries.

He received numerous commissions, including from WIRED Magazine, the American Composers Forum Philadelphia, and Phyllis Chen. Marasco has been a grand-prize winner, resident artist, and grant winner.

Marasco is an Assistant Professor of Music Technology and Composition and Director of the New Music Ensemble at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV). His research focuses on web audio, hardware hacking, and creating hardware and software tools for networked music performance practices. He is a co-developer of the network music framework Collab-Hub.

Before UTRGV, Marasco taught at the University of Scranton and several Penn State University campuses. He graduated from Louisiana State University, Towson University, and Lebanon Valley College (Music Composition and Theory), the latter with Dr. Scott Eggert, professor emeritus of music.

Betty Ross ’14—Young Alumni Award

Betty Ross earned bachelor’s degrees in Music Business and Digital Communications at The Valley. While at LVC, Ross’s commitment to service was evident with her positions with Colleges Against Cancer (general adviser), Relay for Life (chair and co-chair), and the Music Industry Student Association (president). Ross is an experienced marketing and administration director with a demonstrated history of working in the marketing and advertising industry in the nonprofit sector. Since graduating in 2014, she has worked with Heal Ministries and His Heart for Africa. She is the director of marketing and administration for His Heart For Africa in Jinja, Uganda, a not-for-profit focused on educating children and quality elderly care. Previously, Ross served with Heal Ministries, committed to family preservation and sustainability in Uganda.

Cornell Wilson ’96—Alumni Citation

Cornell Wilson earned his degree in Sociology while actively engaging in numerous activities at LVC. He served in Student Government and was elected president for his senior year. He credits the Sociology Department and the Residential Life and Student Affairs offices with giving him the skills to work with others, interact with the community, and run a nonprofit.

Wilson has dedicated his life to serving youth and active service in his community. He is president of the board and one of the founders of Making a Difference of Lebanon, PA. His community work includes coaching youth sports, being a United Way volunteer, and serving on the Day of Caring Committee, Latino Health Fair Committee, Walk A Mile in Her Shoes Committee, Friends of Coleman Memorial Park, and more. Wilson served as a Lebanon School Board member and Lebanon City Councilman. He is a marketing consultant for Kapp Advertising.

Karen A. Young, SPHR, SHRM-SCP ’84—Distinguished Alumna Award

Nothing lights up Karen A. Young more than inspiring people and organizations to achieve excellence—and she’s been doing just that for more than 35 years! She’s worn the hats of employee, entrepreneur, small business owner, and consultant.

In 2005, Young founded HR Resolutions in Harrisburg to help people and organizations thrive. She has authored two books and never stops learning. She holds degrees from Lebanon Valley College (which she credits for setting her on her professional business path) and St. Francis University. Additionally, she holds certifications from The Wharton School of Business, Cornell University, the HR Certification Institute, and the Society for Human Resource Managers. She has been recognized as one of Pennsylvania’s Best 50 Women in Business and regularly contributes insights and strategy to Forbes, USA Today, ZipRecruiter, and the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM).

Young married her “graduate school sweetheart,” and they live with their retired racing greyhounds in Harrisburg.