Four King's College Alumni Award Winners Celebrated
During 2022 Commencement Weekend
On May 21, 2022, King’s College President Rev. Thomas P. Looney, C.S.C., Ph.D., conferred awards upon four distinguished alumni who have made remarkable contributions to their professional fields, their communities, and the institution. Alumni Awards are presented annually during the College’s Commencement Weekend.
Members of the faculty, staff, administration, and alumni assisted the president in the selection process from nominees submitted by fellow alumni and friends of the College. This year’s Alumni Award Recipients are Douglas Coslett, M.D. '85 - Outstanding Professional Achievement (Arts and Sciences); Matthew Kotch, MBA ’11 - Robert J. Ell Alumni Award for Outstanding Service to Alma Mater; Timothy McDonnell '80 - Service to Society; and Matthew Nice, Ph.D. ’12 - The Leo Award.
The Award for Outstanding Professional Achievement (Arts and Sciences)
Honoring alumni who have distinguished themselves through exceptional personal achievement, the Award for Outstanding Professional Achievement (Arts and Sciences) was awarded to Douglas Coslett, M.D. Dr. Coslett graduated summa cum laude from King’s College in 1985 with a degree in biology. He attended Thomas Jefferson University’s Sidney Kimmel School of Medicine, completed a residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology at Lankenau Hospital, and was presented the Philadelphia Obstetrical Society Residency Bowl Award. For nearly twenty years, Dr. Coslett served the community, specializing in minimally invasive surgery. He both chaired and served on numerous hospital committees, including as president of the Wilkes-Barre General Hospital medical staff. Later, he transitioned to hospital administration as chief medical officer, overseeing several other facilities and representing the institution on numerous state and national committees—one of which was the Pennsylvania Governor's initiative for opioid harm reduction. After many years of clinical exposure to those suffering with substance use disorder, Dr. Coslett took a position at Brookdale Premier Addiction Recovery, Scotrun, Pa. Dr. Coslett, and his wife Kathleen, currently reside in Moosic, Pa.
The Robert J. Ell Alumni Award for Outstanding Service to Alma Mater
Named for Robert J. Ell ’50, the first Director of Alumni Relations at King’s College, this award is given to alumni for extraordinary service, dedication, and commitment to the College. Matthew Kotch, MBA, graduated summa cum laude from King’s College in 2011 with double majors in finance and economics. He graduated from Saint Joseph’s University in 2015 with his MBA and has since continued his education at the University of Pennsylvania Wharton School of Business earning an executive education certificate in digital marketing. After graduating from King’s, Kotch was hired by the Vanguard Group, and for the past decade, has performed a variety of roles, most recently as senior intelligence strategy analyst for the retail investment division. At Vanguard, Kotch co-founded a King’s College alumni network focused on fostering community and providing career opportunities for current students. In doing so, he has worked closely with the College’s Office of Career Planning, establishing personal relationships with dozens of students over the years and helping influence students’ career decisions through impactful mentoring. Additionally, Kotch is a member of the William G. McGowan School of Business Advisory Council and has participated in the College’s newly established Mentoring Program—impacting the lives of numerous students in both classroom and one-on-one settings. He lives with his wife Kimberly and their daughter Samantha in the Philadelphia area.
The Award for Service to Society
The Award for Service to Society is presented to alumni who have distinguished themselves through selfless and caring personal commitment to benefit others. Timothy McDonnell graduated from King’s College in 1980 and remained in the Wilkes-Barre area for several years to operate a small business. He later started a new career in New York City, where he witnessed and survived the terrorist attacks of September 11. He extended himself both financially and emotionally to the many families who lost so much that day. In the wake of other tragedies, McDonnell and his wife Clare established the My Three Sons Foundation, assisting a family who had lost their father to leukemia by sending their children to college and pledged to help disenfranchised adults and children in Long Branch, NJ, in partnership with a local parish, making food deliveries each month and ensuring families have presents and turkeys for the holiday season. McDonnell was later himself diagnosed with leukemia and shortly after his son was critically injured in an accident caused by a drunk driver. This time, the community gave back to their family. McDonnell’s generosity and desire to “pay it forward” has had a lasting impact on his community. He lives with his wife and his sons Timmy and Matt in Oceanport, NJ, after spending the previous 30 years in Holmdel, NJ.
The Leo Award
Presented to alumni within 15 years of their graduation who have demonstrated outstanding achievement in their professional or community activities, the award is named for the King’s College mascot and suggests the energy, pride, and sense of purpose that recipients personify. Matthew L. Nice, Ph.D., graduated from King’s College in 2012 with a double major in psychology and sociology and a minor in theology. Three years later, he graduated from Marywood University with a master’s degree in school counseling and earned his doctorate from the Duquesne University counselor education and supervision program. For his achievements, Nice was awarded the Duquesne University School of Education 2020 Outstanding Graduate Student Award. Today, Nice serves as an assistant professor at Indiana University of Pennsylvania and is currently in his second year and on tenure-track. He was selected as one of six school counseling professors nationwide to serve on the Educational Testing Services Praxis Counselor National Advisory Committee. As a committee member, he created the new assessment all school counselors must pass to become certified, which has been taken by thousands of school counseling students across the country. In addition to this honor, Nice is the president of the Pennsylvania Counseling Association and has been recently elected president of the National Association of Adult Development and Aging. Nice resides in Pittsburgh, Pa.