J. Jeffrey and Ann Marie Fox Graduate School Alumni Awards

Early Career Award

Jennifer Hoewe, who received a doctoral degree in mass communications from Penn State in 2015, was honored with the Fox Graduate School Early Career Award. This award recognizes alumni who have demonstrated exceptional success in their chosen field within 10 years of earning their graduate degree.

Hoewe, an associate professor of communication and political science at Purdue University, specializes in mass and political communications, as well as media psychology. Her research focuses on the effects of media consumption on voting behavior and other political engagement.

Hoewe has held positions at the University of Alabama and Purdue University. She earned tenure at Purdue University in 2022. Aside from her research, Hoewe has received high evaluations for her teaching and is currently authoring a book about the transformation of news consumption in the 21st century. In addition to her teaching roles, she has taken on leadership roles in professional organizations, such as the head of the Communication Theory and Methodology division of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication.

Outstanding Service Award

Jonathan U. Dougherty, vice president of strategic initiatives at Providence Engineering, was named the recipient of the 2025 Outstanding Service Award. This award recognizes alumni who have achieved professional success while demonstrating significant service to the University and the Penn State Alumni Association. Dougherty obtained two degrees in architectural engineering from Penn State — a bachelor's degree in 1999 and a doctoral degree in 2016.

For more than 20 years, Dougherty has devoted his career to developing educational and professional development resources in the architecture, engineering, and construction industries. Early in his career, he served as a director of corporate knowledge and university engagement and oversaw education for more than 400 employees. His efforts contributed to hiring practices and resulted in internship program growth.

Throughout his career, Dougherty has served on several industry committees, including the Baltimore-Washington Laborer’s Joint Training Fund and the Montgomery College Construction Industry Advisory Committee.

At Penn State, he is an active alumni leader and mentor. Currently, he serves on the board of directors for the Fox Graduate School Alumni Society and is president of the Penn State Engineering Alumni Society. In addition to the Outstanding Service Award, he has won the Penn State Volunteer of the Year award among several other honors.

Lifetime Achievement Award

Gail Folena-Wasserman has received the Fox Graduate School Lifetime Achievement Award for her career in the biopharmaceutical industry and her contributions to mentorship and workforce development. The Lifetime Achievement Award recognizes Fox Graduate School alumni who have achieved exceptional success in their profession and have demonstrated loyalty to the University and Alumni Association.

Folena-Wasserman earned a master's degree from Penn State in 1979 and a doctoral degree in 1982. Both degrees were in chemistry. In 2022, Folena-Wasserman retired from her role as global head of biopharmaceutical development at AstraZeneca, where she oversaw analytical, process, formulation, and drug product development for both early- and late-stage therapeutics.

Throughout her career, Folena-Wasserman contributed to the development of several major biologics, such as the first antibody approved to prevent an infectious disease. She has been recognized by PharmaVOICE as one of the 100 Most Inspiring People in 2011 for her dedication to mentoring future leaders.

As a board member of the Biopharmaceutical Innovation Advisory Board at the University of Delaware and chair of the Pinkney Innovation Complex for Science and Technology at Montgomery College board, she supports academic-industry partnerships.

Her work has made her the recipient of multiple other Penn State awards, including the Eberly College of Science Outstanding Science Alumni Award in 2003 and the Penn State Alumni Association Alumni Fellow Award in 2007.