Wilkes-Barre, Pa.—King’s College president Rev. Thomas P. Looney, C.S.C., Ph.D., recognized six distinguished alumni for their professional success, contributions to the College, and service to those in need.
The Alumni Awards were presented this year on Sept. 16, 2023, during Homecoming weekend. A committee of faculty, staff, and alumni assisted the president in the selection process.
This year’s recipients are Jessica Kuc Shappell ’13 - the Leo Award; James T. O’Hara, Esq. ’58 - Robert J. Ell Alumni Award for Outstanding Service to Alma Mater; Rachel Edelman ’11 - Outstanding Professional Achievement in Arts and Sciences; Theresa Covert Walker, C.P.A. ’88 - Outstanding Professional Achievement in Business; and Rubin Doster III ’04 and April Tanner Doster ’03 - Service to Society.
The Leo Award
The award is named for the College's mascot and is presented to alumni within 15 years of their graduation who have demonstrated outstanding achievement in their profession or community. This year’s recipient is Jessica Kuc Shappell ’13. Shappell started her career at the Miller-Keystone Blood Center in Bethlehem for two years before joining Humanity Lehigh Valley, where she eventually served as director of marketing and development. Her success in doubling participation for the annual ‘She Nailed It!’ fundraising competition earned it the 2019 AFP Eastern PA National Philanthropy Day Special Project of the Year. She then served as the executive director of ITNLehighValley, where she helped provide safe and affordable transportation to seniors and visually impaired individuals, including a mobile COVID-19 vaccination initiative for homebound adults.
Shappell is currently the executive director of Equi-librium Inc., which provides accessible and affordable equine assisted therapy to individuals with physical and developmental disabilities or special social and emotional needs. Shappell is also an active volunteer with Hellertown Lower Saucon Little League, Saucon Valley Elementary School, and the Kiwanis Club of Easton.
The Robert J. Ell Alumni Award for Outstanding Service to Alma Mater
Named for the College's first director of alumni relations, this award is given to alumni for their extraordinary service, dedication, and commitment to the College. This year’s recipient is James T. O’Hara, Esq. ’58. O’Hara was an adjunct professor at Georgetown University for 20 years and a partner at Jones Day where he practiced business tax law for 50 years.
O’Hara is a dedicated member of the Jones Day Border Project, a pro bono initiative for migrant children and mothers, many of whom were detained by the U.S. government after fleeing life-threatening gang violence in their home countries. O’Hara has made numerous trips to the U.S.-Mexican border, assisted hundreds of refugees detained in Laredo, Texas, and provided critical legal counsel and representation for women and families seeking asylum and citizenship in the United States.
O’Hara also helped form the King’s Washington Area Alumni Club (KWAC) in 2003, which conducts various social activities for its members, hosts annual conferences for students aspiring to start their careers in the area, and supports the College’s fundraising campaigns.
The Award for Outstanding Professional Achievement in Arts and Sciences
Honoring alumni who have distinguished themselves through exceptional personal achievement, this award was given to Rachel Edelman ’11. After graduation, Edelman moved to Boston to complete a two-year service and teaching program through AmeriCorps and Mother Caroline Academy, where she taught fifth grade at an all-girls school. Rachel then transitioned to the Jesuit-sponsored Nativity Preparatory School where she taught its inaugural fourth-grade class. Edelman eventually moved to Indianapolis to work with the Notre Dame Alliance for Catholic Education (ACE). After the University and the Archdiocese of Indianapolis formed a partnership to revitalize five Catholic elementary schools in the city, Edelman served for six years as the regional director of school culture.
Edelman now serves as the coordinator of school culture formation on the national team of the Notre Dame ACE Academies, collaborating with the principles of several schools to nurture Catholic identity and fortify academics with the resources available through the ACE program. She is also an academic supervisor for the ACE Teaching Fellows Program, where she supports first and second-year teachers around the country. For the past four years, Rachel has also taught in the Remick Leadership Program, becoming the lead instructor for two courses.
The Award for Outstanding Professional Achievement in Business
This award also honors alumni who have distinguished themselves through exceptional personal achievement. The honoree this year is Theresa Covert Walker, C.P.A. ’88, who was first recruited by PricewaterhouseCoopers after graduating from King’s College in 1988 with a degree in accounting and finance. Five years later, Theresa joined Schering-Plough, where she worked for 16 years in various finance roles related to manufacturing, research, and strategic planning, as well as foreign assignments in Canada and France. She ultimately rose to assistant treasurer, and was responsible for global cash management, capital markets, and cash flow forecasting.
After the 2009 Merck/Schering-Plough merger, Walker became executive director of finance within Merck’s Manufacturing Division. She managed $2 billion in capital spending and $1 billion more in the company’s global supply chain, quality, and engineering divisions. Walker later assumed the role of vice president of business development and was responsible for identifying new opportunities to grow Merck’s business in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Russia, and Asia. Walker is currently vice president at Plexus Ventures LLC, a global consulting firm specializing in business development support for the pharmaceutical and biotech industry.
The Award for Service to Society
This award is presented to alumni who have distinguished themselves through selfless and caring personal commitment to benefit others. Two alumni were recognized this year: Rubin Doster III ’04 and April Tanner Doster ’03, met as first-year students at King’s and married shortly after graduation.
At the age of 24, when Rubin’s mother suddenly passed away, Rubin and April fostered and ultimately adopted four of Rubin’s nieces and nephews who were in his mother’s care. Later, in December 2016, they fostered three more young children who were taken to the Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center where April works as an ER nurse. The children had just been rescued from an abusive household that left them dangerously starved, abused, and neglected, and a case worker was unable to find them a suitable home. Rubin and April later adopted all three children.
For more information on the 2022 King’s College Alumni Awards and winners or to learn more about nominating an alumnus or alumna, please visit the alumni awards webpage here.
Photo Caption (from left to right): Rachel Edelman ’11 - Outstanding Professional Achievement in Arts and Sciences; Jessica Kuc Shappell ’13 - the Leo Award; April Tanner Doster ’03 and Rubin Doster III ’04 - Service to Society; James T. O’Hara, Esq. ’58 - Robert J. Ell Alumni Award for Outstanding Service to Alma Mater; Theresa Covert Walker, C.P.A. ’88 - Outstanding Professional Achievement in Business.