2014 Nittany News by Penn State Beaver

GARY B. KEEFER MESSAGE FROM THE CHANCELLOR

18 years have gone by too fast When you read this message, I’ll be retired from Penn State. Working here has, without question, been the most fulfilling and enjoyable part of my professional life. Although it was my intention to work for another three or four years, health issues forced me to leave Penn State earlier than expected. However, the campus is in good hands because Dr. Donna Kuga, our campus director of academic affairs for 17 years, agreed to serve as the interim chancellor. A search is currently underway to identify the next Penn State Beaver chancellor who, hopefully, will step into the position in January. There are plenty of exciting things happening on and around campus, including the complete renovation of the Michael Baker Science and Engineering Building. The project is currently in the design phase, with construction expected to begin next summer and conclude in a year or so. I know that students, faculty, and staff are greatly looking forward to the significant improvements in both the classrooms and the building’s infrastructure. It seems likely that, within the next several

years, Royal Dutch Shell will build a new multibillion-dollar ethane cracker facility a few miles from campus. If this happens, it will lead to a manufacturing renaissance in Beaver Valley. The facility will provide new opportunities for academic program delivery and will increase the population, too, both of which will help growth at Beaver campus. The potential impact this cracker plant could have is mentioned in the 2014-2019 Penn State Beaver Strategic Plan, which was sent recently to Penn State University Park administrators for their review. My 18 years on campus have gone very quickly and, while this is neither the time nor way I had hoped to retire, I want you to know how much I’ve enjoyed my tenure at Penn State Beaver. It’s interesting and rewarding for me to look back over the years I’ve spent here. We’ve gone from a “2 + 2” campus, i.e. the first two years of a degree here, then two more at another Penn State location, to offering five baccalaureate degrees, all the while continuing to provide a rigorous and comprehensive academic and extracurricular experience for our students. The overall look and feel of the campus has changed dramatically, helping us to recruit and retain students as well as new employees. But the fundamental strength of Beaver campus has been and will continue to be its people, includ-

Kuga named interim chancellor Dr. Donna J. Kuga ’78 H&HD, former director of academic affairs at Penn State Beaver, was appointed interim chancellor on July 1 following the retirement of Chancellor Gary B. Keefer on June 30. Kuga served as associate professor of kinesiology and athletic director at Beaver before being named director of

academic affairs in 1997. She was also an assistant professor of exercise and sport science. She holds a doctorate in administration and policy studies in higher education from the University of Pittsburgh, a master’s degree in administration of physical education and athletics from Slippery Rock University, and a bachelor’s degree in health and physical education from Penn State. The search for a permanent chancellor at Beaver is underway.

ing our alumni. I’ve said this many times before and I want to say it one final time. What I’m most proud of is the outstanding faculty and staff we have at Beaver and the excellent students we graduate or send on to other Penn State locations to complete their studies. The quality of teaching and out-of-classroom support for our students is extraordinary, and our students know how deeply we care about them and their future. That makes Penn State Beaver a very special place. There’s no doubt that the higher education environment will continue to be challenging. But I think there are great opportunities ahead for Penn State Beaver. New leadership can bring new ideas that complement current strengths. I believe the chancellor’s position here is a very attractive one, and it should generate a group of highly qualified candidates, one of whom will be selected to guide and grow the campus. So, for one last time, I hope all of you continue to be Penn State Proud and remain as optimistic as I am about the future of Penn State Beaver.

Get your own brick at the Lion Shrine Penn State Beaver invites you to become a part of campus history by purchasing an engraved brick that will be installed at the Lion Shrine, beautifully situated in front of the Ross Administration Building. Celebrate your time at Penn State Beaver, honor a graduate, remember a loved one, celebrate a milestone. Any reason is a good reason to have a piece of history at Beaver’s Nittany Lion Shrine. Bricks are 4” x 8” and can feature a maximum of three lines, 14 characters per line. Cost is $100. To buy a brick, contact Diana Patterson, director of development, dlp25@psu.edu or 724-773-3558.

INSIDE THIS EDITION FALL 2014

END OF AN ERA

FOR THE FUTURE

4 The chancellor retires. Dr. Gary B. Keefer, who served the campus for 18 years, retired in June. We look back at his legacy. 7 One student’s view. Dr. Keefer influenced not only the campus as a whole but also students individually. In an editorial originally published in the student newspaper The Roar, a communications major recalls one memorable moment. 8 Up in the clouds. Flying has always been one of Dr. Keefer’s passions, one he’s been known to share with the campus community.

9 It’s personal. Alumni, faculty, and staff stepped up to honor two special people with scholarships in their names. 14 Raise a glass. The Advisory Board’s first Wine, Ale, and Food Pairing event raised $17,500 for scholarships. 10 Over the top. Penn State Beaver’s seven-year campaign raised more than $3 million for scholarships and campus improvements.

7 Retirement dinner

OUR ALUMNI

23 Alumni Chapter news 27 Alumni update 29 Alumni Society news

ON CAMPUS 16 Student stories. Our students are everything to us. Meet three of them and see what Penn State Beaver means to them. 23 Renovations. If you visit campus right now, you’ll see many changes, but one thing is pretty much the same: the Michael Baker Building. That will change with a major renovation beginning next year. 32 Spanish holiday. Five information sciences and technology students spent their spring break in Spain presenting a project at an IT conference and eating brains. 18 Retirements 19 Faculty and staff awards 20 New faculty 21 New staff 22 Faculty publications and honors 30 Athletics news

ON THE COVER FAX 724.773.3578

DESIGNER Cathy Benscoter

EMAIL amk6@psu.edu

PHONE 724.773.3816

FACEBOOK PSUBeaver

beaver.psu.edu

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CATHY BENSCOTER/PENN STATE BEAVER

EDITOR Amy M. Krebs

Chancellor Gary Keefer laughs at a story told by a speaker at his retirement dinner. Members of the campus and community gathered in May to celebrate his contributions to Penn State Beaver and the surrounding area. In the background is a photo of the lobby of the wellness center, which was named in Keefer’s honor.

The Nittany News is a publication of the Penn State Beaver Office of Campus and Community Relations, 100 University Drive, Monaca, PA 15061. Please direct all inquiries about this newsletter to 724.773.3816 or amk6@ psu.edu. This publication is available in alternative media upon request. U.Ed. BR 15-6

Penn State Beaver Nittany News

15 Paying it forward. Thomas Day Jr. has a message for his fellow alumni: It’s time to give back. He’s spent a lot of time doing just that, earning the 2013 Penn State Beaver Outstanding Alumni Award. 24 Dynamic duo. Taylor Voss never thought she’d work in victims services for a non-profit. Now she and her silent partner are happy helping victims of domestic violence navigate the court system.

14 Development update

KEVIN R. COOKE/GRAULE STUDIOS

Keefer speaks at the 2012 dedication of the campus wellness center that now bears his name.

END OF AN ERA

Penn State Beaver Nittany News

itting at a dark-wooden desk in his large office in April, Chancellor Gary Keefer smiled as he talked about Penn State Beaver. The office has large windows on two sides providing a view of the beautiful 100-acre campus that Keefer has been caretaker of since 1997. This is the view that Keefer has seen since moving into the executive office on the second floor of the Ross Administration Building more than 10 years ago when the building opened. But that view has finally come to an end.

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Dr. Gary Keefer retires after 18 years as Penn State Beaver chancellor

Keefer retired on June 30 from Penn State Beaver. He’s been the man responsible not only for all of the physical changes seen on campus, but also the changes not easily seen. “I think the biggest change was seeing the

campus go from a 2+2 school to offering fouryear baccalaureate degrees,” Keefer said. When Keefer started, the campus only offered a two-year start to Penn State’s degrees. Adding four-year programs, he said, was the

Story by Amanda Palombo ’14 Com

biggest project he wanted to do. “Providing a good and challenging academic environment was really important to me when I started here, and I think we have that now. I’ve always been an advocate for high academic

“

If you look around, you can see the many things that he’s responsible for. But it’s the things you can’t easily see where he’s had the most impact.” Daniel Pinchot

CATHY BENSCOTER/PENN STATE BEAVER

Shelby Parks ’12 Lib gives Keefer a high five as she walks across the auditorium stage at her spring 2012 graduation.

Wellness Center named for Keefer

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Despite his diagnosis, Keefer felt nothing was going to keep him from doing what he loved: his job. “My doctor told me last year around this time that I should seriously consider retiring,

The Penn State Beaver Wellness Center has a new name. On March 7 the Penn State Board of Trustees approved the Gary B. Keefer Wellness Center as the name of the two-year-old addition to the campus gymnasium. The name honors Keefer as Beaver’s longest-term chancellor and the driving force behind the $3.3 million building project. “It’s been a pleasure and a privilege to serve Penn State Beaver for more than 17 years,” Keefer said. “I’m very humbled by this gesture.”

but I wanted to get one more year in, and I’m so glad I did,” Keefer said. Dr. Donna J. Kuga ’78 H&HD, who served as director of academic affairs under Keefer, said that his support of staff and everyone on campus is more than a help to him. “The level of courage he has shown is just the ultimate. He has such a strong group of staff behind him that allows him to get away when he may need a break. They take care of everything so when he comes back, there’s not a lot of work to come back to,” said Kuga, who now serves as interim chancellor. “I’m nervous. Learning a new job in such a short time could make anyone nervous. Gary (Keefer) will always be a phone call away if I ever need him,” Kuga said. Kuga had planned to retire but said her staying will make the transition much easier for the new director of academic affairs, Professor Carey McDougall, who began work July 1. Despite the reason for retiring, Keefer said that his time at Penn State Beaver has been some of the best of his life. “I think it’s a really nice place to be, so

Penn State Beaver Nittany News

standards,” Keefer said. “We also have such a great group of faculty and staff here. Making this place comfortable for students was one of my biggest goals.” Karen Barr, senior instructor in business, said Keefer has done that and more. “He’s always been there for me whenever I needed something. I always knew that if I had a problem, I could talk to him,” Barr said. “He always takes care of (the faculty). He makes sure that we’re comfortable and our classes provide a challenging environment for students.” Keefer said that he made sure he built the best group of faculty and staff he could. “Every person that came in for a job here, I made sure I interviewed them, too. I usually think to myself, ‘Will they be good at working with the students?’ and ‘Will they be a good fit here?’ ” Keefer has always been involved with student life, perhaps more than most would think. With events such as Cheesecake with the Chancellor, where he would meet with students to discuss their issues, and his yearly speeches at New Student Day, the passion he has for the school and its students is obvious. Keefer made a point to talk to prospective students and their families. He spoke at open houses, accepted student dinners, and even welcomed visiting families into his office during campus tours. For the past several years, he spoke to hesitant parents at every New Student Orientation program to help ease their minds about all their worries. As Keefer sat at his desk, his love for the campus and his many plans for it were very apparent. But retiring early was not one of those plans. “I really wanted to be here for another three to four years, but it just isn’t in the cards for me,” he said. Last year, Keefer was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), otherwise known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease. ALS is a disease of the nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord that control voluntary muscle movement. With voluntary muscle action progressively affected, patients in the later stages of the disease become paralyzed and unable to speak.

“

I think Penn State Beaver is a really nice place to be, so I’m going to miss it a lot. There’s nothing in particular that I’ll miss more than others, except maybe the Italian wedge sandwiches from the Bistro. I love them!” Gary Keefer

Keefer

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Penn State Beaver Nittany News

I’m going to miss it a lot. There’s nothing in particular that I’ll miss more than others, except maybe the Italian wedge sandwiches from the Bistro. I love them!” Director of Enrollment Daniel Pinchot ’91 Com, ’04 MEd said he will miss many things about Keefer. “He’s such a positive influence on me. He took a chance on me when I was young, he taught me how to be a professional and he set the bar high for me. He knew I could reach it,” Pinchot said. “When I made mistakes, he sat me down, talked to me, and that was the end of it. Sometimes I didn’t like the conversation, but hey, people make mistakes,” Pinchot laughed. When Pinchot started at Penn State Beaver in 1997, Keefer was still the director of academic affairs, a position he held for only about a year before being named interim campus executive officer. The University later changed the title to chancellor. “If you look around, you can see the many things that he’s responsible for,” Pinchot said. “But it’s the things you can’t easily see where he’s had the most impact.” Pinchot pointed to Penn State Beaver’s reputation in the community and the high regard people have for the campus as Keefer’s most important contributions. “People used to come on campus and ask if this was the community college. That doesn’t happen now. People know and respect Penn State Beaver,” Pinchot said. Barr, who worked closely with Keefer as chair of the Faculty Congress, said Keefer has been a great leader. “He did such a fantastic job protecting us and everyone here from the highs and lows that came. When enrollment was down, he stayed optimistic and knew they’d go back up,” said Barr. “Even when the whole (Sandusky) scandal came out, he never blinked. He made sure we carried on and survived as a campus. He was

ROAR FILE PHOTO

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CATHY BENSCOTER/PENN STATE BEAVER

not put in an easy position, that’s for sure.” Keefer said that he is very happy with the way he is leaving the campus. “I think it’s in a good place. Our campus is talked about very highly across the board, and I’m very pleased with that,” he said. According to Pinchot, Keefer is leaving the campus in the best condition that he could.

Above, Keefer plays a bowling game on the Nintendo Wii in Harmony Hall before meeting with students during Cheesecake with the Chancellor in April 2010. He bowled three strikes. At left, Keefer smiles at a remark by a speaker at the kickoff reception for For the Future: The Campaign for Penn State Students in May 2010.

“His legacy will live on, whether it’s the physical aspects, the organizational structure or the personal influences he had on everyone that’s here,” said Pinchot. “It definitely won’t be easy without him, but I know we’ll be all right.” Reprinted from the April 2014 edition of The Roar, Penn State Beaver’s student newspaper.

Thank you, Dr. Keefer, for all you’ve done The following editorial written by Caitlin Vodenichar ’14 Com appeared in the April 2014 edition of The Roar, Penn State Beaver’s student newspaper. Chancellor Gary B. Keefer served as Penn State Beaver’s chief executive officer and principal academic leader for 18 years, but the impact that he has had on this campus will be felt for many years to come. During his tenure, he’s cleaned up and improved much of the campus and backed much-needed improvements. Keefer oversaw the construction of the Ross Administration Building; improvements to the sidewalks, parking lots and roadways; and most recently the addition of the Wellness Center to the gym — a facility that now bears his name. But he’s done so much more that can’t be seen as easily. Under Dr. Keefer’s insightful leadership, Beaver’s reputation in the community has become top notch, receiving honors such as the Beaver County Times’ award for Best of the Valley for numerous years. He’s attracted top business and government leaders to assist the campus through its many advisory boards. Alumni, corporations, and civic groups have opened their hearts and wallets to support the campus through donations and scholarships, all during his tenure. He is a busy man and has recently been battling health issues, but he still finds time to speak with students and parents. His dedication to helping students is his dominant quality. About a year ago, a Roar staffer set up an interview with the chancellor about gun control on campus. After the reporter finished asking her questions, Dr. Keefer turned the tables. He said it was his turn to ask her questions so he could get to know her better. This reporter was amazed. He was genuinely interested in her hopes and dreams for

the future and her experiences on campus. He wanted to hear her thoughts about classes, professors and safety. She was impressed by his humble attitude, the sincerity of his words and the wish to hear her opinion. Turns out, this was pretty typical for Dr. Keefer. Any chance he got to talk with students, he took it. He met regularly with each Student Government Association president. He visited with Lion Ambassadors each year, pressing them with the hard questions about how they liked the campus and how they ended up here. He even founded a town-hall-style program called “Cheesecake with the Chancellor” to hear from students about their issues and concerns. New Student Day, accepted student dinners and open houses were among the numerous events he spoke at on campus. He’s worked with leaders throughout the community and brought together a huge network of people dedicated to helping students acquire the skills they need to succeed. We are sad to see Dr. Keefer leave, and we wish him all the best as he enters retirement. And thanks to Dr. Keefer, we are also hopeful and excited for what’s to come for Beaver campus in its future. Dr. Keefer’s made an impact on all the students, faculty and staff, and we owe him our utmost thanks. So thank you, Dr. Keefer, for elevating our campus’ reputation. Thank you for providing us with the best and brightest educators who share your dedication to the students. Thank you for pouring your heart and soul into this campus. And thank you, Dr. Keefer, for being an amazing role model. You’ve set an excellent example for us all to follow, and we only hope we can live up to your expectations.

University, community leaders honor Keefer at dinner More than 160 members of the campus and community honored Penn State Beaver Chancellor Gary B. Keefer at a retirement dinner held Thursday, May 1, in the Student Union Building Lodge. Keefer retired June 30 after 18 years of service to the University. Keefer came to Beaver campus as director of academic affairs in 1996. He was named interim campus executive officer (CEO) in 1997 and was appointed CEO in 1998. Penn State changed the CEO title to chancellor in 2005.

The evening featured remarks delivered by Penn State President Rodney Erickson; Dr. Madlyn Hanes, vice president for Commonwealth Campuses, who also served as mistress of ceremonies; Dr. Donna J. Kuga ’78 H&HD, campus director of academic affairs; and John Feraco ’88 Eng, president of the Penn State Beaver Advisory Board. Other speakers included Luke Taiclet ’82 ’83 Lib, ’85 MEd, director of finance and business; Daniel Pinchot ’91 Com, ’04 MEd,

director of enrollment; Chris Rizzo, director of student affairs; Leo Takahashi, assistant professor of physics; Senator Elder Vogel Jr.; Representative Jim Marshall; Beaver County Commissioner Chairman Tony Amadio; Beaver County Commissioners Dennis Nichols and Joe Spanik; Roseann Simoni ’75 Com, member of the board of directors of the Beaver Valley Area Chapter of the Penn State CONTINUED ON PAGE 8

Keefer shares his love of flying

Since childhood, one of Dr. Gary Keefer’s passions has been airplanes. Below is an article written for The Roar in 2011 that gives a glimpse into his life in the air.

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Penn State Beaver Nittany News

By Don Ware IV

It was a typical day early in spring 2011 when then-senior Lucas Morack ’11 Bus walked into the Bistro and ran into Chancellor Gary Keefer. The two had a brief conversation that led Keefer, a licensed pilot, to talking about flying planes. Much to Morack’s surprise, Keefer offered to take him for a ride in his plane. “I thought he was just joking,” Morack said. But Keefer, true to his word, took Morack flying on March 26, 2011. Most people don’t know that one of Keefer’s lifelong passions is flying. He has a license as a commercial glider pilot and for years gave rides for hire while working as a faculty member at the University of Nebraska. When Morack arrived at the Beaver County Airport where Keefer stores his plane, he was surprised. It wasn’t just a plane. It was a glider. “I thought he owned a real plane,” Morack said. “The glider took me for a loop.” Keefer owns a two-passenger Super Ximango Motor Glider. The plane weighs about 1,800 pounds with two passengers in it. The motor allows Keefer to take off on his own, and once he hits an appropriate gliding altitude, he cuts the engine. Once in the air with Morack, Keefer turned off the engine. “I was expecting it to be like, oh my God, you just start dropping. But you don’t actually feel it. You just kind of float along,” Morack said. Keefer said he wanted to fly planes all his

Dinner

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 7 Alumni Association; and Amanda Palombo ’14 Com, secretary of the Student Government Association. Kuga presented Keefer with a traditional Penn State Nittany Lion statue and a cash gift, which he donated to the Chancellor Gary B. Keefer Endowed Scholarship. The scholarship

Lucas Morack, left, was surprised when Chancellor Keefer offered to take him for a ride in his plane. He was even more surprised when he found out the plane was a glider.

life. By the time he was 22, he had his license and was flying. “It’s an interesting thing to do,” Keefer said. “You have to have a passion for it.” That passion includes not just flying, but performing aerial acrobatics while he’s in his glider or a plane.

In February 2011 at Kissimmee Airport in Florida, Keefer flew a P51 Mustang, a restored World War II combat plane that flew in a squadron on D-day. Keefer, flying with a Navy officer, performed 30 minutes of acrobatics while in the air over Kissimmee. One of his first moves was a barrel roll, after which the officer simply said, “That was awesome, dude.” Another highlight in Keefer’s piloting career occurred before 9/11 and, ironically, took place on the ground. In a US Airways flight simulator, Keefer successfully landed a Boeing 737 with its engine on fire. There were two technicians helping run the simulator, and Keefer said that when he finally landed the plane, one of them said to him, “You’re the first person we haven’t killed in that simulation.”

was established last fall in honor of his tenure as the longest-serving chancellor in Beaver campus history. Hanes announced that the Commonwealth Campus chancellors honored Keefer with a gift to his scholarship, and Simoni presented him with a cash gift for his scholarship as well as a plaque. Palombo gave Keefer a photo of the latest cover of the student newspaper, The Roar, which featured his retirement. The matting surrounding the photo was signed by hundreds

of students, staff, and faculty. Vogel, Marshall, and the commissioners presented Keefer with proclamations from their respective branches of government. Keefer, who presented his remarks at the close of the evening, was joined by his wife, Paula ’04 Edu; son Brian ’02 Eng and his wife, Pattie; son Aaron ’04 H&HD and his wife, Tina; his brother, Ron; his parents, Jim and Jean Keefer; members of his wife’s family, and special family friends.

Doing barrel rolls in a P51 Mustang was a highlight of Keefer’s flying career.

Scholarships honor Keefer, Takahashi Taylor Braxton Senior Com

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Greg Cerminara

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received a quality education, and learned how to be a problem solver — ultimately important lessons in creating what society needs and what businesses want.” Meanwhile, Patterson said the scholarship for Keefer was endowed because he has been a great leader. “I was very surprised,” Keefer said. “Diana did a good job at keeping this a secret. I didn’t suspect a thing.” Because Keefer challenges all incoming freshmen to maintain at least a 3.0 grade point average into their sophomore year, Keefer asked that the scholarship criteria match that challenge. Therefore, all full-time sophomores and above who have earned at least a 3.0 grade point average are eligible. Keefer knows all of the benefactors and has sent personal thank you notes. “Much like Leo, I was speechless that individuals would do this in our name,” Keefer said. One of the benefactors for the scholarship is Daniel Pinchot ’91 Com, ’04 MEd, Penn State Beaver’s director of enrollment. Pinchot said he has been donating to the campus every year for the past five years for the Leadership Endowed Scholarship. “Giving back to Penn State Beaver is second nature to me. Penn State Beaver has been very good to me,” Pinchot said. “I went here. I have been working here for 17 years, and I am more than happy to give back.”

When the idea of a scholarship for Keefer came up, Pinchot was interested immediately. “To give back in the name of the chancellor is very meaningful to me. He gave me the opportunity to be a manager, a director and, most importantly, he helped teach me how to be a leader,” said Pinchot. Dr. Donna J. Kuga ’78 H&HD, former director of academic affairs and current interim chancellor, is another benefactor of the chancellor’s scholarship. “Donating money for student scholarships is a good tribute to him,” said Kuga, who had a trustee scholarship established in her name several years ago. Advisory board member Tom Trzcinski ’73 Bus said he has only known the chancellor for a short while but has seen his genuine concern for the improvement of Penn State Beaver. “I gave to his scholarship because of who I think he is as a human being. He is patient, persistent, loyal, sincere, kind, and dedicated,” said Trzcinski. Trzcinski said he likes that he can help students accomplish their dreams, just as he has. “It all started at Penn State Beaver for me,” he said. John O’Leary, one of Keefer’s close friends and co-chairman of the campus’ campaign committee, said his primary interest is in scholarship help for local high school students. “I think PSU Beaver is a great opportunity for local kids to get a college degree,” said O’Leary. John Feraco ’88 Eng, president of the campus Advisory Board, said Keefer has demonstrated the kind of leadership and commitment to Penn State Beaver that he would like to emulate in the organizations he supports. “Gary has dedicated himself to serving the Beaver campus, and he has done a great job. I’m proud to work with him, and I was happy to donate to his scholarship to help remember his impact on the campus for the long run,” Feraco said. Being able to donate to a scholarship that will influence future Penn Staters makes him feel “awesome,” Feraco said. “There is a large support group of Penn State alumni across the state, the country, and the world who love to help other Penn Staters.” Reprinted from the April 2014 edition of The Roar, Penn State Beaver’s student newspaper.

Penn State Beaver Nittany News

Ever wonder if there’s a way to say “thank you” to an outstanding teacher, supervisor or colleague who made a difference in your life? A group of alumni, staff and board members have done just that by establishing endowed scholarships in honor of two prominent campus members. Three Penn State Beaver alumni donated the money needed to start the Leo Takahashi Honorary Scholarship, while six administrators and board members have done the same for the Chancellor Gary B. Keefer Endowed Scholarship. Diana Patterson, director of development, said the scholarships honor Leo Takahashi, assistant professor of physics, and Chancellor Gary Keefer, respectively, for all they have done for the students, the alumni, and the University over the years. Each scholarship was endowed with a minimum of $50,000 in donations. To be eligible to receive the Leo Takahashi Honorary Scholarship, students must be enrolled full-time and majoring in engineering, physics or science. “I am deeply honored, but this is really about the quality of the students who take my classes and the success that follows their graduation,” Takahashi said. The alumni, all of whom are engineers, kept telling Patterson the story of how Takahashi had changed their lives. “When they were students, they didn’t appreciate his class. His class was the hardest they had taken throughout their college career,” said Patterson. Takahashi is the longest-serving faculty member at Penn State Beaver. He began teaching in 1967, two years after the campus opened. Alumnus Greg Cerminara ’89 Eng, president-elect of the campus Advisory Board, said it has been an honor to be part of creating opportunities for students under the name of someone as accomplished as Takahashi. Cerminara said he wanted to be part of people understanding the importance of what Takahashi is trying to teach. “Leo taught me how to bear down and accomplish what is needed to be done,” Cerminara said. “From the lessons he taught, I grew as an individual, matured into adulthood,

Leo taught me how to bear down and accomplish what is needed to be done. From the lessons he taught, I grew as an individual, matured into adulthood, received a quality education, and learned how to be a problem solver — ultimately important lessons in creating what society needs and what businesses want.”

$152,875

$14,020

Enriching Student Experience

Faculty Strength & Capacity

75%

Total Gifts

19%

$2,318,397 Scholarship Support

$3,062,378

$577,086

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Penn State Beaver Nittany News

Improving Facilities

OVER THE TOP

Fundraising campaign exceeds $3 million goal

hen it comes to being a director of development, there are certain aspects of the job that are expected, such as fundraising, establishing key relationships, and building a donor base. What isn’t expected is raising $3 million in seven years with one of the youngest donor

bases in the Penn State system, no campaign committee, no known major donors, and no full-time staff except an external relations assistant and an off-site data researcher.

But that’s exactly what Diana Patterson, director of development at Penn State Beaver, faced in 2007 at the beginning of Penn State’s University-wide campaign, For the Future: The

Campaign for Penn State Students. Fortunately for her and the students of Penn State Beaver, many of whom were the recipients of her efforts, she succeeded. By June 30, Beaver had

Story by Jennifer Durbin ’13 Com | Illustration by Cathy Benscoter

“

My wife and I both have benefitted significantly from our degrees from Penn State, and the idea of giving back to our alma mater was something that was of great interest to us. We’ve found that giving back to Penn State has been very gratifying.” Tom Day

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of his own company, West Point Products in Washington, Pa., with the intention of getting to know him and telling him about the campus and the campaign. When she left that day, she left him with a simple message, which was, “When you’re ready to give back to Penn State Beaver, give me a call because I have some ideas about what’s needed, some information I can give you, and some ideas that might resonate with you.” A month later Tom called Patterson and said he and his wife had been thinking about what she said and they were ready to give back. He came to the campus and met with Keefer and Patterson, and then he and his wife decided to establish the Thomas J. Day and Michelle Bower Day Endowed Scholarship. Recently the couple made an additional pledge to their scholarship. “It all started with a phone call,” Patterson said. “My wife and I both have benefitted significantly from our degrees from Penn State, and the idea of giving back to our alma mater was something that was of great interest to us,” Tom said. “We’ve found that giving back to Penn State has been very gratifying.” Patterson explains that simply picking up the phone and making a call can make a difference. “Sometimes they’re busy and they just don’t want to be bothered, but sometimes they’ll see you. If they’ll see you, it seems like it’s easier to bring them to the level of giving that makes a difference,” Patterson said. That was the case with Beaver alumnus Mike Brynczak ’73 Eng. On one of Patterson’s road trips, she met with him in Alexandria, Va. Brynczak, who is now retired, held a twoyear electrical engineering degree from Beaver campus. He had worked for General Electrical Medical and had great respect and admiration for one of his former Beaver professors, Leo Takahashi, assistant professor of physics. Like the Days, Brynczak had been making relatively small annual gifts to Beaver campus. Patterson’s planned approach with him, as with so many others, was to tell him what the

consisted of four members: co-chairmen John Hertneky ’79 Eng and community leader John O’Leary; Tom Day ’88 Bus; and Tom Trzcinski ’73 Bus. The committee co-chairs were responsible for attending annual meetings in the fall at Penn State University Park and another meeting via teleconference every spring. Local meetings with the rest of the committee were held every three months. But as Patterson notes, they were in constant communication via email. “The committee was very, very helpful in making a donation to establish a scholarship or contributing to be part of a scholarship or connecting me with other people who could,” Patterson said. What Patterson found is that before people give, they have to care about the institution. So her job was to engage or re-engage alumni, bring them back to Beaver campus to show them what the campus is about, and explore how they could become involved. Did they want to be a speaker in a classroom? Did they want to hire an intern? Were they interested in theater? Had they once received a scholarship? It was through conversations and engagements such as these that Patterson discovered their interests and began to build relationships. “You have to care about your donors before they care about you,” she said. Something else Patterson discovered is that people like giving to people. “I simply serve as a conduit for donors who want to help the campus,” Patterson said. “Yes, my job is to raise funds, but it’s just as important to establish and build relationships with donors or prospective donors who want to help the campus. Very often, especially during this campaign, donors wanted to make sure our students had the scholarship money they need.” Patterson recalled how she met committee co-chair Tom Day. She saw a list indicating he was running for the Penn State Board of Trustees, he was a Beaver alumnus, and he and his wife, Michelle (Bower) Day ’89 Eng, also a Beaver alumna, had been giving to the campus for several years. She became interested in learning more about the couple. Patterson called on Tom Day, who is CEO

Penn State Beaver Nittany News

not only met its $3 million goal — twice that of the last campaign — but exceeded it by raising $3,062,378. The University also exceeded its overall goal with a total of $2,188,361,749. “We’re just very, very pleased at how successful it’s been and the new campus friends that have been developed through the campaign,” said Dr. Gary B. Keefer, who was Beaver’s chancellor until he retired June 30 of this year. The $3 million goal was determined by looking at a combination of history, donor base, identifying major donors, and an element of guessing, Keefer said. “It’s what you think you can do and making it higher, which is what you always do in a campaign,” he said. Campuses of comparable size to Beaver with no major donors in the queue were also assigned a goal of $3 million. Just how did Patterson, a graduate of Geneva College, accomplish this seemingly insurmountable task, which was the most ambitious fundraising effort in Beaver campus history? First, she assembled a motivated steering committee of volunteers from the community who are dedicated to Penn State. Next, she gathered a list of alumni who were determined to have potential to make a gift, and finally, she began making “cold calls,” which is exactly what it sounds like. She called people who might never have communicated with Beaver campus once they left, and vice versa, and she looked for ways to build relationships. Patterson admitted it was a difficult campaign at the beginning because there really wasn’t a solid donor base. “We’re a relatively young campus at 49 years of age,” Patterson said. “Our donor base hadn’t been developed and not many solid relationships had been formed. My predecessor was in this job for probably four years and she had made some contacts. She had brought in some nice gifts, but the database for donors who were already ready and willing to give wasn’t there. So we had to start from scratch.” Throughout the seven-year effort, the Campaign Steering Committee changed members several times. However, the group ultimately

KEVIN R. COOKE/GRAULE STUDIOS

One beneficiary of the fundraising campaign was the Gary B. Keefer Wellness Center, which was dedicated Sept. 6, 2012. Speaking at the event (on stage left to right) were Penn State President Rodney Erickson, Penn State Vice President for Commonwealth Campuses Madlyn Hanes, Keefer, and student representative Steven Dusicsko ’13 Bus.

Campaign

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Penn State Beaver Nittany News

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 11

campus is like today and get to know him. He walked into their meeting, put his hand out, and said “I’m so sorry I haven’t been giving you more money sooner.” Brynczak gave Patterson the lead gift to establish the Leo Takahashi Honorary Endowed Scholarship and told her he would do whatever he could for Leo. “Now isn’t that the way I want all of my alum to greet me?!” Patterson laughed. Patterson has learned that sometimes, people just need to be reminded about their time at Beaver, as was the case with Trzcinski before he became a member of the Campaign Steering Committee. He admitted to Patterson that he went off to University Park and forgot about Beaver campus. Trzcinski had not been engaged at all with the campus he attended for two years and had never given a gift to Beaver when O’Leary asked him to make a $5,000 donation to a particular scholarship. Trzcinski said ‘yes’ because O’Leary asked. “People give to people,” Patterson said again. It was through that transaction that Patterson met Trzcinski, who ultimately joined the

committee. “He’s been such a great help.” There are others who are compelled to give due to life-changing events. During the course of the campaign, both of Hertneky’s parents passed away. His donation wasn’t just about giving back to the school he loved; it was about honoring his parents. His father was a teacher, his mother a nurse, and Hertneky, an engineer, wanted to do something to acknowledge all they had done for him. Through donations and pledges from friends and family, Hertneky established the John and Magdalen Hertneky Memorial Endowed Scholarship for students majoring in nursing, engineering, science, or education. “I’m glad we were able to do this for my parents because it creates a legacy for them that they won’t be forgotten,” he said. These are just a few of the examples of the 27 newly endowed scholarships established during the course of the campaign. Beaver’s endowment was close to $1 million when the campaign began; the endowment now stands at $3.5 million. “Overall, we’ve seen a significant increase in the endowment over the past few years, and this is great news and very encouraging. But we must always push to do more,” said Day. The primary focus of Beaver’s campaign was to establish new student scholarships and

enhance the principal of those already in place. “It was the cornerstone of our campaign,” Patterson said, “and so many people will benefit from that.” Beaver campus senior Trey Trieschock couldn’t agree more. He has a firsthand understanding of the benefits of scholarships and how they can help to ease the tuition burden; he’s received several scholarships at Beaver. “Every little bit taken off helps a lot,” Trieschock said. He is the recipient of the Thomas P. and Shirley M. Woolaway Endowed Scholarship as well as the Bunton-Waller Scholarship, which together have provided him with more than $6,000 over three years. Trieschock said some students feel ashamed about needing financial assistance, but that’s what a scholarship is for, “to help ease the financial burden in the long run for students who both earn it and deserve it.” Trieschock does everything he can to ease that ongoing financial burden since he plans to become a lawyer when he graduates from Penn State. As a Beaver student, he has maintained a 3.5 GPA while working as a resident assistant in Harmony Hall and working part-time in the Admissions Office. Senior Monica Pitcher was also a recipient of the Woolaway Scholarship, which awarded her $1,600. “It really meant a lot to me to have that little bit of help financially,” she said.

How an endowment works An initial investment of $50,000 is required to create an endowed scholarship at Penn State. Once that amount is achieved, a portion of the interest earned is used to generate an award. The remainder of the interest earned is rolled back into the principal to ensure continued growth in any particular scholarship. Scholarship funds belong to the campus to which they were donated, but are placed in Penn State’s overall endowment

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network it’s established in order to begin the next campaign. “It’s not a question of if we’re going to have another campaign; it’s a question of when the next one starts,” Hertneky said. “Fundraising of this nature is extremely important for Penn State,” Day added. “We must all work together to continue to increase the size of the University’s endowment. A healthy endowment is a key indicator of the long-term financial viability of a university.” Hertneky is already contemplating changes he’d like to see in the next campaign, such as the efficient use of social media and expanding outreach efforts to campus alumni and friends. He’s aware that the majority of campus gifts come from 90 percent of donors; the largest gifts come from 10 percent. He wants to extend efforts to reach that majority of donors. “Penn State has the largest dues-paying alumni society in the United States. We need to take advantage of that. There’s a lot of power in that,” he said. In the meantime, Hertneky had a message to those who donated to this campaign, “Thank you! Money and time are both precious commodities,” he said. But he also wants to issue a challenge. “Everyone is quick to yell, ‘We Are Penn State!’ Everyone is proud to mention where they’re from. But that’s talk-the-talk. I’d like to see our alumni walk-the-walk as well when it comes time for the next campaign or during the interim period. Step up. I’d like to challenge the alumni to not only be proud, but be proud and make the investment in the University,” Hertneky said. “Remember where you came from and help those people that are going to be following you.”

Other gifts included the Frank and Carin Batchelor Travel Endowment, which now has a value of more than $70,000 and provides support for students who travel and study abroad with faculty during spring break. Carl Bartuch ’75 Bus made a gift of $100,000 that was instrumental in the development and construction of the Gary B. Keefer Wellness Center, and he later established an endowed scholarship. Until this year there were very few fundraising events held for any of the campus’ previous campaigns. The exception was the annual Penn State Beaver Alumni Society Golf Outing, which, since its inception, has raised more than $188,000 for the Alumni Society Endowed Scholarship and other campus projects, including directional signage. However, another campus fundraising event debuted this year. The Penn State Beaver Advisory Board hosted its first Wine, Ale, and Food Pairing in May and raised $17,500, which the group donated to the Chancellor Gary B. Keefer Endowed Scholarship. The event was so successful that it will be repeated next May. The Alumni Society also partnered with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Beaver County to host the second annual Health and Fitness 5K Run/ Walk in Beaver in May. Last year’s event, along with the most recent 5K, raised more than $3,000, which was divided between the Alumni Society and Big Brothers Big Sisters. The funds will help the group provide transportation for their “littles” who come to campus to work with their “bigs,” i.e. Beaver campus students involved in the Big Brothers Big Sisters project. Moving forward into the so-called quiet time between campaigns, the Campaign Steering Committee is already discussing how it can keep the momentum going and maintain the

fund so they can be invested to achieve maximum growth potential. Gifts that are received through the University’s Trustee Matching Scholarship Program give donors the opportunity to see their funds matched by the University. The benefit of an endowed scholarship is clear: The principal funds will remain forever, the interest ensures growth in the fund, and the scholarship continues in perpetuity.

Penn State Beaver Nittany News

“Someday, I’d like to help other students financially as well through a scholarship. It really meant a lot to me to receive that so I’m sure it would mean just as much to them.” Sophomore Lorenzo Hernandez of Chula Vista, Calif., is one of 11 recipients of the James Buccini Trustee Scholarship at Beaver. He also received a Bunton-Waller Scholarship. “Without the money, collegiate studies wouldn’t be an option. The money has literally saved my future,” he said. Five other students also benefitted from the Woolaway Scholarship last year. In fact, 35 donor-funded endowed scholarships, including trustee scholarships, were awarded in 20132014. Those 35 scholarships helped approximately 110 students with scholarship awards ranging from $1,500 to $2,500. “That’s the power of scholarships,” said Beaver’s Director of Enrollment Daniel Pinchot ’91 Com, ’04 MEd. During the 2003 fall semester, the campus had approximately $60,000 in endowed and annually funded scholarships, but by fall 2013 that amount had reached $186,000. “The ability to award scholarships to deserving and needy students is incredibly powerful,” Pinchot said. “Our students and their families greatly appreciate what our donors have been able to do for them. And as somebody who works directly with students, I see the impact it has on students on a daily basis. Nothing is more valuable than scholarship support.” However, not everyone who wants to make a donation is inclined or able to endow a scholarship. Lisa (Custard) Majerchik ’78 H&HD wanted to do more — and less. Majerchik, who was recently widowed, met with Patterson in central Pennsylvania and informed her that Penn State Beaver is in her estate plan. Majerchik and her late husband, Nicholas Majerchik ’79 Eng, met at Beaver, and she thought he would be happy if she used their money to support the campus, so she decided to establish a bequest. However, campaign guidelines state that in order for a bequest to be counted in the current campaign, the donor must be 60 years old by June 30, 2014, and Majerchik was only 58. Since she couldn’t establish a bequest but still wanted to be part of this campaign, she made a pledge to give $5,000 annually for the next five years, bringing her total gift to $25,000. Majerchik is one of 12 donors whose annually funded scholarships will help an additional 15 students every year.

Wine tasting raises $17,500 for scholarships

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Penn State Beaver Nittany News

The Penn State Beaver Advisory Board raised $17,500 for the Chancellor Gary B. Keefer Endowed Scholarship at its first Wine, Ale, and Food Pairing event held in May. The event, which took place in the campus Brodhead Bistro and outdoor plaza, was developed and implemented by the Board’s Advancement and Development Committee. More than 200 guests participated in the evening’s festivities, which featured ten wines from five Pennsylvania wineries and several ales from the Beaver Brewing Company, all of which were accompanied by foods prepared by Jeremy Lindner ’00 Bus, director of Beaver’s Office of Housing and Food Services; Kelly Marcello, manager of housing and food services; and their staff. The evening also included a ShutterBooth donated by Tom and Brandi Patterson and entertainment by jazz saxophonist Stan Miller. Primary event sponsors were Raymond James Financial, Inc., and ESB Bank. Beverage sponsors were Personal Law; Bert’s Wooden Indian; Presque Isle Wine Cellars; John and Gina Dioguardi; Knickerbocker Russell Co., Inc.; Kitchen & Bath Concepts; Day Capital Group; c3controls; and Dan Woodske of Beaver Brewing Company. Food sponsors were Unis Dental Associates; Atcheson Oral Surgery; Robert’s Roadside Inn and Skerlac Contracting; A2Z Pressure Washing LLC; Brighton Hot Dog Shoppe; and

CATHY BENSCOTER/PENN STATE BEAVER

Housing and Food Services employee Chris Geary makes Bananas Foster for Pam O’Leary and Judy Madder at the Wine, Ale, and Food Pairing event in the Brodhead Bistro in May. Daniel Pinchot ’91 Com, ’04 MEd, and his wife, Jackie Pinchot ’92 Edu, ’04 MEd. The Advancement and Development Committee was chaired initially by Carolyn Renninger, advisory board vice president. Later Tom Day ’88 Bus became chair, although Renninger remained on the committee, along with advisory board members I. David Atcheson, D.M.D.; John Feraco ’88 Eng; Terrie Krukenberg; David Sebastian; Laura Tocci ’82 Bus;

Tom Trzcinski ’73 Bus; and Nicolas J. Unis, D.M.D. “This committee is one of the best I’ve ever worked with,” said Diana Patterson, Beaver’s director of development. “We started out with lots of different ideas for the event, but after reviewing our options, the group decided to go with this. It turned out to be a great decision; we didn’t know we’d be so successful our first time out with this fundraiser.”

DIANA L. PATTERSON DEVELOPMENT UPDATE On June 30, 2014, all Penn State development officers across the Commonwealth breathed a sigh of relief. For the Future: The Campaign for Penn State Students ended that day with great success. But the sigh was a brief one as we need to remain steadfast in our efforts to continue to make a difference in the lives of our students! If you aren’t familiar with the inner workings of the “development mechanism,” I can understand why you would think that a welldeserved break is in order. However, that’s far

from reality because students’ financial needs are often never-ending. At every college and university across the country, most students come on campus and almost immediately head to the Office of Financial Aid. As Daniel Pinchot ’91 Com, ’04 MEd, Penn State Beaver’s director of enrollment, often says, our students are no different from any others in that regard. The need for increased financial aid to fill the gap between the cost of an education and the amount a student and his/her family can afford continues to grow. At Penn State, funding remains a critical issue for our students as they work toward their academic and career goals. In the interim years between capital campaigns, I, along with all of my development colleagues across the University, will continue

to seek funding sources, large and small, to help our students. We’ll continue to reach out to our alumni and friends to ask them to consider how they can make a difference in the life of a student. Together we’ll seek ways to identify unrestricted and endowed funds for student scholarships and awards so that we can make our Beaver campus students’ dreams of graduation and success possible. Please help me to help our students. If you’d like to know more about how you can assist our efforts, please feel free to contact me at dlp25@ psu.edu or 724-773-3558. I’ll look forward to hearing from you and, on behalf of our students, thank you.

Day receives alumni award By Caitlin Vodenichar ’14 Com

KEVIN R. COOKE/GRAULE STUDIOS

Thomas Day Jr., right, accepts the 2013 Penn State Beaver Outstanding Alumni Award from Advisory Board President John Feraco.

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than 550 employees in facilities throughout the United States and Canada. The company manufactures replacement toner cartridges and other imaging supplies. As a student interested in accounting, he was impressed by the business program’s high rating. “It’s a university that attracts a lot of attention,” he said. “I was introduced to potential employers and had several opportunities right out of college.” The University has great programs for job placement, internship opportunities and career counseling, he said, but the Penn State name is more than just a resume booster. It’s a connection between fellow alumni. “You’ll always run across someone who went to Penn State, and you immediately have something in common,” he said. “We all have a common pride.” The couple reunites with friends they met on campus each June in State College. They go out to dinner, play a few rounds of golf and have a great time catching up. “We pretend we’re college students again,” he said.

two years, they took those friendships with them. Day always knew that he wanted to go to Penn State and felt a Commonwealth Campus would be his best option. “I loved the Beaver campus,” he said. “I had the opportunity to play on the golf team. I still play, but I’m not quite as good as I used to be.” Day also chose Beaver because of the oncampus housing. A native of Washington, Pa., he said he wanted to have the full college experience. The transition from high school to college was made easier by the small class sizes and the ability to make personal connections with the professors. “It would have been a struggle to go straight to University Park,” he said. Penn State is a tradition in the Day family. Both of their children are working toward degrees at University Park. Nicole is in her senior year as an animal science major, and Tommy is a junior majoring in accounting. Day links his success to the prestige and reputation of Penn State. Under his management, West Point Products has grown into a multi-million-dollar operation with more

Penn State Beaver Nittany News

Thomas J. Day Jr. ’88 Bus knows what it’s like to get a helping hand. “Every step of my career, I can point to instances where a Penn Stater helped me,” said Day, CEO and part owner of West Point Products in Washington, Pa. Last October he discovered what it’s like to be on the other side of that. Day and his wife, Michelle (Bower) Day ’89 Eng, were on hand at Penn State Beaver’s 2013 scholarship dinner to congratulate Audrey Zanath, the recipient of the Thomas J. Day and Michelle Bower Day Endowed Scholarship. “It’s one of those things where you reach a point in your life where you’re in a position to actually give back,” Day said. “It hit home to meet someone benefiting from the scholarship.” For his willingness to give back to the campus and its students, Day was presented with the 2013 Penn State Beaver Outstanding Alumni Award at the annual dinner meeting of the Penn State Beaver Advisory Board and the Beaver Alumni Society in January 2014. The award is presented annually to a Beaver campus alumnus who has distinguished himself or herself through career achievement, community involvement and involvement with Beaver campus. Chancellor Gary B. Keefer said Day stood out from other nominees because he became very engaged within a short period of time. “He’s really jumped in and gotten very active,” Keefer said. “Any time we ask, he says yes. It’s been very enjoyable getting to work with him.” Diana Patterson, Beaver’s director of development, said her relationship with Day began when she contacted him without having met him or spoken with him previously. She told him she wanted to say hello and see if he’d be interested in talking about the campus. “About a month later, he called back,” she said. “He had an idea for a scholarship, and he wanted our input.” Day said he and his wife, who met at Beaver, wanted to help out because they have so many wonderful memories and lasting friendships that originated here. When they moved on to Penn State University Park after

Penn State is home, but, then, so is China C

knew she’d be spending more time on campus than off, so she carefully considered opportunities for academic and personal growth. Claire wasted no time in taking advantage of all that Beaver has to offer. She’s maintained an excellent grade-point average and joined several clubs, including Penn State Dance Marathon (THON), Lion Ambassadors, and International Student Association, a group she co-founded. She has another title to add to her ever-growing resume: resident assistant. As she moves into her sophomore year, Claire is confident she made the right decision. “If I could choose again, I would still choose Beaver. I have good relationships with my professors. They know my strengths and weaknesses and try their best to help me understand and learn the material.”

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OUR STUD

OUR FU

Tiere Phillips, No. 24, looks to pass the ball to a teammate during the USCAA

Penn State Beaver Nittany News

laire (Wenjiao) Wang knew since high school that she wanted to attend Penn State. She didn’t know she would have so many options. The enterprise risk management major from Xi’an, China, had concerns about starting at Penn State University Park because of its large size. An admissions counselor explained that through Penn State’s 2+2 program, students can begin their education at a smaller campus before moving on to University Park. After researching different locations online, Claire decided to start her degree at Penn State Beaver. “I’m from a big city and I’m used to the big city life. So, when I saw there was a campus near Pittsburgh, I thought it would be a good fit for me,” she explains. Proximity to a big city wasn’t the deciding factor, though. Claire

Athlete challenges himself B

Claire Wang shows her Penn State pride in the mountains near her home in Xi’an, China.

asketball is a big part of Tiere Phillips’ life. The Penn Hills native has been playing since he was in middle school. So, it’s only natural that he’d look for the collegiate “sweet spot” — a place with both an outstanding academic reputation and an equally strong athletic program. Tiere transferred to Penn State Beaver in 2013 from another Pittsburgh-area university to pursue a degree in administration of justice and join what he calls “the best basketball program in western Pennsylvania.”

He wasn’t disappointed placed second in the USCA ship Division II Tourname with a 22-8 record. Tiere credits the team’s staff, which has built a topOther factors include talent derie. “I love my teammate The small forward has b year, both on court and off. He aims to make the de sible post-graduation plans

Stories by Rachel

DENTS ARE

UTURE

AMANDA PALOMBO/THE ROAR

Liz Pompe, right, delivers mail to dancer Nikki Nuske at THON.

THON makes a difference to business major’s future

CATHY BENSCOTER/PENN STATE BEAVER

both on and off the court

d. In his first year, the team AA National Championent and finished the season

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Zughaib ’09 Com

success to the coaching -of-the-line program. t, discipline and camaraes. We’re like a family.” big aspirations for next . ean’s list, and his poss include a master’s degree

in political science or a law degree. He knows he’ll have a lot to juggle, but he feels Penn State Beaver equipped him to handle the challenge. “Being a student athlete really helps with time management and motivation,” he says. “Plus, you have to make good grades to stay eligible to play,” he adds with a laugh. The advice he gives to future student athletes sounds like something out of the Penn State Beaver playbook. “You have to attack head-on. You can’t procrastinate.”

time management, and how to delegate tasks and manage a team.” Those leadership qualities caught the attention of UK-based Newark element14. After reviewing Liz’s resume on the Hire Big 10+ Virtual Career Fair, they called her for an interview. Weeks later, she began a position as summer marketing intern in the firm’s Chicago office. Liz’s experience dispels the myth that internships are all about getting coffee and filing paperwork. She was charged with helping the company bring on a new software program called AtTask. A typical day included conference calls with colleagues in Leeds, determining the needs of different departments, and writing training documents. The only downside of the experience is that she returned to Beaver for her junior year before she could witness the official roll-out. It sounds like the company was sad to see her go, too. “At least once a day they asked if I had to go back to school in the fall,” she says with a laugh.

Penn State Beaver Nittany News

National Championship game at Penn State Fayette last March.

usiness major Liz Pompe is familiar with the term Return on Investment. Or, should we say, Return on Involvement? The Avella, Pa., native parlayed her extracurricular activities into a big-city internship and a coveted club leadership role. She came to Penn State Beaver looking for opportunities to get involved on campus, and found her place in THON, the dance marathon that raises millions for pediatric cancer. Because she did an outstanding job as canning chair in her first year, Liz was elected 20142015 THON committee chair. Being part of the largest student-run philanthropy in the world has been a life-changing experience for her. “It’s an incredible feeling to lead and to make such an impact.” Making a difference in the lives of others has been reward enough for Liz. She never expected to gain a wealth of practical skills. “THON taught me how to be an effective communicator and that it’s OK to ask for help. I learned organizational skills,

FACULTY AND STAFF RETIREMENTS

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Penn State Beaver Nittany News

WOODS

DEUTSCH

Nancy Woods, director of Penn State Beaver Adult Literacy Action (ALA) and instructor in education since 1984, retired June 29, 2013. Woods led the development of the ALA program and oversaw the training of hundreds of volunteers who, in turn, taught free classes in literacy, life skills, math, reading, workforce education, and English for Speakers of Other Languages to thousands of residents in and around Beaver County. She also directed the English for Speakers of Other Languages program and GED test preparation. In addition, under Woods’s leadership ALA offered outreach services at a variety of Beaver County locations, including the Beaver County Jail and Job Training of Beaver County. She served on countless committees on campus and in the community and her advocacy efforts on behalf of literacy and education were recognized frequently on a local, statewide, and national level. Woods received the 2006 Marie King Parrish Brotherhood/Humanitarian Award presented by the Beaver Valley Service Club, the 2008 Bronze Good Citizenship Medal awarded by the Gen. Anthony Wayne Chapter of the National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution, and the 2011 Jefferson Award for Public Service. She holds a degree in music education from Geneva College. Dr. Peter Deutsch, associate professor of physics, retired July 31, 2013. Deutsch joined the campus in 1981 and was heavily engaged in teaching, research, and service. He had more than 23 papers published in refereed journals and coauthored a paper with a Nobel Prize recipient. He also pursued research as a visiting scientist at Argonne National Laboratory in Illinois, one of the world’s leading science and engineering research centers. In addition to teaching, he led astronomy

MEANS

BAUMGARDNER

observation events for students, faculty, and staff. Outside the classroom, Deutsch chaired the Faculty Congress and was a member of numerous committees, including the Academic Affairs and Integrated Counseling Committees. He also served as the college representative for the Penn State Eberly College of Science. Deutsch holds a doctorate and a master’s degree in physics from the University of Illinois and a bachelor’s degree in physics from the University of Michigan. Jay Means, laboratory preparation technician, retired in September 2013 after 32 years of service to the campus. Means worked closely with the chemistry and biology faculty members to ensure proper set-ups for classes and labs. Means also previously worked as a member of the Beaver campus Office of Physical Plant Services. Prior to coming to Beaver, Means taught biology, chemistry, and earth sciences for the Moon Area and Big Beaver Falls Area School Districts. He holds a bachelor’s degree in biology with a minor in chemistry from Geneva College. Teresa (Terrie) Baumgardner, instructor in communication arts and sciences, retired June 30, 2014, after 26 years of service. She assisted in advancing the curriculum in the communications program, supervised internships for communications majors, and served as co-adviser of the student newspaper, The Roar. She taught a variety of courses, including English, composition, speech, communications, cinema, humanities, and philosophy. Her professional papers included studies of thematic lines of faith, feminism, and freedom as seen in numerous films such as “The Truman Show” and “Tender Mercies.” She served on numerous campus committees, including the Diversity Film Series and the Student Affairs Committee.

FLEESON

HERTNEKY

She coordinated the Martin Luther King Jr. Essay Contest, implemented Project Empower technology, served as secretary of the Faculty Congress, and assisted with the Spelling Championship. Baumgardner has also taught at Penn State Altoona; Penn State Greater Allegheny; University of Pittsburgh; Community College of Allegheny County; Concord Senior High School, North Carolina; and Western Piedmont Community College, North Carolina. She holds a master’s degree in general speech and rhetoric with a minor in English from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and a bachelor’s degree in English education from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Gary E. Fleeson and Mark A. Hertneky retired June 30, 2014, after each completed 30 years of service. Both carried out a broad range of duties on campus throughout their careers. Fleeson is a graduate of Freedom Area High School and served three years in the U.S. Army in Vietnam, where he was a helicopter mechanic. He also worked as an inspector for Armstrong Cork Company, Inc., Beaver Falls; a crew leader for Swift Modular Home Systems, Inc., Monaca; a chemical reactor operator at Arco Chemicals, Inc., Monaca; a shop manager at Blackhawk Electric Construction Company, Beaver Falls; and a maintenance staff member at the Beaver County Times, Beaver. Hertneky is a graduate of Ambridge Area High School and the Gateway Technical Institute, Pittsburgh. He served in the U.S. Army at the Great Lakes Naval Base; was a heavy equipment operator and mechanic with Basic Alloys, Monaca; a maintenance mechanic for Pappan’s Family Restaurant, Bridgewater; a maintenance director for Crossgates, Inc., Holiday Inn, Sewickley; and an air conditioner technician for City Plumbing, Ambridge.

McDougall new head of academic affairs Professor Carey McDougall has been named director of academic affairs and associate professor of art, replacing Dr. Donna J. Kuga ’78 H&HD, who was named inMCDOUGALL terim chancellor. McDougall came to Penn State from Kent State University at Stark, where she was an associate professor of art. At Kent State she also served as Faculty Council chair; Provost Fellow;

coordinator of the Women’s Studies minor; and regional campus advisor for the Women’s Studies program. In 2012 she received Kent State’s Distinguished Teaching Award. Previous positions included the Catron Professor of Art, Washburn University, Kan.; instructor, Women’s Studies Department and School of Fine Arts, University of Connecticut Storrs Campus; and instructor of art, Sacred Heart University, Conn. McDougall served on numerous academic, professional, and budget committees and councils at Kent State and has taught a variety

of courses, including sculpture, drawing, 2-D and 3-D composition, performance art, and women’s studies. Her art has been featured in almost 40 solo and group exhibitions in Ohio, Indiana, Connecticut, New York, California, Missouri, Maine, Pennsylvania, and Bulgaria. McDougall holds a master of fine arts in sculpture and a graduate certificate in women’s studies from the University of Connecticut, Storrs; a master of arts in liberal studies from Wesleyan University; and a bachelor of arts in mathematics from Oberlin College.

FACULTY AND STAFF AWARDS The Penn State Beaver Advisory Board and the campus student body honored seven faculty and staff members at the annual Campus Awards Banquet in April. The advisory board presented six $500 awards, which were underwritten by the following companies whose employees serve on the Board: Andrews Industrial Controls; Day Capital Group; ESB Bank; Michael Baker Jr., Inc.; NOVA Chemicals; and PNC Financial.

OLSON

ABEL

CHIRICO

GARLITZ

HARCAR

PINCHOT

TRESS

Advisory board awards

Student body awards

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Dr. Talha Harcar, professor of marketing, was named Outstanding Academic Adviser. He received a doctorate in business administration and a master’s degree and two bachelor’s degrees in marketing from Istanbul University. Harcar also holds a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth. Daniel Pinchot ’91 Com, ’04 MEd, director of enrollment and co-adviser of The Roar student newspaper, received the Outstanding Club Adviser Award. Pinchot is also a lecturer in communications. He holds a master’s degree in education and bachelor’s degrees in journalism and speech communication from Penn State. He received a teaching certificate in communications from Robert Morris University.

elor’s degree in English and biology from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. Jill Tress, learning center and disability services coordinator, received the Day Capital Group Staff Excellence Award. Tress holds a master’s degree in creative writing/fiction from Carlow University; a master’s degree in English/literature and writing from Slippery Rock University; a bachelor’s degree in English and philosophy from Mount Holyoke College; and a Pennsylvania teaching certificate in secondary English from Geneva College. Linda Garlitz, faculty staff assistant, was honored with the PNC Financial Staff Service Award. She graduated from Riverside High School and holds an associate degree in applied science as an executive secretary from the Community College of Beaver County.

Penn State Beaver Nittany News

Dr. Kristen Olson, associate professor of English, received the Andrews Industrial Controls Faculty Excellence in Teaching Award and the Michael Baker Jr. Inc. Faculty Excellence in Service Award. She holds a doctorate and a master’s degree in English and American Literature and language from Case Western Reserve University; a master’s degree in English and American literature and language from Harvard University; and a bachelor’s degree in English from Colby College. Dr. Jonathan Abel, lecturer in biology, received the ESB Bank Adjunct Faculty Excellence in Teaching Award. He received his doctor of chiropractic from D’Youville College and holds a bachelor’s degree in biology with a minor in psychology from the State University of New York, Albany. Dr. JoAnn Chirico, senior instructor in sociology, was honored with the NOVA Chemicals Faculty Excellence in Research Award. She received a doctorate in sociology and education and a master’s degree in elementary education from the University of Pittsburgh and a bach-

FALL 2014 |

Penn State Beaver Nittany News

NEW FACULTY

Amy L. Deuink ’97 Lib, associate librarian, was previously a reference and instruction librarian at Penn State Altoona and Penn State Schuylkill. She has worked in various other roles for the Penn State University Libraries and Schlow Memorial Library in State College. Deuink has written a book, is the co-author of three articles, is a regular contributor to the Pennsylvania Library Association (PaLA) Bulletin and the PaLA College & Research Division blog, and has had ten presentations and proceedings online and in Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Georgia. Deuink holds a master’s degree in library and information science from Syracuse University and a bachelor’s degree in anthropology from Penn State. Sherry L. Kratsas, instructor in computer science and engineering, is cofounder of and software developer for Appenstance, LLC, and was a senior engineer for Accipiter Systems, Inc. Other previous positions included software engineer for Nomos Radiation Oncology; systems analyst for Askesis Development Group, Inc.; software engineer for Cellomics, Inc.; and junior software engineer for Azimuth, Inc. She is a member of Eta Kappa Nu Electrical Engineering Honor Society and other honorary societies and fraternities. Kratsas holds a master’s degree in electrical engineering with a software engineering major and a bachelor’s degree in computer engineering from West Virginia University. Dr. Keith R. Willson was named an instructor in physics at Beaver after serving two years as an adjunct lecturer in physics. Previously he was an assistant professor of physics and mathematics at Geneva College; a group leader, Material Flammability Section, Southwest Research Institute, at the Department of Fire Technology, San Antonio; a senior associate scientist in polyurethanes research, PU Division, at Bayer Polymers LLC, Pittsburgh; a senior associate scientist in Bayer’s Combustion Laboratory; and a research physicist. He was also a research assistant in the Carnegie Mellon University Physics Department, Interfacial Physics Group. Willson holds a Ph.D. in physics; a master’s degree in colloid, polymer, and surface science; and a master’s degree in physics from Carnegie Mellon University, as well as a bachelor’s degree in physics from Geneva College. Dr. Amy Camodeca, assistant professor of

DEUINK

KRATSAS

WILLSON

MENDOZA-BURCHAM

CABARCAS

MCCONAHY

psychology, has completed her second year of a post-doctoral fellowship in pediatric neuropsychology at Allegheny General Hospital, Pittsburgh. She held a previous p ost-doctoral position studying autism at The Watson Institute, Sewickley, and has been a sessional instructor and a laboratory instructor in the Psychology Department at the University of Windsor, Canada. Camodeca holds a doctorate in child clinical psychology from the University of Windsor; a master’s degree in counseling psychology from the University of Denver; and a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Baldwin Wallace College. Dr. Marissa Mendoza-Burcham, assistant professor of psychology, is a state and nationally certified school psychologist and worked at the Merck Child and Adolescent Program Center for Children and Families, Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinics of UPMC. She has also been a graduate teaching assistant and adjunct faculty instructor in psychology at McNeese State University; an adjunct faculty instructor in psychology at Lone Star College; and a guest lecturer in the Department of Special Education at the University of Pittsburgh. MendozaBurcham served a predoctoral internship in clinical psychology at Oregon Health Science University, Child Development and Rehabilitation Center, and received a graduate certificate in applied behavior analysis from the University of North Texas. She holds a doctorate in school psychology from Texas A&M University; a master’s degree in psychology from McNeese State University; and a bachelor’s degree in

CAMODECA

environmental analysis and design from the University of California-Irvine. Dr. Stephanie Cabarcas, instructor in biology, was previously an instructor of biology at Gannon University and a teaching assistant for undergraduate molecular and cellular biology at St. John’s University. She has extensive grantwriting experience for the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation and has held a variety of administrative experience, including working as a contractor for Boundless Learning and contract editor and reviewer for various scholarship publications. Cabarcas holds a Ph.D. and a master’s degree in biological sciences from St. John’s University, New York, and a bachelor’s degree in biology from High Point University, North Carolina. Amber Lynn McConahy ’09 IST, instructor in information sciences and technology, is an experienced software engineer and architect with competencies in various programming languages and an interest in the design and development of platform-based socio-technical ecosystems. Previously she was a research intern for Bosch Research and Technology Center, a graduate teaching assistant and lead instructor in MSCF Programming Prep at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU), and vice president and information technology manager for Send It Packin’ Plus. McConahy is a doctoral candidate in software engineering at CMU, where she earned a master’s degree in information technology software design and management. She holds a bachelor’s degree in information sciences and technology from Penn State.

NEW STAFF

TOOF

MANSUETTI

WORST

SCHETKA

SCHULTZ

MOYER

MCDERMOTT

HARKER

FALL 2014

Michael C. Moyer was hired as Penn State Beaver’s sixth full-time police officer in January. Previously he was a police officer at Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg. He has also worked on security detail for Gregg Protection Services. Moyer is certified by the Pennsylvania Municipal Police Officers’ Education and Training Commission and carries the same authority and training as Pennsylvania’s municipal police officers. He received a bachelor’s degree in political science from Penn State Erie, The Behrend College; graduated first in his class from the Community College of Beaver County Police Academy; and holds a police technology certificate and ACT 120 certification. This spring Patricia McDermott was named full-time staff assistant in the Office of Housing and Food Services. Formerly a part-time cashier in the Brodhead Bistro, she replaced Darlene Mancini, who chose to move into McDermott’s part-time position in the Bistro. McDermott has held various positions with US Airways in Pittsburgh, including ticketing, reservations, and gate agent. She was also a closing coordinator for Service Link, Hopewell Township, and a scheduling specialist and receptionist at Gateway Rehabilitation’s Aliquippa facility. This summer Robert Harker was hired as a maintenance worker in the Office of Physical Plant and will have various duties in campus buildings and on the grounds. He was on the Geneva College custodial staff for 13 years and has worked for ServiceMaster. He is a graduate of Riverside Area High School.

coach of the women’s varsity soccer team. He is head soccer coach at South Side High School, assistant soccer coach for the Steel Town Magic Soccer Club, and a youth soccer coach for the Foothills Soccer Club. He is a soccer official with the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association and a registered athletic administrator with the National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association. He holds a United States Soccer Federation National D coaching license. Schetka has a master’s degree in sport management and intercollegiate athletic administration and a bachelor’s degree in sport management from California University of Pennsylvania. In November Brenda C. Schultz was named student personal and career counselor. Previously she was a school counselor and social worker at the Parkway West Alternative Center for Education in Oakdale, a secondary school counselor intern for West Allegheny School District, and a career counselor and government contracts funding specialist for Goodwill Industries of Southwestern Pennsylvania. She is certified as an educational specialist II: secondary school counselor 7-12. Schultz is a member of the American School Counselor Association, the Pennsylvania School Counselor Association, and the Allegheny County Counselor Association. She earned a master’s degree in counseling from Regent University, Virginia Beach; a bachelor’s degree in social work from Edinboro University of Pennsylvania; and a school counseling endorsement from Slippery Rock University.

Penn State Beaver Nittany News

Jennifer Toof was named residence life and student activities coordinator in summer 2013. She oversees planning and implementation of all student events and programs, works with resident assistants in Harmony Hall, and enforces University policies. Previously Toof worked as an area coordinator of conferences and professional development opportunities at the New England College Residence Life and Housing Office, Henniker, N.H. She also worked as the assistant program manager/ sports supervisor for The Works Family Health and Fitness Center in Somersworth, N.H. She holds a master’s degree in marketing management and a bachelor’s degree in sports and recreation management with a minor in coaching from New England College. Last summer Susan Mansuetti ’08 MEd was named director of Penn State Beaver Adult Literacy Action (ALA), replacing former director Nancy Woods, who retired in June 2013. Mansuetti worked as an ALA family literacy specialist and coordinator from 2000 to 2006. In 2007 she became family literacy advisor for the Pennsylvania Department of Education Office of Postsecondary and Higher Education, where she was named professional development coordinator and advisor in 2012. She served eight years as a board member of the Pennsylvania Association for Adult Continuing Education Family Literacy Consortium and is a member of numerous statewide committees focused on literacy and learning. Mansuetti holds a master’s in adult education and a family literacy certificate from Penn State and a bachelor’s degree in linguistics from the University of Pittsburgh. Last fall Kimberly M. Worst was named laboratory preparation technician, replacing Jay Means, who retired in September. Previous jobs held included two years as a metal working fluid specialist with the Huston Group, New Castle, Pa.; laboratory aide in the Westminster College Department of Chemistry; and research intern at the Liquid Crystal Institute at Kent State University. She also taught chemistry and physical science at St. Michaels Middle High School, Maryland, and is the author of several publications for the American Chemical Society and the California Association of Criminalists. Worst holds a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Westminster College. Last year Shaun Schetka was hired as head

FALL 2014 |

Penn State Beaver Nittany News

FACULTY PUBLICATIONS AND HONORS

Cathy Benscoter, lecturer in communications and marketing and Web specialist for Penn State Beaver and Penn State Shenango, received the 2014 Silver CUPPIE Award in the Featured Articles category for her article “Little Engine, Big Impact,” which appeared in the 2013 edition of the Penn State Beaver Nittany News. CUPPIE awards are the highest awards given by CUPRAP, the Association of Communicators in Education. Dr. John R. Chapin, professor of communications, authored “I Know You Are, but What Am I? Adolescents’ Third-Person Perception Regarding Dating Violence,” an article published last year in The Journal of Educational Research. He also wrote an article, “As seen on TV! Third-person perception in the ER,” which was published in the November 2013 edition of the Communication Annual. This spring he was honored for his community service work in violence prevention education at a ceremony in Pittsburgh hosted by the Pittsburgh Tribune Review and appeared in the paper’s “Newsmaker” column. In addition, he coauthored “It won’t happen to me: Addressing adolescents’ risk perception of dating violence,” an article that appeared in the June 2014 edition of the International Journal of Violence and Schools/Journal International sur la Violence et l’ École, 14, 44-54 in France. Dr. Abhijit Dutt and Neelam Dwivedi, instructors in information sciences and technology, opened the 2013 Fall Faculty Speakers Series with a presentation on “Life in India,” which explored Indian culture, education, and daily life. Dr. Angela Fishman, instructor in mathematics, gave a presentation on “Life of a Scientist Today” as part of the Marshall Middle School’s “Women in Science” program last October. She discussed her experiences as a reliability engineer and STEMrelated jobs with seventh grade students. Dr. Talha Harcar was promoted to professor of marketing this year. Last fall he hosted two visiting Turkish professors from Uludag University and Izmir Katip Celebi University who collaborated with him on research in business and economics. He and his visitors presented the second program, which focused on their research, in the 2013 Fall Faculty Speakers Series. Last year LaVarr W. McBride, instructor in administration of justice at Penn State Beaver, Penn State New Kensington, and Penn State Shenango, coauthored a book, “Through a Convict’s Eyes: An Overlooked View of the Criminal Justice System,” with Eric Wicklund, a convicted felon. The book explores the reintegration of former prisoners into daily life. This summer McBride became the narrator of the Beaver County Times’ new online program “Cold Case: Beaver County,” which is exploring more than 25 unsolved murders in Beaver County in hopes of solving them. In the spring Dr. Mari B. Pierce, assistant professor of administration of justice, and Tyler Madden, a Beaver campus junior majoring in administration of justice, attended the American Criminal Justice Sciences Conference in Philadelphia. Both were members of a panel titled

Poland awards Szymczak its Gold Cross of Merit Dr. Robert Szymczak, associate professor of history, received the Polish Gold Cross of Merit, one of the country’s highest honors, at a gathering at the University of Warsaw in June. Szymczak presented a paper at the three-day Fifth World Congress on Polish Studies, which was sponsored by the Polish Institute of Arts and Sciences in America. At the conference banquet, Dr. Boguslaw Winid, undersecretary of state, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Poland, announced that Polish President Bronislaw Komorowski had approved several medals to be awarded to scholars, one of whom was Szymczak. Szymczak was surprised by the award and doesn’t know who nominated him. According to a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the medals were given to honor “outstanding accomplishments on the history of Poland, the promotion of Polish culture, and service for the Polish diaspora and Poles living abroad.” Szymczak is recognized internationally for his body of work and research on Polish history, the Holocaust, World War II, the Soviet Era, the Cold War, modern Eastern Europe, and United States ethnic and diplomatic history. He has presented more than 50 papers at academic conferences. “Incarceration, Programs and Recidivism.” In a presentation of a research project called “Assessing the Influence of Visitation on Inmate Misconduct,” Madden discussed the work and research he conducted in conjunction with Pierce and Beaver alumna Brittany Main ’13 Lib. Last year Dr. Robert Szymczak, associate professor of history, was a guest speaker at a panel discussion, “Good Neighbors, Bad Neighbors: How War and Conflict Change Us,” which was hosted by the Pittsburgh Irish and Classical Theatre following a presentation of Tadeusz Slobodzianek’s play, “Our Class,” a story of classmates who betray one another during the Nazi and Soviet regimes. The 2014 Spring Faculty Speakers Series began with the program “Romania and the Communist Regime” presented by Claudia Tanaskovic,

In 2012 Szymczak received the Swastek Award for Best Article of the Year, which was given by the Editorial Board of the Polish American Studies journal. He was honored for his article “Cold War Crusader: Arthur Bliss Lane and the Private Committee to Investigate the Katyn Massacre, 1949-1952.” Szymczak is also the recipient of numerous Penn State honors, including the University’s prestigious George W. Atherton Award for Excellence in Teaching, the Penn State Beaver Advisory Board Excellence in Research Award, and the Penn State Commonwealth College Excellence in Teaching Award. In addition, he has received the Penn State Beaver Advisory Board Excellence in Teaching Award three times. Szymczak, a native of East Vandergrift, Pa., holds a doctorate in modern world history from Carnegie Mellon University; a doctorate in recent American history and politics from Lancaster University, Lancaster, UK; a master’s degree in liberal studies from Duquesne University; a master’s degree in history/international relations and a bachelor’s degree in history and literature from West Virginia University; and a certificate of study from Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland. instructor in chemistry and a native of Romania. The mixed media works of David Todd, lecturer in art, were featured last fall in the 2 Person Show Exhibit at the Butler Art Center. Dr. Kay Wijekumar, associate professor of information sciences and technology, was the primary author of “High-Fidelity Implementation of Web-Based Intelligent Tutoring System Improves Fourth and Fifth Graders’ Content Area Reading Comprehension,” a journal article published last year in Computers & Education. In April, as part of the 2014 Spring Faculty Speaker Series, Dr. Irene A. Wolf, senior instructor in philosophy, presented “An American Woman’s International Teaching Experience; Travel and Teaching in Guangzhou, China,” which explored her time there during the summer of 2013.

Baker Building scheduled for renovation Stepping into the Michael Baker Engineering and Science Building is like stepping back in time. The cinder-block walls throughout, half covered with Walltex wall paper in the hallways, and the portrait of the late Michael Baker hanging in the interior stairwell are reminiscent of the early years of the campus. But after 46 years, the building is showing signs of its age. Many of Michael Baker’s classrooms and laboratories look remarkably similar to what they did when the building opened in 1968, down to the lab benches and stools. Even the poles used to open and close the ground-floor windows are the same, though they’re perhaps in shorter supply than they were originally. That’s about to change. Michael Baker will close for extensive renovations beginning in May 2015. The estimated $10 million project, which should be completed in July 2016, will include a complete rebuild of the instructional and support spaces for chemistry, physics, engineering, information sciences and technology, art, and communications. The exterior and interior of the building will be completely rebuilt, introducing light into the building along with sustainable building systems. Air conditioning, additional restrooms, and an elevator will be installed as well. While planning for the Michael Baker project continues, other recent campus improvements have recently been completed. A 2,400-square-foot outdoor plaza has been

JUSTIN VORBACH/PENN STATE BEAVER

The new amphitheater-style seating in the plaza outside the Brodhead Bistro provides a place for students to study and enjoy the weather. added to the outside of the Brodhead Bistro dining facility. The $200,000 plaza was completed last fall and features amphitheater-style seating. Last fall a butterfly garden in the new plaza was dedicated to the late Dawn Steele, a longtime chef in the Office of Housing and Food Services who died in November 2012. Another large project combined elements of sustainability, exterior enhancements, parking, and road improvements. The most noticeable element was the reconstruction of the parking lot near the Ross Administration Building and

the construction of walkways from Ross to the Wellness Center and to the academic quad. Harmony Hall residence hall is almost 50 years old and has received upgrades and updates through the years. The most recent areas to be renovated were the bathrooms. New shower stalls were installed, as were sinks, toilets and floors. Only the original mirrors remained. Students are looking forward to the upcoming construction of a new campus sports court behind Harmony Hall, where they will be able to play inline hockey, basketball, and tennis.

more than $1,200 in cash to purchase gifts. The Gift Drive Committee included Simoni, chair; Diane (Barna) Canning ’87 Bus; Jessica Doris ’07 Lib; Cindy (Duganich) Hovanec ’79 Lib; and Cheryl Yevak ’88 Bus. In March the Alumni Chapter raised more than $800 at its annual Wine Tasting at Felicity Farms, Brighton Township. The event was attended by 50 alumni and friends. Proceeds benefit the chapter’s annual and endowed scholarships for Beaver campus students. Membership in the Alumni Chapter is open to the public; members do not need to be Penn State graduates. For more information, contact Amy M. Krebs ’78 Lib, director of campus and community relations, amk6@psu.edu or 724773-3816.

FALL 2014

teacher, Hopewell Area School District; Ina D. Finn ’74 Edu, educator; Nicole L. Gardner ’00 Com, assistant vice president, foreclosure specialist, Bank of America; Keith Poleti ’98 Bus, assistant vice president/financial services manager, ESB Bank; Andrew Selby ’06 Bus, CFO, Becker Enterprises, Inc.; David Smarrelli ’98 Eng, financial advisor, Smarrelli Financial/ MassMutual Pittsburgh; Michael Smith ’08 IST, senior implementation specialist, Micro Systems, Inc.; and Lucas Morack ’11 Bus, guest services representative at the Courtyard by Marriott Pittsburgh North. Last fall the Alumni Chapter conducted its 21st Annual Holiday Gift Drive for Beaver County Children and Youth Services. The group collected gifts for 158 children, including

Last fall the Beaver Valley Area Chapter of the Penn State Alumni Association elected its board of directors for two-year terms. President is Michael Hamilton ’98 Lib, an attorney with Davies, McFarland, Carroll, P.C., and Sara Rehm ’08 Lib, vice president, is an administrative assistant for Centria Architectural Systems. Secretary Valerie Cycholl ’12 IST is an operating systems engineer for UPMC Health System, and Michael Boser ’98 Bus, treasurer, is a business analyst for Aetna. Roseann Simoni ’75 Lib, a retail advertising representative for The Times, was elected to complete a one-year term. Additional board members are Brandon Coneby ’98 Lib, attorney/shareholder, Dinsmore & Shohl, LLP; Nick DeSalle ’90 Edu,

Penn State Beaver Nittany News

ALUMNI CHAPTER NEWS

Penn State Beaver Nittany News FALL 2014 |

Taylor Voss and her partner, Penny, walk down the steps at the Allegheny County Courthouse.

PARTNERS

AGAINST CRIME

Recent Beaver graduate teams up with therapy dog to help domestic violence victims face their attackers in court

woman sits in a courthouse. She has been wronged in many ways, but now she has the chance to confront the one who harmed her. She can face the man who hurt her, physically and mentally. She can make sure he doesn’t have the opportunity to do it again to anyone else. She only needs to find the courage to do so. “Only.” As if it were truly that simple.

Story by Mike Brayack ’14 Com | Photos by Cathy Benscoter

CONTINUED ON PAGE 26

FALL 2014

North because of the connections the campus has with the organization. “[I thought] it would be a good opportunity for her, to see a different side of the criminal justice system,” said Pierce. Voss said, “I never thought I would get into victims’ services, but now that I’m here, I’ve learned a lot.” Due to the small size of the center, Voss said she gets to experience all aspects of a nonprofit, not just legal advocacy, but community education and fundraising as well. “We wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for donations and our community members supporting us,” said Voss. In addition to her job at Crisis Center North, Voss is also working full-time on her master’s degree in law and public policy at California University of Pennsylvania.

State Beaver in December 2012 with a degree in administration of justice and a minor in psychology. Two months later she was working at Crisis Center North. LaVarr McBride, instructor in administration of justice at Beaver, Penn State New Kensington, and Penn State Shenango, worked closely with Voss when she was a student and wasn’t surprised when he learned she was participating in a new program at the center. “She’s an innovative thinker,” he said. McBride, whose work focuses more on the perpetrators of crime, said Voss understands the need to work with both victim and perpetrator in the criminal justice system. Originally Voss hadn’t considered working with a nonprofit organization, but Dr. Mari B. Pierce, assistant professor of administration of justice and Voss’s mentor (“I changed my major [to Administration of Justice] because of her class,” said Voss), suggested Crisis Center

Penn State Beaver Nittany News

But as the woman sits, torn and unsure, she hears the sound of three pairs of approaching feet. Help is on the way. Strangely enough, two of the pairs don’t belong to a man or woman. The approaching individuals are Taylor Voss ’12 Lib and her partner, Penny, both legal advocates from Crisis Center North, a nonprofit organization that works to help victims of domestic violence in Allegheny County. Both are young and sure of themselves, ready to face the challenges ahead and eager to ensure that the woman is not alone in her time of need. Voss does all the talking, however, while Penny sits quietly and looks on reassuringly, which is perfect because Penny is a dog. Since 2010 the crisis center has used dogs to assist victims in counseling. In 2013 the center, with the help of Voss, began using Penny in court. Voss, 23, graduated from Penn

Wyatt Herschell, left, and Sammy Cooper spend time with Penny at Crisis Center North. The boys help to sensitize Penny to the high energy of children so she can work more effectively with victims of domestic violence. Below, Voss gets kisses from her partner.

Advocates

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Penn State Beaver Nittany News

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 25

Still, her primary job is her legal work. As a legal advocate she works as a liaison between a victim of domestic violence and the police. That’s where Penny comes in. “[Penny] participates in the interview I do with the victim and then just works that dog magic,” said Voss. Many studies have documented the effects that friendly animals can have on humans by reducing anxiety and lowering blood pressure and heart and breathing rates. “She’s so nice to have. She’ll just put her head on your lap and make you feel more comfortable,” Voss said. “It kind of brings a bit of home to the court situation.” Allegheny County District Attorney Stephen Zappala agreed with Voss’s sentiments. “A court proceeding can be a very uncomfortable experience, especially for victims. Penny is a joy to be around, and all it takes is one encounter with her and Taylor to realize the soothing companionship they can offer to children and adults going through such a trying time,” said Zappala.

Grace Coleman, executive director of Crisis Center North, said that though “therapy dogs are one-in-a-million,” a good handler who has respect for the dog and can interpret its actions is essential for success. “Taylor is really phenomenal with (Penny). Taylor sees Penny as part of the team,” said Coleman. “They are a unit when they go out to do their work, and Penny is very protective of Taylor.” Overall, those in the courts where Voss and Penny work agree with that sentiment, said Voss. The response from judges, police officers, and victims has been overwhelmingly positive since Magisterial District Judge Anthony Saveikis of Oakdale first allowed Penny to participate in a court session.

“It’s really exploded since then. I have courts asking me to bring her, police officers asking me to bring her. I was really surprised,” said Voss. “When I don’t have her, I have people saying, ‘Where is Penny? Why isn’t she here?’” The 5-year-old Spaniel mix was adopted by Coleman, and from the start she said she knew Penny would be special. “I knew we had a mission and purpose together,” said Coleman. She was right. Penny has the right temperament to be a therapy dog. Before she became a K-9 court advocate, she began working as a “counselor” of sorts at the crisis center in 2010. Penny was popular from the start, said Coleman, especially with children. There was one particular little girl who loved that Penny was able to do pushups. Coleman said that she taught the girl how to tell Penny to do them — “Penny. Sit. Down. Sit. Down.” — and from then on she would always do it. “That gave the girl a sense of control because nowhere else in her life was she able to say something and make it happen,” said Coleman, though she said she had to remind the girl that Penny needed a break sometimes, too. “Just having Penny there changes people’s entire perspective. Sometimes it is just as simple as having a distraction in the room,” said Voss.

ALUMNI UPDATE 1970s

Roberta Sciulli-Carlson RN ’75 Nur is a consultant and research assistant for the Veterans Administration Engineering Resource Center, Pittsburgh. Last year she received a Certificate of Essentials of Project Management from Villanova University and has been a member of the Penn State Beaver Advisory Board since 2007. Norman J. Kraus Jr. ’77 Com became manager of Hopewell Township, Pa., in April. He was a Hopewell Township commissioner for 11 years and a member of the Hopewell Township Planning and Zoning Board for four years. In addition, he served as president of the Penn State Beaver Alumni Society Board from 2010-2013 and is a current member of the Alumni Society’s Golf Outing Committee and the 5K Run/Walk Committee. He and his wife, Margaret, have been married for 27 years and have three children, Andy, Susie, and Justin. Vincent Troia, O.D. ’78 Sci, ’78 Agr is an optometrist and president/owner of Troia Eye & Laser PC, Monaca. He has been chief executive officer of the Ohio River Trail Council since 2008 and received the Ohio River Watershed Celebration Recreation Environmental Award in 2012. Last year he was the Monaca Business District Authority’s Downtown Recognition recipient.

1980s

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1990s

Mark Oberdick ‘91 Lib is director of human resources for GGS Information Services, York, Pa. He and his wife, Renea (Balenovich) Oberdick ‘92 H&HD, were married in 1993 and live in York with their sons Bryce, 12, and Shane, 6. Mark can be contacted at mark.oberdick@ggsinc.com and Renea can

2000s

Brooks Canavesi ’02 IST is the director of sales for OpenArc, an information technology consulting company in Wexford. Shawntaye Scott ’03 IST is a teacher with FasTracKids® in Shanghai City, China. The company uses technology and interactive programs to enhance early childhood learning for ages six months to eight years. David G. Walker ’03 IST, a senior systems engineer at Lockheed Martin, won the company’s inaugural Cyber Challenge in 2013. He was also ranked in the top 25 competitors in the Open Web Application Security Project Hackademic Challenges, which implement realistic scenarios with known vulnerabilities in a safe, controllable environment. Tiffany A. (Polanco) Katz, Ph.D. ’04 Agr is a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, Women’s Cancer Research Center, where she is investigating the protective effect of pregnancy against breast cancer and the possible role played by epigenetics. She received a doctorate in endocrinology and animal biosciences from Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, in 2011

and is the author/co-author of eight peer-reviewed publications and 26 oral and poster presentations. Julia McDowell ’04 Bus is a talent acquisition process consultant with Highmark Health and received a master’s degree in instructional leadership from Robert Morris University in 2011. Her husband, Dan McDowell ’06 A&A, is a landscape architect with LaQuatra Bonci Associates, Pittsburgh, and has been involved in many design projects at Penn State Beaver, including the Gary B. Keefer Wellness Center, General Classroom Building courtyard, library entrance, Brodhead Bistro plaza, and the main administration parking lot. The couple lives in Center Township. Kate Hertneky ’05 Sci was promoted to customer service specialist at DuPont in May and provides customer service support to the DuPont Refrigerants Business. She is in her sixth year of working with the Susan G. Komen 3Day Event and her third year of serving as Event Camp Services Captain in Philadelphia. Jonathan Matlock ’05 Com is senior logistics coordinator with PLS Logistics, Cranberry Township. Christopher Otto ’05 Bus is a logistics manager at KDL in Carnegie, and his wife, Kristy Otto ’05 Bus is a senior account executive, Inside Sales, for FedEx, Pittsburgh. The couple lives in Hopewell Township with their daughters, Lillian, 3, and Brooke, 2. Michael J. Lawlor ’06 EMS is an associate environmental scientist with Groundwater & Environmental Services, Inc., Windsor, Conn. He is enrolled in the master’s degree program in geography and global sustainability at Central Connecticut State University and is a member of Washington Lodge #70 of Freemasons, Windsor. He and his wife, Hillary Buckley, were married in 2007 and live in Manchester, Conn. Jessica (Leuthold) Young, Esq. ’06 Lib is senior counsel for Advanced Correctional Healthcare in Peoria, Ill. She holds a Juris Doctorate from the Duquesne University School of Law. Her husband, Josh Young ’06 Lib, is the Behavioral Health Services Coordinator for the Children’s Home Association of Illinois in Peoria. He holds a master’s degree in education/community counseling from Duquesne University and will sit for the Illinois Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC) exam this year. The couple lives in Washington, Ill. Diana Nalli ’07 Bus is a logistics management specialist with the United States Army, Alexandria, Va. In 2012 she received her master’s degree in acquisition and supply chain management from the University of Maryland University College. Mia Aquino ’08 Com is the director of social engagement at VH1, which also includes VH1, VH1Classic, VH1Soul, and Palladia. She oversees all social media for these brands and is based in New York City. Amanda Brobeck ’08 Com and Joe Carpenter ’09 Com were married in 2010. Joe works in public affairs for the United States Air Force and Amanda is a freelance designer and editor. They recently moved to Royal Air Force (RAF) Station Lakenheath,

Penn State Beaver Nittany News

H. Scott Cunningham ’80 Bus, ’80 Lib, executive vice president and regional managing director at PNC Wealth Management, was the guest speaker at Penn State Beaver’s commencement in May. He holds a master’s degree in public management and policy from Carnegie Mellon University and a Juris Doctorate from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law. Miles A. Edwards ’83 Com has been teaching for 31 years. For the past 19 years, he has taught for The School District of Philadelphia, most recently teaching classes in special education, algebra, and geometry. He holds an M.Ed in special education from Antioch University; an M.Ed. in educational administration from Cheyney University of Pennsylvania; and an Ed.D. in educational leadership from Immaculata University. He has three children. Jay A. Nudi ’85 Bus, a certified public accountant, is treasurer and principal accounting officer for Odyssey Marine Exploration, Tampa, Fla. Jack Grimm ’88 Lib is an associate in risk management (ARM) and senior client advisor at Insurance Management Company, Erie. His wife, Melissa (Vande) Grimm ’89 Edu, is an admissions counselor at Penn State Erie, The Behrend College. The couple has three children, Caroline, Alexander, and Nicholas.

be contacted at magicmro@comcast.net. Jacqueline (Kayla) Pinchot ’92 Edu, ’04 MEd is an English teacher and head of the Communications Department at Riverside High School, Ellwood City, Pa. Last year she was a finalist for the first Beaver County Teacher of the Year Award and this summer she attended The Reynolds High School Journalism Institute, a prestigious two-week journalism training program for secondary school teachers, at Kent State University, Ohio. Leigh Ann (Paich) Sobzack, CPA, CFP®, CRCP ’94 Bus is vice president and chief financial officer at Service 1st Valuation and Settlement Services, Inc., a management appraisal company in Moon Township providing national appraisal and title services. Jacqueline (Bercik) Majid ’96 Agr is manager of the Data Maintenance Organization, Trading Partner Data, at H.J. Heinz Company. Michael Boser ’98 Bus is a business analyst with Coventry Health Care, an Aetna Company, in Cranberry Township. He and his wife, Susan, are the parents of Madeline, 8, and Amelia, 3. He is treasurer of the Beaver Valley Area Chapter of the Penn State Alumni Association, served as chapter president from 2007 to 2011, and has been a member of the chapter’s Board of Directors since 2005. Matt Ciciarelli ’98 Lib, assistant vice president at Pershing LLC, completed a certificate program in innovation through Carnegie Mellon University’s H. John Heinz III College in 2013. He and his wife, Julie (Rookstool) Ciciarelli ’99 H&HD, live in Hatboro, Pa., with their children Aaron, 6, Faith, 4, and Claire, 1. Michael Hamilton ’98 Lib, an attorney with Davies, McFarland, Carroll, P.C., Pittsburgh, was elected president of the Beaver Valley Area Chapter of the Penn State Alumni Association last fall. Eric Mamajek ’98 Sci is associate professor of physics and astronomy at the University of Rochester, N.Y.

ALUMNI UPDATE

FALL 2014 |

Penn State Beaver Nittany News

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 27

England, and are expecting their first child in September. Justin Frear ’08 Lib is an intramural events specialist at Penn State University Park and a game operations supervisor for Penn State athletics at Beaver Stadium. He is a liaison for visiting men’s and women’s basketball teams at the Bryce Jordan Center; an off-ice official at Pegula Ice Arena; and a referee for high school, college, and professional soccer and high school basketball. He holds a master’s degree in public administration from Grand Valley State University. Rhiana Hertneky ’08 Bus is a sales operations lead at AT&T headquarters, Dallas, Texas, and is in her sixth year with the company. This year she received her master’s degree in leadership, with a concentration in business ethics, from Duquesne University. She is a core volunteer with the Dallas Area Habitat for Humanity and was selected to participate in the 2014 Jimmy & Rosalynn Carter Work Project in Dallas and Fort Worth, Texas, in October. Sara Rehm ’08 Lib is an administrative assistant at Centria Architectural Systems, Moon Township office. Last fall she was elected vice president of the Beaver Valley Area Chapter of the Penn State Alumni Association. Jamie Silicki ’08 Com is the veterans’ affairs school certifying official for The Art Institute of Pittsburgh Online Division. She was recently elected to the Board of Directors at Crisis Center North in Pittsburgh, a non-profit organization committed to assisting victims of domestic violence through a variety of resources and confidential services. Crisis Center North also provides educational programming for schools and the public. Silicki can be contacted at jsilicki@aii.edu. Justin M. Thomas ’08 Bus is a fitness trainer and owner of Instinct Fitness LLC Training Studio, Bridgeville. Information is available at www.instinctfitness.com. Deric Bolland ’09 IST is a mobility engineer with American Eagle Outfitters, Warrendale. He is also a computer support technician for the Pulaski Township Municipal Office and a race crew member volunteer for Bol-Tech Motorsports, Inc., Beaver Falls. Justin Lyon ’09 IST is a software developer at Acumen Solutions, which specializes in cloud technology and implementation. His office is near Cleveland, but the company also has offices in New York City, San Francisco, Washington, D.C., and London. In March Justin returned from four years of teaching English in South Korea. He spent two years in rural Muju, a county in North Jeolla Province, then two years in Daejeon, South Korea’s fifth largest city. Justin was profiled in the 2011 fall edition of the Penn State Beaver Nittany News.

2010s

Dustin Baxa ’10 IST is technology service manager, Supply Chain, AES, in Arlington, Va. He is currently enrolled in the Penn State M.B.A. program. Jen Hain ’10 Com is a motivational life coach who provides workshops and private coaching to as-

sist people in setting and achieving their goals. This summer she launched her own business, Jennifer Lee Life Coaching, and information is available at jenniferleelifecoaching.com. In addition, this summer Hain was named assistant coach of the Penn State Beaver women’s volleyball team. In April Eugene J. Meidinger ’10 IST received the third annual Pittsburgh Volunteer Citizen of the Year Award sponsored by Direct Energy and Trib Total Media in honor of his work with Crisis Center North’s Western Regional Training Initiative (WRTI) website. Samantha Neely ’10 Bus is a payroll administrator at U.S. Security Associates, Pittsburgh. Her fiancé, Cory Bird ’13 Eng, is a project engineer for Aquatech International Corporation, Canonsburg. Melissa Schultz PA-S ’10 H&HD is a physician assistant living in Delaware and working on her master’s degree in medical science as a physician assistant at Arcadia University. She will graduate in May 2015 and plans to return to the Pittsburgh area to work in bariatrics. Stephanie Shearer ’10 Lib was promoted to human resources assistant for Godiva Chocolatier, Reading, Pa., in 2013. Seth Edwards ’11 Bus is a recruiter for Maxim Healthcare Services, Greater Pittsburgh area. Ted L. Froats Jr. ’11 Com, public affairs officer at the Dayton VA Medical Center, Ohio, was the speaker at Penn State Beaver’s 2013 fall commencement. He and his wife, Sara, are the parents of Maggie, 1. Dawn (Iams) Halle ’11 Lib is a drug, alcohol, and mental health counselor at the Ellen O’Brien Gaiser Addiction Center, Butler, which provides inpatient, outpatient, and residential treatment for clients who are chemically dependent and/or who have mental health problems. Last year she received her master’s degree in rehabilitation counseling and a certificate in assistive technology from the University of Pittsburgh, where she also serves as a guest lecturer. She is currently working towards becoming a licensed professional counselor (LPC) and certified advanced alcohol and drug counselor (CAADC). In April Dawn married Will Halle, a retired member of the Marine Corps, personal trainer, and owner of Halle Bros. Fitness & Nutrition. Justin I. Harmon ’11 Bus is a private banking analyst at JPMorgan Asset Management, Miami, Fla. He is an active member of the Penn State Miami Alumni Chapter and an associate member of the Junior Orange Bowl. Jason Magnotte ’11 Bus was named corporate manager of customer contact and quality analytics for American Eagle Outfitters in January. Lucas Morack ’11 Bus was promoted to guest services supervisor at Courtyard by Marriott Pittsburgh North in March. Justin Parasida ’11 Com is a sales representative for Bisco Industries, Wexford. Heather Sandusky ’11 Lib is a graduate student at Gannon University and will receive her master’s degree in occupational therapy in May 2015. She is currently conducting six months of fieldwork at UPMC Monroeville and The Children’s Institute, Pittsburgh. She hopes to become a traveling therapist or to secure a job working with children.

Maria Shamsi ’11 Bus is the human resources coordinator for Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Pittsburgh. She recruits and hires all part-time positions in the western Pennsylvania region, which includes 65 branches and three airports, as well as Fleet Management, Commercial Truck, and Car Sales. In addition, she travels frequently to attend college and career fairs to recruit for full-time management trainee positions, conducts part-time diversity and inclusion training, and manages the company’s Intranet site. Dana Sklack ’12 Com is a communications specialist at McCormick Taylor in Green Tree, Pa. Iman Abubaker ’12 Lib received her master’s degree in criminology from Indiana University of Pennsylvania in May and is enrolled in the doctoral program in criminology and criminal justice at Old Dominion University. Jessica Bartges ’12 Lib is a mental health case manager for the Male Work Release Program at Renewal, Inc., a private, non-profit organization providing alternative housing and community corrections services for Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, and the Federal Criminal Justice System. Michael Bryant ’12 Bus is a realtor at Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices, Pittsburgh. In March 2013 he became vice president of The Julie A. Bryant Foundation, which was established in honor of his mother, who was diagnosed six years ago with brain cancer. He also manages website content for the foundation, which raises funds to assist other cancer patients and those in need. Matthew Collingwood ’12 Lib is a case screening technician with United States Investigations Services in Boyers. He and his fiancé, Kaylin Clingensmith, are the parents of Maxwell, 1, and are expecting a second child in December. Valerie Cycholl ’12 IST, an operating systems engineer for UPMC Health System, was elected secretary of the Beaver Valley Area Chapter of the Penn State Alumni Association last fall. Rachelle Eidenmiller ’12 Lib is a full-time probation officer aide with the Lawrence County Adult Probation and Parole Office. She is pursuing a master’s degree in criminal justice at Youngstown State University. Nicolas Fabyanic ’12 Lib is a counselor at Penn Pavilion, New Brighton, a treatment facility providing reentry services for those released or diverted from prison and counseling services for those addicted to alcohol or drugs. Roger Garza ’12 IST and his family moved to San Antonio, Texas, in May. He is a software developer at Rackspace and his wife, Jody, who also attended Penn State Beaver, is an intervention specialist at Carver Academy, San Antonio. Their son, Ryan, will enter first grade this fall. Amy Green ’12 Com is the human resources area manager for Cedar Fair’s Kings Dominion, Doswell, Va., where she oversees new associate orientations, wardrobe, associate dormitory, international students, and their programs. She also travels internationally to recruit students to work at Kings Dominion. Taylor Jaros ’12 IST is a software support en-

ALUMNI UPDATE gineer at Lucas Systems, Wexford. The company provides voice-directed applications for improving warehouse productivity and fulfillment accuracy. Megan Johnson ’12 Lib is an addiction counselor at Gateway Rehabilitation Center. Her future plans include working as an adult probation officer. Stephen Kimmick ’12 Lib holds a full-time position with the Pennsylvania Air National Guard, Moon Township, 171st Air Refueling Wing, and is enrolled in Aspen University’s master’s degree program in criminal justice with a specialization in terrorism and homeland security. Edward Knotek ’12 IST is an associate programmer analyst at FedEx Services, Pittsburgh. Shane Mooney ’12 Bus is an account management apprentice at BRUNNER Advertising, Pittsburgh, and is pursuing a graduate certificate in applied statistics at Penn State’s World Campus. Taylor Voss ’12 Lib is a legal advocate at Crisis Center North, a not-for-profit, domestic violence prevention agency in Pittsburgh. She is enrolled in the master’s degree program in law and public policy at California University of Pennsylvania. Michelle Beckman ’13 Bus is a member service representative/receptionist at Erie Federal Credit Union. Raisa Bhasin ’13 Lib is performing legal work

for Western Land Services, a full-service consulting firm offering land, title, right-of-way, geographic information systems, and other specialized services throughout the country. Steven Dusicsko ’13 Bus is a liquefied natural gas (LNG) service project manager in his third rotation of a two-year management training program in commercial leadership with GE Transportation, Lincoln, Neb. He works with the New Production Introduction Team on using LNG as a fuel source in the rail industry and also works with Field Services to support testing of demonstration locomotives and to provide daily support to GE and its customers. Nathan Flowers ’13 IST is a systems administrator at Bayer HealthCare. Kylee Gentile ’13 Bus is a customer support assistant at Google, Pittsburgh, for Google Shopping Express, a same-day, major retail delivery service in Manhattan and parts of California. She provides support via live chat, email, phone, Twitter, and Facebook. Virginia Householder ’13 Lib is an independent consultant for Scentsy, an international candle, fragrance, and personal care products company. She can be contacted at http://ginnyhouseholder. scentsy.us. She and her husband, Kyle Householder, currently an administration of justice major at Penn

ALUMNI SOCIETY NEWS Golf Outing

Brittany Main ’13 Lib is the transitional housing/shelter counselor at the Women’s Center of Beaver County. Next spring she will receive her master’s degree in criminal justice from Slippery Rock University. Alisha Sauders ’13 Lib is a therapeutic support staff at Western Pennsylvania Psych Care, Beaver. The organization, which provides in-home and outpatient mental health services for children and adults, also has offices in Monaca and Bridgeville.

Register to get emergency alerts The public is invited to register for the new PSUAlert System, which replaces the former PSUTXT alert system. PSUAlert is Penn State’s emergency notification system for students, faculty, and the public. The system will be used to alert recipients of campus emergencies, closings, and other urgent information. Using this portal, those registered can choose to receive PSUAlert messages by text message, voice message and email. To register, go to psualert.psu.edu.

MESSAGES

PSU ALERT

EDIT

u for PSU: Thank yo PSUAlert. to g bin cri subs eive text rec w You will no ail, and messages, em out campus voice mail ab closings, s, emergencie portant and other im information.

Text Message

FALL 2014

The Alumni Society’s second annual 5K Walk/Run netted $1,320. Ninety-eight people

Abby LeGore ’13 Lib is the manager at Grandpa Joe’s Candy Shop in Beaver and Pittsburgh’s Strip District.

5K Walk/Run

Pradeep Karunanidhi ’13 Bus is a financial representative at Western & Southern Life in Bethel Park and a member of the Pittsburgh Social Exchange. After growing his hair for three years, Karunanidhi will have it cut at Penn State’s 2015 THON to donate for use in making wigs for cancer patients.

Penn State Beaver Nittany News

The Penn State Beaver Alumni Society raised a record-breaking $28,500 at its Thirteenth Annual Golf Outing held last September at Seven Oaks Country Club in Brighton Township. Proceeds benefitted the group’s endowed scholarship for Beaver campus students. This fall’s outing was held September 8 at Seven Oaks Country Club, but results were not available as this magazine went to press. “Last year’s outing was amazing,” said Diana Patterson, director of development and campus liaison for the Alumni Society. “We’ve never raised that much money before. Our Golf Outing Committee did an incredible job of soliciting sponsorships and gifts as well as getting players to register. It’s so rewarding for the Alumni Society to know that our students benefit from their efforts.” The team from Kip’s Ice Cream won first place in 2013, marking the second consecutive year they’ve taken top honors. Andrews Industrial Controls team took second place.

participated in the race, which was held in May in Beaver. The Alumni Society donated half of the proceeds to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Beaver County, which provided some assistance for the event. The group has a partnership with Beaver campus students, who serve as “bigs” for area children. In the men’s divisions, the top three trophy winners were Nick Tocci, first-place; Clark Cicone, second place; and Austin Obenauf, third place. Winners in the women’s divisions were Katie Alexander, first place; Amanda Tocci, second place; and Leah Logue, third place. Jason Barr ’94 Eng has chaired the 5K Walk/Run Committee each year. Other committee members were Sarah Chimile ’05 Bus; Kelly Konstantakis; Pam Konstantakis; Norman J. Kraus ’77 Lib; George Logue ’92 Sci; Susan Mals ’91 Eng; Julia McDowell ’04 Bus; Terry McDowell ’72 Sci; Lynell Scaff; and Bob Uhriniak ’71 Lib. The date of next year’s event has not yet been announced. For information about how to become involved, contact Diana Patterson, Beaver’s director of development, at dlp25@psu. edu or 724-773-3558.

State Beaver, are the parents of Isaac Lawrence, who was born in March with Pierre Robin Sequence, a rare condition affecting the lower and/or upper jaw, throat, and tongue. The couple is active in increasing awareness and educating the public about the condition, which happens in approximately 1 in 12,000 births.

29 SEND

CATHY BENSCOTER/PENN STATE BEAVER

Sophomore Rob Agurs, No. 3, goes up for a shot during the USCAA Division II National Championship game against Andrews University in March. Agurs and Nick Miller, in blue at right, were named a USCAA All-American for the season.

Teams go to post-season tournaments

FALL 2014 |

Penn State Beaver Nittany News

By Dante Massey Senior Com

Penn State Beaver athletics had another good year in 2013-14. The men’s soccer, men’s basketball, women’s basketball, volleyball, wrestling, and baseball teams all made it to post-season tournaments. In basketball, the women took the Penn State University Athletic Conference (PSUAC) title for the second consecutive year, but the men had an early loss. The soccer team came in second in the conference; the volleyball team made it to the elite eight; the wrestlers competed in the United States Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA) National Tournament; and the baseball team lost in the first round of the PSUAC tournament. The men’s and women’s basketball teams qualified for the United States Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA) National Tournament. The women lost in the first round, but the men made it to the championship game, where they took second place. Two players were named USCAA All-American and three were given honorable mentions.

Keep up with your favorite teams For up-to-date information on all of Penn State Beaver’s athletics teams, including schedules, stats and photos, go to psubeaverathletics.com. We love seeing alumni at our games. Stop by to cheer us on.

In addition, Beaver took second place in the PSUAC Chancellors Cup, which recognizes the athletic success of each campus. Teams are ranked according to a point system that records final league standings, playoff appearances, and championships.

Soccer Despite a losing overall record of 7-12-1, the men’s soccer team had a conference record of 7-5-1 and made it into the PSUAC Championship, where they fell to Penn State Brandywine, 5-1.

The women’s soccer team won their first two games in the program’s history when they took on Penn State Greater Allegheny, but were defeated throughout the remainder of the season.

Volleyball In her second year with the team, Volleyball Coach BJ Bertges took the women to a winning record in the conference. Beaver began the season slowly, but picked up speed midway through the season. The team ended the season with an overall record of 13-20 and a conference record of 10-6, which took them to the PSUAC Elite Eight, where they lost to Penn State Mont Alto, 3-1. Three Beaver players were named to the PSUAC All-Conference Team: juniors Natalie Gamble and Kayona Ward and freshman Brittany Davids. Four team members also made the USCAA All-Academic Team: senior Gina Richman, sophomore Miranda Pfeiffer, and freshmen Sam Brophy and Davids.

Wrestling Several members of the wrestling team struggled with injuries throughout the season,

and the team ended with a losing record. For most of the season, the team competed with only four wrestlers, a distinct disadvantage that caused them to give up most matches uncontested. Despite the tough season the team did make it to the USCAA Tournament where they only had three wrestlers compete. They lost the tournament giving the team an overall record of 2-8. Freshman Wendell Rubright achieved honors on the PSUAC All-Conference and All-Academic teams.

Men’s Basketball Dominating the conference early in the season, the men’s basketball team looked as though it would be a strong contender in February’s PSUAC Championship. However, Beaver fell to Penn State Mont Alto in the first round of the tournament, losing in the last minutes of the game, 90-84, which took them out of contention. With a stellar regular season record of 19-7, Beaver was able to attain the No. 8 seed for the USCAA Tournament. The Nittany Lions fought to the final round of the tournament but lost to No. 3 seed Andrews University, 73-59. Sophomore Rob Agurs and senior Nick Miller were both USCAA All-Americans and senior Chris Weathers received an honorable mention. The three were also named to the PSUAC All-Conference team. The team ended its season with an overall record of 22-8 and a conference record of 14-4.

Women’s Basketball

were named to the PSUAC All-Conference Second Team and freshman Jenna Petrucci was an honorable mention. Robson also received a USCAA All-American honorable mention. Four players were named to the USCAA All-Academic Team: seniors Lauren Pier and Nicole Bowersox and sophomore Brittany Phillips. PENN STATE BEAVER ATHLETICS

Senior Grant Scott tags a runner out at first during a game against Penn State WilkesBarre in March. Scott eaned an honorable mention for the USCAA All-American team. Conference honorable mentions. The team finished the season 19-11 overall and 15-3 in the conference.

Softball

FALL 2014

The baseball team lost five of their seven games during their annual spring trip. However, they won eight games after beginning conference play, then fell to Penn State Schuylkill. The men made it to the PSUAC Championship Tournament, but lost in the first round, ending their season with an overall record of 14-14 and a winning conference record of 12-9. Sophomore Fran O’Connor was named to the USCAA All-Academic Team. Senior Grant Scott earned an honorable mention for USCAA All-American, while freshmen Matt Rose and Austin Logan made the PSUAC AllConference second team. Junior Tyler Thellman received an honorable mention. Eight players made the PSUAC All-Academic Team: freshmen Derek Bozic, Gavin High, Vinnie Garucio, and Blaise McCarty; sophomores Fran O’Connor and Brandon Rowan; and seniors Grant Scott and Tyler Schuster.

After struggling through a season of highs and lows, the softball team ended play with a record of 5-15 overall and a 5-11 conference record. The season’s start was rough, with Beaver losing eight consecutive games before gaining a win over Penn State New Kensington. The struggle continued throughout the season. Beaver only won four more games. Although the team had a losing record, players were honored for their efforts. Sophomores Miranda Robson and Taylor Larson both

Baseball

Penn State Beaver Nittany News

After a tough start, the women’s basketball team turned it around midway through the season and brought home their fifth PSUAC championship. Beaver’s turning point came early in December when they went on a fourgame winning streak. They lost only six more regular season games, which sent them into the PSUAC Championship in February at Penn State University Park’s Bryce Jordan Center, when they defeated Penn State Brandywine, 100-74. The championship win pushed Beaver into the USCAA Tournament, but they lost in the first round to No. 4 seed Berkeley, 77-75, after a tough fight that sent the game into overtime. Beaver sophomore Cassandra Flowers received a USCAA All-American honorable mention and was named to the PSUAC AllConference team. Sophomores Morgan Kurtz and Khalia Adams both received PSUAC All-

DANTE MASSEY/PENN STATE BEAVER

Natalie Gamble, No. 10, spikes the ball against Penn State Greater Allegheny on Dig Pink Night last October. Gamble was named to the PSUAC All-Conference Team.

Office of Campus and Community Relations Ross Administration Bldg., Suite 201 100 University Drive Monaca, PA 15061

KAY WIJEKUMAR/PENN STATE BEAVER

From left, Nick Bruce, Spencer Conklin, Joe Benscoter, Alex Boguszewski and Dorian Gilliam visit the Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya in Barcelona, Spain.

SPRING BREAK IN SPAIN

Students present research project at international technology conference B. Keeler Senior Com A group of information sciences and technology students traveled to Spain in March to present the results of a research project. Kay Wijekumar, associate professor of information sciences and technology, escorted five students — Nick Bruce ’14 IST, Dorian Gilliam, Joe Benscoter, Alex Boguszewski, and Spencer Conklin — to the International Technology, Education and Development Conference in Valencia, Spain. The project involved hierarchical task analysis and usability testing of eLion, the University’s web-based system that provides students, faculty, parents, and advisers with access to academic and financial records. Benscoter said he was amazed at how rec-

ognized the Penn State name was. The group had lunch with two women from Belgium and Australia. The two immediately recognized the Penn State name, but when the students suggested other American universities such as Ohio State, they hadn’t heard of them. “They considered Penn State a very prestigious university,” Benscoter said. Wijekumar said the students presented the entire project themselves. “They spoke without hesitation to a room full of professors and graduate students from around the world.” Bruce said it was an honor to participate in the conference. “It looked like we were the only undergraduate students there, and the presentation went really well.” Wijekumar said that her favorite part

of the trip was seeing how each student adapted to a foreign country, the people and culture. “This group was particularly adventurous in tasting all kinds of food, including fried lamb brains, and participating in as many activities as they could,” she said. Benscoter ordered the fried lamb brains at La Clara in Barcelona, a restaurant and dish recommended by Iron Chef Mario Batali in his book “Spain: A Culinary Road Trip.” “I thought it was awesome, like an explosion of slimy pudding in my mouth,” Benscoter said. Bruce also tried the brains after some friendly persuasion, but he had a different review. “It was slimy and mushy and just plain nasty,” he said.