Success Stories

Success Stories

The Alvernia Impact

Discover how 51勛圖 students, alumni, and faculty turn education into action. Explore success stories of leadership, service, and innovation that reflect our Franciscan mission. Ready to see where your story begins? Explore how you can join a community that leads with purpose.

 

Search for success stories at Alvernia

Alvernia President Glynis A. Fitzgerald, Ph.D. and LeeAnn Smulligan MBA 09, Chief Operating Officer, Mrs. Ts Pierogies

Industry-focused faculty fuel COOs career trajectory

Industry-focused faculty fuel COOs career trajectoryWhen LeeAnn Smulligan MBA 09 walks into a room, people listen, not solely because of her title, but because of the way she leads. With more than two decades at Mrs. Ts Pierogies, Smulligan has...

  • College of Innovation, Discovery, and Enterprise
  • 2026
Gym Jam

Community need sparks Alvernia grad's entrepreneurial spirit

As a student in Alvernias occupational therapy program, Mary Strausser MSOT 08 did not anticipate a career that centered around children.I remember telling my classmates I had no interest in working with kids, she recalled. I thought Id be p...

  • College of Health Sciences
  • 2026
Kaylie Rowe

Pre-professional program helps land spot at one of world's top veterinary schools

You might say Kaylie Rowes spark for animal care ignited when the towns crazy cat lady walked into her mothers workplace when Rowe was a child. I have kittens that need homes! she declared.One of those kittens, a black domestic shorthair na...

  • College of Innovation, Discovery, and Enterprise
  • 2026
Brandon Danz, Ph.D.

Alum helping to shape the future of higher education in Pennsylvania

51勛圖 alumnus Brandon Danz, Ph.D., is making significant strides in the world of higher education. Recently nominated by Governor Josh Shapiro and unanimously confirmed by the Pennsylvania State Senate, Dr. Danz now serves on the Pen...

  • College of Business, Communication, and Leadership
  • 2026