IUP Magazine, Spring 2025

A FAMILIAR CLIMB

Between Maple and Grant Streets, this stretch of 11th Street, nicknamed “Cardiac Hill,” has proved challenging to generations of students.

IUPMAGAZINE

As the first Crimson Scholar to graduate, Victoria Alao leads the way for others who have benefited from the program’s

Oh, Fudge!

Sweeter

Outcomes for Special Workers

By Bob Fulton

Afew years back, Roger Haney decided his best option was to quit—just walk away from his sixfigures-a-year job as a hospital administrator . . . to make fudge.

And he’s never been happier.

What on the surface seems sheer lunacy was actually a carefully conceived plan to benefit his 15-year-old son, Jake, who is on the autism spectrum. The result was Spectrum Fudge—with a mission not only to satisfy the sweet tooth of customers all across the country but to create opportunities for those like Jake, who are too often overlooked and underappreciated.

“I cashed in my retirement so that my wife and I could try to provide something for our son when he would graduate,” said

Haney ’01, M’03, who opened his Penn Hills fudge factory in 2021. “The employment rate for individuals with special needs is really low. About 67 percent right now are either unemployed or underemployed. And many organizations that do employ those individuals send them just to clean. Their entire job is to clean, whether it’s mopping the f loor, bathrooms, sweeping. And while that’s a part of any job, we at Spectrum Fudge wanted to give them other opportunities.”

Haney provides those opportunities at his nondescript factory, where approximately 60 workers—most school age, but some in their 40s and 50s—regularly gather in a 3,000-square-foot space, near a wall adorned with an image of Gene Wilder as the title character in Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory

There, they produce an array of mouthwatering chocolates and other confections in a welcoming environment.

“For many of these individuals, this is the very first time they’ve done anything outside of the classroom,” said Haney, who co-owns the business with his wife, Erin, and another couple, Scott and Brandy Hershberger. “Unfortunately, many of these individuals have not gotten the same experience that maybe a neurotypical individual would have. Next thing you know, they’re 17, 18, 19 years old, and they’ve never had a chance to do something in the workforce. So our job, which we take very seriously, is giving them real-world experience so they can go out and achieve their goals in life.”

Jake Haney, 15, with his father, Roger, in the Spectrum Fudge factory BRIAN

Haney draws his workers from 11 area school districts and various nonprofit agencies for special needs individuals. Others come through the Pennsylvania Office of Vocational Rehabilitation. Haney positively beams while describing how his charges blossom after passing through the doors of Spectrum Fudge.

“It’s just fun to see them grow, knowing how they were the very first time they came in,” he said. “To see the change, when only weeks ago they were so nervous and so shy. And now they have a confidence about them. To me, that’s what it’s all about.”

His workers turn out a variety of delectable treats—gourmet fudge made with imported Belgian chocolate being the headliner. Flavors include dark chocolate, orange creamsicle, maple walnut, cookies and cream, rocky road, penuche, and blueberry cheesecake. The factory also turns out chocolate-covered Oreos, Twinkies, apples, raisins, pretzels, and espresso beans; peanut butter meltaways; assorted nuts, either plain, spicy, or chocolate covered; and caramel popcorn.

Haney ships his products to 46 states. Spectrum Fudge confections are sold at three locations in the town of Indiana: the IUP Co-op Store, the Hilton Garden Inn, and the recently opened Sweet Little Shop along Philadelphia Street. Everything is produced at the Penn Hills factory, where workers

build skills that will serve them well in the years to come.

“We have a career ladder,” Haney explained. “The very first day, they learn the most basic things—packaging, sealing, and putting on nutrition labels, our logo, and a best-by date. Then, as they progress, they get involved a little bit more in the baking process, where they can dip the apples or the Oreos or the pretzels and assist with the fudge slicing. From there, some can assist in the nondangerous portion of fudge cooking.

“And then, ultimately, many of them that show interest can come out with me into the community for what I refer to as shows, where we sell our products. We do a lot of work with area hospitals. We’ll set up tables, and I’ll have individuals with special needs there with me. They learn how to make change, type into the computer, interact with customers, those sort of things.”

Haney held a recent show at Indiana Regional Medical Center, within sight of campus and Ackerman Hall, where he spent many hours working toward a degree in hotel, restaurant, and institutional management. He had initially envisioned a career in a restaurant setting.

But after earning his master’s in industrial and labor relations, Haney pivoted to hospital work. He moved to Florida, met and married Erin, and they had two

High school seniors, from left, Joseph Coiner, Marina Sciullo, and Ryan Guidry join Roger Haney in the factory.

BRIAN HENRY

children, Caitlin and Jake. After discovering that resources for special needs kids were better in Pennsylvania than in Florida, Haney chose to return to his home state and launch his fudge company.

The first few years were something of a struggle, but fortunes have improved of late. Spectrum Fudge has even been recognized by the Pittsburgh Pirates and Penguins, in conjunction with First National Bank, as a regional Small Business of the Year, with ads shown during baseball and hockey telecasts.

So, what does the future hold for Haney and Spectrum Fudge? A brick-and-mortar location from which to sell products is on his radar. One day, he’d like Spectrum Fudge to earn recognition as the premier fudge company in Pennsylvania, maybe even in the United States.

The only certainty for now is that Haney doesn’t regret for a moment turning his back on a well-paying job to try his hand at making fudge—a leap of faith designed to benefit his son and others with special needs.

“Don’t get me wrong; I loved what I did,” Haney said. “I loved the teams that I built. I miss that camaraderie with leaders in healthcare. But I get everything I’m looking for and more with the teams we’ve built here, the stories we create, and the opportunities we provide. I probably work more hours now than I did in healthcare administration. But I don’t feel like I work at all, because I love what I do.” m

The Haneys: Roger, Caitlin, Jake, and Erin BRIAN HENRY

LETTERS

Shout-out to Ruth

I am so glad to see that she is still at it!

I was moved to see the article about Ruth Riesenman ’64, published in the Fall 2024 edition of IUP Magazine Reading about how Ruth continues to mentor and encourage young people brought back memories of working alongside and being encouraged by Ruth.

While I was at IUP, she was head of Career Services and the sponsor of the Black Cultural Center on campus. A Philadelphian by birth, I had no idea the culture shock that would await me as a first-year student at IUP; however, I found myself drawn to the BCC and was surprised to find Ruth there as the center’s sponsor. What I didn’t anticipate was her warmth, her compassion, and her encouraging spirit. All of these qualities not only helped me with my culture shock, but encouraged me to be active in campus affairs in a number of leadership roles, including with the Black Student League, Student Government, and Concerts Committee.

Years later, when I had the privilege of supporting the sponsorship of a busload of students from the Philadelphia area to IUP to meet and be vetted by the Culinary Arts team, Ruth continued to demonstrate hospitality and encouragement in her role as administrative assistant to the president of IUP. At that time, I was responsible for Human Resources at the Pennsylvania Convention Center, and in conjunction with the Philadelphia High School Academies, Inc., the bus trip brought students from the hospitality, restaurant, and tourism programs of

George Washington, West Philadelphia, and William Penn high schools to the campus for a day. The students were so in awe of their experience, including Ruth’s hospitality and encouragement, that a few of them made IUP their college choice.

I have written to Ruth to let her know how much I appreciate her as a person and a professional, especially when race relations at IUP were at times tenuous. To find that she has been consistent in her encouragement and lifting of hundreds, perhaps thousands, of students is refreshing—and just like Ruth.

Thank you, Ruth! It is so good to know you are still at it.

Charlene Bayne ’82 Drexel Hill, PA

A Familiar Face

When I saw the Distinguished Alumni Awards [IUP Magazine, Fall 2024], I wracked my brain over how I knew Carolyn Violi from my 1976 class. Was she in my freshman dorm, Conestoga? Did she pledge my sorority, Alpha Phi? Days later, I remembered that we student-taught together at Knoch High School in South Butler School District. Carolyn, Terri Sochor, and I rented rooms from a retired woman who lived near the school. The award is a wonderful tribute to Carolyn and her fabulous career. I enjoyed my trip down memory lane.

Sandra Colt ’76 Pittsburgh, PA

Survey Explores Physician Retention in Rural Areas

In 2022, when IUP set out to explore the possibility of opening a college of osteopathic medicine, the impetus was to train more physicians so they could help meet the healthcare needs of rural Pennsylvanians, an underserved population.

Three years into this effort, Miko Rose, dean of that proposed medical college, aims to get to the bottom of what makes physicians stay in rural areas. The result is a collaboration between IUP and the Center for Rural Pennsylvania on a study, “Understanding Physician Retention in Rural Pennsylvania,” that will survey more than 6,500 physicians in rural practices and, to help with data analysis, 2,000 additional physicians, all in Pennsylvania.

“Past approaches have been to redesign recruitment and retention to get more students,” Rose said, “but our thinking is that we need to f lip the script, to understand the qualities, characteristics, and core values of those physicians who stay in rural healthcare, and then build recruitment strategies that help us find the students that meet these criteria if we are going to move the needle on the rural healthcare crisis.”

IUP’s Applied Research Lab will compile and analyze data from the survey, which takes place this spring.

As of mid-April, IUP had secured more than $32 million in private and government funding for the proposed medical college. The university had also finalized 12 clinical training affiliation agreements for the college’s students. Four more agreements are expected to be signed by July.

Learn more at IUP.edu/president/proposed-com

President Michael Driscoll and Miko Rose sign a clinical training affiliation agreement.

Celebrating the 150th

University’s Sesquicentennial Schedule Is a Full One

On May 17, IUP will mark a special occasion. In 1875, 150 years ago to the day, it opened as Indiana State Normal School for its very first term, consisting of a 10-week spring session. While 80 students attended on opening day, the f ledgling school had enrolled more than 150 by the end of the week.

IUP will officially kick off its sesquicentennial celebration on August 23—after students have arrived for the fall semester. However, activities have already begun, and a full year of revelry is planned.

In January, registration opened for the 150 Volunteer Hour Challenge, in which student groups, departments, offices, alumni groups, and individuals pledge to volunteer 150 hours between May 17, 2025, and May 16, 2026.

In April, IUP unveiled the commemorative gift (described on the inside back cover) for its upcoming comprehensive campaign and wrapped up an anniversary-inspired T-shirt design contest. The winning artwork will be printed on limited-edition T-shirts given out at the sesquicentennial kickoff, which will coincide with the Crimson Carnival that’s part of Welcome Week for new students.

Events this spring also include Week of Giving, May 12–17, which focuses on and encourages support of a different IUP need each day.

IUP Day at PNC Park will bring members of the university community together for a

Pittsburgh Pirates game on Sunday, August 10, against the Cincinnati Reds. Anyone who donates $150 or more to IUP before August 1 will be eligible for a chance to throw out the ceremonial first pitch.

Plans for August also include the addition of an anniversary-themed mural to the parking lot wall just east of North Dining (former site of Keith Hall).

From September through December, the University Museum on Sutton Hall’s first f loor will present IUP@150: Meet Me in the Oak Grove. Curated by IUP archivist Harrison Wick, this exhibition will explore the evolution of academics, athletics, and student life and will display apparel from the IUP Fashion Studies Historic Costume Collection.

Through May 2026, the sesquicentennial theme will permeate routine campus events, from the IUP Athletics Hall of Fame induction ceremony and Homecoming, which will include a special “Fifth Quarter” concert, to alumni and donor recognition events and the winter and spring commencement ceremonies.

“IUP has weathered many storms over the past 150 years, but it has always had an incredible sense of pride and optimism, independence, and commitment to student success,” President Michael Driscoll said. “I am truly looking forward to all of the planned events and to the beginning of our next 150—and more—years to come.” m

‘A Full-Circle Moment’

Program Celebrates Its First Graduate, among Other Successes

By Matthew Burglund

When she heard she would be the first student from the first cohort of the Crimson Scholars Circle to graduate from IUP, Victoria Alao needed a moment.

She thought about the path that brought her to IUP, her struggles when she got here, the support she needed and received, and the metamorphosis she experienced on campus.

And when Tom Segar, vice president for Student Affairs, congratulated her a few days before her December 2024 graduation and pointed out her unique role in IUP history, she finally understood what she had accomplished.

“When Dr. Segar told me that,” she said, “I had this realization of how far I had come. The resilience I had was something that I didn’t know I had when I came to IUP He said it was a full-circle moment for the Crimson Scholars Circle, but it was a fullcircle moment for me, too.”

Using the resources of the Crimson Scholars Circle—a program created in 2021 to prepare and support first-year Black and Brown students who may be underprepared for college—Alao progressed from an uncertain learner to a college graduate. And she did it in just three and a half years.

“That’s a beautiful story in itself,” said Roger Briscoe ’09, M’10, D’23, executive director of Student Inclusion and a member of the team that oversees the Crimson Scholars Circle. “I always talk about having that personal drive to succeed, and she has it. It’s intrinsic with Alao. If you have that drive, you can accomplish bigger and better things than you ever thought.”

Considering the obstacles Alao overcame to get to commencement, her accomplishments are all the more impressive.

As a teenager, she immigrated to the United States from Nigeria in January 2020, about two months before the COVID-19 pandemic started. Soon after she started at her new American high school, Alao and the rest of the world went online, and she didn’t take a single class in person until she arrived at IUP 18 months later. So, naturally, she had some concerns.

“I didn’t know what to expect or what it would look like,” she said. “I was really far from home, and it was my first time leaving my family. I didn’t know if I’d fit in.”

But she did, and she f lourished.

December graduate Victoria Alao

Team-building exercises are part of the Crimson Scholars Circle’s early immersion week.

With start-up funding from an anonymous alumni donation, the program brings Crimson Scholars to the Indiana campus a week before Welcome Week, the traditional program that acquaints first-year students with college life. Briscoe said many of the Crimson Scholars come from urban areas and may have to deal with poverty and physical and mental health issues just to get through high school. So when they come to college, they are often ill-prepared for the rigors of classes, labs, study sessions, term papers, and exams.

“They come here needing the baseline for understanding how things here work,” Briscoe said. “That’s another reason why the Crimson Scholars Circle is so beneficial— because it gives each student a community that supports them in every way possible.”

During their initial college experience, the students meet one another, bond through activities, are introduced to resources for

support, and generally get their feet wet before they dive into college life.

Community and mentoring are key components of the program. Every student is assigned a peer mentor, an upper-level Black or Brown student who can share experiences and advice.

“There is this feeling of support, knowing that you have people around you who want you to succeed,” said Isaiah Perdue, who joined the Crimson Scholars Circle’s third cohort in 2023 and has gone from mentee to mentor in the two years since. “That first week at IUP was, for me, different from anything I ever experienced. I built so many relationships that helped me then and still do today.”

That first week with the Crimson Scholars Circle was more than helpful for Alao; it was transformative.

“It really helped me understand how college would work,” she said. “Plus, I was able to meet people who looked like me as soon as I got to campus. From that first week, I made friends I’ll have for a lifetime.”

A Cook Honors College member majoring in biology with the goal of becoming a doctor, Alao took the head start provided by the Crimson Scholars Circle and jumped into everything IUP had to offer. She joined the Student Government Association and the Pan-African Student Association and served as president of the IUP chapter of the American Medical Student Association. She enjoyed her classes and built relationships with her professors and with staff members.

“The support is amazing,” she said. “Having Dr. Segar and the staff there to help us was beneficial. That first year, I got the exposure I needed, and I found the community I needed.”

First-year Crimson Scholars and their mentors met in February. From left: Iya Nealy, Venitta Okoro, and Ciani Lane. At far right are Amanda Beade and MiJaun Clark.

In addition to regular meetings with their peer mentors, first-year students attend weekly sessions on topics such as financial aid and career development. Support is also available in subsequent years. There are three meetings each semester with all the cohorts, as well as networking, community service, and other activities.

Majoring in finance and planning to work on Wall Street after graduation, Perdue said his experiences in the Crimson Scholars Circle have elevated his IUP experience.

“I have to give it a lot of credit,” he said. “I don’t think I’d be in the position I am in today without it.”

Success seems to be a common thread among the students in the CSC. Briscoe said the program has evolved as it adapts to student needs and follows data to reveal solutions to student issues. There is proof that the Crimson Scholars Circle is helping students achieve their goals: In three key statistical categories based on first-semester performance—Good Academic Standing, Academic Probation Rate, and Academic Dismissal—students showed improvement in all three categories from the program’s first cohort to its third. Statistics on the fourth cohort are not yet available.

“I definitely think the program has accomplished what it was designed to do,” Briscoe said. “The way it’s set up, the only way for it not to accomplish that is if the students did not take advantage of everything we have for them.”

Alao is grateful for the Crimson Scholars Circle and its many resources, which include scholarships to offset the cost of attendance. She made the dean’s list every semester except one, and by taking summer classes, she managed to finish her IUP journey a semester before most students typically do.

After graduation, Alao landed a job as a medical assistant at Indiana Regional Medical Center. She plans to spend the next year or so preparing for the Medical College Admission Test and then to go to medical school.

She credits the Crimson Scholars Circle and its people for the bright future she has in front of her.

“I think being here a week earlier than most of the students and being in the Crimson Scholars Circle really helped me succeed,” she said. m

Welcome Home

By Mary Ann Slater

After more than three years in confinement, Marc Fogel ’84 was released from a Russian labor camp in February.

A Butler native now living in Pittsburgh, Fogel had taught English all over the world and had spent nine years working with students in Russia. In August 2021, at the start of his last year teaching there, Russian officials took him into custody at a Moscow airport for possessing a small amount of medical marijuana. Ten months later, he was sentenced to 14 years in a labor camp.

During his imprisonment, family members and friends, including many IUP alumni, petitioned US government officials to help with Fogel’s release. They repeatedly asked President Joe Biden and other high-ranking government officials to designate Fogel as “wrongfully detained,” a status that can expedite a prisoner’s release.

That designation was announced late last December. Just over a month later, on February 11, Fogel f lew as a free man into Maryland’s Joint Base Andrews and subsequently met with President Donald Trump at the White House.

After evaluation at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, he was able to return home to Pittsburgh. Vicki Iseman ’90 and Tommy Hartman ’81, two of the alumni who championed his cause, said Fogel has sought privacy as he slowly reintegrates into life at home.

IUP President Michael Driscoll joined the advocacy efforts after an alumnus told him about failed attempts to secure Fogel’s release. Driscoll went to Washington to talk with members of Congress. He also knew galvanizing IUP alumni into action was important.

“A hallmark of IUP is the fact that alumni stay connected and help each other across generations, not just within a particular class,” Driscoll said.

He asked Iseman, a lobbyist who has helped IUP in the past, to publicize Fogel’s plight. Iseman, who lives in West Palm Beach, Florida, sought to introduce the world to Marc Fogel, the person—a longtime international teacher and family man from western Pennsylvania who suffered chronic back pain, which is why he had medical marijuana.

Friends, family members, fellow alumni, and politicians in Pennsylvania and DC were looking for ways to support Fogel, Iseman said.

“You had all these people that were trying to help. I wanted to make sure that was congealing in a way that would make a difference.”

Collaborating with the Fogel family, she and her team put together a website, freemarcfogel.net, to share his story. Still accessible, the website includes family photos, newspaper stories about his

detention, a documentary by his former students, and a statement from Fogel himself. Dated March 4, the statement previewed his guest appearance at the Capitol that evening when President Trump addressed a joint session of Congress.

Fogel expressed his appreciation to members of Congress and the many others who supported him. “I am so grateful,” the statement read. “Words cannot adequately express the magnitude of my emotions. I will be back to meet with many to thank you personally.”

While he was detained, supporters also established a Freedom for Marc Fogel page on Facebook. Hartman, a friend of Fogel’s from Westlake, Ohio, frequently posted on the page, which ultimately had 2,000 members. Upon Fogel’s return, organizers closed the page to respect his privacy.

Hartman also spearheaded a letter-writing campaign seeking assistance for Fogel’s release. He estimated 10,000 letters from 350 supporters were sent to officials of both political parties.

Hartman has seen Fogel since his return, including with IUP friends Bill Spencer and Bob Lyon, both of the Class of ’83. He said Fogel’s overall well-being is improving: “He is starting to reach out to his friends and have little get-togethers.” m

President Donald Trump with Marc Fogel, the day of his release, at the White House

DANIEL TOROK

Milestone Generosity

The university community is grateful to the following donors, who made gifts totaling $25,000 or more to the Foundation for IUP between July 1 and December 31, 2024.

An anonymous gift to support the creation of a college of osteopathic medicine

An anonymous gift to support the David (’53) and Audrey (’52) Johnson Unrestricted Endowment, the Ward and Sally Johnson Memorial Athletic Scholarship, the Lee M. Johnson Faulconbridge (’82) Scholarship, the David L. Johnson Family Safety Science Award, and the creation of a college of osteopathic medicine

Anthony Bosnick ’72, a planned gift to support the Eleanor Bosnick Memorial Scholarship for Nursing, which benefits nursing majors and gives preference first to graduates of Port Allegany High School and second to graduates of high schools in McKean, Potter, Cameron, and Elk counties

The Estate of Joan Frey Boytim ’55, M’64, a gift to support the James A. Boytim, EdD (’59, M’66) Scholarship, Scholarship for Mathematics, and Scholarship for Service and the Joan Frey Boytim scholarships for keyboard accompanist, male vocal performance, and female vocal performance

Tim Cejka ’73 and Debra Phillips Cejka ’73, a gift to support the creation of a college of osteopathic medicine

Concurrent Technologies Corporation, a gift of analytical chemistry equipment for use in the Madia Department of Chemistry, Biochemistry, and Physics

Janet Daugherty ’63, a planned gift to establish the Janet Monnie Daugherty

Scholarship for undergraduates majoring in nutrition, with preference given to students in the Dietetics track and to students who graduate from Punxsutawney Area High School or Indiana Area Senior High

Mary Ann Dickey, a gift to support nursing and culinary students and the creation of a college of osteopathic medicine

Gary Dotterweich and Christine Dotterweich, a gift of an electronic drum set to the Department of Music, Theatre, and Dance

Michael Driscoll, gifts to support the creation of a college of osteopathic medicine and to support the Sutton Scholarship and the Fund for IUP

Donald Ganassi ’78, a gift to establish the Donald E. Ganassi Family Scholarship for members of the men’s and women’s track and field and cross-country teams. Preference will be given to students in the Eberly College of Business or in the Pre-law track or minor and to students living in Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Washington, or Westmoreland County.

Barry Gasdek ’64, a gift to establish the Gasdek Family College of Osteopathic Medicine Scholarship for students in the proposed college of osteopathic medicine. Preference will be given to Pennsylvania residents and to active-duty military personnel, veterans, students who were ROTC cadets as undergraduates, and students with an undergraduate degree in nursing.

The Estate of Lawrence Hammonds, gifts to support the field hockey team and the academic and programmatic needs of the art program

CJ Jaynes ’79, M’82, a gift to support the Rear Admiral CJ

Jaynes Scholarship for Veterans in STEM

Arlene Eva Langley ’78, a planned gift to establish the Arlene Eva Langley Memorial Scholarship for full-time undergraduates pursuing degrees in teacher education or criminology

The Leonard A. and Mary Jane Schafer Foundation, a gift to support the Fund for the IUP Library and the Student Assistance Fund. Mary Jane McMurray Schafer was a member of the Class of 1931.

Gwendolyn Howard Miller ’60, a gift to support the Rosalie Howard Memorial Scholarship for full-time students with financial need

The Estate of Ralph Morris ’69, a gift to support the Mellowmen Jazz Ensemble

Douglas Niesen ’87 and Heidi Niesen, a gift to support the IUP football team

John Ninosky ’93, a planned gift to support the Tammy Beale Ninosky (’93) Memorial Scholarship for students in the proposed college of osteopathic medicine. Preference will be given to students who have lost a parent.

Kathleen Darkes Prokay ’69, a gift to support the Bob (’70) and Kathy Prokay Boardwalk Bowl Scholarship for full-time students who play offensive guard or defensive tackle on the football team

Punxsutawney Area College Trust, a gift to support the Department of Culinary Arts Student Scholarship and the Punxsutawney Campus

Joseph Reinard ’01, M’05 and Annie Wardrop Reinard ’12, M’16, a planned gift to support the Joe and Annie Reinard College of Osteopathic Medicine Scholarship for full-

time students in the proposed college of osteopathic medicine

The Estate of Richard Rezzolla and Dorothy Rezzolla, a gift to support the creation of a college of osteopathic medicine

David Siesko ’83, a gift to support the creation of a college of osteopathic medicine

Marilyn Silvey, a gift to support the Bedford John “BJ” Silvey Sr. (’62) Scholarship for full-time students, with preference given to firstgeneration college students

Frederick Streams ’55, a gift to support the Dr. Fred ’55 and Hazel (Grant) ’55 Streams Scholarship for fulltime undergraduate students majoring in secondary education in natural sciences or in early childhood/special education

The Statler Foundation, a gift to support the purchase of software to enhance the training and proficiency of students in the Hotel, Restaurant, Tourism, and Event Management program

Michael Zang ’73 and Karen Focht Zang ’73, a gift to establish the Karen Focht Zang Education Scholarship for full-time students in the Early Childhood Education or Early Childhood/Special Education program. Preference is given to students who live in Cumberland or York County.

Make a gift to a fund of your choice using the Online Gift Form at IUP.edu/makeagift.

with The Instano (short for Indiana State Normal) from 1912 to 1927. The following year, uninterrupted publication continued with The Oak yearbook while the school evolved from Indiana State Teachers College to Indiana State College to IUP.

Across Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education, other yearbooks have had similar fates. Only three of the original sister schools—Bloomsburg, Mansfield, and Shippensburg—are still publishing yearbooks, although Mansfield has had production gaps, one lasting 25 years. All the other schools ceased publishing yearbooks a decade or longer ago, which seems to follow a national trend.

In an NPR story from 2010, a representative from yearbook publisher Jostens said about a thousand colleges at that time—down from 2,400 in 1995—were still printing yearbooks.

Like that story’s writer, Lawley suggests the internet is to blame—that its options for photo sharing and social networking made yearbooks irrelevant, though The Oak disappeared before the rise of sites like MySpace and Facebook.

He also said a school’s size matters. Yearbooks remain popular at high schools, which tend to have graduating classes of a few hundred students, most of whom know one another. In comparison, a 1990s IUP graduating class was “like a giant ocean of 3,000 people,” Lawley said, and students were less likely to open a yearbook and find people they knew.

As interest in yearbooks declined, so did the incentive to work on them. The staff would begin work in September and send materials to the printer in March or April so that the books would be ready before students left in May. At that time, photos had to be developed, and page layouts were done by paste-up, not on a computer, said Lawley, who retired from the Co-op in 2019. “It was a big job.”

He thinks the long production schedule was another deterrent. “There’s no immediacy with a yearbook,” he said. In contrast, the other publication he worked with, The Penn student newspaper, had students willing to work more than full-time hours to put out three issues a week.

“Those kids—it’s in their blood,” Lawley said. “They don’t do it because it’s fun. It’s what they need to do.”

What concerns Lawley about losing the yearbook is that students may have more photos now than ever before, but they likely

From the 1975 (top) and 1980 (bottom) Oak yearbooks

don’t have a record of what happened in the last year. “The yearbook,” he said, “was a different animal.”

IUP archivist Harrison Wick is well-versed in the value of primary sources, like yearbooks, commencement programs, and academic catalogs.

Since joining the library faculty in 2007, he has worked to make those resources— housed in the Special Collections and University Archives on Stapleton Library’s third f loor—available digitally so more people can access them. That includes all 87 yearbooks, which the nonprofit Internet Archive digitized in 2009 at no cost to the university as part of its mission “to provide universal access to all knowledge.”

Alumni and current students are the most frequent yearbook users, Wick said. Alumni may ask for a high-quality scan of a

particular image, or they may need several, as Mary Kreider Megna ’84 did when curating images for the 2022 IUP Marching Band documentary, Sustaining Grace Current students often peruse yearbooks to see what students were like in the past.

“It’s fun,” he said, “because yearbooks provide a glimpse into different periods.” Their coverage of almost the entire 20th century will make them key to the IUP@150 exhibition (celebrating the school’s 150th anniversary) at the University Museum next fall.

“For some events, they are the only photographs we have,” Wick said.

In early yearbooks, photos were understandably limited, but they quickly became prevalent, even in the 1920s. Wick noted that the photography was very formal, and the books adhered to

a traditional structure with sections for administrators, faculty members, students, organizations, and advertisements.

With paper shortages and fewer people on campus during World War II, the books grew thin in the 1940s but were quick to bounce back before the decade’s end. The photos, and the yearbooks themselves, became more casual in the 1960s and ’70s. By the 1980s and ’90s, they were what Wick called “informal social publications”; the 1996 yearbook devotes 16 pages to world, national, and entertainment news.

Wick considers the yearbook’s heyday to be the late 1940s through the mid-1970s.

Some of the books had elaborate themes. The 1949 Oak’s inspiration was the California gold rush of a century before. It compared the gold prospectors of 1849 to the knowledge seekers of modern-day Indiana State Teachers College. The cover featured a gold-foil overlay. “It’s a very fragile book,” Wick said.

The 1950 yearbook, adorned with blue and white f lourishes, celebrates the school’s 75th anniversary, or Diamond Jubilee, while the 1975 yearbook marks the school’s centennial with a foldout poster, a brief history, and a host of old photographs on top of coverage of what was the current academic year.

Former yearbook staffer Joanne Fedorka Duffey ’77 remembers bringing photos home with her to Sayre, near the New York state border, one summer to work on the layout. She filled in as editor-in-chief in the spring of 1975 and continued in the role the following school year.

The yearbook staff was small but dedicated, she said, and worked hard to sell the book in addition to producing it.

Yearbook covers from 1949, left, to 1952 were among the most elaborate.

Oak editor Joanne Fedorka in a 1970s poster promoting yearbook sales

Yearbooks in Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education

Institution Last Published

Bloomsburg* Still publishing

California† 2015

Cheyney 1988

Clarion† 2000‡

East Stroudsburg 2010

Edinboro† 2002

IUP 1996

Kutztown 2008

Lock Haven* 2009**

Mansfield* Still publishing**

Millersville 2012

Shippensburg Still publishing

Slippery Rock 2007

West Chester 2014

*Integrated into Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania in 2022

†Integrated into Pennsylvania Western University in 2022

‡Clarion’s Venango Campus had its own yearbook, last published in 2003.

**Includes a gap of 25 years or more

IUP archivist Harrison Wick assisted in collecting this data.

Downtown Indiana, 1952 Oak

Visit the Archives

To access yearbooks and other IUP publications in digital format, go to IUP.edu/archives/iup-publications. Hard copies of yearbooks are also available for browsing by appointment in the IUP Special Collections and University Archives on Stapleton Library’s third f loor.

If you can identify people in the photos or if you have a memory to share, IUP archivist Harrison Wick would love to hear from you. He also accepts donations of yearbooks, particularly the 1987 Oak, and other IUP memorabilia. Contact him by email at hwick@iup.edu.

Clockwise, from left: Sigma Tau Gamma brothers (1968 Oak), Interfraternity Council officers (1979 Oak), and the Black Greek Council (1989 Oak)

NAME DROPPERS

By Matthew Burglund

Two more members of the IUP football family can now put “Super Bowl champion” on their résumés.

Philadelphia Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni, an assistant coach at IUP from 2006 to 2008, led his team to a 40-22 win over the Kansas City Chiefs last February in Super Bowl LIX. Tyler Scudder, an assistant at IUP from 2010 to 2012, assisted him.

That NFL championship was the first for this pair of former IUP assistants. It was the second title for another member of the Eagles organization with deep IUP ties. Brandon Hunt ’03, M’06, who played on the IUP offensive line from 2000 to 2003, is Philadelphia’s senior director of scouting and one of the Eagles’ championship roster architects. His first title came as a member of the Steelers’ scouting department during Super Bowl XL in 2006.

The list of extended IUP football family members who have been part of Super Bowlwinning organizations now stands at 14. Hunt is one of only two of them—legendary Steelers owner Art Rooney Sr. being the other—to be part of multiple NFL champion teams.

The rest of the list includes Jason Capizzi ’11 (Steelers, 2009), Tom Donahoe ’70 (Eagles, 2017), Jim Hostler ’90 (Ravens, 2012), John Jones (Ravens, 2001), Bob Ligashesky ’85 (Steelers, 2009), Ben McAdoo ’00 (Packers, 2011), Tom Modrak ’65 (Steelers, 1980), Anthony Piroli ’08 (Buccaneers, 2021), Rod Rutherford (Steelers, 2006), and Casey Weidl M’12 (Eagles, 2017).

Homecoming

Another member of the IUP football family has returned after a quarter century at the highest levels of football.

Above: Brandon Hunt, right, the Eagles’ senior director of scouting, with former safety Anthony Harris

In February, Frank Cignetti Jr. ’89 was named IUP’s offensive coordinator, a job he held under his late father, former head coach Frank Cignetti Sr. ’60, M’65, in 1997 and 1998. Cignetti Jr. left IUP in the spring of 1999 for a job with the NFL’s Kansas City Chiefs, beginning a nomadic career with six NFL and six NCAA Division I FBS (Football Bowl Subdivision) programs. His most recent role was offensive coordinator at the University of Pittsburgh.

“I have great pride in this program,” Cignetti told The Indiana Gazette. “I want to see this program be successful. There’s a high standard here that I was part of as a player and then as a coach. And now I get to do it again, which I feel very humbled and very grateful for that opportunity.”

In another Cignetti family note, Curt Cignetti, IUP head coach from 2011 to 2016, received

several awards after leading the Indiana Hoosiers to their best season in decades. He was named national coach of the year by The Sporting News, the Football Writers Association of America, the Associated Press, the Walter Camp Football Foundation, and the American Football Coaches Association. After winning only three games in 2023, Indiana finished 11-2 in 2024 and advanced to the College Football Playoffs, gaining national attention for its turnaround season in Cignetti’s debut.

Coaching Moves

A handful of former IUP football players and coaches have new jobs in the coaching business: Jim Chapin, who was an assistant at IUP from 2012 to 2014, was named offensive coordinator at Central Michigan University; Chase Haslett M’15, a player in 2014 and ’15, was named the New

Left: Nick Sirianni received a Gatorade shower from DeVonta Smith, left, and A. J. Brown during Super Bowl LIX.

IN BRIEF

Orleans Saints’ tight ends coach; Luke Getsy, an assistant from 2011 to 2013, was named an offensive assistant by the Green Bay Packers; Jalen Hairston, an assistant in 2021, was named defensive pass game coordinator at Maine; Hal Hunter, an assistant in 1986, was named tight ends coach at Maryland; Anthony Leonard, an assistant from 2016 to 2021, was named defensive line coach at Akron; and Matt Scott ’08, a player from 2004 to 2007, was named head coach at Edinboro.

Soon after she led the Crimson Hawks to the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference championship last fall, women’s volleyball coach Lorelle “Lo” Hoyer left the university for the same post at Division I North CarolinaWilmington. Avery Moore, former head coach at West Virginia State, replaced her.

Mark Zacher ’80, the winningest coach in the history of Norwich (Vermont) University’s women’s basketball program, retired after last season. In 15 seasons under Zacher’s tutelage, the Cadets won 182 games and recorded two 20-win seasons and 12 postseason appearances, including two Great Northeast Athletic Conference championships.

Honors

Malloreigh Yingling ’21, M’23 was named National Photographer of the Year by College Sports Communicators at its annual convention. Yingling has been the assistant director of Athletics Public Relations at the University of Richmond since January 2023, focusing on women’s lacrosse, swimming and diving, crosscountry, and women’s track and field.

Two IUP alumni were recently selected for induction into the Indiana County Sports Hall of Fame. Bruce Yard ’99, M’03, an IUP baseball star who went on to play professionally for the Los Angeles Dodgers organization, was honored at a banquet at the Indiana Country Club. Also inducted was Frank Garritano M’80, D’98, who has been a PIAA official in many sports for the past 44 years and president of the Indiana County Youth Legion baseball program since 2001. Although he was unable to participate because of an injury, Irvin Charles, who was named to the All-PSAC West team in 2021, was chosen as an alternate for the Pro Bowl, the NFL’s annual all-star contest. Charles, who starred at IUP as a wide receiver, has made a name for himself as a special teams ace for the New York Jets.

On the Radio

During Homecoming weekend in October, scores of WIUP-FM contributors, past and present, attended a 55-year reunion that included a dinner in Sutton Hall’s Blue Room. Participants were also invited to Davis Hall to record their memories of working at the station. Faculty advisor Zachary Stiegler is collecting historical materials about WIUP-FM and welcomes alumni submissions. He also plans to start a newsletter this summer. Contact him at stiegler@iup.edu

New Dean, Interim Vice President

Recent changes in IUP leadership positions include the following:

In February, Edel Reilly D’07 transitioned from interim dean to dean of the College of Education and Human Services. An experienced faculty member and administrator, she began work in the Academic Affairs Division in 2007 and had stints as director of Liberal Studies and as provost’s associate for Academic Planning.

In March, Larry Wakefield came to IUP as interim vice president for Administration and Finance. Debra Fitzsimons left the permanent position in February after six years of service. Wakefield has worked in higher education budget planning and analysis

and business affairs for more than four decades.

Culinary Arts Project Moves Forward

Work to prepare the site of a future IUP Academy of Culinary Arts facility along West Mahoning Street in downtown Punxsutawney has begun. Six unoccupied buildings are being readied for demolition to make way for construction of the multipurpose facility. The academy’s $22-million longrange plan recommended that all culinary education be provided in new or renovated buildings downtown, adjacent to the Fairman Centre, which houses academy classrooms and teaching kitchens. Design of the new facility is expected to be complete by June 2026.

System Gets New Chancellor

In April, Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education Board of Governors selected Christopher Fiorentino as the System’s sixth chancellor. The former president of West Chester University, he served as interim chancellor after Daniel Greenstein left the permanent position in October. PASSHE is the state-owned public university system; its 10 member institutions include IUP.

Frank Cignetti Jr. returned to IUP in February as offensive coordinator.

From left: Thomas Rainey, Dante Morgante ’23, WIUP-FM faculty advisor Zachary Stiegler, and Ali Appleman ’22, M’23

ALL ABOUT ALUMNI

1950s

Internationally acclaimed vocal instructor and lecturer Joan Frey Boytim ’55, M’64 died December 16, 2024. Originally from Kutztown, she built her home and career in Carlisle. She compiled more than 60 voice anthologies, published by the Hal Leonard Corporation and used by schools worldwide. A 2007 recipient of IUP’s Distinguished Alumni Award for Service, Joan established six scholarships at the university with her husband, James Boytim ’59, M’66, who died in 2014.

At 87, Ed Carlos ’59 remains an active artist at his Sewanee, Tennessee, sanctuary. He recently shared a sample of his work, an 8’ by 4’ mythological portrait of Nat Turner, leader of the 1831 slave rebellion in Virginia. See it at IUP.edu/ alumninotes

1960s

In recent issues, IUP Magazine has reported on the university’s efforts to establish a college of osteopathic medicine to help ease the physician shortage in rural Pennsylvania. In response, retired hospital administrator Robert Henger ’63 sent a letter detailing his challenges in recruiting physicians to rural areas. His suggestions included maintaining contact with hometown students throughout their schooling if they plan to pursue medical careers and expanding programs for nurse practitioners and physician assistants, who can help with rural coverage. Bob managed rural hospitals in Alabama for more than 30 years, including as interim CEO after his 2005 retirement.

In March, the IUP Council of Trustees approved awarding an honorary doctoral degree to retired Lt. Col. Barry Gasdek ’64 at May commencement

ceremonies. A 2015 Distinguished Alumni Award recipient, Barry earned many of the nation’s highest honors, including the Distinguished Service Cross, Silver Star, and Soldier’s Medal, for his service in Vietnam. After retiring from the US Army in 2012, he received the honorary designation of colonel.

After more than 40 years at the Oak Ridge, Tennessee, nuclear weapons plant, Dave Bunton ’65 recently retired as a project engineer. In 1995, he retired as a colonel in the US Army after 13 years of active duty and 17 years in active reserves. He lives in Oak Ridge and enjoys hiking and ballroom dancing.

Last year, River City Brass Band released an album, Tour de Force, featuring the music of longtime Hollywood tubist Jim Self ’65. Hear samples at www.bassethoundmusic.com/ product/tour-de-force

A basketball standout at Indiana High School, Indiana State College, and IUP, Donald Douds ’67 died February 3, 2025, at 80. He scored IUP’s last points in Waller Hall and its first points on the new home court in Memorial Field House. A 2024 inductee into the Indiana County Sports Hall of Fame, Don taught in Maryland for several years and coached basketball at the high school and college levels. He and his wife, Mary Houck Douds ’78, moved to Florida in 2013.

Retired teacher Anne Dimond Cruce ’68 recently published a book, A Union Cavalryman’s Ride to Grave 4181: Johnstown, PA, to Andersonville, GA, about her great-great-grandfather, Moses Wisel, a Civil War soldier who died in the infamous Andersonville, Georgia, prison camp. The book also details the challenges Moses’s wife, Elizabeth, and their three young children faced after his death. Anne taught for 30 years in the East Detroit school

district. Her book is available through major retailers.

The Pennsylvania Master Naturalist organization recently recognized Lou Kauffman ’68, a PMN volunteer from Shippensburg, for completing 1,000 service hours. Most of Lou’s volunteering has involved leading nature classes for children in South Central Pennsylvania and Elk County. Lou retired in 2004 as human resources director for the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission. He also retired as a US Army major after serving many years in the Pentagon.

1970s

Using wartime diaries and letters to home, Michael Zang ’73 wrote a biographical account of his father-in-law’s experience as a Nazi Germany prisoner during World War II. A Tyrone native, Ernest Virgil Focht was a POW from 1943 until the Russian army liberated his camp in 1945. The book is titled Guest of Adolf, which is how Focht often characterized his wartime plight. Published by Casemate,

the book is available through major publishers. Find more at IUP.edu/alumninotes

Retired elementary school counselor Edward Martin ’73 has eight children’s books available on Amazon and more to come, he said. Published within the last three years, the books often deal with issues he addressed during his counseling career, such as sleep problems, separation anxiety, and selective mutism. He and his wife, Barb, live in White Mills.

After 37 years with the University of Pennsylvania Police Department, Larry Singer ’73 retired in 2016. Before that, he spent four years as a corrections officer at State Correctional Institution— Graterford. In retirement, Larry has been driving school vans, most recently for the Interboro School District in Delaware County.

A group of alumni couples and friends has made a tradition of getting together during IUP Homecoming. They are Bill Budris ’74, ’77, M’77 and Karen Hughes Budris ’75,

After 50 years with the US Army, Keith Morrow ’74 retired in February. Keith served as a transportation officer for 28 years, retired from active duty as a colonel, then transitioned to a civilian position and served another 22 years.

Most recently, he was deputy commander of the 733rd Military Support Group, which provides security, logistics readiness, facility management, and emergency services to Virginia’s Fort Eustis.

GERALD LIGERALDE

Keith Morrow giving his retirement speech

Rod Green ’74, M’77 and Sue Holsinger Green ’74, Paul Miller ’74 and Sue Walker Miller ’74, P. J. Specht ’74 and Sue Elliott Specht ’76, Steve Wegener ’74, M’84, and Marie Plymire Day ’76 and Ben Day ’77. Find a photo at IUP.edu/alumninotes

Friends who lived in McGregor Hall in the 1970s recently got together on the IUP campus. They are Jackie Cahill Lilly ’74, Lauren Kordell Gillen ’75, Chris Kuzma Goswick ’75, Evie Liscik Pivarnik ’75, Connie Zimmerman Scanga ’75, M’78, Claire Schaming ’75, and Kathy Joswick Lindstedt. Find a photo at IUP. edu/alumninotes.

Last year at the Pennsylvania Trolley Museum in Washington, musicians Dennis Cramer ’75, M’82, Elizabeth Michaliszyn Cramer ’76, and David Earnest ’23 presented a history of pop music tied to a history of streetcars in America. Rides on antique trolleys were included in the program. David is a graduate conducting student at IUP, Elizabeth runs a piano and strings studio and plays piano for St. John’s choir in Kittanning, and Dennis performs with his grandnephew in IUP’s University Band.

After 42 years in law enforcement, Joe Morrash ’77 has retired as a basic training instructor at the FBI Academy in Quantico, Virginia. He worked for 26 years as a police detective in Alexandria, Virginia, served 16 years as an FBI intelligence analyst in counterterrorism, and was twice deployed to Afghanistan. Joe is the 1977 recipient of the IUP memorial scholarship honoring Gregory Spinelli ’71, an FBI special agent killed in the line of duty at 24.

In March, Indiana-based rock band Somebody to Love joined the IUP String Ensemble on the Fisher Auditorium stage for the second Classic Meets Rock concert. The band features Student Cooperative

Association retiree Chuck Potthast M’77, Bill Menk ’84, retired IUP administrator Wally Stapleton M’87, Ryan Long ’03, M’09, and Lynne Jones, wife of retired IUP theater professor Brian Jones. Chuck Olson ’74, M’76, from the band the Six, also performed.

Karen Kelly Deklinski ’79 reported that “a few of the eighth-f loor Shafer girls brought the party to Winter Garden, Florida” for a minireunion at the home of Maureen Hanna Anderson ’78, M’82 and Ed Anderson ’81. Also attending were Nancy Corrigan Briggs ’79, Maria Iurlano Kitay ’79, Kim Swift Schin ’79, Janna Partilla Trout ’79, and Lorraine Corso Kline ’80. Find a photo at IUP.edu/ alumninotes.

Longtime friends Karen Niemic Buchheit ’78, Diane Beatty Boyer ’79, M’80, Susan Figurel Byrne ’79, Annette Pero Fridey ’79, and Michele Santillo Steri ’80 got together last summer at the Museum of the Shenandoah Valley’s botanical gardens in Winchester, Virginia. While they’ve stayed close since meeting as freshmen in 1975, this was the first time all five have been together since Susan’s wedding in 1988. Find a photo at IUP.edu/alumninotes.

Last fall, the National Association of Corporate Directors named Greg Cessna ’79 its Private Company Director of the Year, recognizing excellence in corporate governance. A member of the NACD’s Atlanta chapter, Greg holds leadership positions on the boards of Henderson Brothers, Hillandale Farms, and MacLean-Fogg.

In October, retired US Navy rear admiral CJ Jaynes ’79, M’82 was elected to the board of directors of Johnstownbased Concurrent Technologies Corporation. With 25 years of acquisition experience, CJ has led 15,000 people and managed a $55-billion portfolio. A 2017 recipient of IUP’s Distinguished Alumni Award, she was the first

woman to achieve Aviation Maintenance f lag rank.

For 38 years, a group of mostly IUP artists has been getting together to draw. Last fall, Ron Donoughe ’80 hosted Drawn Together, an exhibition at his Lawrenceville studio featuring highlights of the group’s four decades of work. In addition to Ron, participating artists are Ed Charney ’79, Mike McSorley ’79, Patrick Ruane ’82, Stuart Smith ’82, Victor Capone ’83, John Ritter ’88, Scott Hunter, Rick Landesberg, and Duncan MacDiarmid.

1980s

At the 2024 Green Market Report Cannabis Finance Awards, Jeffrey Gittler ’80 was named Top Accountant. Jeff is a partner and co-leader of the Cannabis Practice at PKF O’Connor Davies, one of the nation’s largest accounting and tax practices. The awards program recognizes contributors to the growth of the cannabis market. Read more at IUP.edu/alumninotes.

Six members of the Class of ’81 recently celebrated 44 years of friendship with a trip to Niagara Falls in Canada. They are Lucy McCormick Cassie, Bill Lewis, Eileen Bird Lewis, Jackie Postma McCaulley, Jim McCaulley, and Nancy McFeeley Mirfin. Find a photo at IUP.edu/ alumninotes.

A recent art exhibit at Campbell House in Southern Pines, North Carolina, featured more than 50 pieces by Pat McBride ’81. An artist for more than 40 years, she was inducted into Oil Painters of America last year and participated in the North Carolina Plein Air Art Festival in New Bern. Pat is married to Larry Gleisner ’82 and has an art studio in Southern Pines. Read more at IUP.edu/ alumninotes.

After more than 42 years, Pat McCarthy ’81 has retired from IBM. He exited as a senior programmer and had stints in Poughkeepsie, San Jose, and North Carolina’s Research Triangle Park.

Mac McMurtrie ’81 has written a memoir, FBI Special Agent on the Outside, Pennsylvania State Police Trooper on the Inside; or, How I Went from the Big Hat to the Little Badge. Available through major publishers, the book details his experiences in law enforcement, from becoming a state trooper to serving 28 years as a special agent with the FBI. Read more at IUP.edu/ alumninotes

Laurie Lammert Templin ’82 reported that her husband, Cort “Grinny” Templin, an IUP computer science major and Phi Kappa Theta brother from 1980 to ’83, died in May 2024. Cort and Laurie moved to Florida and started working for Walt

For Christmas, Tim Wesley ’83 received a special gift—a hand-painted IUP Athletics logo from his 10-year-old grandson, Mason Imoke. When Mason was 3, Tim started taking him to IUP football games, and Mason would even stay after to get photos with players. Now living in Hawaii, Mason hasn’t been to a game in a while, but “fingers are crossed for next season,” Tim said.

COURTESY OF TIM WESLEY

Tim Wesley with grandson Mason

Disney World in 1983. They were married in 2004.

After working at accounting firm Ernst & Young’s Pittsburgh office for 38 years in the assurance practice, Lynette Singel Horrell ’84 retired in June 2022. She was a partner for 15 years and was the Pittsburgh office managing partner for 10. Lynette is the 2009 recipient of IUP’s Presidential Legacy Award for Alumni Distinction. She and her husband, Jeff, who recently retired from mortgage banking, split their time between Marco Island, Florida, and Ligonier. They have three daughters.

In November, the University of Findlay (Ohio) hired Robert Sauritch ’84 as vice president of business affairs and treasurer. Rob has worked for more than 30 years as a financial analyst and manager in higher education and private industry. Recently, he was chief financial officer and assistant dean of finance and facilities operations for the College of Fine Arts at Carnegie Mellon University.

Last year, William John Shepherd ’84, M’86, university archivist and head of Special Collections at the University Libraries at Catholic University of America, had several works published. They included articles and reviews of books on Winston Churchill and the evolution of warfare to posts on his university’s Archivist’s Nook blog. See a full list at IUP.edu/alumninotes.

After 30 years as a physicist, Patrick Abbott ’85 has retired from the National Institute of Standards and Technology. Initially a member of the Pressure and Vacuum Group, he joined the Mass and Force Group in 2007 and was on a team that worked to redefine the kilogram in 2019. Since his retirement, Patrick has become a full-time Christian minister.

During its fall summit at Millersville University, with some components online, Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education honored Kevin Bailey ’86, M’90 with a Keepers of the Flame Award for his contributions to diversity, equity, inclusion,

and student success. The State System presents the award to one person representing each university campus. Kevin is vice chancellor for Student Affairs at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and a 2019 recipient of IUP’s Distinguished Alumni Award.

A 2020 recipient of IUP’s Distinguished Alumni Award, Michael Baughman ’86 died October 7, 2024. He entered federal government service soon after his IUP graduation and, in 1990, became a deputy US marshal in Washington, DC. Rising through the US Marshals Service, he was appointed US marshal for the Western District of Pennsylvania in 2019. He is survived by his wife, Charmaine Houser Baughman ’87, whom he met his senior year at IUP.

Inspired by the spring 2023 Alpha Xi Delta reunion, Sandy George ’86 shared a 1983 photo of her and fellow pledge class members Wendi Hazlett Kunko ’87, Beth Walter Burke, and Courtney Malley. Find it at IUP.edu/alumninotes

Bill Villa ’89 encourages fellow alumni to mark their calendars for CoyoteFest VI on June 21 in Glen Campbell. Bands featured in this annual concert include the Clunkers and Friends (with Tim Gaber ’88 on bass and special guest Ron Delfine ’90, M’97 on tambourine), the Cause, and This Indecision. Bill said the concert grounds are owned by about 30 alumni—many from Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity and some from Sigma Chi. Find concert information on showclix.com

1990s

City & State New York selected Corinne Carey ’90 as one of its 2025 Trailblazers in Health Care, highlighting notable policymakers, providers, and practitioners in the medical field. As senior campaign director for the advocacy organization Compassion & Choices in New York and New Jersey, Corinne is focused on advancing the Medical Aid in Dying Act in New York. This legislation would allow

In April 2024, Jennifer Walkawicz ’95 was promoted to brigadier general. She is deputy chief of staff of Operations, Plans, and Training for the US Army Training and Doctrine Command and former garrison commander of the 733rd Mission Support Group at Virginia’s Joint Base Langley-Eustis, where her promotion ceremony was held. Her father pinned the brigadier general rank on her garrison cap, and her sisters and nephews pinned it on her shoulders.

At TRADOC, Jennifer and her team support the command’s objectives of educating, training, and developing leaders. Her awards include the Legion of Merit, Bronze Star, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Army Achievement Medal, and Joint Services, Air Force, and Army commendation medals. In addition to her IUP degree, she has a master’s in strategic studies from National Defense University and a master’s in human resource management from Webster University.

mentally competent, terminally ill adults to request medication they would administer themselves to hasten their death. Corinne already helped with the passing of a similar law in New Jersey.

A professor of mathematics at IUP, John Lattanzio ’90 recently published a textbook, Essential Linear Algebra, for use in introductory and advanced courses. The text’s distinguishing features include showing all calculations in full detail and providing complete proofs for all stated results. Published by Innovative Ink, a division of Kendall Hunt, the book is available through major retailers.

The Blair County Historical Society presented Eric Shields ’92 with its 2024 History Preservation Award for his book series They Came from

Blair County. He has released two volumes about notable people from the county and is preparing a third. Eric is also working on series for Bedford and Cambria counties. Learn more at www. theycamefrompa.com

The University of Pittsburgh at Bradford presented its 2025 Presidential Medal of Distinction to Susan Silvestri M’92. A student at Pitt-Bradford in the 1970s, Susan is a member of the school’s advisory board and a founding member and former president of its alumni association. She retired in 2019 from the Westmoreland County Area Agency on Aging.

In February, the board of directors of United Church of Christ Homes, a provider of residential care for seniors, named Meredith Schell Fields ’94 its president and

JEAN WINES

Jennifer Walkawicz and her sisters at her promotion ceremony

An attorney at an international law firm in Washington, DC, Ashley Stoner ’15 also does pro bono work for the Second Look Project. This nonprofit helps people sentenced when they were younger than 25 and serving at least 15 years in prison to petition

Safety journal article of the year. Lori and Brandon are senior safety professionals at Johnstown-based Concurrent Technologies Corporation.

At the Global Community for Academic Advising’s annual conference in Pittsburgh last fall, Dana Puglisi Winters M’08 gave the closing keynote, “Look for the Helpers, and Other Lessons Learned from Mister Rogers.” Dana is the assistant vice president for Academic Affairs at Saint Vincent College. She previously directed the college’s Fred Rogers Institute.

for reduced sentences under a DC law aimed at reversing racially discriminating practices. At IUP, Ashley was a Cook Honors College student and a member of the women’s basketball team. Find photos and a video at IUP.edu/ashleystoner

2010s

The Keystone Quartet, an all-alumni ensemble, recently released its second album, Keystone Kitchen. The quartet’s members are George Alberti ’11, a tuba and euphonium instructor at Eastern Illinois University; Mike Waddell ’12, assistant professor of music at Longwood University; Zack Grass ’14, an instrument assembler at S. E. Shires Co.; and Logan Carnes ’19, M’24, director of bands at McDowell High School in Erie. The album was produced by IUP

Bryant Pinder ’17 first came to IUP in 2006. He struggled, left, came back, got the help he needed, and graduated 11 years after starting his journey. Today, he works as an IUP navigator, providing the

music professor Zach Collins and recorded in Gorell Recital Hall. Learn more at www. keystonequartet.com

After 10 years in Pennsylvania’s Department of Human Services, Cody Inman ’11 recently joined the Department of Aging as Southwest Pennsylvania regional coordinator for the commonwealth’s Medicare Education and Decision Insight offices. In this role, he helps ensure the availability of Medicare counseling and education in 13 counties.

Anthony Cancro M’12 has been named chief development officer for four hospital foundations under the umbrella of Independence Health System. The foundations are for Butler Memorial, Clarion, Latrobe Area, and Westmoreland/Frick hospitals. In a 20-year career that included five years at IUP, Anthony raised more than $450 million to support nonprofits and higher education institutions. He returns to Pennsylvania after serving as senior development officer at Ringling College of Art and Design in Florida.

Erin Seamans ’12 and Elias Frantz were married in October 2024 at Smith Rock State Park in Oregon.

After arriving on November 18, 2024, Beckett Emilia Lambert came home to her big sister,

Jensen, born November 3, 2021. They are the daughters of Aly King Lambert ’13 and Ian Lambert.

Last October, Temple University climate scientist and oceanographer Becki Beadling ’14 spoke at IUP’s Kopchick Hall about the role Antarctic margin dynamics play in the broader climate system.

At the 2024 Pennsylvania Economic Association Conference at Slippery Rock, Lucas Mafrica ’17 and Jennifer Roy D’22 gave research presentations, and Angel Alcantara ’23 presented a study she coauthored with Kaleb Kolesar ’23 on rural and urban differences in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program participation.

An elementary music teacher and choir director in Lansford, Roxie Person ’17 has released her first single, “Be Okay,” under the name Roxie Lex. Hear a sample at roxielex.hearnow. com. The song is available on all major platforms for streaming or download.

In 2023, Sherry Shindelar D’17 signed a contract with Wild Heart Books to write three historical fiction novels set in 1860s Texas. The publisher released the first book, Texas Forsaken, last year and the second, Texas Divided, in

kind of support he said he could have used when he first arrived on campus. Learn more about him and his navigator role in the video A Full-Circle Career at IUP.edu/bryantpinder.

During her junior and senior years, Casey Orlosky ’18 worked alongside Tyler

Montgomery ’18, M’20 in the IUP Dining office. Although she didn’t realize it, both had lived on the third f loor of Suites on Pratt their freshman year. After graduating, Tyler pursued a master’s degree, and Casey did a yearlong internship. Three years ago, Casey took a job in Drexel University’s College of Computing & Informatics and soon realized Tyler was in the same department, with an office just down the hall. “We both find it amusing that we ended up as coworkers again after all these years,” she said.

COURTESY OF CASEY ORLOSKY

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March. Sherry is now working on the third installment, Texas Reclaimed

In a 2024 program on Voice of America’s Persian Service, political theorist Reza Parchizadeh D’18 said the US needs to be involved in Iran’s democratic transition, or power could shift to factions not aligned with democratic values or US interests. In February, Reza spoke at the German Pirate Party’s Security Conference in Munich on threats to global security and

democracy. His lecture centered on the moral foundations of US foreign policy. To maintain its global leadership, he said, the US must promote democratic ideals worldwide. Read more at IUP.edu/alumninotes

A GoFundMe campaign is raising funds to assist Samantha Nichols ’19 with medical expenses for her cancer treatment. A graduate of the Cook Honors College, Samie is a teacher at Waynesboro High School in Virginia. Find details at IUP.edu/alumninotes

2020s

Christopher Cochran honored his late son, Cook Honors College graduate Christian Cochran ’20, with a book about his optimism and spirit. Christian was 23 when he died of a rare cancer in 2021. The book title, What’s Good about Today? A Purpose Driven Life, is inspired by a question Christian often asked others. The question also appears on a

WEDDINGS

2010s

Erin Seamans ’12 to Elias Frantz, October 5, 2024.

2020s

Sadie Lillenstein ’24 to Evan Spinney, July 13, 2024.

ARRIVALS

2010s

To Jennifer Sarosi Rountree ’10 and Kyle Rountree ’16, a daughter, Isabelle, September 23, 2024. To Kevin Carter ’13 and Lauren Mough Carter ’13, a daughter, Lucy, September 12, 2024. To Aly King Lambert ’13 and Ian Lambert, a daughter, Beckett Emilia, November 18, 2024. To Emilee Larkin ’17 and Kyle Hurlbrink, a daughter, Ruby Mae, October 24, 2024. To Cody Parks ’17 and Evelyn Bonito, a daughter, Ayla Cecilia, August 3, 2024.

whiteboard in Whitmyre Hall, inviting passers-by to share their thoughts. Christopher visited the honors college in October to discuss his book, available through major retailers.

A PhD candidate at Penn State University, Treylor Shirley ’22 studies advanced materials and nanoscale systems. While pursuing his master’s at Penn State, he was lab manager and head teaching assistant for the Nanofabrication Manufacturing Technology program. Treylor completed Penn State’s NMT Capstone Semester, a 12-week summer program, as an IUP undergraduate.

DEATHS

The following alumni deaths were reported between July 1 and December 31, 2024.

1945: Virginia Hartmann Lubker

1947: Margaret Clark Atkin, Jeannette McElroy Hile, Nora Pezzuti Nardis

1949: Pauline Kirsch Dumke, Norman King

1950: Alan Anderson, Marguerite Marietti Mosovsky, Joseph Suhorsky

1951: William Howe

1952: Louise Schrenkel Kolonay, Lois Darr Lowry, Mary Walley Mars

1953: Mary Farrell Galbraith, Patricia Myers Gerhan

1954: Robert Carroll, Mary Conlon, James Gould, Mary Verbish Lozovoy

1955: Joan Frey Boytim, Ronald Brubaker, Renetta Cieslinski DeSimone

1956: Patsy King Hinkle, Marie Olinger Kesselring, Mary Gill St. Clair

1957: Elinor Kinter Carson, Marianna Mattern Costanza

1958: Vivian Leaf Benshoff, Edward Hauck*, Sally Yost McBrayer, Joan Trone Moreau, Nancy Tepper Ondrejik, Carolyn Schrader Vaughn

1959: Ronald Cypher, Peggy Helmick Dick, James Sullinger, Joan Jarczynski Tedorski, Eugene Thomas

1960: David Dragan, John Griffith, Patricia Shoff Rambo, Janice Manley Umbower

1961: Joseph Bednar, Roger Fleming, Clifton Hutton, Nancy Mechling Johnson, Ronald Miller, Thomas Parsha, Lynn Larson Swanson

1962: Patricia Fedorkey Boyer, Georgiann Stolick Flanigan, Carol Neff Hall, James Patton, William Sef ler, Joan Perrine Slack, John Thounhurst

1963: Betty Leddetter Bickley (M), Wilma Fankhauser Fitzner (M), Virginia Fitz Howell, Frances Leach (M), John Sinclair, Bernice Klingensmith (M), James Legge

1964: Jeffrey Dietze, James Eldridge, Betsy Richwine Guidara, Ethelita Anater

Hughes, Delores McNeal

Mawson, Linda Haust Schnur

1965: Regis Brodie, Carol Kozusko Chervenak, Anthony Gigliotti, Linda Clemmer Hagey, Sandra Bauer Jackson, Robert Nelis, Thomas Oswald

1966: Karen Cusic Dirito, Allan Gray, Gary Matthews, Emma Montgomery, Rose Adornato

Novak, Harry Stenger, Laverne Kelvington Stroup

1967: Joan Kauffman

Lawrence, Albert Raffetto, Peter Ricciardi, Rosemary Sloppy (M)

1968: Robert Coup, Sherry

Skonier Finnerty, Linda Koontz, Bernard Kostic, Gail Morgan (M), Janos Szebedinszky

1969: Joanne Wilson Day, Linus Halin, Eugene Karmazyn (M), Robert Latta (M), Kathy Gaul McGeary, Walter

McKenna, Daryl Mong, Robert Nakles, Andrew Solomon, Ann Heffner Weber

1970: Mahlon Dimond, Gregory Dobrich, Barbara Zamperini

Flick, Lynda Fuchs, Richard Minick, Patricia Vizza Uzzo

1971: Lana Buchanan, Gregory Nelson, Karen Ballay Snizaski, Francesca Skolny Troutman, Christina Urquhart, Terrie

O’Connor Verotsky

1972: Caroline Kalich, Janet Compton Murphy, Daphne

Mundell Murray, Janet Rishel

Niehenke, Geary Smith, John Suszynski, Ayn Derwart Van Dyke

1973: Rebecca Stadtmiller Anderson, Ronald Bellock, Thomas Brunner, Rosemarie Gavin (M), Darlene Malecki

Krynicki, Susan Luty, Edmund Paradis, Kathy Swart Peffer, Rick Showalter, Michael Stefanik

1974: Terry Berkebile, Elizabeth Cochran, Gretchen McCracken Miller, Larry Morris, Pamela Liegey Palmer, Eileen Gray Poling, Debra Stefkovich, David Thomas, Peter Troiano (M), Karl Wendel

1975: Nicholas Cassisi (M), William Smith, Gary Travis

1976: Ralph McCullough, Mary Moyer Stewart, Joan Straitiff, Richard Tokarek (M)

1977: William Bush (M), Mae Wellde Dollinger, Patrick Donnelly, Nettye Handy Evans (M), Helen Gersi (M), Robert Hawsey, Ralph Keister, Raymond Kolodziej, Mary McCoy Pollock, Edmund Szymanski

1978: Martha McCormick

Coleman, Randolph Cox (AA), Janice Fetrow, David McDonald, Sherry Temple Smith

1979: Carlton Evans, Louis Intrieri (M), Mary Debor Marcello, Dennis Rapp (M), Daniel Stenberg (D)

1980: Carla Everett-Ladonis, Debra Gross Grist, Robert Novak, Janice Jurewicz Roach, Edward Sheehan

1981: Dennis Cooper, Bonnie Hamlin, Frank Rosenstern, Karen Kelly Scott, Donald Smith

1982: Lisa Garwig Baronner, Mitchell Curley (M), Russell Hall, Wesley McNaughton, Amy Shaffer-Crawley, Richard Zacour

1983: Daniel Dorney, David Neely, Thomas Steffan

1984: Lori Clearwater, Timothy Hohl, Randall McAuley, Linda Steinkamp

1985: Jill Anderson Banik, Rosalie Cruse Gualardo (M), Kevin Love, Ruth Black Smiley

1986: Michael Baughman, Anthony Petrore, Denise Scott, Keith Williamson

1987: Mary Ann Gerdes, John Henry, Gene Lopresti (D), Denis Meinert (M)

1988: Bradford Hanes

1989: Patricia Dangelo (M), Michael Kane, Maria Teresa Mohler (M)

1990: Adele Morelli, Kim McMullen Paronish, Joni Moyer Putt

1991: Raife Bailey, Debra Cronin Young

1993: Krista Carwardine, Kay Shedwick (M)

1994: Terri Hiller Clinton, Maryann Morea

1995: Adam Styers, Janeen Worzbyt

1996: Jennifer Hinely, Diann Meynor, Ernest Pesci

1997: Melissa Wolfgong Bender (M), Christina Graham Hansen (M)

1998: Charles Garrett (CA), Nadine Nelson Jennings (D), Shawn Phillips, Aaron Steinly, 1999: Joann Frank-Glassford*, Mardel Sechrengost (M)

2000: Valerie Boris Ackerman, Brian Henckel (M), Brian Smolnik, Lisa Zock

2001: Brian Coverdale, William Weimer (CA)

2002: Richard Longmore

2003: Jennifer Ament Baustert, John Lyman

2004: Monica Faulk

2005: John Wolper (D)

2007: Khalil Hamilton, Laura Miltenberger, Emily Onik (M), Alice Saxon (M)

2008: Vincent Minella

2009: Meghan Johnson Lucas

2017: Tanzania Wiley

2018: Brigette Matson (D)

2022: Nicholas Lazarchik

*current or former faculty member, staff member, or administrator

Note: In cases in which an IUP degree beyond the bachelor’s degree was earned, only the bachelor’s degree is indicated. Faculty deaths are reported in the Mentors section.

Other Deaths

Gerald Adamson, who retired from Housekeeping in the 1990s, died March 1, 2025.

Gayle Thomas Hall, who worked in the Computer Center in the 1970s and ’80s, died February 27, 2025.

Martha Henderson, who retired from Housekeeping in the 1990s, died August 20, 2024.

Robert Hetrick, who retired from Custodial Services in 2001, died December 14, 2024.

David Lind ’77, M’79, who retired as WIUP-TV operations manager in 2015 after 35 years of service, died March 14, 2025.

Martha McCurdy, who retired from Housekeeping in 1996 after eight years of service, died September 20, 2024.

Paula McGuire, who retired from the Office of Alumni Affairs in 1989 after 26 years of service, died September 23, 2024.

Dennis Rice, who retired from the Paint Shop in the 1990s, died January 29, 2025.

Margaret Runco, who retired from swimming pool maintenance in 2007 after 26 years of service, died February 28, 2025.

Lois Schrecengost, who retired from Custodial Services in 2000, died January 21, 2025.

Douglas Shumar, who retired from the IUP Libraries in 2017, died January 9, 2025.

ACHIEVEMENTS

Young Achievers

IUP presents its Young Alumni Achievement Award annually to one graduate of the last 15 years from each academic college. Following are the 2024 recipients and their descriptions from the November awards ceremony:

College of Arts and Humanities

Casey Ryan ’12

A Sharpsville native, he is the founder and principal of Ryan Blueprint Group in New York City.

College of Education and Communications

Donte Palmer ’09

Originally from Philadelphia, he founded the nonprofit Squat for Change and is a ninth-grade scholar advisor at SEO (Sponsors for Educational Opportunity) Miami.

College of Health and Human Services and Eberly College of Business

Brianne Lenhart ’16, M’17

A Saegertown native, she is the events manager at Wyndemere Country Club in Naples, Florida.

Kopchick College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics

Mark Smith ’11

Originally from Stewartstown, he is the founder and CEO of Macroscopic Solutions, LLC, of East Hartford, Connecticut.

Research Ranking

In February, IUP was again designated a Research 2 doctoral university in the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education after initially receiving the designation in 2022. The full title is Research 2: High Spending and Doctorate Production, which requires that an institution spend at least $5 million on research and award at least 20 research doctorates annually. On average, IUP spent more than $6 million on research and granted more than 100 research doctorates annually during the years that determined the 2025 classification. In Pennsylvania, IUP is one of two public universities and one of six universities total with this classification.

Next Student Trustee

In February, Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education Board of Governors approved Jackson White, a

student in the Cook Honors College and the Economics Honors and Political Science programs, as the next student member of the IUP Council of Trustees. White, of Uniontown, will begin his term after the current student trustee, Shagufta Haque, graduates in May.

Student of the Year

The National Hispanic Institute, a nonprofit dedicated to developing leaders in the Hispanic community, recognized Marisol Gonzalez Flores of Kennett Square as one of its two 2024 College Students of the Year. A Cook Honors College student pursuing dual degrees in geology and criminology, Gonzalez Flores was honored for her academic excellence and contributions to her campus and community.

International Efforts

Last October, the Pennsylvania Council for International Education presented Michele Petrucci D’05, associate vice president for International Education and Global Engagement, with its David Portlock Outstanding International Educator Award, which honors mentoring, leadership, and contributions to the field. Petrucci joined IUP’s

American Language Institute in 1997 and has led the Office of International Education since 2003.

In November, the Institute of International Education recognized IUP for 75 years of reporting its international student data for inclusion in what’s now called the Open Doors Report on International Educational Exchange. According to IIE, this publication is the only long-standing, comprehensive resource on international students studying in the US and American students studying abroad.

Rugby Royalty

In December, the Men’s Rugby Club team won its second straight National Collegiate Rugby Division II title in the 15-player division by beating the University of Northern Iowa, 38-29, in Houston. It was the fourth national championship for the Crimson Hawks, who also won the title in the seven-player division in 2022 and ’23.

Elevating Drones

In December, the Pennsylvania Drone Association presented IUP with its 2024 Ellie Education Award for elevating the state’s drone industry. John Benhart, professor of regional planning and director of IUP’s drone certificate program, accepted the award in Harrisburg. IUP is the only Pennsylvania university recognized as a Federal Aviation Administration Collegiate Training Institution.

From left: Casey Ryan, Mark Smith, IUP President Michael Driscoll, Brianne Lenhart, and Donte Palmer

MENTORS

Making Broadcast History

In spring 2024, after students enrolled in her Digital Sports Production class for the fall, faculty member Stephanie Keppich M’09 listed all the jobs required to broadcast IUP football games and asked for each student’s preference. When none picked on-air duties, she approached Emily Marines and Riley Yonchiuk and suggested they team up on the play-by-play and color commentary. In doing so, Keppich made a bit of school history by bringing together the first twowoman team to tackle streaming broadcast duties for IUP football. They called their first game, a win over Clarion, in late September. Read more at IUP.edu/broadcasthistory

Meet Our Faculty

The Meet Our Faculty series, started in fall 2023 by the Marketing and Communications team, has highlighted a different faculty member on IUP’s website and social media platforms nearly every week of the academic year. Presented in a question-and-answer format, these features

often reveal unexpected details about a professor’s career or life path, such as how Sean McDaniel, with no foreign language skills, got a chance to teach English in Spain—an experience that “transformed” him; how Jana Villemain’s love of solving biochemistry’s puzzles was a natural progression after growing up fixing and making things with her grandparents; or how artist Sean Derry was a Nordic skier on Alaska’s Junior Olympics team. Find roughly 50 series installments at IUP.edu/ meetourfaculty.

WWII Site Study Success

Since 2022, IUP has assisted with US efforts to account for missing military personnel from past conf licts. Last August, those efforts led to the identification of 1st Lt. Wylie Leverett, whose aircraft was lost December 30, 1944, on a World War II bombing mission to Mannheim, Germany.

Through a cooperative agreement with the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency

and the Henry M. Jackson Foundation for Military Medicine, anthropology faculty members Andrea Palmiotto and William Chadwick have led three field schools at the crash site in Germany, where students helped investigate and excavate the area. They plan to offer more training opportunities this summer and beyond.

Faculty Deaths

Recently reported deaths of former IUP faculty members:

William Bahn, a professor emeritus who retired from the Department of Special Education and Clinical Services in 1990 after 25 years of service, died November 11, 2024.

James Dougherty, who retired from the Sociology Department in 2015 after nearly 15 years of combined service, died January 4, 2025. He founded the Center for Northern Appalachian Studies in 2007.

Victor Garcia, a professor emeritus who retired from the Anthropology Department in 2021 after 30 years of service, died December 6, 2024. He was honored with the lifetime title of Distinguished University Professor in 2013.

Betty Lanham, a professor emerita who retired from the Department of SociologyAnthropology in 1988 after more than 18 years of service, died February 16, 2019.

Cruz Mendizábal, a professor emeritus who retired from the Spanish and Classical Languages Department in 1999 after more than 30 years of service, died March 19, 2025.

William Srsic, who retired from the Office of Financial Aid in 2011 after 42 years of service, died November 23, 2024.

Edwina Vold, a professor emerita who retired from the Department of Professional Studies in Education in 1999 after 19 years of service, died January 5, 2025.

Harold “Hal” Wingard, who retired as dean of the College of Health and Human Services in 1999 after more than 18 years of service and earned emeritus status, died December 26, 2024.

If you would prefer to read IUP Magazine in digital format instead of print, contact the magazine office at iup-magazine@iup.edu or 724-357-3112. The magazine is published twice a year, in spring and fall. A link to the digital version will be included in the monthly alumni email newsletter sent by the Office of Alumni and Friends.

Emily Marines, left, and Riley Yonchiuk in the broadcast booth

BRIAN

HENRY

HANGING AROUND: The Oak Grove drew a crowd during spring’s first warm days, which came in March.