Lebanon Valley College to Honor Six Alumni During Homecoming Weekend

Lebanon Valley College will recognize six Valley graduates with Alumni Awards during the Alumni Awards and Volunteer Recognition Ceremony on Friday, Oct. 10. These outstanding alumni will be celebrated during a special event during the weekend. The alumni accomplishments being recognized include helping to raise Breast Cancer Awareness, increasing LVC Admissions, advancing Music and STEM Education, and promoting the role of women in Accounting and Leadership.

The awards and honorees include:

Alumni Citation

Alumni Citations are given each year to LVC graduates who have achieved outstanding accomplishments in their field.

Deborah Strickler Freer ’71 was a Board member and advocate with the PA Breast Cancer Coalition, following a stage three breast cancer diagnosis. She volunteers her time to share her personal story in various capacities, including speaking engagements, publicity, and advocacy.

Deborah was honored by the Coalition with the Pink Ribbon Award for her outstanding volunteer work. She collaborates with public health officials, doctors, local and state representatives, and the Governor’s office to advocate for her cause, advance relevant legislation, and stay current with the latest research and technology.

She has also served on the Board of the Good Samaritan Hospital, volunteered with the Hershey Cancer Institute Committee, and served on the board of the Lebanon Community Library. Deborah and her husband, Patrick, were instrumental in creating the Freer Family Youth Center as part of the Lebanon Valley YMCA.

Clark Carmean Award in Admission

Honors alumni with notable service to LVC’s Admission Office, especially for new student referral and recruitment.

Since graduating from The Valley with a bachelor’s in Music Education, Cody Kelly ’16 has been an outstanding contributor to LVC’s enrollment efforts. As a Music educator, he frequently shares names of exceptional prospective students through the Alumni Referral Program. Cody represents LVC in his classroom and regularly participates in alumni events.

Cody, an LVC Adjunct Music Instructor, taught in the North Schuylkill and East Stroudsburg Area school districts before joining the Reading School District faculty. He is pursuing a master’s in Conducting at Messiah University and holds a master’s in Music Education from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. He completed LVC’s Modern Band Certificate in 2023.

The Distinguished Alumnus/Alumna Award

One of LVC’s highest honors, awarded to alumni for significant service to their profession, the community, and to the College.

Dr. David E. Myers ’70 holds graduate degrees from the Eastman School of Music and the University of Michigan. He has taught at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Georgia State University, and the University of Minnesota, where he was the Director of the School of Music and a Professor of Music Education and Creative Studies. He concluded his university service as Consulting Administrator for Music at Augsburg University.

David’s scholarly work has been cited over 200 time in peer-reviewed articles. He founded Philhaven’s Music Therapy Program, instituted an innovative Music Education program at Cedar Crest Middle School, wrote national curriculum for the New York Philharmonic, founded the groundbreaking Center for Education Partnerships in Music at Georgia State University, and served as the U.S. consultant to the Association of European Conservatoire’s master’s degree Design in New Audiences and Innovative Practice. His most recent work, Music, Higher Education, and Society, was published in March 2025.

David has received over $1 million in grant support for innovative research and program development. He served as Professor and Associate Director of the School of Music at Georgia State before becoming Director of the School of Music at Minnesota in 2008. He was a Visiting Professor at the University of Sydney Conservatorium of Music in 1993. David consulted with LVC’s Music Department on its strategic planning in 2018. He and his wife, Judy Creeger Myers ’70, serve on LVC’s Leadership and Alumni councils.

The June Herr Outstanding Educator of the Year Award

Awarded to alumni who have contributed significantly to the field of education.

Tyler Frantz ’07, M’20 is in his 19th year of Education at Palmyra Area School District (PSAD), where he spent 11 years as a Fourth-Grade Teacher before launching PASD’s elementary STEM program in 2018. He serves the district’s four elementary schools as a related arts STEM teacher for all third-, fourth-, and fifth-grade students, and as a part-time Instructional Coach who assists teachers with technology, STEM, and STEELS integration.

Tyler has mentored several LVC Education majors and was an adjunct instructor in Lebanon Valley’s Graduate Education Program. In 2019, he was recognized as the IU13 STEM Teacher of the Year and received Teacher and Program Excellence Awards from the Technology & Engineering Educators Association of Pennsylvania. In 2020, Palmyra was selected as the IU13 STEM School of the Year, and Tyler earned Teacher and Program Excellence Awards from the International Technology & Engineering Educators Association. He is an Inductee and Officer of the Lebanon County Educational Honor Society. He is also an award-winning outdoors journalist with over 800 published works in various national platforms since launching his freelance communications company, Natural Pursuit Outdoors, in 2012.

The Young Alumni Award

LVC honors alumni who graduated within the last 15 years for achievements in their profession and significant service to their community or the College.

Lauren Fulmer Fenner ’13 is a CPA and Principal at Brown Plus, an Accounting and Advisory firm. She is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) and the Pennsylvania Institute of Certified Public Accountants (PICPA). She is the Treasurer of the West Shore Chamber of Commerce Board.

In 2024, Lauren was named a Central Penn Business Journal Women to Watch honoree and was named the West Shore Chamber of Commerce’s 2023 Luminary Award Shining Star for her impactful work with clients and in the community. She was recognized by the Whitaker Center for Science and the Arts Women in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) Awards as a Woman to Watch honoree in 2020.

The Betty C. Hungerford ’54, H’09 Award for Distinguished Service to Lebanon Valley College

This award is named in honor of one of Lebanon Valley College’s greatest ambassadors and most passionate and committed volunteers, Betty Hungerford. Recipients have served the College as a volunteer for 10 or more years consecutively, demonstrate a great passion for the College and its constituents, regularly attend LVC events and activities, and represent LVC positively beyond the LVC community.

Barbara “Bobbie” Macaw Atkinson ’67 played Field Hockey and Women’s Basketball, and was a Women’s Athletic Council member as an LVC Biology major. She earned a master’s in Counseling from Marywood University during her career as a Guidance Counselor in the Lower Dauphin School District. Her niece, Kendra Atkinson Hoffman ’02, played Softball and was a Women’s Swimming team member at The Valley.

Bobbie became a dedicated Valley volunteer in the early 1990s. She was an Alumni Council and Alumni Scholarship committee member, and has served on Class Reunion committees. She is an Alumni Awards and Athletic Hall of Fame Committee member. Bobbie was inducted into LVC’s Athletic Hall of Fame in 1990. She enjoys attending LVC Women’s Basketball games, other sporting events, and Christmas at The Valley and the Vickroy Dinner.