Six Albright College alumni will receive awards during an on-campus Alumni Weekend ceremony, April 23, at 5:30 p.m., in McMillan Student Center. Earning 2022 awards are: Geneva Johnson ’51 (Brookfield, Wis.), Kathryn Crossley ’11 (Collegeville, Pa.), Bryan Wilson ’11, M.D., F.A.E.M.S. (Bethlehem, Pa.), Dwight Davis ’97, M.Div. (Washington, D.C.) Victoria Lins ’86 (Mount Kisco, N.Y.) and Bishop Samuel Zeiser ’73, Ph.D. (Allentown, Pa.).
Jacob Albright Award: Geneva Johnson ’51
The Jacob Albright Award is the highest honor bestowed upon an Albright graduate. It is presented to alumni who have used their liberal arts education to its greatest potential, thereby making outstanding contributions to the Albright community, their profession and society.
Born and raised in Reading, Pa., Geneva Johnson boasts an impressive resume that includes being recruited as the first female senior vice president of United Way America, being named president and chief executive officer of Family Service America, and serving as the inaugural lead for Mount Mary College’s Women’s Leadership Institute. Johnson has served on a number of boards for universities, hospitals, foundations and banks, nearly always rising to executive leaderships levels. Her current board memberships include The Social Enterprise Initiative at the Harvard Business School, Froedtert Hospital, Leader to Leader Institute and Volunteers of America. Johnson earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology and psychology from Albright, a master’s degree in applied social administration from Case Western Reserve University, and an executive certificate in management from the Harvard University School of Business.
Mary Fry Good ’49 Service to Alma Mater Award: Kathryn Crossley ’11
This award is presented to Albright alumni for outstanding service to their alma mater.
Immediate past President of the Alumni Board of Directors, Crossley joined the alumni board only two years after graduating, and quickly became an active member of the Alumni Advisory Council to the Board of Trustees, and a member of the Young Alumni Executive Committee. She has volunteered for college fairs and move-in day activities, and has helped alumni rediscovered each other through reunion activities. She helped to raise funds for the college’s Advancing Lives scholarship initiative, as well as the Alumni Association Board Endowed Scholarship. With an Albright undergraduate degree in communications and a master’s degree in communications from Villanova University, Crossley is currently a digital marketing strategist at Vanguard.
Young Alumni Achievement Award: Bryan Wilson ’11, M.D., F.A.E.M.S.
The Young Alumni Achievement Award recognizes Albright College graduates, who are 35 years or younger when nominated, demonstrating outstanding professional or volunteer achievements.
Wilson is an emergency medical physician serving as the medical director for the city of Bethlehem bureau of EMS and the director of the new EMS Fellowship at St. Luke’s University Health Network. He constantly works to bring the hospital to his patients in the field, and to train other physicians to do the same. A member of several important medical committees, Wilson holds certifications in paramedics, emergency medical services, emergency medicine, EMT – prehospital physician, advanced trauma life support, pediatric advanced life support, advanced cardiovascular life support, and prehospital trauma life support. He has been recognized for his professional acuity and volunteerism far and wide and his work has been published in journals such as the American Journal of Emergency Medicine and Advances in Medical Education and Practice.
Distinguished Alumni Award: The Reverend Dwight Davis ’97, M.Div., Victoria Lins ’86, Bishop Samuel Zeiser ’73, Ph.D.
This award recognizes outstanding service and accomplishment in at least one of the following areas: community, state, nation, church, profession, academic and/or service organizations.
Since graduating with a bachelor’s degree in psychology, history and education from Albright and a Master of Divinity and Master of Arts in education from Princeton Theological Seminary, Dwight Davis has been committed to educating others. His excellence as a Washington, D.C. teacher and principal earned him an invitation to discuss the state of education with President Obama in 2014. Dwight’s passion for teaching, learning and personal development has led to his selection as a Mary Jane Patterson Fellow, an aspiring principals’ leadership development program that honors the memory of the first African American principal to serve D.C.’s first public school. Prior to becoming a Patterson fellow, Davis was selected as a CityBridge Education Innovation Fellow — a distinguished honor that led him across the nation, from Washington, D.C. to California, as he learned how to personalize educational experiences and raise achievement levels. Currently, he serves as a principal partner of CityBridge Action Fund.
Victoria Lins boasts an impressive resume as an award-winning marketer with more than 25 years of experience in the media, technology and telecom sectors – where she has paved the way for the next generation of forward-thinking women in what was once a male-dominated profession. From introducing strategic marketing initiatives and building partnerships that accelerated revenue growth with Adlink, to launching the Comcast Spotlight brand, pioneering Video-On-Demand advertising solutions and developing an industry-wide consumer brand for interactive TV – Lins has worked her way through a constantly-changing field, always with an eye toward the next great idea — using her in-depth understanding of the transformational impact of technology on media, advertising and consumer engagement. Today, she provides expertise in building and distinguishing streaming TV brands as president and CEO of Cable and Telecommunications Association for Marketing — the industry-leading organization focused on strengthening the pay-television business model and enhancing consumer experiences across media landscapes. Lins holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Albright College and a master’s degree in communication management from the University of Southern California.
A native of Jim Thorpe, Pa., Bishop Samuel Zeiser is a highly successful a leader in the church community who simply does not miss an opportunity to give back to his alma mater. Zeiser graduated from Albright College in 1973 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in urban affairs followed by a Master of Divinity degree from Lutheran Theological Seminary in Philadelphia, and later a doctor of philosophy degree in Religious and Theological Studies from Drew University. After seminary graduation, Samuel served five congregations. By the time that he retired, he was responsible for overseeing 300 congregations in Northeast Pennsylvania. In late 2020, Samuel retired as bishop, serving 14 counties in northeastern Pennsylvania – comprising of 250 congregations, more than 300 ordained leaders, and approximately 125,000 baptized members.
Named a top national college by Wall Street Journal/Times Higher Education, Albright College (founded 1856) is home to a diverse community of learners who cultivate integrity, curiosity, connection and resilience. Through learning experiences that engage a student’s creative and innovative capacities across all disciplines, both inside and outside of the classroom, an Albright College education guarantees that each student learns how to engage the world, understand the world, and is prepared to make an impact on a rapidly changing world. Located in Reading, Pa., Albright is home to undergraduate students, adult learners and graduate students.
