Editor’sInklings Volume XXI, Issue 3 Spring/Summer 2008 Antoine M. Garibaldi, Ph.D. President Audrey E. Scruton Publications Officer and Editor advisory committee
Kimberly Cavanagh Britt Dyer Daehnke ’98 ’05M Cathy Fresch Frank Garland Mary Carol Gensheimer Ron Kerman Catherine Oakley ’05M Duane Prokop, Ph.D. Rev. Nicholas J. Rouch, STD ’83 Steven Ropski, Ph.D. ’78 Richard Sukitsch contributors
Monika Bach ’08 Russell Combs Paul DeSante, Ph.D. Cathy Fresch Erin Gaydos ’08 Jana Hunt Jeannie Kloecker Jennifer Mailey ’95 ’05M Nicholas Pronko Dan Teliski ’97 George Wang photography
Ed Bernik Tim Rohrbach design
Tungsten Creative Group Gannon magazine is published three times annually (Summer, Winter and Spring) by the Office of Public Affairs and Communications at Gannon University and is mailed free to alumni, friends of the University, graduate students, parents of undergraduate students and college presidents across the country. Contributions: Gannon magazine welcomes letters to the editor, class notes information, comments and suggestions. Please send class notes information to Jana Hunt, coordinator of Gifts and Records, at hunt001@gannon.edu. All other information should be sent to Audrey Scruton, editor, at scruton001@gannon.edu or to the University’s mailing address below. Gannon University 109 University Square Erie, Pennsylvania 16541 (814) 871.7000
I am honored and excited to introduce myself as the newest editor of Gannon magazine. Having a strong background in journalism, with a B.S. in mass communications from Middle Tennessee State University and an M.A. in journalism from The University of Memphis, the magazine is the perfect outlet for me to write, edit and create within Gannon University’s supportive, caring atmosphere. It also allows me to return to the higher education arena—my parents are both English professors, so I have always felt most at home in a collegiate setting. I hope you enjoy reading my first issue as editor as much as I enjoyed assembling it! While there are many different things you could learn about me, one significant personality trait is my love of photographs. From formal, framed portraits hanging on the wall to yellowing snapshots tacked to a bulletin board, I have pictures everywhere. Graduations, family reunions, Lake Erie sunsets—they’re all there, moments in time I can remember at a glance. If a picture really is worth a thousand words, then this issue of Gannon magazine speaks volumes about the enthusiastic and compassionate community that is Gannon University. Images of New Orleans, devastated by Hurricane Katrina, saddened the entire world. Today, almost three years after the storm, equally emotional pictures have come to light; this time, however, they bring feelings of hope and optimism. On the cover, several Gannon students surround a flourishing palm tree in the heart of New Orleans, where they spent spring break helping a single mother rebuild her storm-ravaged home. This is just one of many community service projects Gannon faculty, staff and students have participated in, as evidenced by the recent addition of the University to the President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll (page 2). As the University prepares to implement a new three-College structure this fall, several buildings are being renovated and refurbished to accommodate the growing programs. Photos have helped document these changes and provide insight for those not able to witness the transformations in person. Images of renovations to Beyer Hall and the Robert H. Morosky Academic Center (page 9) create excitement for the future and foster pride in the University’s success. We all know what it’s like to get lost in old pictures, spending hours looking through old photographs and reminiscing about days gone by. With several decades of history to draw from, Gannon too remembers important people in the University’s past. On page 14, former student journalists remember their time working on Gannon’s student newspaper, The Gannon Knight, while on page 7, several alumni reflect on what it means to be “Leaving a Legacy” to their alma mater. The ability to inspire and motivate is another notable quality of pictures. The Women’s Basketball Team, inspired by teammate Abby Bunstine and her mother, Lynn, hosted the University’s first-ever Think Pink event to raise funds for and generate awareness of breast cancer (page 12), and the Men’s Basketball Team rose to great heights in championship play, setting school records and surprising those who predicted a mediocre season (page 16). Inspiration can also take other, more subtle forms: alumna Suzanne S. Prevost ’82VMC, Ph.D., R.N., CNAA recalls being encouraged by her professors as a student (page 18), while current students of electrical engineering professor Dr. Fong K. Mak, Ph.D., P.E. tell of his impact on their academic careers (page 19). Photographs are truly amazing objects: through this medium, communities can be tied together, historical events can be recorded and individuals can be inspired to document their own achievements. Let the pictures and stories of Gannon faculty, staff, students, alumni and friends in this issue show you—like nothing else can—the thriving spirit of Gannon University.
Audrey E. Scruton, Editor scruton001@gannon.edu (814) 871.5817