2023 Messiah University Memory Book

Employee Recognition 2023

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28

A message from the President

I am deeply grateful for the educators, administrators and staff who fulfill our mission each day and encourage and educate our students to be people of mature Christian faith who serve, lead and reconcile in the midst of a broken and hurting world. Thank you all for your dedication, commitment and resilience. I offer my sincere congratulations to each individual recognized in this beautiful volume. The Messiah community has been enriched by your faithful presence and exemplary contributions. Thank you!

Warm regards,

Kim S. Phipps, president

Service Milestones

service milestones

years of service Five

Lauren Allen

Virgil Angeles

Sharon Armstrong

Melinda Barnes

Adam Barron

Joanna Behm

Leslie Bencivenga

Randy Cassell

Sarah Ruth Christopher

Kathee Clark

Cherisse Daniels

Kimberly Fenstermacher

Matthew Fenton

Lanna Flowers

Megan Fowler

Carrie Gorman

Katie Hoffman

Binbin Huang

Amy Humphrey

Nate Litman

Jason Lucas

Susan Marlowe

Janet Matanguihan

Lilla McIntosh

Joy Meade

Cal Napolitano

Lisa Neal

Luke Niesley

Beverly Pitcher-Johnson

Ricardo Plummer

Linda Poston

Jason Renn

Krystal Robinson-Bert

Timothy Royer

Leanne Rutt

Erin Sanno

Bridgette Seaman

Jennifer Smithmyer

Brad Statnick

Philip Tan

Randy Webster

Laura Williams

Sydney Wilson

Jen Zellers

service milestones

years of service ten

Carol Buckley

Anne Burkley

Amy Cook

Erik Forst

Kris Hardy

Rusty Hoffman

Gregg Hurley

Krista Imbesi

Kathleen Johnston

Matt Lewis

Michelle Lockwood

Devin Manzullo-Thomas

Terry McLoughlin

Laura Minoglio

Ruth Nutt

Stephanie Patterson

Leah Smock

Tom Soerens

Kitty Statnick

Cindy Steffan

Brian Swartz

service milestones

years of service fifteen

Yvonne Booher

John Chopka

Rachel Cornacchio

Drena Doran

Randy Fish

Ramona Fritschi

Michelle George

Mark Graybill

Jay McClymont

Deb Poplaski

Emerson Powery

Gladys Robalino

Susan Shannon

Beverly Spangler

Mark Wiley

Mike Zigarelli

Lori Zimmerman

years of service twenty

Bryan Brunk

Jenn Fisler

Paul Johns

Erik Lindquist

Rachel Lippert

George Ringer

Roseann Sachs

Damian Savarino

Jennifer Sheaffer

Stephen Smith

Brenda White

years of service

Bill Althoff

Inger Lindquist Blount

Teresa Ellison

Craig Gephart

Amy Ginck

John Luft

Deb Roof

Jeremy Soltis

Cynthia Wells

service

thirty years of service

Bob Brown

Dwayne Keiffer

Doug Phillippy

Amy Weaver

service milestones

thirty-Five years of service

John Bechtold

Glen Brubaker

Doug Brunner

Jill Poole

Mike Strite

forty years of service

Dennis Weller

Pride in Performance

This award is given annually to employees who have demonstrated remarkable competence in their role along with a consistent commitment to excellence and to working successfully with others to achieve the goals of the University. Congratulations to our 2023 winners!

pride in performance Deb Fleming

Deb has served Messiah for 28 years, largely as a critical component of the Engle Center as the receptionist and medical assistant. She is a problem solver and an innovator, constantly seeking to improve services to students and how work is accomplished in the Engle Center. For example, she has worked tirelessly with the software provider to tackle a billing issue that has been pervasive and problematic for the patients and department budget.

As much as Deb is smart and effective in tackling the work of the Engle Center, she is also a warm and welcoming presence to the students and all members of the Messiah community. She willingly shares, offers and donates her time and resources to those in need, exhibiting patience, kindness and forgiveness.

Deb’s faith is present in her work ethic, transparency, care and commitment to others. She is encouraging and supportive of her colleagues.

pride in performance

Jocelyn Clippinger

Jocelyn serves the Messiah community as Director of Student Success and her important work positively impacts the experience of many students. As an example, she started the SOAR project which is a peer mentor program in which upper-class Messiah students are trained to mentor younger students and help them transition to college life. Jocelyn designed the program so that it includes specific welcome week activities, monthly in-person sessions, life talks related to students’ personal growth and development, group chat communication with mentors, and semesterend celebrations. This initiative has been successful in proactively reaching students before they have a chance to become isolated and unsure of how to adapt to college life.

Not only is it Jocelyn’s nature to be pleasant and hospitable, but she is a particularly noteworthy communicator, not just in her ability to share ideas, but also in her capacity to listen and collaborate. Her interactions are consistently focused on how to care for students, faculty, and SSE colleagues in making sure that every student has the best possible opportunity to succeed. She makes it a point to include colleagues when facilitating care for students. Jocelyn goes out of her way to connect students with resources and actions that help them navigate their academic work.

pride in performance Kathee Clark

Kathee Clark, Registrar, is known for her commitment to collaboration and provides her colleagues with a calming and informative presence in all she does. She not only achieves high standards in her own work as registrar, but also facilitates the excellent work of her team. She is willing to help, willing to research solutions and is committed to the overall integrity and effectiveness of the Registrar’s Office.

Kathee’s commitment to process improvement can be seen in the high standards and goals established for the department. For example, through her leadership, positive changes in how we address the needs of our F-1 visa students have been implemented along with innovations in our data and technology systems.

Kathee manages her very large role with grace, honesty, persistence and a warmth and regard for colleagues that is both genuine and winsome.

pride in performance

Laura Price

During the past year Laura has taken on the daily operations of Campus Events while the manager was out on extended leave. Not only did Laura complete her own responsibilities, which include hiring staff in challenging times, but she made sure all facets of the department continued to function. She works hard with her team to develop a can-do attitude. Employees in Campus Events report often that Laura checks in (especially during crazy times), is the first to help out and works to make sure everyone is welcomed to campus.

Laura is a dedicated supervisor and excellent trainer. She is passionate about the experience of all employees, including student employees, and works hard to give them an excellent experience while still holding them accountable. Across Campus Events, Laura successfully facilitates solutions for tackling the many challenges faced by the department.

pride in performance Todd Christopher

As the Restaurant Operations Manager, Todd has developed a culture of excellence at Lottie. He is loved by the students that he manages and is respected by the Messiah University community. His energy when working at Lottie is infectious! He takes the time to get to know his student employees on a personal level and is able to inspire and mentor them in various ways, always exhibiting positivity. Todd takes the initiative to learn about the students’ backgrounds and is eager to make ALL students feel welcome at Messiah. With his twenty-plus years’ experience in hospitality, Todd is always willing to offer perspectives to further enhance the values of the Division of Operations at Messiah.

He has worked to both creatively and effectively reshape staffing to curtail the effects of labor shortages and fortify the student experience in Lottie. From the “March Madness” sports bracket contest, to “World Series Week,” to special meals for special occasions, Todd’s passion for the student experience is apparent.

President’s Award

This award is given annually to two individuals who have demonstrated significant commitment, ingenuity, innovation and hard work in addressing a concern or challenge facing the University. As such, the award is tied to a specific achievement or exceptional action.

Cal Napolitano

As Athletic Trainer, Cal’s commitment to the Messiah student athletes is unmatched. During two significant incidents this year, the health of two athletes was compromised. He provided a stellar medical response as well as a healing presence that created calm when there was potential for severe anxiety. His superb care, steady response, and detailed follow-up in difficult situations made all the difference. Cal worked to communicate efficiently and effectively with outside providers and the families. Going above and beyond the call of his position, he also coordinated care for the teams during these difficult times. He responded with a steady, selfless and faithful commitment to God, the students and the coaches of the teams represented, as well as provided follow-up to other teams affected. Cal’s fidelity to the Messiah community is invaluable.

president’s award

Laura Miller

As the Associate Vice President for Institutional Research and Administrative Technology, Laura Miller’s service to Messiah University is consistently excellent but this past year she exceeded even her typically high standards by assuming two additional duties. First, when David Walker, Vice President for Finance and Planning, abruptly resigned in May 2022, Laura capably stepped in to lead the division for five months. Under her leadership the division became more cohesive as she implemented best practices of supervision, communication, and team building. Second, as MSCHE co-chair she led the formation and compilation of the evidence inventory which the site review team chair noted was well organized, clear, thoroughly comprehensive and a model for other universities. Laura managed these additional duties with noticeable success while also maintaining a full portfolio of other responsibilities.

Road to Reconciliation

This award is given annually to an employee who demonstrates a leadership role related to reconciliation beyond the expectations of his or her position, and who has met one or more of the following goals:

• Improved the quality of life and/or served as an advocate for underrepresented groups at the University

• Championed recruitment and retention efforts aimed at improving diversity at the University

• Planned and implemented change related to issues of cultural intelligence

• Educated the Messiah community toward intercultural awareness and appreciation of an increasingly diverse Messiah community

• Actively contributed to a reconciliation process, thereby fostering a stronger community

road to reconciliation

David Pettegrew

David Pettegrew, Professor of History and Archaeology, has been chosen for the Road to Reconciliation Award for the tremendous work he has done with the Digital Harrisburg project in his role as the coordinator for our Digital Humanities program. Although David by training is an ancient archaeologist, he has become a significant advocate for understanding the racial history and practices of our region as well as a liaison between the University and the Harrisburg community. His work has drawn notice in the regional press, has garnered academic awards, and has won recognition through grants, but more importantly, it has been used by various parties to better understand our region’s racial history in ways that can support and further the process of reconciliation. For instance, David’s work is regularly used by our Thriving Congregations participants and student fellows to better understand our region and the role they can play in addressing inequities. His work has also had a major impact in creating greater visibility of ethnic and racial inequality through his and our student contributions to the Commonwealth monument project. His work is continuing in this vein as he is working with community partners and our students again on processes that will help us both preserve and make more visible other aspects of African American history in our region. Throughout this work David has been a partner, collaborator, and mentor with and for our students as they pursue this research alongside him, increasing their own knowledge base and their sense of contribution to reconciliation in this region. David, alongside our directors for the Center for Public Humanities, equips students with what they need to engage effectively with diverse community partners, and guides them as they think about how best to represent these histories and voices of others. He illustrates the ways in which the pursuit of reconciliation can be both intellectually compelling and a means of increasing the joy of the Christian life we have together.

Team Falcon Award

This award is given annually to recognize a group or team that collaborated successfully on a significant project or initiative that advanced departmental or university-wide goals. Teams receiving this award need to have exhibited innovation, creativity and excellence while fostering a team environment that promoted communication, trust, cooperation, and respect.

team falcon award

Messiah Press

Last August Messiah Press began providing all the copy work for Mechanicsburg Area School District (MASD). There were many steps involved in taking on this immense project. First, in a process that took months of research and meetings, they created a personalized section in the current ordering system specifically to fit MASD’s needs. Once the orders started coming in, they had to rethink how to organize, track and bill them properly. To increase workflow, new equipment was leased which required rearranging the pressroom and warehouse to accommodate the new machinery. The quantity of copy work that is processed for MASD is well beyond what was anticipated and they were able to flex the original plan and add new methods in order to keep up. The team at the Press has worked countless overtime hours and through evenings and weekends to meet deadlines. They have been stretched and have had to grow and learn new skills. The positive impact for the University comes from the extra revenue that has been generated and the satisfied experiences that staff within MASD have with Messiah. The Press is branching out into a community of prospective students and building strong relationships that show Messiah as a welcoming place. In addition to the extra workload from MASD, the Press continues to brilliantly support the University community with our printing and designing needs. The Messiah Press team works diligently and always with integrity and excellence.

Denise Albert

Bill Althoff

James Howell

Mark Kobzowicz

Bob Madden

Dwayne Magee

Thomas Rhoads

Heather Seaman

Cathy Weaver

Sydney Wilson

From left:Tom Rhoads, Bill Althoff, Jim Howell, Mark Kobzowicz, Heather Seaman, Sydney Wilson, Cathy Weaver, Dwayne Magee, Bob Madden and Denise Albert

Retirees

Dave Anderson

Campus Events Operations

Dave Anderson has been with Messiah for the last 28 years as an integral part of the Campus Events team. His attention to detail and work ethic is something to be admired. In addition, Dave has been a positive and effective mentor to many Campus Event workers through the years. His standards for polished, clean and presentable facilities are unparalleled. For example, the floors never looked so good as when Dave did them and when he polished a water fountain, you could see your reflection in it.

A gentle and kind soul, Dave has cared for many aspects of this community for a long time, including in some unexpected ways such as making sure to feed apples to the chickens.

As Dave enters a new season, all of Campus Events wishes him a happy and restful retirement. Thank you, Dave, and may God bless you and your family.

Richard Crane Professor of Theology

Biblical, Religious, & Philosophical Studies

In more than two decades of teaching at Messiah University, Richard Crane has taught an impressively wide variety of courses in theology, general education, and the honors program, helping hundreds of our students understand their faith in new and deeper ways.

Richard has served in several positions and committees in the COE and has been a supportive and willing colleague to his department. Richard approaches all his work with characteristic enthusiasm, humor, and humility. His students and colleagues value his breadth and depth of knowledge, as well as his remarkable capacity for synthesizing across his passions of justice, economics, and theology. Richard has published in the areas of pedagogy, atonement theory, and political engagement. He has also maintained an impressive travel schedule throughout his teaching career, and during the past few years has managed to complete a Juris Doctor degree at Seton Hall University School of Law.

Richard’s colleagues know him as a loyal supporter of Alabama football and a dedicated grandfather. He is also an avid cyclist who keeps his bicycle at-the-ready in his office and can often be seen on the backroads of Northern York County.

Su Deitch

Benefits Manager

Human Resources & Compliance

Su joined Messiah in 2005 and brought with her a strong understanding of how to effectively manage benefits and build connections with employees. Across the nearly 18 years that Su served Messiah, she connected with hundreds of employees helping them through a life-cycle of benefits matters. Whether it was getting a new baby on the health plan or sending off a tuition assistance check, Su’s priority was making sure that the University’s benefits were working effectively for the employees. In her time at Messiah, she was known as someone who would walk alongside employees, cheering their successes and mourning their losses all the while making sure they knew they weren’t alone. She was a wonderful, dedicated member of the HR team, and her willingness to get work done helped the University navigate complicated benefits matters year over year. Su brought a caring and warm countenance to the office every day and never missed the opportunity to shower her colleagues with one of her work-ofart cards. We wish her nothing but the very best in retirement.

Jan Dormer

Professor of Education Graduate Program in Education

Jan joined the Messiah community in 2012. She has taught a variety of undergraduate and graduate courses, primarily in the area of TESOL (teaching English to speakers of other languages). An exemplary educator, Jan received the Harry and Nancy Preis Award for Outstanding Graduate Teaching in 2017. Jan’s expertise in international and Christian education has been a significant asset for Messiah as she has led cross-cultural trips and expanded Messiah’s reach globally. These global connections provide opportunities for graduate students abroad while also enriching the learning of our domestic students. Jan has written and presented extensively in her area of expertise in both domestic and international contexts. She has published numerous articles and books and is sought out as a speaker in domestic and international settings.

Jan’s extensive global travel has colleagues regularly playing a game of “Where in the World is Jan Dormer?” She is passionate about teaching and learning with ESL teaching colleagues around the world. Her ability to navigate airports, time zone changes, electricity outages, and other travel-related challenges while maintaining a high level of productivity and responsiveness to students and colleagues is second to none. We wish Jan the very best in her future teaching, scholarship, and travel endeavors.

Patrice Ewoldt

Professor of Piano

Department of Music

Patrice has provided elegant leadership to the areas of applied piano, collaborative piano, class piano and chamber music. She provided artistic and insightful instruction and kept a very complex part of our department beautifully organized. In addition, she worked with nearly every faculty member in performance of recitals and concerts and worked alongside countless students for whom she was a mentor and musical guide. She has been an ideal colleague, and the perfect role model for the young professionals in our discipline.

Patrice’s legacy at Messiah will be the way in which she cared for and advocated for her students. Simply put, they adore her. She has been incredibly helpful to all of them and whether or not they were piano majors, they all knew “Dr. E” always had their best interest at heart. We will miss her artistry, her friendship, and her caring presence here at Messiah.

Jim Fackler

Campus Events Manager Operations

Jim Fackler has been a strong employee at Messiah for the past 28 years. He has served with the Campus Events department in several positions throughout his time, culminating his career as Campus Events Manager.

Jim is known for his willingness to do whatever needs to be done to support the polish and appearance of the campus as well as the success of our many events. For years, Messiah has benefitted from Jim’s watchful attention to custodial and event details, may it be finding a solution to a facilities issue, setting up for countless chapels or driving golf carts at graduation. We could always count on Jim to be good-natured and ready to work, arriving bright and early each day (most times before anyone else).

Jim will be greatly missed. He takes a lot of Campus Events knowledge and experience with him. We thank him for the many years of service and wish him all the best in this next chapter.

Carol Good

Graduate Student Financial Services Coordinator & Senior Counselor Student Financial Services

We are extremely grateful for the dedication and faithful service Carol Good has unconditionally provided at Messiah for over 16 years. In 2006, Carol began making positive impact by first serving in the Financial Aid Office. Carol had no background in financial aid, aside from her experience helping her own children through the process, but within months of starting her new role she received accolades for her customer service from students, parents, and Messiah staff.

In 2012, Carol helped to successfully develop and launch the Graduate component of Student Financial Services. Serving as our Graduate Student Financial Services Coordinator and Senior Counselor, Carol has continuously advocated for our graduate students, and has worked tirelessly to provide tremendous customer service. Carol has had a vital role in building the Graduate Student Financial Services model and has collaborated with multiple offices at both Winding Hill and Grantham campuses. It was so refreshing to always hear Carol encouraging and praying for grad students over the phone or in her office. Carol has been a positive example of faithful service to everyone she has worked with at Messiah.

Barry G. Goodling ’79

Vice President for Advancement President’s Office/Division of Advancement

Barry Goodling ’79 has a remarkable legacy of service at Messiah University. After graduating in 1979, he and his wife Bev became resident directors at Messiah. An accomplished athlete, Barry served as captain for Messiah’s first men’s soccer national championship team. In the early 1990’s, D. Ray Hostetter wooed Barry and Bev away from another Christian college and Barry began his 30-year journey as Vice President for Advancement at Messiah University.

Over the course of Barry’s tenure at Messiah, he oversaw the successful completion of numerous fundraising campaigns, including Campaign for the Sciences, To Serve and to Lead, Fields of Growth, the Centennial Campaign, and the most recently successful Campaign for Messiah University. The new buildings funded by these efforts include Jordan Science Center, Larsen Student Union, Boyer Hall, High Center, Fitness Center, and Phipps Admissions and Welcome Center. Barry’s leadership over the advancement division has led to over $200M in new gifts to the University.

Beyond all of these accomplishments, Barry and Bev have opened their home to countless donors, friends of Messiah, and international students as part of the Friendship Family program. They both model the gracious Christian faith that is the very fabric of Messiah University.

Tara Jankouskas

Associate Professor of Nursing Department of Nursing

With a specialty in pediatrics, Tara has been a full-time nursing educator at Messiah for fifteen years. During this time, she has also been on the nursing staff in pediatrics at Penn State Hershey Medical Center, where she has worked for 31 years. Tara has been especially admired by her nursing colleagues for her excellent time management skills.

Tara brings disciplinary content knowledge, clinical expertise and current, relevant nursing experience to Messiah undergraduate and graduate students. Tara urges her students toward success and a firm understanding of important content, going so far as to do cartwheels in class when her students do well on assignments. She has been an important part of the success of our many nursing students, positively impacting the health of our community and beyond. After her retirement, Tara plans to continue her clinical practice at Penn State Hershey. She is looking forward to spending more time with her family and doing more travelling.

Jeff Moshier

Special Assistant to the President and Provost for Program Development President’s Office/Provost’s Office

Dr. Jeff Moshier served as the founding dean of Messiah’s School of Health and Natural Sciences from 2001-2007 before returning in 2018 to serve as Special Assistant to the President and Provost for Program Development. In this recent role, he has capably led the Strategic Planning Oversight team, researched new program possibilities, and coordinated and directed the new Exploring Careers in Healthcare camp in the School of Science, Engineering, and Health. In addition, Jeff served the School of SEH in 2022-23 by supporting full-time faculty in their applications for tenure, promotion, and sabbaticals and adjunct faculty seeking employment at Messiah. He also served as a liaison for pre-health advising and our accelerated undergraduate-graduate programs in occupational and physical therapy.

A dedicated Christian, lifelong educator, science scholar and researcher, Jeff has brought a unique blend of administrative and clinical skills to Messiah which has greatly benefited our students and faculty. We are grateful for Jeff’s faithful servant leadership in every area he was assigned.

Holly Myers

Administrative Assistant

School of Science, Engineering and Health

Holly has been a valued administrative assistant at Messiah for twenty years, serving first the Department of Management and Business and the International Business Institute, then the graduate program in Counseling, and she has been the welcoming face and primary support for the School of Science, Engineering, and Health since 2017. When she supported the IBI program she traveled with the program to Latvia, Russia, Germany, Czech Republic, Austria, Switzerland, France, and England. In the School of SEH now, she manages all aspects of her work with skill, creativity, and always with a smile and a willingness to learn. Holly and her husband Roger teach college students at Slate Hill Mennonite Church and Messiah students from this class stop by her office regularly for mentoring and friendship. Holly and Roger live in Dillsburg and have three adult children, each a Messiah graduate. In retirement she will enjoy her mountain home, volunteering at church, cooking for those in need of a homemade meal, and time with her six grandchildren, including an annual family reunion at the Outer Banks.

Michael Rice

Digital Resources & Serials Librarian

Murray Library

Michael joined the faculty of Messiah University (then College) in 1992 and retired in January 2023. As the Digital Resources and Serials Librarian, Michael has served as liaison to many different departments and the lead librarian for coordinating online resources and providing seamless access to more than 130 databases, 150,000 serials, 500,000 eBooks, and other resources such as streaming videos. Providing access involves work behind the scenes that is never seen by the end user, including negotiating prices, reviewing license agreements, and troubleshooting countless links and vendor issues across an academic year.

Michael’s quiet demeanor created a sense of calm welcome to students whom he met in the classroom or in his office for reference questions. He made a conscious effort to learn the names of his students in the First Year Seminars and often surprised them by accurately reciting everyone’s name after hearing it only once. He was a favorite of his long-term liaison professors whom he partnered with for First Year Seminar information literacy instruction.

Michael maintains an active church life, lending his musical talents to his local parish church. His faith commitment benefited the entire library staff as he often provided meaningful devotions during staff meetings. Murray Library wishes Michael all the best for this next season of his life!

D. Scott Weaver

Associate Professor of Computer Science Department of Computing, Mathematics and Physics

Scott has taught computer and information science at Messiah for 21 years, always with an attitude of ‘pulling for your success’ with his students. In the classroom he encourages students to succeed and build a growth mindset. As the field of computing has changed, Scott has learned new competencies and areas of expertise. Most recently he constructed the university’s cybersecurity major. Scott has a servant’s heart and has led teams of students several times to do valuable computing upgrades and service in West Africa through the Collaboratory. Scott and his wife Lorilei have two daughters who were both Messiah graduates and Messiah athletes. Scott is active in his local church, particularly in short-term missions.