Berry Family Zippy Award

The Berry Family Zippy Award was established at The University of Akron in December 2019 by James W. and Thomas M. Berry to further honor the UA legacy of their parents. James R. and Phyllis C. Berry. The award will support undergraduate or graduate students portraying UA’s beloved mascot, Zippy, and who demonstrate exceptional people skills and a deep commitment to school spirit.

The Berry family has a long-standing history at The University of Akron. James R. Berry, a 1939 graduate. was president of Omicron Delta Kappa Leadership Honorary, a member of Phi Sigma Alpha Honorary, president of Theta Chi Fraternity and Commanding Officer of the 550- man ROTC Regiment. Phyllis C. Berry, also a 1939 graduate, was a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority and was selected as an Honorary Cadet Colonel of the ROTC Regiment.

The Berry Family Zippy Award will be awarded on an as-needed basis to undergraduate or graduate student(s) who participate in the Zippy program and demonstrate outstanding personal characteristics, as well as a deep commitment to school spirit. The recipient will be an incoming or returning student with a 2.5 overall GPA or higher. Recipient selection will be made at the discretion of the Zippy program administrators. The award may be used toward tuition and fees and applied directly to the recipient’s student account.

The selected recipient may alternatively use the award for education expenses not charged to their student account but needed for coursework. with prior approval by the Zippy program’s administrators. Distributions of the award for such purposes may be as a reimbursement to the recipient with presentation of a receipt or receipts, or as payment made on the recipient’s behalf. Awards used for these purposes may be reportable and/or taxable to the student recipient.