MIDDLETOWN, Pa. — The Penn State Harrisburg Alumni Society honored recipients of the annual Alumni Achievement Awards and the People to Watch Awards at a ceremony on Sept. 17.
The Alumni Achievement Awards recognize graduates from each of the college’s five academic schools, who earned the accolade thanks to their outstanding professional accomplishments.
The People to Watch Awards recognize graduates from each of the college’s schools who have made a significant contribution to the betterment of society through their personal and professional endeavors. Video biographies of the winners are available online.
The honorees were:
Alumni Achievement Awards
James Borzi, class of 1984, School of Science, Engineering, and Technology, is a globally recognized executive with more than 30 years of leadership experience in operations, supply chain, and enterprise transformation across Fortune 500 companies. As executive vice president and chief supply chain officer at Baxter Healthcare, he oversees a global network of more than 150 facilities and 30,000 employees, managing $6 billion in cost of goods sold and $1 billion in transportation and distribution spend.
Serina R. Gaston, graduate class of 2007, School of Behavioral Sciences and Education, became CEO of Habitat for Humanity of Bucks County in August, bringing more than 20 years of leadership experience in public health and nonprofit management. A certified health education specialist, she has secured and managed millions of dollars in federal, state, and private funding and recently completed an intensive major gifts fundraising program for nonprofit leaders.
Gary R. Mikula, class of 1981, School of Business Administration, is the co-founder and CEO of Birch Hill Investment Advisors and brings more than four decades of experience managing investment portfolios for high-net-worth individuals and small institutions. In 2026, he was named one of Boston's Five-Star Wealth Managers, an honor he has received 14 times.
Robert Regular, class of 1995, School of Humanities, is a digital media pioneer, serial entrepreneur, and CEO of Infolinks Media. Over his 30-year career, he has founded, scaled, and successfully exited five digital media companies, generating more than $1 billion in cumulative revenue, launching an IPO, and raising over $250 million in capital.
Jessica Shirley, graduate class of 2009, School of Public Affairs, serves as the secretary of the Department of Environmental Protection, leading the department in its mission to protect and preserve Pennsylvania’s environment while fostering sustainable and equitable practices. Shirley has worked for more than 15 years at the department in roles including executive deputy secretary, infrastructure implementation coordinator, and policy director.
Michael Smith, graduate class of 2020, School of Public Affairs, has built a distinguished career as a public policy leader, advocate, and strategist, with more than 20 years of experience spanning government, higher education, and nonprofit organizations. Since 2018, Smith has led state government relations for the University of Pennsylvania. He previously served in state leadership roles including executive deputy secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture.
David Sunday, class of 2002, School of Business Administration, is Pennsylvania’s attorney general and has dedicated his career to public service, leadership, and the pursuit of justice. Sunday is a U.S. Navy veteran, and he previously served as York County district attorney and as a special assistant U.S. attorney.
People to Watch Award Winners
Jeshanah Fox, class of 2013, School of Humanities, is the director of marketing and strategy at Brown Plus, a leading accounting and advisory firm. A recognized leader in her field, Fox helps shape the organization's long-term vision and strategic direction, leads the firm’s marketing efforts and works closely with firm leaders to turn goals into action, track progress, and drive meaningful growth.
Tulsi Patel, graduate class of 2014, School of Business Administration, is a program and operations leader with more than 12 years of experience across technology, financial services, and consulting. Most recently, she served as a program manager at Meta, where she led large-scale initiatives in privacy, compliance, risk management, and data quality.
Nolan Ritchie, graduate class of 2012, School of Public Affairs, has been executive director of the Senate Transportation Committee for 11 years. In this role, Ritchie, who previously worked at the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation in various roles, is responsible for managing transportation-related laws, regulations and policies for the state.
Kevin Scharlau, class of 2008 and graduate class of 2014, School of Behavioral Sciences and Education, is principal of Highland Elementary in the West Shore School District. Now in his 18th year in education, Scharlau has served as a classroom teacher, literacy specialist, assistant principal, and principal. Throughout his career, he has led professional development for educators, co-authored curriculum, mentored teachers, and presented at local, state and national conferences.
Jill K. Whitcomb, graduate class of 2011, School of Science, Engineering, and Technology, is deputy secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection's Office of Water Programs. Whitcomb directs the administration of point and nonpoint source management, water quality standards and monitoring, dam safety and flood protection, safe drinking water, interstate waters, and coastal resource management, and she leads Pennsylvania's Chesapeake Bay watershed restoration efforts.