Bucknell University Athletics
Photo by: Jon Lambert
Bucknell's Pechin, Mottram Honored on FCS ADA Academic All-Star Team
1/10/2020 5:48:00 PM | Football
LEWISBURG, Pa. – Bucknell consensus All-American punter Alex Pechin was selected as one of 10 finalists for the Football Championship Subdivision Athletics Directors Association's Postgraduate Scholarship, the organization announced Friday.Â
In addition, Pechin and junior linebacker Rick Mottram, a 2019 CoSIDA Academic All-American, were recognized on the FCS ADA Academic All-Star Team. This is Pechin's third appearance on the prestigious team and Mottram's first. They were among 53 student-athletes honored in 2019.
Two of the student-athletes selected as finalists will receive postgraduate scholarships during the association's annual membership meeting, which is held in conjunction with the 2020 NACDA Convention in Las Vegas, Nevada. The other 2019 FCS ADA Postgraduate Scholarship finalists are Ben Ellefson (North Dakota State), Josh Fink (Abilene Christian), Tom Flacco (Towson), Ezra Gray (Alabama State), Brogan McPartland (Harvard),Dante Olson (University of Montana), Adam Trautman (Dayton), Andre Walker (Houston Baptist) and Chris Zirkle (Northwestern State).
These honors are just the latest for Pechin, who earlier became the Patriot League's 14th consensus All-American. A Biomedical Engineering and Management for Engineers double major, he has also excelled in the classroom. The 2019 STATS FCS Doris Robinson Scholar-Athlete Award winner as the FCS's top scholar-athlete, he is the first football player to capture three-straight Patriot League Scholar-Athlete of the Year awards. Following the 2018-19 school year, he became the third football player to be selected as the Patriot League Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year, joining fellow Bison David Berardinelli (1992-93) and Lehigh's Nick Martucci (1998-99).
Pechin interned for Orbit Biomedical, a start-up company dedicated to revolutionizing gene and cell therapy treatment for patients suffering from sight-threatening diseases, in the summers of 2019 and 2018. During the fall of 2018, he conducted gene therapy research for Orbit Biomedical in addition to his classwork. As part of his intensive five-year dual degree program at Bucknell, he has completed multiple projects; his senior design project involved creating ultrasound simulation for surgical training. A football team peer tutor, he is an active member of Bucknell's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and Leadership Institute. He also worked as a grader for Physics 211 and 212, participated in InterVarsity Bible study and volunteered at Riverwoods, a senior living community, and Geisinger, a local hospital, during his time in Lewisburg.
Mottram, a Mechanical Engineering major, earlier became the 25th Bison football player to be tabbed as an Academic All-American. He is the fourth Bison to be recognized this decade, joining linebacker Travis Nissley (2010), linebacker Tim Bolte (2011) and running back Matt DelMauro (2015).
Off the field, Mottram has worked as a research assistant in Bucknell's Mechanical Engineering and Chemical Engineering departments; his projects have involved developing a patented, open-source 3D printer and determining the viscoelastic properties of mineral oils and investigating whether the addition of nanocarriers had an effect on the viscosity. In addition, he has served as a tutor and study group facilitator for Calculus 1, been involved in recreating the curriculum of an engineering seminar called Engineering Athletics and interned for Lohnpack Contract Filling as a researcher and website designer.
In 2017, Mottram was chosen as one of five NFF Chapter Scholar-Athletes by the NFF & College Hall of Fame and represented Bucknell at the NFF Chapter Awards Banquet in New York City; the valedictorian of his high school class, he graduated with the top GPA in Allentown High School history, a weighted 4.549.
In addition, Pechin and junior linebacker Rick Mottram, a 2019 CoSIDA Academic All-American, were recognized on the FCS ADA Academic All-Star Team. This is Pechin's third appearance on the prestigious team and Mottram's first. They were among 53 student-athletes honored in 2019.
Two of the student-athletes selected as finalists will receive postgraduate scholarships during the association's annual membership meeting, which is held in conjunction with the 2020 NACDA Convention in Las Vegas, Nevada. The other 2019 FCS ADA Postgraduate Scholarship finalists are Ben Ellefson (North Dakota State), Josh Fink (Abilene Christian), Tom Flacco (Towson), Ezra Gray (Alabama State), Brogan McPartland (Harvard),Dante Olson (University of Montana), Adam Trautman (Dayton), Andre Walker (Houston Baptist) and Chris Zirkle (Northwestern State).
These honors are just the latest for Pechin, who earlier became the Patriot League's 14th consensus All-American. A Biomedical Engineering and Management for Engineers double major, he has also excelled in the classroom. The 2019 STATS FCS Doris Robinson Scholar-Athlete Award winner as the FCS's top scholar-athlete, he is the first football player to capture three-straight Patriot League Scholar-Athlete of the Year awards. Following the 2018-19 school year, he became the third football player to be selected as the Patriot League Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year, joining fellow Bison David Berardinelli (1992-93) and Lehigh's Nick Martucci (1998-99).
Pechin interned for Orbit Biomedical, a start-up company dedicated to revolutionizing gene and cell therapy treatment for patients suffering from sight-threatening diseases, in the summers of 2019 and 2018. During the fall of 2018, he conducted gene therapy research for Orbit Biomedical in addition to his classwork. As part of his intensive five-year dual degree program at Bucknell, he has completed multiple projects; his senior design project involved creating ultrasound simulation for surgical training. A football team peer tutor, he is an active member of Bucknell's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and Leadership Institute. He also worked as a grader for Physics 211 and 212, participated in InterVarsity Bible study and volunteered at Riverwoods, a senior living community, and Geisinger, a local hospital, during his time in Lewisburg.
Mottram, a Mechanical Engineering major, earlier became the 25th Bison football player to be tabbed as an Academic All-American. He is the fourth Bison to be recognized this decade, joining linebacker Travis Nissley (2010), linebacker Tim Bolte (2011) and running back Matt DelMauro (2015).
Off the field, Mottram has worked as a research assistant in Bucknell's Mechanical Engineering and Chemical Engineering departments; his projects have involved developing a patented, open-source 3D printer and determining the viscoelastic properties of mineral oils and investigating whether the addition of nanocarriers had an effect on the viscosity. In addition, he has served as a tutor and study group facilitator for Calculus 1, been involved in recreating the curriculum of an engineering seminar called Engineering Athletics and interned for Lohnpack Contract Filling as a researcher and website designer.
In 2017, Mottram was chosen as one of five NFF Chapter Scholar-Athletes by the NFF & College Hall of Fame and represented Bucknell at the NFF Chapter Awards Banquet in New York City; the valedictorian of his high school class, he graduated with the top GPA in Allentown High School history, a weighted 4.549.
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