CALIFORNIA, Pa. (December 16, 2005)
Cathy Dean, a non-traditional student from Stockdale, Pa., received California University of Pennsylvania’s 2005 Computer Science Award.
A senior majoring in computer information science who received her undergraduate degree at the December 17 Winter Commencement Ceremony, Dean earned the award for having the highest cumulative grade-point average (3.96) of all computer science and computer systems graduates.
The daughter of Catherine and Arthur Balieu of Stockdale, Dean is a 1985 graduate of Charleroi High School. She worked 17 years at Monongahela Valley Hospital as a certified Phlebotomist before opting for a career change.
Dean and her husband Robert are the parents of two children—Christie, 17, and Ryan, who is 11. While raising her family and going to school, Dean also worked an internship last summer at XpressBet near The Meadows Race Track, Meadow Lands, Pa. After completion of her internship, that company hired her as an assistant administrator, where she will be responsible for maintaining and troubleshooting the terminal’s network system to nationwide off-track betting.
“Cathy is an exceptional young lady,” said George Novak, longtime math and computer science professor at Cal U, who coordinated Dean’s internship that resulted into a fulltime job. “She is an outstanding student and intern which she had to be to land the internship and receive the award. Our department is proud of her and the way she managed her priorities with a family, school, and work is commendable.”
Dean is an example that it is never too late to go back to school and she is understandably pleased with her experience at Cal U.
“I wanted to change careers and going to California was obviously a good choice,” Dean said. “The faculty of the math and computer science department as well as the courses I took definitely prepared me well. I learned a lot.”
Photo ID—2005 Cal U Computer Science Award recipient Cathy Dean proudly displays her plaque with Dr. Barbara Hess, Chairperson of Cal U’s math and computer science department.