From left, IUP John J. and Char Kopchick College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics Assistant Dean Amy Cook, IUP President Michael Driscoll, Women in STEAM faculty advisor Sarah Emel, Women in STEAM Vice President and program co-chair Briana Rodriguez; Women in STEAM President and program co-chair Sofia Kelly; Dr. Theresa McDevitt Women in STEAM inaugural award recipient Cynthia Roldan; IUP Library Faculty Emerita Theresa McDevitt; IUP Mathematical and Computer Sciences faculty member Samuel Grieggs; IUP alumna and president of Kuzneski Insurance Group and IUP Council of Trustees Vice Chair Laurie Kuzneski, of Indiana, Women in STEM keynote speaker; IUP Interim Dean of the College of Health Sciences and Vice Provost for Research and Innovation Hilliary Creely; Dean of the Kopchick College Steve Hovan.
Cynthia Roldan, a Philadelphia native majoring in English and biology at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, was named the inaugural recipient of the Dr. Theresa McDevitt Women in STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) Research Award.
Roldan received the award on April 6 during IUP’s twenty-first annual Women in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) Summit, which highlights current women scientists and alumna working in the science fields.
The McDevitt Women in STEAM award was developed and presented by IUP’s Women in STEAM student group to spotlight and support outstanding women researchers at IUP by recognizing an outstanding woman whose research demonstrates excellence, innovation, and meaningful impact. Recipients of the award receive a commemorative plaque and a monetary award.
The Women in STEM Summit is the opening event for IUP’s annual Research Appreciation Week. The Summit included a poster session of women student research projects, working opportunities, and the presentation of the Dr. Patricia Hilliard Robertson Memorial Scholarship for Outstanding Female Science Student to Grace Rougeaux, of Creekside. The Hilliard Robertson scholarship was established as a living legacy for Patricia Hilliard Robertson, a 1985 graduate of IUP from Homer City, who received the Distinguished Alumni Award from IUP in 2000.
This year’s STEM Women’s Summit featured IUP alumna and president of Kuzneski Insurance Group and IUP Council of Trustees Vice Chair Laurie Kuzneski of Indiana.
McDevitt is professor emerita of the IUP Libraries. As a librarian and professor at IUP from 1986 to 2025, she facilitated student researchers and her career reflected a deep commitment to scholarship, student support, and academic excellence.
The Theresa McDevitt Women in STEAM Research Award was inspired by McDevitt’s son, Samuel Grieggs, a faculty member in the Mathematical and Computer Sciences Department.
“Dr. Grieggs made a generous donation to the Women in STEAM organization, and the organization decided that it would be wonderful to use some of this donation to celebrate an outstanding IUP student involved in research,” Women in STEAM Faculty Advisor and biology faculty member Sarah Emel said.
“We wanted to collaborate with Dr. Grieggs to establish a meaningful and lasting way to recognize Dr. McDevitt’s legacy while directly supporting women pursuing research in STEAM fields,” President and founder of Women in STEAM and McDevitt Award program cochair Sofia Kelly said.
“Dr. McDevitt was deeply committed to scholarship and student support,” Women in STEAM Vice President and McDevitt Award program cochair Briana Rodriguez said. “Naming the award after her honors her years of service and her contributions to academic excellence.”
“The McDevitt Award reinforces that women belong in research spaces,” Kelly said. “When students see their peers celebrated, it fosters a sense of belonging and motivation to remain in their fields,” Kelly said. “We gratefully thank Dr. Grieggs for his generous support of women in STEAM and for honoring his mother’s legacy through this award.”
About Cynthia Roldan
Roldan, a dean’s list student and provost scholar at IUP, is the daughter of David Roldan and Cindy Roldan and is a 2020 graduate of First Philadelphia Preparatory Charter High School.
She participated in IUP’s Undergraduate Summer Opportunities for Applying Research (U‑SOAR) in both 2024 and 2025. Her project, “Using Planarian Flatworms as a Novel Animal Model for Opioid Preference,” investigates behavioral patterns associated with addiction and addresses key gaps in existing research by studying whether planarians develop preferences for environments linked to exposure to prescription opioid medications. This models key behaviors associated with addiction and addresses gaps in peer-reviewed essays regarding the effects of substances other than opioids, like oxycodone. Oxycodone, in the drug OxyContin, rapidly became associated with opioid abuse and addiction issues in the mid-to-late 1990’s; planaria share many of the same addiction-related neurotransmitters as humans and are the simplest and evolutionarily oldest organism with a true brain. Roldan’s faculty mentor is professor of biology Christina Ruby.
During winter 2025, Roldan completed a Harvard Medical School Pre‑Med Certificate Program course and authored a capstone focused on her medical mission narrative.
Roldan worked three jobs to earn 63 of the 50 required shadowing hours in Mantua, Italy; updated factsheets for the American Medical Women’s Association’s Sex and Gender Health Collaborative to enhance public understanding, which earned her the opportunity to lead her own factsheet; traveled to India to explore stages of biomedical research; and competed in the e‑poster competition at the American Association for the Advancement of Science Conference in Boston.
Roldan has also demonstrated a gift for science communication, writing, directing, and editing, producing a social media feature for IUP’s social media account regarding her experience at U-SOAR, which was viewed by more than 6,000 people.
Beyond the classroom, Roldan demonstrates exceptional leadership and service. She is a MoveIT group fitness instructor, has served as philanthropy and fundraising chair for the Gamma Xi Chapter of Phi Gamma Nu Honor Society, and later became chapter president. During her presidency, she helped raise more than $1,000 for the Indiana County Humane Society in response to sudden food insecurity, and she volunteered with the NMDP—formerly Be the Match—to support individuals with blood cancers and disorders.
By engaging in both domestic and international scientific initiatives, Roldan is building a foundation that will support her future endeavors as an addiction psychiatrist and advocate for health education in diverse communities.
“Following graduation, I plan to attend a post-baccalaureate program in Philadelphia, my hometown, and volunteer in my local community’s ‘Back on My Feet’ program. This is a program that offers free running shoes and a training regimen to those struggling with homelessness, while providing networking during morning walks. As someone who uses exercise as both an outlet and a form of motivation, this is an organization I’ve looked forward to volunteering in since starting my journey as a researcher.”
About Theresa McDevitt
In addition to her work as a faculty member in the IUP Libraries, McDevitt was active in many IUP organizations, committees, and projects, including serving as codirector of Scholarship of Teaching and Learning in IUP’s Center for Teaching Excellence for more than a decade. She was honored for her work with the Center for Teaching Excellence in 2018 and 2024.
She collaborated with faculty colleagues Mary Renck Jalongo and Lorraine Guth on three chapters of Jalongo’s book, Canine-Campus Connection: Roles for Dogs in the Lives of College Students.
She is the 2020 recipient of the IUP Jane Leonard Award for the Advancement of Women, which recognizes individuals who contribute to the advancement of women at IUP through elevating the status of women, improving campus policies affecting women, establishing professional development opportunities for women, and participating in the establishment of academic mentoring for women.
She successfully co-authored a grant, “Pennsylvania Grant for Open and Affordable Learning,” which saved IUP students thousands of dollars in textbook costs by replacing high-cost commercial textbooks with subscriptions to e-textbooks available through the IUP Libraries.
About IUP Women in STEAM Leadership
Kelly, a psychology major and biology minor in the Cook Honors College, is from Erie. She is the daughter of Robin Page Kelly and Brian Kelly and a 2023 graduate of Mercyhurst Prep. In addition to Women in STEAM, she is the recipient of the Cook Honors College Scholarship, won the program of the year award for Women in STEAM, and is a dean’s list student, provost scholar, and member of Psi Chi psychology honor society. She is president of Phi Eta Sigma honor society.
Rodriguez, a biology major with a minor in business administration from Hazelton, is the daughter of Yelianna Francisco and Jose Rodriguez. She is a 2023 graduate of Hazleton Area Academy of Science.
About Keynote Speaker Laurie Kuzneski
Kuzneski Insurance Group is an employee benefits, insurance, and human resources consulting firm started by Kuzneksi’s father-in-law in 1966. The firm has a long-standing history in Indiana County and in western and central Pennsylvania.
In 2013, Kuzneski and her husband, Andy, took ownership of Kuzneski Insurance Group. Beyond managing the marketing for KIG, she is responsible for developing the culture of the organization. As an owner, she has held numerous positions, including HR, operations, finance, and business development. In February 2024, she succeeded her husband in the role of president of KIG.
A 1993 IUP journalism and public relations graduate, Kuzneski started her career in marketing and public relations at First Commonwealth. In 2002, she followed her passion and started Miss Laurie’s Gourmet Kitchen, a home-based business that began with a family recipe for peanut brittle and evolved into a cooking school for children and an opportunity to help women return to the workforce.
Miss Laurie hung up her apron in 2018 after teaching more than 2,000 children how to cook and seeing a handful graduate from culinary school. Her work with Miss Laurie’s Gourmet Kitchen also raised awareness and thousands of dollars in donations for the community to address food insecurity.
She has extensive leadership, fund-raising, and board experience in both nonprofit and for-profit organizations. She has raised millions of dollars for organizations such as the United Way of Indiana County, the YMCA of Indiana County, and the International Myeloma Foundation, based in Los Angeles. She and her husband are cochairs of IUP’s $150 million Impact 150 comprehensive fundraising campaign, launched in August 2025 in celebration of the university’s sesquicentennial. As of December 2025, the campaign has raised more than $102 million.
Kuzneski is the first woman chair of the Indiana County Chamber of Commerce. She is vice-chair of the Board of Directors for the Indiana Regional Medical Center and Mountains Health Network (IRMC, Punxsutawney Area Hospital, and Armstrong County Memorial Hospital); is a board member for the Tri-County Workforce Investment Board and the Indiana County Development Corporation, and is a member of many committees for these organizations.
Kuzneski is passionate about investing in and mentoring start-up companies, especially women-led companies. She is a member of the Rising Tide Fund and the Next Act Fund, which invest in companies founded and led by women, and the Fem Tech Fund, which invests in women’s healthcare. She has been a featured speaker for many organizations regionally and nationally.
Kuzneski was selected as Indiana County’s 2025 ATHENA Leadership Award recipient and serves on the Indiana County ATHENA recipients committee. She is the 2018 Indiana County Female Civic Leader Award recipient.
A native of Waterford, Kuzneski is a long-time Indiana resident. She and her husband are the parents of three children, including Andrew IV, who is a 2025 graduate of IUP.
Since its founding in 1875, IUP has evolved from a teacher-training institution into a doctoral research university recognized for its commitment to student success and achievement. As IUP celebrates its 150th anniversary during the 2025–26 academic year, the university honors a legacy of educational excellence while looking toward a future of innovation, leadership in healthcare education, and public service.