Many Clarion graduates have made exceptional contributions to their profession, community and/or the university. The Clarion University Alumni Association Distinguished Awards were established by the Clarion University Alumni Association in 1966 to recognize exceptional alumni and university friends.
The Alumni Association will present its 2026 Distinguished Awards Feb. 27 in Gemmell Student Center. The annual premier event will begin with a reception at 5:30 p.m. in the second-floor rotunda, followed by dinner at 6:30 p.m. in the multipurpose room.
Tickets are $50 per person. Pre-register by Feb. 18 here.
This year’s Distinguished Awards will recognize:
Distinguished Alumna
Jane K. France 1971
The career, service and philanthropy of Jane K. France ’71 reflect her long commitment to community and education. A Clearfield, Pennsylvania, native and North Allegheny graduate, she earned a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Clarion State College and an MBA from the University of Pittsburgh. She began her career in benefits analysis before joining Mellon Bank, where she held management and executive roles until retiring in 1996.
France married Chris Allison in 1992, and together they have supported Clarion for nearly four decades. She has served on the Clarion University Foundation, Inc., Board since 2006, including terms as treasurer, president‑elect and president, guiding key periods of growth. France and Allison established endowed funds, supported major campaigns, and helped secure naming rights for Tippin Gymnasium’s wrestling room in honor of Coach Robert Bubb. A longtime volunteer and cancer survivor, France continues to serve her community in many ways. She embodies Clarion’s spirit and is a deserving Distinguished Alumna Award recipient.
Distinguished Alumnus
Howard V. Kurtz 1986
Howard Vincent Kurtz has built a career in costume design, teaching and museum curation. A Clarion University graduate with a bachelor’s degree in technical theater, he later earned an MFA in theatre arts from Penn State. He began his professional work in New York City, designing costumes for Broadway, film and television. A member of United Scenic Artists, Local 829, he has designed for leading regional theaters and received the Helen Hayes Award for Outstanding Costume Design.
Kurtz is professor emeritus at George Mason University, where he spent 25 years as resident costume designer and head of the design and technical theater program. He taught courses across costume design, fashion history and technical theater, and contributed to more than 75 productions. He also created an endowed scholarship for students pursuing design and technical theater.
For two decades, he served as associate curator of costumes and textiles at Hillwood Estate, developing major exhibitions and authoring significant publications. He remains active in professional organizations and lives in Maitland, Florida, with his husband, Howard Jaffe.
Distinguished Young Alumnus
Jeremy C. Womer 2009
Jeremy Womer has more than 15 years of experience in teaching and school administration. He began his career in West Virginia and joined the Seneca Valley School District in 2017, where he has held several leadership roles and now serves as principal of Connoquenessing Valley Elementary School. As assistant principal, he helped guide the district’s Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports and Multi‑Tiered System of Supports. His work earned statewide recognition as Pennsylvania’s 2025 Outstanding Assistant Principal, and he represented the state at the NAESP National Conference on School Leadership.
Womer’s leadership is shaped by his time as a student‑athlete on the Golden Eagles baseball team, as well as early experiences mentoring younger students. He graduated from West Middlesex High School in 2005.
He lives in Beaver, Pennsylvania, with his wife, Melissa (Bluedorn ’09), also an educator, and their two children. He enjoys staying active outdoors and spending time with his family.
Distinguished Faculty
Dr. Stephen R. Johnson
During his 30 years at Clarion University, Dr. Stephen Johnson focused on creating meaningful learning experiences through music. Hired in 1993 as director of university bands, he expanded the marching band and led students in performances across Pennsylvania and at events in Canada, Germany, France and Scotland. He also brought the U.S. Air Force Band and Singing Sergeants to campus for a full‑audience performance.
As associate dean and interim dean of Arts and Sciences, he contributed to statewide work on transfer and general education, supported new faculty through mentoring, guided the Making Connections program, and helped advance major building renovations.
Johnson returned to the faculty in 2009, growing the low brass studio and introducing thousands of students to Pittsburgh Opera. After the music programs were discontinued, he taught mathematics and directed university choirs. Under his leadership, the choir toured widely, earned recognition in Wales, and performed in venues across Pennsylvania, Washington, D.C., England and Ireland. He remains grateful for the colleagues, students and community members who supported his work.
Distinguished Service
Dr. Joseph P. Grunenwald
Dr. Joseph P. Grunenwald served Clarion University for 32 years, beginning as a marketing faculty member and advancing through several leadership roles, including department chair, executive dean of the Venango Campus, dean of the College of Business Administration, provost, and ultimately the university’s 15th president. Upon his retirement in 2010, he was named president emeritus by Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education, an honor granted to only a few presidents in system history.
During his presidency, the university saw major improvements, including the Science and Technology Center that now bears his name, a new dining facility, and modernized student housing, all planned with a focus on sustainability and student experience. He also served the region through leadership on nonprofit and community boards and represented Clarion at state and national levels through several professional organizations. A strong advocate for the university, he helped raise more than $22 million. Grunenwald and his wife, Janice, reside in Knox, Pennsylvania.
Distinguished Service
Sigma Tau Gamma and Sigma Tau Fraternity
The Alpha Zeta Chapter of Sigma Tau Gamma was founded at Clarion State College in 1946 and welcomed more than 500 men into its brotherhood. Members were active across campus life, including student governance, service organizations, performing arts and debate. Many were student‑athletes, competing in every men’s varsity sport, with several later inducted into the Clarion Sports Hall of Fame and other halls of recognition.
Known on campus as the Siggies, the fraternity emphasized community. Brothers prepared together for Greek Olympics events, where they were frequent contenders, and planned detailed theme parties that became well‑known on campus. After graduation, members pursued careers across education, business, government, health care, aviation and other fields.
The fraternity maintains strong connections through two annual golf outings. Its endowment, initiated by several alumni from the Class of 1961, has grown to more than a quarter million dollars and has provided over $85,000 in scholarships. The Siggies continue to support Clarion students through this ongoing commitment.