Life G Award Recipients 2023 - Alumni | Geneva College
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Life G Award Recipients 2023

Picture of Life G Award Recipients 2023

Geneva College is proud to announce the recipients of this year’s Life G Award. The Life G Award is given to Geneva College alumni who have displayed a service above self and embodies the principles the College stands for. Each year the recipients have led a life of exemplary accomplishments and service to their communities and nation. Sally A. (Brown) Peters ’64 and Betty Sue (Carter) Schaughency ’55. PhD are the recipients of this year’s awards and have demonstrated an unwavering commitment to servant-leadership in their field of work.

Sally A. (Brown) Peters ’64

Sally Peters earned her bachelor’s degree in chemistry at Geneva College in 1964 and went on to receive a master’s degree in library and information science from San Jose State University. She was an information specialist at Xerox PARC in Palo Alto, California for more than 28 years. Earlier in her career, she conducted virus research at Stanford under the direction of Hubert Loring, Ph.D., the chemist who first crystallized the polio virus, which was later used by Jonas Salk to create the first effective vaccine for the disease. Sally has been active in ACS for more than 30 years and has served the American Chemical Society (ACS) at the national, division, regional, and local section levels.

Sally Peters was the 2022 recipient of the Western Regional E. Ann Nalley Award, recognizing the volunteer efforts of individuals who have served the ACS, contributing significantly to the goals and objectives of the Society through their regional activities. Sally and her husband, Howard ’62, a couple known as “Mr. and Mrs. Chocolate” because of their use of the delectable sweet to explain the wonders of chemistry to non-scientists, toured the United States sharing their signature presentation, “Chocolate — Food of the Gods,” which explores the history and chemistry of one of America’s favorite treats.

They also have been scientist-author lecturers on Cunard’s Queen Mary 2 and on Princess Cruises ships. Other venues have included churches, science clubs, children’s museums, and schools. Through these activities, they say they have reached out to virtually every demographic, including underrepresented groups in science.

In addition to their chocolate presentations, the couple has for years supported the ACS–UN International Chemistry Olympiad, the Intel International Science & Engineering Fair, and KIDvention, a program that encourages teams of children from underprivileged backgrounds to try inventing devices using common household items.

Betty Sue (Carter) Schaughency ’55, PhD

Betty Sue’s journey has taken her from Boozy Creek in rural Scott County, Virginia to our community. Graduating with a degree in education from Geneva College in 1955, Betty Sue went on to serve the Beaver County community and school district in many ways over her 48-year career. She started as a Physical Science and Civics teacher in 1955 and worked in a variety of positions until her retirement as the district’s first female Superintendent in 2004.

She helped form the Beaver Area School District Education Foundation in 1985. The experiences that best prepared Betty Sue for the superintendency, she believes, was serving as a part-time national consultant with the Educator Training Center in Los Angeles for ten years. She trained school leadership teams in Keene, NH; San Marcus, TX; Madison, OH; Kansas City, MO, and other school systems all over the country.

After retiring as Superintendent, Betty Sue served as a Consultant with the University of Pittsburgh’s Educational Leadership Initiative and worked with superintendents in Burgettstown, Fox Chapel, Trinity Area, and Blackhawk. She also published her book Listening to that Still Small Voice in 2016 as a way to honor her father. She’s working on her second book, which will be a memoir entitled A Memoir from Boozy Creek and Beyond.

She and her husband Bob have three children: Jim, Tom, and Barbra, five grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren. Another joy has been watching her grandchildren choose their careers and playing with her great-grandchildren. She also loves playing duplicate bridge.

“Through these many years and times of both crisis and decision-making, I could always hear Dad’s words, ‘Turn it over to the Lord, listen to that still small voice.’ I’ve tried my best to do that. I am grateful, I am fortunate, I am blessed,” she said.

Mar 9, 2023

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