The Boro Magazine Spring 2022

“A dream you dream alone is only a dream. A dream you dream together is reality.”

– Yoko Ono

Altdorfer

Butler

Federoff

Kindl

LaFuria

Ruane

Altdorfer

Conway

Frank

Kleck

PRESIDENT

Greetings, Fighting Scots.

Northwestern Pennsylvania is breathtaking in every season –whether it’s covered in a blanket of glistening snow, festooned with the hopeful hues of spring blooms, alive with the sights and sounds of sunny summer days or adorned with yellow, orange and red fall foliage.

Winter, no matter how frigid, eventually gives way to spring, and with the thaw comes extraordinary promise. Year after year, I find myself inspired as hardy, resilient perennials emerge from the still-frozen ground. Birds sing. Bees buzz. And signs of new beginnings abound. Student-athletes take the field after months of inside practice and campus booms with outdoor activities, a testament that the Fighting Scot spirit always prevails.

This spring brought the usual excitement and anticipation, along with important milestones on the groundbreaking path to Western integration. On March 15, the Middle States Commission on Higher Education validated our efforts by granting initial approval for Edinboro, California and Clarion to unite as one. And on April 20, the NCAA affirmed our plan to maintain independent and separate athletic programs.

THREE LEGACIES. TWO CENTURIES. ONE MISSION.

For more than two years, students, faculty, staff, trustees, alumni and community members worked together to lay the foundation for a united, student-focused university that incorporates the best of our three campuses.

Our students won’t just get the best of both worlds; they’ll get the best of all worlds.

BUILT ON TRADITION. BUILT FOR THE FUTURE.

Each of our schools has a proud history and a unique campus culture. We are indeed “sister” institutions – united as one family, yet individual in personality and style.

What matters most is what we have in common: Strength, resilience and a commitment to empowering our students to enrich their communities by building great careers and fulfilling lives.

THE POWER OF PENNWEST

100+ degree programs. 186,000+ alumni. 300+ student organizations and clubs.

For the first time ever, students have access to all the resources, programs, real-world work opportunities, traditions and offerings from three of Pennsylvania’s top universities in one place. They’ll benefit from the knowledge of our awardwinning, nationally renowned faculty experts.

You might call it the future of higher education. We’re calling it Pennsylvania Western University.

MAKING DREAMS COME TRUE

For nearly 165 years, Edinboro has helped students be the stars in their own stories. Our graduates go on to make the world a better place as government officials, Disney animators, federal agents, renowned medical professionals, acclaimed artists and college presidents.

We are staying true to that mission and preserving the elements that make Edinboro such a special place to live, learn and work. “The Dreamers” featured in this issue of The Boro showcase the strength of our students, faculty and staff and the potential that exists when we dare to venture outside of our comfort zones.

Dr. Dale Dale-Elizabeth Pehrsson Interim President

We’re building on the best of the west, but we will always be BORO PROUD.

WHAT’S IN A NAME?

THE BIG REVEAL

See the videos announcing the integrated university’s name and its design at edinboro.edu/name-reveal.

INTEGRATED UNIVERSITY WILL BE KNOWN AS PENNWEST By Chris

It’s a new name for a new institution: Pennsylvania Western University.

Formed by the consolidation of Cal U, Clarion and Edinboro Universities, PennWest is poised for launch in July, pending approval by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.

“It’s a strong name, a clear name, for our integrated university,” said Dr. Dale-Elizabeth Pehrsson, Edinboro’s interim president. “It says who we are, where we are and what we do. And the nickname, PennWest, combines well with our location names to identify our campuses.”

The PennWest name was announced this fall after a multiphase process that involved surveys and focus groups with students, alumni, trustees, faculty and staff from all three campuses.

Kindl

To assist with the project, Edinboro and its partner universities engaged Carnegie Dartlet, a national leader in higher education marketing and enrollment strategy, to zero in on the traits that distinguish each campus and outline a brand identity for the new university.

The Carnegie team then researched competitors’ names and took a deep dive into how various monikers might perform online, where most students begin their college search.

Once the pool of prospective names was reduced to three, researchers went to the marketplace, testing each name’s appeal to more than 330 future students, families and influencers, such as guidance counselors, who help students make their college decisions.

The PennWest name was a standout.

DISTINCTIVE AND APPEALING

As Jaime Oleksik, AVP for enrollment and marketing strategy at Carnegie, says, naming a new university is no simple task. The name must be distinctive, yet easy to remember. It must reflect the school’s character and identity while appealing to everyone from current and future students to alumni, faculty, staff and university leaders.

Critically, a university name must rise to the top when a potential student types it into a search engine such as Google. And the new name must be able to gain traction quickly, inspiring individuals — especially future students and their families — to learn more about the school.

When a new university is born from the integration of three existing schools, each with more than 150 years of history, choosing the right name is even more important.

“That shared identity begins with a shared name,” Oleksik said.

“The University comprising Cal U, Clarion and Edinboro needs a name that can represent the unified structure while still retaining each campus’s authentic personality.

“Fortunately, these three institutions share similar truths about who their students are and how each provides access to life-changing education.”

In market tests, the name Pennsylvania Western University took top marks in all categories. Clear and literal, it sounds “collegiate and established” while “suggesting a prominent role in the region.”

And the PennWest nickname excelled on marketability measures such as “easy to use in conversation” and “would look good on apparel.”

Since students are often the ones wearing those T-shirts, caps and hoodies, it made sense to have them choose what the new name would look like. Behind the scenes, that process was already underway.

DESIGN OPTIONS

Minutes after the PennWest name was announced, every student at Cal U, Clarion and Edinboro received an email with a link to an online survey. It explained the PennWest color palette of dark blue, red and gold, derived from the three campuses’ school colors.

It also showed three design options for the new name.

Students could vote online for the logo that appealed to them most, or visit the student center to see the choices and use a QR code to make their selection.

In addition to the full University name and its nickname, the design package included wordmarks for each of the integrating campuses, plus the global online division.

In all, nearly 5,000 students took part in the survey — a remarkable level of engagement.

The winning logo was the preferred choice on all three campuses and received 39% of the overall vote. It features a compass that points the way to Pennsylvania Western University. A keystone represents the Commonwealth. When the nickname is used, the extended westward compass point crosses the lowercase “t” in PennWest.

To honor local identities, the wordmarks for PennWest California, PennWest Clarion and PennWest Edinboro include the colors of each location and incorporate characteristics that represent the traditions of each campus, such as a bold E and the iconic Fighting Scot sword.

“From the start, we have been intentional about building a student-focused university through the integration process,” said Pehrsson, who also is president of Clarion and interim president of California.

“This is one demonstration of what that truly means. Our students voted, and we will use the design they chose. They are the future of Pennsylvania Western University, and we want them to wear the name proudly.”

The winning design was announced before winter break, accompanied by giveaways of T-shirts and stickers for oncampus and online students. Once accreditation is in place, it will be featured in marketing campaigns for Pennsylvania Western University.

“All of our institutions have changed their names and logos over the years,” Pehrsson said.

“Whether we’re known as Edinboro Normal School, Edinboro State College or the Edinboro campus of PennWest University, what matters most is the experience we provide for our students, and the success they go on to achieve.”

“From the start, we have been intentional about building a student-focused university through the integration process.”

THE

Fighting Scots are anything but ordinary.

They are athletes, artists, explorers, scientists, communicators, educators and healers. They are doers and dreamers.

They’re launching into orbit and diving to great depths – beating the odds, breaking down barriers and shattering glass ceilings in every corner of the world. Nothing is beyond reach.

The Edinboro alumni, students, faculty and staff featured on the following pages haven’t just reached their goals – they’ve surpassed them. We invite you to read their stories.

ONE GIANT LEAP

DR. SIAN PROCTOR MAKES HISTORY AS THE FIRST BLACK WOMAN TO PILOT A SPACECRAFT

By John Altdorfer

Dr. Sian Proctor will tell you that space is not the final frontier.

After all, the 1992 Edinboro alum circled the Earth 47 times as part of the SpaceX Inspiration4 crew last September. So, she’s kind of an expert.

Then there’s this fact. She made that journey in a place where no Black woman had gone before — the pilot’s seat of a spacecraft.

Still, after three days above Earth, Proctor said there are plenty more places she wants to see on this jumbo spaceship we call home.

“Oh, I’m an explorer,” Proctor said, sitting with her feet up on a chair in a room that doubles as an art studio in her Phoenix home. “Space is the ultimate form of exploration. But our planet is a wonderful place to explore. And I still have a whole world to see — whether I’m above it, on it or under it.”

No one’s ever checked, but exploring the heavens and earth just might be part of Proctor’s DNA.

In 1969, her father, a Sperry Univac engineer, kept tabs on the Apollo 11 moon mission at a NASA tracking station in Guam. Afterward the crew met Edward Proctor, and Neil Armstrong — the mission pilot — wrote him a thank-you note. Nearly eight and half months after Armstrong kicked up some moon dust, baby Sian Proctor joined the ranks of future space pilots.

On her way to the stars, Proctor’s earthly flight pattern passed through

Edinboro, which wasn’t at the top of her college list.

“My brother Chris was already at Edinboro. And who wants to go to school with the older brother who always tormented you,” she said with a laugh. Despite her reluctance, Proctor honored the wishes of her dad, who was terminally ill at the time, and landed at Edinboro to study environmental science.

astronaut. Getting glasses as a teenager in New York grounded the fighter pilot plan. Then in 2009, she was a finalist to join the NASA Astronaut Program but didn’t make the ultimate cut. Disappointed? Of course, she was. But explorers never quit.

With master’s and Ph.D. degrees from Arizona State University already on her resume, Proctor earned a pilot license and SCUBA certification. She wrote a cookbook about how to eat like a Martian, based on her experience of living in a NASA-sponsored Red Planet environment for four months. She even laced up her ice skates and learned to play hockey. All the while, she taught geology, sustainability and planetary science at South Mountain Community College in Phoenix.

Then, in February 2021, she learned about the opportunity to become one of the Inspiration4, the first all-civilian spaceflight. Like any good explorer, she understood the challenges ahead of her.

“In the end, it was the best decision,” she said. “My first day on campus, Chris knocked on my door and said, ‘Let’s be friends.’ He really took me under his wing. We went to parties together. We ran track together. We’re still close today, and he lives about an hour away.”

Part of her explorer dream was to fly fighter jets and join NASA as an

“I looked at who applied. I saw that some had millions of followers on YouTube and Twitter,” she said, “and hardly anyone followed me.”

She thought her age, gender and skin color might be obstacles, too. At 51, she would be the oldest woman ever to pilot a spacecraft. Since Soviet pilot Yuri Gagarin first orbited the Earth in 1961, only three women guided a vessel through the cosmos during the more than 350 “manned” missions in

“Representing Black people matters because we need to work 200 percent all the time just to prove to the people who are the gatekeepers that we belong.”

the following six decades. None was a Black female. Boosted by a confidence instilled by her parents that she could accomplish anything, Proctor applied.

“I wasn’t going to talk myself out of it,” she said, her smile fading for a moment. “So I left it up to someone else to determine if I was qualified.”

Passing the audition was the easy part. The real challenge? Living up to the dreams of her father; her mother, Gloria; and all those whose shoulders she felt she was standing on as she reached for the stars. People like Mae Jamison, the first Black female astronaut. She felt the obligation to represent every Black man, woman and child — past, present and future.

“Representing Black people matters because we need to work 200 percent all the time just to prove to the people who are the gatekeepers that we belong,” Proctor said. “We’re judged by a different standard and watched for the ‘failure moment.’ I remember when I finished grad school, one professor told me, ‘We didn’t really think you were going to make it.’ What got me through things like that was my dad telling me that if I worked hard enough — with grit and tenacity — that I would achieve my dreams.”

Proctor made plenty of dreams come true — for herself and others. Though both parents died before her flight, they traveled with her in spirit as part of the many personal items she took

onboard — including that note from Neil Armstrong to her dad.

Her three days in space proved, well, out of this world. Zero gravity. Phone calls from Tom Cruise and Bono. Cold pizza (SpaceX founder Elon Musk promises a microwave on the next flight). Sixteen sunrises and sunsets every day. “Earthlight” instead of moonlight. Then there’s the view that never got old — even after 47 trips along the same route.

From an earthling’s perspective, the Inspiration4 capsule orbited the planet upside down. To mix sports imagery, picture a badminton shuttlecock with the red rubbery part facing a basketball that looks like earth. Now this is where things get — as Proctor said — “trippy.” No matter where the capsule was in its orbit, the Earth was always above the red rubbery part — whether Inspiration was “above” the North Pole or “under” the South Pole.

“You go into the cupola” — the red part that’s actually a glass dome — “and your brain is freaking out because you feel like you’re right side up,” Proctor said. “But you’re actually inverted. But you don’t notice because there’s no orientation in space” until you look at your location in relation to the controls, chairs and other fixed items in the craft.

While there’s no up or down in space, Proctor has a good sense of direction of where she’s going back here on Earth.

An international motivational speaker, she has appeared in three educational television shows, including “The Colony Season 2” on The Discovery Channel and “Genius by Stephen Hawking” on PBS. She’s currently featured on the Science Channel show “Strange Evidence,” where she has served as the science demonstration expert since 2017.

Proctor is a huge fan of “Star Trek: The Next Generation,” but she’s set on creating a JEDI space to help the next generation of space explorers stand on her shoulders. Instead of building a “Star Wars” fleet of warriors, Proctor wants to foster a world of Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion — or JEDI — so that young people can achieve their dreams.

While JEDI is a universal concept, Proctor plans to launch Space2Inspire — her own program to help others grow and thrive creatively.

“We all have our own space where we can inspire others to increase their knowledge or unleash their creativity,” she said. “My space might be different than yours. But it’s what we do with our space and how we inspire others that matters.”

Whether she’s orbiting with the Inspiration4 or flying solo, Proctor will always keep her eyes on the skies and so many other frontiers.

FROM RIDE OPERATOR TO ENTERTAINMENT MOGUL

SMALL-TOWN MAGIC SPARKS BIG-TIME CAREER

Shrill screams of excited park-goers harmonize with lighthearted carousel tunes and the unmistakable clicketyclack of a vintage wooden roller coaster. Neon-lit tracks illuminate greasy machine chains. Tantalizing aromas waft down the midway – a mixture of popcorn, cotton candy and French fries.

Any time Tim Chizmar, ’05, reflects on his experiences growing up next to Conneaut Lake Park in Conneaut Lake, Pa., the wondrous sights, sounds and smells of childhood come flooding right back.

“As a kid, I looked up to the folks that ran the rides as true genies granting wishes to splendid pleasures,” Chizmar said. “I had no idea they weren’t magical.”

He eventually joined their ranks, spending summers at the helm of the iconic Blue Streak and Tumble Bug. He met his first real girlfriend there, too; she ran the children’s rides in Kiddieland.

“I’ll always love that park, and to this day, I collect memorabilia from Conneaut Lake Park and Fairyland Forest,” he said. “I was indeed a product of that corner of the world, having spent many nights cruising the diamond in Meadville, performing in musicals at The Academy Theatre, and avoiding black ice on the blasted whiteout, snowy roads. I put in my time.”

After Chizmar graduated from Linesville High School – now Conneaut Area Senior High – and earned a certificate in commercial art from Crawford County Career & Technical School in Meadville, Pa., a friend and fellow ride operator, Kyle Hall, ’03, M ’08, suggested that he enroll at Edinboro.

“I knew nothing of going to college, and I was scared at the prospect,” Chizmar said. “Applying for acceptance was terrifying, and my getting in was a huge accomplishment.”

Despite being a first-generation college student, it didn’t take long for Chizmar to get acclimated. He moved into Dearborn Hall and began his

By Tim Chizmar and Kristin Brockett

studies as an art student, dabbling in graphic design and animation – even doing some work in the department as a nude model – before finding his niche in communications and media.

Soon, Chizmar was hosting multiple programs for ETV, including a show about the local music scene, a professional wrestling show and various news segments, writing a regular column in The Spectator, and working as on-air talent and in promotions with the campus radio station, WFSE 88.9 FM. He rose through the campus media ranks, bringing fresh ideas, arranging live remotes and teaming up with celebrities like comedian Dave Coulier, The Rock, Steve Austin and the band Train.

“Under the direction of industry luminaries like Dr. Warburton and Dr. Covington, I began to explore the nuts and bolts of a proper career in entertainment,” said Chizmar, who carved out time in his packed schedule to act with University Players and join an improv comedy troupe, Deviant Behavior. “I learned that I loved staying super busy with all the projects on top of projects. That’s the same drive that’s made me successful later in life, too.”

Eager to make a splash in Hollywood, Chizmar boarded a plane to California soon after graduation with $1,000 in his pocket. He roomed with fellow Edinboro alumni Andrew Croulet, ’04, and Rhett Scott, ’04, while diving headfirst into the world of entertainment.

He wrote and optioned a screenplay, did standup comedy and produced live shows at local comedy clubs, which led to a touring brand and his first television show. The late nights, early mornings and constant grind paid off in big ways.

“I wouldn’t be working in entertainment, making movies and ghostwriting for celebrities if it were not for my time spent at Edinboro. That’s where I got my drive and experience in hustling projects and leads,” Chizmar said. “My time spent on the road in

sports radio, calling basketball games, taught me improv and ad-lib skills. Learning to navigate politics during the 2004 election and Pennsylvania being a swing state was a beneficial life experience. Heck, even the inclusive population there at Edinboro has had an impact on my wanting to give a voice and a platform to disabled persons in entertainment.”

Over the last two decades, the 41-year-old has worked with everyone from Adam Sandler to Gabriel Iglesias and Clive Barker and sold shows to CMT, HBO and Comedy Central. He has traveled the world headlining standup comedy tours, authored multiple bestselling books and won a Bram Stoker award.

Chizmar now has a reality show in production, three comic books coming out, two ghostwriting celeb novels, one memoir, a standup comedy residency in Las Vegas – where he’s lived since 2017 –and two feature films in post-production.

“It is a joy to be a spider in the middle of a web of crazy, wild, entertainment projects in various stages of development,” he said.

His latest film, “Hell’s Coming for You!,” is set to be released later this year. And there’s always another project.

The self-dubbed “lifelong dreamer” and award-winning motivational speaker has set his sights on inspiring others to chase their own dreams.

“The reality is that I knew nobody in entertainment before I went to college,” he said. “One thing led to another, and before long I had a career. It wasn’t easy, but nothing worth having ever is. If you want it, you can use your time at Edinboro to mold the clay that will harden in the fires of life. I am forever grateful for those years.

“Even though I live in Las Vegas and work in Hollywood, my heart will always belong to northwestern Pennsylvania and the university by the lake that gets too much snow.”

CONSERVATIONIST EXTRAORDINAIRE

ENVIRONMENTAL PLANNER, POET, COACH HELPS TO PROTECT SONOMA COUNTY’S NATURAL BEAUTY

There are four questions that have served as guiding principles for Richard Retecki (’64) in his five-decade career in long-range environmental planning and conservation.

What’s next? How are we going to accomplish it? Who’s going to do it? When do we start?

“If you’re going to be part of a group, especially one that deals with state and regional parks, nonprofits and the Coastal Conservancy, you need to leave your assumptions at the door and get things done,” said Retecki, 79, a resident of Sebastopol in Sonoma County, Calif.

These questions have guided Retecki and his partners to create a detailed official report on the natural resources of Sonoma County and an environmental database for the county’s planning and resource management.

Beyond this work, those questions have led him through a degree from Edinboro University in geography, a 13-month tour of Vietnam after he was drafted into the Army in 1968, a collection of published poetry chapbooks and a lifetime of volunteer service as a Little League baseball coach and youth mentor.

By Christopher LaFuria

“The first poem I ever wrote was at Edinboro when I was 19,” said Retecki, whose writing covers the gamut from nature to nostalgia. “But I seriously started writing while keeping a diary and writing poems in Vietnam. And it just became a regular habit.”

As a student at Edinboro, Retecki earned varsity letters as a football and basketball manager. He also performed with the trumpet trio The Three Jacks with classmates Harland Wiss and David Mason.

As a young soldier and deep-sea diver – his job in Vietnam was to organize troops coming and going from the states – and as a nationally recognized environmental planner, Retecki stayed focused not just on his own goals and missions, but also his method of collaborating and systematic resource management.

Following his service in Vietnam, Retecki and two Army buddies moved to the Bodega Bay region of Sonoma County in 1971 to operate a branch of Viking Marine Biological Supply. There, the group did construction work, including concrete finishing and basic carpentry.

Feeling the ennui from working labor jobs, Retecki nearly headed home to Vandergrift, Pa., when he learned that Sonoma County was recruiting folks with environmental backgrounds to help develop the Sonoma County General Plan – its first comprehensive land-use plan.

In March 1972, Retecki was hired to write climate and physiography reports as part of the natural resource inventory. The crew worked diligently to evaluate seven different county population levels during the next eight years to develop a general plan for the year 2000.

A 0.25% sales tax was passed to preserve agriculture and purchase future parkland and unique features. Yearly, $22 million to $25 million is collected for those purposes. Since 1990, protected lands in Sonoma County’s 1 million acres grew from 1.8% to nearly 20%. His work has protected nearly 30,000 acres in the county.

Fast-forward to 1990, when Retecki would work over the next five years as lead planner for the Russian River Public Access and Trespass Management Plan, which improved access to the estuary and river and added more than 600 acres of new river parks.

“The Access Plan was controversial and combative, but we did it, and the new parks are wonderful,” said Retecki, who continued to work with nearly 330,000 acres of public access land through his retirement in 2009. “We had a lot of money, and we knew we could get a lot of things done. And we did.”

In the early 2000s, Retecki then served as lead planner for the Bodega Bay Trails plan, working with public and nonprofit agencies to develop trails, increase safe public access and address public safety issues in and around the bay.

In 1995, while living in Oakland, Retecki was appointed by U.S. Rep. Barbara Lee (D-13) to the inaugural Board of Directors for the Martin Luther King Jr. Freedom Center in Oakland. The Center is dedicated to conflict resolution and educational programs for at-risk youths in the greater East Bay area. And in October 2021, Retecki received an Environmental Lifetime Achievement Award from the California State Senate.

“The accomplishments in Sonoma County have been very challenging but fulfilling work,” Retecki said. “I was surprised by the lifetime award, but I know I will keep my head down and

keep doing this for years and years.”

Throughout his arduous work in environmental advocacy, Retecki has also published seven chapbooks of poetry. In 1985, he was invited to participate in the “Poetry Outside the Mainstream” symposium at the University of California, Berkeley for professional and critical exposure.

And he found time to marry his wife, Sally, in 1984 and raise their son, Ted, in Oakland. Without Retecki knowing, Sally was the one who submitted his manuscript of poetry to UC Berkeley that was accepted.

Since retiring as a long-range environmental planner, Retecki still keeps active doing what he loves – writing, coaching baseball and celebrating humanity.

From 2012-2021, he partnered with his friend, Michael Gillotti, to build the Sebastopol Living Peace Wall, which honors those who have worked nonviolently for peace and justice.

Since 2017, he has written for the Sonoma County Gazette on environmental issues in efforts to save the coastline and coastal trails.

If there’s anything outside of environmental work that has become

top tier in Retecki’s legacy, it’s his nearly three decades of service as a Little League coach in Oakland and Sebastopol. It’s not uncommon for the Edinboro grad to walk around town and run into his former players, who stop and chat with their old coach.

“I love running into parents or kids that I coach and see how everyone has grown,” he said. “I enjoy being on the field and working with kids – it’s really a teaching experience that they appreciate.”

Coaching baseball, for Retecki, is more than just teaching how to hit, throw and catch. It’s also an opportunity to inspire the next generation of dedicated team players.

“By collectively evaluating the team and making improvements, we use baseball to help these kids to a better life,” he said. “And at the end of each season, they move on to the next level as players and human beings.”

EDINBORO ROTC CADET BECOMES THE FIRST FEMALE ARMY RANGER TO JOIN ENGINEER BATTALION

By Christopher LaFuria

In the throes of athletic competition or rappelling from a C-130 Hercules military aircraft, Army 2nd Lt. Halle Lienhart (’20) keeps the same mantra in focus.

“Exceed the standard,” she said. “If there are female and male standards, you always obviously want to exceed the female standard. But what I’ve always done is exceed the male standard – and the highest standard possible.”

Lienhart, who commissioned as an active-duty engineer officer with Edinboro University’s ROTC program, became the 91st woman in U.S. history to graduate from Army Ranger training. Additionally, she is the first female Ranger to graduate from the 37th Engineer Battalion, 82nd Airborne Division.

Despite taking a male-dominated career path – according to the U.S. Department of Defense, the Army is composed of 15% women – Lienhart never lost sight of her goals, despite oftentimes being the only woman in her military operations.

“People are starting to realize that if someone wants to work harder – no matter male or female –they’re going to do what they need to do to succeed,” said Lienhart, who graduated from Edinboro in 2020 with a degree in health and physical education with a teacher certification.

Following her graduation and commissioning, Lienhart shipped directly to Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri to complete engineer officer training for five months. Immediately after completing her training in January 2021, she headed to Fort Benning in Georgia for Army Airborne training until March 2021.

A few months later, Lienhart joined the 82nd Airborne for Small Unit Ranger Tactics (SURT) training, which is a precursor to the rigorous Ranger training. There she was certified for Ranger School, where the journey intensified.

In just the first week of Ranger training – called Ranger Assessment Phase (RAP) – officers like Lienhart encountered physical fitness and endurance tests, basic field skills assessments, land navigation and a 12mile ruck march where officers carry in excess of 50 pounds of backpacks, gear and water on their journey.

“That was a very long week,” Lienhart said. “I was beat but also relieved, because you need to be physically fit to advance to everything else.”

The next three phases of Ranger School, which Lienhart passed on the first try among the 80th percentile, include Darby, Mountain and Swamp phases. In the first phase, Ranger students learn ambush and recon missions and advance to platoon operations. Mountain phase involves building on platoon-level techniques and learning rappelling and rock-climbing skills on Mount Yonah in Georgia. Swamp phase finalizes Ranger training to ensure all students are proficient in skills and platoon operations.

“I had a very dedicated squad,” Lienhart said. “We were all very close. I was surrounded by some pretty motivated individuals.”

Following Ranger School graduation, Lienhart found her current position as a sapper platoon leader, who is trained in defensive and offensive infantry tasks, often supporting frontline combat infantry. She oversees a platoon of nearly 30 paratroopers in three different companies.

“Our role as combat engineers is to bridge any obstacle for the most part or clear any minefields or just giving the infantry the ability to walk freely, maneuver freely without any obstacles,” Lienhart explained.

Lienhart said that she developed her leadership skills during her two years of ROTC training at Edinboro, under the direction of battalion commander Lt. Col. Benjamin Kavanagh, who served in the post from July 2017 through July 2021. Lienhart was a member of the Ranger Challenge team – a competition of cadet physical and mental toughness – that competed at the national level at the U.S. Military Academy in West Point.

Kavanagh said that Lienhart was a cadet who never shied away from conflict and was always a voice for the voiceless cadets.

“She was a highly motivated cadet and didn’t let adversity get in the way,” Kavanagh said. “She was a natural leader, and she motivated all the cadets in the battalion to strive to be the best version of themselves.”

Since ROTC was conceived at

Edinboro in 1973, the program has commissioned more than 50 female Army officers, with 70% commissioning in the past 15 years.

Lt. Col. Colby Krug said that the Army has worked diligently to open more opportunities for women to serve in combat arms branches as well as leadership development opportunities.

“Given these opportunities, female officers coming out of Edinboro ROTC continue to push the envelope, and Halle Lienhart is the perfect example of that,” said Krug, who became Fighting Scots Battalion commander in June 2021. “This year, Edinboro ROTC is postured to commission more females than males for the first time in its history, and two of those females will serve in a Combat Arms branch as Field Artillery Officers.”

In addition to her service in ROTC, Lienhart competed in the heptathlon for Edinboro’s track and field team. The Randolph, N.Y., native advanced to the 2018 PSAC Outdoor Track & Field Championships, where she finished 12th while competing in the 800-meter run, javelin toss, long jump and shot put.

“I’ve always been super competitive, no matter what,” Lienhart said. “And I think it’s just how I grew up. I see it as a way to improve, if you’re competitive with yourself and your goals.”

Lienhart also found competition at home, often sharing the stage with four siblings – Kasey Duffy and Hope, Cameron and Hunter Lienhart.

“We were all pretty competitive in sports,” said Lienhart, who also credits the support from her parents, Michael and Kim Lienhart. “I think my competitive spirit started with them.”

Now as a platoon leader, Lienhart focuses on branching out into the community and being a more vocal leader for her paratroopers. She also hopes to develop communication skills to continue to advocate for women leaders.

“From what you see in a lot of leadership positions, females tend to get walked over a little bit more than a male in that same position,” she said. “I’m really trying to focus and grow in the way I communicate. Being strong in a leadership position helps people know that you know what you’re talking about.”

CLIMBING THELADDER

FROM FIRST-GENERATION STUDENT TO CHIEF ACADEMIC OFFICER. PROVOST MICHAEL HANNAN REFLECTS ON 34-YEAR CAREER AT EDINBORO

By Kristin Brockett

LEADERSHIP PROFILE

Some of life’s greatest journeys involve unexpected detours. It’s a lesson that Dr. Michael Hannan learned many times over on his path from firstgeneration college student to chief academic officer.

After high school, Hannan – a Pittsburgh native who knew little about choosing a career path and even less about the college-selection process – enrolled at the first of three undergraduate universities as a Spanish major. A few semesters later, a friend mentioned moving to Washington, D.C., to study international relations. The idea piqued his interest.

“That sounded like an option that would allow me to use my language skills and apply them in a way that led to a good job,” said Hannan, whose interest in Spanish was inspired by his own Hispanic heritage. “So, I ended up transferring. Ironically, he did not.”

Hannan studied in the nation’s capital for one semester, but the cost of tuition and room and board were more than his family could afford. He returned home for his junior year, enrolling at the University of Pittsburgh’s main campus as an economics major. There, he joined the Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity and met his wife, Laurie.

“Miraculously, I did finish my degree in four years and only lost one credit in all of the transferring around,” said Hannan, who graduated Magna Cum Laude with a B.A. in economics and concentrations in microeconomics and political studies in 1984.

He applied to West Virginia University’s Ph.D. program in mineral resource economics and was granted a graduate assistantship and tuition waiver. He spent four years in Morgantown studying regional economics and quantitative modeling.

Fresh out of grad school, Hannan explored several career options. He applied for multiple collegiate-level teaching positions, including one at Edinboro University, as well as

research positions in both the public and private sectors.

On the day of his interview at Edinboro, Hannan began the two-hour drive north on I-79 before mistakenly exiting the highway early in Meadville. Luckily, he soon found himself on a road that led directly to campus.

“I was always glad for that,” said Hannan. “The interview went well, and I got the job. That was my start here, and I never left.”

be a part of the whole process.”

Knowing firsthand the difficulties of entering academia as a first-generation student, Hannan was committed to making their transition easier.

“I have always believed in not shuffling students to someone else if they had a question. Instead, I tried to find the answer myself while staying in the room with them,” Hannan said. “When I started college, I knew almost nothing about how a university functioned or where to go for answers, and I didn’t want our students to have that same experience.”

Dr. Dale-Elizabeth Pehrsson, interim president of Edinboro, said she was immediately struck by Hannan’s loyalty, humility and dedication to students.

“Mike is a well-respected leader who has served students, colleagues and the broader campus community well during his long tenure. His impact will be felt long after he is gone. Edinboro is a much better place because he was here,” said Pehrsson, who is also president of Clarion University, interim president of California University and presidential lead of the Western integration project. The project will result in the consolidation of California, Clarion and Edinboro, effective July 1.

From his first days in Hendricks Hall as an assistant professor of economics and quantitative analysis, Hannan felt a special connection to his students, many of whom were also first-generation scholars from working-class families.

“I really enjoyed getting to know the students and working alongside excellent faculty and staff who were really committed to serving them,” he said. “This was an opportunity for students to change their lives, and it was exciting to

Hannan rose quickly through the tenure ranks at Edinboro and became assistant chairperson of the Business and Economics Department in 1993. Six years later, he was elected department chairperson, a position he held until 2007 when he was appointed associate dean of the School of Science, Management and Technology and later associate dean of business in the College of Arts and Sciences.

In those roles, he planned for initial accreditation by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business and worked with multiple departments across the university in curriculum and accreditation planning. But despite these and other advancements, Hannan had doubts in

his early days as an administrator.

“The best job on campus is being a faculty member and getting to work with students every single day,” he said. “When you assume an administrative role, you don’t really get to know the students nearly as well. I missed that.”

Hannan confided in Dr. Eric Randall, dean of the School of Science, Management and Technology at the time, about the possibility of returning to teaching.

“Eric told me that one-on-one interaction with students was one type of impact, but that if I would try to stay in a leadership role, I had the potential to impact even more students. And that’s what motivated me to stick it out,” he said. “I hope Eric was right and that the decisions I made did improve the experiences of even more students.”

Hannan was named founding dean of the School of Business in 2011. One year later, tragedy struck campus with the passing of then-provost Dr. Philip Ginnetti. Former University president Dr. Julie Wollman called on Hannan to serve as interim provost and vice president for Academic Affairs, a responsibility he graciously accepted. He was named to the position permanently in 2014 following a formal search process.

Four years later, the chancellor of Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education phoned him with an even bigger request. Edinboro needed an acting president. Unsurprisingly, Hannan again stepped up.

“I had never intended to be the president,” said Hannan, who served as acting and then interim president until 2019. “I was happy being provost, but I thought it was important because of my longevity and the relationships I had built over the years to step into that role temporarily.”

Amid rapid and unexpected change at Edinboro, Hannan provided much-needed stability in the Office of the President, while focusing on

recruitment, diversity, equity and inclusion, retention and community building. Dr. James Fisher, professor of politics and legal studies at Edinboro since 2000, took on the role of interim provost and vice president for academic affairs during that time.

Affairs and provost for Pennsylvania Western University.

“I have worked with Dean Miller for more than a decade, and I am very happy that he has accepted this critical leadership position for our new university,” Hannan said. “He examines multiple perspectives in making decisions and always considers what is in the best interest of our students.”

In retirement, Hannan is looking forward to volunteering in the community, spending time with family and enjoying the outdoors. He is thankful for the patience and support of his wife, Laurie, and children, Victoria and Matthew, over the years while working many evenings and weekends.

“I am highly confident that no one works, or has worked, harder than Mike at Edinboro,” Fisher said. “One of the many reasons I so enjoyed working with Mike – and one of the reasons I admire him so much – is that it became quite clear to me early on that he cared deeply for Edinboro and its stakeholders and invested pretty much zero ego in himself or his work.”

Since July 2021, Hannan has provided leadership in academic affairs consolidation planning and implementation for Western integration. He will retire in June after 34 years of service to the university.

“Mike has been a steadying force in the life of Edinboro University – and now PennWest – at a time when that quality was needed the most,” Fisher said. “He just has a way of lowering the temperature so that people can focus on solutions. This is how he proceeds with almost everything: Steady, careful forward movement, attention to detail, cautious optimism and a sense of humor.”

Dr. Scott E. Miller, dean of Edinboro’s School of Business since 2012 and its College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences since 2015, was selected as senior vice president of Academic

“In the early years, I thought that I would always be a faculty member in the classroom, and I never aspired to be anything beyond that. But circumstances led to people asking me to move into different positions,” Hannan said. “I made a commitment here, and I was in it for the long haul.”

“The best job on campus is being a faculty member and getting to work with students every single day.”

VOICE AT DISNEY

ONE OF NINE SELECTED, ALEX HO — ARMY NATIONAL GUARDSMAN AND SON OF SINGAPOREAN IMMIGRANTS — HOPES TO BE OFFERED A JOB WITH 20TH TELEVISION AFTER THE TWO-YEAR EXECUTIVE INCUBATOR PROGRAM

By Stacey Federoff

After a five-month process and five intense rounds of interviews, Alex Ho knew an important call in December would determine if he earned a place as one of nine participants chosen by The Walt Disney Company for its Executive Incubator Program with Walt Disney Television.

To burn off energy, Ho (‘19) was running on the treadmill when the phone rang.

“I’m out of breath already, and then I get a call from their senior recruiters like, ‘Hey, we have fantastic news: We want to offer you this position.’” His first reaction?

“I wanted to throw up,” he said. Instead, he prayed, feeling intense gratitude for the opportunity. “So many months of hard work and investment that went into this and all the people who supported me — it was a huge relief.”

The program that Disney began in 2019 is meant to create opportunities for individuals with diverse backgrounds and varied perspectives.

Ho, of Adamsville, Pa., will rotate across different Disney networks, gaining experience in development, casting, production and marketing. The two-year apprentice-style program will conclude with a “deep dive” at 20th Television with a goal of job placement there.

“You’re here to contribute, you’re here to make this place better,” he reminds himself. “This place has selected you for a very specific reason because they want you to come as who you are.”

In 2005, Ho’s parents immigrated to the United States from Singapore when he was 9 years old. In his application video for the Disney program, Ho described how his earliest memories of American culture came from media — first as entertainment, then as a source of inspiration: “Every frame would soon lend

itself to molding me as a storyteller.”

A member of the Army National Guard since 2013, Ho said he cultivated his leadership skills while giving back to this country, which has given his family so much.

After transferring to Edinboro as a sophomore, he earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts-Applied Media Arts with a concentration in cinema. Since graduation, he has worked at National Geographic, first for one and a half years as an assistant editor, then for 10 months as a production assistant.

said. “People like Alex are linchpins.”

Ho said the university allowed him to connect with classmates who are just as passionate as he is about filmmaking and storytelling.

“I’m so grateful Edinboro gave me the group of students who I graduated with,” he said. “We were hungry to get into the (film) industry, trying to make a name for ourselves.”

Being chosen for this prestigious program with Disney has allowed him to look inward and consider what he can achieve.

“The better you know yourself, the better you’re going to know where you want to be,” Ho said.

Students or alumni looking to take a big leap in their careers should consider three things.

“The first thing is to be a sincere and genuine person who cares about people,” he said. “Secondly, be passionate about what you do, whatever it is. And lastly, be bold — find innovative ways to get in front of people and get your resume in front of (them),” he said.

With the help of R. Frank Media, he shot his application video on Edinboro’s campus, where in exchange, students from one class sat in on the production, then Ho spoke to another class led by Brian Fuller, assistant professor of digital filmmaking.

“It’s great whenever I hear about the success of any student, but whenever I hear about the success of a student who wants to see other students succeed, then we’re building a network of alumni coattails for others to follow,” Fuller

Sitting in on a meeting about a TV adaptation of the graphic novel “American Born Chinese” with actress Michelle Yeoh and director Destin Cretton of “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings,” Ho said he already experienced the program working to bring voices like his to the forefront.

“The really profound thing was that just past the faces on Zoom, I was seeing people who look like me — Asian Americans — behind the scenes doing what they could to make their mark in Hollywood and make it more inclusive and representative of my culture and my people,” he said. “I realized I’m in a place where I belong.”

A team of Edinboro University animation students finished in the global top five in the competitive national 24 HOURS Animation contest, hosted by world-renowned professional animation specialists.

Leah DeJohn, Abigail Frisch, Beau Henry, TK Kratz and Luke Shay, known as The Miraculous 112 – which created “The New Normal” from the official prompt – finished their submission in a record-breaking time of 12 hours, which was No. 1 in the entire U.S. The team placed fourth overall out of 208 teams that participated in the 19th year of the contest.

Edinboro University sent six teams to the annual competition for 2021.

“They all did great work, and we are very proud of all of them,” said Brad Pattullo, professor of art, animation and filmmaking at Edinboro. “We are blown away by the winning team’s accomplishment. These students are at the top of their

class and are very talented, motivated and hardworking. They have a bright future ahead of them.”

The 24 HOURS Animation Contest, which was originally created to help animation students work collectively with accurate speed, meet deadlines and make creative decisions under pressure, now features more than 1,500 students from 71 schools and 11 countries.

“The Bidoofers,” a film from Fundação Armando Alvares Penteado in Brazil, took the top spot in the contest with 256 points. “InkPink” from Belas Artes University in Brazil finished second with 240 points. Seneca College in Toronto finished third with “Big Jug Juggalos,” while Capilano University in Vancouver rounded out the top five with “Prumboltar” and 233 points.

Teams of five animation students competed for 24 hours – between Oct. 15-16 – to design, animate and publish their

EDINBORO STUDENTS EARN FOURTH PLACE IN GLOBAL ANIMATION CONTEST

By Christopher LaFuria

30-second video. Prizes were awarded to the top seven winning teams by a panel of industry professionals, including Alison Mann, co-president of Fourth Wall Animation; Ira Owens, cinematographer for Sucker Punch Productions; Alan Huynh, director/story artist for Netflix; Grace Babineau, background painter/color designer for Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network; Angela Abeyti, character/prop designer for Nickelodeon; Nathan Palm, artist/character designer for DreamWorks; and Ryan Stapleton, storyboard artist for 20th Century Fox Animation.

As a result of their finish, the Edinboro team earned a prize valued at $12,470, which includes $1,000 cash ($200 to each student), five premium passes to the CTN Animation Expo in California – one of the largest animation conventions in the U.S., five masterclass seats with Disney animator John Pomeroy, a one-hour session with Walt Disney Animation

Recruitment and Talent Development, and prizes from Toon Boom, Sony Pictures, Animation Magazine and DreamWorks.

The annual contest is free to participants and is funded by industry sponsorships. Past sponsors have included Bento Box, Toon Boom, Animation Magazine, Stuart NG Books, Netflix Animation, DreamWorks, Nickelodeon, Disney, Pixar, Sony Pictures Animation and others.

“Although this contest sounds crazy — it is a rapid speed lesson in animation production,” said Aubry Mintz, festival organizer and animation professor at Chapman University. “The top films are as good as completed student films that take over a year to produce. It’s a chance to set personal goals and work outside of a classroom structure.”

CLASS OF 2022

Edinboro celebrated the academic achievements of spring 2022 graduates during undergraduate and graduate ceremonies on Saturday, May 7.

CONGRATULATIONS, FIGHTING SCOTS!

#UNITEDBYIX

FIGHTING SCOT WOMEN HAVE RACKED UP HONORS AND SET RECORDS SINCE LANDMARK 1972 LAW

By Craig Butler

These 37 words, signed into law on June 23, 1972, expanded opportunities in college athletics and higher education.

The landmark legislation created academic and athletic opportunities for women and girls at all educational levels, including thousands of Edinboro alumni.

Edinboro was ahead of the curve, instating women’s basketball as a varsity sport in 1966-67, joined by cross country in 1969 and volleyball in 1971, all predating the Title IX legislation. Later, the Fighting Scots added lacrosse, soccer, softball, swimming, track and field, and tennis.

Since the introduction of women’s varsity sports at Edinboro, 128 female athletes have earned All-American honors, including numerous all-conference and all-region accolades.

Female Fighting Scots had another successful season in 2021-22, both on the field of competition and in the classroom.

After the fall semester, the all-female athlete cumulative GPA was 3.20. Seven women’s teams posted an overall cumulative GPA over 3.0, led by a 3.61 from women’s volleyball. There were 120 women student-athletes who earned Edinboro Scholar-Athlete honors.

In competition, the Fighting Scots have also been extremely successful, with the spring season still to come.

The women’s cross-country team continued their dominance, winning their third straight Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Championship. They also won their third consecutive Atlantic Regional Title, advancing to the NCAA Championships in Florida. Four Scots were named First-Team All-Conference: Anna Alberti, Sheilah Cheruiyot, Kimberly Goerss and Kate Szep.

Women’s soccer qualified for the PSAC postseason for the second consecutive season. Two players, Jenna Derbis and Cameron Bujnowski, were named Second-Team All-PSAC West.

Women’s volleyball enjoyed their first 20-win season since 2017. They claimed a share of the PSAC West regular season title with a 21-6 overall record. The Scots qualified for the NCAA Atlantic Region and advanced to the semifinals. Bella Burrelli and Alicia Eldredge were named first-team All-PSAC West and first-team All-Region by the AVCA. Missy Soboleski was the PSAC West and AVCA Atlantic Region Coach of the Year.

The success continued into the winter season. Women’s basketball reached the PSAC quarterfinals after winning their opening round matchup with IUP. Rana Elhusseini was selected to the PSAC West First Team. The team also unveiled the retired jersey of the program’s all-time leading scorer, Michaela Barnes.

The 2020-21 season was a historic one for the women’s indoor track team. Hosting the PSAC Championship meet on Feb. 26 and 27, the Fighting Scots claimed their first conference championship, outpacing second-place Slippery Rock by 20 points.

Six Scots were named All-Region by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association: Kylie Anicic, Kimberly Goerss, Lauren Jacobs, Abby Piert, Anna Alberti and Jayna Galley. Anicic claimed three individual PSAC Championships and was part of the Edinboro distance medley relay team that also claimed the conference title. She qualified for the NCAA National Championships in the 5K and placed 11th to earn second-team All-American honors. Head coach Anne Cleary was named PSAC Coach of the Year.

Edinboro has launched the #UnitedbyIX campaign to continue to grow and support women’s athletics. The yearlong celebration will run through December 2022. More information on the #UnitedbyIX campaign can be found at edinboro.edu/ about/support/title-ix-celebration.php

“No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subject to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving federal financial assistance.”

STELLAR ATHLETE HEART

RANA ELHUSSEINI SHINES ON THE COURT AND IN THE CLASSROOM.

ABOVE ALL, SHE CARES FOR OTHERS.

By Craig Butler

“Aside from her basketball abilities, her best attribute to our team is how much she cares for people. She has gone above and beyond to make sure people within the community and on our team are cared for. That is a real rarity to see. I am beyond grateful that she is a very special part of our Fighting Scot family.”

That’s how head coach Callie Wheeler characterized her accomplished third-year guard, Rana Elhusseini, a player who has distinguished herself on the court, in the classroom and perhaps most notably in community service.

Elhusseini set her sights on a college basketball scholarship early in her high school career in Dearborn, Mich. Through perseverance and hard work, Elhusseini worked her way into the top 100 girls’ basketball players in the state of Michigan. She set the Fordson High School record for points with 1,603 as well as records for freethrow percentage and assists.

It was only a matter of time before Elhusseini was being recruited by Division I and II schools.

“I was getting recruited by Wayne State and Oakland at the Division I level,” Elhusseini said “Oakland had over-recruited guards in the class of 2019, but their assistant coach at the time, Andrea Williams, saw an opportunity to help me.”

Williams, an Edinboro alum, put Elhusseini in touch with Coach Wheeler and, after a visit and meeting the team, it was obvious this was the right fit.

From the start, Elhusseini established herself as a leader at Edinboro, not just on the court, but off it as well. She has been an exemplary student with a 3.67 GPA as an exercise science major, earning Edinboro and PSAC Scholar-Athlete honors all three years on campus.

Elhusseini was named First-Team All-PSAC West this season after being the PSAC West Freshman of the Year in 2019-20. She was also the Scots leading scorer, averaging 12.5 points, 4.1 assists and 4.0 rebounds per game.

Even with all that she has accomplished on the court, she has continued to look for ways to make an impact both at Edinboro and back home in Michigan.

At Edinboro, Elhusseini spearheaded a food drive during the COVID-19 shutdown that yielded over 1,000 pounds of food. She has volunteered as a counselor at the Edinboro Girls’ Basketball Camp and it continued a drive to host her own camp in her hometown.

“In high school, my coach hosted a camp my junior year, and it had a great turnout. I was really moved by the girls that I saw and the potential that was there,” Elhusseini said. “I made it an emphasis that as soon as I had the opportunity to host a camp, I would.”

With the approval of the NCAA’s Name, Image and Likeness Policy, that opportunity presented itself sooner than expected.

“I started planning a camp at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, but it was not approved,” she said. “So, I had to wait another year for things to get better.”

In July of 2021, Elhusseini hosted her first girls’ basketball camp. In running the camp, she chose to fundraise for her community rather than compensate herself.

“When I decided to fundraise for the community, I had to sit down and really evaluate my community. I knew that there would be families who could afford the camp and those who could not. I really wanted this camp to mean something beyond the dollar bill,” she said.

Elhusseini looks at the opportunity to make an impact beyond donating money toward T-shirts, camp tuition and the game of basketball.

“I never had a female athlete in my life who guided me or inspired me growing up. I never had anyone to tell me that I could play college basketball. SHE (female athlete role model) was never in my vision where when I struggled, I could look and say because SHE did, I COULD,” Elhusseini said. “I want them to know that if a little Arab-American Muslim girl could make it, then they can, too. It is a lot bigger than the game of basketball.”

For all her efforts, Elhusseini was honored with the Dr. Joseph Laythe Award for her leadership and commitment to fostering a respectful campus environment.

“My journey here just opened my eyes up to the fact that I not only am able to inspire the young Arab-American girls back home but also the small community of girls here,” she said. “I always thought that my ethnicity and religion is what made me relatable to the girls, but I now realize that it’s my heart − not only for the game, but for other people.”

ALUMNI IN THE NEWS

1960s

1964 | James D. Porterfield, director of the Center for Railway Tourism at Davis & Elkins College as well as the American Society of Railroad Artists, was the final guest speaker for the Oakland B&O Museum’s Summer Speaker Series. His lecture explored the work of American railroad police and noteworthy railroad crimes before the FBI was created in 1935. Porterfield is the author of 11 books, a contributing editor for Railfan & Railroad Magazine and a former marketing professor at Penn State University. He resides in Elkins, W.Va.

1970s

1970 | Anthony “Tony” J. Machi, an award-winning writer, producer and director, will release his autobiography, “We All Look but Rarely See: My Time and Space as a Performance Artist (1968-1974),” in summer 2022. Part memoir and part art history, the book is being published in partnership with the Erie Art Museum.

1974 | Dr. Michael J. Weaver was awarded the 2021 Distinguished Achievement Award in Extension from the Entomological Society of America. Weaver is a professor emeritus of the Entomology Department in the Virginia Tech College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. Prior to retirement, Weaver was director of the Virginia Tech Pesticide Programs, editorin-chief of the Journal of Pesticide Safety Education and president of

Edinboro classmates from the 1960s gathered at the Meadville Country Club in July to memorialize Frank Coppola, ’66, who passed away in February 2021. Pictured from left: Dave Shenefelt, ’66; Dennis Ewing, ’67; Bob Oglevee, ’65; Richard Wukich, ’65; Moses Zabec, ’66; Greg Bitsko, ’66; Paul Perowicz, ’67; Dan Ditullio, ’70; Rich Posati, ’64; Dave Korenich, ’66; Mike Chriest, ’66; and Joe DiFiore, ’65.

1966, M 1968 | Donald G. Kaufman and Michael Burgett, M ’68, published a new book, “The Monkey Brothers Adventures in Thailand,” on Sept. 9. The book tells the story of two college friends, now acclaimed scientists, and their adventures together in the Land of Smiles.

23 Alumni of Sigma Tau Gamma gathered for a reunion on Edinboro’s campus in July. Pictured from left: Paul Davis, Jim Head, Greg Follador, Steve Hindman, Kevin Kantz, Joe Grasinger, Bill Waros, Rick Gleichsner, Dave Kramer, Bill Stafford, Dan Swanson, Paul Walker, Russ Ridenbaugh, Don Bader, Kevin Cope, Jim Pelich, Tim Gugino, Jim Piekanski, Jeff Lemley, Keith Klinger, Gary Johns, Terry Serena and Rob Lowther.

1974, M 1980 | Charles E. Lute, retired Edinboro and Northwest Pennsylvania Collegiate Academy band director, marched and played a snare drum in the 2022 Rose Parade as part of the Saluting America’s Band Directors project.

the American Association of Pesticide Safety Educators. His team created Virginia Tech’s annual Hokie BugFest and Hokie BugCamp, both designed to educate the public in pesticide safety, integrated pest management and youth science outreach.

1975 | Kathy L. Pape, Esq., was named co-chair for the new environmental, workplace safety and utilities practice at Saxton & Stump. Pape has decades of experience in utilities after holding a variety of roles at major water companies, including head of the mid-Atlantic region of American Water. She is a practicing attorney, registered lobbyist and recently was elected equity shareholder of Saxton & Stump. Pape also serves on Edinboro’s Council of Trustees.

Kathy L. Pape, Esq.

Charles E. Lute

1975 | Michael A. DeMarco utilized his studies in philosophy to author two books: “Mundunur: A Mountain Village Under the Spell of South Italy,” which was published in English and Italian, and a recent fictional work, “Martial Art Essays from Beijing, 1760.” Founder of Via Media Publishing, DeMarco lives in Santa Fe, N.M., and teaches tai chi.

1976 | William “Bill” Rothenbach, SPHR, was honored with a Distinguished Alumni Award for business excellence from the North Allegheny Foundation in January. A 1972 graduate of North Allegheny High School in Wexford, Pa., Rothenbach is president of Harbor Lights Human Resources Consulting, LLC, where he utilizes decades of senior-level human resources experience to coach fellow business leaders on solutions-focused talent management. Rothenbach was awarded a 2020 Distinguished Alumni Award from Edinboro University in recognition of his professional success and contributions to its students and mission. He serves on the advisory board for the College of Science and Health Professions.

1976 | Joanne H. Hamlin-Smith, Ph.D., was honored by the Texas State University System Board of Regents in recognition of more than 28 years of leadership at Texas State University. Smith retired in May 2020 as vice president for student affairs.

1977 | Raymond “Buck” C. Snodgrass was inducted into the General McLane School District Hall of Fame in August 2021. Snodgrass was a teacher and coach at the school from 1980-2012 and helped create the Hall of Fame. He has been the regular public address announcer for GM’s football and basketball games since 1991.

M 1978 | Doris R. Foster is one of the founding board members for Women’s Services of Crawford County, Pa. Established as an independent organization in 1977, the group initially worked with an Edinboro sociology class to survey local women about what emergency services were needed in the area. The nonprofit has grown to

offer shelter, counseling, advocacy, education and community gardens. At age 84, Foster is the only founding member still serving on the board.

1978 | Dr. Barbara Burgess-Wilkerson was awarded the 2021 James Pinckney Kinard and Lee Wicker Kinard Award for Excellence in Teaching at Winthrop University in Rock Hill, S.C., where she is a professor of management and director of student professional development. Burgess-Wilkerson was named a 201617 Thompson Scholar for developing the Wilkerson Emotional Intelligence Test for Academics and Careers and her ongoing work to help students identify strengths and weaknesses as they prepare for professional careers. She also helped found the College of Business Administration’s Clothes Closet, which provides students with gently used professional clothing donated by faculty and staff members.

1980s

1981 | Dr. Phillis I. Sheppard was named director of the James Lawson Institute for the Research and Study of Nonviolent Movements at Vanderbilt University. Sheppard, who is E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter associate professor of religion, psychology and culture at Vanderbilt Divinity School, is regarded for her contributions to practical theology, psychology and religion, womanist methodology, cultural studies, pastoral theology and spiritual practices. In 2021, she published her most recent book, “Tilling Sacred Ground: Interiority, Black Women, and Religious Experience.”

1981 | Terrence K. Cloonan, a former Army major (Chemical Corps-RA), retired in January 2020 as lead physical scientist for the National Institute for Occupational Science and Health (NIOSH) in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Cloonan, who devoted 33 years of service to the government, was an essential federal scientist attached to the New York City Department of Health in the Red Zone of the Trade Center 9/11 terrorist attacks. He was instrumental in assisting the governor’s emergency management

agency and developing the mayor’s citywide public health promulgations. At the Army’s Edgewood ChemicalBiological Center, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md., Cloonan served as a federal scientist liaison. He was part of a nine-person team that led the nation in developing and implementing novel chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear respirator technical performance standards in accordance with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Since retirement, Cloonan continues to assist emergency responders and other parties in developing personal protective equipment and public health protocols. He and his wife of over 32 years live in Pennsylvania. They have two grown children.

1981, 1983 | Frank (Fred) Parker and Anita Parker, ’83 and ’84, celebrated the 35th anniversary of Parker’s Framing Gallery in late 2021. The business, situated on Erie Street in Edinboro, started in a spare room in the couple’s rental house in 1986. Now it provides framing and high-quality customer service for Edinboro University and many area businesses.

1981 | Cindy M. Stahlman retired in December from her role as supervisor of the Centre Region Active Adult Center in State College, Pa., where she worked for eight years. Stahlman plans to go on an African safari to celebrate her retirement.

M 1982 | Malen G. Luke was inducted to the Clarion University Sports Hall of Fame. As head football coach from 1994-2005, Luke led the Golden Eagles to the NCAA semifinals in 1996 and was voted NCAA Division II Region 1 and PSAC-West Coach of the Year. He now coaches at Washburn University with his son, Brock.

1983 | Scott R. Jewell was promoted to captain in the Frederick County Sheriff’s Office, effective May 8, 2022. Jewell, who has been a police officer since 1984, will assume the role of FCSO administrative services commander, an executive-level position.

William “Bill” Rothenbach, SPHR

Michael A. DeMarco

Dr. Phillis I. Sheppard

The Parkers

Malen G. Luke

Terrence K. Cloonan

1984, M 1986 | Dr. James K. Matta, Sr., director of the Master of Arts and Counseling program at Geneva College, received the Pennsylvania Counseling Association Lifetime Achievement Award at the PCA annual conference in November. Matta was an academic researcher for the Pittsburgh Adolescent Alcohol Research Center for 30 years. He previously served as chair of the Pennsylvania State Board of Social Workers, Marriage and Family Therapists and Professional Counselors and as president of the American Association of State Counseling Boards.

1990s

1990 | Kristopher R. Karr was promoted to director of manufacturing for Cutco Cutlery Corp. His first experience at Cutco was as a participant in its student summer program in 1988. Since returning to Cutco as a shear operator in 1996, Karr has held several leadership roles within the company. He resides in Shinglehouse, Pa., with his wife, Denise, and two sons.

1993 | Dr. Michael Sean Funk is clinical associate professor and program director of the Higher and Postsecondary Education program at New York University’s Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development. Funk, whose scholarship focuses on diversity, equity and inclusion, is also a Steinhardt Knowledge Partner, working with faculty to create inclusive classroom settings. In addition to NYU, he has two decades of experience in various higher-education capacities, including Academic Affairs, Student Affairs, Academic Advising Services and Residence life.

boards of the Asian Pacific American Legal Resource Center and Public Finance by Women and was a founding member of the Greater Washington Chapter of Ascend, the largest nonprofit pan-Asian organization for business professionals in North America. She resides in Washington, D.C.

1994 | Mark J. Fleming, director of athletic communications at Moravian College for 25 years, was inducted into the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) Hall of Fame. A tireless contributor to the profession and an award-winning writer, Fleming has been communications director for the DIII Sports Information Directors Board since its inception in 2009, and he has served CoSIDA in several leadership capacities.

1986 | Billy K. Cimino teamed up with three fellow armed forces veterans to take on the Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge. Cimino’s team, FOAR FROM HOME, rowed more than 3,000 miles from San Sebastian in La Gomera, Canary Islands, Spain to Nelson’s Dockyard, English Harbour, Antigua and Barbuda in 51 days, 11 hours and 41 minutes. Sponsorships for each mile rowed will support North Florida organizations that assist veterans and their families who are struggling with cognitive mental health issues. The team has raised more than $800,000.

1988 | Laura A. Woolslayer was appointed vice president of Sales for Diamond Hospitality Services, LLC in Erie, Pa. Woolslayer, who was previously director of Sales for Hilton Garden Inn, is also a morning show personality at country music radio station WXTA. She serves on the board of directors for Auto Racers for Kids and volunteers with the Cleveland Clinic 4th Angel Mentoring Program.

M 1993 | Brien P. Jones-Lantzy recently joined Aculab as director of Strategy and Growth in the Americas. JonesLantzy has more than 20 years of experience in the telecommunications industry and specializes in wireless technology. He has provided expert advice to Congress members who are developing legislation around emerging technologies.

1993 | Christina Ho, CPA, was appointed to the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Her previous roles include vice president of government analytics and innovation at Elder Research, deputy assistant secretary for financial transparency and accounting policy at the U.S. Department of the Treasury, controller and interim chief financial officer for the University of Maryland College Park, and senior manager at Deloitte & Touche, LLP, among others. Passionate about advancing equality, Ho served on the

1994 | Allen W. Clark achieved his Certified Emergency Manager designation from the International Association of Emergency Managers. This achievement places him at the highest level of preparedness and ethical fitness for saving lives and protecting property during emergencies and disasters. Clark has worked in emergency management for Crawford County, Pa., for 23 years. He resides in Conneautville, Pa., with his wife, Ginger, and daughter, Abby.

1994 | Dr. Kerith M. Bowman was appointed founding dean of Student support, student success, and enrollment management at Erie County Community College. Previously, she was dean of student success at Northern Virginia Community College. Bowman holds an Ed.D. from North Carolina State.

1994 | Dawn (Lohmeyer) McArdle is a technical account specialist at Autodesk, supporting North American automotive design customers who use software with which she has more than 20 years of experience. She has used Autodesk products to create visualizations such as press release images, international auto show animations and virtual reality experiences for companies including GM, Ford, Stellantis, Google/Waymo, BMW Designworks, VW/Audi, Zoox and Rivian. She resides in Farmington Hills, Mich.

Kristopher R. Karr

Dr. Michael Sean Funk

Christina Ho, CPA, Allen W. Clark

Dawn (Lohmeyer) McArdle

1994 | Richard C. Shimpeno was head coach for Team USA’s Halfpipe Pro Team at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games, marking his second Olympics as a member of the U.S. Ski & Snowboard coaching staff. An Edinboro native, Shimpeno first hit the slopes at Mount Pleasant of Edinboro with his late father, George, who taught health and physical education at Edinboro for 34 years.

1994 | Col. Cody L. Zilhaver retired in March after 27 years of active-duty service in the Army. Following his commissioning from the Edinboro Army ROTC program in 1994, he served as a finance officer at numerous duty stations in the U.S. and Germany. He participated in multiple deployments to the Middle East, including a combat deployment to Iraq. His final assignment was as brigade commander at Fort Knox, Ky., where he was responsible for the Army ROTC programs at all 10 U.S. military colleges. Currently residing near Columbia, S.C., Zilhaver is pursuing a career in higher education.

1995, M 2012, M 2015 | Victoria A. Estok and her husband, Robert, opened the Edinboro-based Rowdy’s Ice Cream and Hot Dogs in May. The ice cream stand, along with a heated storage business and a card-making studio called Making Moments and Memories, is located in the old Cloverleaf Motel, which is owned by the Estoks.

1996 | Lou V. Zadecky was named director of athletics at Carlow University in Pittsburgh. Zadecky has 25 years of teaching and coaching experience from previous positions as director of athletics at Penn State Fayette and women’s basketball coach at Penn State Greater Allegheny. He earned his Master of Science in sports management at California University of Pa.

1996 | Dr. Donald E. Larmon received the Didactic Instructor of the Year Award from the American Association of Nurse Anesthesiology during the annual AANA Virtual Congress in August. Larmon is the program director at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Hamot School of Anesthesiology/Gannon University. He holds a Doctor of Nursing Practice from Gannon University.

M 1996 | Desiree M. Weppner was promoted to human resources manager at Level Financial Advisors in December. Before joining Level, she served as a school counselor at St. Gregory the Great Catholic School. She is board vice president for the Character Council of Western New York and the director of the Champions for CHANGE Youth Leadership Conference. Weppner resides with her family in Williamsville, N.Y.

1997 | Patrick J. Donahue is a European government editor for Bloomberg News. Donahue, who resides in Berlin, has been covering German politics and government for Bloomberg since 2010.

1998 | Dale E. Mills became the first female athletic director for the Erie School District in November. An Erie, Pa., native, Mills has worked in the Erie School District since she was hired as a physical education teacher at East Middle School. She has coached track and field and serves as the executive director for the Erie Youth Soccer Association.

1998 | Cory J. Bonnet, a Pittsburghbased oil painter and preservationist, teamed up with Chip Barletto, a scrap metal dealer in New Castle, Pa., to preserve and display handcrafted wooden steelmaking patterns, blueprints and other artifacts from the former Youngstown Sheet and Tube Brier Hill Works steel mill. Bonnet showcased the collection, which was found in a barn in Ohio, in a one-night art show, “The Patterns of Meaning,” at Pittsburgh’s Energy Innovation Center in October. Bonnet paints contemporary nostalgic scenes of Pittsburgh and the surrounding area using salvaged and reclaimed materials.

2000s

2000 | Allison Lacher was appointed director of the Visual Arts Gallery at the University of Illinois Springfield. Lacher, a contemporary artist, was a recipient of the 2020 Illinois Arts Council Fellowship, a competitive $15,000 award that recognizes exceptional artists who have created a substantial body of

work throughout their career. Later this spring, she will be an artist-in-residence with the Ellis-Beauregard Foundation in Rockland, Maine.

2001 | Scott E. Kennedy was appointed national sales manager at Ligman Lighting USA. He will manage all sales and marketing activity in both the U.S. and Canadian markets. Kennedy relocated from Pennsylvania to Oregon to assume the role.

2002 | Kristy A. Dubinsky utilized her artistic talents to honor the 13 U.S. service members killed in the Aug. 26 airport bombing in Kabul, Afghanistan. Dubinsky, an art teacher at Elizabeth Forward High School in Elizabeth, Pa., painted each of the fallen heroes on a separate canvas for the ArtPrize2021 show in Grand Rapids, Mich. She completed one portrait a day for 13 consecutive days and was recognized by the Pennsylvania House of Representatives for her work.

M 2003 | Aaron M. Calvert exhibited ceramic work in the show “Gone to Seed” at the Historic Arkansas Museum in Little Rock, Ark. Part of his “Brain Rattle Series,” Calvert’s colorful ceramic creatures are covered with patterns, figures, codes and phrases. He teaches art at Henderson State University and lives in Russellville, Ark., with his wife, Summer Bruch, ’02, head of the art department at Arkansas Tech University, and their two daughters.

2003 | James R. Whitner opened two beSOCIAL community centers in Pittsburgh in July. Whitner, a Pittsburgh native who lives in Charlotte, N.C., owns The Whitaker Group, an award-winning retail group that operates 23 stores in 16 cities. The company’s nonprofit arm, the Whitaker Charitable Project, runs beSocial and similar community centers in connection with their retail locations. The stores provide spaces for community members to eat, learn and socialize.

2003 | Chad T. Cammisa, a probation officer in Butler, Pa., saved a life while off duty by stopping an unprovoked stabbing. The victim was wounded but was treated and released.

Dr. Donald E. Larmon

2003 | Carla M. Higgins was promoted to senior vice president of client experience at CNB Bank. Higgins, who serves on Edinboro University’s School of Business Advisory Board, has held various positions at CNB Bank since July 2006.

2004 | Sybil L. Drew released a documentary film, “Prime Farmland,” which was picked up and distributed by Amazon, FOX, Comcast and the U.S. public library system. She is working on her third full-length documentary film, “Clean Water,” due for release in 2024.

1990, M 2005 | Gregory J. Lehman will become superintendent of Northwestern School District in Erie County, Pa., on July 1. Lehman began his career with the district as a longterm substitute in the early ‘90s and was hired full time as a social studies teacher at Northwestern Senior High School. He has been an administrator in the district since 2005, most recently serving as principal of Northwestern Middle School.

2005 | Laurel R. Miller will retire as a major from the Army after 20 years of active-duty service on June 1.

2003, M 2005 | Allison A. Bressler Grove was inducted into the YWCA Northcentral Pennsylvania’s Women of Excellence program in November. Grove works as the director of student engagement at Pennsylvania College of Technology. She is serving a two-year term as president of the Junior League of Williamsport and is a member of Williamsport Young Professionals.

2005 | Todd T. Stiffler painted a mural titled “Passage of Time” on the tin vestibule ceiling at the Casimir Cultural Center in Johnstown, Pa. Stiffler has created other artwork at religious locations in the area, including Celtic designs at Brigid’s Cross religious store, a garden environment for a Virgin Mary statue at Immaculate Conception Church and a mural of St. Anthony of Padua that resembles stained glass. He also designed the mural that was painted on Johnstown’s public works building.

2003, M 2006 | Jennifer M. (Butler) Williams was recently promoted to assistant dean of general education for the online division of Unitek Learning, which includes Eagle Gate Colleges, Provo Colleges, Unitek Colleges and Brookline Colleges.

2004, M 2006 | Dr. Kristen E. Love joined the faculty of the Warner School of Education at the University of Rochester, where she directs the childhood, early childhood and inclusion programs. Previously, she served at Rush Henrietta Central Schools, St. John Fisher College and Monroe Community College. Her research focuses on postsecondary education for students with intellectual disabilities, equity and social justice, and family and community partnerships. Her Ph.D. is from the University of Rochester.

2006 | Audrey D. Mackie was elected to the Board of Supervisors for the Township of Pine, Pa. She is the third woman to hold the position and the first woman in nearly 30 years to be seated on the board. Experienced in politics and executive-level administration, Mackie serves as operations manager for Daquelente Paving in Pittsburgh.

2006 | Daren W. Tielsch was appointed head coach of women’s basketball at Carlynton High School near Montour, Pa. Tielsch ranks 11th on the all-time career scoring list for the Fighting Scots. In 2018, he was inducted into the Edinboro Athletics Hall of Fame alongside his wife, Kelly CalderoneTielsch, ’08, a standout women’s basketball player.

2006 | Robert A. Multari is launching a new comic book series, Snow Paw, a spin-off origin story of his existing Night Wolf comic series. Set in the 19th century Scottish Highlands, Snow Paw focuses on a strong female character and is illustrated by Mog Park, acclaimed illustrator for HBO’s “Game of Thrones.”

M 2007 | Dr. Brandon M. Maines completed his doctorate in special education from Slippery Rock University in December. Maines is the supervisor of special education for Riverview Intermediate Unit 6.

2007 | Gregory H. Benninger won the 2021 PAC Packaging Consortium Global Award for brand marketing. His designs for Lemonati Family Farms blend a historical apothecary look with modern counterculture.

2000, M 2008 | Roddy E. Hartle became principal of Redbank Valley High School in New Bethlehem, Pa. He served as the school’s art teacher since 2001 and the district’s athletic director since 2015.

2008 | Justin M. Correll was named Northeastern Pennsylvania Influencer of the Year at the Greater Wyoming Valley Chamber of Commerce’s 2021 Young Professionals Awards. Correll, who is mayor of Laurel Run Borough and principal of Solomon-Plains Elementary School in the Wilkes-Barre Area School District, was honored for his commitment to the field of education, advocacy work and service to the community. He co-founded the NEPA Pride Project and co-created the NEPA Pride Scholarship Program to support local high school seniors who are majoring in a college arts program. Correll serves as vice-chair of the Board of Directors for the NEPA Rainbow Alliance and is involved with several committees.

2010s

M 2010 | David J. Curry was appointed director of career services for Ithaca College in Ithaca, N.Y. Curry served as a teacher and then director of career and technical education for 14 years at the Milton Hershey School in Hershey, Pa.

2004, M 2011 | Megan N. Wahl was appointed social emotional learning coordinator for Byron-Bergen Central School District in Bergen, N.Y. Wahl, who has been with the district since 2007 and most recently taught sixth grade, is the first person to hold the newly created position.

Audrey D. Mackie

Sybil L. Drew

M 2010, M 2011 | Danielle C. Yoder was appointed acting assistant superintendent for elementary education for the State College Area School District in State College, Pa. She previously served as principal of Easterly Parkway Elementary and the K-5 Virtual Academy and has spent 29 years in elementary education.

2010, M 2013 | Julie M. Mannarino is a Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) intake coordinator at the Center for Focused Care, LLC – the only psychiatric outpatient office in Erie, Pa., that offers TMS, an FDA-approved treatment for depression. Mannarino holds certificates on two TMS machine models and offers training to others.

2011 | Benjamin A. Swank was named assistant men’s basketball coach at Le Moyne College in Syracuse, N.Y. Swank has nine years of collegiate coaching experience, most recently at Tiffin University. He was an NABC/Under Armour 30-Under-30 Award Winner in 2016.

2011 | Trevon E. Jenifer earned his second-consecutive gold medal as a member of the U.S. Men’s Wheelchair Basketball Team at the postponed Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games in August. Jenifer earned a bronze medal at the 2012 Paralympics Games, followed by a gold medal in 2016. He was also a member of the 2014 and 2018 silver medal IWBF World Championship teams and 2015 and 2019 gold medal Parapan American Games teams.

2012 | Dr. Hilary Weismiller was inducted into the General McLane Hall of Fame in August 2021. Weismiller was a distance runner for the Lancers and a four-year member of the cross-country and track and field teams at Edinboro. She holds a Ph.D. in molecular and cellular biophysics from the University of Denver and is a scientific account manager at Samba Scientific.

2013 | Amber M. Kimmel, known as Coach Blondie to her students, expanded her cheerleading and

tumbling gym to a larger space in Fairmount City, Pa. Coach Blondie Tumble and Cheer was opened in late 2019 with 13 students and has grown to 57 students.

2013 | Maura K. Sirianni became a national correspondent for Newsy. Sirianni has worked as a reporter for news stations in Atlanta, Ga.; Nashville, Tenn.; Louisville, Ky.; and Erie, Pa.

2013 | Dr. Leatra B. Tate was appointed as one of five full-time faculty members at the Erie County Community College of PA in 2021. She also won election to the Erie School Board and was sworn in on Dec. 8. Tate earned a Ph.D. in community engagement from Point Park University in 2019.

2014, M 2015 | Maryann K. Menanno was named city manager in Meadville, Pa. She previously served as director of community development for Meadville, and she continues to perform those duties in addition to her new managerial role.

2015 | Rebecca J. Meyer was named assistant director of St. Martin Early Learning Center in Erie, Pa.

2015 | Val Majewski was inducted into the General McLane Hall of Fame in August 2021. Majewski helped the Lancers claim three region and District 10 titles in volleyball. She holds the women’s basketball single-game record for points (42), 3-pointers made (nine) and the career scoring record (1,800). Her success continued when she played for the Edinboro women’s basketball team, earning WBCA All-American honors and being named the 2013-2014 PSAC West Athlete of the Year.

2015 | Gisele P. Littrell is founder and CEO of Tipsy Bean LLC, which was featured on Discovery Channel’s “Undercover Billionaire: Comeback City.” A serial entrepreneur of eight businesses in various industries over the past 21 years, Littrell hosts two podcasts for entrepreneurs: “UnScripted” and “Honest CEO.” She also serves on Edinboro’s Communications Advisory Board.

2013, M 2016 | Breanna R. (Abramson) Baucum is an academic success advocate at the University of Alabama in Huntsville. She credits Edinboro with her success in higher education and stays in touch with many of the friends she made on campus.

Post-M 2016 | Joshua A. Levinson became principal of Upper Moreland High School in Upper Moreland, Pa. For the last five years, Levinson has been principal of Lankenau Environmental Science Magnet High School in Philadelphia, where he was selected as the Neubauer Fellow in Educational Leadership. Levinson also serves on the board of directors for the Second Alarmer’s Rescue Squad fire company. He resides in North Wales, Pa., with his wife, two children and dog.

M 2017 | Linda L. Williams has earned National Board Certification by the American Association of Bariatric Counselors and is credentialed as a Certified Bariatric Counselor. Williams is the founder of Free Your Mind Consulting, LLC, based in Charlotte, N.C. She resides in Charlotte with her wife and two children.

M 2017 | Peter M. Nyamari gifted land to a new art school in Kenya. Real Art Works will offer a safe place to live and gain mentorship in art, agriculture, beekeeping and other fields that are not typically covered in Kenyan academics.

2017 | Stephanie A. Hnat joined Furia Rubel Communications, Inc., as a graphic designer. Hnat, who is based in Pittsburgh, previously worked as a designer with beauty brand Farmesi North America and international liturgical design studio Rohn Custom Studio. She also established her own freelance graphic design and website development business.

2017, M 2019 | Joshua D. Bishop was hired at Hobart and William Smith Colleges as director of community values and conflict resolution in December. He previously worked as an area coordinator at the State University of New York College at Geneseo.

Breanna R. (Abramson) Baucum

Julie M. Mannarino

Stephanie A. Hnat

M 2019 | Jameka M. McGraw-Byrd, an award-winning educator, was appointed executive director of Catholic Partnership Schools in Camden, N.J. She previously served CPS as chief academic officer.

2019 | Benjamin L. Yates was sworn in to the Erie Bureau of Police in July. He previously worked for the Erie County Sheriff’s Office.

2019 | Anna C. George is a 20212022 Teach Plus Pennsylvania Policy Fellow who teaches fourth-grade math and science at Duquesne City School District. George is pursuing a master’s degree in educational leadership and administration at California University of Pennsylvania.

2016, M 2020 | Kelly E. Allen is a school counselor at Maplewood High School in the Penncrest School District in Crawford County, Pa.

2020s

2020 | Sara A. Williams became assistant planner for the planning and building division of public services in Yelm, Wash.

2020 | Nicholas J. Bradford was named assistant coach for the Penn State Behrend men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams. Bradford holds top-5 times at Edinboro in the 200 IM, 100 Backstroke and 200 Backstroke. Prior to his appointment, he spent two years as coach of the Peninsula Wave Riders in Erie, Pa.

2020 | Marquese M. Moore was signed by the Iowa Barnstormers of the Indoor Football League as a defensive back for the 2022 season.

M 2020 | Melissa M. Orner became a sixth-grade math teacher at Port Allegany Elementary School in Port Allegany, Pa. Orner worked in elementary and special education for 10 years at Dickinson Center, Inc. She resides in Emporium, Pa., with her husband, two sons and dog.

M 2021 | Jalen K. Middlebrooks was named head women’s lacrosse coach at Chestnut Hill College in Germantown, Pa. Middlebrooks coached the Fighting Scots during the 2021 season, earning a master’s degree in counseling in May.

2021 | Alyssa N. Bogardus, a native of Girard, Pa., was hired as a financial planning associate at Level Financial Advisors in Amherst, N.Y.

Members of the Edinboro State College 1970 Lambert Bowl-winning football team gathered during Homecoming to mark the 50-year anniversary of their historic season.

Edinboro University 2020-2021 Distinguished Alumni awardees were honored at a reception on Nov. 23. From left: Kristin Austin, M ’06; William Rothenbach, ’76; Roy E. Shinn Jr., ’82; Patrick J. Santelli, ’62; Deborah Dixon, ’73; Natalie Herath, ’04, M ’08; and Sean Gibson, ’95. Not pictured: Stephen Heywood, M ’02; Betty Cruz, ’09; and Johnathan Thomas, ’11.

Jalen K. Middlebrooks

IS THE TIME TO TRANSFORM LIVES!

Congratulations on entering this exciting new phase of your life!

Today, you call the shots. You decide how to spend your days and how you’ll give your time and talents to benefit your family and your community. Now is the time to live life passionately and think about how to use your gifts to the fullest.

Retirement is the perfect time to consider making a transformational gift to Edinboro University. Did you know there are creative ways to support students that anyone, even those with a modest income, can achieve?

Through thoughtful planning, you create win-win solutions for you, your loved ones and Edinboro students.

Here are just a few of the ways to make Edinboro part of your legacy:

• You can make a gift that costs nothing during your lifetime.

• You can give stock and realize larger tax savings.

• You can get a monthly paycheck for life in return for your gift.

• You can donate your house, continue to live there and get a tax break all at the same time.

Edinboro University students are the leaders of tomorrow.

They will influence our grandchildren and great-grandchildren. They will teach, invent, create, heal, serve, lead and shape our world. When you make a planned gift to Edinboro, you make the future brighter for all of us.

For more information about creating an Edinboro Legacy, please contact:

Director of Development

SAVE THE DATE FOR HOMECOMING 2022: OCT. 7-8

Break out the tartan, cue the bagpipes and get ready for an all-out celebration of everything Edinboro. Watch for updates at homecoming.edinboro.edu.

AS TIME COUNTS DOWN ON THE FISCAL YEAR, CAN OUR FIGHTING SCOTS COUNT ON YOU?

Our fiscal year ends on June 30, 2022, and we hope to count you among our strong supporters this year. Please consider a gift to the Student Hardship Fund or the fund that you feel most passionate about.

As an Edinboro University donor, you advance the mission of an institution that keeps students at the heart. Your support changes the lives of our students and strengthens their future. That’s a gift. On behalf of the university and its students, we can’t say thank you enough.

Edinboro serves many students facing financial challenges. More than half of our students are eligible to receive the Federal Pell Grant, and many are first-generation students. Earning a college degree is one of the surest ways that students can significantly boost their professional and financial possibilities. A college education can change an entire family’s trajectory. Your donation can create a brighter future.

We are stronger together. Edinboro has opened doors for 65,000+ alumni, and – because of YOU – we will continue to create the same opportunities for students for generations to come!

Why Giving Matters:

• 30% of Fighting Scots are first-generation students

• 55% of students are Pell Grant Eligible, meaning they have demonstrated exceptional financial need on the FAFSA.

• 1,000+ students each year participate in student employment to help pay their tuition costs.

• 145+ students received support through the Student Hardship Fund this year, and we continue to receive new applications daily.

How To Give:

• GIVE ONLINE at edinboro.edu/donate

• GIVE BY PHONE at 800-526-0117 or 814-732-2992

• GIVE BY MAIL

University Advancement Edinboro University

210 Meadville Street

Edinboro, PA 16444

• X2 MATCHING GIFT

See if your employer participates in gift-matching programs.

With questions, please contact:

Jessica Gray, ’08, Director of Annual Giving University Advancement Alumni House

210 Meadville Street

Edinboro, PA 16444

Phone: 814-732-1713 | Fax: 814-732-2996

IN MEMORIAM

Mrs. Dorothy W. (Watson) Schultz | ’44 | North East, Pa.

Mrs. Marjorie L. (Hall) Eisaman | ’45 | Winchester, Ky.

Mrs. Therese (Malinowski) Frazier | ’48 | Erie, Pa.

Mrs. Jeanne (Kennedy) Szymanowicz | ’49 | Erie, Pa.

Mr. Paul W. Haley | ’50 | Lockport, N.Y.

Mrs. Theresa M. (Zuzula) Steers | ’51 | London, Ontario

Mr. John “Jack” F. Weixel | ’51 | Allison Park, Pa.

Mr. Ernest G. Babich | ’52 | Pittsburgh, Pa.

Mrs. Mary Lou (Signorelli) Bozich | ’52 | Erie, Pa.

Dr. Jack A. Cryder | ’52 | Albion, Pa.

Mr. Edward C. Chamberlain | ’53 | Columbus, Ohio

Mrs. Esther (Herr) Sassone | ’53 | Butler, Pa.

Dr. Charles “Chuck” A. Cable | ’54 | Meadville, Pa.

Mr. Edward S. Hozdik | ’54 | Berea, Ky.

Mrs. Phyllis B. (Brandt) Lindahl | ’54 | Erie, Pa.

Dr. Lillian A. Millsop | ’54 | Hermitage, Pa.

Mr. William F. Rhodes | ’55 | Erie, Pa.

Mrs. Sybil “Sallie” A. (Weiler) Stoffan | ’55 | Clymer, N.Y.

Mr. James C. Narducci | ’56 | Redondo Beach, Calif.

Mr. Arthur H. Sennett | ’56 | Jekyll Island, Ga.

Mr. Clyde “Doc” A. Daugherty | ’57 | Corning, N.Y.

Dr. Arnold L. Jeschke | ’57 | Dallas, Ore.

Mrs. Eleanore M. (Nageotte) Wills | ’58 | Meadville, Pa.

Ms. Lovell A. Binder | ’59 | Loris, S.C.

Mr. Leonard Jablonski | ’59 | Erie, Pa.

Mrs. Jacqueline (Chase) Nuhfer | ’59 | Edinboro, Pa.

Mr. John P. Onest | ’59 | Fort Wayne, Ind.

Mr. Edward Sinnott | ’59 | Erie, Pa.

Ms. Clare E. (Erickson) Smith | ’59 | Silver Spring, Md.

Mrs. Sarah “Sallie” (Baatz) Boothroyd | ’60 | Milwaukee, Wisc.

Mrs. Carolyn (Wade) Spohr | ’60 | Gambrills, Md.

Mr. Joseph “Warren” W. Corpal | ’61 | Carlsbad, Calif.

Ms. Dorothy M. (Burchfield) Durney | ’61 | Conneaut Lake, Pa.

Mr. John G. Hardner | ’61 | Minneapolis, Minn.

Mr. David M. O’Dessa | ’61 | Frederick, Md.

Mr. William F. Fugagli | ’62 | Jamestown, N.Y.

Mrs. Katharine (Swank) Higham | ’63 | Akron, Ohio

Mr. Charles T. Iannelo | ’63 | Erie, Pa.

Mr. Richard A. Shoemaker | ’63 | Landisville, Pa.

Mr. Christopher Hodges | ’64 | Sharpsville, Pa.

Mr. William O. Wetzel III | ’64 | Pittsburgh, Pa.

Mr. James B. Bedford | ’65 | Saegertown, Pa.

Mr. Robert J. Nelson Jr. | ’65 | The Villages, Fla.

With deepest sympathy to the family and friends of the following alumni who have passed away.

Mr. Jon Parmiter | ’65 | Atlantic, Pa.

Mr. James A. Allman | ’66 | Erie, Pa.

Mr. Dennis R. Dougherty | ’66 | Meadville, Pa.

Mrs. Beverly A. (Buerkle) Stulen | ’66 | Pittsburgh, Pa.

Mr. Roger W. Wiegman | ’66 | Painesville, Ohio

Ms. Judith “Mama Bear” M. Hughes | ’67 | Meadville, Pa.

Mr. Park D. Casteel | ’68 | Chagrin Falls, Ohio

Mrs. Marsha M. (McEntire) Emswiller | ’68 | New Castle, Pa.

Wayne G. Johnson | ’68 | Erie, Pa.

Mr. Russell D. Lasher | ’68 | Erie, Pa.

Mr. Charles A. Vanwinkle Jr. | ’68 | Elizabethton, Tenn.

Mr. William C. Williamson | ’68 | Sharon, Pa.

Mr. Thomas M. Brown | ’69 | Cambridge Springs, Pa.

Mrs. Alexis (Popp) Herron | ’69 | Washington, Pa.

Mr. Gary H. Jones | ’69 | Erie, Pa.

Mrs. Alice L. Kichlu | ’69 | Boise, Idaho

Mrs. Sandra M. (Sorger) Marciani | ’69 | Hattiesburg, Miss.

Ms. Cheryl B. (Brady) Swetic | ’69 | Vandergrift, Pa.

Mr. Raimondi J. Tate | ’69 | North Kingsville, Ohio

Mr. Ronald S. Palyo | ’70 | Carlisle, Pa.

Ms. Nancy (Kurtz) Pugh | ’70 | Baden, Pa.

Mrs. Carol F. (Rodkey) Riblett | ’70 | Erie, Pa.

Mrs. Joanna R. (Moorhead) Samson | ’70 | Tulsa, Okla.

Ms. Carrie H. Sedinger | ’70 | Johnstown, Pa.

Ms. Alice M. Shirley | ’70 | Elizabethtown, Pa.

Mr. William M. Baker | ’71 | Madison, Ohio

Mr. Michael J. Brennan | ’71 | Jefferson, Ohio

Mrs. Betty L. (Nickolazas) Browning | ’71 | Erie, Pa.

Dr. Lawrence R. Connelly Jr. | ’71 | Hermitage, Pa.

Mrs. Nancy L. (Specker) Kardosh | ’71 | Meadville, Pa.

Mr. Lawrence B. Kort | ’71 | Natrona Heights, Pa.

Mrs. Avonelle (Rowe) Major | ’71 | Melbourne, Fla.

Mr. Michael Mulkin | ’71 | Lake Wales, Fla.

Mrs. JoAnn M. (McKinley) Mullen | ’71 | Tyrone, Pa.

Mr. John Schaefer | ’71 | Andover, Ohio

Ms. Carol R. (Lewis) Amidon | ’72 | Butler, Pa.

Mr. James E. Brunswick | ’72 | Corry, Pa.

Mr. Richard T. Jarmul | ’72 | Sarver, Pa.

Mrs. Nancy (Hudak) Martz | ’72 | Greensburg, Pa.

Ms. Martha A. Piontek | ’72 | Pittsburgh, Pa.

Ms. Christine M. Vilsack | ’72 | Oakmont, Pa.

Mrs. Kathleen (Bozman) Augostine | ’73 | E. Palestine, Ohio

Mr. George “Dick” R. Augustine | ’73 | Addison, Pa.

IN MEMORIAM

Mrs. Rebecca “Beckie” G. (Stork) Davis | ’73 | Girard, Pa.

Mr. Richard R. DiPlacido | ’73 | Erie, Pa.

Mrs. Mary (Cason) Mollick | ’73 | Longwood, Fla.

Mr. Charles “Chuck” B. Moylan | ’73 | Salt Lake City, Utah

Mrs. Karen S. (Stright) Watson | ’73 | Thurmont, Md.

Mr. Michael L. Buchanan | ’74 | Silver Creek, N.Y.

Mrs. Linda S. (Raybuck) Cassatt | ’74 | Summerville, Pa.

Mrs. Joyce (Ogren) Devine | ’74 | Jamestown, N.Y.

Mrs. Lucia M. (Pearson) Doyle | ’74 | Erie, Pa.

Mrs. Maribeth J. (Jones Kost) Stover | ’74 | Newark, Ohio

Mr. David E. McKillop | ’74 | Sprankle Mills, Pa.

Dr. David B. Bills | ’75 | Iowa City, Iowa

Mr. George Kepic | ’75 | Trafford, Pa.

Mrs. Kathleen (Devine) Lebby | ’75 | New Castle, Pa.

Mr. Glenn E. Putas | ’75 | New Castle, Pa.

Mr. Kenneth O. Maurer | ’75 | Durango, Colo.

Mr. Donald J. Dlugos | ’76 | Latrobe, Pa.

Mrs. Mary A. (Bendot) Miller | ’76 |Warren, Pa.

Mrs. Susan A. (Woods) Miller | ’76 | Meadville, Pa.

Ms. Denise A. (Konkle) Zabinski | ’76 | Apollo, Pa.

Ms. Emily R. (Mineo) Carlisi | ’77 | Pasco, Wash.

Mr. Larry A. Tanner | ’77 | Elk River, Minn.

Ms. Sara A. Davis | ’78 | Desoto, Texas

Mr. Donald W. Stahowic | ’79 | Corry, Pa.

Ms. Michele M. (Milne) Abramczyk | ’80 | Erie, Pa.

Mrs. Charlene F. (Bronson) Lillie | ’80 | Meadville, Pa.

Mr. John L. Roland | ’80 | Spokane, Wash.

Mr. Ronald P. Shoup | ’80 | Duke Center, Pa.

Mr. Kent M. Graves | ’81 | Erie, Pa.

Mrs. Sandra J. (Wright Lang) Guth | ’81 | Meadville, Pa.

Ms. Judith L. (Beggs) Wood | ’81 | Voorhees, N.J.

Mr. W. Frederick Deater | ’82 | Meadville, Pa.

Ms. Susan A. (Kalkhof) Vitron | ’82 | Kennedy, N.Y.

Mr. Russell Wolfson | ’82 | Hermitage, Pa.

Mrs. Sheila Boughner | ’83 | Clarion, Pa.

Mr. Maurice “Brennan” Breene | ’83 | Bridgeville, Pa.

Mr. Gary W. Culbertson | ’83 | Warren, Pa.

Mr. Philip Furiosi | ’83 | Clarks Summit, Pa.

Mrs. Sandra Shreve-Pickens | ’83 | Erie, Pa.

Mr. Donald J. Harr III | ’84 | Pittsburgh, Pa.

Mr. Gary L. Howell | ’84 | Saugatuck, Mich.

Mr. Arthur Bouwers | ’85 | Youngstown, Ohio

Mrs. Janice M. (Peterson) Giltinan | ’85 | Highlands Ranch, Colo.

With deepest sympathy to the family and friends of the following alumni who have passed away.

Mrs. Nancy C. (Fleet) Musser | ’85 | Rostraver Township, Pa.

Mr. David L. Teel | ’85 | Erie, Pa.

Mrs. Donna D. (Withem) Wines | ’85 | East Liverpool, Ohio

Mr. Gary D. Smith | ’87 | Avella, Pa.

Ms. Joan (Scornalenc) Klein | ’88 | Erie, Pa.

Mr. John “Jack” R. Burns Jr. | ’89 | Falconer, N.Y.

Mrs. Jeanine M. (Wetmore) Donor | ’89 | Union City, Pa.

Mrs. Lori A. (Howell) Fritz | ’89 | Elizabeth, Pa.

Mr. James W. MacLaren | ’89 | San Jose, Calif.

Mr. Myron Rice | ’89 | Cooperstown, Pa.

Mr. Scott A. Craig | ’90 | Fairview, Pa.

Mr. Thomas Dunlap | ’90 | Temple, Texas

Ms. Sharon L. Sanderbeck | ’90 | Sharpsville, Pa.

Mrs. Sandra K. (Boyer) Barnes | ’91 | China Grove, N.C.

Mrs. Latonya D. Frazier-Woods | ’92 | Beaver Falls, Pa.

Mr. Mark D. Thompson | ’91 | South Park, Pa.

Mr. David J. Brallier | ’92 | Indiana, Pa.

Mr. Barry L. Kohler | ’92 | Edinboro, Pa.

Mr. David M. Dreibelbis Sr. | ’93 | North Vernon, Ind.

Mrs. Ethel (Rader-McGuian) Lunsford | ’93 | Humboldt, Tenn.

Mr. Paul C. Sarnowski | ’94 | Tampa, Fla.

Mrs. Barbara S. (Snyder) Anderson | ’95 | Ramseur, N.C.

Mrs. Janet M. (Johnson) Lindell | ’95 | Lakewood, N.Y.

Mr. Charles T. May Jr. | ’95 | Oil City, Pa.

Mr. Darel R. Cooper Jr. | ’97 | Cambridge Springs, Pa.

Mr. Russell F. King | ’97 | Erie, Pa.

Mr. Daniel Murawski | ’97 | Cambridge Springs, Pa.

Ms. Tammie C. Pace | ’97 | Erie, Pa.

Mr. Clifford “Kip” E. Allen | ’98 | Fort Myers, Fla.

Mrs. Krista B. (Baker) Cratty | ’98 | Franklin, Pa.

Mr. Alexander W. Harrilla | ’99 | Erie, Pa.

Ms. Tara L. Young | ’99 | Butler, Pa.

Mr. Scott L. Hackett | ’01 | Stephens City, Va.

Ms. Anne E. Weiser | ’01 | Waterford, Pa.

Ms. Barbara A. Hoover | ’02 | Erie, Pa.

Mr. Mark L. Lindberg | ’02 | Erie, Pa.

Mr. Stephen A. Burrows | ’04 | Stoneboro, Pa.

Mr. Richard A. Giles, Jr. | ’05 | Union City, Pa.

Mrs. Carrie R. (Tarr) Collins | ’05 | Sugar Grove, Pa.

Mrs. Janet L. (Winters) McIntyre | ’07 | Townville, Pa.

Mrs. Caroline B. (Barton) Schmidt | ’12 | Jamaica Plain, Mass.

Ms. Kylie J. Peters | ’14 | Union City, Pa.

Mr. Eugene Turner III | ’16 | Pittsburgh, Pa.