IUP Magazine, Winter/Spring 2023

Frank Cignetti: Beyond Football

Home Is Where the Mind Is

Supporting Students

from Countries in Crisis

A WELCOMING WALKWAY Painted last summer between Stapleton Library and the new Leonard Hall, IUP’s rainbow sidewalk is meant to provide a sense of belonging and home to students of all genders and identities.

MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT

Far-Reaching Ripples

IUP is the pebble. Our world is the pond.

I’m sure you have heard of the teaching tool that suggests our lives are comparable to pebbles, in that they seem insignificant compared to the size of the pond, but when they are dropped into the water, the ripples that move outward represent the impact we can have.

Just as one tiny pebble can affect the rest of the pond, we all have the opportunity—better worded, a responsibility—to use our inf luence to positively impact as many people and as many areas as possible. As you will read in this issue, we take this mission seriously at IUP.

Alumnus Joe Rocco, a former member of the men’s basketball team, has been on the front line of the COVID-19 war, doing research that could save countless lives. Some of our international students from wartorn countries, such as Ukraine, Russia, and Afghanistan, are learning at IUP while teaching us all something about resolve. And when longtime football coach and athletics administrator Frank Cignetti died in September, we heard about the ripples of impact he made on the university and its student-athletes—some far away from the playing field.

You’ll also read about the Black Experience Alumni Committee, a group of IUP alumni who have teamed up to help IUP’s current Black students navigate their way through college. The effect of BEAC’s pebble will be felt for generations, a truly amazing thing we celebrate.

The spring 2023 semester is in full swing. Our faculty and staff are using their time and talents to help the next wave of IUP students achieve their goals. We do this by focusing on the waves of our impact, knowing our work today will impact the lives and the world around us.

I hope you are proud when you look at today’s IUP. Compared to the rest of the world, we may be a pebble. But we know the impact we can have on the pond, and we strive to do our best every single day.

Michael Driscoll President

FEATURES

From Hoops to Healing

See how former scholar-athlete Joe Rocco ’11 has helped Dr. Fauci’s team battle COVID-19.

Voices of Experience

Black alumni spanning several decades at IUP are coming together to help current Black students.

Home Is Where the Mind Is

Students from Ukraine, Afghanistan, and other countries in crisis show their resilience as they overcome obstacles to continuing their education.

Beyond Football

Former students talk about the late Frank Cignetti’s lasting impact on and off the football field.

Celebrating a Century

Get a look at the marching band’s 100th anniversary celebration, which drew hundreds of alumni and friends.

Distinguished Alumni Awards

Find out which seven graduates earned the IUP Alumni Association’s top honor in spring 2022.

DEPARTMENTS

COVER: While focusing on their studies, students like Oksana Moroz of Ukraine deal with concerns about their home countries and their loved ones still there. See the story on page 10. Illustration by John Ritter ’88; original photo by Brian Henry.

ABOVE: Donated by Ray Kinter ’67, M’68, this bronze hawk by artist Raymond Gibby was installed last spring in front of the IUP Performing Arts Center. A retired educator and longtime supporter of scholarships and art projects at IUP, Kinter died in September.

IUP MAGAZINE ONLINE

IUPMAGAZINE

PRESIDENT OF INDIANA UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA: Michael Driscoll

VICE PRESIDENT FOR UNIVERSITY ADVANCEMENT: Khatmeh Osseiran-Hanna

EDITOR: Elaine Jacobs Smith ’93

CONTRIBUTING EDITORS: Karen Philippi Gresh ’67, Bob Fulton ’75

NAMEDROPPERS EDITOR: Matthew Burglund ’98

DESIGN: Meghan McMeans Strittmatter ’13

PHOTOGRAPHY: Brian Henry

IUP Magazine is published by Indiana University of Pennsylvania, a member of Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education.

The magazine’s address is John Sutton Hall, Room 301, 1011 South Drive, Indiana, PA 157051046 (telephone 724-357-3112; email iupmagazine@iup.edu). Correspondence regarding any aspect of the magazine may be directed to this office. Print and web images derived from photos submitted for publication become the property of Indiana University of Pennsylvania and may be reprinted at the discretion of the university.

IUP Magazine welcomes contributions to help defray the cost of publishing. The Official IUP Magazine Form may be used for this purpose.

©2023 by Indiana University of Pennsylvania. All rights reserved.

Indiana University of Pennsylvania is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer committed to excellence through diversity.

WEB

“Almost like a Miracle”

In recognition of the 50th anniversary of Title IX, writer Bob Fulton provides a look at the evolution of women’s sports, from so-called Play Days at Indiana State Teachers College to the championship-caliber teams and athletes of today’s IUP. Read the story at IUP.edu/TitleIXat50

WEB

A Life-Changing Experience

In this installment of IUP’s Connections video series, Imani Jefferson ’16 talks about how she thrived at IUP with support from the University College’s Luke Faust D’17. Watch at IUP.edu/life-changing.

From Hoops to Healing

Scholar-Athlete Lends Skills to Fauci’s Team

By Bob Fulton

Joe Rocco once played for a recordbreaking IUP basketball team. He now excels as a member of an even more celebrated team: the one Dr. Fauci led for nearly four decades.

Rocco began a fellowship in July 2019 at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda,

Maryland, working under Anthony Fauci, who retired this past December as the nation’s foremost expert on infectious diseases. Rocco’s experience has proved something of a wild roller-coaster ride, especially after a global pandemic thrust Fauci and his team into the spotlight—and under the gun.

Rocco served on the front lines as NIH doctors treated COVID-19 patients while trying to get a handle on the deadly, highly contagious coronavirus. Lab work he and others did played a critical role in arresting the pandemic’s progress.

“Looking back, you certainly feel like you contributed significantly from the research side and the clinical management side,” Rocco said. “I do sometimes think back to

the early days and feel grateful for how far we’ve come and feel very appreciative that I was able to contribute a piece to the knowledge base.”

A native of Northern Cambria, Rocco laid the foundation for professional success while a biology/pre-med major at IUP. He made the dean’s list every semester, consistently filling his transcript with As (a B earned in a freshman English class was all that stood between Rocco and academic perfection). Meanwhile, he contributed valuable minutes off the bench for coach Joe Lombardi’s Crimson Hawks during their storybook 2009-10 season. IUP (33-3) set a school record for victories (equaled by Lombardi’s 2021-22 team), claimed Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference and Atlantic Region titles, and advanced to the

Joe Rocco helped the National Institutes of Health battle COVID on the front lines and in the lab.

NCAA Division II national championship game for the first time before falling to Cal Poly Pomona. Rocco collected numerous scholar-athlete honors during his basketball career, including an NCAA Elite 88 Academic Award.

After graduating summa cum laude from IUP in 2011, Rocco earned his medical degree at the University of Pittsburgh and served his residency at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. He then headed to Bethesda to join Fauci’s team. When Rocco first arrived at NIH, clinical work occupied most of his time. But he pivoted more to research when a virulent virus about which there were countless questions and few answers began spreading like wildfire.

“The whole first year of this infectious disease fellowship, it’s all clinical training, learning how to manage and treat patients with complicated infectious diseases and immune disorders,” Rocco said. “Then in March 2020 the pandemic hit. I was still mostly taking care of patients, but almost 90 percent were now COVID patients. And it was incredibly frustrating, because no one really knew what to do for them. You did whatever you could, providing supportive care and treating the complications. But this was before vaccines, before we had any treatments that we knew worked. You saw patients dying in front of you. It was very frustrating—and very scary.”

Rocco began spending more time in the lab, analyzing patient data, searching for clues that might help solve the puzzle presented by the virus. As more patients succumbed, the pressure to find answers mounted on Rocco and others at NIH.

“Pressure was not completely unfamiliar to me,” he said, “but the stakes were much higher here. There were lives on the line.”

Fauci kept the public updated about the virus through regular national television appearances, often alongside the president. The news was almost entirely discouraging at first. But the outlook shifted dramatically in December 2020 when Pfizer and Moderna came out with effective vaccines. Johnson & Johnson soon followed. Variants have since caused case counts to surge for brief periods, but COVID appears to have at last relinquished its grip on the populace.

ground. He always provided great insight. So I did interact with him every now and then.”

Rocco technically finished his three-year NIH fellowship in July, but he’s staying on for the foreseeable future.

“I plan to stick around and continue my research and the career path that I’m on, which is—I guess the technical term is not just a physician or a doctor but a physician/scientist, someone who can not only manage patients but also do the research to help figure things out,” Rocco said. “There’s a massive shortage of physician/scientists in the world, and I think the pandemic highlighted how much they’re needed. So I’m going to continue what I’m doing for now and start applying to the next position on the ladder and go from there.”

Wherever Rocco might land, he’ll continue to hold IUP close to his heart. After all, it’s where he met his wife, Stephanie Chapman Rocco, a 2012 elementary education graduate. It’s where he played for a basketball team that nearly ran the table in the NCAA tournament. And it’s where Vida Irani, a member of the biology faculty, taught him the ins and outs of conducting scientific research.

After demands on his time (as the public face of the COVID response) diminished, Fauci again became a more visible presence at NIH headquarters. Did he ever cross paths with the doctor who once suited up for the Crimson Hawks?

“We actually interacted with him a decent amount,” Rocco said. “He still liked doing patient care. When we had patients admitted to the hospital, he made time out of his incredibly busy schedule to come by, and we were able to talk to him, give him sort of a breakdown on the patients we were taking care of, to give him a perspective on what was happening on the

“The mentorship I had at IUP—not just from Coach Lombardi but also from Dr. Irani—was so beneficial and has really helped me be successful in this career,” Rocco said. “The principles that both of them instilled in me I think have carried me through to this day. The research I did with Dr. Irani, that’s what drove me to this career to begin with. I’m just so thankful that I had that experience at IUP.” m

“Pressure was not completely unfamiliar to me, but the stakes were much higher here. There were lives on the line.”

Rocco’s team leader at NIH, Anthony Fauci, provided updates on the pandemic alongside the president.

WHITE HOUSE

Rocco played for IUP’s first basketball team to advance to the NCAA Division II national championship game.

KEITH BOYER

Voices of Experience Black Alumni

Helping Black Students

By Elaine Jacobs Smith

More than a dozen Black alumni, some of whom attended IUP 40 years apart, are working with their alma mater to improve the college experience for current Black students, putting them on a path to success.

The new initiative, the Black Experience Alumni Committee, aims to build relationships with Black students and to connect them with needed resources— including IUP’s vast network of Black alumni.

“We want to be that bridge for students,” said Jamaal Gosa ’15, M’17, cochair of BEAC (pronounced “beak”). He sees the group as an “umbrella of support,” bringing together students, new graduates, and existing alumni.

IUP welcomes the help, which dovetails with efforts such as the Crimson Scholars Circle, a new support and mentoring program to help Black and Brown students stay in school. Retention has been an issue at IUP and elsewhere, with a national study showing the retention rate for Black students around 9 percent lower than for all students combined.

Gosa has targeted retention before. As an IUP undergraduate, along with Ron Gleaves ’17 and Patrick Myers, he cofounded Creating Higher Standards, a peer-mentoring and support group now in its 10th year of helping students succeed.

Gosa’s motivation for helping others was that he had struggled in his early years at IUP. Through BEAC, he talks about that experience with current students to help build connections.

“I think the students are able to relate to someone who felt every emotion, who got academically dismissed, and who was on academic probation,” said Gosa,

Jamaal Gosa and Debra Evans Smith are cochairs of the Black Experience Alumni Committee.

BRIAN HENRY

Gosa with members of the Crimson Scholars Circle program in August

now a doctoral student at the University of Pittsburgh and a restorative practice coordinator in Pitt’s School of Social Work. “I’m older now, but I think that relevancy is prominent.”

When students identify with the alumni in BEAC, they realize that they, too, can overcome obstacles and succeed, said Pittsburgh native Debra Evans Smith ’81, who cochairs the group with Gosa.

“It lets them know they’re not the only one going through what they’re experiencing at this point in their lives,” said Smith, an FBI retiree, IUP Distinguished Alumna, and alumni association board member. “You’ve gone through it, you’ve conquered it, and you’re doing just fine.”

Gosa said he turned things around at IUP with help from a network he created, made up of caring faculty members and administrators.

“Without that support, I wouldn’t be pursuing my doctorate; I wouldn’t have done the work I’ve done,” he said. “Because they showed me that care—that launched a lot of who I am today.”

He hopes BEAC can have a similar impact. During listening sessions the group held in 2021, students said they had trouble with finances and with finding campus resources. In response, BEAC began compiling a list of scholarship opportunities and of IUP offices and employees to contact for a range of needs.

During IUP breaks, the group has held networking events in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia to connect students with graduates of the same major and to drum up alumni interest in BEAC.

While IUP has in place a protocol for responding to racial incidents, which includes supporting the victims and community, BEAC members say this is another area where they can help, particularly because they faced similar challenges coming to a predominantly White campus and town. That cultural shift—and the need for more support around it—was at the center of BEAC’s formation.

In spring 2020, IUP classes were remote and had just wrapped up when George Floyd’s murder shook the country. The university reacted by sharpening its focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion and by organizing activities ranging from discussions to trainings to town halls. That spring, individual departments condemned racism through written statements, and IUP posted a message on social media about its need to build an anti-racist community.

Gosa took issue with that post, saying a show of support for Black students should be present at all times, not just during a national uproar. He also felt the message “was vague and wasn’t specific to our hurt and pain.”

In response, he wrote an open letter to President Michael Driscoll that suggested ways to improve the experience for Black students—from offering a course on race and equity to hiring more faculty and staff of color.

Among those who contacted Gosa was Khatmeh Osseiran-Hanna, IUP’s vice president for University Advancement. Their conversation led to Gosa’s introduction to Smith, a member of the President’s Commission on Diversity and Inclusion at the time. The two then joined IUP’s Office of Alumni and Friends (now Alumni and Constituent Engagement) in identifying members and starting BEAC.

From personal experience, Smith and Gosa know that racial incidents happen occasionally on campus and in the community. They want to help IUP and its students by serving as an additional source of support.

“We want students to have another outlet, and BEAC encompasses people who have had the same types of experience they’re having right now at IUP,” Smith said.

BEAC members also want to help students learn to advocate effectively for themselves.

That preparation will help them in the workplace, too, where they may experience disparaging comments or other forms of discrimination, Smith said.

“Most Black and Brown students and women in general are going to encounter discrimination or microaggressions,” she said. “That’s one thing the students can talk to us about, because we’ve dealt with it.”

This school year, BEAC members are getting specific about how to help Black students and work toward educational and social equity, Smith said.

Ultimately, Gosa wants to see BEAC become the strongest Black alumni committee in the State System. “I want students to know they have a network they can go to for all things,” he said.

He and Smith are pleased that students have attended their events, have listened, and have shared their concerns.

A senior majoring in English education, Dimonquie Allen thinks that, for young students especially, BEAC can make the difference between finishing or not finishing college.

“When you don’t have people to talk to—I can speak from experience on this—it makes things difficult,” she said. “You don’t know who to go to, you don’t know who to ask—you’re doing this on your own.”

The president of Creating Higher Standards, Allen was introduced to BEAC through Gosa, a fellow New Jersey native who became her mentor. She said she values the connections she has made at BEAC events, as well as the example these alumni set.

“The thing that motivates me most is seeing people like me and seeing that they made it,” she said.

“These people were here, and even with the struggles and differences they went through in college, they’re telling you it’s okay that you’re going through stuff, you’ll make it through, and you’ll get to the finish line. . . . And, I know I can do it, because I’ve seen other people who did it.” m

BEAC Weekend

The Black Experience Alumni Committee invites all Black alumni to return to campus April 14-16 to network, reconnect, support students, promote a business, and more. Find information or register at IUP.edu/BEACweekend.

“The thing that motivates me most is seeing people like me and seeing that they made it.”

Dimonquie Allen

BRIAN HENRY

Milestone Generosity

The university community is grateful for the following gifts and pledges of $25,000 or more, made to the Foundation for IUP between January 1 and December 31, 2022.

An anonymous combined gift and planned gift of $10,502,406 to two scholarships, one for students pursuing a degree in elementary education and the other for students pursuing a degree in natural sciences

Tim Cejka ’73 and Debra Phillips Cejka ’73, a combined gift of $1,150,000 to support diversity and inclusion initiatives and the Crimson Scholars Circle, which provides scholarships, mentors, and early immersion for students who need assistance transitioning to college

Janice Krall Hummel ’75, M’79 and John Hummel, a combined gift of stock and a planned gift totaling $561,111 to the Janice Krall Hummel and John Hummel Nursing Scholarship for full-time students pursuing a degree in nursing (See inside back cover)

William Anderson ’70, M’73 and Rebecca Snyder ’75, a combined gift, pledge, and planned gift of $555,650 to the Student General Scholarship, the Student Assistance Fund, and the Forty-Two Scholarship for full-time students graduating from high schools in Sullivan County and Indiana County and pursuing a degree in elementary education, natural science, engineering, or safety sciences

An anonymous combined gift and planned gift of $252,000 to the Student General Scholarship Fund and the Fund for IUP

Addison Gibson Foundation, a gift of $200,000 to the Addison Gibson Foundation Scholarship

for full-time students living in western Pennsylvania

Martha Rorabaugh, a combined gift and planned gift of $162,263 to the Sutton Scholarship and the Donald Rorabaugh (’53) Scholarship for Mathematical and Computer Sciences, which supports full-time students pursuing a degree in the Department of Mathematical and Computer Sciences

Jere Cowden ’69 and Sharon Tahl Cowden ’71, a combined gift and planned gift of $140,100 to the Fund for IUP

George “Butch” Aggen ’76, M’78 and Maria Aggen, a combined gift and planned gift of $130,696 to the Student General Scholarship Fund and the Bill and Cass Neal Scholarship for Football, which supports full-time students on the IUP football team

An anonymous combined pledge of $130,000 to support the IUP Crimson Hawk Golf Performance Center

The Statler Foundation, a gift of $125,000 to establish the Statler Hotel Simulation Project, which supports the creation of a hotel administration simulation lab

An anonymous estate gift of $105,588 to support a scholarship for full-time students who are members of the IUP football team

The Estate of Myrtle Spires Reichard ’54, a gift of $89,894 to the Student General Scholarship

Lorna Milkovich Abernathy ’83 and Justin Abernathy, a pledge of $75,000 to support the Milkovich Abernathy Scholars Program for students enrolled full-time in the Eberly College of

Business, with preference given to students in the Management/ Entrepreneurship and Small Business Management program

An anonymous estate gift of $70,185 to support biology and biochemistry research and infrastructure

The Beaumont Foundation and C. Edward Keller ’74 and Judy Keller, a gift of $60,000 to the C. Edward Keller Scholarship in Criminology and Criminal Justice for students majoring in criminology

An anonymous planned gift of $55,000 to establish a fund to support the needs of the IUP Libraries

An anonymous combined gift of $55,000 to establish the Lee M. Johnson Faulconbridge (’82) Scholarship for full-time students on the women’s track and field team

Craig Fuget and Sara Woodhull, a combined gift of $55,000 to establish the Dr. Charles R. Fuget Memorial Scholarship in Chemistry for students pursuing a degree in chemistry

Marilyn Silvey, a combined gift of $51,309 to the Bedford John “BJ” Silvey Sr. (’62) Scholarship for full-time, incoming undergraduate students

New Pig Corporation, a combined, in-kind gift of $51,073 to support the Safety Sciences Department

Diversified Energy, a pledge of $50,000 to establish the Diversified Energy Scholarship for students enrolled in the Kopchick College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics

The Estate of Cleva Hartman M’79, a gift of $50,000 to establish the Cleva L. Hartman Scholarship for full-time students pursuing a degree in early childhood education, a degree in early childhood/ special education, or a minor in child development and family relations

The Estate of Marlin Hartman, a gift of $50,000 to establish the Marlin E. Hartman Scholarship for Mathematics for full-time students pursuing a degree in mathematics

James Staples, a gift of $50,000 to the Dr. James Staples Piano Scholarship for full-time students pursuing a bachelor of fine arts degree in piano performance

The Michael and Karen Stone Family Foundation, Inc., a gift of $50,000 to the Fund for IUP. Karen Maurer Stone is a member of the Class of ’89.

Pinnacle Venue Services, a combined gift of $49,079 to support IUP Athletics

The family of Charles A. Spadafora, a gift of $45,000 to support the IUP Crimson Hawk Golf Performance Center

Reschini Agency, a combined gift of $44,000 to IUP men’s basketball, the IUP Football Scholarship, and general scholarships

Fleischner Family Charitable Foundation, a gift of $35,000 in support of IUP diversity and inclusion initiatives

Dennis Popovec ’77 and Annmarie Popovec, a combined gift and pledge of $35,000 to the Popovec Outstanding Student Athlete Scholarship for full-time

undergraduate student-athletes pursuing a degree in the Eberly College of Business

Doris Quiles ’77, a gift of $32,079 to establish the Doris A. Quiles ’77 Scholarship for Nursing

Chevron Corporation, a combined gift of $30,550 to the Safety Science Enhancement Fund

An anonymous combined pledge of $30,000 to establish a scholarship for full-time students who are members of the Cook Honors College, with preference given to firstgeneration students pursing a degree in education

Punxsutawney Area College Trust, a combined gift of $30,000 to the Punxsutawney Campus and the Department of Culinary Arts Student Scholarship

The Leonard A. and Mary Jane Schafer Foundation, a combined gift of $30,000 to the Fund for IUP Libraries and the Student Assistance Fund. Mary Jane McMurray Schafer was with the Class of 1931.

William Scheeren ’68 and Judith Scheeren, a combined gift and pledge of $30,000 to the Coach Fry Scholarship, Coach Fry Athletic Enhancement Fund, and Bill and Judy Scheeren Scholarship for Women’s Athletics, which supports student-athletes on NCAA-recognized women’s teams

The Robert and Nellie Reynolds Fund of the Pittsburgh Foundation, a gift of $29,612 to the Undergraduate Student Scholarship Fund. Both Robert Reynolds and Nellie Byers Reynolds were with the Class of 1948.

Bergitta Edison Cotroneo ’80 and Peter Cotroneo, a combined pledge and gift of $28,500 to the African American Alumni Scholarship Fund, which supports full-time students who have earned at least 24 credits and which is primarily intended to benefit students of color

Frank Condino and Marty Condino, a combined pledge and gift of $27,320 to the Football Scholarship and the Philip and Rose Condino Memorial Scholarship for students in the IUP football program

The Estate of Helene Boroch ’76, a pledge of $26,000 to fund simulation equipment for the Nursing and Allied Health Professions Department

Robert Basehore ’71 and Kathie Kuvinka Basehore ’71, combined gifts of $25,600 to the Fund for IUP and the Robert W. Basehore Jr. and Kathie Kuvinka Basehore Athletic Scholarship, which supports Eberly College of Business students who compete in IUP varsity sports

Douglas Niesen ’87 and Heidi Niesen, a gift of $25,440 to support IUP football

Stephen Abel ’73, combined gifts of $25,200 to the Army ROTC; IUP Veterans Assistance Fund; Military and Veterans Resource Center Fund; Fund for IUP; IUP Food Pantry; Student Assistance Fund; History Department Enhancement Fund; Geography, Geology, Environment, and Planning Enhancement Fund; and Dean’s Innovation Funds for the College of Arts and Humanities, College of Education and Communications, and Kopchick College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics

Louis Sutton, a combined gift of $25,200 to establish the Dr. Lou Sutton Men’s Track and Field and Men’s Cross-Country Scholarship for students who are members of the track and field and cross-country teams, with preference given to students pursuing a degree in education

Samuel Bowers, a gift of $25,000 to support the Fredalene Barletta Bowers (’70, M’73) Scholarship for students pursuing a degree in child development and family relations

Ivan Kalister Jr. ’69, M’75 and Debra Dengler Kalister ’74, a pledge of $25,000 to establish the Kalister Opportunity Scholarship for new students, with preference given to first-generation students from Woodland Hills High School or Johnstown High School

The Estate of Louise Lettiero ’59, a gift of $25,000 to the Student General Scholarship Fund

Ronald Lunardini ’69 and Margaret Evans Lunardini ’69, a gift of $25,000 to the Ron and Peggy Lunardini Fund, which supports the Student Affairs in Higher Education Department’s Lunardini Distinguished Alumni Award

Frederick Streams ’55, a gift of $25,000 to the Dr. Fred ’55 and Hazel ’55 Streams Scholarship for students pursuing a degree in secondary education in natural sciences or early childhood/ special education

Home Is Where the Mind Is

Supporting Students from Countries in Crisis

By Mary Ann Slater

Although IUP doctoral student Oksana Moroz lives almost 5,000 miles from her father, she makes it her mission to stay in daily contact with him.

Her father lives in Ivano-Frankivsk in Ukraine, which was attacked by Russia in February 2022. To keep tabs on his wellbeing, Moroz uses a cell-phone app that sends her alerts when air-raid sirens go off in her hometown.

“As soon as I receive them, I text my dad: ‘Are you hiding? Are you in a bomb shelter?’” said Moroz, who is studying composition and applied linguistics in the English Department. Her father sometimes ignored the sirens, she said, but he grew more vigilant after a bombing targeted Ivano-Frankivsk.

Moroz, a graduate of IUP’s Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages master’s program, said she was in shock when the war started. She never imagined Russia would attack Ukraine.

“The first two weeks, honestly, I don’t remember if I showered,” she said. “I worked at the Writing Center [at IUP], and they were nice enough to tell me, ‘You can take a break. You can come back when you’re ready.’”

As the war continued, Moroz still struggled with direction and purpose.

“I wish I could move on with my life. I have to do things I did previously, the routine things.”

But returning to the routine was difficult, she said. “In my mind, I’m all there [in Ukraine], and all I can think about is what is going on there.”

MICHELE PETRUCCI D’05, IUP’s associate vice president for International Education and Global Engagement, has worked with international students for 25 years. She and other members of the International Education office understand how students like Moroz can be overwhelmed when crises erupt at home.

“A lot of students are very concerned about their families back home, but they are trying to make academic progress,” Petrucci said.

“I think it is hard for them to focus. It’s the trauma they are going through—and the uncertainty. No one knows when it is going to end.”

Emma Archer M’20, director of International Student and Scholar Services, tries to help students in these situations. She provides information on maintaining immigration status, pursuing special work permits, and connecting with resources on and off campus. When students face particularly complex situations, her office may recommend consultation with an immigration lawyer.

MOROZ FOUND SUPPORT within her department when her program director, Gloria Park, and other faculty members staged a rally last spring for Ukraine. At the rally, Moroz talked about her personal anguish and how the war affects not just her country but also the security of the global community.

She has also received support in the wider community, including at area school districts where she spoke. After her visit to the Homer-Center district last spring, students began selling T-shirts in Ukraine’s colors of blue and yellow and raised $1,500 for medical supplies.

Before the war began, Moroz had completed research for her dissertation, which concerns the digital identities of multilingual speakers. Sometimes she struggles to find motivation to write it.

“I would rather write about the experiences of war than my actual dissertation,” said Moroz, who lives in Indiana with her mother, husband, and two children. “My dissertation topic has nothing to do with what I am going through.”

THE WAR WITH UKRAINE has also been hard on Alexandra “Alex” Krasova, who came to IUP from Omsk, Russia. She first came to IUP on a Fulbright scholarship and taught Russian in the Critical Languages program. She is now pursuing her doctorate in composition and applied linguistics. Like Moroz, she was caught off guard when the war broke out.

“I was in shock for the first several weeks, maybe months,” said Krasova, who feels bad that Russia began hostilities in Ukraine. “I would like people to understand . . . that

“The instructors and my supervisor for Russian language let me skip some classes, but I refused, because I said it was better for me to do my work and stay busy.”

Oksana Moroz

BRIAN HENRY

Alex Krasova

BRIAN HENRY

being from Russia doesn’t mean being an aggressor or supporting Putin’s actions.”

Krasova is heartened that the IUP and Indiana communities have supported her. Because both are relatively small, it has been easier for people to get to know her, she said. “No one has ever said bad things to me.”

When the war began, she had difficulty concentrating on her studies. She said several faculty members in the English Department understood and helped her complete her classes.

“The instructors and my supervisor for Russian language let me skip some classes, but I refused, because I said it was better for me to do my work and stay busy,” she said.

Krasova is in Indiana alone, and the separation from her family in Omsk has been difficult. Her plans to visit last summer fell through. There were no direct f lights from the US to Russia, and the cost to travel home via connecting f lights is very high.

The war has been equally hard for her family. “Nobody knows what is going to happen,” she said. “Everything is unpredictable, and it is impossible to plan on anything.”

Besides the emotional strain, Krasova has faced financial concerns. Through sanctions against Russia, the US and its allies have prevented certain Russian banks from accessing the global financial system that supports the transfer of funds across international borders. With those sanctions, Krasova’s family cannot send her financial support. She also cannot use her Russian credit card in the US.

Last year she struggled, but the current school year has been easier financially, because she received a teaching assistantship through the English Department. Still, it hasn’t erased her feelings of despair.

“The emotional strain and fear for what the future holds are indescribable,” Krasova said.

SAYED ALI REZA AHMADI, also a doctoral candidate in IUP’s English Department, struggled with his studies as he watched chaos unfold in his home country of Afghanistan.

Ahmadi, who goes by “Ali,” started at IUP in the fall of 2018. After completing his master’s degree in TESOL, he decided to stay to study composition and applied linguistics. By fall 2020, he grew fearful he could not return home to Mazar-i-Sharif in northern Afghanistan.

“Back home in Afghanistan, the situation was becoming worse and worse, day by day,” Ahmadi said.

His long history of working in academia runs counter to the Taliban’s anti-education stance, he said. He was a university lecturer in Afghanistan in 2012 and taught Farsi/Dari undergraduate courses at the University of Georgia. But even more to his detriment in the eyes of the Taliban, he said, is that he worked for the US as a teacher in the government’s English Language and Computer Learning Center in Afghanistan.

“I believed if I went back, my life would be under threat,” he said. “They [the Taliban] know I have a strong affiliation with the US. I was hired by the US government and for different US projects in Afghanistan.”

All of this has made not just Ahmadi, but his wife, children, parents, and younger brother, targets of the country’s new rulers, who seized control in August 2021.

“Because of me, because of my affiliation [with the US], their lives are under threat,” he said. Some family members have been hiding, staying in different locations in Mazar-i-Sharif, because of fears for their safety.

Ahmadi’s concerns for his family have at times caused him enormous stress. He once strongly considered withdrawing from IUP, but over the past year, he has gained hope for the future. After he was granted asylum in the US, he was hired to teach two freshman composition classes at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh. Last fall, he successfully defended the first three chapters of his dissertation on the teaching of freshman composition, and he expects to complete the dissertation next year.

Ahmadi has also submitted paperwork for his green card, which will authorize him to live and work in the US on a permanent basis.

But thoughts of his loved ones are constant. “I feel a little desperate,” he said. “My family is far away.”

“I believed if I went back, my life would be under threat. They [the Taliban] know I have a strong affiliation with the US.”

Sayed Ali Reza Ahmadi

BRIAN HENRY

FARZANEH JAHANGIRI, a candidate in the Doctor of Education in Administration and Leadership Studies program, came to IUP from Iran in 2016, full of hopes and dreams. After receiving her master’s degree in TESOL, she planned to complete her doctorate and return to Tehran to open a private school with her mother, a retired teacher.

Previously, retired teachers had often been granted government permission to open private schools. But, Jahangiri said, new restrictions on the education system favor friends of the government for roles as teachers and school administrators.

“My dreams keep shattering in front of my eyes,” she said, “and every day I have to change my plans for the future.”

The turmoil in Iran has caused her anxiety. Beset by trouble sleeping and concentrating on her studies, she sought counseling for stress and loneliness. She has not been home to Tehran since 2016, and she worries what could happen if she did return.

“Right now, it is not safe going home, because I have been studying in the United States,” Jahangiri said. Her fears stem from stories she has heard about other Iranians who returned from abroad and faced challenges from governmental authorities.

Jahangiri dealt with financial woes after the US banned monetary transactions with Iran. As a result, she could not access her savings from her bank in Tehran. Even if she could have, the devaluation of the country’s currency has greatly reduced their worth.

To make matters worse, the money she earned through her graduate assistantship stopped when she completed her doctoral coursework.

“With all these things together, I was facing very difficult times,” Jahangiri said.

IUP’s International Education office helped her obtain an economic hardship work permit, issued by the US government, which allows her to work off campus. Last year, she found employment with the Pittsburgh Refugee Youth Summer Enrichment program.

“I can work off campus, and I am able to support myself,” she said. Now she works with IUP’s Fulbright Distinguished Awards in Teaching Program for International Teachers.

Although her past dreams have faded, Jahangiri thinks the future can still be bright if she stays open to new opportunities.

“I need to be f lexible,” she said. “I can be myself. I can create a home for myself. I can have a new life.”

BESIDES HELPING STUDENTS with special work permits, the International Education office provides information about the US government’s Temporary Protected Status program. If a nation in crisis receives the TPS designation, eligible nationals who are in the US can apply to remain for a limited time and request work permission. As of February, 16 countries, including Ukraine and Afghanistan, had the TPS designation. Moroz had expected to be at IUP only until this year but recently received a one-year extension.

The kinds of problems international students face are often determined by circumstances in their home countries, Petrucci said. That’s why her staff suggests a variety of avenues of support.

Archer may refer them to Jewish Family and Children’s Services, a nondenominational agency in Pittsburgh that deals with refugee and immigration concerns. Or, she may encourage them to seek support from campus groups, such as the Graduate Student Assembly or the International Friendship Program, which pairs them with community residents, who serve as resources. Petrucci said some students find solace in campus faith-based groups or through the Counseling Center.

“We are here to listen and assist as much as we can,” Petrucci said. “We want them to know all the resources across campus that can support them.” m

“I can be myself. I can create a home for myself. I can have a new life.”

Farzaneh Jahangiri

BRIAN HENRY

ACHIEVEMENTS AND MENTORS

Achievements

Distinguished Professor

Xi Wang, professor of history, is IUP’s 2022-23 Distinguished University Professor. Since joining the faculty in 1994, he has focused his teaching on African American history, the 19thcentury US, and American constitutionalism. He started the Chinese Historical Review, a peer-reviewed journal, and created partnerships that have reshaped China’s American studies programs. This year, he plans to create a course on US immigration history and to complete a book manuscript, “Make Every Freeman a Voter”: The American Story of Black Suffrage.

Senate Awards

Last spring, the University Senate presented three Distinguished Faculty Awards:

• Todd Thompson, a professor of English who joined the faculty in 2009, received the award for teaching.

• Lorraine Guth, a professor of counseling who joined the faculty in 1998, received the award for research.

• Stephen Shiring ’81, M’85, a Management Department professor with 26 years on the faculty, received the award for service.

Young Achievers

IUP presented Young Alumni Achievement Awards in spring and fall 2022 to one person from each academic college. Details below are from the time of the award presentation.

Spring 2022

• Eberly College of Business: Ethan Wang ’14, investment product manager, Vanguard Group, Malvern (Cook Honors College graduate)

• College of Education and Communications: Brandon Roudebush ’10, founder and executive producer, Pixelab Studios, Pittsburgh

• College of Fine Arts: Geoff Maus ’11, stage manager, North American Tour, Come from Away, New York City

• College of Health and Human Services: Garrett Kellar ’08, M’12, assistant professor and program director, Youngstown State University, Ohio

• College of Humanities and Social Sciences: Michael Berkheimer ’06, senior trial attorney, National Labor Relations Board, Washington, DC (Cook Honors College graduate)

• Kopchick College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics: Carina Heckert ’06, M’09, associate professor, Anthropology, University of Texas at El Paso (Cook Honors College graduate)

Fall 2022

• College of Arts and Humanities: Samuel Orsi-Weiser ’14, member, Metropolitan Opera, New York City

• Eberly College of Business: Stephanie Perkovich Kline ’07, M’13, treasurer and chief data analytics officer, S&T Bank, Indiana (Cook Honors College graduate)

• College of Education and Communications: Wayne Walters D’07, superintendent, Pittsburgh Public Schools

• College of Health and Human Services: Derrick Maultsby Jr. ’17, associate attorney, Frost Brown Todd, Pittsburgh

• Kopchick College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics: Andrew Longacre ’13, M’19, president and CEO, Millennium Torque & Tensioning/ Industrial Services, Eighty Four

Volunteer Awards

IUP presented its Award of Excellence for Outstanding Volunteer Leadership in these four categories:

• Advancement Support: Felicia Fred ’81 of Lansdowne and Don Howe ’79 of Burlington, New Jersey, African American Alumni Scholarship Committee cofounders and former IUP Alumni Association board members

• Affinity Services: Scott Rhodes ’79 of Thousand Oaks, California, reunion organizer for the Classes of 1975 through 1983

• Aspiring Alumni Award: Mikayla Dokos ’22 of Homer City, former IUP Ambassadors president

• Regional Impact Award: Dennis Cramer ’75, M’82 of Kittanning, IUP Trombone Choir and Trombone Studio volunteer

Exchange Awards

The following IUP community members earned culturalexchange awards in the past year:

• Sfen Kadirifu, international business major, Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship (South Korea)

• Teresa Kuo ’22, Fulbright English Teaching Assistant award (Taiwan)

• Yu-Ju Kuo, associate professor of mathematics, Fulbright US Scholar fellowship (Bhutan)

• Jessica Geletka Mulvihill ’02, D’16, former director of Education Abroad, Fulbright International Education Administrators award (Japan)

• Grace Skarzynski M’22, Fulbright English Teaching Assistant award (Greece)

Mentors Department in 2016 after 31 years of service, died October 20, 2022.

Gary Buckwalter, a professor emeritus who retired from the Physics Department in 1987 after 21 years of service, died February 24, 2022.

after 33 years of service, died May 17, 2022.

Kenneth Hershman, a professor emeritus who retired from the Physics Department in 2007 after 35 years of service, died August 11, 2022.

Doug Ross, a professor who retired from the Psychology Department in 1992 after 22 years of service, died February 5, 2023.

Larry Ruby ’67, an instructor between 1995 and 2002, died October 2, 2022.

Bi and Kopchick

Dino-Sized Honor

Biology professor Shundong

Bi was part of a research team that identified a new dinosaur species and named it Yuxisaurus kopchicki—after the fossil’s location in Yuxi, Yunnan Province, China, and after John Kopchick ’72, M’75, the molecular biologist for whom (along with his wife, Char Labay Kopchick ’73) the Kopchick College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics is named.

Literary Giant Lost

Gerald Stern, an English Department faculty member in the ’60s who went on to win major literary prizes for his poetry, died October 27, 2022. His anthology This Time: New and Selected Poems won the National Book Award in 1998. Seven years earlier, he was a Pulitzer Prize finalist for Leaving Another Kingdom, and in 2000, he became New Jersey’s first poet laureate. A decade ago, the Library of Congress gave Stern the Rebekah Johnson Bobbitt national prize for his Early Collected Poems: 1965-1992

Faculty Deaths

Bob Alico, a professor who retired from the Biology Department in 1999 after 31 years of service, died June 9, 2022.

Paul Ben-Zvi, a professor emeritus who retired from the Art Department in 2003 after 32 years of service, died January 25, 2023.

Fredalene Barletta Bowers ’70, M’73, a professor emerita who retired as chair of the Human Development, Fashion, and Interior Design

Frank Cignetti ’60, M’65, who retired as head football coach in 2005 after 23 years of service, died September 10, 2022. He also served many years as athletics director. See page 16.

Lois Clark, a professor emerita who retired from the Health and Physical Education Department in 1999 after 25 years of service, died July 13, 2022. She also served stints as head coach of the women’s basketball and women’s swimming teams. See page 21.

Bob Curey, a professor who retired from the English Department in 1999 after 34 years of service, died September 2, 2022.

Diane Duntley, a professor emerita who retired as director of Academic Information Systems in 2002 after 30 years of service, died May 17, 2022.

Robert Early, a faculty member in the Mathematics Department who retired in 2008 after 23 years of service, died February 1, 2021.

John Eck, who retired as dean of the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics in 2010 after 15 years of service, died December 22, 2022.

Charles Fuget, who retired as dean of the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics in 1988 after 17 years of service and who returned in 1991 to serve a year as interim president, died October 23, 2016.

Jim Gibson, a faculty member in the Religious Studies Department who retired in 2012 after 20 years of service, died December 10, 2021.

Beverly Goodwin, a professor emerita who retired from the Psychology Department in 2019

Suzanne Hudson, a professor emerita who retired from the English Department in 2004 after 29 years of service, died June 6, 2022.

Bruce Jenkins, who taught political science between 1968 and 1970, died September 21, 2022.

Dan Keogh, a faculty member in the Biology Department from 1995 to 2001, died September 19, 2022.

David LaPorte, a professor in the Psychology Department with 27 years of service, died May 13, 2022.

Charles Maderer, a faculty member who retired from the Mathematics Department in 2001 after 34 years of service, died June 19, 2021.

Barbara Marquette, a professor emerita who retired from the Psychology Department in 2006 after 30 years of service, died November 24, 2022.

Joseph Mastro, a professor emeritus who retired from the History Department in 1989 after 20 years of service, died April 26, 2021.

Bob Murray, a professor emeritus who retired from the Communications Media Department in 1987 after 31 years of service, died December 8, 2022.

Mark Plivelic, a faculty member who retired from the Accounting Department in 1999 after 28 years of service, died February 24, 2022.

Donald Robbins ’67, a professor emeritus who retired from the Accounting Department in 2005 after 36 years of service, died April 1, 2022.

Phillip Ruffner M’66, a faculty member who retired from the English Department in 1993 after 26 years of service, died August 7, 2021.

Nicolo Sartori, a faculty member who retired from the Music Department in 2008 after 34 years of service, died October 15, 2021.

Gerald Stern, a faculty member in the English Department from 1963 to 1969, died October 27, 2022. Stern was also an award-winning poet.

Peter Sullivan, a professor emeritus who retired from the Foreign Languages Department in 2013 after 32 years of service, died June 13, 2022.

Donald Walker, a professor emeritus who retired from the Economics Department in 1998 after 29 years of service, died January 17, 2023. In 1988, Walker became the first recipient of IUP’s Distinguished University Professor Award.

Joann Walthour, a professor emerita who retired from the University School in 1991 after 35 years of service, died February 17, 2022.

Elinor Van Valkenburgh Weaver ’64, M’65, an instructor between 1988 and 1993, died February 27, 2022.

Don Woodworth, a professor emeritus who retired from the English Department in 1994 after 27 years of service, died October 25, 2022.

BRIAN HENRY

Beyond Football

How Frank Cignetti Changed Lives

By Matt Burglund

About a week before Frank Cignetti died, his younger daughter, Theresa Cignetti Koss ’97, asked a few people to call her father, because he was in the hospital and not doing well. She knew he’d like to hear from some friends. Pat Dougherty was one of them, and he made a phone call that he will hold close for a long, long time.

“We generally don’t tell people how we truly feel until it’s too late,” he said. “I was just glad that I was able to let him know how grateful I am for all the things he did for me.”

Since Cignetti died on September 10 at 84, many have shown that they, too, are grateful they knew the longtime IUP head football coach and athletics director, who also earned his bachelor’s in 1960 and his

master’s in ’65 from what became IUP. The stories they tell reveal that there was much more to the man than could be written in a simple biography.

“He made such a difference in my life,” said Tanner Whittaker, who played for IUP from 2003 to 2006. “Coach Cignetti was a special man.”

Whittaker was a freshman in the fall of 2002. He practiced with the team but did not play in any games. In his own words, “I was a nobody.”

Early that November, Cignetti’s team was 9-1 and needed to win its final game of the season to claim a playoff spot. On Tuesday the most important day of the practice week for college football teams Whittaker got a call from his position coach, telling him Cignetti wanted to see him.

Late in the day, Whittaker went to the football office, where Cignetti asked him to sit beside him at his desk. The coach handed his telephone to Whittaker. The player’s mother was on the other end. She told him that his father, Robert, had died the night before.

Because it was such an important day in such an important week, Cignetti could understandably have offered his condolences and then gone on with his work. Instead, he wouldn’t let Whittaker leave his side. But Whittaker needed to get home to Huntingdon to grieve with his family, and he had no way of getting there. He told Cignetti there was a family friend enrolled in evening classes at IUP, and maybe she would give him a ride home that night.

The only problem was Whittaker didn’t know where to find the woman. So, Cignetti grabbed his car keys, and the veteran coach and young player started driving around campus, looking for buildings with lights on. They’d find one and walk in, and Cignetti would burst into a classroom, introduce himself, and then ask for the woman by name.

It took awhile, and the pair visited several buildings, but eventually they found the friend. Cignetti took her into the hallway, explained the situation, and asked her to take Whittaker home.

Frank Cignetti in the months before his 2013 induction into the College Football Hall of Fame

“He would not leave me until I was with somebody,” Whittaker said. “He did not want me to be alone. I was lost. I don’t know if I would have survived, and the only way I did survive was because of Coach Cignetti.” Whittaker went on to start for three seasons on the offensive line before graduating in 2007. He now lives in Colorado, working as a corporate disability consultant.

Dougherty feels the same way. His mother, Virginia, died when he was in junior high, and his father, Owen, a former IUP football and baseball coach, died when Dougherty was in high school. After graduation, he enrolled at IUP but was unsure if he was equipped to make it on his own.

“I was an orphan,” he said. “I was 18, and both my parents were gone.”

But that summer, the trajectory of Dougherty’s life changed in a big way. Cignetti called and asked him to come to his office. There, he laid out a plan in which Dougherty would work as a student coach, assisting in the day-to-day operations of the football program.

“He said, ‘You need to be a part of something, so you might as well be a part of the IUP football family,’” Dougherty said. “Probably the best decision of my life was saying yes to that opportunity.”

By joining Cignetti’s staff, Dougherty found what he had lost. It was a family of coaches and players who included him in their work. During staff meetings, he had a seat to Cignetti’s left, and that sense of belonging carried him through a difficult time for someone his age.

“He knew what I needed to get through it,” Dougherty said. “He gave me the opportunity to be a part of something on campus that very few people ever get to be a part of. From the very beginning, he treated me like a regular member of his staff.”

Dougherty, who went to law school after his 1997 IUP graduation and is now an attorney in Indiana, said Cignetti’s impact on him showed how much he cared about everyone.

“It didn’t matter if you were a groundskeeper or the president of a university, he treated you the same,” Dougherty said. “It didn’t matter if you could do something for him or not, he just cared about people.”

Cignetti’s inf luence went well beyond players and coaches.

Anthony Fucinari was working for the Penn in the fall of 2005 when he was

“It didn’t matter if you could do something for him or not, he just cared about people.”

Under Cignetti, IUP made 13 trips to the Division II playoffs and two to the national championship game.

Cignetti headed onto the field in November 2005 for his final game as coach.

KEITH BOYER

assigned the student-run newspaper’s biggest sports beat: IUP football. He received a copy of the team’s media guide and dived in. When he read about Cignetti and his career to that point, Fucinari realized he was not dealing with an ordinary football coach. He learned about the wins, the championships, and the national accolades, and he also read about Cignetti’s commitment to bettering IUP and its students. Fucinari felt intimidated. The first time he attended Cignetti’s weekly inseason news conference, he was admittedly nervous.

“But he put me at ease, because he treated me like anyone else,” said Fucinari, a 2007 graduate who now lives in Souderton and is director of operations for a national medical group. “There were times that season when I’d go to him and ask if he had a moment to talk, and he always said yes, and he was always so nice. I didn’t expect that.”

Four days before the 2005 season finale, Cignetti announced he was retiring. During the game at Miller Stadium, Fucinari was reporting when he noticed the sideline filling up with dozens of former players— from Cignetti’s first IUP team in 1986 to more recent teams—there to show their

support for the coach who changed their lives.

Seventeen years later, Fucinari doesn’t remember much about the game, but he does recall the emotions he saw and felt afterward. There were current players in tears, upset that they couldn’t win their beloved coach’s last game. There were former players wishing they could suit up for their coach one more time. Those memories came rushing back to Fucinari in September.

Fucinari realized that the story wasn’t the game. IUP lost, but it didn’t matter. What did matter was the outpouring of love for the legendary coach in his final tour of the sideline.

“There were so many guys on the sideline, it was hard to maneuver to cover the game,” he said. “That’s when I stopped taking notes on the actual game and started talking to people, and I learned a lot about Cignetti.”

From former players and assistants, Fucinari heard stories ranging from funny to heartfelt and everywhere in between.

“One guy told me that if he was going to war, he’d want to go with Coach Cignetti,” he said. “I heard all these profound things about him, and they were things that you don’t hear about just anyone.”

“It was just a privilege to be there and to be able to tell part of that story,” he said. “When I heard that he had passed away, I just thought of all those players up and down the sideline, and I knew they all had their own stories of why they were there. Coach Cignetti meant a lot to them, to everyone.”

Whittaker was watching a college football game on September 10 when he saw the news that Cignetti had died. He immediately thought of that day 20 years ago when his coach supported him when he could barely stand on his own.

“It made me so sad,” Whittaker said. “He seemed like the kind of guy who would live forever, but I guess in our memories he does.”

“Coach Cignetti meant a lot to them, to everyone.”

Among those who greeted Cignetti during his final game were Charlie Mistretta, center, and his son, Richard Mistretta ’69.

KEITH BOYER

Dougherty was driving to East Stroudsburg to do the color commentary on the radio broadcast of the IUP season opener when he heard the news, and his mind went back to those days more than 30 years ago when he found a family at a point when he thought he had lost it all.

“I truly believe that he felt there was an obligation to take care of me,” Dougherty said. “He knew that he could somehow help me fulfill my potential, and I could never repay him for the things he has given me.”

Across the country, there were certainly hundreds of others who had an experience with Cignetti that made a positive impact on their lives. Those memories came rushing back, bringing new life to the former coach after he was gone.

“In life,” Fucinari said, “don’t we all want to have that kind of impact?”

On-Field Achievement

Frank Cignetti ’60, M’65 served as IUP’s athletics director from 1982 to 1998 and as head football coach from 1986 to 2005. A native of Washington Township, Westmoreland County, he was a basketball and football star at Indiana State Teachers College and went on to teach and coach at Leechburg High School. He was a football assistant at Pitt, Princeton, and West Virginia and later led the Mountaineers for four seasons.

At IUP, he won 182 games as head coach and took the program to the national stage, with 13 NCAA Division II playoff berths and two trips to the national championship game in 1990 and 1993. A member of the IUP Athletics Hall of Fame’s inaugural class in 1996, he was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2013, the same year IUP named its football field in his honor.

Cignetti’s sons have also gone on to successful coaching careers. Curt, IUP’s head coach from 2011 to 2016, now leads James Madison. Frank Jr. ’89 is the offensive coordinator at Pitt. Cignetti is also survived by his wife, Marlene, and daughters, Lisa Cignetti Ciarrocca ’86, M’90 and Theresa Cignetti Koss ’97. m

In fall 2013, IUP named its football field in Cignetti’s honor.

KEITH BOYER

Cignetti on the sideline in 2003

Cignetti as a basketball standout circa 1960

IUP ATHLETICS

IUP ARCHIVES

NAME DROPPERS

By Matt Burglund

IUP’s first time playing for the national crown. The Crimson Hawks went 6-0 in the tournament, with wins over Minnesota Duluth, Bentley (Massachusetts), the Citadel, North Carolina—Wilmington, Northern Iowa, and Lander by a combined score of 137-79.

Coaching Moves

IUP Athletics said goodbye to two coaches who recently retired. Adel Heder, who had been the women’s soccer coach for 20 seasons, finished his IUP career with a record of 220-139-24, including two regular season division titles, a conference tournament championship, and three NCAA tournament appearances.

Few people have seen, heard about, or spoken about IUP Athletics as much as Jack Benedict.

He came to town in 1969 to be the radio voice of the university’s teams. More than 50 years later, he is still on the job, calling football and basketball games for Renda Broadcasting. But when the pandemic started in the spring of 2020 and most college sports were called off, Benedict was furloughed and found himself with free time like he never had before.

He filled that time by taking on a project he had considered

for years: a memoir of his life behind the microphone. My Major League Life in Broadcasting was released last August, providing an intimate look at the life and career of the “voice of the Crimson Hawks.”

Benedict has called more than 500 football and 2,500 basketball games, and the book details some of the more memorable ones, as well as the people who made them special. It also details his childhood and the inf luential people who made indelible marks on his life.

Benedict, who turned 80 in February, wrote the book by

hand and later transferred it to a computer. Randy Jesick, longtime IUP Journalism and Public Relations faculty member, lent his expertise as an editor, and the book was completed two years after Benedict began writing.

“I don’t want to say I was bored, but I needed something to fill the void,” Benedict said. “This is my life, but I think the question after you read the book is, ‘What do you know about me that you didn’t know before?’”

Benedict’s memoir is available through the IUP Co-op Store. Part of the proceeds will be split between the Indiana County Humane Society and Four Footed Friends.

Rugby Kings

In its 50th season of climbing, the IUP Men’s Rugby Club reached the top of the mountain last May when it beat Lander (South Carolina) to win the National Collegiate Rugby Division II championship in New Orleans.

After trips to the Final Four in 2000 and 2013, this was

Heder has been replaced by a familiar face to IUP soccer fans. Noreen Herlihy, the former coach at PSAC rival Slippery Rock, was hired after coaching at NCAA Division I Akron for the past seven seasons. Herlihy has 325 career wins, including 250 at Slippery Rock, from 1995 to 2014.

Tom McConnell, the most successful coach in women’s basketball program history, also retired. During his eight seasons at IUP, McConnell had an overall record of 19750, won four PSAC West titles and two PSAC tournament championships, and led the Crimson Hawks to back-toback Atlantic Region crowns and NCAA national semifinal berths. His 197 victories, .798 winning percentage, four division titles, and two regional championships are all program records.

The interim coach is Craig Carey, who had been an assistant for his father, Mike Carey, at West Virginia.

Called to the Hall

In April 2022, IUP Athletics Director Todd Garzarelli and former AD Steve Roach

The Class of 2022 of the IUP Athletics Hall of Fame was honored at a September football game. Front, from left: Katie Woodruff Britt, Rodney Ruddock, Ellen Sylves Ruddock, Erin Holloway, Kathy Ewing Tatiossian, and Tony Medvetz. Back: IUP Athletics Director Todd Garzarelli, Mark Bridge, Nafee Harris, Darryl Webb, Rick Dahlgren, Shawn Kunes, Akwasi Owusu-Ansah, and IUP President Michael Driscoll.

Jack Benedict in 2001

BARRY REEGER

TOM CONNER

“Almost like a Miracle”

To recognize the 50th anniversary of Title IX, writer Bob Fulton takes a look at how the law transformed women’s sports. Read the story at IUP.edu/TitleIXat50

’01 were inducted into the Slippery Rock University Sport Management Hall of Fame as part of its nine-person inaugural class. Garzarelli earned his undergraduate degree at Slippery Rock in 1998. Roach, now the athletics director at Texas A&M Kingsville University, earned his master’s from SRU in 2005.

The IUP Athletics Hall of Fame inducted its Class of 2022—10 individuals and one team—in September. Class members are Mark Bridge, track and field; Katie Woodruff Britt ’95, swimming; Rick Dahlgren ’70, baseball; Nafee Harris ’15, track and field; Erin Holloway ’11, M’12, softball; Shawn Kunes, football; Akwasi Owusu-Ansah ’10, football; Kathy Ewing Tatiossian ’87, cross country/track and field; Darryl Webb ’11, basketball; and Tony Medvetz ’86, women’s tennis coach, 19992008. The 1993 football team, which played for the national championship, became the first team to be inducted. Rodney Ruddock ’65, M’75 and Ellen Sylves Ruddock ’66 received the Bell Ringer award for their support of IUP Athletics.

At the annual Indiana County Sports Hall of Fame induction ceremony last May, five IUP alumni were honored for their careers: Frank Cignetti Jr. ’89, Bob Rado ’78, Joe Saffron ’63, Dave Woodall ’73, and Mindy Sawtelle Zottola ’05.

Headline Makers

After 14 years with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Brandon Hunt ’03, M’06 was hired last spring as director of scouting by the NFL’s Philadelphia Eagles. In Philadelphia, Hunt joined four other members of the IUP football family: head coach Nick Sirianni (IUP assistant coach, 2006-2008), assistants

D. K. McDonald (assistant

coach, 2006-2010) and Tyler Scudder (graduate assistant, 2010-2012), and assistant to the head coach Scott Kaniecki M’10 (assistant coach, 20082011). In Hunt’s first season in Philadelphia, the Eagles advanced to Super Bowl LVII but fell to the Kansas City Chiefs, 38-35.

Last June, Ally Burrows ’19, who holds the IUP women’s lacrosse record for career goals (219), was named head coach at Clarkson University, an NCAA Division III school in Potsdam, New York.

Twenty years ago, he was an assistant men’s basketball coach at IUP. Now, Lamont Paris is head coach at the University of South Carolina. After five successful seasons leading Chattanooga, which included a 27-8 mark in 2021-22, Paris was named to the post in March 2022.

Former IUP softball coach

Bill Graham, who guided the Crimson Hawks to their most successful season in school history, was hired last spring as coach at Penn State Altoona. In 2011, Graham led IUP to the PSAC and NCAA Division II Atlantic Super Region championship.

In Memoriam

The IUP Athletics community lost one of its pioneers when Lois Clark died in July 2022 at 82. In 1973, she became head coach of the women’s basketball team, which was then in its third season of competition. She guided the f ledgling program for eight seasons. A faculty member in the Department of Health and Physical Education, Clark later served as women’s swimming coach.

IN BRIEF

New Leadership

Recent changes to university leadership include the naming of Lara Luetkehans as provost and vice president for Academic Affairs and Steven Hovan as dean of the Kopchick College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics. Luetkehans came to IUP in 2013 as dean of the College of Education and became interim provost in 2021. Hovan joined the Geoscience faculty in 1993. After more than a year away to serve as a program manager with the National Science Foundation in Virginia, he returned to IUP in 2021 as the college’s interim dean.

Research Rating

In the 2021 Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education, IUP received the designation of High Research Activity (R2) doctoral university, limited to institutions that award at least 20 research/scholarship doctoral degrees and have at least $5 million in research expenditures. IUP was one of only 93 public universities in the US with the designation.

Tuition Trimmed

As part of its new tuition affordability plan, IUP reduced tuition by nearly 20 percent last fall for in-state, undergraduate students taking at least 15 credits per semester. Domestic, out-of-state, undergraduate students will see a similar reduction starting in fall 2023.

Largest Grant

The US Department of Defense recently awarded IUP $4.98 million to enhance cybersecurity and STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) education. The project involves establishing and leading a consortium of community colleges to strengthen the

workforce in these fields. Waleed Farag, professor of computer science, wrote the grant application. It is the largest single grant IUP has ever received.

Memorial Moves

On Veterans Day, IUP rededicated its Vietnam Veterans Memorial in a new location outside Pierce Hall. Veterans Robert Gault ’83, Bert Manzlak ’80, Edward Holben ’83, Frederick Samarelli ’84, and Robert Chess ’80 helped with the plans, as the memorial’s previous location was in the Kopchick Hall construction zone. Retired lieutenant colonel Barry Gasdek ’64, a decorated Vietnam veteran, was among the ceremony’s speakers, and Jack Frank ’58, retired counselor from Career Services and Veterans Affairs, attended.

IUP on Video

See the latest IUP videos:

• A Life-Changing Experience: Imani Jefferson ’16 thrived at IUP with support from faculty member Luke Faust D’17. IUP.edu/life-changing

• Giving New Life to Oak Grove’s Fallen Trees: From IUP Woodworking’s Chris Weiland ’72 to

B. A. Harrington, use of the campus’s fallen trees for student art projects continues. IUP.edu/ HarvestToUse

• Supply Chains in 10 Minutes: Prashanth Bharadwaj, professor of management, explains the competition between supply chains. IUP. edu/supplychains

• Supreme Court and Your Rights in 10 Minutes: Gwen Torges, Political Science Department chair, explains nuances in the Constitution that affect high-court decisions on state laws. IUP. edu/SupremeCourt

Celebrating a Century And the Beat Goes On for Marching Band

Leanne Linder Greenberg ’79 and Tyler Haslett ’20

Rhonda Fedyk Foust ’95, Holly Wechs Schilthelm ’92, Katana Wansley ’95

Michael Allen ’09

Photography by James Nestor ’06

In November, IUP marked the 100th anniversary of the marching band with a long-awaited reunion weekend. Highlights included alumni performances at the IUP-Clarion football game and an alumni dinner.

Accustomed to receiving standing ovations, band alumni gave several—to former director Charles Casavant as he spoke at the Saturday dinner. Among those Casavant recognized were the late Daniel DiCicco ’54, the band director who recruited him, and the late band alumnus and fervent volunteer Ross Brightwell ’78, M’79, as well as the students Casavant led from the 1970s through the start of the millennium, hundreds of whom were in attendance.

“The word you heard me say the most was ‘again,’” he said. “Sometimes you did it fine. I just wanted to hear it again.”

Casavant also praised new marching band director Zach Cheever, whom he observed working with the band that week. “The grace was going on,” he said. “It was there all the time.”

As the program’s emcee, Cheever remarked, “I’m a conductor, and I’ve gotten a lot of batons. I feel like I just got the Legend baton.”

Also that evening, Mary Kreider Megna ’84 and Jarrell Verbecken ’18 premiered Sustaining Grace, a documentary they

created about the band’s 40-year history with “Amazing Grace.” At the football game just hours earlier, the alumni band’s encore performance of the song closed with a f leeting shower that was followed by a double rainbow.

“We were blessed with a little bit of rain to say we’re moving the world in some way,” Verbecken said.

For a copy of the documentary on DVD, with cover art by percussionist Reece Bower, email Megna at mary. megna@verizon.net.

Since May 2022, Zach Cheever has served as marching band director. He was passed the Legend baton by Nevin Saylor ’80, who took over in 2021 following David Martynuik’s departure after 20 years as director. Cheever came to IUP from the University of Colorado Boulder, where he studied wind conducting.

ALL ABOUT ALUMNI

1940s

As she approached her 100th birthday, Betty Butts Cassatt ’43 said she still enjoys housekeeping, taking care of her many houseplants, and getting attention from her two children and four grandchildren. Betty and her late husband, Don Cassatt ’42, president of his class at Indiana State Teachers College, were married for 72 years.

Featured in the 2017 book Code Girls for her work deciphering enemy codes during World War II, Dorothy Ramale ’43 died October 7, 2022, at 101. A former math teacher and alumni association president, Dorothy received IUP’s Citation for Service in 1977 and was named a Distinguished Alumna. Her wartime work was the subject the story “Code Cracker” in the Winter/Spring 2022 issue of IUP Magazine

1950s

Artist James Edward Carlos ’59 is the subject of a documentary, Carlos: Being of Light, by Tyler Stallings. The film highlights Ed’s work and how he incorporates what Stallings describes as encounters with “extraterrestrial beings of light.” Biblical Proportions, Ed’s 202122 exhibition at Firef ly Gallery in Cowan, Tennessee, shared 14 of his 8‘ by 4‘ mythological facial portraits in china marker on luan wood. Last year, he published an essay, “Speculation on Being, Wrestling with Angels,” in three installments in Alternate Perceptions Magazine. At 85, he continues to create daily at his IONA: Art Sanctuary in Sewanee. Images of his work appear on the Alumni Extra website.

A retired major general who served in the Army Reserves for 30 years, Leonard Hoch ’59 died March 31, 2022. Before his retirement, he served as vice

president of human resources for Westinghouse Financial Services. He was a 1991 recipient of IUP’s Distinguished Alumni Award.

1960s

In a letter reporting the death of Terry Mateer ’66, his wife, Sandra, shared highlights of his service to his country, community, and family. A Vietnam veteran, Terry served in the US Army for 30 years, retiring in 2001. While working in the Cost and Economic Analysis Division in the Pentagon, he helped create an archive of weapons systems data that revolutionized cost monitoring in that area. Back home in New Bethlehem, he served on the municipal authority and borough council and supported the Redbank Valley Trail, donating most of the sculptures along the 51-

mile stretch. He also prepared and self-published the Civil War diaries of his greatgrandfather, Joseph Mateer, who was chaplain of the 155th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry Regiment.

An internationally acclaimed artist and a 2014 recipient of IUP’s Distinguished Alumni Award, Peter Calaboyias M’69 died November 27, 2022. With work on display worldwide, he may be best known for Tribute, a sculpture he created for the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta that was damaged in the Centennial Olympic Park bombing. Peter was born in Greece after his mother and siblings, who had traveled there from Ohio to visit family, became trapped as World War II broke out. After a perilous escape, they spent years at a refugee camp in the Belgian Congo before returning to the

US and settling in Johnstown. Also an educator, Peter taught at the Pittsburgh Public Schools, Carnegie Mellon University, the Community College of Allegheny County, and Grove City College. See more on the Alumni Extra website.

1970s

The Ashbel Smith Professor of geospatial information sciences at the University of Texas at Dallas, Daniel Griffith ’70, M’72 received the Regional Science Association International’s 2021 Jean Paelinck Award for Distinguished Sustained Scholarship in Regional Science Methods and the International Spatial Accuracy Research Association’s 2020 Peter Burrough Medal for his contributions to understanding error and uncertainty in spatial models. That was also a theme of his 2021 coedited book, Uncertainty and Context in GIScience and Geography: Challenges in the Era of Geospatial Big Data, published by Routledge. A native of Hempfield Township, Westmoreland County, Dan was an IUP commencement speaker and honorary doctorate recipient in 2006 and is a 1982 recipient of the Distinguished Alumni Award.

Internationally known tuba virtuoso Jim Self ’65 returned to IUP in March 2022 as a guest artist in residency. During his stay, he performed and led master classes while students, faculty, and alumni gave concerts featuring works he wrote or produced. Based in Los Angeles, Jim has been a musician on hundreds of television shows and 1,500 movies, including Jurassic Park, the first two Home Alone films, and Hook. He is best known for playing the

“voice of the mothership” in Close Encounters of the Third Kind. Jim and his wife, Jamie, are longtime supporters of music at IUP, having established the Legacy Brass Quintet for honors students, a tuba scholarship, and a collection in the Orendorff Music Library. A 2003 recipient of IUP’s Distinguished Alumni Award, he plays with several orchestras and symphonies and teaches chamber music at the University of Southern California.

In spring 2022, the IUP Council of Trustees recognized Glenn Cannon ’71, who died in 2020, for his service to public safety and to his alma mater. Glenn started his 40-year safety career in Pittsburgh and went on to serve as director of disaster operations for the Federal Emergency Management Agency. At IUP, he served as president of the alumni association board and as secretary of the council of trustees. The university presented him with the Distinguished Alumni Award in 1985 and with the Presidential Legacy Award for Civic Service

BRIAN HENRY

Jim Self with music major Dylan Opalinski

and an honorary doctorate in 2010. In their resolution of appreciation for Glenn, the trustees also recognized his family (wife Cathie Cannon M’04 and sons Glenn and Grant) for sharing him with IUP.

Retired from the US Air Force and from the Department of Defense, where he was a professor of continuing education, Chuck Waszczak ’72 shared remarks, titled “Are You Brick or Mortar?” that he made upon what he called his “conclusive retirement.” They appear on the Alumni Extra website.

After nearly 50 years as a sportswriter, Ed Bouchette ’73 retired in May 2022. Starting in 1985, he covered the Pittsburgh Steelers as his main beat, first at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and in his last three years at the Athletic, a sports journalism website. In 2014, the Pro Football Writers Association presented him with the Dick McCann Award, which honors distinguished coverage of professional football and enshrines recipients in the “writers’ wing” of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He gave glimpses of his career in a final post on the Athletic, “Tales from Almost 50 Years Covering the Steelers and More, as I Hang ’em Up.”

A board-certified teacher, Susan Laird Jackson ’73 has retired from Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools and moved to Raleigh. She served as lead Language Arts master teacher.

Mary Nelson Hammerle ’74, a nurse who retired from IUP’s Pechan Health Center in 1999 after 30 years of service, died January 28, 2022.

A retired partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers, Bill

Have you noticed this icon at the end of a class note? It means that more information and often photos are available on the IUP Magazine website under Alumni Extra, www.iup.edu/magazine/alumniextra.

Shipley ’75 was among the alumni at an IUP Student Accounting Association recognition dinner in April 2022. He is a former Foundation for IUP board member and alumni association president and a 1990 recipient of the Distinguished Alumni Award. Professor Kim Anderson provided a photo for the Alumni Extra website.

A 1999 recipient of IUP’s Distinguished Alumni Award, Regina Dressel Stover ’75 was keynote speaker for the university’s Volunteer Recognition Breakfast in April 2022. Retired from the Bank of New York Mellon, Regina is a longtime member of the Foundation for IUP board and the Eberly College of Business’s advisory council. In 2015, she and her husband, Dennis Stover ’76, established an endowed speaker series for IUP.

In fall 2021, Carl Hisiro ’76 was elected township commissioner in the Third Ward of Susquehanna Township, near Harrisburg.

In his latest novel, The Deepest Black, acclaimed crime-fiction writer Randall Silvis M’76 reveals his mystical side. A blend of fact and fiction, the book follows the author as he researches, in search of material for a new book, a triple homicide near his Pennsylvania home. Along the way, he encounters unusual characters including men in black, time travelers, and deceased friends. Randall is a recipient of the IUP Distinguished Alumni Award and an honorary doctorate, in 2001 and 2007, respectively. Published by Poisoned Pen Press, his book is available through major retailers.

Murder on the Underground Railroad is the third in a series of historical novels in which

The event’s alumni cochairs, standing from left, Tim Wesley ’83 and Tim Hayes ’82, and faculty cochairs, David Truby, Michele Papakie ’93, and Randy Jesick, at the bench dedication

In September, nearly 150 journalism alumni gathered to celebrate the

author Craig Pennington ’77 weaves his Moorhead ancestors into adventures based on real events. Set in Indiana County, his latest story centers on his great-greatgreat-great-grandfather, James Moorhead, a newspaper editor and abolitionist, who—with his friend, Robert Mitchell— investigates the murder of two runaway slaves. Craig’s books are available through major retailers.

After 44 years in the safety profession, Randy Fulcomer ’78 retired in July from Hartford Insurance Company.

Since 1991, Belleville native Lisa Griffith ’79 has performed with the German Opera on the Rhine in Düsseldorf. Living part-time in Lewisburg, the coloratura soprano was featured

50th anniversary of the program that started as a concentration in English, quickly became its own program, and since 2015 has been the BA in Journalism and Public Relations. Recognizing the “gold standard” accomplishments of program alumni, events included the dedication of a commemorative bench on the south side of Stapleton Library and a gala in the Kovalchick Complex. The faculty members who started the program, David Truby and the late Craig Swauger ’42 (represented at the gala by his family), were recognized with Founders Awards, and Randy Jesick received the Legacy Award for his 50-plus years of service. See more photos from the celebration on the Alumni Extra website.

in the Sentinel before a Miff lin County performance in October.

An adjunct instructor at the Community College of Denver, Jamie Johnson ’79, M’85 spoke in IUP’s Diversity Speaker Series in 2022.

1980s

Mark Smith ’80, Centre County’s first assistant district attorney, retired in September after 37 years of service. His tenure included stepping in as acting district attorney for eight months when DA Ray Gricar went missing in 2005.

A judge in the Montgomery County Court of Common Pleas, Daniel Clifford ’81 was elected chair of the Family Court section of the Pennsylvania Conference of State Trial Judges.

M MASTER’S DEGREE

DORA SICKLES

Have you noticed this icon at the end of a class note? It means that more information and often photos are available on the IUP Magazine website under Alumni Extra, www.iup.edu/magazine/alumniextra.

Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education recently honored Debra Evans Smith ’81 with a Keepers of the Flame award for her contributions to diversity, equity, and inclusion at IUP. Retired from the FBI after a 30-year career, Debra is a member of the IUP Alumni Association Board of Directors, a past member of the President’s Commission on Diversity and Inclusion, and a frequent speaker for students and employees on diversity issues. In this magazine issue, she is featured as a leader of the Black Experience Alumni Committee on page 6 and as a Distinguished Alumna on page 32.

The Peace Alphabet, the latest book by Philip Steinbacher ’81, is described as a “modernday alphabet book for adults,” with images, descriptions, and quotes that encourage selfdiscovery and mindfulness. A former teacher and Walt Disney World entertainer, Philip lives on the island of Kauai, Hawaii, with his husband, Jason, and their dog, Lucky. His book is available through major retailers.

The American Hospital Association’s Society for Health Care Strategy & Market Development recently presented a former board president, Rose Dill Glenn ’82, with its 2022 Leadership Excellence Award. Rose is chief communications and marketing officer at Michigan Medicine, the University of Michigan’s academic medical center, and she serves on the faculty of U-M’s Department of Communications & Media.

A 2018 recipient of IUP’s Distinguished Alumni Award, she has made priorities of mentoring and improving culture throughout her career as a health-care communications executive.

Retired after 32 years at Sysco Corporation, James Jarosh ’82

now splits his time between Lake Murray, South Carolina, and Penne, Italy.

After 25 years as a videographer at Fox News Channel, John Wallace ’82 retired last June. This came on the heels of his 2021 Career Achievement Award for Distinguished Reporting on Congress from the Radio & Television Correspondents’ Association. John began covering Capitol Hill in 2005. He started his career at CNN and spent most of his 14 years there, as well as his first 16 at Fox, covering the White House.

Known for his work to reduce youth violence, Jeffrey Brown M’84 is behind the winning proposal to develop a long-vacant, seven-acre lot in Boston’s Roxbury neighborhood. His plan calls for creating a mix of residential, life sciences, and retail spaces on the parcel. Jeffrey’s real estate initiative, My City at Peace, partnered on the proposal with HYM Investment Group. An associate pastor at Twelfth Baptist Church, Jeffrey was featured in the Fall/Winter 2015 edition of IUP Magazine for his efforts to bring peace to the streets of Boston.

Family and friends of Marc Fogel ’84, a Butler native and international teacher being held in Russia, have been appealing to the Biden administration to negotiate his release alongside the other Americans being detained. In October, friends demonstrated outside the White House, requesting that Marc be granted “wrongfully detained” status to improve his chances for release. In August 2021, Marc was taken into custody at a Russian airport for possession of medical marijuana, and he is now serving a 14-year sentence. Updates on his situation will be provided on the Alumni Extra website.

Owner of the Pittsburgh

Press, Dan Rugh ’95 was recently featured in an IUP video, Designing a Business. Dan discusses how the broad view of creative opportunities Communications Media

provides helped him to discover his passion for graphic design and to use his creativity to solve problems for clients. In spring 2022, the City of Pittsburgh awarded his company a contract to create licensed Pittsburgh merchandise. See the video at IUP.edu/danrugh

In March 2022, Dirty Dealers intramural sports team members from the Class of ’85, Dave Bluemling, Doug Hammer, Mark Head, Jim Kladnik, Jon Stein, and Jim Stoof, attended Pittsburgh Pirates spring training together in Bradenton, Florida.

Alumni who attended an IUP Student Accounting Association recognition dinner in April 2022 included Pete Chiappa ’85, chief financial officer at Patton Wings, and Dan Sarver ’90, managing director at Conf luence Advisors. Professor Kim Anderson provided a photo for the Alumni Extra website.

In September 2021, Steven James ’86 and Michael Kliewer were married in College Park, Maryland.

A nurse at Pechan Health Center who retired in 2003 after more than 17 years of

service, Patricia Hartwell M’88 died July 26, 2022.

1990s

Onjanette Andrews Dancler ’93 is now the chief financial officer of St. Joseph County Public Library in South Bend, Indiana.

At an IUP Student Accounting Association recognition dinner in April 2022, professor Kim Anderson reunited with several of her Intermediate Accounting I students from fall 1992: Gina Creighton DeRubeis ’93, controller, Altoona Water Authority; Rob Deli ’94, chief financial officer, Atlas Title Company; Todd Kramer ’94, regional president, Pivot Physical Therapy; Seung Lee ’94, president, Newtech Dental Laboratories; Michele McEvoy O’Leary ’94, assurance managing director, BDO; Dan Simoni ’94, managing partner, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Tulsa; Joanna Fetzer Sutton ’94, entrepreneur-in-residence, University of Pittsburgh; and Brian Walker ’94, chief

screen printing and design firm CommonWealth

BRIAN HENRY

financial officer and executive vice president of Finance, Millcraft Investments. A group photo appears on the Alumni Extra website.

A retired colonel in the US Army, John Wojcik ’93 received his doctor of business administration degree from Baker College in May 2022. His wife, Kimberlie, and sons, Liam, Max, and Graham, joined him in celebrating. The founders of Mission Next Consulting, John and Kimberlie also published their first book, Mission Next, in July. Available through major retailers, the book is intended to help veterans transition from active duty to their first civilian jobs.

Author María Cicuéndez ’94 was a guest on Radio Nacional de España (National Radio of Spain) to discuss her novel, El mensaje de la amatista (The Message of the Amethyst), published in August. The book is available through major retailers.

Since last summer, Janet Ward Sardon ’94 has served as superintendent of the West Jefferson Hills School District, in which she once was a student. Previously, she was superintendent of the Yough School District and, before that, of the West Miff lin district. She also held positions in the South Allegheny and McKeesport Area districts. The University of Pittsburgh, where she earned her master’s and doctoral degrees, honored her with its Distinguished PreK-12 Educator Award in 2021.

Diane Donahue ’96, who retired as employee relations director in IUP’s Office of Human Resources in 2013 after five years of service, died February 15, 2023.

A senior audit manager in the Atlanta office of Cohn Reznick, Michael Peterson ’96 returned to IUP for the first time since graduation to speak to students and tour campus in September. Accompanying him were his three teenage children, Nadira and twins Samara and Elijah.

Ronald McGarvey ’97 recently became a full professor of operations management at Institut d’Économie Scientifique et de Gestion in Paris La Défense, a business district just outside the city. Previously, he was associate professor of industrial engineering and public affairs at the University of Missouri and a senior researcher at RAND Corporation.

Among the alumni who returned to IUP for a Student Accounting Association recognition dinner in April 2022 were Mike Cecotti ’98, chief accounting officer, Norilsk Nickel USA; Karen Tritch Sadler ’98, director of international finance, Carnegie Mellon University; and Amy Gechter Lewis ’00, partner, Maher Duessel. Professor Kim Anderson provided photos for the Alumni Extra website.

In 2021, Mia Polando Millette ’98 became CEO of Skyline Technology Solutions, a Maryland-based information technology company. She had served as the company’s chief operating officer since 2018. Authority Magazine also published an interview with her as part of its Women of the C-Suite series.

In spring 2022, the IUP Diversity Speaker Series welcomed computer information systems teacher Resheeda Bowman ’99, criminal defense attorney Turahn Jenkins ’99, and Realtor Taneka Washington ’99, M’01.

In spring 2022, Brian Jacisin ’99 became executive director and counsel for the recently formed Pennsylvania Judicial Ethics Advisory Board, which provides advice to judicial officers and candidates upon request. Previously, he worked for the Pennsylvania State Ethics Commission for 16 years.

2000s

Merideth McIntyre Richards ’00 and Jay Richards welcomed their second son, Cristian Thomas, in August 2021. They are also the parents of eightyear-old Jimmy.

Speakers in IUP’s Diversity Speaker Series in spring 2022 included Phillip Woods ’00, D’17, Aliquippa School District superintendent; Arnold Ivey CA’02, executive chef at IronRock Tap House in Greensburg; and Baindu Squire CA’07, ’11, owner and operator of Lady B’s Cakes in New Orleans.

An elementary teacher for more than a decade, Courtney Hill Burkett ’03 published a children’s book, An A My Way, to show students that having different learning styles is normal. In the book, a monster describes how his friends approach a problem differently, yet all get the correct answer. Courtney said she was inspired by her students “struggling with confidence as well as trusting their own learning styles.” She also has a second book, Cretaceous Elementary, about young dinosaurs who learn the importance of behaving in school. Her books are available through major retailers.

Following his nomination by President Joe Biden, Stephen Eberle ’03 awaits Senate confirmation to become US marshal for the Western District of Pennsylvania. A former Pennsylvania State Police commander, he is regional director of Secure Community Network, the official safety and security organization of the North American Jewish community.

In February 2022, Jessica Hanson Thorne ’05 became principal of the US Department of Defense’s Edward A. White Elementary School in Fort Benning, Georgia. She has spent 16 years in education as an elementary teacher, dean, and assistant principal. Jessica came to Fort Benning with her husband, Paul Thorne CA’98, ’02, who was stationed there from 2005 to 2009. He is now a major in the Army Reserves. They have a son and three daughters.

A member of the English faculty at South Dakota School of Mines & Technology, Laura Kremmel ’06 has a new book,

Romantic Medicine and the Gothic Imagination: Morbid Anatomies, published by the University of Wales Press. Available through major retailers, the book explores a crossover between the Gothic and the medical imagination during the Romantic period. Laura is a graduate of IUP’s Cook Honors College.

Manager of public relations and communications for Sheetz, Nick Ruffner ’06 returned to IUP to speak with students in the Crimson Scholars Circle, a mentorship program that supports Black and Brown students in continuing their studies.

Verüshka Vázquez ’06, M’09 is a bilingual speech-language pathologist and the owner of Yo Puedo You Did It Bilingual Therapy in Texas. She and her husband, Enrique Gutiérrez, welcomed their third child, Santiago Alberto, in April 2021.

At home during the pandemic in April 2020, Matthew Fridg ’07 created a short with his daughters that won Best Local Film at that year’s Pittsburgh Shorts festival and a MidAtlantic Regional Emmy in 2021. The film, Saving Amelia, is about two sisters who find an old two-way radio and end up talking with and trying to save Amelia Earhart during her ill-fated f light. Matt is the owner of Headspace Media, a digital marketing and advertising agency in Latrobe. More about the film is at savingamelia.com.

In August, Wayne Walters

D’07 became superintendent of Pittsburgh Public Schools, where he has worked for more than 30 years as a teacher, assistant principal, principal, assistant superintendent, and, most recently, interim superintendent. Raised in St. Thomas, Virgin Islands, he came to Pittsburgh at 16 to attend Carnegie Mellon. He also has a master’s degree from Duquesne.

In September, Pittsburgh’s KDKA-TV promoted two IUP alumnae: Lindsay Ward ’08 to co-anchor of the early-morning Your Day Pittsburgh and Erika

Stanish ’14 to weekend evening anchor. A native of Penn Run, Indiana County, Lindsay joined KDKA in 2019 after working at WVVA-TV in West Virginia and WJAC-TV in Johnstown and freelancing at Pittsburgh’s WPXI-TV. A Uniontown native, Erika joined KDKA in 2021 and, in addition to her anchoring role, will continue to report during the week. She has worked at WJAC-TV and at KOKH-TV in Oklahoma City.

Laura Robinette Elliott ’09 is the cofounder of Kula, a membership-based platform that connects new mothers with maternal-wellness experts in one-on-one virtual sessions. Topics range from nutrition and mental health to career-life balance and child development. Currently in its pre-launch phase, the company also has a podcast that addresses common new-parent concerns, such as breastfeeding and postpartum depression. Learn more at www. hellokula.com.

In February 2022, a virtual career panel for IUP students featured five biochemistry graduates: Cay Williamson Tressler ’09, faculty member, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine; Deanna Belsky ’11, investment analyst, Cormorant Asset Management; Jon Henninger ’11, postdoctoral fellow, Whitehead Institute; Shenin Headland Dettwyler ’12, genetic counselor, NYU Langone Health; and Katrina Owens McNeely ’12, senior scientist, GlaxoSmithKline. All were students in the Cook Honors College.

2010s

Living in Pittsburgh, Jacob Dulick ’10, M’11 and Carly Dulick had a baby boy, Dylan David, in May 2022.

Speakers in IUP’s Diversity Speaker Series in spring 2022 included Channing Porter Moreland ’10, M’13, counselor and Mental Health First Aid instructor; artist Anhia Santana ’10 (aka Distortedd); Ebon Brooks-Lane ’15, who discussed the nonbinary experience; Shydiyah Gardner ’17, founder and owner of handbag and accessories brand Shydiva Co.; and author Jalisa Lucas ’19

The Southern Association for College Student Affairs presented Craig Pickett Jr. M’10 with its 2022 Dissertation of the Year award. He completed his PhD at the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture, where he works as director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.

The only archaeologists to have excavated the Mercer County site of Pandenarium, a Pre-Civil War settlement for free African Americans, Angela Jaillet-Wentling M’11 and Samantha Taylor M’18 revisited the topic of their master’s theses to coauthor an article for the April 2021 edition of Historical Archaeology. They are attempting to learn more about the site’s settlers with help from their descendants. Angela is the Cultural Resources Program coordinator for the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural

Last summer, the HIV Interaction and Viral Evolution (HIVE) Center, funded by the National Institutes of Health, awarded Daniel Adu-Ampratwum M’10 a $140,000 grant to develop new HIV drugs. Daniel is a research scientist in Ohio State’s College of Pharmacy.

Alana Dagenhart D’16 released a poetry collection, Yellow Leaves, through Redhawk Publications. More information is at https:// redhawkpublications.com.

Resources, and Samantha is an archaeologist at New South Associates in North Carolina. More about their research is at IUP.edu/pandenarium

Married in Columbia, South Carolina, in 2019, Emily Case ’12, M’13 and Nicole Rybar ’12, M’13 have shared additional news under Arrivals.

Last year, Joseph Hutzulak ’12 became one of the first Peace Corps volunteers to return to overseas service after the agency’s pandemicdriven global evacuation in 2020. He volunteers in the environmental sector in Zambia.

Edinboro University named Ronald Raymond D’13 its 2022 Faculty Member of the Year. An associate professor and internship coordinator in the Department of Communications, Journalism, and Media, Ron serves as faculty advisor to the student-run radio station and as business manager for all campus media organizations. He worked in the radio industry for more than 30 years.

Calvary Presbyterian Church in Indiana recently named Matthew Cyphert ’15 its director of music. Previously, he served as choir director and organist at Trinity Presbyterian Church in Clarksburg and, before that, held positions at churches in Glen Campbell, Blairsville, and Manhattan, Kansas. He also teaches voice at his Homer City studio.

An English professor at Johnson & Wales University in Charlotte,

Alumni who returned to IUP for a Student Accounting Association recognition dinner in April 2022 included Freddie Phillips ’16, assurance senior associate, Ernst & Young; Lisa Fletcher ’17, senior associate, PricewaterhouseCoopers; and Lenny Williams ’19, life insurance agent, Arias Agencies. Professor Kim Anderson provided photos for the Alumni Extra website.

Joe Miller M’17 and Whitney Hall were married May 13 in Dingle, Ireland. Joe shared photos for the Alumni Extra website of his wedding and of his proposal on February 13,

An assistant professor of digital and global media at West Chester University, Jeremy McCool D’21 was featured in a video profile, IUP PhD Propels Student to Professor, released in spring 2022. Jeremy said he discovered his gift and passion for teaching as a doctoral student at IUP, where he also created the Digital Storytelling course. He credits his mentor, Jack Thomas D’90, Central State University president, with introducing him to IUP. See the video at IUP. edu/jeremymccool

CHRIS EATHERTON/OHIO STATE

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IUP retiree: faculty/staff Years

News

WEDDINGS

1980s

Steven James ’86 to Michael Kliewer, September 23, 2021.

2000s

Brittany Molnar ’09 to Tyler Martin, April 25, 2021.

2010s

Emily Case ’12, M’13 to Nicole Rybar ’12, M’13, July 13, 2019. Joe Miller M’17 to Whitney Hall, May 13, 2022. Erica Grabenstein ’18 to Zachary Allgood, May 14, 2021.

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Please note: News that appears in Class Notes for this issue arrived in the magazine office by October 5, 2022. If your news came in after that date, it will appear in the Summer/Fall issue. Submissions for the Summer/Fall issue must arrive in the magazine office no later than June 16. News arriving after that date will appear in the Winter/Spring 2024 issue. News for All about Alumni, Weddings, and Arrivals must be reported either by or with the explicit approval of the subject(s). Photos become the magazine’s property and may or may not be returned. The magazine does not report engagements or pregnancies.

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2021, in Rosemary Square, West Palm Beach, Florida.

Featured in the story “Home Is Where the Mind Is,” on page 10, IUP doctoral candidate

Oksana Moroz M’17 asks

readers to support Ukraine’s freedom through the following reputable organizations:

Razom for Ukraine, www. razomforukraine.org; Come Back Alive, savelife. in.ua/en; Serhiy Prytula

Charity Foundation, https:// prytulafoundation.org/en; and United 24, an initiative of Ukraine’s president, u24.gov.ua

ARRIVALS

2000s

To Merideth McIntyre Richards ’00 and Jay Richards, a son, Cristian Thomas, August 17, 2021. To Verüshka Vázquez ’06, M’09 and Enrique Gutiérrez, a son, Santiago Alberto, April 14, 2021. To Brittany Molnar Martin ’09 and Tyler Martin, a daughter, Tybee Rae, July 27, 2021.

2010s

To Jacob Dulick ’10, M’11 and Carly Dulick, a son, Dylan David, May 5, 2022. To Emily Case ’12, M’13 and Nicole Rybar ’12, M’13, a son, Crew Anthony, April 21, 2020. To Padraig Carey ’13 and Catelin Shontz Carey ’13, a son, Colin Scott, June 22, 2022.

DEATHS

1939: Virginia Minnich

Grosklos, Loretha McMinn

Hoyer

1941: Frieda Glasser Dick, Iona Pierce Uhler

1942: Helen Russell Ralston

1943: Ruth Hamilton Bedillion, Dorothy Ramale

1944: Ruth Hutton Long, Helen

Houck Ober, Margery Barns

Rausch, Josephine DeMichelis

Stella

1946: Barbara Woods Craig

1948: Janet Nullen Mulac

1949: Nicholas Anderson, Shirley Frye McHail, Elizabeth

Moyer, Sue Pifer Penfield, Charles Smith, Joanne Minich

Warner

1950: Donald Barto, Michael

Bodnar, Lincoln Fogelsanger, Sophia Mucha Krill, Amanda

MacDonald Leech, Walter

Sakaluk, Ronald Shurie, Laura

Nairn Winters

1951: Ina Henderson, Nancy

Wallace Kraybill, James Krofta, Edward Matko, John Rogers, Shirley Smith Scheidinger

1952: Shirley Allen Balint, Phyllis Brown Benesh, Arthur

Conner, Mary Berish Grove, Ronald Huber, Sarah Hutton, Alfred Marco, Catherine Barger Mitchell, Carl Truxal

1953: Edward Branish, Vance

Enck, Gilda Castello Hertel, Barbara Stanier Jacobsen, Mildred Johnson, Agnes

Hancherick Marco, Glenn

Sanner, Miriam Hogue Smith, Patricia Jackson Thran

1954: Maxine Reynolds

Chauvaux, Joyce Millen

Dematteo, Ruth Troxell Donley, Sallie Aldstadt Dutzman, Robert

Georges, Carol Fox Gradler, Mona Hammer, Mary Ellen

Edwards Heaton, Linda Fox

MacNamara, Katherine Lower

Raphael, Anita Malone Shaffer, Jean Schell Shoup

1955: Phyllis James Brown, Barbara Bachman Hann, Frank Korywchak, Dorothy

McKinney, Rose Ann Sorber

Mease, Rita Olivo Monaco, Jack

Pressau, John Rajtik, Marjorie

Chapman Ross

1956: Carolyn Blose, Joseph

Chunko, Mary Ellen Waite

Criste, Sylvia Dietz Garzotto, Paul Guth, Mary Gradler Moore, Betty Seaman Rajtik, Patricia Rossi, Donna Spangler, Robert Szabo, Grace Germonto Tongue, Frank Trozzi, David Wilkinson

1957: Robert Aikey, Dorothy

Messner Come, Larry Cramer, Sarah Barlow Kennedy, Alexander Lairo, Joann

Martnishn, Ronald Naughton, Jean Sandal Gordon, Walter Seibert

1958: Joseph Accordino, Martha Rybar Banda, Robert Condron, Barbara Sloan Kinter, Anthony Miller, Doris Anderson Piatt, Lenora Hall

Rudzinski, Glenn Simms

1959: Robert Burtt (M), Leonard Hoch, David Lavrich, Carl Roscosky, John Russ, Mary Selker-Dufault, Jay Shaffer, Jack Shubert, Ronald Tusing

1960: Marcella Campbell, Frank Cignetti*, Marianne Ricci Dorsey, Jack Feathers, Betsy Ralston Fetterman, John Greaves, Lois Hile, William Hoffman, Robert Letso, Barbara Miller Lingenfelter, Joseph Nedrow, Carole McClure Nelson, James Palmer, David Pastir, Lydia Roseberry, Mary Solarczyk, Eyla Reynolds Tolson

1961: Charles Barr, Glenn Brown, Joan Witherow Camberg, Raymond Cenni, Eugene Chiodo, William Dannecker, Ruel Davis, Marjory Klee Dilullo, Leslie Fryar, Gary Goepfert, Guy Henry, Earl Moore, Nancy Friday Neathery, Robert Pasierb, Anthony Pejack, Nancy Olexsovich Rakaczky, Sam Scavo, Linda Brougher Shaffer, Marlene Wiley Smith, Robert Smith, Shirley Stevens, James Yaconis

1962: Charles Anderson, David Balter, Phillip Bianco, Donald Brown, Larry Campbell (M), Emidio Cicolini, Jack Dean, Sue Smith Dewald, Diane Baker Fields, Elizabeth Pentz Gatti, Stanley Gnatowski, Richard Hamer, Richard Kubatko, Janet Hagedorn Lawson, Thomas Meyers, Marlene Kuntz Mikesell, John Perri, Robert Pohle, Doris Randolph, Diana Dettling Redish, Harry Rose, John Slezak, Penelope Lane Snyder, Barbara Kowalski

Yelverton

1963: Thomas Bassetti, Michael Berzansky, Gary Brown, Helen Burchanowski, Luella Rogers

Burke, Edward Coleman, Lynn Fink, Louise Kapolka

Gould, Thomas Hassall, Jean Provosnick Lane, James Long, Roger Lute, Agnes Klayko

Manning, Margaret Frace

Maser, Janet Harlow McGough, Marilyn Fugh Mensch, James Porter, Richard Rodgers (M), John Sabatos, Mary Kelly

Serotkin, John Sobotka, William Thompson

1964: John Barr, Irvin Bartoletti, Jan Bedogne, Howard Benner, Raymond Carlson (M), Charles Darr, David Dematteo, Donna Cribbs DeVries, Robert Eddy, Thomas Frieben, Marcia

Plyler Goodman, Joseph Hoffman, Russell Kirkland, James Mizerak, Eileen Skarbek Showers, Kenneth Stanko, Elinor Van Valkenburgh

Weaver*, Sharon Lees Wolfe

1965: Terry Beech, Frank Bish, Shirley Stine Briscoe, Arnold Capellman (M), Edwin Carr, Barbara Stankiewicz Clarke, Stephen Corbin, Raymond Dunlevy, Robert Franceschini, Hugh Murphy, Donna Hughes Ord, Samuel Paolo (M), Marilyn Pratt-Sharp, Frank Seitam (M), Carolyn Cestra Wolverton, Russell Yeager, William Young

1966: Jean Allison Babb, Patricia Casey Duane, Lois Gill, Anita Sholtis Jacobs, William Kuzneski, Terry Mateer, Kay Meadowcroft, Samuel Panico (M), Richard Platko, Carol Bunce Rough, Victoria Rich Sicher, Carol Kohl Smith, Joseph Volansky (M)

1967: Gary Bader, Marjorie Wible Christman, Ruth Kerr Colonna, Lois DeBiase DeLisa, Linda Wagner Duda, Dennis Faust, Thomas Geyer, Ruth Hall Keller, Raymond Kinter, George Kopchick, Carol Miller Landis, Ronald Luther, Wilbur Paul, Anita Biasucci Perricelli, Larry Rigo, Donald Robbins*, Lawrence Ruby*, John Scarnati, Susan Loy Schunk, Kaye Spiese, George Wilson (M), Patrick Wilson, Mary Jean Wood (M)

1968: Donald Amendt (M), Doris Arms, Phillip Basinger, Anthony Bernardi (M), Lynn Bezilla, James Bruce, Michael Brudnock, Eileen Zug Bugosh, Carol Huzinec Hlad, Clair Lundberg (M), Paul Perry, Nancy Black Rupert, Sandra Esposito Vesely, Betty Seitz Zoltak

1969: James Byham, Peter Calaboyias (M), Ruth Cimperman, Elaine Mosovsky

Cincala, Patricia Posney

Colenzo, Sandra Dellafiora, Dwight Freeman, Winsome

Garland, Marilyn Jones

McMahon, Margaret Garson

Nuss, Lynn Oldenburg, John Peterson (M), Cheryl Megonnell

Petrovay, William Powell, Donald Rohrbaugh (M), Sandra

Piwowarczyk Sheperd, Donna Brown Showalter, John Straitiff, Kathleen Oravetz Toeppner, Thomas Wimer

1970: Fredalene Barletta

Bowers*, Charles Breindel, Ronald Canton, Thomas

Creighton (M), Merrily Duncan (M), Mark Gasparovic, Brenda Tersine Goichberg, Edward Johnson, Mary Jean Mishlan

Johnston, Paul Rhodes, Sharon Lute Ruben, Joseph Schueck, Gunther Steudel, Thomas Stockhausen, Audrey

Tomasevich, Marilyn Rabatin Watkins

1971: Geano Agostino, Paul Banks, Dennis Beer, Richard Bellis (M), Myrtle Mack Benson (M), Madelyn Kacmar Cindric (M), Jerome Cochran, Harriet Cramer, Loaettis Divittis, Eileen Hensler Donelson, Alan Forsberg, Anita Venturino

Gillooly, Jeffrey Krimsky, Bernard Kushnir (M), David McIntyre, Judith Moore, Robert Olander, Randolph Perfetti, James Plack, John Reilly (M), John Salandra (M), Margaret Bell Smith (M), Susan Zook Todd, John Tomacic, Bernard Woodrow (M)

1972: Robert Bendel (M), James Cooper, Henry Cortinovis, Louise Delattre-Leonard, Ethel Infantino Double, Rebecca Erdeljac, Thomas Estep, Allen Harmon (M), John Metzgar (M), Diane Mularz, Patricia Feliskey North, Peggy Peros, Richard Popp, David Rodgers, Thomas Shuttlesworth, Stephen Thachik, John Vesnesky, Thomas Williams, Thomas Witkowski

1973: Sandra Baker (M), Marsha Sewock Barilar, Gregory Barnhart, Robert Brecker, Karen Lombardo Cortese, Marianne Rose Desso, Jeanne Magliere

Ferguson, Glenna Forquer, Dennis Grantz, David Gunther (M), William Hampton, Kenneth Heatherington, Mary

Jane Hoover, Patricia French

Johnson, Colleen Lissy, Agnes

Mash (M), John Matviya, Gail

Bosko Phillips, David Rosilko, Michael Simmons (D), Jane

Williams Smith, William

Stewart, Jeffrey Taylor, Mary Jo

Williams White, Linda Edwards

Wigington, Robert Wiggins

1974: Frank Blair, Charles

Bongiovanni, Pepper Brydon, Wayne Conley, Robert

Crytzer, Robert Dacey, Joseph

Frichtel (M), Leonard Glick, Mary Nelson Hammerle*, Dennis Hasenf lu, Ralph

Kearney, Patricia Kimball, Eleanor Widdowson Kish, Barbara Maffit, Lauren Miller

McCauley, Shirley Reiter

McCombs, Roseann Landolfi

Monti, Leroy Moyer (M), Alan

Pavuk, Diane Peduto, David

Popson, Nyra Dorko Potemra, Ricky Rosensteel, Gary Salati, Betty Beale Smeltzer, Joann

Stotlemyer Williams

1975: Donn DeBoard, Donna

Ercole-Bash, Nancy Reber

Feldman (M), Roy Geer (M), James Grinch, George Hovanec, Marjorie Shields Keith (M), Michael Krukowski, Kenneth

Matthews, Rose Trotta McCavitt (M), William McCoy, Carol

McDonald, Jeffrey Mills, Debra

Stevens Pincek, William Rapuk, Paul Stutz, Richard Walters

1976: Karen Bierer (M), Anne

Tornetta Dozer, Helen Stroupe

Fiddler, Nancy Meighen Kurtz, Kerry Miller Lenhardt, Kevin

Mechling, Bruce Mehus, Paula

Pontrelli, Jean Burchfield Rupp (M), Shari Scavnicky Santella, Paul Solley (D), Jane Wehrle

Spencer, Bruce Taylor (M), Patricia Willig, Rick Wilson

1977: Karen Keisling Hart, James Klucsarits, Cynthia

Walker Koontz, Michelle

Renner Kruse, Ruth Lester-

Mendat, Kimberly Miller, Jan Tintori Rosenau, Michael

Schuelke, Mona Larimer

Snyder, Joyce Irwin Vickroy (M), Mark Wetmore, William Zuzack (M)

1978: Kris Campitelli, Kim

Clapper, Donald Freedline, David George (M), Scott Gillespie, Sharon Green, Charles Kaltwasser, Robert Leax, Anna

Mantini McGowan, Janice

Smith McGregor

1979: Sharon Bacheller, Julie

Prizer Baird, Kimberly Powell

Billings, Douglas Bish (AA),

Paula Boyd Bowersox (M), Matthew Connell (M), Dolores Exton (M), Daniel Hurley, David Jenkins, Kevin Kelly, Deborah Koenig, Martha Krumenaker, Mark Lemmon, Elaine Settelmaier, Judith

Emmel Zuzack

1980: John Day (M), Richie Hench, David Kuhns, John Nania, Lisa Brandt Nelson, August Pompelia, Rhinda Siffin, Joyce Toperzer

1981: Daniel Cihonski, Eames Crisman, Connie Joyce, Donald McKillop, James Pekarsky, Tracy Weis

1982: Cathy Bellack, Joyce Dindinger, Barbara Biroscak Dunst, Lee Johnson Faulconbridge, Betty Hoff (M), Cynthia Huhn Morris, John Shaw

1983: Michael Adore, Kenneth George, Elizabeth Gray, Maurice Haggerty, Thomas Kiral, Matthew Lazenby, Jill Montgomery, Darryl Patterson, Annette Popovich Ross, Janice Lundquist Swanson, James Vizza (M), Judith Roser Zacherl

1984: Laura Muir Albert, Linda Bruno, Joni Cairns, Kevin Colgan, Donna Stefanelli Kurcsics, Michael Perez, Donald Pierce, Cecil Plouse, Gary Shanahan, David Tyson, Allen Woods

1985: Jean Cuppett (M), Susan Acker Scott (M), Cynthia Wutzke

1986: Cynthia Greco, Patricia Redick-Romano (D), Jayme Shildt

1987: Ronnelle Selva Buch, Marcella Lawer Gauen, Scarlett Boring Margetanski, Thad Meckley, Amy Engel

Pannebaker, Rebecca Kabay Spina, Anthony Wilt

1988: Bernadette O’Connor

Calabro, Patricia Hartwell (M)*, Laura Kraft, Thomas Lyons, Jacqueline Occhuizzo (M), Dianne Walla

1989: David Bahus, Dennis Bernatzky, Steven Bertness, Stacey Green Dezelon, Mary Pearce Fallara (AA), Kathryn Kress Graham (D), Lisa Hamo Henning, Matthew Hess, John Runco (M)

1990: Nancy Cross (M), Tanya Kelly, Mildred McCreary, Shirley Raemore

1991: Linda Riley Cribbs (M), Joseph McCreary, Steven Poleski, Jeffrey Pyle

1992: Heather Minnich Brown,

Francis Kozminski, Stanley Rath

1993: Susan Alexander, Wayne Engle, Jason Esper, Andrew Gilbert, Keith Isenberg, Amy Metzger Martin, Brook McGinnis, James Metcalfe (M), Anthony Mileca (M), Michael Siemons

1994: Sharla Hambach, Karen Jellison, Nancy Grabb Kriss, Tricia Minich Lukehart

1995: Jeffrey Bennett, Nicole Berros (CA), Lenn Lengel (CA), Charlotte Manges, Debra Taczanowsky (M)

1996: Ernest D’Achille, Diane Donahue*, Heidi Hosey (M), Steven Nichols, Susan Novak (M), Gladys Nunnally (D), Mike Rose (M)

1997: Mary Margaret Ruck

Pacio, Shawn Wiggins

1998: Christopher Cole, Robert Gribik, Rebecca McCurdy, Vincent Stabile, Scott Trump

1999: Chad Beattie, Heather Zabinsky Gailey, Dennis McFadden (D), Mark Russo, Brian Sparvieri

2000: Mark Hall (M), Jonathon Milliner, Jeffrey Spencer (M)

2002: Christian Engelbert

2005: Allison Watkins

2006: Stephen Comninos, Elizabeth Daubert

2007: Ryan Bowers, Barbara Phinisee (M)

2008: Rachel Yamber

2009: Christopher Twigg

2012: Rachel Camp, Adam Philp

2013: Steven Wilhide

2014: Christopher Cox (M)

2015: Alex Booher

2016: Kathryn Bruce

2017: Lee Ann Leech (D)

2019: Thomas Grasty

2021: Regis Wiktorzewski *current or former faculty member, staff member, or administrator

Note: In cases in which an IUP degree beyond the bachelor’s was earned, only the bachelor’s degree is indicated. Deaths of faculty members are reported in the Mentors section of this issue.

Other Deaths

Joanne Adamsky, who retired from Custodial Services in 2003 after 20 years of service, died November 11, 2022.

Patricia Besh, who retired from the IUP Monroeville Graduate and Professional

Center in 2012 after 16 years of service, died August 29, 2021.

Robert Blakely, who retired as communication manager in the Maintenance Department in 1993 after nine years of service, died December 13, 2022.

Norman Bova, a student pursuing his teaching certification, died April 23, 2022.

Doug Busch, who worked for the Student Cooperative Association, most recently in shipping and receiving for the Co-op Store, died November 21, 2022.

Bob Coy, who retired from the Maintenance Department in 2002 after nine years of service, died May 4, 2022.

Larry Duncan, who retired from the Grounds crew in 2013 after 35 years of service, died January 30, 2023.

Denton Fulmer, who retired from the Grounds crew in 2007 after 26 years of service, died August 18, 2021.

John Houser, who retired from Facilities Maintenance in 1996 after 24 years of service, died June 26, 2021.

Thomas Lostrick, who retired from Custodial Services in 2020 after 20 years of service, died May 30, 2022.

Betty Mabon, who retired from Custodial Services in 1987 after 23 years of service, died November 3, 2022.

Marion Martin, who retired in 1999 after 17 years of service as an administrative assistant in various departments, died August 15, 2022.

Gertrude Petro, who retired from Custodial Services in 2000 after 15 years of service, died February 14, 2022.

Christopher Pugh, a junior in the Kinesiology, Health, and Sport Science Department, died June 16, 2022.

Cheryl Ryen, who retired from Custodial Services in 1994 after 23 years of service, died September 4, 2022.

Ron Succheralli, who retired from Facilities Operations in 2018 after 24 years of service, died November 29, 2021.

Gary Welsh, who retired as director of the Criminal Justice Training Center after 20 years of service, died August 29, 2022.

Distinguished Alumni Awards

many academic awards, making numerous conference presentations, and publishing widely. He recently rekindled his passion, which originated years ago in Brockway, for relief woodcarving and sculpture.

The first Argentinian to obtain an Eberly College of Business MBA degree, Nicolas Arino M’10 also set an alumni benchmark when he attained the regional management level at the New York Stock Exchange, where he is the head for Latin America, Bermuda, and the Caribbean. A native of Córdoba, Argentina, he received two bachelor’s degrees from the Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto, won a Fulbright for leadership studies at the University of Delaware, worked in exports and as a commodities broker, and speaks Portuguese and Spanish in addition to English. Active in Rotary International for more than a decade, he led the Metro NYC club as president.

Jordan Golin D’96 is president and CEO of Pittsburgh’s Jewish Family and Community Services, with which he has been associated since 2001. A licensed psychologist, he has maintained a private practice for over 20 years and was director of the psychology department at Sharon Regional Medical Center. The Miami native received a bachelor’s degree from the University of Florida and a master’s from Jerusalem’s Hebrew University. A recipient of numerous awards in his role at JFCS, he guided his organization in helping Pittsburgh recover from the Tree of Life Synagogue massacre by providing words of hope and healing and by arranging interventions for hundreds who suffered trauma reactions.

the secretary of the Army and director of the Civilian Senior Leader Management Office. The recipient of a Penn State journalism master’s degree in 1980 and of numerous awards, medals, and decorations, he served with the Army throughout the US and at posts abroad. Today, he lives in Georgia.

Evans Smith ’81 had a stellar career with the bureau for 30 years, beginning as one of the first 50 Black female agents in the 1980s and ending in the top ranks. A spy chaser most of the time, she won top honors for her role in such cases, including one of the most important in US history—that of Robert Hanssen. After retirement, she returned to the FBI and managed a priority initiative under Directors James Comey and Christopher Wray to address what had been the bureau’s inadequate record on diversity, equity, and inclusion.

After a career in education at the primary to college level, Thomas Buggey ’73 is now a private consultant, trainer, and speaker in video selfmodeling for children with autism and chief science officer at Invirtua.com. He taught in Pennsylvania and Canada’s Newfoundland and along the way earned a Clarion special education master’s degree and a Penn State early intervention doctorate. For nearly two decades, he taught at the college level in Tennessee, where he still lives, winning

Larry Gottardi ’71 grew up near the IUP main campus and went on to spend 35 years on active duty with the US Army, retiring in 2006 with the rank of major general. In 2009, he was appointed to the Senior Executive Service. Recently, he has been acting deputy under

Catherine Marcum D’08 is chair of Appalachian State University’s Department of Government and Justice Studies, having come from Georgia Southern University. Published in over 60 peerreviewed journals and author or coauthor of 20 books, she is a past editor of Corrections: Policy, Practice, and Research and current editor of the International Journal of Cybersecurity Intelligence and Cybercrime. She is an elected trustee of the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences and immediate past president of the Southern Criminal Justice Association, which named her Educator of the Year in 2015. A native of East Bank, West Virginia, she received bachelor’s and master’s degrees from West Virginia State College and Marshall University, respectively.

Rebecca Stossel Stapleton ’84 retired in 2020 as senior executive vice president and chief banking officer at S&T Bank. She previously served as chief human resources officer, having worked in human resources at the bank since 1988. At the same time, she taught at IUP, Penn State, and the University of Pittsburgh. She serves on the Indiana Regional Medical Center board and the Eberly College of Business advisory council. Passionate about helping women advance, she was the Pennsylvania Bankers Association’s Women in Banking state committee chair and the first recipient of its Champion for Women award. A self-employed consultant, she focuses on human resources, executive coaching, and women’s initiatives.

A retired senior official with the FBI, Pittsburgh native Debra

In April 2022, the IUP Alumni Association presented its highest honor, the Distinguished Alumni Award, to seven recipients.

Exploring Endless Possibilities

More than once in her lifetime, fate has picked Janice Krall Hummel ’75, M’79 up from one road and put her down on another.

“I grew up in Dillsburg, a small town in York County,” she said. “My parents are children of farmers. My first-grade teacher hauled my mother in for a conference to insist that she and my father make sure that I apply for and graduate from college.

“My mother took that advice very seriously. I don’t think I would have gone to college without that parent/teacher conference.”

A dozen years later, with a knack for clothing construction and a desire to teach, she enrolled at IUP. A year after earning a bachelor’s degree, she was offered a graduate assistantship in the School of Home Economics. Three years later, she received a master’s degree in education.

“In 1979, there were more teachers than jobs,” she said. “After a year of substitute teaching, I became employed by the Pennsylvania Public Utilities Commission. I had a rewarding career as a policy analyst in the Bureau of Consumer Services. Our director placed a premium on promoting staff with advanced degrees.”

Although diverted from her original goal of teaching, Janice said, “I’ve always been grateful that my dean offered my graduate assistantship and my director saw potential because I had an advanced degree.”

Janice married John Hummel in 1980. A year earlier, he had received an associate degree in computer data processing at Harrisburg Area Community College and had joined AMP Inc. as a computer operator.

professionals that would build a global manufacturing system for the company.

John later went to work for Yazaki Corp. when the automotive original equipment manufacturer opened a new division in Middletown. In addition to managing its systems, he was tapped to manage Yazaki North America’s Distributor Group, servicing more than 800 customers.

“John owes his progression into several diverse positions at both companies to his education,” Janice said. “His experiences made him realize you can do any number of different jobs with the proper training. Never allow yourself to be slotted into a specific profession. Explore the endless possibilities.”

Janice and John’s success has made possible their investment in the Janice Krall Hummel and John Hummel Nursing Scholarship at IUP.

The job came with generous tuition benefits, and in 1990, John earned a bachelor’s degree in information systems from Penn State. He moved up quickly at AMP, eventually managing an international team of experienced computer systems

“We realize we have benefited from opportunities that mentors, teachers, and employers provided to us,” Janice said. “We also recognize the tremendous sacrifices that nurses made to care for so many patients during the COVID pandemic, and we want to pay forward the opportunities that have benefited us.”

“We realize we have benefited from opportunities that mentors, teachers, and employers provided to us.”

Janice and John Hummel

STEPHEN MOYER

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LIGHTING IT UP

The IUP Marching Band, with featured twirler Ekaterina Trimble, a medical imaging major from Derry, performed at the Crimson Huddle pregame party in the Kovalchick Complex on Homecoming Day. A month later, members joined alumni in performances during the marching band’s 100th anniversary celebration. See photos on page 22.