Elizabethtown College’s Center for Global Understanding and Peacemaking (CGUP) held the inaugural Peace and Global Scholars Banquet in April. The event served as a celebration in honor of the Peace and Global Scholars, the CGUP leadership team, and others that support the mission and vision of the center. 

Photos from the event are available on the Etown Flickr account.

The banquet also served as an opportunity to recognize the substantial progress that CGUP has made this academic year, due to the commitment of the advisory board, the faculty that provide rich programming and mentor scholars, and the Center’s student leadership team.

“I am proud of the work that has been accomplished this year, the robust programming that has been integrated into campus life, and individual students that have led the charge,” Associate Professor of Education and Interim Director of CGUP, Shannon Haley-Mize remarked. “I am honored to work so closely with a campus community, led by students, that are actively working to further peacebuilding at Etown. I am confident that this grassroots work will have ripple effects in a way that moves us closer to a more peaceful and just world.”

From L-R: Layla Murphey ‘25, Misaki Yamaguchi ‘24, Aha Sudhukhan ‘25, and Dorian Williams ‘22

Alumnus Vladyslav Solodovnyk ’04 served as the event’s keynote speaker in a live stream from his home in Kyiv, Ukraine. The following student leaders were recognized at the banquet:

Brandt Award – Alexandra Kunkel ‘23
The Brandt Award is supported by the Wilmer Brandt H ’88 Endowment fund that was given to further the Peace and Global Scholars Program.

Dale Brown Peace Award – Layla Murphey ‘25, Aha Sudhukhan ‘25, Misaki Yamaguchi ‘24
The award is supported by the generosity of donors who are committed to experiential learning and peacebuilding. 

SCARP Recipient – Misaki Yamaguchi ‘24
The Summer Scholarship, Creative Arts and Research Projects (SCARP) program allows Etown students the opportunity to gain valuable experience during the summer, working closely with faculty mentors on campus to perform independent student research.

Graduate Senior Peace and Global Scholars – Dorian Williams ‘22 and Livia Marga ‘22