The University of Dayton Libraries presents annual awards for international students, teacher education majors and minors, and published student writers. Students apply in the winter term, and a committee for each award selects the winners. This year, each honor includes a $750 award.
All are welcome to attend the University Libraries Awards and student recognition ceremony at 3 p.m. Thursday, April 23, in the Gathering Place, Roesch Library second floor.
Join us in congratulating these outstanding students, from left in the image: Lilly Lowe, Maggie Romano and Stacy Ngo.
Lilly Lowe: Dr. Nicoletta Hary Award
Junior Lilly Lowe of Greenville, Ohio, was selected for the Dr. Nicoletta Hary Award, which honors a full- or part-time sophomore or junior student with a major or minor in teacher education. An early childhood education and intervention specialist major, Lowe is also earning a certificate in dyslexia and another from UD’s Urban Teacher Academy.
“Education is more to me than teaching math and science,” she says. “It is helping form the next generations of leaders and changemakers. I will treat my class as a family where they know that they are valued and integral to our classroom and our world. I will advocate for every child in my reach. I will teach my students to be advocates for themselves and others, and I will always believe in my students and push them to be the best they can.”
Lowe is president of Phi Lambda Iota, a faith and service sorority, and philanthropy chair of Epsilon Delta Upsilon, a professional fraternity for education majors. She is a member of UD’s Optimist Club and is active in Best Buddies, whose members foster friendships with individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. She also volunteers with the YWCA, Dayton’s domestic violence and rape crisis shelter.
Jeremy Mills, an assistant professor of teacher education, recommended Lowe for the award.
“Lilly approaches learning with both intellectual seriousness and a genuine concern for how education may be used in service to the common good,” he says. “These qualities reflect not only academic promise, but also strong personal character.”
Lowe says she’s grateful for the honor as well as the scholarship that comes with it.
“I am a first-generation college student, and education has not always felt like a guarantee,” Lowe says. “I was abundantly lucky to have so many people believe in me enough to push me.”
The award is named in memory of Nicoletta Mattioli Hary, a University of Dayton librarian for more than 50 years. Award criteria include financial need, a good academic record, and personal characteristics reflecting the Marianist tradition.
Maggie Romano: Brother Frank Ruhlman, S.M., Award of Excellence for Literary Achievement
Maggie Romano is a first-year student from Brunswick, Ohio, majoring in marketing. She is a member of the honors program, the Christian organization Cru and the women’s rowing team. In 2025, she joined the University of Dayton Magazine as a student journalist and began sharing stories of people who are driving innovation and change, excelling in their fields and serving others.
Her articles depict students and faculty providing service for the common good and bridging classroom experience with real-world applications. In “Farming Flyers,” she highlights an initiative from the Hanley Sustainability Institute providing hands-on experience in urban agriculture for an interdisciplinary group of students. The committee members commended her almost-poetic use of descriptive language, which brings out her voice and personality.
Romano's work brings a measured approach to timely discussions on often contentious innovations like AI. In “When Tech and Ethics Collide," she reports on the Responsible AI Case Competition, where students grappled with a complex technological scenario while building professional skills.
The Brother Frank Ruhlman, S.M., Award of Excellence for Literary Achievement was established in 1975 by the family of Joseph Poelking Sr. to memorialize Ruhlman, a former director of the Libraries (1936-54) who served UD for over 50 years. The award honors a UD undergraduate who demonstrates excellence in writing that has been published in University publications (electronic or print) within the previous 12 months.
Stacy Ngo: Rev. Theodore Koehler, S.M., International Student Award
Thi Doanh Doanh “Stacy” Ngo of Vietnam is due to receive her bachelor’s degree in May 2028 with a major in chemical engineering and a minor in mathematics. She is a member of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE), the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) and the UD chapter of the national solar energy advocacy organization RE-volv.
In a letter of recommendation for the Koehler Award, Tony Saliba, professor of chemical and materials engineering and dean emeritus of the School of Engineering, stated that Ngo has a tenacious drive to achieve goals, a passion for excellence, outstanding interpersonal skills, and leadership skills that will help her excel in her profession and contribute to her community.
Saliba added that Ngo has been a living example the motto “Learn. Lead. Serve” as a student leader in the Hanley, Sustainability Institute (HSI), where she fosters environmental stewardship and community engagement, collaborates with student groups to implement green initiatives and facilitates inclusive sustainability workshops to promote environmental awareness.
Ngo illustrates the Marianist spirit by helping people from her country learn English, strengthening the community and providing connections. She says she hopes to create a better community for everyone through teamwork and support.
The Rev. Theodore Koehler, S.M., International Student Award was established by University Libraries Professor Emerita Susan L. Tsui with the honorarium from her 1995 Lackner Award. Award criteria include financial need, a good academic record and personal characteristics that reflect the Marianist tradition.
Congratulations
The awards committees and the faculty and staff in the University Libraries congratulate the honorees and thank all the applicants for their submissions.