UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Amy Kraus, an animal science major from Aliquippa, Pennsylvania, will receive the Outstanding Senior Award from Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences at a reception prior to the college’s commencement ceremony today, May 10.
This award, sponsored by the College of Agricultural Sciences Alumni Society and the Coaly Society, honors the senior who best balances outstanding academics, extracurricular activities, work experience and communication skills. Candidates are selected based on their resumes, grades, interviews and short essays.
Academics and activities
A Schreyer Honors Scholar, Kraus will graduate with an expected grade point average of over 3.9. Throughout her Penn State career, she has been involved extensively in undergraduate research, practical work experiences and extracurricular activities. As part of her honors thesis project in equine nutrition, she worked with faculty members at Penn State’s Metabolomics Core Facility, where she prepared urine samples for gas and liquid chromatography and analyzed metabolite data.
Her experiences working at the Penn State Dairy Barns and at Brunton’s Dairy in Aliquippa led her to pursue a career in the dairy industry. To further develop her interest in dairy cattle, Kraus joined Dairy Science Club and was selected to be a member of Penn State’s Dairy Challenge Team that recently placed second at the national competition.
Headed to vet school
She also received the inaugural Commonwealth One Health Scholarship, which provides full tuition for four years to the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine.
Throughout her childhood, Kraus was a member of 4-H. This prompted her to join the Ag Advocate student organization and promote agricultural literacy as the 2015 Penn State Ag Day co-chair. She also developed a global view of agriculture through her study abroad experiences in France with an equine science class and in Italy with the Dairy Science Club.
Leadership development
In 2013-14, Kraus participated in the Emerging Leader Internship Program, in which she learned about the responsibilities of the college’s administrative leadership team and worked with the associate dean for research and graduate education on a year-long project to organize the college’s research strengths into four areas for effective communication.
A member of Block and Bridle, the Penn State Equine Research Team, Pre-Vet Club and the Coaly Society, Kraus has won numerous awards, honors and scholarships.
Other students recognized
The College of Agricultural Sciences also will honor outstanding students in golf course turfgrass management, a two-year professional certificate program, and forest technology, a two-year academic major offered at Penn State Mont Alto.
Morgan Robins, of Owen Sound, Ontario, Canada, will receive the Golf Course Turfgrass Management Program Award. Aaron Lewis, of Hillsgrove, will receive the Forest Technology Program Award.
