Alumni Awards

Jason Cannon ’15 is a seasoned professional with a wealth of experience spanning over a decade in the financial domain. Jason’s professional journey encompassed an array of pivotal roles for The Eustace Foundation, serving as a Trustee for the Mary Margaret Trust, Board Member of The Delaney Family Foundation, and as Senior Managing Director at Cabrini Asset Management, Inc. Jason’s academic prowess is evident, having earned a bachelor’s degree in Humanities from Widener University, showcasing his knowledge. 

He continued to nurture his expertise with a master’s degree in Organizational and Strategic Leadership from Neumann University. Beyond his professional pursuits, Jason’s commitment extends to community enrichment through his role as a dedicated board member of The Archbishop’s Christmas Benefit for Children and Maurin retreats. Over the last several years, Jason has taken on the role of Associate Film Producer of the highly anticipated film “Cabrini.”  He has leveraged his expertise and passion for filmmaking to contribute significantly to this cinematic endeavor. His dedication to ensuring the film’s success, both creatively and financially, has been instrumental in bringing this exciting project to fruition.  

Edith Burnham Maletsky received her bachelor’s degree in nursing in 1976 at, what was then, Our Lady of Angels College. She admitted the 1st patient to the Crozer Burn Center in 1973, and was an opening charge and flight trauma nurse at Crozer in the 70’s and 80’s. Edith was also the Education Coordinator for the Burn Foundation of the Greater Delaware Valley, where she developed numerous fire and burn protection projects implemented throughout the tri-state area, some of which were recognized at state and national levels. She worked with producers and the education director of Sesame Street TV to develop fire safety measures for children. 
Edith authored and implemented a Teach the Teacher program, which began as a teacher Inservice but later became the first college-level course that dealt with burn and fire problems in the United States. She returned to Neumann College in 1995 to earn her Master of Science in Pastoral Counseling. While Edith never worked for an agency or for profit, she instead contacted people privately and offered her services gratis. Edith has been volunteering here in Aston for well over 50 years. Most notably, she served as the chair of the Bicentennial committee through the Aston Historial Society, where they restored the one room school house. Edith, now 90, has been retired for many years but keeps her nursing license up to date and still provides health training to parishioners. 

Demi Moore graduated from Neumann in 2011 with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and a Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice. She is currently a teaching assistant for the Eastern University Prison Education Program, where she assists professors at a medium-security, all-male prison. She also successfully runs her business, Deserve More, LLC. Previously, Demi worked as a Delaware State Police Officer for nine years, before retiring in January 2021. 
A near-death experience, during her time as a state police officer, led to Demi looking more deeply into others and spending a great deal of time conducting research on domestic violence, justice reform, and issues within the criminal justice system. 
Throughout her journey of self-actualization, Demi found great power and positivity in sharing her story, and she and her fiancé shared their story with Neumann classes in late 2023. She continued her education at Wilmington University, earning a Master of Science in Administration of Justice, with a concentration in Criminal Behavior, and a Doctor of Education in Organizational Leadership, Learning and Innovation, in 2023. 

Tahirah Austin-Muhammad is a 2009 graduate of Neumann University, with a degree in Biology and a Master of Public Health from Arcadia University. As a young girl, she was diagnosed with Sickle Cell Disease, sparking her interest in the medical field. Currently, she serves as an Outpatient Community Health Worker at the Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia. 
In 2018, Tahirah co-created the Crescent Foundation. Named after the shape of a blood cell in individuals affected by Sickle Cell Disease, their mission is to increase advocacy and support for evidence-based care for patients, families, and communities affected by SCD, through collaborative action and innovative initiatives. Tahirah was an Honoree at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Sickle Cell Disease Jazz Dinner and Silent Auction, a runner up for Philadelphia Magazine/IBX Be Well Health Hero in 2022 and received a Philadelphia Citation from Commissioner Omar Sabir in Outstanding Philanthropy.

Mark Bennett graduated from Neumann in 2016 with a Master of Science in Sport and Entertainment Management. He currently serves as the Assistant Athletic Director in Compliance & Internal Operations at Lincoln University. By developing relationships while he was a student, Mark advanced in his professional career and strengthened his appreciation for Neumann. By giving back, he was able to advance the Sport Management program and inspire service in fellow and future students. Since graduation, he has loyally notified the university when internships or job opportunities became available, thinking only for our current students. 
Mark hired Neumann students as interns, and even spent time serving Neumann’s Sport Management program as an Adjunct Professor in the Fall of 2021. During his free time, he attended alumni events, offered career advice, and mentored our younger students within the Sport Management program.

Alana Ward-Lee graduated from Neumann College in 2002 with a Bachelor of Arts in Communication. Shortly after graduating, she returned to Neumann and earned her 
Master of Education in 2005. Alana is currently the Co-principal at the Gesu Independent Catholic School. Alana leads the school in city-wide and state-wide service, recycling and bullying prevention initiatives. She implemented a self-esteem and empowerment program for the 6th grade girls and assisted in overseeing afterschool programs, such as No Place for Hate (in collaboration with the Anti-Defamation League), “Y” Achievers, Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts.
Alana is one of the founding members of Archbishop Perez’s Commission on Racial Healing for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. She is the co-founder and president of the Live & Love Life Community Outreach group, which is a non-profit cancer research group founded in 2005. In 2020, she was presented with the Bakari Trailblazer Award presented by Saint Joseph’s Preparatory High School, becoming the first woman and first Africa American woman to be presented with this award. Alana is currently pursuing her Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership at Immaculata University. 

Tony Latini serves as Managing Director of Investment Banking at Janney Montgomery Scott. In this role, he leads the firm’s insurance industry effort, with a focus on Merger & Acquisition advisory services and capital offerings. Tony has over 35 years of experience providing corporate finance and 
investment banking services to middle market and large corporation clients. Prior to joining Janney, Tony was the Managing Director at Boenning & Scattergood, Inc. where he spearheaded the firm’s entry into serving the insurance industry. He has also held positions at Curtis Financial Group, Berwind Financial L.P., Evans & Company, Inc., and CoreStates Financial Corp.
Tony received a Bachelor of Science in Economics, with a concentration in Finance from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. He also holds the Chartered Financial Analyst designation, 
and his FINRA Series 7, 24, 63 and 79 licenses. Tony’s involvement with Neumann began in 2012 as a finance committee member and later as Chair of the Board of Trustees in 2020. Tony reliably supports university events, often providing memorable remarks as the Chair designee. He is an active board member of the Philadelphia Fire Department’s Historical Corporation and previously, he served as 
Chairman of the Archmere Academy Board of Trustees and as a Trustee of the Archmere Trust. 

Casandra Nguyen will be graduating with a bachelor’s degree in biology and medical laboratory science. While academically thriving and maintaining a 4.0 GPA her entire college career, Casandra has had many roles during her time at Neumann. She serves as the Vice President and Treasurer of Boogie Knights Dance Club, the Vice President of Sigma Zeta National Science and Mathematics Honor Society, a member of the Student Honors Association, a member of the Delta Pi Chapter of Delta Epsilon Sigma National Honor Society, and worked as a NUKnight Mentor, Orientation Leader, Neumann Navigator, Peer Tutor, and a Library Service Attendant. 
When Casandra isn’t on campus, she spends her time working as an Ophthalmic Assistant and volunteering at her parish. Post-graduation, Casandra plans to apply to medical school to become a doctor. As she pursues her goal, she hopes to one day provide care for underserved communities 
that may not have access to healthcare. 

An enthusiastic student and Neumann advocate, Dr. Sandapen graduated Cum Laude from Neumann University, then Neumann College, in 1989 with a bachelor’s in communications and a minor in French (which included study at Université Laval in Québec). She was a staff writer and then co-editor of the school newspaper, The Looking Glass, and was involved in several theater productions. After completing her degree, she earned a master’s degree in Writing and Publishing from Emerson College (Boston) and returned to Neumann University to teach full-time for the English and Communications program. Leaving Neumann University in 2007 to pursue 
a doctorate in Literature and Criticism from Indiana University of Pennsylvania, she completed her degree in 2009 and was hired by Drexel University. Dr. Sandapen teaches in the English & Philosophy department and the Honors College at Drexel. In 2021 she was appointed Director for English Programs and achieved the rank of Teaching Professor, in September of 2023. She maintains an active research agenda and writes and presents on a range of topics including 20th-century Black British literature, feminist and gender studies, popular culture, and cultural studies.

Magogodi Makhene graduated from Neumann in 2008 with a degree in Business Administration and Information Management. In 2010, Magogodi earned her master’s degree in social entrepreneurship from New York University, where her studies focused on African social entrepreneurship and business for social change. While here, she co-founded Zenzele Circle, which links African entrepreneurs with global angel capital. In addition to these accomplishments, she co-founded the Society for Innovation in Africa (SoFIA), which produced the 2009 Africa Social Enterprise Forum. Her work was awarded First place for the Elie Wiesel Prize in Ethics. 

In 2016, Magogodi won the David Relin Prize for Fiction, and she was shortlisted for the Caine Prize for African Writing in 2017. Her work has appeared in Ploughshares, the Harvard Review, Guernica, and is a 2018 MacDowell Colony Fellow. She has just published Innards, a collection of inter-woven short stories inspired by her Soweto hometown - exploring the inner lives and loves of ordinary South Africans making a life in a time and place most often inhospitable to their journeys. 

Judy Neubauer is a double graduate of Neumann University, earning her Bachelor of Science in Nursing in 2010 and her Master of Science in Nursing in 2013. Following graduation, Judy worked as a primary care nurse practitioner in Media, Pennsylvania. In 2015, she began to precept nurse practitioner students and teach in Neumann’s nurse practitioner program part-time. She was then hired as the full-time graduate nursing program director, in August of 2019. Judy completed her Doctor of Nursing Practice degree through the University of South Alabama, and has recently been promoted to associate Dean of Graduate Nursing. Judy played a pivotal role in Neumann’s COVID-19 response; tracking state, county and local data daily to provide guidance for safe in-person operations; advising administration on policy development to resume in-person; co-led a team to have graduate nursing students perform COVID-19 testing on undergraduate students, among other things. Judy is currently working on expanding the graduate nursing program again, with the addition of a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree program which she expects to begin in the fall of 2024.  

Samantha (Lafferty) Zdun graduated from Neumann College in 2006 with a Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood & Elementary Education and in 2017 received her Master of Science in Education with an Autism Endorsement from Neumann University. Samantha has been teaching in the Upper Darby School District since 2008, and currently serves as a Kindergarten Teacher at Primos Elementary School. Samantha was nominated for the 2016 Delaware County Excellence in Teaching Award and received the Superintendent’s Certificate of Recognition. In 2017, she received the Bravo Award by the Upper Darby Arts & Education Foundation for inspiring students to succeed in school and having a positive effect in student’s lives.
Samantha was a dynamic two-sport athlete during her career at Neumann. Blessed with an innate ability to speed past her opponents and find the goal, Samantha blossomed into a dominating presence in every game she played. By her senior year, she was second all-time in goals scored in field hockey with six of her 23 goals being game winning goals, leading her to be named MVP for the 2004 season. She also earned second team all-conference honors for the 2004-05 season.
While thriving on the field hockey team, her athletic gifts and passion truly shined through when playing lacrosse. Samantha accumulated 283 points: 200 goals and 83 assists from 2003-2006. When she graduated, she was second all-time in points and third all-time in assists including 7 game winning goals. It wasn’t just the offensive side of the ball where she excelled… she was a ball-hawking attacker and midfielder who caused 126 turnovers against their opponents, and she scooped up 200 ground balls which still ranks third and fourth respectively all-time in the program’s history. Samantha still holds the single season record for ground balls in a season with 86 and earned first team all-conference recognition in 2003-04 and 2004-05.

Solomon Harris graduated in 2005 with a bachelor’s degree in business administration. Solomon found his niche in banking serving as a regional branch manager at Wells Fargo and currently serves as a Vice President at Fulton Bank. Solomon has a certification from UCLA at the Anderson School of Management for Diverse Leadership, is a Certified Diverse Business Advocate, completed the Mainline Chamber of Commerce Leadership Program, is a member of the Northeast Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce and volunteers at the Sonny Hill Basketball Community Involvement in their Financial Literacy Program Certification. 
Solomon embodies the Neumann’s RISES values in all of his efforts. As a natural servant leader, he remains one of the best teammates representing Neumann on and off the basketball court. He was always putting his teammates first with an unselfish attitude, and offered service to those who needed more in the moment. Beyond his natural capacity to lead through a mindset of reverence, he was a fierce and purposeful competitor on the court.
During Solomon’s senior year, he was fourth on the all-time scoring list with 1,423 points (currently sixth). He was first in rebounds (now second) with 848. He averaged 13.1 and 7.9 rebounds a game per game. He showed up every game and still ranks third overall in most games played with 108. Solomon’s 2003-04 season was one of the most impactful in Neumann athletics history. In that season he scored 612 points and grabbed 305 rebounds averaging a double-double that season with 22.7 points and 11.3 rebounds a game. He earned recognition on the Pennsylvania Athletic Conference All-Conference that season.