Ellen Farrelly ’20 received the Joseph J. Gunn ’30 Alumni Medal from Manhattan College, the college announced today. Awarded to a senior graduate who personifies the Lasallian mission in Manhattan through significant contributions to the College, the Gunn Medal is recognized as one of the College’s highest undergraduate honors.

Graduated with a degree in Chemical Engineer and minor in environmental engineering and theater, Farrelly has been named to the Dean’s List every semester of her academic career. In 2018, she participated in the Jasper Summer Research Fellowship Program, through which she worked on a National Institutes of Health funded project with Bryan wilkins, assistant professor of chemistry and biochemistry. She is a member of several engineering societies, including the New York Water Environment Association (NYWEA) and the Society of Women Engineers (SWE). She was inducted into the Manhattan University Honor Society, Epsilon Sigma Pi, as well as the National Engineering Honor Society Tau Beta Pi, for which she was Chapter Vice President for the 2019-2020 academic year.

Irish dancer, singer and musician, Farrelly has been a member of several performing arts groups on campus, including the Manhattan College Singers, Players and Music Ministry. Co-founder of the Irish dance team Jasper, she was the keyboardist for the Pep Band and served as its president during her senior year.

“We were fortunate to have a student as passionate about Manhattan College as Ellen on campus,” said John Bennett, Executive Director of Student Engagement. Praising her many contributions to student life, he noted that “every night on the Pep Band, we can see Ellen energizing both the crowd and her peers, helping band members with their gear and personal development. Ellen was an absolute pleasure to have on campus.

A native of Yonkers, New York, Farrelly was a regular supporter of the college-sponsored Safe Halloween community event. She served as a representative of the Student Government – Alumni Society and worked as a liaison between the two organizations. She was actively involved in the College’s Kairos retreat program and has Lasallian outreach volunteer experience (LOVE) social justice immersion program.

During a LOVE trip to Israel and Palestine in March 2018, Farrelly learned about the drinking water and irrigation needs of Palestinian farmers, an experience that influenced his decision to pursue environmental engineering in the hopes of improve water quality locally and globally for underserved populations. She recently return to campus to collect gloves and masks from several laboratories for donation to nearby medical establishments.

The award will be presented at the Spring 2020 Convocation, to be held at a later date.