Patrick Broderick and Ashley Vanderpan have been named this year’s honorees for the Cal State Monterey Bay Provost Award for Exemplary Academic Achievement.

Broderick, an agricultural plant and soil sciences major, was given the undergraduate award. Vanderpan, a master’s degree student in speech-language pathology, received the graduate award.

Interim Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs Andrew Lawson said granting such recognition is a way to honor exceptional achievement. 

“Each year, we have a strong pool of nominees for our student awards, and I was honored to review those students nominated for the Provost’s Awards,” Lawson said.

Broderick and Vanderpan stood out, he said, not only for their academic achievements, but for their willingness to help others – either through mentoring or as a team player – and as scholar/ambassadors.

“Through their presentations at professional conferences or involvement with professional organizations within their fields, Patrick and Ashley have represented the high caliber of students we have and the incredible work that we accomplish here at Cal State Monterey Bay,” Lawson said. “Their achievements are a reflection of the excellent faculty mentors who have supported and guided them to a clear vision of what they want after graduation.”

Broderick, 44, came to CSUMB later than the typical college student. After years of working in the coffee roasting industry, he decided he wanted to do something else with his life. At first, that meant getting an associate’s degree. 

“I was at Cabrillo Community College studying horticulture,” Broderick said, “and I decided I wanted to keep going. I had a little garden plot and I wanted to learn everything I could about plants.” 

It was a microbiology course that really grabbed the Virginia native’s attention. He recalled looking through a microscope at plant cells for the first time. 

“It’s like when you look through a telescope for the first time and see everything,” he said. “I was seeing these reactions happening at this smaller and smaller scale.” 

In recommending him for the award, Professor JP Dundore-Arias wrote that Broderick has contributed to plant pathology research at CSUMB.

“He has applied his previous work experience in hydroponic crop production and combined it with his gained knowledge in plant pathology … significantly advancing our understanding of the regionally important plant disease Pythium wilt,” he wrote. 

Broderick is planning to pursue a master’s degree in environmental science.

Vanderpan is in the process of completing her master’s degree in speech and language pathology. She not only maintained a 4.0 GPA, but also was a key player on the Otters volleyball team during her two years of study. She will finish her degree this fall. 

Vanderpan only used two of her four years of player eligibility at San Diego State, where she earned her bachelor’s degree. She red-shirted one year and the COVID-19 pandemic took away another. Part of the reason she chose CSUMB was to use her two remaining years as a college player.

Head women’s volleyball coach Courtney Materazzi said she was impressed with the discipline Vanderpan showed on and off the court.

“Balancing academics and athletics can be incredibly difficult, and I’m so proud of the work she has put in to be a top performer in her cohort and a respectful student,” Materazzi said in her letter nominating Vanderpan for the award. 

She said it was typical to see Vanderpan studying on the bus and in her hotel room when the team traveled. She won all-conference honors as a player.

“Her commitment to her values and standards as a student have surely been witnessed by her professors and classmates,” Materazzi wrote. 

Vanderpan, who wants to work with children in the acute care setting, said she wasn’t expecting the recognition. 

“I was shocked,” she said. “I’m very honored to be recognized. A master’s program isn’t easy when you’re competing in a sport. It’s nice to be recognized for my hard work.”