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2026 Awards and Recognition

Panther Family Award — Women’s Giving Circle

The Panther Family Award recognizes families—whether connected by relation or by the deep bonds formed through shared Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­ experiences—who have demonstrated outstanding dedication and service to the University through alumni engagement, philanthropy and volunteerism.

For 15 years, the Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­ Women’s Giving Circle has embodied what it means to be an Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­ family. Through collective philanthropy, leadership, volunteerism, mentorship and friendship, the Circle has built a community of alumni, parents, faculty, staff and friends united by a shared commitment to supporting Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­ and its students.

Since its founding, the Women’s Giving Circle has provided more than $600,000 in philanthropic support to Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­ students, scholarships, faculty initiatives and programs. But its impact extends far beyond the numbers. When the COVID-19 pandemic created unprecedented financial hardship, the Circle directed all of its available grant funding to emergency student support, helping students and their families navigate a time of extraordinary uncertainty.

The Circle was also one of the first philanthropic supporters of Bridges to Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­, helping fund staff positions and pilot initiatives that strengthened the program’s ability to serve Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­â€™s neurodiverse students. Today, the Women’s Giving Circle continues to champion Bridges and neurodiversity, while supporting students experiencing housing insecurity, student parents and caregivers, experiential learning, scholarships, research, the arts, nursing, accessibility and inclusion, faculty innovation and programs across the University.

The Circle’s commitment extends beyond philanthropy. Through its annual student essay competition, members encourage the next generation of Panthers to think about what giving back means and empower students to direct a portion of their awards toward causes meaningful to them.

For 15 years, the Women’s Giving Circle has shown up for Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­ students, strengthened University programs and created a community grounded in generosity, friendship and a deep love for Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­. Their collective spirit, service and commitment truly make them a Panther family.

Legacy Family Award — The Muscarella & Lillo Families

The Legacy Family Award honors Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­ families whose connection to the University spans generations. These families represent the enduring relationships and traditions that make Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­ a place where Panther pride is passed from one generation to the next.

The story of the Muscarella and Lillo families at Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­ began with Louisa Buono Muscarella, who worked as the Art Exhibit Curator in the Fine Arts Department from 1974 to 1993. A beloved member of the Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­ community, Louisa balanced her career, family and grandchildren while pursuing her own lifelong love of learning. After first putting her children through college, she earned her own bachelor’s degree from Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­ in 1988 at the age of 57—a remarkable achievement that became an inspiration for generations of her family.

Louisa’s Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­ connection continued through her children and grandchildren. Her daughter, Susan Muscarella Ferrara, attended Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­ and worked in the University’s Craft Center, while her husband, Salvatore Ferrara, took courses at Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­. The next generation continued the family’s connection, including Graziano Lillo ’04, Diana Ferrara Lillo ’05, Louisa Ferrara ’06, MS ’07, PhD ’18, Krysta Ferrara ’16, and Timothy Muscarella ’07. The family’s Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­ story extends even further through Sal Muscarella ’81, as well as Rose Muscarella and Jay Burgman, who both attended Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­ and graduated in 1974 before marrying.

For more than five decades, the Muscarella and Lillo families have built an Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­ legacy rooted in education, perseverance, family and a shared belief in the transformative power of learning. From Louisa’s determination to earn her degree later in life to the many family members who followed her path, their story reflects the lasting connections Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­ can create across generations.

Today, their family includes alumni, former students, employees and lifelong members of the Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­ community—a testament to the many ways a connection to Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­ can grow and continue from one generation to the next. Their enduring Panther pride makes the Muscarella and Lillo families a fitting recipient of the 2026 Legacy Family Award.