newsnotes
$600,000 Grant to Fund STEM Scholarships
The National Science Foundation has awarded Gannon a $600,000 grant that will allow the University to continue to offer scholarships in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields. Gannon received the same amount from the foundation in 2008, which has funded the Scholars of Excellence in Engineering and Computer Science (SEECS) scholarship program. Gannon has provided more than 60 scholarships from the 2008 grant and expects to provide more than 20 this year, in the fourth and final year of the original grant. The scholarships will be awarded to academically gifted students with a demonstrated financial need, with an emphasis on finding and attracting minority students and students from under-represented groups.
Students Start Summer with Service Fresh off a tiring week of taking final exams, giving presentations and writing papers, more than 20 Gannon students traveled to Vanceburg, Ky., and to Washington, D.C., in May to focus on social justice and service. One staff member (Susan Haarman, associate director of Campus Ministry) and 13 students traveled to Glenmary Farm, a Catholic missionary organization that has been an integral part of life in Lewis County, one of the poorer counties in Kentucky, for more than 40 years. The group focused on community with reflection and prayer by “unplugging” from electronic devices for the week. They also visited with residents of a nearby nursing home, volunteered at a food bank and helped with residential construction efforts.
Members of the D.C. trip with alumna Dana (Kennedy) Fallon, Esq. ’91, who brought along her Golden Knight to help at Food & Friends (see p. 25 for more updates on the Golden Knight Quest).
In Washington, D.C., two faculty members (Carolyn Knox, M.S., PA-C ’84, ’96M, assistant professor of physician assistant studies and Mary Jean Taylor, MA, PT, PCS, adjunct faculty member of physical therapy and wife of President Taylor) and eight students stayed at the Father McKenna Center, a drop-in center for homeless men, visiting with residents and preparing and serving meals. In addition, the group helped at Food & Friends, which provides meals, groceries and assistance to individuals with life-challenging illnesses (such as HIV/AIDS and cancer), Joseph’s House, a hospice for homeless men and women dying of AIDS and cancer, and the National Coalition for the Homeless.
Dream Machine Encourages Recycling A.J. Teets Recognized for Green Efforts Gannon has partnered with Pepsi to help ensure that the environment is preserved for future generations. The University recently installed the Pepsi Dream Machine, an interactive recycling center that allows students and faculty to exchange plastic bottles and aluminum cans for points redeemable for online prizes. The effort is powered by Greenopolis, which allows users to use an ID card to redeem their points online for local discounts on entertainment, dining and travel. Installed in February, the machine is located in the Waldron Campus Center’s Power Room and is one of more than 4,000 Dream Machines in 37 states. In addition to the environmental impact, Pepsi will also donate to the Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans with Disabilities. According to A.J. Teets ’02, ’04M, director of purchasing, the machine operates at no cost to Gannon and has garnered considerable interest from students. “Shortly after it was installed, we started receiving emails biweekly that it was filled,” Teets said. Once full, Waste Management transfers the material to recycling sites. Teets was instrumental in the acquisition of the machine, for which he received Gannon’s spring Greening Award, an honor presented to members of the Gannon community who have contributed to the University’s sustainability and environmental efforts. The award, which the Gannon Goes Green Committee presents two to three times annually, began in 2009 as a way to recognize green accomplishments on campus. 04
gannon magazine
summer 2012