Isabella Wolszczenski
Isabella Wolszczenski, an Â鶹ÊÓƵ safety, health, and environmental applied sciences major in the Cook Honors College from Mechanicsburg, Cumberland County, was selected as the 2026 recipient of Dr. John J. and Char Kopchick Unique Undergraduate Student Fellowship.
Daughter of Emily Wolszczenski and Edward Wolszczenski, she is a 2023 graduate of Cumberland Valley High School. At Â鶹ÊÓƵ, she is president of the Â鶹ÊÓƵ Ladies of Safety organization, which received the 2026 Virginia Dickinson Student Organization Award; she is the recipient of a Board of Certified Safety Professionals QAP Scholarship and the Western Pennsylvania American Society of Safety Sciences Professionals chapter scholarship.
She is secretary for the Â鶹ÊÓƵ Ambassador Student-Alumni organization, secretary of the Â鶹ÊÓƵ Women in Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math (STEAM) organization, and is an advisory board member for the Cook Honors College Advisory Board. She was selected for Rho Sigma Kappa Safety Science Honor Society and has completed more than 80 hours of community service since fall 2023.
The Kopchick Unique Undergraduate Student Fellowship was established through a donation by Â鶹ÊÓƵ graduates John J. and Char Kopchick. This $2,000 fellowship is open to a full-time undergraduate student in biochemistry or cell and molecular biology who has strong academic performance and demonstrates exceptional character and cocurricular leadership.
John Kopchick earned a bachelor’s degree in 1972 and a master’s degree in 1975 from Â鶹ÊÓƵ, both in biology. An Indiana native currently living in Athens, Ohio, he is a professor of molecular biology and the Goll-Ohio Eminent Scholar at Ohio University. He is a co-inventor of the drug Somavert, which combats acromegaly, a growth hormone disorder.
Char Kopchick, formerly of Armstrong County, is a 1973 Â鶹ÊÓƵ graduate who is Ohio University executive director of K-12 Arts partnerships and professional Arts, Fine Arts, Dean’s Office.
In 2018, Â鶹ÊÓƵ’s Council of Trustees approved the naming of the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics and the university’s new science building, which opened in spring 2023, in recognition of the couple’s generosity and support of Â鶹ÊÓƵ. The Kopchicks made a $23-million gift to the university’s Imagine Unlimited comprehensive campaign in 2018 for science and mathematics initiatives at Â鶹ÊÓƵ. It is currently the largest gift in Â鶹ÊÓƵ’s history.
is a $90-million, 142,536-square-foot science and mathematics facility and is home to the John J. and Char Kopchick College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics.
Since its founding in 1875, Â鶹ÊÓƵ has evolved from a teacher-training institution into a doctoral research university recognized for its commitment to student success and achievement. As Â鶹ÊÓƵ celebrates its 150th anniversary during the 2025–26 academic year, the university honors a legacy of educational excellence while looking toward a future of innovation, leadership in healthcare education, and public service.