NCC's Jason Laubach wins award

Jason Laubach, a Whitehall resident, assistant controller for Northampton Community College (NCC), has won the Young Professional in Procurement Award from the National Association of Educational Procurement (NAEP), The award was presented at the association's 92nd annual meeting in Orlando, Fla. in April. He has worked at NCC for six years.

Spirk named peace essay winner

Maria Spirk, of Bethlehem, was the winner from Pennsylvania of the National Peace Essay contest (NPEC) sponsored by the U.S. Institute of Peace (USIP). The topic was "Gender, War, and Peacebuilding." In addition to the $1,000 academic scholarship, she spent a week in June in Washington, D.C. by invitation as the state winner. While there, she studied the essay topic in depth through simulations and attended briefings with foreign policy officials and practitioners and meetings with state elected representatives. For information, visit www.usip.org/programs/projects/gender-war-and-peace-building.

Honor society iinductees

Two Bethlehem residents were initiated into Phi Kappa Phi's honor society. Sara Bondi was initiated at George Mason University and Thomas Brown was initiated at Indiana University of Pennsylvania.

Stephen Bilheimer '13, of Bethlehem, has been elected to the Iota Chapter of Phi Beta Kappa Society at Gettysburg College.

Houle selected for national honors

L.V. Charter High School for the Arts student Brooke Houle has become a member of the National Society of High School Scholars. She was selected for having demonstrated outstanding leadership, scholarship and community commitment.

Emerging Leaders named

Bethlehem students Alexis Burgess, a sophomore in the Panuska College of Professional Studies, and Linzie Rosa, a first-year student in the College of Arts and Sciences, were among the 137 University of Scranton students who completed the Scranton Emerging Leaders program during the 2012-2013 academic year. The weekly workshops focused on communication, social change and leadership style.

Dieticians honored

Two Lehigh Valley Dietetic Association members were honored at the Pennsylvania Dietetic Association Annual Meeting Exhibit in Monroeville. Cedar Crest College Assistant Nutrition Professor Barbara Carlson and Whitney Butler, LVDA education chair, both of Bethlehem, are registered dieticians. Carlson was named Outstanding Dietetic Educator of the Year by both the PDA and the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in nutrition and dietetics from South Dakota State University, a Master of Arts in Nutrition and Biochemistry from University of Texas at Austin and postgraduate studies in Community and Environmental Health Systems at American University in Washington, D.C.

Butler, who has served as LVDA's education chair, received the Recognized Young Dietitian of the Year award from PADA and the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Nutritional Sciences from Penn State University and completed her dietetic internship through the Sodexo, Allentown. She is an outpatient registered dietitian in the Weight Management Center for Sodexo, Lehigh Valley Health Network.

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