The Department of Student Affairs in Higher Education is pleased to announce William “Bill” Mandicott as the 2020 recipient of the Ronald Lunardini Distinguished Alumni Award.
Mandicott is a 1977 graduate of SAHE (then Student Personnel Services and Counselor Education) and is assistant vice president of Student and Community Involvement at Frostburg State University. He has been at Frostburg State for over 30 years.
Through numerous letters of support for his nomination, it was clear that Mandicott has had an impact on the students, staff, and alumni with whom he works. One colleague wrote, “As a supervisor and mentor to staff and students, Bill leads by example and has an indescribable way of fueling the passion in others. Bill selflessly supports those around him in their personal and professional pursuits and takes a personal approach with each individual.”
A former student of his wrote, “Bill empowers everyone around him, students and staff alike. He serves as a conduit between a group/individual and their goals. Bill was one of the final pushes that I needed to commit to apply to law school, and I could not be more grateful for that empowerment. It is easy to develop self-doubt, but with a cheerleader like Bill as part of a support system, that self-doubt is easily defeated.”
The award selection committee (comprised of SAHE faculty, students, and alumni) found that Mandicott meets and exceeds the award criteria. He excels, specifically, in the areas of mentorship, promoting student success, and fostering an inclusive campus. The award will be presented to Bill at a future SAHE departmental event.
The Ronald Lunardini Distinguished Alumni Award, begun in 2006, was created to acknowledge an alumna/alumnus of the SAHE department whose experiences and accomplishments as a student affairs professional significantly reflect the standards and values of the SPS program/SAHE Department. In 2008, in recognition of Ron Lunardini's 37 years of service at IUP (18 as an SAHE faculty member), the award title was changed to honor him.
Congratulations, Bill Mandicott!
Read more in our upcoming issue of the Developments newsletter.