Pennsbury High School welcomed its newest class of inductees into its Hall of Fame on Thursday, October 13, during a ceremony at Pennsbury High School East. The new members are Lavoy Allen, Class of 2007; Dr. Corey Cochrane, Class of 2000; Ryan Newman, Class of 1997; Dr. Arthur Lendo, Class of 1964; and Dr. Ashley Zampini Ritter, Class of 2003.
Each inductee spoke at the ceremony, which was attended by students, faculty, and family members of alums. They shared how their experiences at Pennsbury helped prepare them for life and shaped the people they are today. The ceremony was also livestreamed throughout the high school campus.
About the Pennsbury High School Hall of Fame 2023 Inductees
Lavoy Allen, Class of 2007
Retired basketball star Lavoy Allen, is the only Pennsbury graduate to be drafted and play in the NBA. While at Pennsbury, Allen helped the Falcons win back-to-back league championships in 2006 and 2007. He earned Division 1 scholarship offers to multiple universities and the 2007 Big Orange Award.
After graduating from Pennsbury High School in 2007, Allen attended Temple University, where he was selected to the All-Rookie Team as a first-year student. He played in the NCAA tournament for all four seasons and was an Atlantic 10 All Defense player. Lavoy graduated as Temple's all-time leading rebounder and was named one of Philadelphia's Big 5 players of the year. Coach Fran Dunphy said he "might be the smartest player I've ever coached."(Jensen, Mike. Philadelphia Inquirer. 2010)
Mr. Allen was the 50th overall pick in the 2011 NBA draft by the Philadelphia 76ers. Allen played for Philadelphia from
2011-2014 and had great success during his rookie season. In the playoffs, Allen was instrumental in lifting the Sixers over the Bulls and securing clutch wins over the Celtics. The following season, he was the starting center, averaging 5.8 points and five rebounds per game. Following a trade in 2014, Allen continued his basketball career with the Indiana Pacers. He remained with the Pacers until the end of the 2017 season. During his time in the NBA, Allen made it to the postseason play for three out of his six seasons.
Dr. Corey Cochrane, Class of 2000
Dr. Corey Cochrane is a scientist and technologist in the Planetary Interiors and Geophysics group at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL.) His research entails the search for ocean worlds in the solar system using electromagnetic sounding, through the development of next-generation magnetometers, novel ocean detection and characterization algorithms, and strategic design and formulation of future planetary mission concepts.
Dr. Cochrane works on NASA's Europa Clipper mission, which will assess the habitability of the ocean within Jupiter's moon Europa. He is an investigation scientist and calibration lead for the Europa Clipper Magnetometer and co-investigator for the Plasma Instrument for Magnetic Sounding. He was the ocean detection lead for the Trident Discovery mission concept, which aspired to detect a hidden ocean within Neptune's moon Triton, and is currently involved in designing concepts for NASA's next flagship mission, Uranus Orbiter and Probe, serving as deputy lead for the Ocean Worlds working group. He is the principal investigator and science lead for multiple solid-state quantum magnetometers and has pioneered the modeling and visualization of spacecraft magnetic fields, including Europa Clipper and Psyche.
Dr. Cochrane obtained his Ph.D. at Penn State University (PSU) in Engineering Science and Mechanics (ESM), where he discovered a new branch of physics to sense magnetic fields, for which he was awarded the Paul A. Lester Memorial Award. Dr. Cochrane obtained his MS and BS degrees in Electrical Engineering (EE) at PSU, with an emphasis on signal processing and artificial intelligence. He spent two summers at NASA's Ames Research Center developing biologically inspired robotics using artificial neural networks and two years at Boeing Space & Intelligence Systems working in the DSP algorithms group. He also co-founded Blue Spin, LLC, a small magnetic resonance company that he co-owns. CDr. Cochrane came to JPL in 2013, where he was selected for a NASA Postdoctoral Program fellowship.
As of 2023, Dr. Cochrane has written 70 publications (32 first-author), given over 50 presentations worldwide, holds three first-authored patents, and is co-author of a book. He was selected for the JPL Charles Elachi Award, Ed Stone Award, three Voyager awards, four team awards, and a NASA group achievement award. He has also won early career alumni awards from both PSU's ESM and EE graduate departments.
Dr. Cochrane is the son of Diane and Ed Cochrane, both retired physical education teachers at Pennsbury High School and brother of Clayton, a former soccer player in the United Soccer League, and E.J., a former football player in the NFL. His parents and brothers are all members of the PHS Athletic Hall of Fame.
Dr. Arthur Lendo, Class of 1964
Arthur John Lendo graduated in 1964. He was the recipient of the first Falcon Award and an inaugural class inductee into the Pennsbury Athletic Hall of Fame.
Dr. Lendo served as President & CEO of Peirce College in Philadelphia for 18 years. His tenure placed him among the most experienced college presidents in the country. He pioneered creating online degree programs implementing Peirce Online and became a frequent spokesperson for the benefits and challenges associated with distance learning. He received numerous awards, including a National Award for Economic Education from the Freedom Foundation at Valley Forge. Dr. Lendo holds degrees from the University of Notre Dame, The American University, and Boston College. His forty-year career included administrative and faculty positions at The American University, Boston College, Saint Joseph's University, and Northeastern University, where he co-founded the Instructional TV Network.
Dr. Lendo presented a significant, pioneering policy paper at Oxford University regarding asynchronous online learning, which received wide distribution. He was a featured author in the prestigious book series "Inside the Minds" with his essay "Embracing Innovation and 21st Century Technology: A Transformational Leadership Study". His treatise, "The Strategic Move of Peirce College," was distributed in 43 languages by INSEAD, the French International Business School.
Since his retirement, Dr. Lendo has focused on philanthropic endeavors in honor of his parents. He established the landmark Lendo Fellowship at Pennsbury with over 200 students having received awards to date; endowed a scholarship at Notre Dame; and created an endowment fund in his hometown at the Yardley Historical Association to preserve and protect the historic Old Library by Afton Lake.
He recently funded the restoration of an iconic World War II aircraft, the SBD Douglas Dauntless Dive Bomber #2173, in honor of his uncle, Lt. John Lendo, who was the last pilot to fly the plane. Lt. Lendo was later killed in action on December 14, 1944, while serving as a U.S. Navy carrier fighter pilot.
The aircraft is now a permanent exhibit at the Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum in Honolulu, Hawaii. Dr. Lendo spoke at the dedication of the plane on December 7, 2022, during the 81st anniversary Ceremonies at Pearl Harbor. His presentation, "The Cost of Freedom Is High and Should Never Be Taken For Granted," highlighted that the World War II Navy carrier fighter pilots were the real Luke Skywalkers.
Ryan Newman, Class of 1997
Ryan Newman is a managing director at Goldman Sachs. Mr. Newman manages over $13 billion in client assets, advising Fortune 500 CEOs, Forbes 400 families, entrepreneurs, and founders of high-growth, closely-held, or venture-backed companies and select institutions, including foundations and endowments. He co-founded and leads one of the largest private wealth management teams at Goldman Sachs nationwide and ran the Private Wealth Management Training Program at Goldman Sachs for the past 12 years. He has been employed by Goldman Sachs since 2001.
A 1997 graduate of Pennsbury High School, Mr. Newman received his B.S. in Economics with a Minor in Philosophy from Penn State University in 2001, where he graduated first in his major from the Schreyer Honors College, serving as the Student Marshal at graduation. Mr. Newman was awarded an undergraduate Thesis Prize for his honor thesis on Fertility Transition in Cameroon. He also won a Thesis Research Grant to travel and live in Cameroon at a United Nations-sponsored demography institute.
Outside of his professional life, Mr. Newman leads philanthropic ventures as well. He is the President of Amigos de Jesus Foundation, which supports an orphanage for impoverished children in Honduras. Mr. Newman also serves on the Board of Trustees at The Episcopal Academy in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania, the Penn State Schreyer Honors College External Advisory Board, and the Foundation for Free Enterprise, the presenters of the Pennsylvania Free Enterprise Week. He has also successfully chaired the last two capital campaigns for the Schreyer Honors College, helping raise over $75 million between the two campaigns.
Dr. Ashley Zampini Ritter, Class of 2003
Dr. Ashley Zampini Ritter is the Director of Clinical Care Research at NewCourtland, a non-profit organization in Philadelphia providing housing, health, and social services to underserved populations. She also serves as the Chief Executive Officer of Those Nerdy Girls, a volunteer team of interdisciplinary women scientists who provide practical and factual health information via social media. She leads in the development and implementation of new programs to meet complex needs using her expertise as a nurse and researcher.
In her current role, Dr. Ritter builds and evaluates interdisciplinary models of care to provide health and housing to older adults. She currently leads a housing demonstration program for older Veterans who experience homelessness and chronic health conditions. Ashley has worked with older adults in various settings, including hospitals, nursing homes, outpatient offices, and, her favorite, in their homes. She led the opening of an Acute Care of the Elderly (ACE) Unit at University Medical Center at Princeton in 2008. She began working as a nurse practitioner in 2010, specializing in complex medical and social needs, including dementia, substance use disorder, homelessness, and overlapping chronic conditions. She earned her Ph.D. while working part-time and raising her children. She completed her post-doctoral training in 2021 in the National Clinician Scholars Program, focusing on interdisciplinary leadership in health services. She has received grant funding from Veterans Affairs, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Her work is published in various academic journals, including Health Affairs, the Journal of the American Medical Director's Association, and the Journal of Public Health Nursing. She has received awards for her expertise and service from Penn Alumni, the Eastern Pennsylvania Geriatrics Society, and the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing.
Dr. Ritter is also the Chief Executive Officer of the non-profit Those Nerdy Girls. At the onset of the COVID-19 global pandemic, Dr. Ritter and a group of women scientists started Dear Pandemic, providing realtime answers about the emerging health crisis via social media. Their work reaches millions of people across the world. The calming and factual approach to science communication of Those Nerdy Girls is featured in National Geographic, The New York Times, and the World Health Organization. Using the same practical, factual, and kind approach, Those Nerdy Girls continue to provide insights on mental health, reproductive health, information literacy, and other hot health issues via Facebook, Instagram, Substack, and other social media outlets. Their work received the Public Engagement Award in 2023 from the Interdisciplinary Association of Population Health Scientists.
Dr. Ritter holds a Bachelor's Degree in Nursing, a Master's Degree in Nursing specializing in Adult and Gerontologic Primary Care, and a Master's Degree in Health Policy from the University of Pennsylvania. She earned her Ph.D. in 2018, examining the intersection of competition policy and state-required collaborative practice agreements, also from the University of Pennsylvania. She is a first-generation college graduate.
While at Pennsbury, Dr. Ritter played the clarinet in the concert and marching band and helped form the first Pennsbury women's lacrosse team.
Established in 2022, the Pennsbury High School Hall of Fame recognizes and honors alums who have made exceptional contributions to society after leaving the halls of Pennsbury High School. It is a testament to Pennsbury's rich history and the remarkable achievements of its members.
Inductees span various fields, including academics, arts, athletics, business, public service, and more. Each inductee demonstrates exceptional talent, leadership, and dedication throughout their lives and careers.
The Pennsbury High School Hall of Fame serves as a platform for recognition and a source of inspiration and motivation for current and future generations of students. It highlights the values of hard work, dedication, and excellence, encouraging students to pursue their passions and strive for greatness in all aspects of their lives.
