Spring 2011 - Cal U Review

2011

SPRING

C ALU REVIEW

10 PROJECTS Students hope to make a difference around the world

2011

SPRING

CALU REVIEW

The California University of Pennsylvania Magazine CAL U REVIEW Vol. 39 - No. 2 The Cal U Review is published quarterly by the Office of Marketing and University Relations and is distributed free. Third class postage paid at California.

CHANCELLOR Dr. John C. Cavanaugh

FROM THE PRESIDENT

My favorite task as University President comes at Commencement, when I pass out diplomas to our graduating seniors and master’s degree candidates.

It is always a pleasure to celebrate this important milestone with our students and their families.

Each of these hard-working men and women has left a mark on Cal U. Some have been academic standouts. Others excelled in athletics or made a contribution to the artistic and cultural life of the University. Some made a difference by inspiring action, becoming mentors, performing community service or simply finding time to be true and trusted friends.

As I shake hands with our new graduates, one by one, I am reminded that every Cal U student has a unique story to tell.

A number of those stories are featured here in the Cal U Review.

Additional photos, video and music can be found on our website, www.calu.edu.

As you learn more about these amazing young people, I hope you will consider the part you can play in helping our highly motivated students earn a college degree.

These days, more than ever, our students rely on private scholarships to make higher education affordable. Contributing to the University’s capital campaign, The Campaign to Build Character and Careers, is just one way to support student scholarships, the University’s greatest need.

Simply put, students are the heart and soul of Cal U. In the University’s mission statement, we promise to deliver a “student-centered academic experience” that lays the foundation for successful careers and fulfilling lives.

Won’t you join us in that mission?

If these stories resonate with you — or remind you of your own very special “Cal U story” — please visit www.calu.edu/giving and learn how you can help.

Your gift of time, talent or treasure will be deeply appreciated.

With warm regards,

Angelo Armenti, Jr. President California University of Pennsylvania

BOARD OF GOVERNORS Kenneth M. Jarin, chairman Aaron Walton, vice chair C.R. “Chuck” Pennoni, vice chair Leonard B. Altieri III Rep. Matthew E. Baker Marie Conley Lammando Paul S. Dlugolecki Rep. Michael K. Hanna Sen. Vincent J. Hughes Jonathan B. Mack Joseph F. McGinn

Sen. Jeffrey E. Piccola Guido M. Pichini Harold C. Shields Thomas M. Sweitzer Christine J. Toretti Gov. Tom Corbett Ronald J. Tomalis, secretary of education-designate Jennifer Branstetter, designee for Gov. Corbett

CALIFORNIA UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA President Dr. Angelo Armenti, Jr. Geraldine M. Jones, provost and vice president for academic affairs Dr. Lenora Angelone, vice president for student affairs Dr. Charles B. Mance, vice president for university technology services Ron Huiatt, vice president for university development and alumni relations Robert Thorn, interim vice president for administration and finance Craig Butzine, vice president for marketing and university relations COUNCIL OF TRUSTEES Leo Krantz, chair Robert J. Irey, vice chair Peter J. Daley II ’72, ’75 James T. Davis ’73 Annette Ganassi Lawrence Maggi ’79

Michael Napolitano ’68 Gwendolyn Simmons Jerry Spangler ’74 Aaron Walton ’68 The Hon. John C. Cavanaugh, chancellor, ex-officio

ALUMNI ASSOCIATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS Dr. Harry Serene ’65, president Tim Gorske ’62, vice president Dr. Lorraine Vitchoff ’74, secretary Deanne Zelenak ’79, treasurer Rosemary (Rich) Bucchianeri ’69, immediate past president Jim Lokay ’02 Dr. Roger M. Angelelli ’64 Lawrence O. Maggi ’79 Mary Jo (Zosky) Barnhart ’84 Don Martin ’89 Joseph Dochinez ’51 Dante Morelli ’02 Kimberly (Mahaffey) Fahey ’97, ’99 Michael Napolitano ’68 Barbara (Williams) Fetsko ’75 Melanie (Stringhill) Patterson ’82, ’88 B. Christina (Kost) Fosbrink ’01, ’03 Fritz Retsch ’62, ’66 Josh Fosbrink ’01, ’03 Dolly Rozzi ’64 Dr. Paul Gentile ’62 James Stofan ’71 Alan James ’62 Lynne Stout ’94 Len Keller ’61 Dr. Tim Susick ’76, ’78 Dr. Anthony Lazzaro ’55 STUDENT MEMBERS Josh Giffen Jason Springer EX-OFFICIO MEMBERS Dr. Angelo Armenti, Jr., president Ron Huiatt Geraldine (Johns) Jones ’71

Leo Krantz Linda (Hootman) Serene ’64 Dr. Michael Slavin ’74

STUDENT ASSOCIATION, INC. BOARD OF DIRECTORS Jacqueline Davis Nicole Lowry Rachel Fletcher Katie Mercadante Walter D. Harris III Marc Roncone ’03 Robert Irey Dr. Donald Thompson Sam Jessee ’90 Michael R. Wagner Bonnie Keener Joshua Wright Jim Lokay ’02 EX-OFFICIO MEMBERS Dr. Lenora Angelone ’89,’92,’97 Leigh Ann Lincoln

Dr. Nancy Pinardi ’95, ’96, ’98 Larry Sebek

FOUNDATION FOR CALIFORNIA UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA BOARD OF DIRECTORS Linda H. Serene ’64, president Annette M. Kaleita ’55 Dr. David L. Amati ’70, vice president Gary Kennedy ’58 Michele Mandell ’69, secretary Robert Lippencott ’66 Paul Kania ’87, treasurer Lawrence O. Maggi ’79 Roger Angelelli ’64 Michael A. Perry ’63 William R. Booker ’74 Dr. Saundra L. Stout ’72 Thomas Crumrine ’64 Steven P. Stout ’85 Nathaniel W. Dixon Dr. Lorraine G. Vitchoff ’74 William R. Flinn ’68 Ben Wright Richard C. Grace ’63 EX-OFFICIO MEMBERS Dr. Angelo Armenti, Jr., president Ron Huiatt Dr. Harry Serene ’65 EDITOR Christine Kindl WRITERS Wendy Mackall Bruce Wald ’85 Jeff Bender

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PHOTOGRAPHERS Greg Sofranko

Lindy Kravec Colleen C. Derda

S. C. Spangler

ns ss

COVER STORY: Student Adam Laird (right) and a small group of friends are trying to make a difference for people in some of the poorest corners of the world. Page 4.

inside Departments Campus Clips

16 – 17

alumni Calendar

18 – 19

alumni spotlight

20 – 21

sports roundup

26 – 27

milestones

30 – 34

Features Road trip

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Cal U students hit the road during spring break, visiting prospective students at three urban high schools.

Hammering out a tune Cal U’s Norman Hasbrouck meets Elmo in Washington, D.C.

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In addition to performing at campus events, Adam Sutch competes nationally on the hammered dulcimer.

Careers start here Cal U collaborates with National Children’s Museum The National Children’s Museum (NCM) and Cal U are collaborating in an educational partnership to launch the museum’s Family Literacy Project. Representatives from Cal U’s Office of Continuous Improvement were guests at a special session at the U.S. Senate hosted by Sen. Daniel K. Inouye and Sesame Street’s Elmo.

At the event, the National Children’s Museum announced its partnership with the Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit organization behind Sesame Street. As part of the partnership, Sesame Street and its characters will be integrated into elements of the museum’s Early Learners gallery.

Cal U staff is developing the museum’s companion classroom curriculum materials, onsite training classes and an online “Family Literacy” certificate program to be offered jointly. These also will be utilized in the National Family Literacy Program portion of the NCM’s educational programming, which will be launched from Cal U in early June.

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Internships take students to Harrisburg, Washington — even Argentina — in search of real-life work experience.

Adventure in India

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Two pre-service teachers travel to India for a memorable student-teaching opportunity.

'Green' farmhouse

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A stone farmhouse on Cal U’s south campus will become an eco-friendly place for student meetings.

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THREE STUdENTS,

10 projects one world

UNdERGRAdUATES HOpE TO MAkE A dIffERENCE IN THIRd WORld COMMUNITIES

In Siem Reap, Cambodia, Adam Laird visits with two children from a nearby farm.

These children were selling homemade bracelets to earn extra income for their family.

Kai

eft) and Li tlin Enck (l

sa Pfaff in

.

Cambodia

illennials — those children born between 1982 and 2002 — have a bit of an image problem.

The Internet is stocked with articles about the psychological make-up of the “Me Generation.” Its members are sometimes described as cynical and lacking a strong work ethic.

A recent University of Michigan study presented to the Association for Psychological Science found that today’s college students are about 40 percent lower in empathy than their counterparts of 20 or 30 years ago.

“College students today may be so busy worrying about themselves and their own issues that they don’t have time to spend empathizing with others,” observed one of the graduate students who analyzed the data.

Three Cal U students — Adam Laird, Lisa Pfaff and Kaitlin Enck — know the stereotype. But they are doing their best to change the mindset of their peers as they make a difference in the world themselves, one humanitarian project at a time.

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10 Projects “The goal of the 10 Projects is to help some of the most underprivileged people in the world,” says Adam Laird, a senior sport management major.

Laird and two friends — Pfaff, a senior pursuing a dual degree in justice studies and international studies, and Enck, a sophomore biology major — are planning to complete 10 separate goodwill projects in 10 locations around the globe over the next several years.

“We want to educate, influence and inspire as many people as we can,” Laird says. “We want to inspire others to help, either by having them participate in a project or by challenging them to get involved in their own way.”

Laird, Pfaff and Enck completed the first project in January. They traveled to Siem Reap, Cambodia, and Bangkok, Thailand, and provided supplies to three orphanages.

They are hopeful that each project will grow in scale as more people become aware of 10 Projects and are inspired by the initiative.

‘A different perspective’ A few years ago, Laird completed a golf internship in Bhutan, a mountain kingdom tucked between India and China. There he saw firsthand some

of the issues related to poverty.

“My experience there changed my perspective,” he says.

His friends Pfaff and Enck share the same desire to help others around the world.

“The 10 Projects idea started just this past November,” Enck says.

“We were going to go to Thailand over winter break, but then we decided to try to expand it and figure out what good we could do while we were there.”

They researched a few locations online and chose ACOD, the Assisting Cambodian Orphans and the Disabled organization, and purchased needed supplies. The orphanage was more than grateful for the help.

“They weren’t really expecting us,” Pfaff says. “We said, ‘We’d like to help,’ and they took us to a market to buy supplies.”

The trio spent about $100 on bags of rice and other cooking supplies, along with some other necessities for ACOD. That orphanage told them of another, the Child Development Organization, which also welcomed their donations.

“It is estimated there are more than half a million orphans in Cambodia, which is a lot in a very small country,” Enck says.

In Thailand, the students purchased supplies for the Phayathai Babies Home, serving children under 5 years old.

Diapers and formula were especially needed, they said.

“It’s like the commercials you see about other countries, but maybe you don’t think it’s real,” Laird says. “In terms of sheer poverty, it doesn’t get a lot worse than some of the things we saw.”

An altruistic goal Dr. Emily Sweitzer, associate professor of justice and behavioral crime, knows Pfaff from several courses in justice studies and crimes against children.

“They’re looking to create a mindset,” Sweitzer explains. “They are focusing on altruism and pro-social behavior — an action without anything in return. They don’t want publicity.

They don’t want to be affiliated with anything else or any other group. They want to create a brand-new movement.”

Sweitzer, who has a variety of international experiences, including the adoption of a child from Kyrgyzstan, says seeing other cultures firsthand can be life changing.

“You see so much potential, and you see yourself and your difficulties and trials and tribulations as very minimal compared to what people internationally are experiencing.”

What’s next?

Laird, Pfaff and Enck already are looking forward to the second project, possibly in Nepal as soon as the end of 2011. Junior Justin Carlo, a communication studies major, is hoping to accompany the group on the trip.

“It is our most developed idea,” Pfaff says. Parts of Nepal, which includes Mount Everest, are extremely mountainous, so clothing, blankets and other cold-weather supplies would be needed.

The three know that 10 Projects will need an organizational structure in order to solicit more support. Donations for the first project came from friends and family.

In addition to Sweitzer, Karen Primm, director of the Internship Center at Cal U, has been reaching out to alumni who may be able to provide some organizational guidance, such as how to establish a nonprofit organization.

The 10 Projects group poses with children from the Assisting Cambodian Orphans facility in Siem Reap, Cambodia, along with some of the supplies they purchased during their visit.

“I have known Adam Laird for years,” Primm says, “and I have great respect for him as a student and role model. I know what they are doing is genuine, and their only agenda is doing good.”

Primm, a member of the California Rotary Club, invited the three to present 10 Projects at a meeting in March.

“We just keep linking them to people who may be able to help.”

The students also have met with Diane Williams, director of Cal U’s Center for Civic Engagement. Williams has connected Laird, Pfaff and Enck with A Call to Serve, a public service organization that may be able to offer some practical advice.

Recently, WCAL radio, which is owned and operated by the Student Association Inc., selected 10 Projects as the beneficiary of a “disc jockey lock-in” fundraiser.

“Our goal for the next project is to raise $10,000,” Laird says. “We think it is still very possible; we just need to find the right people.” pROjECT NO.

Changed lives All three students describe some culture shock when they returned to the United States from Cambodia and Thailand.

“Once in your life,” Laird says, “you need to experience life outside of the United States — especially in a Third World country — to get some perspective.”

“They now have a sense of responsibility and our interdependence and interconnectedness with people worldwide,” Sweitzer says.

All three students emphasize the importance of doing something to benefit others.

As Pfaff says, “Even the smallest act of kindness can make a big difference.” n

By Wendy Mackall, assistant communications director at Cal U

Kaitlin Enck meets a child in Cambodia.

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To see a video of the three Cal U students’ trip to Cambodia and Thailand, visit www.calu.edu/news, then click on “Cal U Review” and look for “As seen in the Review.”

If you want to know more about 10 Projects, or if you have some suggestions to share as Adam Laird, Lisa Pfaff and Kaitlin Enck work to establish their organization and raise funds for the future, please e-mail tenprojects.alk@gmail.com.

SPRING 2011 CAL U REVIEW 5 n

urban roaD trip Students sing the praises of Cal U on spring break tour

or a typical college student, the words “spring break” might conjure up images of swaying palm trees, late-night parties, and a complete and utter lack of alarm clocks or schedules.

But California University students are far from typical.

During the University’s spring break, from March 7-11, a dozen Cal U students and their faculty and staff chaperones embarked on a different sort of road trip.

The tour was filled with laughter, music and camaraderie, to be sure.

But for Quinn Jones, Marquia Parnell, Alexandra Brooks, Donita Petite, Jasmine Corbett, Ta’lor Pinkston, Levie Kirkland, Anthony Watson, Ronald Taylor, Charles Sledge, Blayre Holmes and Christina Kenney, it was so much more.

It was an experience filled with positive energy and a sense of giving back to Cal U.

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“Cal U on the Road” was designed to showcase the talents of University students while building rapport with prospective students from three urban high schools.

Over the course of the week, the Cal U group interacted with approximately 200 students at Pittsburgh Schenley High School in Pittsburgh, J.P. McCaskey High School in Lancaster, Pa., and Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, D.C. Members of Cal U’s Young and Gifted Gospel Choir performed selections from their repertoire, and representatives from the Black Student Union (BSU) shared stories and talked about Cal U from a student’s perspective. The Good Life improv group turned the admissions process into an entertaining skit.

Participants in the spring break tour include (from left) Levie Kirkland, Charles Sledge, Quinn Jones, Tony Watson, Marquia Parnell, Christina Kenney, Jasmine Corbett, Ronald Taylor and Ta’lor Pinkston.

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Making connections “But the trip also gave Dr. Harrison Pinckney, our students a chance to assistant professor in the find their voice. When Department of Earth Sciences, they shared their personal was the trip’s faculty sponsor. stories with prospective During his student days at students, they made a the University of Florida, real connection, and he participated in a similar they discovered what it spring break tour with means to pay it forward. members of a gospel choir.

“We always tell our When Cal U’s Young students how important and Gifted Gospel Choir it is to give of their time expressed interest in the and talent, even while Students (from left) Ronald Taylor, Marquia Parnell and Christina Kenney tour, he was immediately they’re still in school. create an improv skit about what it’s like to be incoming freshmen at Cal U. on board.

But this trip brought that “The choir is a great way to recruit concept to life.”

We always tell our young people who may not realize that “We’re just a group of kids who college is for them,” explains Pinckney. want to make a change on campus,” students how important “They can talk to our students, ask them Taylor responds. “We didn’t do it for it is to give of their time questions, and see that there are people the recognition.” and talent, even while just like them who are not only attending college, but succeeding in college.”

Following through they’re still in school. ...

Cal U senior Ronald Taylor, a gospel A similar group went on tour in This trip brought that choir member and president of the BSU, 2010. This year, for the first time, a concept to life. agrees wholeheartedly. process is in place to track applications “Many of us who went on tour came and student responses to the tour.

LAMONT COLEMAN ASSOCIATE DEAN from inner-city schools. We can relate Over the next six to eight months, MULTICULTURAL STUDENT PROGRAMS to the kids in the audience, and they student ambassadors will telephone can relate to us. When we tell them prospects from the high schools they that prospective students often ask, what it’s like at Cal U, they trust us.” visited and remind them to study for she was able to present information At one point, the gospel choir from their SATs, schedule a campus visit in a way they could understand easily. the Lancaster school performed for or submit financial aid applications.

“I have to admit, there was a very their Cal U guests.

Pinckey and Coleman already are good rapport between the younger “It was amazing to see the talent of planning next year’s tour, and they students and the Cal U representatives,” the kids at that high school,” says senior are collaborating on ways to establish Brooks says. “Maybe even better than Marquia Parnell, media coordinator for stronger, long-term relationships the rapport with our adult presenters. the BSU. “It was like we were speaking with key urban high schools.

For me, I just wanted to show them that the same language.”

Tarpley likes the connection between college is within reach for everyone.”

Cal U on the Road and Cal U for Life, One of the goals of the trip is to Telling their stories the campus-wide initiative that aims increase diversity on campus. Although Eric W. Tarpley, assistant director to forge a lifelong relationship between the recruitment effort was important, of admissions at Cal U, was impressed students and the University. the spring break tour had other benefits, with the effectiveness of the student “The trip fits very well into the says LaMont Coleman, associate dean ambassadors.

University mission,” he says. of multicultural student programs and “I could talk about Cal U all day, But Taylor, a recipient of the Board of one of the tour’s organizers. but when our students tell their Governors Scholarship, had a personal The trip was an opportunity for individual stories about their own reason for participating. “Several people Cal U students to grow both personally Cal U experiences, suddenly it’s very on the trip were scholarship recipients, and professionally, he explains. They personal,” he says. “It also shows that and this was our way of saying thanks. were encouraged to improve their public our students are committed to each “There are not many opportunities speaking skills, dress professionally, other, and to the University.” for a college student to change a speak respectfully and, in general, Junior Alexandra Brooks is an person’s life,” he adds. “But to get a kid be model representatives of Cal U. AmeriCorps volunteer in the Admissions to start thinking about college when “Being part of this tour group is Office, working as the college access he or she never thought of it before, a prestigious addition to each student’s coordinator for at-risk youth. Because that’s really something.” n resumé,” he adds. of her familiarity with the questions

By Lindy Kravec, a writer from Peters Township, Pa.

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Composing his own future COMMERCIAl MUSIC TECHNOlOGY pROGRAM jUMp-STARTS HIS CAREER he new Commercial Music Technology program at California University gives students a pathway to the $10 billion recorded music industry.

It’s also giving one student a chance to pursue his dreams close to home.

“When I heard Cal U was starting a commercial music program, I thought it would be a great opportunity for me to transfer from Capital University (near Columbus, Ohio) and be closer to friends and family,” said senior Scott Imblum, of Eighty-Four, Pa. Because it combines a traditional approach to the study of music with an emphasis on theories, techniques and technologies used in the recording industry, the Commercial Music Technology program was the right place for Imblum to continue his education.

But he had a much larger plan in mind when he transferred to Cal U. Needing a practicum to complete the program, he called on a friend, the Emmy Award-winning journalist Alison Kartevold, and asked to record the audio version of her new children’s novel.

“Scott gave guitar lessons to my daughters, and he knew I was writing a book,” Kartevold says.

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“I would humor him about recording the audio version, but then I realized he had the skill, determination and facilities at Cal U to make it happen.”

Since January, the duo has been using the department’s new recording studio in Gallagher Hall to record the audio version of KenKarta: Battle of the Onoxmon.

Drawn from the imagination of Kartevold’s two young daughters, the 300-page fantasy novel features two princesses who journey through a magical land and are forced to rely on their gifts to survive an epic battle.

In addition to recording Kartevold’s voice as she reads the story aloud, Imblum also is composing music for scene transitions and a video trailer — a project unlike anything he has done before.

“He was originally educated Scott Imblum works the sound board as Alison in music, so there are certain Kartevold reads her fantasy novel. rules and parameters that he has learned over the years,” a professional and showed people that Kartevold says. “I’m constantly asking we can do this type of work at Cal U.” him to step outside the box of what he Kartevold, who has experience is comfortable with.” recording documentaries in a commercial Imblum’s work setting, insists it takes a special type of is setting the pace program and university to make this for Commercial Music project work.

Technology.

“The fact that this program is letting “The program just Scott do something that is outside of started in September, the general curriculum is wonderful,” we had the studio she says. installed in October, “To me, a successful university is and I was working on one that works with the students to help a commercial project them broaden that base of what they

by January,” he says. want to translate into the real world.

“Everyone is “When you are able to do that, you interested in what we are going to have successful students are doing. As far as after graduation, because it gives them I know, I am the only a great opportunity to grow.” n one in the program who has brought in

Alison Kartevold, author of ‘KenKarta: Battle of the Onoxman,’ records her audio book with student Scott Imblum in the Commercial Music Technology recording studio.

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By Jeff Bender, PR and Web writer at Cal U

dUlCIMER plAYER HAMMERS OUT INTRICATE TUNES Self-taught musician ranks among the best at national competitions efore a hushed crowd at the 2010 winter Commencement ceremonies, Adam Sutch stopped being a fairly well-kept campus secret.

The sophomore joined the University Choir for a performance of “Simple Gifts,” and with a few strokes of his hammers, he showed the audience why he is a nationally recognized dulcimer player.

Sutch has placed in the top five at the National Hammer Dulcimer Championships, held at the Walnut Valley Festival in Winfield, Kan., each of the past three years.

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Adam Sutch is nationally ranked as a hammered dulcimer player.

He also won the Mid-East Regional Hammered Dulcimer Competition in 2007, and he plans to attend the national competition in September to pursue his goal of finishing first.

Not bad for a young man who learned to play the instrument mostly on his own.

“About 10 years ago, I went camping with my family in Uniontown,” Sutch recalls. “They had an instructor there giving a hammered dulcimer demonstration.”

For Christmas that year, Sutch asked for a beginner-size hammered dulcimer, with fewer strings, and he began to practice the songs he learned from the

instructor. In spring he bought himself a larger instrument. A little more than a year after he first picked up a hammer, he played a public concert.

“My uncle asked me to play at his dartball league banquet,” Sutch says of his first gig. “I was scared, so I asked my grandpa (Ron Howes) if he would play Adam Sutch performs on the hammered dulcimer during with me on his guitar.

Commencement ceremonies in December.

My mom (Michelle) knew a little bit about the music and director of University choirs, dulcimer, so she played some who invited Sutch to perform during back-up chords.” a choir concert at the Emeriti Fountain Soon the family formed Sutch on Family Day last fall.

Sounds. The group includes Sutch’s “He’s an overachiever and a joy to grandmother Darlene Howes on rhythm work with.” guitar; his 17-year-old brother, Aaron, Sutch’s academic pursuits are equally on the marimbula, a folk instrument ambitious. He is majoring in secondary from the Caribbean; and his 12-year-old education/biology and in theater, with brother, Austin, on the bohdran, an minors in music and musical theater.

Irish drum.

“He never sits still too long,” Ikach The band has one eponymous CD says. “Sometimes we have to work of holiday music, and Sutch has made with the theater guys to say, ‘We have three others, two featuring traditional Adam on these days; you can have music and one of tunes he composed. him those days.’

At Cal U Sutch plays trumpet in the “He loves to perform, there’s no marching and concert bands, and he doubt.” n sings baritone with the University Choir,

By Wendy Mackall, assistant communications the University Singers and Vulcanize, director at Cal U a male a cappella group. Last December he performed in the Music Department’s A Radio Christmas Show, and he was Hear here in this spring’s Cabaret, staged by the The hammered dulcimer is an Department of Theatre and Dance. ancient instrument played around On April 11, he taught a workshop the world. In the United States, about the hammered dulcimer at the dulcimer often is associated Celebrating Appalachia in Word and Song, with the Appalachian region. a conference organized by the Northern The musician uses small mallet Appalachian Network at Cal U. hammers to strike tuned strings that Sutch continues to play at events, are stretched across a sounding board. and he teaches about the hammered To hear Cal U student Adam Sutch dulcimer at festivals, as well. play the hammered dulcimer, “Adam came to my attention in visit www.calu.edu/news, then click his freshman year,” says Dr. Yugo on “Cal U Review” and look for Ikach, associate professor of “As seen in the Review.”

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internships: CAREERS S Students add real-life work experience to their resumés n internship can be

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the first step toward

a rewarding career.

Through the Internship Center at Cal U, students receive academic credit for supervised, academically focused internships.

Each one represents a chance to gain real-world experience and “test-drive” a career.

Karen Primm, the center’s director, says she won’t rest until all students have the opportunity to add internships like these to their resumés:

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State capital experience Tamara Al-khattar, a junior international studies major with a political science minor, recently completed work for the state independent Regulatory Commission (IRRC) as part of a 15-week internship sponsored by the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education.

She was one of 14 students who participated in THIS, The Harrisburg Internship Semester program, which provides students with the opportunity to work in all areas of state government while earning a full semester’s worth of credits.

During her internship, Al-khattar attended several academic seminars and completed a research project as part of the program’s requirements.

More than 500 students from PASSHE universities have participated in THIS since it began in 1989.

Interns have gained valuable insight into the workings of state government

and worked with dozens of state agencies. They also have worked in the offices of the governor, the speaker of the House of Representatives and the attorney general.

Al-khattar is the daughter of Dr. Aref and Nariman Al-khattar.

Dr. Al-khattar is the chairman of the Department of Justice, Law and Society at Cal U.

Away to Argentina A new internship award established by Tom ’77 and Karen Rutledge allowed Emily Hutzayluk to spend the spring semester working with amputees in the physical therapy department at Rivadavia Hospital in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Hutzayluk graduated from the physical therapist assistant program at Cal U in 2008 and was on track to earn a bachelor’s degree in Spanish this spring.

The Rutledge Internship Awards go to juniors or seniors with a gradepoint average of 3.0 or higher who have the opportunity to accept unpaid or low-paying internships that are geographically and professionally diverse. A committee will determine the number of scholarships awarded.

The minimum award will be $1,000.

Hutzayluk hopes to work as a physical therapist for patients who speak Spanish. While in Argentina, she also took four- and eight-week

language courses at the University of Belgrano.

Primm, the Internship Center director, credits the Rutledges for making it possible for students to pursue unusual and far-flung opportunities.

“We have a fund for smaller needs closer to home,” she says, “but we’re in a good position now because we can do ‘extraordinary’ ones, too.”

START HERE

Lessons on the links Golfweek magazine describes Bandon Dunes Golf Resort in Bandon, Ore., as “a cross between Pebble Beach and Carnoustie — with a pinch of Pine Valley for good measure … .”

If you’re a golfer — or, like senior Katie Kirk, someone who wants to work at a golf course and become a head golf professional — you know that is extremely high praise, indeed.

Kirk, a professional golf management major, spent six months there last year. She worked in guest services and caddie services for three months, and then as a golf shop assistant.

“It was quite an opportunity, to work at Bandon,” she says.

“What was very interesting is they want to live by their slogan, ‘Golf As It Was Meant to Be.’ Golf (has deep roots in) Scotland, and so you have the high grass, winds and no golf carts at Bandon. You either walk and carry your own bag, or you take a caddie.

And the four courses at Bandon are all nationally known as among the top courses to play.

“Being 3,000 miles away from home taught me to grow up, and the internship taught me about the immense amount of work required to work in a golf shop and how important customer service really is.”

This summer Kirk plans to take another internship, at the Eisenhower Golf Club at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo.

Washington and beyond Sharifa Yamba, who graduated in December with degrees in biology and international studies, and Carlis Jones, a senior business and economics major, both undertook internships in cooperation with the Washington Center for Internships and Academic Seminars.

Yamba took part in the Ford Motor Scholars Program, which studies the United Nations Millennium Development Goals and their impact on society, trade and national policy.

She interned with Machik, an organization that focuses on the communities on the Tibetan plateau.

One of her projects was to help develop a brochure for young girls in Tibet that explains reproductive and sexual health, since families often live far from hospitals and clinics.

The other, which is ongoing, involves the development of educational materials for Summer Pasture, a documentary film about a family of nomads in eastern Tibet, made by the Kham Film Project.

Yamba has applied for positions with Teach for America, which employs corps members to teach for two years in 39 urban and rural regions across the country, and City Year, which sends tutors and role models into schools and communities to keep students on track.

She is the daughter of Dr. Mohamed Yamba, the interim dean of the College of Liberal Arts.

Jones spent the spring semester with the Internal Revenue Service.

He worked in the Human Capital Office, which focuses on recruiting, hiring, developing and retaining highly skilled workers.

One of his major projects involved working on cost projections for job reclassifications.

“It really is one of the best places to work in government,” Jones says.

“They treat their employees really well. It’s a good atmosphere.”

Jones hopes to gain more experience this summer through the Student Career Experience offered by USA Jobs.

The program makes paid work experiences available to students with skills that meet the workforce needs of the federal government. n

By Wendy Mackall, assistant communications director at Cal U

BUIldING CAREERS The number of internships at Cal U has grown from 428 in the 2004-2005 academic year, when the program began, to 885 last year. A number of motivated Cal U students are planning to spend the summer as interns. Here’s where some of them hope to be headed: Name: Nathan Earl Major: Gerontology Internship: An agency working with older adults in Sydney, Australia.

Name: Elissa Weimer Major: Justice studies Internship: The FBI office in Philadelphia, Pa. Name: Jordan Marinos Major: Communication studies Internship: The Pittsburgh Pirates, Pittsburgh, Pa.

Name: Ryan Dolan Major: Geography (geographic information sciences concentration) and parks and recreation management.

Internship: The Wilds, a wildlife conservation center in Cumberland, Ohio.

On average, employers extend offers of full-time employment to more than two out of three interns, according to the 2009 National Association of Colleges and Employers Experiential Education Survey.

SPRING 2011 CAL U REVIEW 11 n

pRE-SERVICE TEACHERS WORk WITH CHIldREN IN INdIA Agreement with social welfare provider will broaden students’ horizons wo senior education majors spent several weeks in Pune, India, during the spring semester as a result of a new five-year agreement between Cal U and Bharatiya Samaj Seva Kendra (BSSK), an orphanage and social welfare provider.

Jackie Davis, who is majoring in early childhood education, and Rachel Fletcher, an elementary/special education major, taught language, math and other skills to orphaned preschool and early elementary school-age children.

After a brief delay, they departed March 25 for Pune, on India’s west coast.

“The kids at BSSK go to public school,” explains Dr. Daniel Engstrom, director of student teaching and associate dean in the College of Education and Human Services.

“Their school year ends in March, so Jackie and Rachel were able to work with them all day.”

Engstrom says he was impressed with BSSK when he and his wife, Ronda, adopted a child from there in 2008. Soon after that experience, Engstrom began working on a plan to have pre-service teachers from Cal U train at the facility.

He traveled to Pune with Davis and Fletcher, and he stayed for about a week to be sure the partnership got off to a strong start.

“This is really going to broaden students’ horizons,” he said of the new student-teaching agreement. “They will have no problem getting a job.”

The two students spent the first part of this semester studentteaching in area schools — Davis in a third-grade class at Pittsburgh Mifflin PreK-8, in the Pittsburgh Public Schools, and Fletcher in fifth-grade learning support at Charleroi Elementary Center, in the Charleroi Area School District.

Both are experienced international travelers. Davis went to Haiti in 2001, and Fletcher visited China in 2008.

“Traveling to India is going to place us in a situation very different from the classroom structures we are accustomed to here in America,” Davis said before the trip.

“It will challenge us to overcome the barriers that may be presented through differences in languages, age and the special needs of some of our students.

“I feel that many of the experiences will help us to gain new insights and diverse ways of overcoming some of Cal U’s Rachel Fletcher works with the same challenges we students at Charleroi Elementary Center. face in our classrooms

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Student teacher Jackie Davis does her student teaching with the third-grade class at Pittsburgh Mifflin PreK-8.

FIRSTHAND EXPERIENCE here in America. This also Jackie Davis and Rachel will give me an opportunity Fletcher share photos to decide how I feel about and videos from India on teaching internationally.” their blog, www.envision Fletcher, whose trip to educators.blogspot.com China included teaching English at Hebei University, says she wants to teach outside the United States after she graduates from Cal U. “Since I traveled to China in 2008, I have had the passion to teach overseas,” she explains. “After graduation, I hope to spend a year preparing my life and making the necessary plans to teach abroad by fall 2012.”

Engstrom predicted the students would find their work in India to be challenging, but also rewarding in ways that go beyond resumé-building.

“Some of these (BSSK) students have disabilities.

Many of them were kids that people did not want,” he says.

“This new partnership is a way to give back to people who have nothing. We can pay it forward.” n

By Wendy Mackall, assistant communications director at Cal U

12 CAL U REVIEW SPRING 2011 n

Students eager to meet at SAI farmhouse RENOVATIONS WIll Add ‘GREEN’ fEATURES TO A HOMElIkE MEETING SpACE

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stone farmhouse soon will serve as a quaint and eco-friendly spot for student groups to meet.

Renovations are under way at the house, located on a 98-acre parcel adjoining Roadman Park, on the University’s south campus.

The Student Association Inc. (SAI), a nonprofit corporation owned and operated by all students at Cal U, bought the property from the Harris family last year. The purchase increased Cal U’s overall acreage by 50 percent.

“On the main campus we’ve run out of green space, so the primary reason for purchasing the farm property was to provide much-needed recreation space for our students,” says Dr. Nancy Pinardi, executive director of SAI and associate vice president for Student Affairs.

“The farmhouse has a more academic focus.”

Club meetings, special events and other student activities will be held at the farmhouse once upgrades and a 1,200-square-foot addition are complete.

Former bedrooms will be equipped with the appropriate technology and renovated to create four meeting rooms.

The 30-by-40-foot addition on the south side of the house will include a large outdoor gathering space and an area

that can be used as a larger meeting space or a small banquet facility.

The $500,000 project, funded through SAI, will include geothermal heating and cooling. Solar panels will be installed on the roof to generate electricity.

“The SAI board of directors felt strongly that the renovations should include these green initiatives,” Pinardi says. ”SAI’s plan is to improve the property while keeping its rural charm and aesthetics.”

Outdoors, a new cross country course already has been installed on the expanded south campus.

Cal U’s food service provider, AVI, plans to develop a garden near the farmhouse to grow fresh, organic vegetables, and students have asked for raised beds where they can garden, as well.

The land also provides space for walking trails and other outdoor recreation.

Planning for the SAI Farm property has been guided by student focus groups.

Pinardi compares the current students’ vision to that of the Women’s Athletic Association, which raised funds and purchased Roadman Park in 1937.

“When the decision was made for this project, many of the students involved were juniors or seniors, so they weren’t looking at it for their immediate use,” she points out with pride. “They were

looking at it for future students and maybe even their own children who may come to Cal U someday.”

Jackie Davis, president of the SAI board of directors, believes the farmhouse will provide students with opportunities that have been eagerly anticipated.

“We're simply delighted and excited about what its future has in store,” says Davis, a member of both Student Government and Cal U’s Council of Trustees.

“The possibilities for new developments, meeting space and a place to call our own are what we've desired — and exactly what the farm is going to provide for us.”

The house is expected to open in late fall.

“This is going to be absolutely beautiful,” Pinardi says. “We want it ready for student use as quickly as possible, so they can see the benefits of it.” n

By Bruce Wald ’85, Cal U information writer SPRING 2011 CAL U REVIEW 13 n

Natali Student Center slated for expansion students approve renovations to be funded through fees y the spring semester of 2014, Cal U commuters and campus residents can expect to enjoy a more spacious and comfortable student center.

A plan to expand and renovate the Natali Student Center was approved in a student referendum and endorsed this spring by Cal U’s Council of Trustees.

The proposed upgrades are based on results of a 2010 survey, conducted in conjunction with WTW Architects, that assessed the needs of Cal U students, staff and faculty.

In that survey, students asked for a larger food court and convenience store, more public lounge space, a coffeehouse and quiet lounge space, improvements to the Vulcan movie theater and sustainable, energy efficient features.

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Plans call for a larger dining area and food court in the Natali Student Center.

An advisory board worked with the architects to meet with various user groups and develop the final plan.

More than 72 percent of students who took part in the referendum favored the proposal.

“We have heard our students’ requests for a state-of-the-art gathering place, and with their support, their wishes will be granted,” says Lenora Angelone, vice president for Student Affairs.

“The center will offer improved services, activity and meeting spaces.

It will be enhanced with state-of-the-art

technology, while still providing student-friendly alcoves for large and small social and scholarly interactions.”

The plan calls for adding 37,000 square feet to the existing facility and improving building access to accommodate new traffic patterns arising from changes on campus.

The cost is estimated at $30 million.

“This is a very necessary expansion, an aggressive step, but one we must take,” says Jerry Spangler ’74, a member of the Council of Trustees. “More space is definitely needed.”

The student referendum and funding plan for the renovations conform to policies set by the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education, which does not permit tuition dollars to be used for auxiliary facilities such as the student center. Instead, the student center fee will increase by $67, rising from the current $81 to $148.

Construction is expected to begin this winter, pending approval by the PASSHE Board of Governors.

The student center will remain open while the renovations are under way.

Center of campus life Since the California Memorial Union was constructed in 1968, the student center has been the hub of campus activities. With student approval, the building was renovated and expanded in 1992 to accommodate a growing student population, and it became the Natali Student Center.

Dining facilities, formerly in Gallagher Hall, moved to the student center in 1999. The all-you-care-to-eat Gold Rush Dining Room was part of that expansion.

Since 1998, Cal U’s enrollment has grown by more than 3,500 students with no further expansion of the center.

“I think it’s a good idea to get everybody more room,” says Zach Zigmund, a sophomore accounting major who lives in Residence Hall C. “I eat breakfast, lunch and dinner there, and it’s pretty crowded. I think people will enjoy their dining experience more (in a larger facility).”

Brittany Balaz, a senior mathematics and computer science major, expects the expanded center to be used extensively by campus clubs and organizations.

“We hold (club) meetings and seminars in a classroom in Eberly, and I would love to hold them at the student center,” says Balaz, chair of the 2011 Senior Gift Drive.

“I think students will use the student center even more than before.”

Project supporters were looking to the future, Angelone says. “Our students’ support for the next phase of renovation to the Natali Student Center provides each with the opportunity to leave a legacy at Cal U. The project represents

The Heritage Lounge, a student-friendly gathering place.

Student organizations will have more room for both formal and informal meetings.

Cal U for Life to the greatest degree, for without the students’ support, their renovated center would not be possible.”

Student Trustee Jackie Davis, a senior majoring in early childhood education, notes that even upperclassmen support the project, although it won’t be completed until after they graduate.

“Even though we won’t be here, we’re excited to come back and see what’s going to happen.” n

What students Want plans for renovating the natali student Center were developed after a 2010 survey identified the improvements most in demand. more than 1,400 respondents identified these needs: • larger food court (63.5 percent); • larger convenience store (56.5 percent); • more public lounge spaces (50.9 percent); • Coffeehouse (44.8 percent); • Quiet lounge space (38.4 percent); • improved vulcan theatre (36 percent); • sustainable/energy efficient features (33.9 percent).

SPRING 2011 CAL U REVIEW 15 n

CAMPUS C L I P S Alumna returns to lead financial Aid Jill Fernandes ’99, ’01 has joined the Cal U staff as director of financial aid.

Fernandes, who holds a master’s degree in math and computer science, returned to her alma mater in February after working for 10 years at Carnegie Mellon University.

For the past three years she was the director of student finance for CMU’s Tepper School of Business.

“When I was finishing my graduate work at Cal U, I very much wanted to stick around,” she says. “But Dr. Armenti told me to experience the world, which I did.

It was the best thing he could have done for me. I worked my way up the ranks, and it helped me build a strong financial aid foundation.”

Fernandes and her husband, Brian ’99, met at Cal U, where he was president of Student Government and she was a senator. Both were active in Greek life; Fernandes is a Theta Phi Alpha sister, and her husband is a member of Theta Xi. They share an interest in higher ed administration, too. Brian Fernandes is the director of student enrollment services at Penn State Fayette, The Eberly Campus.

“It was my time to come back and make a difference in the students’ lives at the school I care most about,” Fernandes says. “I feel that I’ve come home.”

Modern languages marks 50th anniversary The Department of Modern Languages and Cultures celebrated 50 years of language teaching with a series of events in March and April.

Six films, each with a French, Spanish or Arabic theme, were shown in the Blaney Theater, inside Steele Hall. Dance instructor and performer Ed Ribar demonstrated the intricacies of L.A.style salsa dancing at a “Salsa Night” event, and an anniversary dinner in the Kara Alumni House featured a tango performance and awards for outstanding language students.

French language classes first were offered at Cal U in 1961, followed by 16 CAL U REVIEW SPRING 2011 n

Motivational magic Joe Vilcheck ’04 demonstrates one of the magic tricks he uses to motivate at-risk students in his classes at Shuman Detention Center in Pittsburgh. Vilcheck, who teaches for Allegheny Intermediate Unit 3, includes magic, mentalism and humor in the Mindcheck Motivation program he presents at conferences, in-service programs and teacher training sessions.

He shared his message with about 50 pre-service teachers last semester at Cal U.

Spanish courses. Over the years the department also has offered classes in Arabic, German and Russian.

Today, the department offers bachelor’s degrees, dual degrees and minors. It also is recognized for its full-immersion studyabroad experiences, where students travel to a foreign country and attend intensive Spanish classes for two weeks while living with a host family.

SEEk offers summer enrichment Registration continues through early June for SEEK, the Summer Enrichment for Kids program.

Two weeklong sessions of the popular classes will be offered for children entering grades 1-8. Age-appropriate classes meet June 20-24 and July 18-22.

Topics range from “Science in a Box” and “Marvelous Math” to “Chocolate, Chocolate, Chocolate” and “Edible Art.” Coinciding with the first session will be a Robotics Camp and a Graphic Communication and Multimedia Camp for students entering grades 9-12.

The SEEK brochure is available online at www.calu.edu; choose “Academics” on the homepage, then click on “Lifelong Learning.”

For more information, call the Office of Lifelong Learning at 724-938-5840.

professional Science Master degree to focus on forensics Cal U is developing a multidisciplinary Professional Science Master degree program in forensic science, one of 10 new PSM programs to be offered by universities within the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education.

PASSHE has received a $50,000 grant from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation to assist in developing the new PSM programs, all designed in close cooperation with employers to ensure they meet workforce demand in high-technology fields.

According to PASSHE, “The PSM degree combines rigorous study in science or mathematics with professional skills-based coursework in business, management, communications, policy and other fields.”

At Cal U, the PSM program in forensic science is being developed with input from faculty with expertise in forensic anthropology, crime scene analysis, biology, chemistry, genetics and other relevant fields.

The University anticipates enrolling its first PSM students for the spring 2012 semester.

Conference explores ‘Northern Appalachia in Word and Song’ Award-winning novelist Jennifer Haigh, author of the New York Times best-seller Baker Towers, delivered the keynote address at a conference celebrating the rich cultural heritage of western Pennsylvania and the Northern Appalachian region.

Celebrating Northern Appalachia in Word and Song highlighted the people of Northern Appalachia, as well as the literature, poetry and music of an area that encompasses portions of Pennsylvania, West Virginia, New York, Maryland and Ohio. The conference was organized by

the Northern Appalachian Network, based at Cal U, and the University’s Department of Social Work.

A western Pennsylvania native, Haigh spoke about her roots and her work in an address titled, “From a Deep Well: Writing My Appalachia.”

Also appearing were author and licensed midwife Patricia Harman, who read from her books The Blue Cotton Gown and Arms Wide Open, published this spring, and Dr. Norma Thomas, director of Cal U’s Master of Social Work program, who read her original poetry and participated in a panel on Northern Appalachian identity.

Undergraduates present research The Honors programs at California and Robert Morris universities collaborated to present the Intersections Undergraduate Research Conference in April at Cal U, with video uplinks to several other participating institutions.

Research papers presented by undergraduates focused on the various intersections between disciplines, research and methodologies. A selection of the top papers was published in the online conference proceedings.

Artist-in-residence enters, stage right The Department of Theatre and Dance welcomed its first artist-in-residence during the spring semester.

Director and choreographer Gary John La Rosa, of New York City, spent a month at Cal U directing students in the drama Twilight of the Golds and offering workshops on topics such as auditioning and breaking into the business.

La Rosa has worked on nearly 200 productions, including off-Broadway and regional theater, industrial shows, dinner theater and summer stock. He also coaches performers looking to sharpen their acting and auditioning skills.

Theater professor Dr. Michelle Pagen, who has known La Rosa for years, says his visit will open doors.

“Our students have made a connection here that will be useful down the line.

If they move to New York and need a coach, they’ll know Gary. He’s not just a contact for the students he casts; he’ll be a contact for everyone.”

Cal U offers new major in Arabic

Head of the clash Scorekeepers and fans watch as robots battle during the Bots IQ 6th annual preliminary regional competition in the Performance Center at Cal U. With support from ‘BotsIQ companies’ throughout the region, students from dozens of local high schools designed ‘battle bots’ and sent them into competition March 25-26. To see the robots in action and learn more about the contest, visit www.calu.edu and search for “BotsIQ.”

Beginning in fall, Cal U will offer an innovative, online bachelor’s degree program in Arabic language and culture.

Classes will be taught by Cal U faculty and offered over the Internet to students at all 14 state-owned universities.

Students statewide will take the 30 credits required for the Arabic major from Cal U. They will complete their general education requirements and electives at their home campus.

The new program responds to a critical need. Federal agencies require people who understand the Arabic culture and who can speak, read and write the Arabic language. n SPRING 2011 CAL U REVIEW 17 n

ALUMNI N E W S GREETINGS FROM THE OFFICE OF ALUMNI RELATIONS & ANNUAL FUND!

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embers of the Class of 1961 have been working hard throughout the year to prepare for their 50th reunion on Alumni Weekend.

The class’s planning committee held its first meeting last summer and has continued its work at Homecoming 2010 and on other key dates throughout the year.

Their Milestone 50th Reunion will be held on June 3, and a variety of memorable activities and events are planned.

Next, the Class of 1962 will begin to prepare for its own Milestone 50th Reunion, set for June 2, 2012.

I encourage classmates from these years — or any other years! — to contact the Alumni Office. There are many ways you can help, whether by contacting fellow alumni, sending letters or simply attending the gatherings.

It’s not too soon to begin looking ahead to autumn. When the summer months end and students head back to their classrooms, the annual Vulcan Huddle football tailgates return. Two hours before the start of each home game, our alumni, students and University friends gather to begin the celebrating. Tailgates are held at many away games, too. Music, refreshments, prizes, giveaways and more await our football fans!

Please plan to attend one or more of these upcoming events as a way to reconnect with former classmates and meet new friends. Or visit us on Facebook by searching for “Cal U for Life” or “Cal U Alumni Association.” Add us as a friend to keep up to date with all the Alumni Association happenings on campus and beyond.

I invite you to call the office, send e-mail or stop by the Michael and Julia Kara Alumni House anytime you are on campus. I would be happy to show you the many changes at your alma mater, and I look forward to sharing these exciting times with you!

alumni calendar JUNE Alumni Weekend — June 3-4 Cal U Alumni Ambassadors lead walking tours of the campus beginning at 3 p.m.

June 3. Reminisce about walks in the Quad, revisit Old Main, or enjoy the remarkable plantings in the University arboretum. At 4 p.m., play Cal U Trivia at Kara Alumni House.

The Class of 1961 gathers for a casual reception with light refreshments and passed hors d’oeuvres at 5 p.m. in the Michael and Julia Kara Alumni House. The 1961 Pioneer Reunion and Dinner begins at 5:45 p.m., followed by a short program honoring the Class of 1961. On June 4, classmates get together at 10 a.m. for a reception in the Gold Rush dining room, inside the student center.

All alumni may attend the annual Alumni Board election meeting at 8:30 a.m. June 4 in Room 206/207 of the Natali Student Center, followed by the Alumni Association Awards of Distinction luncheon at 11 a.m. in the nearby Performance Center.

Top off the weekend at the annual President’s Gala 6 p.m. June 4 at the Omni William Penn hotel in downtown Pittsburgh! RSVP is required; contact Denise King, 724-938-5938.

Golf outing — June 6 Join us at Nemacolin Woodlands Resort for the annual golf outing sponsored by Cal U Athletics. Proceeds benefit the Athletic Scholarship Fund.

National Athletic Training Society alumni gathering — June 21 Attention, athletic training alumni! We hope to see you in New Orleans at the annual National Athletic Training Society alumni event. Meet us from 8-10 p.m. at the Cat’s Meow, 701 Bourbon Street. For more information, contact Shelly DiCesaro at dicesaro@calu.edu or look for more information on the Facebook page for Cal U of PA Athletic Training.

JULY Alumni Night with the Pittsburgh Pirates — July 23 Help us cheer on the home team when the Pirates take on the St. Louis Cardinals at PNC Park. Game time is 7:05 p.m. Before the first pitch, join us for some good food and great company as we tailgate outside the stadium. For ticket prices and tailgate location, visit www.calu.ealumni.com/pirates 2011 or contact the Alumni Office at 724-938-4418.

August

Couples Weekend

Cal Couples Weekend — Aug. 6-7 Relive your campus romance at this special event for Cal U couples! Check-in begins at 10 a.m. Aug. 6. At noon, enjoy live musical entertainment and a picnic lunch in the courtyard at the Natali Student Center. Take a campus tour at 1 p.m., or visit “The White House Garden,” a Smithsonian Institution traveling exhibition, from 1-3 p.m. at the Manderino Gallery, inside Manderino Library. From 3-4 p.m., play the Cal U for Life trivia game in the Kara Alumni House.

Then spend a memorable evening on the Quad, with dining and dancing from 5-10 p.m. Raise your glass as Harry ’65 and Linda ’64 Serene offer a special toast to your alma mater.

The festivities end with checkout and a farewell continental breakfast from 8-11 a.m. at the Kara Alumni House. Call us now to register at 724-938-4418.

Save the date: Plan to join us Oct. 22 for an "Around the World" Homecoming celebration!

Amy Lombard Executive Director, Alumni Relations & Annual Fund

18 CAL U REVIEW SPRING 2011 n

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ONLINE? Look for California University of Pennsylvania’s official Facebook page, and follow @CalUofPA on Twitter.

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FOCUS O N THE COLLEGE OF LIBERAL ARTS

‘LIBERAL ARTS MAKES US EDUCATED’ Interim Dean Shares His Worldview

California University of Pennsylvania

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overview of the COLLEGE OF LIBERAL ARTS Dean:

Dr. Mohamed Yamba Department Chairs:

Professor Greg Harrison Art and Design

Professor Gregory Spicer Communication Studies

Dr. Madeline Smith English

Dr. Laura Tuennerman History and Political Science

Dr. Aref Al-Khattar Justice, Law and Society

Professor Margarita Ribar Modern Languages and Cultures

Professor Max Gonano Music

Dr. Ronald Hoy Philosophy

Professor Sam Lonich Psychology

Dr. Michael Slavin Theatre and Dance

Program Directors:

Dr. Melanie J. Blumberg American Democracy Project

Dr. Clarissa Confer Native American Institute

Dr. Gary DeLorenzo Leadership Studies

Dr. Kelton Edmonds Frederick Douglass Institute

Dr. Kurt Kearcher Composition Program and Writing Center

Dr. Marta McClintock-Comeaux Women’s Studies

Greetings!

The College of Liberal Arts curriculum is designed, in large measure, to enrich students’ understanding of various governmental systems, political cultures, foreign languages and art forms. The College remains at the core of interdisciplinary cooperation that serves to broaden the worldview of students, giving them the comparative advantage necessary for success in the global society.

This not only means establishing collaborative ventures with universities abroad, but also bringing the world to Cal U, when appropriate, and sending students abroad to experience other cultures. All these efforts are supported by Liberal Arts faculty through their teaching, research and service.

Collaborative ventures are under way to secure opportunities for global learning in Ethiopia, China, Taiwan, Georgia and the United Kingdom.

Meanwhile, the Department of Modern Languages and Cultures has sponsored short-term study abroad programs in Spain, Peru, Costa Rica, Chile and Mexico.

Dr. Paul Crawford and the History and Political Science, English, and Justice, Law and Society departments continue to reap benefits after organizing an international conference, “Dancing with Death: Warfare, Wounds and Disease in the Middle-Ages.”

Dr. Kelton Edmonds, associate professor of history and director of the Frederick Douglass Institute, organized the annual Hip-Hop Conference, which featured world-famous artists and intellectuals. Dr. Aref Al-Khattar, of the Department of Justice, Law and Society, provided workshops for graduate students and professors from the United Arab Emirates and Taiwan as part of Cal U’s Forensic Institute.

The fully accredited Arts and Design program, which offers five baccalaureate degrees and is over 200 majors strong, arranged study trips to several important galleries and museums around the country, and it is poised to organize study tours to Renaissance Italy, Greece and Egypt.

The English Department’s Dr. Waterhouse has redesigned her course, Woman as Hero, to give it an international flair, including analyses of women’s issues in Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan and Turkey.

On campus, the Theatre and Dance Department continues to excite the University community with world-class artistic productions while exposing students to renowned artists-in-residence and affording them the opportunity to produce shows, star in them, and audition for positions across the globe. The Music Department’s Commercial Music Technology program is gaining international recognition with a first enrollment from Russia.

This spring the Women’s Studies program hosted the 6th annual Audrey Beth-Fitch Conference on “Leveling the Playing Field: Examining Gender, Social Justice and Sports,” while the Leadership Studies program continues to provide the focus for interdisciplinary learning.

Finally, Dr. Patricia Milford, associate professor of Communication Studies, and groups of students continue to provide civic programs in Jamaica, ranging from voter registration to the provision of social services for the poor.

These snapshots are representative of the Liberal Arts faculty’s efforts to bring the world to Cal U students and to have them experience the wider world firsthand.

They include past and present achievements, as well as a preview of the future of Liberal Arts Education.

Dr. Crawford best summarizes the overarching goal of a liberal arts education when he says, “Cross-fertilization of minds outside of your immediate circle is priceless.”

Sincerely,

F R O M

T H E

Dean

Dr. Mohamed Yamba Dean, College of Liberal Arts 2

the three R’s InterIm Dean of LIberaL artS SayS StuDentS neeD ‘exPoSure to tHe WorLD’ hree decades ago and an ocean away in his native Ghana, Dr. Mohamed Yamba, Cal U’s new interim dean of the College of Liberal Arts, made a life-changing international connection.

“During my college years at the University of Ghana,” he recalls, “I ran into a linguistics professor, Rex Moser, who had come from Ohio University to teach there. I became his research assistant, and I guess he was impressed, because he recommended that I go to OU to further my education.”

Yamba earned dual master’s degrees in political science and international affairs at Ohio University, to go with his dual bachelor’s degrees in English and linguistics from the University of Ghana.

He got his Ph.D. in public policy research and analysis from the University of Pittsburgh. And he earned a postgraduate certificate in teaching undergraduate data analysis at The Ohio State University.

Yamba says he draws on his international experiences and their impact as he charts the future of the College of Liberal Arts.

“To be educated means to have a liberal arts education,” he says. “We can specialize in the sciences or other areas, but liberal arts makes us educated. It teaches us about other cultures.

“Our students need to be exposed to more than just the three R’s. We need exposure to culture. We need exposure to diversity. We need exposure to the world.”

Yamba, who is a professor of political science at Cal U, remains active

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MEET THE DEAN Dr. Mohamed Yamba was born in Old Tafo, Ghana, He now lives in Monroeville, Pa., with his wife, Shashi. They have two children, Sharifa ’10 and Vikram. His niece Emily and nephew William are both students at Cal U. Yamba’s hobbies include reading, writing poetry and fiction, sketching, painting, and hiking. He also likes to fish, saying it teaches him patience — and gives him time to read while waiting for a bite.

internationally as a member of the steering committee of the Researchers Alliance for Development, which works with the World Bank on policy issues.

He will attend a meeting in Paris at the end of May. He also is writing a paper on immigration policy in European Union countries and working on a book on the politics of Africa.

He “has hit the ground running” since taking over as interim dean in January for Dr. Michael Hummel, who returned to the classroom.

“I have seen enormous changes at Cal U since I came here in 1989, and I believe strongly in what President Armenti is doing,” Yamba says. “We have faculty who are very hard-working and smart and doing a lot of important

research. Cal U is gaining recognition, not just around the country but around the world with Global Online.

“We have students here from South Africa, China, Russia, Kazakhstan. What is the probability that Cal U would have someone from Kazakhstan? But we do, and those global opportunities will only continue to grow.”

Yamba acknowledges the challenges that Cal U faces with state budget realities, but he remains confident about the high-quality education the University will continue to provide.

“What I expect is that the college will become more efficient. We will attract students who continue to achieve more. I am committed to making sure we move forward.” n

By Wendy Mackall, assistant communications director at Cal U

3

Prehistoric site remains field school’s toughest challenge Stymied, archaeologists seek oK to employ high-tech mapping tools

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hen Dr. John Nass led students to a new archaeological field school site in 2009, he didn’t realize they would be uncovering a mystery.

“Some people thought it had been a Civil War fort, and others thought it could have been a historic cattle pen or an early settlers’ fort,” says Nass, an archaeology professor in the Department of Justice, Law and Society at Cal U. “We were not sure what we were getting into.”

Once owned by a Catholic priest, the Father Angel site is nestled along Ten-Mile Creek, near the small community of Old Zollarsville Fort in Washington County, Pa. With a natural creek bordering one side, the land sits nearly 40 feet above any surrounding formation and is fortified with an earthen wall.

“I thought the site would be interesting to study, because it is so rare to find an earthwork formation,” Nass says.

Cal U students excavate a portion of the Father Angel site near Old Zollarsville Fort in Washington County, Pa.

Native Americans used earthen walls for defense, but the structures aren’t typically found in this region. Nass says he knows of no similar sites in southwestern Pennsylvania.

Alumnus Doug Sahady ’93 recommended the site to Nass in 2008. Sahady, now an archaeology instructor at West Virginia University, suggested that Cal U and WVU hold a joint field school at the site.

Uncovering the past Cal U has been using field schools to give students firsthand experience in archaeological field methods since the late 1960s.

Students prepare sites for digs, excavate them, process and classify artifacts, and give presentations about their research.

“The best part of field school is not only learning the many techniques to apply to archae-

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ology, but also getting to play in the dirt all day with people who become your close friends,” says Lindsey Space, a senior archaeology major.

“It was a wonderful learning experience that was well worth a month out of my summer.”

The field school participants document their findings, and Nass takes photographs each summer to use as teaching aids.

“The slides are helpful, but they aren’t the same as having experience in the field,” he says. “If students have already participated in a field school, they can relate better to the material we are covering in advanced archaeology classes.”

Nass has directed field schools at four other Pennsylvania sites: the Sorn site in East Millsboro, the Red Stone Old Fort in Brownsville, the Jones site in Greensboro and the Pitt Gas Mound in Pitt Gas. None of his previous digs was as puzzling as the Father Angel site, he says.

Students from Cal U and WVU began excavations in 2009.

They soon ruled out the notion that the site had been a Civil War-era fort.

Other historical connections were dismissed, “leaving us with two possible functions,” Nass explains.

“We were able to determine it was either a prehistoric fortified village or a ceremonial site for religious purposes.”

If the site was indeed a fortified village, Nass believes it was occupied during the period known as the Late Prehistoric Era, roughly between 1000-1580 A.D.

Absent artifacts Although he usually organizes a field school every other year, Nass led students back to the Father Angel property in 2010. The students again joined WVU students at the site.

Excavations revealed little, however.

The archaeology students recovered only a few arrowheads and some “debitage,” or fragments from the creation of chipped stone tools.

Still, the lack of artifacts was itself another clue to the site’s past.

“We are pretty close to eliminating (the notion) that it was a fortified village site,” says Nass. “If we were looking at a fortified village, we would tend to see the outlines of houses and all manner of things.”

Hoping to provide a more fulfilling educational experience for his students in the upcoming summer field school, Nass has submitted a proposal to conduct magnetometry mapping of the Father Angel site.

Magnetometry measures and maps subtle changes in the Earth’s magnetic field. Activities such as burning, or even digging, leave evidence that can be found using this technique.

“We want to use specialized equipment to completely map the extent of the earthwork and the parts of the land that we cannot see,” explains Nass.

He believes that only one-fifth of the earthwork is visible. Time and weather likely have buried the rest.

He also hopes that the magnetometry mapping will reveal areas that may contain artifacts.

One last look Targeting these spots for digging will be a key component of this summer’s joint Cal U and WVU field school — the final excavation at the Father Angel site.

“Digging can negatively impact the preservation of a site and ruin a rare piece of land,” Nass says. “In archaeology, we always like to leave a portion of the site intact for future archaeologists.”

It has been difficult for students to learn critical skills with so few artifacts on the site.

“We usually like to find refuse-filled trash pits, so that students can develop a full range of archaeological skills and learn field methods,” Nass says.

“It has been impossible to do that at this site.”

This summer’s field school may yet show results. If the magnetometry is approved, the archaeologists will have a better idea of where to search for artifacts.

Otherwise, the Father Angel site will have fended off archaeologists just as it may have protected its people nearly a thousand years ago.

Whatever those earthen walls were protecting may always remain a mystery. n

Doug Sahady (back right), an archaeology instructor at West Virginia University, supervises an excavation by Cal U and WVU students.

Students collaborate to make and record measurements as they excavate a plot at the Father Angel site. The field school gives archaeology students experience with research techniques.

By Jeff Bender, PR and Web writer at Cal U

Dr. John Nass, a professor in the Department of Justice, Law and Society, takes an active role in demonstrating archaeological field methods.

5

Interdisciplinary approach helps Leadership Studies minor grow eadership is a balancing act, says Dr. Gary DeLorenzo, The program’s emphasis on collaboration is evident in the director of the Leadership Studies minor at California Leadership Advisory Board. Faculty members from a variety University of Pennsylvania. of disciplines provide strategic and tactical direction, relating As a leader moves an organization toward its overall vision, the Leadership Studies minor to classroom activities, he or she must innovate and make improvements without conferences and workshops. ignoring the needs of those within the group.

Through the advisory board’s planning, a number of campus Business executives aren’t the only organizations are contributing to ones who need leadership skills, he students’ leadership education: adds. So at Cal U, students have a • THE LINDA AND HARRY SERENE LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE, founded by chance to incorporate leadership two Cal U graduates and directed by training into their education — and advisory board member Dr. Michael more of them are taking advantage Hummel, sponsors a leadership of the opportunity each semester. camp for local high school students, “In the last three years, our enrolla speaker series and an annual ment has grown over 24 percent, leadership conference. with 63 students now in the Leader• The AMERICAN DEMOCRACY PROJECT ship Studies minor,” DeLorenzo says.

(ADP) at Cal U focuses on leadership The interdisciplinary program in politics and public policy, including is available to students in all Cal U environmental issues. Directed by Colleges — education and professional advisory board member Dr. Melanie studies, liberal arts, and science and Blumberg, the mission of the ADP technology — and is designed is to inform members of the campus to complement all majors. community and to promote Students enrolled in the 21-credit civic engagement. program are educated in the leader• THE LEADERSHIP CLUB, led by ship tools and social skills necessary Dr. Emily Sweitzer, helps students to gain a competitive edge in the network with business and governworkforce. ment entities, making contacts that DeLorenzo believes the program’s can help students and alumni find strong interdisciplinary focus accounts employment opportunities. for its increasing popularity. Strong We are believers in what we are doing, Additional faculty support has support from President Angelo and when we bring the diverse resources been provided by Dr. Craig Fox, Armenti, Jr. and the Cal U administraof the University together, the whole who has led recruitment efforts by tion and faculty also has played a is greater than the individual pieces. creating marketing brochures and role in its growth.

DR. GARY DELORENZO, enhancing the minor’s website; and “We feel that students will be DIRECTOR OF THE LEADERSHIP STUDIES MINOR recent board members Dr. Anthony able to use leadership skills from the Rodi and Dr. Gwen Perry-Burney, who continue to raise minor and apply those attributes to … awareness of the program’s value. careers in their respective disciplines,” DeLorenzo says.

“We are believers in what we are doing, and when we bring The curriculum includes 12 credits of required courses in the diverse resources of the University together, the whole is leadership theory and applications, as well as a field internship. greater than the individual pieces,” says DeLorenzo.

Nine additional credits fall under Cal U’s general education “It is amazing for us to see how excited students get when requirements, allowing each student to customize the minor they realize they can use their leadership skills in everything they by choosing courses in business, communications, politics, do in their discipline. It takes them to a whole new level.” n social theory or other areas.

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By Jeff Bender, PR and Web writer at Cal U

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ThE InTERnATIonALS LiberaL arts facuLty traveL the worLd Faculty members in the College of Liberal Arts truly are citizens of the world. For a number of professors, international travel has opened the door to educational, teaching and research opportunities. By networking with scholars around the globe, they also forge connections that benefit California University and its students.

Andrea Cencich, an instructor of Spanish in the Department of Modern Languages and Cultures, will lead students on an internship experience to Santiago, Chile, where they will work as teachers’ aides in a city middle school. The students will learn about organizational and pedagogical approaches to teaching in a non-English-speaking environment, gain multicultural educational experience, and experience real life Latino culture in extracurricular activity. Cencich and her department expect to develop lasting relations with Chilean institutions that will benefit both Cal U and Chilean students.

Dr. Paul Crawford, assistant professor in the Department of History and Political Science, organized a three-day event, “Dancing with Death: Warfare, Wounds and Disease in the Middle Ages,” with the help of Dr. Sara Downey, an assistant professor in the Department of English; Dr. Cassandra Kuba, an assistant professor in the Department of Justice, Law and Society; and several students. Speakers were drawn to the Cal U campus from all over the world, including West Point and other domestic institutions, Cambridge University in the United Kingdom and the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology in China. The event attracted such national attention that Dr. Crawford has been asked to lead a tour to Syria for Far Horizons, an organization that specializes in historical tours.

Associate professors Dr. Michael Hummel and Dr. Emily Sweitzer, both in the Department of Justice, Law and Society, are co-chairs of the 5th annual Conference on Domestic and International Security. With a theme of “Transnational Crimes,” the event on Oct. 25 at Cal U will engage domestic and international scholars and renowned field practitioners in a critical analysis and discussion of international criminal units, human trafficking, illegal drug and weapon sales, chemical arms, and immigration and border issues.

Dr. Carole Waterhouse, a professor in the Department of English as well as a prolific writer and novelist, has traveled far and wide researching material for her manuscripts. Her most recent work has involved travel to Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Hungary and Greece, where she is acquiring material for a novel about the Empress Elisabeth of Austria. Waterhouse’s students have benefited from her travel experiences, as well: Her newly structured course, Woman as Hero, for example, includes an international focus on women’s issues in Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan and Turkey.

Dr. Sean Madden and Dr. Mohamed Yamba, professors in the Department of History and Political Science, recently traveled to Wollo University in Ethiopia.

There they taught two seminars each and assisted the newly created Ethiopian university in designing its own Faculty Development Program. The pair also explored collaborative relationships with Cal U, including student and faculty exchanges.

7

Monkey see, monkey do?

Psychology professor bases class on her own research with primates sychology students at Cal U now have a better understanding of how humans and animals are alike.

“I think students are usually shocked to see the commonalities that exist between humans and animals,” says Dr. Carrie Rosengart, an assistant professor in the Department of Psychology.

For the first time this semester, Rosengart is offering a Special Topics: Comparative Psychology class where

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students research animal learning and cognition, then compare their findings to human behavioral patterns.

“There is this connection that people have to animals,” Rosengart says. “I think a lot of students have curiosity about where the similarities and differences exist.”

Much of the class is structured around Rosengart’s personal research with various species of monkeys.

A comparative cognition specialist, she recently studied the behavior of capuchin monkeys and cottontop tamarins, but she also has studied squirrel monkeys and gorillas.

To test their memory, Rosengart designs games for the primates to play.

She also performs tests to measure the animals’ perception of the world around them.

“I am interested in issues such as memory — and specifically memory error, or what is causing them to forget or miscode information,” she says.

Although students will not have access to monkeys themselves, they can use Rosengart’s research as the basis of their studies.

They also are getting a firsthand look at a psychology researcher’s career.

“I enjoy this class because I am able to take this experience I have, get the students to see all the implications of my work, then see how it relates back to the their own understanding,” Rosengart says.

“I think it is important for students to have professors who are current in their field, and I hope that studying animal behavior will give them something new to think about.” n

By Jeff Bender, PR and Web writer at Cal U

California University of Pennsylvania The College of Liberal Arts 250 University Avenue Phone: 724-938-4240 Fax: 724-938-5871 E-mail: liberalarts@calu.edu www.calu.edu/academics/colleges/liberal-arts A proud member of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education Integrity, Civility, Responsibility

alumni events

Lifetime Achievement Award

Florida alumni gather in Tampa at Maggiano’s Little Italy restaurant to hear a campus update from President Armenti.

Alumni gather in February at the Black Finn Saloon in Washington. D.C. These alumni are actively coordinating upcoming events and opportunities for current student engagement in and around Washington, D.C.

Young alumni enjoy an evening of fun and festivities at Jay’s Sports Bar in Southpointe, Pa. For more information about the Young Alumni Advisory Council, contact Ryan Jerico, Coordinator of Student and Young Alumni Programs, at jerico@calu.edu.

Michele M. Mandell ’69 became the first female recipient of Cal U’s Lifetime Achievement Award during the fifth annual Cal Pride Weekend festivities.

“Not only her achievements but the values she incorporates are really quite extraordinary,” said President Angelo Armenti, Jr., who President Angelo presented the award April 8 Armenti, Jr. presents the at the Kara Alumni House.

Lifetime Achievement “They serve as a testament Award to Michele M. to her character and a shining Mandell ’69. example to those she has met in her lifetime. At Cal U she has contributed her time, talent and treasure in so many ways.”

Mandell retired in 2009 after 26 years with Talbots, a leading specialty retailer and direct marketer of women’s classic clothing, shoes and accessories.

Starting as a store manager in Pittsburgh, she assumed steadily increasing positions of responsibility — and broke a series of gender barriers — until she became the company’s first female executive vice president in January 2003.

In that role Mandell was responsible for Talbots’ entire retail stores operation, including sales volume in excess of $1.5 billion.

“Receiving this award will always be one of my greatest achievements,” Mandell said. “I am proud to say there’s no place like home – and that’s here at Cal U. I am so grateful for this honor.”

In a special address delivered to students, alumni, family members and other well-wishers in the Performance Center, Mandell said her Cal U experience and her family’s support were the foundation of her success.

“In every element of your life, it’s your integrity and your ethics that define you,” she told the audience.

“We are most defined not by what we do but by who we are. As Abraham Lincoln said, ‘Whatever you are, be a good one.’”

Since leaving Talbots, Mandell said she is enjoying “Act II” of her career, which includes work as a retail consultant. She also is secretary of the board of directors for the Foundation for California University and a member of the Board of Presidential Advisors.

“Regardless of how the next acts in my life unfold, there will always be a commitment to Cal U and it will always be a big part of my life,” she said. “We must give back in recognition of all we have been afforded.”

SPRING 2011 CAL U REVIEW 19 n

ALUMNI S P O T L I G H T

‘love and brotherhood’ impresses mason s a teenager working in a hometown funeral business, Tim Warco ’74 was impressed by the Masons who held services for deceased members of the fraternal organization.

“I watched those gentlemen honor their friends, and I saw how much those services meant to the families,” says Warco, of Washington, Pa. This early appreciation of the brotherhood blossomed years later when he “petitioned the lodge” and became a Mason himself.

Today, Warco holds a statewide leadership role as the Right Eminent Grand Commander of Knights Templar of Pennsylvania. The one-year position took six years to achieve, with Warco moving up through the fraternity’s ranks with symbolic, capitular, chivalric and “Scottish Rite” roles.

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Tim Warco ‘74

20 CAL U REVIEW SPRING 2011 n

The Knights Templar is a Christian-oriented group based on the organization founded in the 11th century. Knights Templar members are part of the world's oldest fraternal organization, known as the Ancient Free and Accepted Masons or simply Masons.

While he serves fellow Masons in his new leadership role, Warco continues to serve residents of his hometown. He is the owner of a local funeral home and the elected coroner for Washington County since 1992.

He is also active in business development groups and social and fraternal organizations in the region, including the Washington Jaycees and Washington Kiwanis Club. He maintains longtime ties to professional industry associations as well.

Warco became a licensed funeral director in 1975, a year after graduating from Cal U with a bachelor’s degree in psychology.

The Knights Templar’s charitable organizations also keep him busy, but Warco says he simply considers it “an honor and a privilege” to make a contribution. He supports the Knights Templar Eye Foundation, a school for students with dyslexia and other Masonic charitable efforts.

“To be able to help children is wonderful,” he says.

In a way, much of what is important in the life of this Cal U graduate comes back to those lifeaffirming services he witnessed as a teenager.

“Those services were certainly symbolic of all the love and brotherhood the fraternal organization offered then and continues to offer today,” Warco says. n

RETIREd CHIEf lEAdS SYRIA SHRINE fficially he is the Illustrious Sir George W. Polnar, the 111th Potentate. But he’s still the same George.

Earlier this year Polnar was elected to the highest office of the Syria Shrine, the largest Shriners group in North America. In August he will be named a 33rd degree Mason.

The Shriners, all Master Masons, enjoy social occasions and support Shriners Hospitals for Children through their philanthropic work.

For Polnar, the title of Potentate is a formality that comes with the territory.

Before assuming this key role, he served in various Syria Shrine posts and committees, including law enforcementbased groups in the fraternity.

Polnar is a criminal justice professional. For 31 years he was a member of the Monroeville, Pa., police force, rising through the ranks from patrolman to criminal investigator and eventually from training lieutenant to chief.

He served as Monroeville’s chief of police for 13 years.

A few years after graduating from the FBI National Academy, and in the thick of his professional responsibilities as chief, Polnar entered Cal U’s master’s degree program in criminal justice. He says he took on the academic challenge to enhance his education and set an example for those who served with him.

“One of my patrol officers became part of the program,” he says proudly.

Polnar graduated summa cum laude in 2002.

In subsequent years his professional appointments and memberships included the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency and the state Law Enforcement Accreditation Commission. He served as president of both the Allegheny County and

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George Polnar ’02

the Western Pennsylvania Chiefs of Police associations.

Polnar retired from the Monroeville Police Department in 2010, but he maintains a number of professional roles. Three institutions, including Cal U, have asked him to serve on criminal justice advisory boards, and he chairs the advisory board at Community College of Allegheny County. He also teaches criminal justice courses at Point Park University in Pittsburgh.

And in his free time? When he isn’t leading a Shriners charitable initiative or traveling to represent the fraternity, Polnar enjoys being an amateur radio operator.

“It’s a great hobby,” he says.

“I get to talk to people around the world.” n

Justin Leader ‘05, ‘07

financial adviser puts people first ustin Leader ’05, ’07 calls his work in financial advising a “natural fit.”

An avid fitness enthusiast, he has a master’s degree in exercise science and experience running a large fitness facility. Then he worked in pharmaceutical sales.

So what’s the common thread in his varied career? It’s his “clientcentric” approach, says Leader, of York, Pa. Finding solutions and putting the customer first cuts across all industries.

Today, Leader helps people reach their financial objectives. It’s not what he envisioned growing up in a family without its own financial goals or the tradition of higher education.

In fact, it was only after he accompanied a friend on a visit to Cal U that Leader realized he could create his own path using the education and connections the University offered.

The school’s resident assistants helped him get acclimated to college life, he says. Soon he became one too, helping new students make the most of their college years.

Leader graduated with a degree in biology, then began studying for his graduate degree. After completing

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the online program in exercise science summa cum laude, he began to manage a fitness facility with more than 16,000 members and to develop his “client-centric” sales philosophy.

He parlayed the sales experience into a job in the pharmaceutical industry, earning a national Rookie of the Year award. Then changes in health care regulations required a change in career focus.

Leader’s passion for serving clients first is now evident in his role as a financial adviser for Morgan Stanley Smith Barney.

In 2010 he completed the company’s comprehensive training program and passed licensing examinations by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority and the North American Securities Administrators Association.

Leader says he enjoys the work, particularly when he is able to help different generations reach their financial goals.

It was Cal U, he says, that set him on a path of putting others first in his work and personal life.

“I attempt to live and breathe civility, integrity and responsibility daily,” he says. n

By Colleen C. Derda, a Pittsburgh-based writer

SPRING 2011 CAL U REVIEW 21 n

Live, learn and celebrate!

Arts and entertainment shared the stage with academics and alumni affairs during a busy spring semester at Cal U. During common hours and after classes, the campus community celebrated diversity, explored careers and enjoyed presentations by a full slate of accomplished speakers and performers.

Black Violin Florida natives Wil B and Kevin Marcus, aka Black Violin, deliver a high-energy performance that blends classical violin with jazz, hip-hop and funk. The concert in February was just one highlight of Black History Month activities showcasing the accomplishments of African-Americans in education, finance and the arts.

Jazz sessions Sax players Laura Bertoni (left), of Peters Township, Pa., and Jaxson Schwab, of Oakland, Md., take a break during CJE XXIX, the 29th annual California Jazz Experience. High school and middle school jazz bands joined Cal U musicians for three days of performances and master classes, capped off by a performance by the popular ‘Burgh Big Band.

Twin Poets Award-winning slam poets Al Mills and Nnamdi Chukwuocha share their art on Feb. 18. The Philadelphia-based wordsmiths also run a youth mentoring program focusing on self-expression.

She’s that girl Writer and motivational speaker Alexis Jones shares her message about the power of women and the importance of living your dreams. Jones, who appeared on TV’s Survivor, visited campus during the March celebration of Women’s History Month.

The celebration also included an appearance

by Olympic medal-winner Jessica Mendoza, keynote speaker at the 6th annual Audrey-Beth Fitch Women’s Studies Conference.

22 CAL U REVIEW SPRING 2011 n

Post-mortem Pathologist Dr. Cyril Wecht answers questions about his work as a forensic scientist and coroner, including cases involving President John F. Kennedy, Jon Benet Ramsey and Elvis Presley.

The presentation also spotlighted a certificate program offered to Cal U students in cooperation with the Cyril H. Wecht Institute of Forensic Science and Law at Duquesne University.

Tuition Freedom Day Students rally to thank taxpayers for their contribution to public higher education on Tuition Freedom Day, the mathematical date when the tuition funds that students or their families pay for the academic year are exhausted. Later in the semester, students and faculty rallied again to express concerns about appropriations for state-owned universities.

online calendar spotlights events

&DOLIRUQLD 8QLYHUVLW\

interaCtive Website gives details, makes faCebook ConneCtion

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hat’s happening at Cal U? The online events calendar has the answer.

If you have a Facebook account, it even can tell you whether your “friends” plan to attend key campus events.

“The calendar raises awareness and provides information,” says Bryan Engel, who works with the Cal U Web team. A former Bryan Engel promotions manager for ESPN Radio, Engel has been managing the online calendar since July.

“We want to let the entire Cal U community, including alumni, know what’s going on,” he says. “Talks, performances, open houses, career fairs — there are so many different activities.

The calendar puts all the information about them in one place.”

Visitors to the Cal U website, www.calu.edu, can find the Events carousel on the homepage. A photo and a brief description highlight upcoming activities; users click “more” to see a full description, plus details about time, location and ticketing.

“If registration is required, visitors can register right here,” Engel explains.

“The calendar also provides links to relevant information — a performer’s

own website, for instance, or maybe a YouTube video.”

Visitors with Facebook accounts can log in through the calendar, join the event and see which of their Facebook “friends” also plan to attend.

Annual activities, such as Homecoming, are posted well in advance, so the calendar serves as a “save-the-date” reminder for students and alumni.

It also lists important academic deadlines, such as graduation dates and drop/add dates for classes.

“I’m a fan!” says Melissa Dunn, director of student activities and programming.

“The Student Activities Board has been using the calendar to promote all the activities we host on campus, from the movies in Vulcan Theatre to spotlight performances in the Underground Cafe to major events like the comedy shows we sponsor. I believe that attendance has increased at events because of their appearance on the calendar.”

More people are using the calendar every month, Engel says. In March alone, the site registered nearly 46,500 “click-throughs” to the event details.

“Some people used to think there wasn’t much to do at Cal U,” Engel says. “Actually, they just didn’t know where to find out about all our events.

Now the calendar makes it easy.

“Take a look. No matter what you enjoy, you’ll find something going on at Cal U.” n

By Christine Kindl, communications director at Cal U

WHAT’S HAPPENING?

1. Boot camp

3,875 3,149

3. Spring break

2,927

4. Fencing Club

2,527

5. STAND (campus ministry)

2,446

6. Audrey-Beth Fitch Women’s Studies Conference

1,477

7. Knightly and Samurai Combat activity

1,172

8. Last day to drop a class

999

9. U.S. Marines officer recruitment (Career Services)

881 841

10. Spring Academic Open House

1,000

2,000

3,000

online Journal has neW look

Instead of downloading a PDF file, online readers simply click to flip the pages of the Journal, zoom in and out to read text more easily, and share publications via e-mail and social media networks.

The online version of the Journal is easier to read thanks to Issuu, a Web-based digital platform that allows for a realistic, magazinestyle viewing of publications.

The Journal, Cal U’s weekly news publication, has undergone a digital makeover.

A PDF link remains available for anyone who wishes to download and print a copy of the Journal.

Archived editions from previous years still use the PDF format.

Each week during the spring and fall semesters, and monthly in July and August, the Journal provides a roundup of campus news and events.

The convenient, online format is more cost-effective than printing and makes the Journal available to the entire campus community.

To read the Journal, click “News” at the top of the Cal U homepage, www.calu.edu; look for “Cal U Journal” to see the current edition or to review archived editions.

Issuu also is being used to present current editions of other University publications, including the Cal U Review, on the Cal U website.

Visitors used the online calendar to check these Top 10 events March 1-31, 2011. The number after each event represents “click-throughs” to the event details.

2. ‘Harry Potter’ (movie at Vulcan Theatre)

4,000 SPRING 2011 CAL U REVIEW 23 n

HaiL to Hamer!

Members of the men’s basketball team celebrate their final game in Hamer Hall.

undreds of alumni and Vulcan basketball fans packed the bleachers to say farewell to Hamer Hall.

Beginning next season, the Vulcan men’s and women’s basketball teams will play home games in the new Convocation Center.

At “Hail to Hamer!” receptions on Feb. 19, alumni reminisced about the facility that has been the home court for Vulcan basketball since 1965.

Standout players — both men and women — returned to campus to share their memories of games won and lost, while members of the Sixth Man Club relived memorable moments from the past.

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After both the men’s and women’s teams defeated Gannon University in games broadcast by WPCW-TV, head coaches Bill Brown and Mark Swasey looked ahead to playing in the new arena.

The Vulcan volleyball team will continue to play on the Hamer court.

“Hamer Hall will remain a vital part of our campus,” said Cal U President Angelo Armenti, Jr. “We will build a new tradition at the Convocation Center, but we’ll always remember the accomplishments of the student-athletes and coaches who proudly called Hamer Hall their home.” n

By Bruce Wald ’85, information writer at Cal U

Alumni (left to right) George Roadman ’68, Charles Gladney ’66 and J. Patrick Hobart ’68 share memories of Hamer Hall.

24 CAL U REVIEW SPRING 2011 n

Markeya Lowry ‘90 (left) and senior Tiara Wynn embrace in the stands.

Monica Kramer ‘96 sings the national anthem before the final regular-season basketball games in Hamer Hall.

President Angelo Armenti, Jr. spends a moment with (from left) former Vulcan basketball standout and coach Shea Fleenor ‘98; assistant director of Alumni Relations Leslie Fleenor ’08; the couple’s children, Emily, 7, and Abby, 10; and Paul Lancaster ’95.

Touchdown: 1994 rookie of the Year scores his degree fORMER fOOTBAll plAYER BECOMES lIfElONG lEARNING’S fIRST INTERNATIONAl GRAdUATE anadian Jeff Welsh may have been the first international student recruited by the Cal U football team. Although he played defensive back, he scored a touchdown for the Vulcans in 1994.

Seventeen years later, he has scored academically, becoming the first international graduate of Cal U’s Office of Lifelong Learning.

A lifelong resident of Burlington, Ontario, Welsh earned his bachelor’s degree this spring in Liberal Studies, one of three baccalaureate completion degree programs offered through Lifelong Learning.

“I might have the longest undergraduate career of all time,” he jokes, “but I could not be any prouder.”

An industrial psychology major when he initially came to Cal U, Welsh was named the Vulcans’ Defensive Rookie of the Year in 1994. One highlight of that season was his 68-yard fumble recovery, which he ran for a touchdown against IUP. A concussion, coupled with a job offer, ended his playing career and put his education on hold. Welsh left Cal U after the 1996-1997 academic year.

Back home, he began working for Samuel Son and Co., a metal processing, manufacturing and distribution firm.

Today, the company is the fifth largest processor and distributor of carbon steel, stainless steel and aluminum in North America — and Welsh is an account manager who oversees some $40 million in revenue.

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Finish what you started The Office of Lifelong Learning at California University offers these degree completion programs: • Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies • Bachelor of Arts in Social Science • Bachelor of Arts in Science and Technology Classes are held in the evening or online during the fall, spring and summer sessions. For more information, visit www.calu.edu; use the keyword “Lifelong Learning” and explore the Evening College offerings. Or call Lifelong Learning at 724-938-5840.

“When I started working, I had planned to attend night school somewhere close to home,” Welsh recalls.

“But I was young, had a little bit of money and just never did. But not graduating was always in the back of my mind. It felt like a cloud hanging over me that I was a university dropout.”

In 2007, Lifelong Learning sent a letter reminding Welsh that he was close to earning a degree. That piqued his interest. He inquired at several schools within a half-hour’s drive from his home — but he ended up getting back in touch with Cal U. Welsh began the online degree completion program in September 2009, and he applied for graduation this winter.

“I had encountered so many roadblocks elsewhere,” he says. “The people at Cal U made it so simple.”

The diploma will help to advance his career. “Without an undergraduate degree, you have no chance,” he adds.

Next, he hopes to pursue his MBA online.

Welsh says he and his wife, Sarah, clinked champagne glasses when he officially completed his degree. And he got a thrill when he was introduced as a speaker at an industry event.

“The guy was reading my bio, and to hear him say I was a graduate of California University of Pennsylvania ...

It was a feeing that’s hard to describe.”

Now Welsh wears a Cal U ring, and he hopes to visit his alma mater again soon.

Colleagues from Samuel Son and Co.’s Pittsburgh office tell him the campus has been transformed.

“Cal U has always been good to me,” Welsh says. “They made the process of returning so easy.

“Before finishing my degree, I felt as if I had run 80 yards of a 100-yard dash.

Now it feels like I’m caught up.” n

By Bruce Wald ’85, information writer at Cal U

SPRING 2011 CAL U REVIEW 25 n

SPORTS R O U N D U P

VUlCAN pRIdE the 2010-2011 winter sports season closed with tournament play by both men’s and women’s teams and individual honors for a number of vulcan players.

National champion Melissa Gates and head swimming coach Ed Denny

Swimmer wins NCAA national title Junior Melissa Gates became the first national individual champion in Cal U women’s swimming history when she won the 50-yard freestyle at the 2011 NCAA Division II Championships.

Her time — 22.72 seconds — set records for Cal U and the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC).

Gates also earned All-America honors with a third-place national finish in the 100 freestyle, where she clocked a school-record time of 49.97 seconds.

Freshman swimmer Clarissa Enslin reached All-America status, too, finishing in seventh place in the finals of the 200 freestyle with a mark of 1 minute, 51.64 seconds.

As a team, the Vulcans finished at No. 14 in the nation.

Before the national championships, Cal U tied its best finish in program history by placing third at the PSAC championships. Enslin and sophomore Georgia Emert won the 200 and 500 freestyle events, respectively.

The 400 freestyle relay team — consisting of Enslin, fellow freshmen Kelsey Nuhfer and Jess Machmer, and Gates — took second place. Also placing second was the 200 medley relay quartet of sophomore Kasey Travitz, Gates, Machmer and Enslin.

Head swimming coach Ed Denny is in his ninth year at Cal U.

26 CAL U REVIEW SPRING 2011 n

Track standout repeats as All-American After winning his second consecutive PSAC title in the 60-meter run, senior Brice Myers earned All-America honors in the event for a third time by placing sixth at the NCAA Division II Indoor Track and Field Championships.

Myers beat his own school record with a time of 7.90 seconds in the preliminaries.

Freshman Monique Sims led the women’s effort at the conference championships with two silver medals and a pair of school records in the 200-meter (25.59 seconds) and 60-meter (7.84 seconds) events.

The Vulcan 4x400-meter relay team of Sims, juniors Shakeria Love and Jerica Sneddon, and sophomore Katurrah HaymanAlston also placed second, with a time of 3 minutes, 57.64 seconds.

The head coach for both teams is Roger Kingdom.

Three hockey teams close a banner season Cal U's College Hockey East (CHE) men’s hockey team advanced to the national semifinals in the American Collegiate Hockey Association’s Division 3 tournament.

The Vulcans won a fifth straight CHE championship before winning two of four games at the national tourney.

Coached by Justin Berger, Cal U’s club team finished the season with a 27-4-1 overall record.

Graduate student Ryan Jones and senior Nick Posa led the team with 78 and 40 points, respectively.

The women’s hockey club concluded its third year by winning the Delaware Valley Collegiate Hockey Conference Division I Championship.

After finishing in third place during the regular season, Cal U dominated the DVCHC playoffs, winning three straight games.

Amanda Smith was named the tournament’s most valuable player, and leading scorer Tiffany Juha chalked up eight goals in three games.

Coached by Gregg Kaminski, the team ended the season with an 11-6-4-2 record.

Cal U’s Collegiate Hockey Association (CHA) men’s club team, under the guidance of head coach Ed Newill, finished the season 11-8 and reached the CHA semifinals.

Men’s basketball season ends with wins

Kayla Smith

Women’s basketball star sets career rebound record The women’s basketball team rolled to its 11th consecutive appearance in the PSAC championship game and its 10th straight showing in the NCAA Division II Tournament.

Leading the way was senior center Kayla Smith, who earned PSAC-West Athlete of the Year honors after averaging 18.5 points and 12.4 rebounds per game and shooting 55 percent from the floor.

One of just three players in school history to score more than 2,000 points and have 1,000 rebounds, Smith finished as Cal U’s leading career rebounder, with 1,307 — the second-highest rebound total in PSAC history.

Her 2,096 total points rank her third in the Cal U record books.

Also earning first-team all-conference honors was sophomore forward Amy Johns, who averaged nearly 16 points and seven rebounds per game.

The Cal U women, under second-year head coach Mark Swasey, finished the season with a 23-8 overall record, the program’s 10th consecutive 20-win season.

Closing the regular season with four straight wins, the men’s basketball team marked its 25th consecutive non-losing season and returned to the PSAC playoffs after a two-year absence.

Under the direction of 15th-year head coach Bill Brown (304-133), the Vulcans won 15 games and narrowly upset nationally ranked IUP in the PSAC quarterfinals.

Post players Rashawd Hatten, a senior, and Steve Swiech, a junior, earned second-team all-conference recognition. Both averaged more than 12 points and five rebounds per game.

Baseball coach hits two milestones Mike Conte became Cal U’s career leader in baseball coaching victories when he guided the Vulcans to a 13-9 win at Lenoir-Rhyne (Hickory, N.C.) University on Feb. 13.

The four-run victory gave Conte 396 career wins, surpassing the 395 games won by 2003 Cal U Hall of Fame inductee Chuck Gismondi ’64, an emeritus professor who coached from 1980-1996.

The late Mitch Bailey ’53, also an emeritus professor, won 282 games from 1960-1979, including the program’s first-ever PSAC championship, in 1979.

Steve Swiech

Just a few weeks after setting the Cal U coaching record, Conte became the 50th active NCAA Division II head coach credited with 400 career wins.

Heading into the 2011 season, Conte had guided the Vulcans to six PSAC-West titles, two PSAC Tournament Championships (2004, 2010) and a pair of NCAA Tournament appearances (2007, 2010). n

By Bruce Wald ’85, information writer at Cal U

Head baseball coach Mike Conte

By Bruce Wald ’85, information writer at Cal U SPRING 2011 CAL U REVIEW 27 n

P

L

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REWARDS

AT AGE 1 2

70

⁄

IRA ASSETS CAN SUPPORT CAL U’S EDUCATIONAL MISSION ho ever thought that age 70½ would become an important milestone? For holders of Individual Retirement Account (IRA) assets, reaching this age is a landmark event.

Some new privileges are available to those reaching that magic age in 2011. Everyone who is 70½ or older this year will want to look ahead and plan to maximize these opportunities.

Reinstated for 2010 and extended for the 2011 calendar year are these privileges and benefits:

W

Privileges • Taxpayers age 70 ½ or older can make qualified charitable distributions from their IRA accounts.

• IRA administrators must make checks or transfers directly to the selected charities. (With few exceptions, most public charities are “qualified.”)

• No minimum amounts apply.

• There is no limit to the number of transfers, but the total of all distributions to all charities can be no more than $100,000 for any taxpayer in a tax year. Spouses can each transfer $100,000 from their own IRAs, for a total of $200,000.

• Transfer deadline for this year is December 31, 2011.

28 CAL U REVIEW SPRING 2011 n

Benefits • The amount transferred to charity can be used to meet the Minimum Required Distributions (MRD) everyone faces after age 70½. If the total of all transfers equals or exceeds the MRD amount, then no MRD is included as taxable income from the IRA. • Transfers up to the $100,000 personal limit will have no effect on other exemptions, deductions or Alternative Minimum Tax computations.

• IRA resources now can be directed as major or capital gifts for charitable programs or projects.

• Giving to family members can be increased when IRA assets are used to meet charitable plans.

• Above all, qualified charitable distributions from IRAs can be used to help preserve and enhance educational opportunities in the mission of California University of Pennsylvania.

The Foundation for California University of Pennsylvania is a public charity qualified to receive transfers from IRA programs.

Should you or your advisers wish to have additional information about “IRA Charitable Rollovers” or “Qualified Charitable Distributions,” contact Gordon Core, director of planned giving. He can be reached at 724-938-5985 or by e-mail to core@calu.edu. n

PAYING IT F O R W A R D

students Create a legaCY With senior gift drive ven before they graduate, many Cal U students are “paying it forward” by contributing to a scholarship fund through the Senior Gift Drive.

In the spirit of Cal U for Life, seniors are encouraged to make a small donation that will benefit future students.

In 2010, the inaugural Senior Gift Drive raised more than $8,000. The kickoff for the 2011 drive was held on Tuition Freedom Day, Feb. 15, when students thanked state legislators and Pennsylvania taxpayers for their support of state-owned universities.

“It was certainly a challenge facing such uncharted territory last year, but accomplishing our goal of creating a scholarship was something that I believed was truly important,” says Erin Berstler ’10, chair of the first Senior Gift Drive Committee.

“We were able to educate our fellow classmates about the importance of ‘paying it forward,’ as well as bonding as a class over a common goal — to contribute to another student getting the great Cal U experience that we had.

I am proud and honored to have been a part of this.”

E

“

Our legacy has yet to be determined, but I hope we can also show our love of Cal U and make this year’s drive an even greater success.

”

BRITTANY BALAZ 2011 SENIOR GIFT DRIVE COMMITTEE CHAIR

Ryan Jerico ’09, coordinator of student and young alumni programs, notes that Cal U’s culture of student philanthropy dates back to 1927, when seniors united to support the Student Loan Fund.

The current Senior Gift Drive is the culmination of activities designed to educate all students about University funding and encourage them to donate their time, talent and treasure.

The process begins during the three-day Cal U for Life orientation, held at the start of each fall semester. At their first University convocation, new students are encouraged to contribute $1 toward scholarships. Those scholarships are awarded immediately, illustrating the big effect of many small contributions to a common cause.

“The Senior Gift Drive is peer-to-peer — the students ask each other for a gift,” Jerico explains. “The students who have been exposed to the program are getting it, and they are clamoring to get involved. The students are really starting to own this.”

The drive emphasizes participation rather than the amount of each gift, he adds. The Class of 2010 had a giving rate of 14.5 percent. This year’s graduating seniors aimed for participation by more than one in four students, and they set a goal of raising $12,000.

“The class of 2010 has set the bar very high for us,” said 2011 committee chair Brittany Balaz as the gift drive began. “Their legacy is being the first class to give back not only time and talent, but also treasure.

“Our legacy has yet to be determined, but I hope we can also show our love of Cal U and make this year’s drive an even greater success.”

The seniors’ dedication has inspired others.

At the May 2010 Commencement, keynote speaker Fred Gladney ’71 was so moved by the first senior gift that he added $3,000 to the total.

To enhance participation this year, University President Angelo Armenti, Jr. agreed to donate $1 for every student who contributes.

Jerico believes the spirit of the Senior Gift Drive, as well as the scholarship fund, will continue to grow.

“This is the students’ first chance to give back in appreciation for the time they have had here, and it’s just going to continue,” he says.

“Hopefully, what we are doing is adding a new scholarship every year, which creates an opportunity for one more student to come to Cal U.” n

By Bruce Wald ’85, information writer at Cal U

SPRING 2011 CAL U REVIEW 29 n

CALU M I L E S T O N E S 50s George W. Shargots, Jr. ’58, who

is retired, lives in McMurray, Pa.

60s

the most prestigious education programs in the United States.

In addition to many professional books and articles, Yukish has published 10 children's books.

John Battaglia ’66 was seeking the

Gayle Fulton Singer ’64 is a

retired teacher. She and her husband, J. Byron, live in Sheridan, Ind. At Cal U, Gayle was head majorette, Panhellenic president and a member of Zeta Tau Alpha.

Ronald Reita ’65 is a retired teacher. He and his wife, Betty Hoffman Reita ’65, live in Mt.

Pleasant, Pa. At Cal U, Ronald was active with the Science Club, Alpha Phi Omega, and as a dining hall waiter.

Dr. Joseph F. Yukish ’65

attempted to retire from his position as professor and Reading Recovery trainer at Clemson University in South Carolina in 2001, but he was called to serve as senior Reading Recovery specialist in New York University's Reading Recovery project and then as senior reading adviser in the Teachers College Reading and Writing Project at Columbia University-Teachers College.

Reading Recovery aims to reduce the number of first-grade students who have extreme difficulty in learning to read.

On Aug. 31, 2010, Yukish began full-time retirement in Tucson, Ariz.

He says he is grateful for the solid foundation he received as an undergraduate and master’s student at Cal U (then California State College), because it enabled him to complete his career in two of

Democratic nomination for a term on the Meadville, Pa., city council.

He was appointed to council in September 2010 to complete the term of a council member who resigned. A self-employed builder and former Penncrest School District teacher, John and his wife, JoAnn, live in Meadville.

Barbara Keefer ’66 is enjoying an

active retirement as a museum teacher at Fort Necessity National Battlefield in Farmington, Pa. After retiring from a 38-year career as a teacher, she worked part time at a day care center and at the Greater Pittsburgh Renaissance Faire. She and her husband, Anthony Keefer ’67, are avid travelers who have visited more than 130 countries — so far. Anthony was a secondary school teacher for 30 years and then taught at Westmoreland County Community College.

He also was an adjunct professor in the Foreign Language Department at Cal U for several years.

Paul Zolak ’69 has been selected

for induction into the Mid Mon Valley All Sports Hall of Fame.

Induction ceremonies are scheduled for June 17. Paul played football at Cal U and went on to become athletic director in the Ringgold and Bethel Park school districts.

He retired in 2004 and has received numerous awards, including the Michael Duda Athletic Achievement Award at Cal U and the Pennsylvania State Athletic Director Association’s Distinguished Service Award.

Charles Duritsa ’69

of Jeannette, Pa., has been appointed by the Westmoreland County Commissioners to serve as public director on the Westmoreland County Conservation District Board of Directors. Charles is the retired director of the Southwest Regional Office of the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection. He now provides environmental consulting services to companies and local government entities. He serves on the Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission and on the boards of the Westmoreland Land Trust, Pittsburgh River Quest, Ohio River Basin Consortium for Research and Education, and Turtle Creek Watershed Association. He also is on the advisory committee for the Carnegie Museum of Natural History’s Powdermill Nature Reserve and Field Station.

70s Dr. Dawn Fredrickson Wilson ’70 is

the executive director of professional development for Duval County Public Schools in Jacksonville, Fla. Dawn was a Sigma Kappa member and Homecoming queen at Cal U. She is married to U.S. Navy Cmdr. Dennis Wilson ’69, and they live in Green Cove Springs, Fla. Gregory Niverth ’71 was seeking

the Democratic nomination for a seat on the Greene County (Pa.) Board of Commissioners. Niverth served on the Jefferson-Morgan School Board from 2004-2010. He has been a member of the Greene County Democratic Committee for 12 years. He is retired from Jessop Steel in Washington, Pa. He and his wife, Mary Lou, live in Greene County, Pa. Kathleen R. Kelley ’72,

Sisters At the end of 2010, a group of Delta Zeta sorority sisters gathered for a holiday lunch at the Omni William Penn hotel in Pittsburgh, Pa. Attending were Susan Regola Ciarimboli ’66, Kay Blackburn ’67, Germaine Stublarac Reed ’67, Karen Mott Fronzaglio ’68, Jolene Martin ’69, Carol Raimondi Meyers ’69, Kim Yeo Pope ’69 and Linda Praza Zemba ’69.

30 CAL U REVIEW SPRING 2011 n

superintendent of the Williamsport Area School District, has been named the 2011 Pennsylvania Superintendent of the Year by the Pennsylvania Association of School Administrators. She has been an administrator since 1978 and superintendent at Williamsport since 2006. In 2009, former Gov. Edward G. Rendell named Williamsport one of the top 50 districts in the state for its improve-

ments over a six-year period.

Kathleen authorized the district to develop a differentiated supervision model, which received a Blue Ribbon Award from the Pennsylvania Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Frank Yankovitch ’72 is retired.

He lives in Eighty-Four, Pa., with his wife, Connie.

Denise Gold ’73 recently opened

her own practice, Better Hearing Care, in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. Larry Haywood ’73, of Rices Landing,

Pa., retired in 2010 from Jefferson Morgan Elementary School in Jefferson, Pa. He taught science and social students for 20 years.

Mike Livingston ’73

caught the largest yellowfin tuna ever caught by an angler with a rod and reel.

He was fishing on the Sportfisher Vagabond, out of San Diego, Calif., when he caught the 405.2-pound fish on Nov. 30, 2010. Mike is awaiting official confirmation of the world record by the International Game Fish Association. Now retired, Mike had a 35-year career as a teacher, dean, principal and central office administrator for the Glendale (Calif.) Unified School District. His wife, the former Patricia Metzger ’73, is continuing her 21-year career with the Department of Catholic Schools, Archdiocese of Los Angeles, after having served as elementary superintendent. She now has a part-time assignment coordinating the accreditation program for the department’s 223 elementary schools. They would love to receive e-mails from Cal U friends at mlivingston47@ca.rr.com.

Robert Chermonitz ’74 is a

pharmaceutical sales specialist for AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals.

He lives in South Park, Pa. Robert Swearingen ’74 works for

Dow Agrosciences. He lives in Indianapolis, Ind. Pamela Martin Adams ’77 is self-

employed as an audiologist/speech language pathologist. She lives in Grantsville, Md. Cindy Scott Grundy ’79 is a social

worker at Focus on Renewal and is married to Larry Grundy. They live in Coraopolis, Pa.

Alan Lynn ’79

was recently promoted to the rank of major general at a ceremony at the U.S. Army Signal Center of Excellence at Fort Gordon, Ga. Maj. Gen. Lynn is the Army’s 35th chief of signal and the commanding general of the U. S. Army Signal Center of Excellence and Fort Gordon. He has commanded at every level, including the 311th Signal Command (Theater), Fort Shafter, Hawaii; the 3rd Signal Brigade; and the 13th Signal Battalion, Fort Hood, Texas. He has served in the 7th Infantry Division, the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), and the 1st Cavalry Division.

He has deployed in support of operations Desert Storm and Desert Shield in Kuwait and Iraq; Operation Joint Forge in Bosnia-Herzegovina; and Operation Iraqi Freedom in Iraq. His highest military awards include the Defense Superior Service Medal, the Legion of Merit, two Bronze Star Medals and the Defense Meritorious Service Medal.

Representing Cal U at the ceremony were Dr. Timothy Susick ’76, ’78, Cal U’s associate vice president of student affairs, and Capt. Robert Prah Jr. ’06, director of veterans affairs.

80s Kevin W. Jenkins ’78, ’81 has been

hired by the Department of the Navy to direct the Facilities Management Division at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md. He retired as a colonel in the U.S. Army in 2006 and has spent the past four years working as a project manager and senior consultant, supporting both private industry and the military in the Baltimore, Md., and Washington, D.C., areas.

Bernard Thomas Murphy ’82

is a technical writer at Honeywell.

He lives in Torrance, Calif.

Tim Urda ’83 is the owner of

Badzik Printing Services, in Donora, Pa. He was featured in a recent newspaper article about the changes the company has undergone since it was founded by Urda’s stepfather, Henry Badzik, in 1948.

Tim’s wife, Maggie ’83, also works at the family business.

Sherri May Anderson ’83 is an

administrative assistant for the College of the Albemarle, in North Carolina. She lives in Nags Head, N.C.

Ron Tozzie ’84 is chief information

Marc Keller ’94 has been appointed

Mike Yurcich ’99 is the offensive

officer for the Texas-based national office of the Boy Scouts of America.

The new position is designed to help the Scouts develop technology for their programs in education, service, leadership and adventure.

A native of East Carnegie, Pa., Ron has built a career in business and information technology services at Dell, Fujitsu USA, Glovia International and other high-tech firms. A resident of Upper St. Clair, Pa., he is married to Mary Pat and has a daughter, Caitlin, and a son, Ron.

senior vice president of sales and marketing for Apangea Learning, a provider of differentiated online math instruction based in Pittsburgh, Pa. In 2007, Marc received the Young Alumni Award from Cal U, given to recent graduates for their professional and personal accomplishments. At the University he was active in student government, was a volunteer coach for the Special Olympics and was an active member of the Chi Chapter of Alpha Kappa Lambda. His father, Len Keller ’61, is a member of the Cal U Alumni Association Board of Directors.

coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Shippensburg University. Mike was a quarterback at Cal U and a captain of the Vulcan teams for two years.

Lisa Lazzari-Strasiser ’88 of

Hooversville, Pa., was seeking the Democratic nomination for Somerset County district attorney. She and her husband, Tony, have three sons.

Barbara Knisely Michelman ’88

is the director of communications for Change the Equation, a new national coalition of more than 110 corporations that are working together to invigorate science, technology, engineering and math education in the United States.

She previously served as director of communications for ASCD, an educational leadership association.

Steve Dancisin ’89 is a senior

Amy Pomykala Kovats ’94 is an

assistant with Aker Construction.

She and her husband, Mike, live in Washington, Pa. Heidi Bushko ’94, of Bushko

Insurance Group, was selected as one of the honorees for the Tampa Bay Business Journal 2010 Up & Comers Awards. She was honored Nov. 4, 2010, at the Renaissance Tampa International Plaza Hotel.

Christopher O’Brien ’95 is director

of clinical education at Seton Hall University in New Jersey. He and his wife, Ann Loyek, live in East Stroudsburg, Pa.

database consultant at Highmark Inc., where he has been employed for the last 15 years. Steve works primarily with Oracle and SQL Server database technology. He lives in Cranberry Township, Pa., with his wife, Jennifer, their two sons, Zack and Tyler, and their two dogs, Bear and Izzie.

David Ferris ’95, ’01 received three

90s

appointed librarian and archivist by the Lebanon County (Pa.) Historical Society.

Karen Yoder ’90 is supervisor of

first-place awards from the Ohio Society of Professional Journalists, including Best Business Profile.

He writes for Cleveland Scene.

Carlo DiGiovanni ’96 and his wife,

Susan Fazio, live in Collegeville, Pa. He played football at Cal U. Brian Kissler ’96 has been

installation for Century Consultants.

She lives in Freehold, N.J. At Cal U, she played softball from 1986-1990 and basketball from 1986-1988.

Richelle Batson ’96 is a licensed

Dr. Joseph Goodwin ’90 of Wheel-

coordinator for the Duquesne University football team. Gary began his coaching career at Cal U as a student assistant in 1994 and finished as a graduate assistant in 1997. He then joined Morehead State’s staff as offensive line/tight ends coach and special teams coordinator. As a player at Cal U, he was a four-year starter and earned all-conference honors at center.

ing, W.Va., has opened a new podiatry office on Jacob Street, in Wheeling.

Kelly A. Stepp ’90 was seeking nomination for Common Pleas Court judge in Greene County, Pa. She has a private law practice in Waynesburg, Pa., and works primarily in the areas of family law and civil litigation. Prior to attending law school, she worked as a registered nurse and was a full-time nursing instructor. She and her husband, Charles, live in Lippencott, Pa., and have three adult children, a daughter-in-law and a granddaughter.

social worker. She lives in Waynesburg, Pa. Gary Dunn ’96 is the new offensive

Rev. John B. Gizler III ’96 has been

appointed pastor of Holy Sepulcher Church in Glade Mills, Pa. John recently completed a pastorate at St. Martin de Porres Church in McKeesport, Pa. He is a priest of the Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh.

00s Dustin Devine ’03, Patrick Taylor ’04, Janice Bytheway ’05, Ryan LaQuay ’10 and Emily Sheer ’10

recently attended the first Cal U alumni reception held at the American Meteorological Society’s annual meeting in Seattle, Wash. The five alumni presented research at the meeting.

Matt Staniszewski ’00 was seeking

the Republican nomination for prothonotary in Washington County, Pa. A member of the Washington City Council, Matt is chief executive officer of BIG LLC, a business investment group based in Scenery Hill. He also does marketing for a regional network of dentists and physicians.

Jason Babony ’00 is a high school

communications technology teacher and head football coach in Niagara Falls, Ontario, working for the District School Board of Niagara. Jason lives with his wife, Jessica, and son, Teague, born Oct. 26, 2010.

Mark Stubblefield ’01 has been

hired by Minor League Baseball as a medical coordinator. He will coordinate the preventative care and injury treatment of minor league umpires through the United States and Canada. He joins the organization after a 10-year career as a certified athletic trainer with both the Cincinnati Reds and, most recently, the Kansas City Royals of Major League Baseball. He is a member of the Professional Baseball Athletic Trainers Society and the National Athletic Trainers Association.

Mark Hofmann ’02, a staff writer

for the Connellsville (Pa.) Daily Courier for the past eight years, was the first playwright to be featured as the artist of the month at the Fayette County Law Library. Mark, who lives in Connellsville, writes, directs and acts when he is not practicing journalism. He started writing plays in 2008 and has produced four radio plays; one children’s play; two “Dr. Castle” shows, which resemble the cult TV show “Mystery Science Theater 3000”; and seven audience-participation mystery dinner-theater pieces. He has started an improvisational acting troupe called Banquet Bandits, with SPRING 2011 CAL U REVIEW 31 n

MILESTONES

continued from page 31

members from many locations, including New Florence, Scottdale, Mt. Pleasant, Ohiopyle and Chalk Hill.

Craig Celestino ’02 is a terminal

supervisor for Marathon Oil Corp.

He lives in Land O’ Lakes, Fla. Arthur Anderson ’03 is a teacher

in the Warren County School District. He and his wife, Elizabeth Armstrong ’03, live in Warren, Pa. Shawna Syme Ricci ’00, ’03 is a

counselor in the Onslow County Schools. She and her husband, Anthony, live in Jacksonville, N.C. At Cal U, Shawna was a member of the Delta Zeta sorority.

Brad Geyer ’04 lives in

Connellsville, Pa.

this year and spoke with students at Greencastle-Antrim Middle School, south of Chambersburg, Pa. A film crew from NBC Nightly News was on hand to film Seidel’s presentations.

Emily is stationed at Bagram Airfield with the 234th Infantry Brigade.

Strabane Township, Pa., was seeking the position of Washington County clerk of courts. He works for Behavioral Dynamics in Washington, Pa., where he supervises the therapeutic staff as a behavioral specialist consultant and mental health therapist. He also is owner of B.A. Staley Healthcare Agency Inc. and previously worked as a private detective. He is a Republican committeeman in North Strabane.

Susan Singley ’05 is a community

health program coordinator for the Poudre Valley Health System.

She and her husband, Sean Kelly, live in Fort Collins, Colo.

Lesley Daniels ’05 is a buyer for the

H.J. Heinz Co. She and her husband, Christopher, live in Roscoe, Pa. Adam Bryan ’05 is the director

and manager of the Alban Arts and Conference Center in St. Albans, W.Va. Before taking this position in 2009, Adam worked for more than four years at Theatre West Virginia, in Beckley, on education tours and summer stock productions, as well as in public relations. Adam’s wife, Maggie, also works part time at the arts and conference center.

Charles Holman ’05 is pursuing a

doctorate in political science at the University of New Orleans. He recently co-presented “Suppose They Gave a (Tea) Party and No One Came? Democrat Wins PA-12 Special Election” at the 2011 meeting of the Southern Political Science Association in New Orleans, La. Lawrence Herb II ’06 is a corrections

criminal investigator for the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections. He lives in Duncannon, Pa. Emily Seidel ’06, a specialist with the Pennsylvania National Guard, was home from Afghanistan earlier

32 CAL U REVIEW SPRING 2011 n

Drew DeHart ’09 was mentioned

assistant to the director of operations for the Erie SeaWolves, a Double-A affiliate of the Detroit Tigers of Major League Baseball.

in the Partnership Activation newsletter as an emerging leader in the sports marketplace. Drew represents Oklahoma State University Athletics’ corporate partnership program and business development through Learfield Sports. Drew earned his master’s degree in sport management and marketing from Cal U and his bachelor’s degree in media studies from the University of Mount Union.

Masa Fujimoto ’08, from Fukoaka,

emergency medicine resident at UPMC Hamot in Erie, Pa.

Japan, is the new athletic trainer for the Greensboro Grasshoppers, a Single-A affiliate of the Florida Marlins of Major League Baseball.

Kristen Radovich Brooks ’07

Louis Zadecky ’08 of Belle Vernon,

lives in Uniontown, Pa.

Pa., has been hired as women’s basketball coach at Penn State Greater Allegheny. He is currently a physical education teacher at Yough Intermediate/Middle School in the Yough School District.

Dr. Jeffrey DeFranc ’06 is an

Dave Levino ’07 is an associate

news producer at WPXI-TV. He lives in Pittsburgh, Pa. At Cal U, he was involved in the Peer Mentoring Program and worked for CUTV. Alicia Guadagni DiBernardo ’07

Marcus Staley ’03, ’04, of North

Ryan Stephenson ’08 is an

is a physical therapist assistant for UPMC/CRS. She and her husband, Matthew, live in Glassport, Pa. At Cal U, she was a member of the women’s soccer team.

Ashley Jacobs ’07 is associate

director of athletics for Penn State Mont Alto. She lives in Chambersburg, Pa. At Cal U she was a member of the women’s soccer team, a member of the Communication Studies Club and a reporter for CUTV. She also received an Academic Scholar Athlete Award and was a Peer Mentor.

Lance Wilke ’07 is a fitness and

Fame Frezzell ’08 is a case

manager for the Private Industry Council of Westmoreland/Fayette County as well as a recruiter for the Fayette Energy Partnership Grant.

Christina Longo ’09 is a graduate

student and instructor at Kent State University. She lives in Kent, Ohio.

At Cal U, she was involved with Alpha Sigma Alpha, and the Meteorology and Geology clubs.

Brandon Townsend ’09 is a

full-time assistant baseball coach at Concordia University Chicago. He comes to Concordia from Central College in Pella, Iowa, where he served as the team’s pitching coach for three seasons.

Robert DeStafney ’09 is a

commandant of midshipmen for the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy.

He and his wife, Roxie, live in Kings Point, N.Y. Chad Vorderbrueggen ’07, ’09 is

a wellness coordinator and fitness coach for Heritage Valley Health System and Healthtrax Fitness and Wellness. He and his wife, Melissa, live in Canonsburg, Pa.

10s Rodney Samples ’10 works in

sales for Trugreen. He and his wife, Laura, live in Burgettstown, Pa. LaToya Johnson ’10 lives in

California, Pa. Amanda Zuzik ’10 is an account

executive for the Nashville Sounds, a Triple-A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers of Major League Baseball.

wellness coordinator/head trainer with the Salvation Army Ray and Joan Kroc Corps Community Center in Kerrville, Texas. He and his wife, Misti, live in Ingram, Texas.

Zane Reinard ’09 is an adventure

P. Randolph “Randy” Kossan ’07

Chris Kranjc ’09, of Hastings,

is co-owner of Bill Kossan Plumbing in Bethel Park, Pa. He is a 2010 graduate of Community College of Allegheny County with an associate degree in civil engineering technology.

He is continuing with computeraided drafting courses at CCAC.

Neb., is the 2010 Brine-NAIA Men’s Soccer Coach of the Year. Kranjc led the Hastings College Broncos to their first-ever National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics National Championship last December.

Chris and his wife, Sarah, have two daughters, Jenna and Keelie, and a son, Kade.

Marc Stempka ’10 is assignment

Cody Herrick ’09 works at the box

LaMont Lyons ’04, ’10 is a teacher

office and in group sales for the Erie SeaWolves, a Double-A affiliate of the Detroit Tigers of Major League Baseball.

in the Ringgold School District. He lives in Monongahela, Pa.

Christopher Coats ’07 is a self-

employed artist. He lives in Champaign, Ill. Shawn Sejpal ’08 is a logistics

management specialist for the Department of the Army. He lives in Bel Air, Md. Jonathan Richie ’08 is a data

specialist for Morgantown Printing and Binding. He lives in Morgantown, W.Va. At Cal U, he was active with the Student Printing Clubhouse and Screen Printing Student Association.

Lisa Vittone-Hnatik ’08 is a nursing

supervisor for Gallagher Home Health Services. She lives in Finleyville, Pa.

guide for Wilderness Voyageurs.

He lives in Ohiopyle, Pa.

Alan Witt ’10 is a teacher in the

Turkeyfoot Valley School District.

He lives in Markleysburg, Pa. editor for WJAC-TV in Johnstown, Pa. Tyler Onusko ’10 is an associate

engineering technician for EQT. He lives in Penn Hills, Pa. Sara Dunkard ’10 is an admissions

representative for the Private Industry Council. She lives in Penn Hills, Pa.

In Print Pamela MacElree ’10, owner of Urban Athlete

(www.urbanathlete.tv), recently joined leading fitness experts to co-write and publish a new book, Total Body Breakthroughs: The World’s Leading Experts Reveal Proven Health, Fitness & Nutrition Secrets to Help You Achieve the Body You’ve Always Wanted but Couldn’t Until Now! The book covers the subjects of total body health, fitness and nutrition and is designed to help people find a breakthrough fitness strategy that works for them. The book is available at www.amazon.com.

Pamela, who lives in Philadelphia, Pa., has a master’s degree in exercise science from Cal U.

Florida Wedding Colleen Cunningham ’02 and Michael Perry ’00 were married on

May 22, 2010, in Tampa, Fla. The ceremony at Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Church was followed by a reception at the Bilmar Beach Resort on Treasure Island. The couple honeymooned in Bermuda. Michael operates his own real estate business in Tampa. His residence and office are located in the “New Tampa” area, around the Tampa Palms Country Club and the Wesley Chapel communities, northeast of downtown.

He and Colleen are always happy to hear from Cal U grads coming to Tampa and the Florida Gulf Coast.

teacher in the Deer Lakes School District, and Matthew is an access administrator for PPG Industries in Pittsburgh, Pa. ’00 and David Hallion have announced their engagement. Erin is a certified athletic trainer at Northern Burlington High School in central New Jersey, and Dave is a special education teacher in the Manasquan (N.J.) School District.

They are planning a wedding for Aug. 2011.

Ondrish are engaged to be married.

Elaine is a Title I kindergarten teacher at Charleroi (Pa.) Elementary Center. Michael is an environmental technician for Weavertown Environmental Group. They are planning a summer 2011 wedding.

Jamie Solensky ’08 and Andrew Kuskil ’08 are engaged. Andrew

WEDDINGS Gary Scherer ’06 married Christy Gilbert ’07 on Aug. 1, 2009, in

Bethel Presbyterian Church in Bethel Park, Pa. Gary is a U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer. Christy is a substitute teacher in the West Chester (Pa.) Area School District.

Leslie Knapp ’00 and Zachary Myers ’10 were married Sept. 18,

2010, in an outdoor wedding at Duck Hollow Golf Course in Uniontown, Pa. Leslie is a family-based therapist with Chestnut Ridge Counseling Services Inc. Zachary is a substitute teacher.

They are living in Star Junction, in Fayette County, Pa. Maranda Leapline ’09 and Jeffrey

Nutter were married July 31, 2010, in First Christian Church, Perryopolis, Pa. Maranda works for Allstate Insurance in Connellsville, Pa. Jeffrey works for United Dairy in Uniontown, Pa. Jillian Capo ’10 and Travis McVay

’04 were married Oct. 2, 2010, in the outdoor chapel at North Buffalo

Presbyterian Church in Washington, Pa. Jillian is a medical social worker at Winchester (Va.) Medical Center.

Travis is a firefighter for the Division of Fire and Rescue Service in Frederick County, Md. They are planning a fall 2011 honeymoon and are living in Martinsburg, W.Va. Keith James Scott ’96 and Kimberly

Ann Serafin were married May 15, 2010, in S.S. Peter and Paul Catholic Church in Plains, Pa. An evening cocktail hour and reception were held at The Appletree Terrace, Newberry Estates, in Dallas, Pa. Keith graduated from Cal U with a bachelor’s degree in marketing, and Kimberly graduated from the former College Misericordia in Dallas, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in occupational therapy.

They honeymooned in Jamaica and are living in Exeter, Pa.

ENGAGEMENTS Noelle Yochum ’08 and Matthew Steele ’10 are planning an August

2011 wedding. Both were members of the Cal U Band and Kappa Kappa Psi. Noelle is a drama

Dena Weimer Hauser ’95 and

William Hauser welcomed a daughter, Trisha, on Sept. 14, 2010.

Erin Cearfoss

Elaine A. Logan ’02 and Michael J.

The wedding party included (front row) Colleen Cunningham Perry ’02 and Michael Perry ’00; (second row, from left) ring bearer Braden McLaughlin, Melisa McLaughlin, Christy Lust ’01, Andrea Sola, Audra Rosnick Battles ’02, Amy Glagola Volek ’02 and Michele Zoldey ’02; (back row, from left) Jason Kane, James Purtell ’00, Rob Matey ’00, Dante Morelli ’02, Les Huffman ’00 and Jeff Petch.

BIRTHS

has a bachelor’s degree in technology education and is a teacher at Mt. Lebanon (Pa.) High School. Jamie has a bachelor’s degree in public relations. Their wedding is planned for Sept. 2011.

Bri Ann Gech ’05, of Coal Center,

Pa., and Ryan Thomas Emergy, of Eighty-Four, Pa., are engaged to be married. Bri Ann is pursuing a degree in adolescent behavior modification at Cal U. Ryan works for John T. Subrick Construction.

They are planning an Oct. 2011, wedding.

Dennis J. Vargo Jr. ’99 and his

wife, Melissa A. Vargo, are pleased to announce the birth of their third child, Alaina Grace, on Jan. 27, 2011. She joins her brother, Tyler James, 6, and sister, Addison Angela-Jane, 3. Dennis is a project manager for Comcast Business Services – Keystone Region in Pittsburgh, Pa. Danelle B. Szabo Coyne ’01 and

Daniel E. Coyne welcomed their fourth child, Ryan Thomas Coyne, on Nov. 18, 2010, at MageeWomens Hospital of UPMC, in Pittsburgh, Pa. Danelle holds a bachelor’s degree in Justice Studies, is a current graduate student in the Master of Social Work program and will be doing her first-year practicum at Magee-Womens Hospital.

Nena Vallee Startare ’04 and

her husband Joseph Startare

’04, are the proud parents of Rosella Margaret Startare, born Feb. 19, 2010. Rosie’s uncle D. J. Vallee ’06 and aunt Kelly Startare ’00 are also Cal U alumni.

Greta Persio Yesenosky ’02 and Stephen Yesenosky ’02

Mark Anthony Thomas ’07 and

Heather Marie Wolfe are engaged.

Mark is an industrial technology teacher at Central Columbia High School in Bloomsburg, Pa. Heather is a paraprofessional at Central Columbia High School and does independent art and design work.

They are planning a Nov. 2011, wedding.

welcomed their second son, Beckett Stephen Yesenosky, on Aug. 23, 2010.

He joins his big brother, Brady, 3.

Greta is a stay-at-home mom, and Stephen is an account manager at UPS. They live in Ebensburg, Pa.

Famous Autographs Leonard Siegel, 82, a retired history professor and member of the emeriti faculty at Cal U, has collected about 250 signatures of presidents and other world leaders ranging from Ronald Reagan and Hamid Karzai to Richard Nixon and British and Canadian prime ministers.

“I even have (Fidel) Castro in here,” he told the Observer-Reporter of Washington, Pa. Siegel kept up a long correspondence with Nixon and even traveled to New Jersey to meet with the former president, he told the newspaper.

“He was a very nice person. I liked him from the correspondence.

I liked him even more when I met him.”

SPRING 2011 CAL U REVIEW 33 n

MILESTONES

continued from page 33

IN MEMORIAM Harold E. Buell ’35 Harry Lee Buell ’58 Mary E. “Betty” Canning ’40 Ann Colvin Pyle Charles ’50 Ella Wilson Colvin ’38 Dean Sylvester Ganocy ’77 Hazel Randlett Guseman ’43 J. June Johnston ’52 Linda Ann Kaczynski ’73 James W. Kennedy* Curtis W. Kerns ’48 Andrew S. Kevech ’73 Yvonne Albright Kotouch ’70 Marguerite G. Marshall ’56 James McIntyre,* emeriti faculty, psychology Doris E. Nevin,* emeriti faculty, health and physical education Robert A. “Mooner” Rice ’71 George C. Stoicovy ’59 Michael J. Warcola ’66 James E. Webeck ’51 *No class year provided or on file

REMEMBRANCES

the first recipient of the prestigious President’s Emeriti Faculty Award, presented at the inaugural President’s Gala. At the 2007 Spring Commencement, the University conferred upon her the Doctor of Humane Letters, honoris causa. In 2009, she received the Lillian M. Bassi Core Values Award.

For many years after she retired, in May 1974, she served as a substitute teacher at Brownsville Catholic High School.

Dr. Wilbur R. Marisa, of Ventnor,

Dr. Rose Greco Hughes ’25,

of Hiller, Pa., died Dec. 21, 2010, at the age of 104 at the Mon Valley Care Center in Monongahela, Pa. Dr. Hughes graduated from what was then the California State Normal School and returned to her alma mater in 1938 to teach in the Noss Demonstration School, where she supervised student teachers in special education. In 1995, she was

N.J., and formerly of Fredericktown, Pa., died Dec. 26, 2010.

He was 92. From 1940 to 1946, he served in three branches of the service. As a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army Corps, he was a translator officer in the campaigns through North Africa, Italy and France.

Dr. Marisa, an emeritus professor at Cal U, came to the University in 1960 as a professor of French and Spanish and as an assistant wrestling

coach. He was the first chairman of the foreign language department at California State Teachers College, and the Pennsylvania Department of Higher Education chose him to lead the first Junior Year Abroad Program. For 10 years, he and his wife, Andree, who is also deceased, took students on summer study tours at the Sorbonne in Paris.

As president of the California Rotary Club, Dr. Marisa arranged exchanges of American students with French and Italian students.

The French government awarded him the honor of the Order of Academic Palms, which honors major contributions to French national education and culture.

Dr. Marisa was a graduate of Waynesburg College, and in 1993 he was awarded the Distinguished Alumni Award in the field of education. He is survived by a son, Robert; a daughter, Joan; and siblings Alma and Rudy Marisa and Lenora Ross.

# JUST THE

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Information will be published as space and deadlines allow. Please indicate on another sheet what activities or sports you participated in while you were a student. We welcome high-resolution electronic photographs. Please e-mail images to revieweditor@calu.edu; put the words “Milestones photo” on the subject line of your e-mail, and be sure to tell us your name, year of graduation and the identity of everyone in the picture. Please do not send computer printouts or low-resolution digital photos, as they will not reproduce well in this magazine.

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34 CAL U REVIEW SPRING 2011 n

2011

SPRING

CALU REVIEW

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THEY RULE THE POOL The Cal U swim team closed the season ranked No. 14 in the country — but they still like to have fun in the Hamer Hall pool. Members are (counterclockwise, from far right) Clarissa Enslin, Melissa Gates, Kasey Travitz, Georgia Emert, Kelsey Nuhfer, Jess Machmer and Stephanie Koolman.