Wayne State University seniors Scott G. Pritzlaff and Dee Dee Wang, both of Troy, will receive the prestigious Howard A. Donnelly Award from the university during spring commencement ceremonies at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, May 2, in Detroit's Cobo Arena. The Donnelly Award is presented annually to a man and to a woman in the spring graduating class who have distinguished themselves through outstanding contributions in the areas of leadership, service and student activities, consistent with high scholarship. Pritzlaff and Wang will address their classmates during the ceremonies.

Pritzlaff is receiving a Bachelor of Science degree, summa cum laude, in biological sciences. Wang will receive a Bachelor of Science degree, summacum laude, in honors biological sciences, with a co-major in university honors. Both students were awarded Presidential Scholarships from Wayne State and have been on the College of Science Dean's List, which recognizes superior scholarship, every term.

Pritzlaff is director of Project Volunteer/Students of Service, and his leadership was instrumental in establishing Wayne State's participation in World AIDS Day and Homelessness Awareness Week. He is a volunteer with the Cass Clinic, Blight Busters, Habitat for Humanity, Healthcare for the Homeless and Greening of Detroit. His volunteer work has included helping renovate homes for low-income citizens in Kentucky, working at an AIDS clinic in New York, assisting at the Capuchin Soup Kitchen in Detroit and tutoring inner-city youth in Philadelphia.

A member of the Golden Key National Honor Society and the Association of Pre-Medical Students at WSU, Pritzlaff has presented research work at the Argenne National Laboratory Undergraduate Symposium and is a recipient of the university's Undergraduate Research Award. He is a past recipient of WSU's annual Outstanding General Chemistry Student Award.

Wang is vice president of the College of Science Presidential Scholars Council and co-editor of the Wayne State honors program newsletter. As president of the WSU Association of Pre-Medical Students, she was instrumental in helping the society more than double its membership. She is president of the WSU chapter of the Phi Eta Sigma National Honor Society and she plays violin in the Wayne State University Symphony Orchestra.

She has served as a site leader for various Project Volunteer projects and is an active member of the Friendship Association of Chinese Students and the Multi-Cultural Amerasian Coalition. She also is a volunteer with the Cass Free Medical Clinic in the Cass Corridor.

Outstanding academic performance and her research work in the area of molecular genetics has resulted in Wang being awarded several scholarships and grants. She is a student representative on the steering committee for WSU's Office of Global Education and also is a member of the Wayne State Diplomats, current students who volunteer their time to give campus tours to prospective students.

Receiving honorary doctoral degrees from Wayne State during the spring commencement ceremonies will be producer-director and cable television personality James Lipton and labor leader Stephen Yokich. Lipton, host of "Inside the Actors Studio" on the Bravo network, will receive an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters Degree. Yokich, who has headed the United Auto Workers union as president since 1995, will receive an honorary Doctor of Laws degree.

Wayne State University is a premier institution of higher education offering more than 350 academic programs through 14 schools and colleges to more than 31,000 students in metropolitan Detroit.