Mid-American Conference

Julia Lombardi (Eastern Michigan) & Jordan Italiano (Kent State) Recipients of the 2016 Bob James Memorial Scholarship Award
Julia Lombardi and Jordan Italiano each to receive $5,000 post-graduate scholarship
 
CLEVELAND, OHIO – Julia Lombardi (women’s soccer) of Eastern Michigan and Jordan Italiano (football) of Kent State have been named the recipients of the 2016 Bob James Memorial Scholarship Award by the Mid-American Conference Faculty Athletics Representatives as announced by the league office today.
 
In its 28th year, the Bob James Memorial Scholarship Award recognizes one female and one male student who have achieved a minimum grade point average of 3.50 and have displayed good character, leadership and citizenship. The students are nominated during the year in which they complete their final season of eligibility. The $5,000 post-graduate scholarship is awarded in honor of Bob James, the second commissioner in Mid-American Conference history (1964-71).
 
Julia Lombardi graduated Summa Cum Laude from Eastern Michigan in April of 2016 and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in biology and a minor in chemistry. She was on the Dean’s List all eight semesters and graduated with a 3.99 cumulative GPA. Lombardi earned the Perry S. Brundage Award for excellence in general chemistry, given annually by the Eastern Michigan chemistry department.
 
She has twice been named a MAC Distinguished Scholar Athlete (2014, 2015).  Lombardi is a two-time Academic All-MAC selection (2014, 2015), a two-time MAC Commissioner’s Award recipient (2014, 2015) and was named Capital One Academic All-District Second Team selection in 2014 for her academic work as a student-athlete.
 
Lombardi was named the Eastern Michigan Department of Athletics Female Athlete of the Year (2016).  She received the MAC Medal of Excellence Award (2016) and Eastern Michigan renamed its Leadership Award as the Lombardi Leadership Award, which is given annually to the student-athlete who demonstrates the best overall leadership traits, and makes the greatest impact on the student-athlete population.
 
She was an Executive Member of the MAC Leaders Program (MAC SAAC) and was part of the MAC Mental Health Task Force.  Lombardi was President of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and helped organize several student-athlete service projects including #MoreThanASport, The Ypsi Awards, Jock Jamz, Campus Sweater Exchange, Kleats for Kids and Building Bright Futures at the Factory.
 
As a four-year letterwinner on the Eastern Michigan soccer team, Lombardi was twice named Teammate of the Year. She was a member of the Eagles 2013 MAC Regular Season Championship Team and 2014 West Division Champions.
 
Lombardi’s undergraduate research investigated the mitochondrial peptide humanin (HN), its synthetic analog HN (5-15), and their interactions with B-amyloid (1-40) in an effort to better understand their neuroprotective roles against Alzheimer’s Disease.
 
Off the field, Lombardi has volunteered at St. Joseph Mercy Hospital in Ann Arbor in the Emergency Department and in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and has also volunteered for the Canadian Cancer Society Relay for Life. She served her fellow student-athletes as President of the Student Athlete Advisory Council, as she organized a social media campaign by MAC student athletes to voice the importance of collegiate athletics using the hashtag #MoreThanASport.
 
A native of Oakville, Ontario, Canada, Lombardi will pursue her dream of becoming a doctor by attending medical school at the University of Ottawa (Ontario) in the Faculty of Medicine beginning in the Fall of 2016.
 
Jordan Italiano will graduate from Kent State University in May of 2017 with a Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry (biochem-pre-med) and a 3.983 cumulative GPA.  He has made the Dean’s List on six occasions, President's List four times and was named the smartest player in college football by NFL.com in August of 2015.
 
Italiano is a three-time Academic All-American (2013, 2014, 2015), the only three-time winner in Kent State football program history and was named Kent State’s recipient of the MAC Medal of Excellence in 2016.  He was named to the 2016 National Football Foundation’s Hampshire Honor Society and a three-time CoSIDA Academic All-District First Team selection.  Italiano is a two-time MAC Distinguished Scholar Athlete selection (2014, 2015) and a three-time Academic All-MAC honoree (2013, 2014, 2015).
 
A native of Canfield, Ohio, Italiano is a four-year letterwinner, a three-year starter and was twice named team captain in 2014 and 2015. During his collegiate career Italiano collected 257 career tackles, along with five interceptions and five forced fumbles. He was named to the 2015 Wuerffel Trophy Award Watch List and was also a nominee for the 2015 All-State AFCA Good Works Team. Italiano also became the first Campbell Trophy finalist in program history.
 
Outside of the classroom and the gridiron, Italiano often donated his time to charitable events on campus and within the community. He helped organize donated food and prepared meals for the less fortunate in the Kent area, volunteered with the Lawrence County Social Services youth sports and with the St. Elizabeth Health Center to work with families and patients for comfortable care, read books to elementary school students in the Akron and Cleveland area and helped promote physical education at local elementary schools.