Annual Report of the President 2007

foundations

2007 Annual Report of the President

table of contents

On the cover Inside Gannon University’s Mary, Seat of Wisdom Chapel, a tabernacle symbolizes the spiritual value of the Eucharist and protects the sacred hosts of Holy Communion. As a foundation of the Catholic Faith, the Eucharist nourishes the Gannon community and expresses the centrality of Christ in the life of faith.

Message from the President...................................................................3 Foundations of Faith.............................................................................7 Foundations of Knowledge................................................................. 11 Foundations of Learning..................................................................... 15 Foundations of Service....................................................................... 19 Foundations of Growth....................................................................... 23 The Power To Transform..................................................................... 27 Financials............................................................................................ 31

message from the president

While the rich heritage of Gannon University is visible throughout the floors of Old Main, Beyer and Wehrle Halls, the University’s strong tradition in Catholic higher education serves as Gannon’s foundation for continuous and future growth.

From Cathedral College to Gannon College to the merger with Villa Maria College, Gannon University continues to transform itself into a vibrant campus community, while also strengthening the educational, professional, economic, and cultural climate of downtown Erie and northwestern Pennsylvania.

Archbishop John Mark Gannon paved the way for this University when he established a small college initially for young men, founded on the belief that a quality private education should be affordable and accessible. More than 80 years later, that same philosophy holds true today. For the past four years, U.S. News & World Report’s “America’s Best Colleges” has ranked Gannon overall in the top tier of Master’s Universities in the northern section of the United States. And, for the third consecutive year, Gannon has also been ranked in the top tier as a Best Value university in the “Great Schools, Great Prices” category.

This is only one of the many accomplishments of this past academic year that you will find in this Annual Report. The growth that you will see is a result of campus-wide initiatives and hard-working individuals who are committed to making an already excellent teaching and learning environment even better.

The University’s dynamic faculty provide students with a high quality academic foundation, while Gannon’s staff and

2006-07 Accomplishments • In the 2006-2007 Academic Year, 3,815 students enrolled, including a record 1,140 graduate students, the largest number of graduate international students (212), and the largest number of transfer students (100) in ten years.

• At the fall convocation of the 2006-07 Academic Year, Gannon welcomed nearly 620 freshmen students, 17 of whom were valedictorians of their high schools. The following spring, the University awarded 632 degrees during Spring Commencement.

• Gannon maintained a 14:1 student-faculty ratio with an above national average retention rate of 81 percent through 2006-07.

• The University embarked on several key construction projects in 2006-07, laying the foundation to provide students with a strong learning environment. This included securing funding for and initiating the renovation of the exterior of Beyer Hall and securing additional funds to begin renovations to the interior of the Zurn Science Center sooner than expected (to start in Spring 2008).

• The Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL) served as the foundation for implementing a pilot e-portfolio project in the School of Education as part of its participation in the Council of Independent Colleges/ Microsoft Corporation Teachers for the 21st Century Grant Initiative.

• Gannon recognized more than 50 faculty members in November 2006 for involvement in scholarly activities that included conference presentations, publication, peer-review, grantwriting, and creative work.

administration create a student-centered environment and support the faculty in their excellence in teaching and learning.

Our faculty and staff, both religious and lay, also nurture our students personally by helping to strengthen their faith and spiritual foundation.

While Gannon remains committed to our Catholic Identity and Mission, the University also recognizes the varied religious traditions and diversity of our students, working endlessly to promote a deep understanding of the human condition as consistent with a Liberal Studies education.

All of our students benefit from Gannon’s strong foundations – in academics, faith, community service and knowledge – having already brought their insatiable desire to learn. Like those who came before them, who now comprise the University’s more than 34,000 successful alumni, today’s students have opportunities to grow into the leaders of tomorrow. They are afforded these opportunities in great part by our generous Board of Trustees and alumni who have helped The Power To Transform Comprehensive Campaign surpass $25.6 million, or 86 percent of its $30 million goal thus far.

Gannon’s strong foundations are also at the heart of the University’s new tagline, Believe in the possibilities, which was unveiled last year. These possibilities not only refer to the future of our students, but also to our region through Gannon’s efforts to support and enhance the economic development of the Erie area through initiatives such as the Gannon University Erie Technology Incubator and the Gannon University Small Business Development Center.

As the marketing imagery continues to evolve, the physical landscape of the campus continues to change and grow, and the University’s commitment to the community continues to deepen, Gannon will remain focused on providing all students with an excellent education. As you read this Annual Report, I hope that your belief in this great University will not only be reaffirmed, but that you will also continue to support, promote and convey your enthusiastic belief in the strong foundation that Gannon provides.

Antoine M. Garibaldi, Ph. D. President, Gannon University

2006-07 Accomplishments (Continued) • In Fall 2006, the Pennsylvania Department of Education awarded Gannon’s School of Education a $75,000 grant to establish one of the State’s four Centers for Teaching Excellence that will support teacher preparation for National Board for Professional Teaching Standards Certification.

• During the 2006-07 Academic Year, 526 students received Diocesan scholarships.

Combined with other Gannon-based scholarships, the total amount awarded to diocesan students reached $3.98 million.

• Seven faith-sharing groups, including four nondenominational/ecumenical groups, gathered regularly throughout the school year to encourage worship, discussion and community among students.

• Gannon University renovated and opened a student residence called the Catholic House in preparation for student living during the past academic year. Currently, eight students live in the house with a priest and Gannon staff member, and they share prayer times and discussion on a weekly basis.

2006-07 Accomplishments (Continued) • Gannon’s 333 student-athletes collectively averaged a 3.26 GPA during the Spring 2007 Semester, and 66 studentathletes earned a 4.0 grade point average during the 2006-07 Academic Year. Additionally, both the women’s basketball and softball teams won GLIAC Title Championships.

• Gannon University students, faculty, and staff performed 58,645 hours of community service during the 2006-07 Academic Year, a 14.9 percent increase over the total number of hours from the prior academic year. The hours – and the dozens of projects they correspond to – benefited individuals, organizations, and communities on a local, regional, and national scale.

• More than 95 percent of Gannon’s 2005-06 graduates have secured jobs in their professional field during the past year.

Many undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degree programs have 100 percent job placement rates, including Community Counseling, Computer and Information Science, Electrical Engineering, NursingAnesthesiology, Occupational Therapy, Accounting, Chemistry, Finance, Mathematics, Mechanical Engineering, Psychology, Radiologic Sciences and Respiratory Care.

• The University increased the amount of student housing on campus by purchasing the Harborview House, an apartment building located at 210 West Sixth Street, across from Gannon’s Student Health Services building.

• Alumni generously contributed to the 2006-07 Annual Fund, raising $1.18 million – the highest amount ever for the Annual Fund.

• The University received nearly $5 million over the course of the year, the largest amount of voluntary support in the University’s history.

• The number of successful Gannon alumni reached more than 34,000 in a network that spans across every state in the nation and 48 countries.

• Gannon University awarded a total of $19.1 million in scholarship money to eligible students in the 2006-07 Academic Year.

• Gannon University’s Small Business Development Center (SBDC) continued to assist local businesses in start-up, expansion, capital formation and other entrepreneurial activities. Over the past 26 years, the SBDC has helped more than 15,000 individuals achieve business ownership.

• The University received an additional $4.2 million in state and federal funding this past year, including a $4 million state capital grant to renovate the former Boys and Girls Club into the Erie Technology Incubator (ETI).

The ETI, which will assist high-tech start-up companies while helping to stimulate economic development

across the region, is expected to open on campus in late 2008.

• Gannon University’s Villa Maria School of Nursing, in collaboration with the Housing Authority of the City of Erie, established a Nursing Center at the John. E. Horan Garden Apartments, a low-income housing complex, to provide community-based learning initiatives for nursing students and faculty in addition to providing health care promotion, education and screenings for individuals who live in the Erie community.

• Several strategies have been implemented to enhance Gannon’s commitment to diversification and globalization, such as: the hiring of a Multicultural Minority Enrollment Officer, an Associate Director of International Recruitment, and an Affirmative Action Coordinator. These three new positions will help further diversify Gannon’s campus as enrollment continues to grow.

• Gannon’s Social Work Club Annual Christmas Dinner served more than 900 less fortunate members of the Erie community and also offered clothing, shoes, toys and resources related to housing and health care issues.

foundations of faith

“Catholic education is education, her role on the Academic Committee is something she finds a great contribution Affairs particularly rewarding. to our society as a “It’s invigorating to see programs created, whole,” comments Sister and to watch them grow,” she said.

“Gannon and the Trustees are always Mary Rita Kuhn, SSJ, looking at the current situation, but also ’60 VMC, ’68M, Gannon ahead to the future. We select choices that will help Gannon grow and help Trustee. “It addresses all the students of today and tomorrow.” developmental aspects The future of students has always been a that human beings need— priority for Sister Mary Rita. When she served as a principal earlier in her career, academics, spirituality she primarily focused on students’ and social awareness, growth and safety. For her, being principal meant watching over a lot of throughout the many people at once and facing day-to-day stages of education.” challenges that threatened students wellA Leader in Catholic Education As a former principal for Diocesan schools, including Villa Maria Academy, Sister Mary Rita has practiced this belief her entire religious life and professional career, always using it to serve those around her. Today, she continues to do so by bringing fortitude, dedication and a voice of Villa Maria College to Gannon University’s Board of Trustees.

Sister Mary Rita Kuhn, SSJ, ’60 VMC, ’68M (shown inside the Mary, Seat of Wisdom Chapel) brings a voice of Villa Maria College to the Gannon Board of Trustees.

Since Sister Mary Rita began serving as a Trustee in the mid 1980s, she has seen the continued transformation of Gannon as it grows academically and institutionally.

Because of her roots in Catholic

being and education, such as illness and weather. The joys were watching the many students she worked with learn and advance.

Today, she enjoys seeing her previous students involved at Gannon and watching them succeed at this stage of their life, long after grade school and high school. The young children she once knew are now grown-up and contributing to society through leadership and service.

She, too, serves the community in more ways than one. In addition to her volunteer role as a Trustee, Sister Mary Rita serves the Diocese of Erie as the Vicar for Religious, where she offers support to 13 different communities represented throughout the Diocese.

“The Sisters are involved with the community in many ways,” she said.

“They work hard to serve the poor and start new programs that benefit our community. Their work is really about finding needs in our society and addressing them.”

Some of the most well-known local projects that Sister Mary Rita recalls as evidence of the work of the women religious include the Neighborhood Art House, which benefits inner-city children and teens, and Gannondale, a home that supports troubled adolescent females.

These organizations are also institutions that Gannon students offer service to through projects such as G.I.V.E.

(Gannon’s Invitation to Volunteer Everywhere) Day and classroom-based service-learning.

Sister Mary Rita noted, “I often see Gannon students going out of their way to help others, and that helps us as a community come together. The service itself and the joining together that comes with it are great impacts on our society, and it’s wonderful to see today’s college students learning how to integrate service into their lives.”

Sister Mary Rita has become a staple to Gannon’s Board of Trustees through her continued commitment to serving the Catholic Church and especially her dedication to furthering Catholic education.

A Student of Faith and Business Faith plays a crucial role in the lives of many Gannon students, for some more than others.

Risk management major Patrick Wiler is one of 13 seminarians who study at Gannon University.

Senior risk management major Patrick Wiler is one of the 13 seminarians from St. Mark’s Seminary who attend Gannon University as an undergraduate student.

In addition to earning his degree in business, Patrick hopes to enter the priesthood – a choice he made two years ago, not long after transferring to Gannon from a school in North Carolina.

homily, ‘we’ve not only lost a pope, we’ve lost a fellow priest.’ He called to others who would consider the priesthood as their life choice, and it really made me consider that path.”

At the time, he was a student of golf management, and he played golf regularly in a professional program. Although golf had helped him develop his social skills and relationships with people, he felt that it was not fulfilling enough to pursue for a career.

He decided to leave North Carolina not long after what he thought might be a calling to the priesthood. He wanted to figure out which path was right for his life and explore different possibilities.

Gannon was a natural choice for him, being a Catholic university situated in his hometown of Erie and connected with a seminary.

Wiler continued to pursue a degree in business and play golf on scholarship his first years here. He also met often with Father Nicholas Rouch, S.T.D., ’83, vice president for mission and ministry, to investigate what life in the seminary would be like.

“Father Rouch was always very open to discussion, and he encouraged me to consider the priesthood without being pushy,” Wiler remembered. “I could tell that he was interested in me as a person and my holistic development. He wanted me to make the choice that was right for me.”

During the same time, Wiler involved himself in campus ministry and explored what his faith meant to him. When he made the decision to attend St. Mark’s Seminary, he knew it was the right choice.

“When I was in North Carolina, I found myself going to church a lot, and I closely He continues his involvement at Gannon followed the life as any student would, supporting the and passing of golf team and participating in campus Pope John Paul activities. But he also lives the structured II,” Wiler said. “I community life with his brothers in remember being at the seminary. a memorial service for John Paul and “The student body at Gannon is very supportive, and they are interested and a priest saying in a

curious about my life as a seminarian, which is something I’m not sure could be said of many schools,” Wiler noted.

As for his degree in business, Wiler hopes to apply his knowledge for the betterment of the Church and his community. He trusts in the Bishop’s decision regarding where to direct his future and looks forward to living his life as God wishes, by ministering to people in the Diocese.

Support for Diocesan Scholars Junior business administration major Sandra Dellaquila could have easily attended several other universities within Pennsylvania. But three years ago when she first embarked on earning a bachelor’s degree, she made Gannon her first and final choice.

There were many reasons for her decision – the connection to the Catholic Church, the friendly atmosphere, and the small class sizes being a few.

“I love that the professors know me by name here at Gannon and that they are always available to students. It was a place that where I knew I would fit in when I decided to come here,” Dellaquila remembered.

As a student from Elk County Catholic High School, Dellaquila qualified for several scholarships by continuing her private education within the Erie Diocese. This only helped to sweeten the offer when she was accepted to Gannon.

Each semester, Dellaquila receives a Diocesan Parish Grant (awarded for being an active member of her parish), a Diocesan High School Grant (awarded to graduates from seven Catholic high schools in the Diocese) and the Bishop Academic Achievement Award (awarded to qualified students in the top 10 percent of their graduating class from the Diocesan High Schools.)

Gannon University is one of only nine diocesan universities in the nation. As such, it offers students within the Erie Diocese the unique opportunity for an

Juniors Sandra Dellaquila and Stephen Zimmerman are two of 526 students who received Diocesan scholarships this past year. uninterrupted private education from kindergarten through college and beyond, even to earning their doctoral degree.

On average, nearly 500 students at Gannon annually receive Diocesan scholarships based on academic merit and loyalty to the Erie Diocese.

These students aren’t necessarily always Catholic. Junior English major and protestant Stephen Zimmerly has attended Catholic schools since the age of 10, after being home-schooled for most of his youth. (His family moved often, due to his father’s service in the military. This made home-schooling the best choice for his elementary education.)

Although Zimmerly’s faith-background was Lutheran, he has been educated in the Catholic Tradition since sixth grade.

Father Nicholas Rouch, S.T.D., ’83, vice president for mission and ministry, noted, “Gannon wants to support students whose families have made the sacrifice to send their sons/daughters to Catholic high schools in our Diocese.”

The diversity in faith backgrounds also provides context for meaningful exchange among students and helps to solidify Gannon’s Catholic Identity through articulation, openness and a welcoming environment for all faiths.

With a deep respect for the role faith played in his life, Zimmerly knew he wanted to continue his education within the Diocese upon graduating from DuBois Central Catholic. Although he is not eligible to receive the Diocesan Parish Grant, he does receive funding through a Diocesan High School Grant and the Bishop Academic Achievement Award.

Like Dellaquila, Zimmerly had several other choices for his college education, but he found that Gannon’s culture and Catholic tradition fit his needs and offered him the best education at the most economical price.

foundations of knowledge

As the millennial students settle into the college years, they are finding that professors aren’t the dull, lecturing intellectuals they might have expected.

Excellence in Knowledge as Teaching While academic rigor, thirst for knowledge, and passion for discipline still exist throughout Gannon’s faculty, professors are learning new ways to disseminate what they know and how they know.

Much of this is due to the lasting effects of a grant that Gannon received in October 2004 to establish a Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL).

Philip Kelly, D.A., professor of English, participates in webinars and workshops with the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning.

The CETL encourages faculty members to adopt new teaching methods that incorporate technology into the classroom and to assess student learning in accordance with course objectives.

The Center does this by providing faculty with opportunities for one-on-one consultation sessions, seminars and webinars, facilitated discussions and panels, inhouse resources, presentations offered by nationally-known specialists, and a yearly, competitive workshop for faculty who wish to redesign a course.

Philip Kelly, D.A., professor of English, noted, “The CETL has been remarkable in its programming in the two and a

half years that it has been in existence.

The workshops present information on a whole range of topics for all faculty, and as a centralized resource, the Center has been particularly helpful in building the new faculty mentoring program.”

Dr. Kelly was selected to be part of the “Explorers,” a group of faculty who benefited from the May 2007 weeklong workshop. He has participated in other webinars and workshops through the Center as well, including a session on time management for faculty who actively engage in scholarly research.

Kathleen Kingston, Ed.D., associate professor of education, is another faculty member who has benefited from the CETL, both as a participant and as a facilitator.

She noted, “One of the significant things I saw happen in the CETL this past year was a huge step toward helping faculty understand the scholarship of teaching.

The CETL has started to help faculty see that what they do in the classroom every day can be a basis for scholarship and research.”

The CETL has helped faculty examine and improve their teaching methods since its inception, and connecting that process with scholarship is the next logical step in growth.

There are many tangible examples of the work that the CETL performs – facts such as the number of workshops held throughout the year (58), the percentage of full-time faculty who attended at least one workshop (56), and the amount of visits that the CETL had over the course of the year (430). But the real impact is in the cultural change that is starting to take root across campus.

Virginia Arp ’02M, director of the CETL, commented, “It’s hard to measure a change in culture, but we’ve really started to feel one. We ask, ‘what would the University do without the CETL,’ and we honestly don’t know. It makes us all realize just how far-reaching the impact of fostering conversation can be.”

One CETL initiative that has been crucial to Gannon this past year is a campus-wide change from using a software called Blackboard to one called

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Valerie Baker, APRN, BC, ’79 (left); Stephen T. Frezza, Ph.D., (center); and Mark Jubulis, Ph.D., (right) are three of Gannon’s faculty who actively engage in scholarship.

Affecting Developer Behavior,” at the 2007 Conference on Software Engineering Education and Training this past July in Dublin, Ireland. A few months prior, in April, Dr. Frezza also collaborated with Andrew Getz, Ph.D., instructor in theology, and Mary Anne Rivera, Ph.D., assistant professor of theology, to present a paper titled “Re-visualizing the Mission of the Catholic University for the 21st Century” at A City on a Hill: A Symposium on the Purpose and Identity of Catholic Higher Education at Franciscan University of Steubenville, Ohio.

In the humanities, Mark Jubulis, Ph.D., chairperson for the department of history, political science and legal studies, has a similar story.

Angel. Both are online education systems that allow faculty to integrate online components into their classes.

“The migration from Blackboard to Angel was a big undertaking,” Arp said.

“Because Gannon provides Angel as a resource, students have come to expect faculty to use it actively. We’ve worked diligently to make sure the faculty members are comfortable using Angel and that they understand how it can be integrated into their courses.”

Although lecture periods can still inspire today’s students, technology and new educational models have provided many alternative teaching methods that Gannon faculty members introduce to the classroom everyday. The CETL has made that growth possible.

Scholarship in the Catholic Tradition There are many things that affirm Gannon’s Catholic Identity – regularly held Masses, a culture of service and respect, support for faith-sharing groups, the dialogue between faith and reason, the Board leadership of the Bishop… the list is long. But one of the most influential aspects of a Gannon Catholic education is the Catholic intellectualism

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that professors – clergy or lay – bring into the classroom.

The Catholic lens that professors and students use to examine subjects creates a bond to the human condition within all disciplines. Several professors have been able to integrate scholarship of teaching Catholic intellectualism with research in their discipline, further practicing Gannon’s Catholic Tradition.

Stephen T. Frezza, Ph.D., C.S.D.P., chairperson for the computer and information science department, believes that remembering the human element while teaching and working in the engineering field is a responsibility that gives a deeper level of meaning to engineering.

“Being a Christian (Catholic or otherwise) doesn’t necessarily make someone a better engineer, but Christian engineers are called to have a higher level of integrity,” said Dr. Frezza, who is a member of the Association of Catholic Scholars.

Dr. Frezza, along with Mei-Huei Tang, Ph.D., assistant professor of computer information science, presented a workshop titled “Testing as a Mental Discipline: Practical Methods for

Dr. Jubulis, who is an active member in both the Association for the Study of Ethnicity and Nationalism and the Association for the Advancement of Baltic Studies, had his work published in a book titled Nationalism in a Global Era (Routledge Press) this past spring, and he has not only presented at conferences over the past several years, but also helped to organize them.

Additionally, this past summer, Dr. Jubulis attended a conference titled Substantially Catholic at Marist University, which was designed to train faculty on how to bring Catholic issues into the classroom.

Political Science was the targeted discipline for this year’s conference. Some of the issues discussed there directly related to the courses Dr. Jubulis teaches at Gannon, covering topics such as the theory of Natural Law, elaborated by St. Thomas Aquinas, and the Catholic Just War Tradition.

In the health sciences, the inclusiveness, tolerance and caring within the Catholic Tradition are particularly important to students’ growth.

Valerie (O’Toole) Baker, APRN, BC, ’79, assistant professor of nursing, commented, “Students who learn in a caring environment pass that caring on in their careers. The Catholic Tradition here at

Gannon offers community strength when tragedy hits, and that’s very valuable to students who pursue nursing.”

As Gannon faculty members continue to engage in the scholarship of teaching, they do so within the Catholic Tradition.

She added, “It’s particularly important that our nursing students are tolerant of other religious beliefs and values so that they can handle various situations in a professional manner.”

Leadership in Learning

This past May, Baker and Sister Min Shik Kim, Ph.D., associate professor of nursing, were invited to present at DartmouthHitchcock Medical Center’s Annual Conference for Nurse Educators in Practice.

Their presentation, titled “Teaching Cultural Competence in an Integrated Nursing Curriculum,” addressed the topic of teaching cultural awareness and sensitivity. Baker also continually publishes study guides and instructor manuals within the field of nursing as part of her scholarly activity.

David Barker, Ph.D., serves as the director of Gannon’s new doctoral program in organizational learning and leadership.

In today’s ever more complex world, the value of learning continues to increase, as does the need for informed and prepared leaders. Gannon University has answered this call by establishing a doctoral program in organizational learning and leadership.

As the first and only kind in the region, this doctoral program serves a vast majority of professionals in the areas of education, business, health sciences, and nonprofit. It prepares leaders to respond to the demands of rapidly changing roles and challenges them to consider how one can successfully guide organizations through change and growth.

According to David Barker, Ph.D., associate professor and director of organizational learning and leadership, a team of faculty and administrators from sociology, business, health sciences, education and political science built the curriculum for the program over the past two years. The program officially came into existence with the Board of Trustees’ approval in May 2007, and it welcomed its first class this fall.

“The response from the community when this program debuted was surprising and overwhelming,” Dr. Barker said.

The introduction of the program inspired more than 200 responses of interest, and Gannon welcomed 25 students

who began a course of study within the two tiers of the program.

Dr. Barker, who had been involved with developing the program over the past two years, was selected as the director only two months before its debut. He came into the position with an academic background rich in group dynamics and leadership theory, having earned his own doctorate in sociology from State University of New York (SUNY) at Buffalo. He has been with Gannon University since 1985 and has served in several academic leadership roles.

Specifically designed to serve the working professional, the program holds classes mostly in the evenings and on the weekends. For a student entering the program in the first tier, coursework and study can last up to seven years.

Applicants who previously completed post-master’s work (such as a Principal’s Certification and a Superintendent’s Letter of Eligibility) may be eligible to transfer credits, shortening the duration of coursework before beginning core classes.

One such student, John Cavanagh ’02M, assistant principal at J.S. Wilson Middle School in Millcreek Township, said, “As an educator, I feel that it’s important to achieve a Ph.D. Unfortunately no one in the area had previously offered a program.

I was very glad to see Gannon start one.”

Cavanagh had previously earned his Principal’s Certification and Superintendent Letter of Eligibility, and he began core classes in the doctoral program this fall along with six other classmates who had transferable credits.

The doctorate in organizational learning and leadership is Gannon’s third doctoral program in the list of more than 75 strong academic undergraduate, graduate and doctoral programs. Its addition to the University’s list of degree offerings furthers Gannon’s commitment to preparing students for leadership roles in their careers, society and church, and it answers the call from today’s leaders who wish to keep learning.

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foundations of learning

Technology and human interest continually evolve the types and number of disciplines taught at Gannon University.

A Tradition of Liberal Arts Such growth and transformation wouldn’t be possible without a strong foundation in the liberal arts tradition – the basis of Gannon’s education since the University’s founding.

Penny Smith, Ph.D., supports and promotes Gannon’s tradition of a liberal arts education as the director of the liberal studies program.

“Experience in the liberal arts brings a richness to peoples’ lives through exposure to literature, recognition of humans’ interdependence with the physical environment, understanding of art, and appreciations for how everyday people have influence,” said Penny Smith, Ph.D., ’84M, director of the liberal studies program and assistant professor of English.

Gannon’s liberal arts core curriculum challenges students to think more deeply about the world around them and how every discipline contributes to the human condition.

The current outcomes of the curriculum include students’ understanding of major philosophical and theological principles in light of the JudeoChristian tradition, development of skills for writing and speaking persuasively and with critical acumen, ability to synthesize principles of science, technology and the social and behavioral sciences with daily and professional life, appreciation

for literary and artistic works, and an awareness of diverse cultures in the global society.

Dr. Smith noted that in addition to encouraging personal growth, the liberal arts core curriculum offers clear professional benefits for the students.

“Employers in government, business, education, and really any industry look for qualities that are precisely what the core curriculum cultivates – the ability to communicate effectively, a strong ethical foundation, problem-solving capabilities, and the fortitude to lead and work with groups of people,” Dr. Smith said. “It really ensures students’ salability.”

She also noted the irony in that, although the curriculum can enhance students’ chances for employment, it teaches students to seek a deeper purpose in life – one that is fulfilling on many levels, not just through a job.

Senior occupational therapy major Erin Gaydos agrees that Gannon’s liberal arts core curriculum has enhanced her life.

“I’ve benefited from all the liberal arts classes that I’ve taken,” she said. “The core contributes to students as future professionals and helps us to be aware of all aspects of our education. It also helps us to be better students by preparing us to perform the work that a college education demands.”

Gaydos found her composition classes to be some of the most beneficial in helping her prepare for her senior thesis. Because occupational therapy majors are expected to publish their senior thesis, Gaydos noted how important it was that she understands the expectations of academia and professional guidelines of writing.

Carrying on the tradition of a liberal arts foundation takes dedication of many faculty who provide not only the basics of liberal arts, but also continually evaluate the curriculum in light of the times.

As the director of the liberal studies program, Dr. Smith is charged with seeing that this happens with the help of a committee. In addition to her duties as an assistant professor, Dr. Smith reports to the Provost and Vice President

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for Academic Affairs and is expected to monitor and assess the delivery of the core curriculum, assure quality teaching and the effectiveness of courses, and develop recommendations in the assessment process.

But she sees her role as going far beyond those specifics.

“I feel a responsibility to be an advocate for the value of the liberal arts and to actively seek opportunities to facilitate discussion and increase awareness of how the core curriculum continues to benefit the University and our students,” she said.

The liberal studies core curriculum, as the primary academic home of Gannon’s Catholic Identity, offers students a wellrounded education as they explore the possibilities of their future.

Students of Research Research is a quintessential activity of a higher education, one that exercises both the mind and skills.

Elisa M. Konieczko, Ph.D., ’84 advises junior biology major Kristie Smith as she learns research methodology and techniques.

For undergraduates at Gannon, understanding and conducting research is an integral part of the liberal studies core curriculum. Above and beyond these requirements, though, undergraduates often partner with faculty to learn and experience the research methodology of their course of study. Elisa M. Konieczko, Ph.D., ’84, associate professor of biology and director of the pre-pharmacy program, serves as the coordinator for these growing efforts.

“I really enjoy conducting research with undergraduate students. They’re really enthusiastic about what they are doing, they love to learn, and it gives them a great opportunity for hands-on experience. And since I’ve had such a great experience with them, I want to be a resource for colleagues in other areas as they find ways to integrate undergraduate opportunities into their research.”

Dr. Konieczko currently works with junior biology major Kristie Smith.

Together, they are conducting a continuous project that examines how hormones influence ACL tears on the cellular level in women.

“The way that Dr. Konieczko explains the research is very thorough, and I’m gaining a lot of basic knowledge from working with her,” Smith said.

Smith will be able to practice her laboratory skills throughout the project, and through this experience, learn her own technique. She’s also learning the difficulties of research, such as dealing with

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contamination on specimens and waiting for supplies.

On the graduate level, students have already cut their teeth in the research world, and, for the most part, they are developing and pursuing their own research topic. Each spring, they have the opportunity to present and celebrate their work at Gannon’s Annual Graduate Research Conference.

“As Gannon’s graduate enrollment continues to grow, it’s becoming increasingly important to develop and support a graduate culture,” said Michael O’Neill, J.D., dean of graduate studies and director of the Dahlkemper School of Business. “Hosting a day that showcases graduate research elevates graduate students’ visibility and helps to achieve that culture.”

This past April, Gannon hosted its fourth Annual Graduate Research Conference, which showcased graduate research from areas such as physical therapy, occupational therapy, electrical engineering, computer information science, English, community counseling and counseling psychology.

One judge, Jason Willow, Ph.D., assistant professor and program director of sport and exercise science commented, “The graduate research exhibition/contest continues to be an exceptional venue for showcasing the work being done by our students. Oftentimes, students spend a great deal of their time interacting with peers within their own area of study. Events like the graduate research conference give all of the Gannon community a chance to appreciate the extraordinary effort put forth by Gannon’s diverse young scholars.”

Dr. Willow was particularly impressed by a presentation offered by Melanie Karsak, a graduate student in English who compared two pieces of literature and was awarded first place for her scholarship.

Karsak appreciated the opportunity. She noted, “As a student from the English

department, I was unsure how my research would be perceived alongside harder sciences, and I was honestly intimidated. I was so pleased that the panel appreciated that research in the humanities, while different, can be just as rigorous and complex.”

Karsak plans to continue researching in her field, and the Graduate Research Conference gave her practical experience on how to submit research professionally, whether for a conference presentation or a journal submission.

In the upcoming year, Dr. Konieczko looks forward to combining efforts with Dean O’Neill to celebrate the individual and unique efforts of both undergraduate and graduate research at Gannon University.

Inspiring Our Youth While many high school students enjoyed the dog days of summer this past season, some from the Erie and surrounding area headed to Gannon’s campus to explore the possibilities of their future.

Gannon hosted three education summer camps in 2007 that inspired young students to consider different areas of study such as science, engineering and writing.

The Regional Summer School of Excellence Program, part of the Pennsylvania Governor’s Schools of Excellence, was one of these camps.

The program accepted 52 high school sophomores and juniors from Erie, Warren and Crawford counties who excelled in the sciences and wanted to further their knowledge and scientific skills. The program, which has been in existence for more than 20 years, annually offers students the opportunity for hands-on experience in college level science labs.

The work they experienced was rigorous and designed to help them decide if the sciences were the right field for them.

Requirements included the completion of five scientific papers and intensive

High school students explore the nature of electrical engineering at Gannon’s Summer Engineering Camp. laboratory and field site study in the life sciences, and all requirements had to be met in order for the students to graduate.

Many students who had participated in this program in previous years are now students at Gannon University, in part because of the experience they had in The Regional Summer School of Excellence. Ashley Kent, the salutatorian of Union City High School last spring and a current freshman at Gannon, is one of them.

“My experience with The Regional Summer School of Excellence at Gannon two years ago helped me to be familiar with Gannon’s campus, and that meant a lot in choosing between different schools,” Kent said.

The sciences weren’t the only areas that students could explore. Gannon also hosted a Summer Engineering Camp that gave approximately 20 young students a glimpse into the various types of engineering careers.

and allow students to utilize modern software tools.

While some students who attended Gannon’s summer camps experimented in scientific and engineering labs, even more young students practiced their hand at writing at the Young Writer’s Workshop with Sally LeVan, Ph.D., professor of English, and the teachers of Northwestern Pennsylvania Writing Project.

These workshops were designed to help young, aspiring writers in grades 4-12 develop and enhance their skills. Through the classes, students were able to produce a book of their own writings and learned to develop their writing process. Students also learned how to write more creatively and purposefully.

All of these students benefited from the opportunity to explore their future while at Gannon University, a place with a strong foundation for learning.

The Summer Engineering Camp’s four primary goals were to provide an introduction to engineering, help students learn and understand the engineering design process, help students work effectively in design teams,

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foundations of service

When students offer community service, everyone benefits. The students learn to become civic-minded citizens, and the community feels the benefit of many hands.

That’s one of the many reasons why Gannon University encourages students to experience service learning in the classroom and outside of it.

Learning to Serve The Center for Social Concerns, within the Office of the Chaplain, specifically focuses on co-curricular service, or community service that happens outside of the classroom. The work of the Center is inspired by Catholic Social Teaching, and its goal is to empower students to make community service, education for peace and justice, and civic engagement for social change an integral part of a Gannon education.

Arlene Montevecchio, director of the Center for Social Concerns, oversees the

Center’s activities that include organizing projects like G.I.V.E. (Gannon’s Invitation to Volunteer Everywhere) Day and Hunger and Homelessness Week, providing resources for students, faculty and staff to learn about Catholic Social Teaching, supporting postgraduate service opportunities (such as Peace Corps), and organizing alternative break service trips to disadvantaged areas in need of volunteers.

The alternative break service trips have become a Gannon tradition for many students, as not only a way to offer service but to learn about the world around them.

Junior elementary/special education major Mallory Croston has traveled twice to volunteer in White Horse, South Dakota, addressing the needs of the children who live there.

“I would have to say that the most challenging part of the trip was realizing how much of a stereotype there still is in the United States regarding Native Americans,” Croston said. “There are many false ideas still among us today.”

Extracting meaning from the experience in this way is one of the most important aspects of service learning, according to Montevecchio. It is also a challenge, since the students are often just learning how to volunteer.

“It can be hard for agencies to work with so many new students,” she said.

“But in the end, both the students and the agencies benefit. Also, students remember the agencies they volunteered for later in life when they wish to continue contributing.”

Gannon students also offer skilled labor on a volunteer basis through the Office of Service-Learning, which focuses on academic service and encouraging students to serve within their chosen course of study.

Gretchen Fairley (left) and Arlene Montevecchio (right) provide students with opportunities for curricular and co-curricular service experiences.

“We help faculty and students find ways to incorporate service-learning into the classroom in many disciplines,” said Gretchen Fairley, director of servicelearning. “Our MPA students offer services such as strategic planning and grant writing, many of our health science fields offer workshops and fairs on health

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and wellness, and other disciplines hold after-school programs or help fundraising efforts. There’s really a wide variety of service-learning activities Gannon students engage in.”

Through both curricular and cocurricular service opportunities and along with other avenues of service, Gannon University students, faculty, and staff performed a total of 58,645 hours of community service during the 2006-07 Academic Year.

Also over the course of the past year, Montevecchio and Fairley communicated with more than 80 local agencies and conducted 32 site visits in efforts to establish volunteer opportunities for students. The agencies they work with are either affiliated with the Diocese, within walking distance of campus or related to the Northwest Pennsylvania VISTA Project, a government initiative that encourages students to establish sustainable ideas to fight poverty.

Russell Combs brings knowledge and experience to Gannon’s Erie Technology Incubator as its new executive director.

Fostering the Future The story of Gannon University’s Erie Technology Incubator (ETI) began in 2001 when, under President Garibaldi’s leadership, the University purchased the former Boys & Girls Club building on Eighth Street.

Five years later, in 2006-07, the idea began blossoming into reality.

The first major event in 200607 to unfold was Governor Ed Rendell’s announcement that Gannon would receive $4 million in state funding for the project. This came in addition

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to the more than $1 million in federal, state and local funding that had been previously obtained.

Following this news, Gannon conducted a nationwide search that yielded the newly hired executive director, Russell Combs. Bringing with him an extensive background in business incubators similar to Gannon’s ETI, Combs came to Gannon from the Business Incubation Group of the Shenandoah,Virginia, region, where he had served as an executive director since 2004.

Prior to his work in Shenandoah, Combs served as the director of Technology Ventures Business Incubator from 200004, and as the executive director of Friendship Economic Zone from 19962000. He is also a past president of the Virginia Business Incubation Association, which consists of nearly 30 business incubators, more than 70 members, and more than 250 businesses throughout Virginia. Further north, Combs has additionally guided the administration and marketing of an Economic Development (now Empire) Zone initiative in Allegany County, New York.

There were three specific reasons for Combs’ attraction to Gannon University’s ETI and the Erie area.

“First and foremost, I was extremely impressed by the Gannon faculty and administrators who developed this project. They had so many mechanisms already in place to help the project succeed, including community partners and a wide variety of resources,” Combs said. “An incubator takes time before it has a return on investment, and for an incubator to effectively work, that time has to be invested in addition to the capital and support. Gannon and the Erie community have shown they are truly committed to investing that time, and in doing so, building a very bright future.”

Gannon University’s Small Business Development Center (SBDC) also impressed Combs as a resource that continually benefits the surrounding

community with support for economic development.

The third reason for Comb’s attraction was a fondness for the Erie region. As a child, he spent time here with his grandparents and has always loved the area.

“I knew the Erie of decades ago, and I can see how it has grown already and the potential it has to grow even more,” Comb’s said. He’s honored to be a part of the project in this early stage where he has the opportunity to build it up from conception.

One of the purposes of Gannon University’s ETI, according to Combs, is to foster potential technologies and bring them to the market. He said that there are many great ideas out there, but the real challenge is to bring them into use in a self-sustainable fashion.

The groundbreaking at the former Boys and Girls Club is set for later in the 2007-08 year and doors to Gannon’s ETI will open soon after.

Support for Small Businesses Gannon’s commitment to the community is deeply rooted in the desire to see the Erie region grow. One method of supporting that growth is through the Gannon University Small Business Development Center (SBDC).

Gannon’s SBDC is a branch of the Pennsylvania Small Business Development Centers, a network that assists Pennsylvania’s entrepreneurs and small businesses through consulting, education and business information.

The reciprocal relationship the SBDC has with the University benefits both institutions while inspiring economic development.

“Gannon has been very proactive in helping the Center to grow,” said Debra Steiner, director of the Small Business Development Center. “We constantly need to change and grow in order to address the needs of the business owners who are our clients, and the University

supports that kind of development through providing many resources, particularly talented faculty who incorporate real-world business examples into the classroom.”

Likewise, when Gannon’s dynamic faculty members initiate projects of their own, the SBDC provides resources for them during the product development stage and beyond.

According to Steiner, the SBDC helps many start-up companies as they begin their formation, but more interestingly, approximately 50 percent of the SBDC’s clients are existing businesses who are looking to grow or improve their business. The 17-member staff at the SBDC serves 850 clients per year and provides more than 10,000 consulting hours free of charge to clients, regardless of their stage of growth. Last year, this lead to more than 350 jobs sustained and created in the region and $17 million in client capital formation.

of their own services. At the event, clients presented testimonials to the SBDC staff, State Representative Kathy Rapp and County Commissioner John Eggleston commended the SBDC, and the Center also announced a new four-year contract between the SBDC and Warren County for the continued exchange of entrepreneurial resources.

Additionally, the SBDC honored nine small businesses that included a startup and a minority-owned business, manufacturing, agribusiness and technology organizations, and members of the retail and service industries at the 17th Annual Small Business Awards held in June.

As part of the strong will to contribute to the economic development of the region, Gannon University’s Small Business Development Center offers invaluable services to the business leaders at no cost.

The Center itself also had several key accomplishments throughout the 2006-07 Academic Year, many of which recognized the excellence of the SBDC staff. The Young Erie Professionals recognized Jane Horetsky, marketing consultant, with a Generation-E Leadership Award in March, and the Erie Advertising Club awarded the SBDC for its marketing initiatives at the annual Addy Award Ceremony in April. Additionally, National City Bank nominated Steiner for the 2007 Financial Services Champion for Western PA and Federal District Region III, an act that was supported by quantitative outcomes of the Center.

“We saw a 20 percent increase in the number or clients served and a 31 percent increase in the total client capital formation secured,” Steiner noted in conversation about her nomination.

In turn, the SBDC recognized many of its clients at the Entrepreneurial Salute held this past May while raising awareness

Debra Steiner ’93, ’00M leads the Gannon University Small Business Development Center in providing entrepreneurial services to the Erie region.

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foundations for growth

Gannon’s motivated students do a lot more than succeed in the classroom. From achievements in athletics and organizations to fundraising and networking, Gannon students craft their educational experience so that it provides them opportunity for holistic growth.

Motivation, the Key to Success Que-Anh Le found and followed an opportunity as one of the 50 women of color from private colleges and universities who were selected to participate in the Collegiate Women of Color Leadership Development Institute at the Mt. Washington Conference Center in Baltimore, Maryland, in August of 2006.

This Institute is designed to afford collegiate women of color opportunities to build and further their leadership skills.

Ultimately, the program seeks to increase both gender and ethnic diversity in the workplace. As part of the program, Le

Que-Anh Le believes in mentorship as a key to success.

designed and implemented an internship project focused on leadership mentoring.

Le’s program helped her build leadership skills while at the same time benefiting other students at Gannon. The program, which Le developed with the help of Elisa M. Konieczko, Ph.D., ’84, associate professor of biology, created opportunities for female pre-professional students to begin their professional development via networking and meeting with professionals in the health care field.

“When I was working on furthering my education, so many people helped me as mentors,” Le said. For her, mentors were one of the most valuable resources to her success, and she wanted to share that experience with other students.

Le organized and hosted five events through the 2006-07 Academic Year to create a networking environment for participants. More than 20 students gathered for each event, with 26 being the highest number of attendants.

Twenty-one of these students attended all five events and earned recognition for doing so on their co-curricular transcripts.

Renowned speakers also presented at these events, with topics ranging from women as leaders in the health care field to learning how to network and maintain mentor-mentee relationships.

“Pre-professional students apply to very competitive programs,” Le said. “This program enabled students to meet with leaders in the health care field and gain potential contacts for job shadowing, mentors, and research opportunities, giving them a competitive edge.

Also, because some students are not sure how to approach professionals, the lecture series helped them learn how to present

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Graduate student Kevin Caffrey enjoys biking, and he turned his love for riding into a way to raise money for cancer research.

Part of the planning process was establishing a route.

“Since there are no adventure cycling maps from Erie to Key West, I started out by using some bicycle maps created by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation to take me from Erie to the Pittsburgh area. From there, I found a rails-to-trails trail that took me from Pittsburgh to the Washington, D.C. area, where I met up with the adventure cycling Atlantic Coast route to finish the trip,” Caffrey explained.

He also had to prepare himself through physical training, and he did so by running, riding and weight lifting, all while balancing his class work and responsibilities as a work study student.

themselves both in person and in correspondence.”

Le had earned her master’s degree in clinical psychology before coming to Gannon as a pre-professional student, and, currently, she is continuing to investigate the possibilities of attending medical school.

Service through Living a Dream Most college students learn a specialty, meant to set them on a career path. Some learn to achieve their dreams. Gannon University graduate student Kevin Caffrey from Laughlintown, Pennsylvania, is one who’s reaching for the stars.

Inspired by Delta Chi Fraternity’s formal adoption of The V Foundation for Cancer Research as its official philanthropic organization in 2006, Caffrey conceived the idea of biking down the East Coast to raise money for cancer research. He had always dreamed of making a long trip on a bike, and this was a great opportunity to offer service while at the same time living his dream. He began making plans and connections last fall in effort to make it happen.

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After nearly a year of planning and training, Caffrey departed on July 9, 2007, from Presque Isle State Park to begin his 2,073 mile journey to Key West, Florida.

He collected cash and pledges from fellow students, family, friends and many Gannon Delta Chi Alumni, all of which benefit The V Foundation. He also made many connections that helped him to raise awareness of the cause and received media coverage in Erie, Pittsburgh, Miami and Key West.

Caffrey started at Gannon as an undergraduate and stayed to pursue a master’s degree in environmental engineering. He is a member of Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity in addition to Delta Chi, and, as an undergraduate, he was involved in the Student Government Association (SGA) and the Interfraternity Council. Like many Gannon students, he believes in service and involves himself in the more than 70 student organizations on campus.

He’s one of the more than 4,100 current motivated students at Gannon University who strive to achieve dreams every day.

As a private Catholic university with a liberal arts foundation, the University provides students from the tri-state region, nation and world the opportunity to achieve their potential of learning, serving and leading.

Mind, Body and Soul Achieving greatness takes more than hitting the books. The 333 Gannon student-athletes who achieved success on and off the field, court and mat last year deeply understand that from living the experience of dedication and time management.

“Being an athlete isn’t about wins and losses,” said Matthew Ward, secondary education/history major and defensive lineman for the Gannon football team.

“It’s about a journey to the end and learning discipline.”

Ward came to Gannon from Rochester, New York, in part because of the atmosphere of brotherhood and the quality of the University’s coaching staff.

He also chose Gannon because it was a place he could achieve his dream of being a teacher.

“I’ve always really liked history, and I knew I wanted to be in education,” he commented.

Collectively, Gannon’s student-athletes averaged a 3.26 GPA during the Spring 2007 Semester, and 66 student-athletes earned a 4.0 grade point average during the 2006-07 Academic Year, as they followed their dreams both athletically and academically.

These student-athletes participated in Gannon’s 18 NCAA Division II Men’s and Women’s Athletic Teams that competed in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC). Two of these teams – women’s basketball and softball – concluded their seasons by winning the GLIAC championship title.

“Winning the GLIAC title was one of the most rewarding parts of the season,” said Jaclyn Corroto, senior pre-med/ biology major and starting shortstop for softball. “And I have really high hopes for the upcoming season, too, knowing that we have the potential to do it again.”

Softball has been an integral part of Corroto’s experience at Gannon.

She said, “I could not have chosen a better team to be a part of. My Gannon athletic experience has been nothing but positive, allowing me to meet many new people, travel many different places, and become a better person by representing Gannon on and off the field.”

Ashley Lowdermilk, senior biology major and women’s basketball co-captian, feels much the same way about the opportunity to grow as a student-athlete at Gannon.

“Playing basketball for Gannon has given me confidence and strength in dealing

Matthew Ward plays football at Gannon while working toward his dream of being a history teacher, balancing excellence in school work with athletics. with adversity and pushed me to further establish my work ethic,” Lowdermilk said. “Gannon’s program is really great, and I came here in part because I knew I could play.”

Lowdermilk was recruited by Women’s Basketball Head Coach Cleve Wright three years ago when she was first exploring her opportunities.

Gannon’s student-athletes have traditionally succeeded in much of what they do, as disciplined young adults who develop their mind, body and soul in order to achieve their dreams.

Ashley Lowdermilk (left) and Jaclyn Corroto (right) dedicate themselves to excellence in athletics and academics and enjoyed winning the GLIAC championships in women’s basketball and softball this past year.

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the power to transform

Throughout the 200607 Academic Year, The Power To Transform Comprehensive Campaign continued towards its goal of raising $30 million, and two specific accomplishments made it a record-breaking year.

Campaign Update Alumni-Driven Campaign

Gannon Trustee Tom Guelcher ’62, ’76M believes strongly in Gannon’s Catholic Identity.

Gannon University’s Annual Fund raised a total of $1.118 million, and, overall, Gannon received nearly $5 million in voluntary support last year. Both numbers are the highest the University has accomplished in one year, thanks to, in great part, the generosity of Gannon’s alumni.

Thus far, Gannon and Villa Maria alumni have pledged more than $19 million to the campaign, approximately 74 percent of the total $25.7 million raised to date.

This is the first time in Gannon’s history that a comprehensive campaign has been primarily driven by alumni support.

It’s been led by the dedication and generosity of the Gannon University Board of Trustees, who

have given nearly $11.5 million to date to support Gannon’s growth and transformation as a Catholic university.

“Catholic higher education is very much needed, especially in today’s society, to provide balance,” said Gannon Trustee Thomas Guelcher ’62, ’76M. “Right now, under Dr. Garibaldi’s leadership, Gannon’s acknowledgement of its Catholic Identity is particularly strong and beneficial to the University. We think there is a place in today’s society for spiritual perspectives, and we’re not embarrassed to say or practice that.”

Mr. Guelcher, originally part of the Villa Maria College Board of Trustees, has been a Trustee with the University over the course of four presidents. He noted that Dr. Garibaldi, in particular, focuses on the importance of moral development and in guiding Gannon to be confident as a Catholic university. Gannon’s Catholic Identity has been very important to Mr. Guelcher throughout his life, and that’s why he offers his time, talent and resources as a Gannon Trustee.

“It’s important to give back,” Guelcher added. “I wouldn’t be anywhere near where I am today without the education I received from Gannon and the friends I made as a student. There is a lot of satisfaction in helping a Catholic university such as Gannon continue to grow and prosper – especially when there is so little spiritual and moral focus in our society.”

The foundation of Gannon’s Catholic Tradition is one of the many reasons that The Power To Transform Comprehensive Campaign has been a success. Gannon alumni were transformed academically, socially and spiritually through their experiences as students at the University, and they are impassioned to give back in order to continue the tradition of transforming the University and its students.

Campaign Update

The Campaign’s goal is to raise $30 million to benefit three areas of growth $13 million to enhance Gannon’s endowment, $9.5 million to help renovate the Zurn Science Center, and $7.5 million to benefit the Gannon annual fund, which offsets operating

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costs and enhances the University’s ability to offer scholarships.

Support from Afar Gannon University’s alumni span the nation and the globe, residing in every state and in 48 countries. For this reason, President Garibaldi and other members of Gannon’s administration have spent the past year and a half traveling across the United States where alumni have hosted regional events.

In 2006-07, alumni gathered in Erie, Harrisburg and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Raleigh, North Carolina; Scottsdale, Arizona; Naples and Tampa, Florida; Nashville, Tennessee; Chicago, Illinois; Cleveland, Ohio; and the Washington, D.C. area. All of these events were hosted by regional committees who organized the gatherings in conjunction with the University’s Advancement Office.

One of these committees is chaired by Robert F. Ruyak, Esq., ’71, an alumnus who has believed in staying connected with the University for many years. The Washington, D.C., Regional Campaign Committee – a committee made up of

Mr. Ruyak; Lawrence M. Beeman ’65; Diane Gensheimer Murphy, Ph.D., ’70, ’71M; Marvin Rosenberg, Esq., ’58; Kevin R. Sullivan, Esq., ’71; and Col. Ronald J. Thomas ’73, hosted a Sunday brunch at The Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, Maryland, this past April.

“There are a lot of Gannon alumni in the Baltimore/D.C. area, and we were able to help reconnect these alumni to the school and raise some money in the process,” Mr. Ruyak said.

Mr. Ruyak has been involved with Gannon as an alumnus since the mid 1990s, when he first hosted an event that was the beginning of camaraderie among alumni in his area. He believes that reconnecting alumni to the University is crucial to Gannon’s success and growth for several reasons – one of them being that it further builds the reputation of the school.

“When you see a lot of wonderful alumni doing wonderful things in areas outside of Erie, it builds a sense of pride and helps the school build a reputation,” he said.

“It also helps in recruiting new students and in introducing alumni to the idea of reaching out to new Gannon graduates.”

Connecting to Gannon in this way and realizing the success and growth of the school inspires alumni to give back financially to the University. These regional events are meant to encourage that connection and strengthen the alumni network.

“We have to get people who believe in the school and who have been successful to understand that Gannon needs their financial support. They need to see what’s happening, what the strategies of the University are, who the people in administration are, and they need to have a connection to what’s going on so that they want to participate financially in Gannon’s transformation,” Mr. Ruyak said.

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Robert F. Ruyak, Esq., ’71, chair of the Washington, D.C., regional campaign committee, is committed to supporting Gannon’s transformation.

Mr. Ruyak greatly values the education he received at Gannon and he supports

the University in part because he wants today’s students to have access to a great education.

“I had it tough,” he said. “I had to work 20-25 hours per week during all four years of college, and that didn’t leave time to do other things. I don’t think that’s the optimal way to do things. Students should work full time at college and with extracurricular activities in order to get a well-rounded experience. That’s why my wife’s and my commitment to the campaign is through forming a scholarship.”

Ruyak worked very hard to make sure he also had that extracurricular experience by serving as the editor for The Gannon Knight while he was a student. The faculty and administration at Gannon supported him in his efforts and really encouraged his growth, even though he was saddled with the responsibility of a demanding part-time job while in school.

By hosting regional events, Mr. Ruyak has shown that his commitment to the University goes beyond his financial commitments, and that commitment will continue this coming December when he will offer the keynote address at Gannon’s winter commencement ceremony.

Classmates and Lifelong Friends Something special was started in 1953.

Something that led to camaraderie, success and a passion for caring.

Something that continues to be transformed as the University grows.

That something is known today as the Villa Maria School of Nursing. Nine students made up the first class of nursing students in the University’s history, beginning the program in 1953 and graduating in 1957. Those nine women quickly became lifelong associates and friends – staying in touch throughout their careers and as their families grew.

Three of those women still live in Erie today. Marilynn Krull ’57 VMC, Margaret

Roberta Lewis ’57 VMC (left), Marilynn Krull ’57 VMC (center), and Margaret Gardner ’57 VMC (right) maintain their friendship and relationship with the University as part of the first nursing class to graduate from Villa Maria College.

Gardner ’57 VMC and Roberta Lewis ’57 VMC stay connected as members of this initial nursing class, visiting at University reunions and events, attending the annual Hamot Healthy Women’s seminar, and often having lunch together.

“Life was very interesting in the 1950s,” said Krull. “Villa was an all-female school, and upon entering the program, I not only furthered my education, but immediately gained eight new friends. It was a wonderful experience.”

Krull had originally been accepted into a nursing program at Hamot, right before Villa Maria began the nursing program. After interviewing with Sister Doloretta of Villa, though, Krull decided to attend Villa Maria College instead.

Her choice led her, along with her classmates, to experience a clinical residency at the Philadelphia General Hospital in the neuro/psychiatric and tuberculosis section as the last requirement before graduating. The program was a unique collaboration between the school and the hospital, and offered the students a chance to experience an incredibly busy hospital setting.

“Starting in January of 1957, the Villa nursing students had the opportunity for the 17-week clinical in Philadelphia because of an affiliation that had just begun. At the time, more than 30,000 patients were admitted to Philadelphia General Hospital per year. We went in teams of three students at a time, and I was one of the first students to go,” said Gardner.

All three women had successful careers in nursing throughout the course of their lives. Gardner retired from Hamot Medical Center in 1997 as a staff nurse and member of a group called the stress team, a team of nurses who offered education and support to families who had a loved one admitted to the hospital.

Krull worked as school nurse for the North East School System for 26 years, retiring in 1992. Lewis retired from the Sarah Reed Children’s Center in 1996 after a 20-year career.

Most recently, Krull, Garner and Lewis, along with the rest of the initial class, celebrated the University’s transformation over time by offering a display of artifacts from the first nursing class during the 2007 Alumni/ae Homecoming/ Reunion Weekend.

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university financials

Gannon completed the fiscal year with a strong financial performance and a balanced budget.

Overall, revenues were positive with tuition and fees increasing by approximately $5 million and auxiliary enterprises increasing by an additional $700,000. Other revenue increased from last year with the majority of this climb due to higher returns on the Endowment and higher interest rates on cash reserves.

As of June 30, 2007, the Endowment totaled $37.6 million and the investment return on the Endowment was 16.1 percent for the fiscal year.

Federal and state grants increased by $200,000. Gannon’s Annual Fund exceeded $1 million, and $1.8 million in new endowment gifts were received during the year.

Expenses increased by approximately $500,000, with increases in compensation ($2.0 million) and operating expenses ($800,000) offset by a $2.6 million decrease in depreciation. Through 2006, the University had an extraordinary

Vice President for finance and administration Linda Wagner ’81, ’84M oversees Gannon’s financial stability and growth.

depreciation expense on donated software that was gifted to the University in November 2000. The software is sophisticated engineering design software that is being used for teaching and research programs. The value of the software was estimated at $29 million.

Fiscal Year 2006 was the final year of the extraordinary depreciation.

Tax exempt bonds were issued in June 2007 with a par value of $22 million.

The borrowed funds are being used to renovate Zurn Science Center and to replace the exterior curtain wall and windows in Beyer Hall.

The University received a $4 million Pennsylvania Redevelopment Assistance Capital Grant in August 2006, which completed the funding necessary to renovate the former Boys and Girls Club into the Erie Technology Incubator (ETI). The Executive Director of the Erie Technology Incubator was hired and the building is scheduled to open in 2008.

Gannon continues to enhance the full range of technological capabilities to ensure that the learning process is more engaging, stimulating, and comprehensive.

More than 73 percent of the University’s classrooms are equipped with digital daises and ceiling-mounted projectors to accommodate a variety of technological needs. Four additional wireless laptop computers, two additional journal fulltext databases, and 55 e-books were purchased and added to the Nash Library.

Angel, a more robust and easier-touse course management system, replaced Blackboard.

Quality of life remains a priority at Gannon, and an integral part of that priority consists of enhancing programs, services and facilities with our students’ needs and best interests in mind.

Numerous campus improvements were made this past year, such as the purchase and renovation of three new housing facilities, including Harborview House, an 80-unit apartment building, Gannon’s Catholic House located at 306 West 6th Street, and the Alpha Sigma Alpha

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Financials (Continued) Sorority House. Updates to residential housing units, including Lubiak and Finegan halls, were completed. A fire protection system was installed in Lubiak Hall. Other campus improvements included: a 40-station computer lab in the Zurn Science Center, upgraded fitness equipment and aquatic facilities at the Carneval Athletic Pavilion, and the resurfacing and painting of the floor in the Hammermill Center. Campus police and safety services expanded its 24/7 coverage of campus with the addition of two full-time, fully commissioned police officers and the addition of another emergency call box, which makes 13 total across campus.

The University will continue to exercise prudent fiscal management and allocate financial resources to ensure that students receive the best possible experience at Gannon both inside and outside of the classroom.

2006-2007 Revenue

62% Tuition and Fees, Net of Scholarships 7% Federal, State and Private Grants 7% Contributions 12% Auxiliary Enterprises 12% Other

2006-2007 Expenses

67% 23% 1% 5% 3%

Compensation Operating Expenses Interest Depreciation Auxiliary Enterprises

2006-2007 Expenses by Function

48% 3% 17% 22% 10%

Instruction and Research Public Service Student Services Institutional Support Auxiliary Enterprises

Revenue Tuition and Fees, Net of Scholarships Federal, State and Private Grants Contributions Auxiliary Enterprises Other Total

2005-2006 2006-2007 $36.4 $41.5 4.3

4.5

3.3 7.3 5.3 $56.6

4.9 8.0 8.1 $67.0

Expenses 2005-2006 2006-2007 Compensation $34.5 $36.5 Operating Expenses 11.7 12.5 Interest 0.7 0.8 Depreciation 5.5 2.9 Auxiliary Enterprises 1.5 1.7 Total $53.9 $54.4

Expenses by Function 2005-2006 2006-2007 Instruction and Research $27.3 $26.0 Public Service 1.1 1.4 Student Services 8.8 9.5 Institutional Support 11.6 12.2 Auxiliary Enterprises 5.1 5.3 Total $53.9 $ 54.4

Use of Funds 2005-2006 2006-2007 Student Scholarships $17.5 $19.1 Capital Spending 0.9 6.9 Debt Retirement 0.2 3.7 Endowment Additions 1.7 1.8 Total $20.3 $31.5

Value of Endowment

(All figures in millions of dollars)

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GANNON UNIVERSITY BOARD OF TRUSTEES 2006-2007 Most Rev. Donald W. Trautman, S.T.D, S.S.L ♦ Chairperson Bishop of Erie

Mr. Russell J. Forquer ’71 ♦ President Gannon University National Alumni Board

Joseph T. Messina, Esquire ’63 Vice Chairperson Partner Elderkin, Martin, Kelly and Messina

Mr. James E. Gehrlein ’72 Area President National City Bank of PA

Thomas L. Doolin ’61 Secretary New Age Business Solutions, LLC

Mr. Thomas C. Guelcher ’62, MBA ’76 Treasurer Sisters of Mercy

Antoine M. Garibaldi, Ph.D. ♦ President Gannon University

Mr. Brian J. Jackman ’63 Retired Business Executive Barrington Hills, Illinois

William I. Alford II ’65 Executive Director Head Start Akron, Ohio

Rev. Msgr. Andrew H. Karg Pastor St. Michael Church Greenville, Pennsylvania

James A. Baldauf ’62 Retired Business Executive

Mr. James W. Keim Jr. Senior Vice President RBC Dain Rauscher

L. Scott Barnard ’65 Managing Senior Partner Programmix, LLC Norwalk, Connecticut Mr. George J. Behringer III ’66 Managing Partner Pricewaterhouse Coopers LLP Omaha, Nebraska Mr. Arnold E. Bergquist, CPA ’58 Partner Malin, Bergquist and Company Rev. Msgr. Robert L. Brugger Pastor St. Jude the Apostle Church Honorable Stephanie Domitrovich Judge Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania Ms. Tina M. Donikowski ’85 General Manager GE Transportation Systems Barry T. Drew, Esquire ’76 Deputy Secretary for Administration Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania Mr. James J. Duratz Director Barco-Duratz Foundation Meadville, Pennsylvania

Sr. Mary Rita Kuhn, SSJ ’60 VMC, MA ’68 Vicar for Religious Diocese of Erie Mr. Urban J. LaRiccia ’59 President Datascript International Rancho Santa Fe, California Thomas J. Loftus MBA ’74 Retired Business Executive Cary, North Carolina Mr. Miles McFall President Gannon University Student Government Association Mark J. Minnaugh ’81 CFO and Executive Vice President Giant Eagle, Inc. Allison Park, Pennsylvania Robert H. Morosky ’63 Private Investor Columbus, Ohio Mark L. Nelson, Ph.D. ’83 Senior Director of Chemistry Paratek Pharmaceuticals Norfolk, Massachusetts

John E. Paganie ’69 President, Pennsylvania Operations First Energy Services Corporation Thomas F. Power Jr. ’63 Retired Business Executive Green Oaks, Illinois Mr. Rick Prokop ♦ President Gannon University Faculty Senate James J. Rutkowski Jr. ’83 General Manager/Treasurer Industrial Sales and Manufacturing, Inc. Mr. James A. Schaffner ’68 Managing Principal Schaffner, Knight, Minnaugh & Co., P.C. Mrs. Helen M. Schilling, M.D., D.D.S. ’77 Physician Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Houston, Texas Very Rev. John M. Schultz ’78 Vicar for Education Diocese of Erie Rev. Msgr. Robert J. Smith, JCL Vicar General Diocese of Erie Rev. Msgr. Lawrence Speice ’55 Pastor St. Anthony Church William C. Springer ’63 Partner Dawar Associates Tucson, Arizona Rev. Msgr. Richard J. Sullivan Pastor St. Andrew Church James F. Toohey, Esquire ’56 Partner Quinn, Buseck, Leemhuis, Toohey & Kroto Inc. Sr. Anastasia Valimont, SSJ ’50 VMC Consultant Saint Mary’s Home of Erie Sr. Ricarda Vincent, SSJ ’64 VMC ♦ President Sisters of Saint Joseph of Northwestern Pennsylvania ♦ Ex-officio Members

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