Catherine Abel, daughter of Charles and Sharon Abel of Butler, has been accepted to Edinboro University for the fall 2008 semester.A senior at Butler High School, she plans to major in history.Abel is currently employed at Barkus Chocolates.———

Brandon Heckman, son of George and Teresa Heckman of Valencia, was named an Alden Scholar for the third year in a row at Allegheny College.Heckman was honored based on academic excellence during his junior year at the college.A senior majoring in economics, he is a 2004 graduate of Mars High School.———

Mallory Bugel and

Jessica Kennedy, both students at Westminster College, recently received grants from the college's Drinko Center for Excellence, to pursue undergraduate research.Bugel, the daughter of Gary and Kathleen Bugel of Valencia, will use the grant to further her study "The Characterization of Gangliosides in Alzheimer's Disease."She is a Mars High School graduate.Kennedy, daughter of Roger and Lori Kennedy of Butler, will apply her grant to research for her Christian education administration project.She is a graduate of Butler Wesleyan Academy.———

Mark Gordon, son of Gregory Gordon of Butler, was one of six Westminster College students selected to participate in the recent 2007 Association for Computing Machinery East Central North America Programming Contest.A junior computer science major, he is a graduate of Butler High School.———Westminster College students

Jamie Guffey and

Brittany Kuttesch, both of Cranberry Township, will participate in off-campus study programs for the spring semester.Guffey, the daughter of James and Patricia Guffey, will study at the Art Institute of Pittsburgh. She is a graduate of Seneca Valley High School.Kuttesch, the daughter of Robert and Lois Kuttesch, will be studying at Las Veritas University in San Jose, Costa Rica. She is also a graduate of Seneca Valley High School.