The Dessy-Roffman Myth Collaborative at Â鶹ÊÓƵ, in collaboration with Â鶹ÊÓƵ's Literature and Criticism Program, will offer the inaugural fall semester German Lecture Series starting on September 17.
Ben Ford, faculty in the Department of Anthropology, Geospatial and Earth Sciences, was recently sworn in as a member of the Maryland Historical Trust Board of Trustees. He is filling the submerged archaeology position on the board.
Composition and Applied Linguistics doctoral student Iwona Ionescu published an article in Praxis 22.3 (2025), titled “Mapping it Out: Rhizomatic Learning of Peer Embedded Tutors for Composition Classes—A Case Study,â€Â exploring how embedded tutors for first-year composition classes develop their expertise outside the formal training sessions.
Andrew Zhou is guest editor of a special issue of the international journal Molecules on novel nanomaterials for sensing, showcasing interdisciplinary research that advances chemical, biological, and environmental sensor technologies.
At its meeting on September 4, Â鶹ÊÓƵ’s Council of Trustees accepted the mission statement of Â鶹ÊÓƵ’s proposed college of osteopathic medicine.
Matthew Nice was interviewed in the September 2025 issue of Counseling Today Magazine. In the interview, Nice discusses his research on young adult mental health and the implications of the college experience on mental health.
Director of Communications for Student Affairs Caitlin Aiello is offering open office hours via Zoom every week for student groups interested in further promoting their events and achievements.
Â鶹ÊÓƵ’s Police Academy, located in Â鶹ÊÓƵ’s Robertshaw building, will celebrate its fiftieth anniversary with a special open house event on September 27 from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. The open house is free and open to the community.
A broad range of research opportunities is available to Madia Department of Chemistry, Biochemistry, and Physics students, from national laboratories and medical research centers to academic conferences and industry-level training programs. Collectively, their accomplishments underscore the department’s commitment to preparing undergraduates for graduate study, professional careers, and meaningful contributions to science and society.
The Office of the Provost has announced the promotion of several faculty members to full professor effective for the fall 2025 semester.
A total of 33 undergraduate students were selected to participate in Â鶹ÊÓƵ’s 2025 Undergraduate Summer Opportunities for Applying Research (U-SOAR) program, in which selected undergraduate students, working with a faculty mentor, to do original, inquiry-based research or creative endeavors and to participate in enrichment programs related to research success.
The following was shared with students on August 29, 2025:
Six students in Â鶹ÊÓƵ’s College of Health Sciences participated in an international conference in China on medicine and health through the US-China Youth Program on Health Sciences and Culture, and an Â鶹ÊÓƵ faculty member was an invited presenter for the conference.
Â鶹ÊÓƵ Vice President for Student Affairs Thomas Segar was an invited panelist for a state-wide Higher Education Summit, held August 12 in Harrisburg.
John Wesley Lowery, professor and SASSDA assistant chair, was a guest on ATIXA’s “More Likely Than Not†podcast.
Dean’s List recipients for the summer 2025 semester at Â鶹ÊÓƵ.
Congratulations to Robert Nocco for his award recognition from the American Society of Safety Professionals.
Congratulations to Â鶹ÊÓƵ Safety Sciences PhD candidate Nicholas Sexton for being recognized by the Board of Certified Safety Professionals with the Kyle B. Dotson Emerging Professional Leadership Award.
The Board of Certified Safety Professionals recognized the MS in Safety Sciences program at Â鶹ÊÓƵ with the Graduate Safety Excellence Award.
William Sugg, who has more than 15 years of experience in music education at the secondary and university levels with competitive and high-profile marching programs, has been named interim director of Â鶹ÊÓƵ’s Marching Band and associate director of Bands.
In July, Â鶹ÊÓƵ hosted students from the Pottstown and Norristown school districts for a summer camp through the Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP) program.
Â鶹ÊÓƵ will launch a new forensic sciences major for fall 2025.
Â鶹ÊÓƵ piano professor Henry Wong Doe and British cellist Michael Kevin Jones have released their third duo album on HR Recordings, featuring the cello sonatas of Sergei Rachmaninoff and Sergei Prokofiev.
On July 11, the Department of Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency distributed a news release about the identification of a World War II soldier who died in December 1944, crediting the work of an Â鶹ÊÓƵ field school in assisting in identifying the late soldier’s remains.
For the second year, Â鶹ÊÓƵ is helping area high school teachers learn new ways to help their students fly—both literally and figuratively. From June 23 to 25, Â鶹ÊÓƵ hosted a workshop on uncrewed aircraft (drones) for 18 teachers in 16 Pennsylvania school districts and educational organizations
John Wesley Lowery presented a keynote address at ASCA’s Florida Summer Virtual Conference on legislative and public policy updates.
Â鶹ÊÓƵ Vice President for Student Affairs Thomas C. Segar was an invited presenter for a national conference sponsored by the Historically Black Colleges and Universities Criminal Justice Collective Chairs’ Workshop.
Â鶹ÊÓƵ has been selected by the Department of Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency through the Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine Inc. to continue its field study in Germany at the site of a December 1944 crash of a World War II B-17 airplane.
Mimi Benjamin, professor in the Student Affairs in Higher Education program, and Tom Segar presented “Â鶹ÊÓƵ's Crimson Scholars Circle: A Student Affairs/Faculty Partnership for Continued Improvement†at the NASPA Region II conference.
Mimi Benjamin co-authored the recently published “Sport Management Themed Living Learning Communities: Enhancing the Academic and Social Development of College Students.â€
Â鶹ÊÓƵ hosted 22 area high school students and 14 of their teachers for the collaborative Healthcare Education and Learning Pathways (HELP) Summer Experience on June 2 and 3.
The Anthropology, Geospatial and Earth Sciences Department congratulates our students for being named to the Dean’s List for spring 2025. Students receive this recognition for each semester in which they earn a GPA of 3.25 or higher while taking a minimum of 12 credits.
Miko Rose, the founding dean of Â鶹ÊÓƵ’s proposed college of osteopathic medicine, will be a panelist during the Rural Economic Development Summit on June 3, hosted by the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia.
Dean’s List recipients for the spring 2025 semester at Â鶹ÊÓƵ.
The Pennsylvania Chapter of the National Organization for Student Success awarded Marquice Jones, an Â鶹ÊÓƵ psychology major from Harrisburg, a $500 scholarship for academic achievements.
The winners of the 2025 Howard Z. Fitzgerald Philosophy Essay Contest
As the first Crimson Scholar to graduate, Victoria Alao leads the way for others who have benefited from the program’s support.
Jada Chvilicek, Mason Cymbor, and Veronica Duran-Paramo (Spanish Education Certification, ‘25) have been awarded the Global Seal of Biliteracy in English and Spanish.
The Department of Finance and Economics congratulates James Jozefowicz for being voted the Eberly College of Business’s “Best Instructor of the Semester†for spring 2025. The award recipient is selected on the basis of current student voting.
Nearly 1,500 new graduates were honored during three commencement ceremonies on Saturday, May 10, at the Kovalchick Complex. Experience Spring 2025 Commencement through the photography of Brian Henry.
The Student Affairs in Higher Education program honored graduating students and recognized a graduate and an alumna for exceptional accomplishments and contributions as part of the department’s annual banquet on Tuesday, May 6, 2025, coordinated by Associates for Student Development.
The Department of Language, Literature and Writing held the annual Â鶹ÊÓƵ Spring Methodology Conference on Foreign Language Teaching on Friday, April 25, 2025.Â
The Department of Finance and Economics congratulates the undergraduate student recipients of the 2024–25 annual FIEC departmental graduation awards.
On May 8, Â鶹ÊÓƵ’s Council of Trustees presented a resolution of appreciation to Jerry Pickering for his 25 years of service to and leadership of the Allegheny Arboretum.
On May 8, Â鶹ÊÓƵ’s Council of Trustees honored Shagufta Haque for her service on the Council with a resolution of appreciation and the naming of a seat in Â鶹ÊÓƵ’s Kovalchick Convention and Athletic Complex in her honor “for extraordinary service as a university citizen and student trustee.â€
International student and American Language Institute instructor Alexandra Krasova spoke at commencement and is the recipient of the Graduate Student Outstanding Research Award, the Â鶹ÊÓƵ Outstanding Leader Award, the Promising Future Interdisciplinary Researcher Award, and the Teaching Associate Faculty Recognition Award.
Sanda Andrada Maicaneanu recently published three collaborative research papers exploring the environmental and electrochemical applications of natural materials like clays and zeolites, advancing sustainable solutions in water treatment and sensing technologies.
Daniel Alex Heckert, Â鶹ÊÓƵ professor of sociology, has been selected as Â鶹ÊÓƵ’s 2025–26 Distinguished University Professor.
Faculty and students from the Anthropology, Geospatial and Earth Sciences Department traveled to Denver to participate in the Society for American Archaeology annual meeting. They chaired sessions, presented on their ongoing work, participated in the SAA Ethics Bowl, and represented Â鶹ÊÓƵ and the Applied Archaeology program at the Cultural Resource Management Expo.
Â鶹ÊÓƵ’s Iota Mu Chapter of Sigma Delta Pi, the National Hispanic Honor Society, celebrated its fifty-second initiation ceremony on Friday, May 2, 2025.
The Department of Finance and Economics wishes to recognize the upcoming May 2025 and August 2025 Economics/Honors concentration anticipated graduates.
Students in an advanced chemistry lab experienced a unique opportunity to sample and analyze their own blood for numerous persistent organic pollutants (POPs). The results, while surprising to the students, are more common than most realize.
Â鶹ÊÓƵ’s Women’s Club Volleyball team won its first National Collegiate Volleyball Federation championship at the national tournament in April. This club team is entirely student-run, including raising funds for tournaments and the national competition.
Each of the three commencement ceremonies on Saturday, May 10, 2025, will have a graduate and undergraduate speaker. Find out what they say representing their graduating class means to them.
For its outstanding community outreach work in 2024, Â鶹ÊÓƵ’s Institute for Cybersecurity was awarded eighth place in the 2024 national CAE-CD Community Outreach Competition Initiative. The CAE community consists of about 500 institutions of higher education from across the nation.
On Friday, April 25, the Madia Department of Chemistry, Biochemistry, and Physics hosted the fifty-seventh annual Academic Achievement Awards ceremony in Kopchick Hall.
The Beta Gamma Chapter of Kappa Delta Pi, International Honor Society in Education, held an initiation ceremony on April 24, 2025. During this ceremony, 19 education majors were initiated, and KDP members recognized faculty with awards.
Â鶹ÊÓƵ has announced recipients of the University Senate Awards and the list of new faculty emeriti for 2025.Â
During the thirty-first annual Research Awards Reception at Â鶹ÊÓƵ, three Anthropology, Geospatial and Earth Sciences faculty members were recognized for outstanding scholarly activities.
The Pennsylvania Governor’s Awards for Local Government Excellence honored public officials at an April 2025 ceremony at the Pennsylvania State Museum in Harrisburg, which included multiple authorities with graduates from the Â鶹ÊÓƵ Planning program in leadership positions.
Dakota Dickerson, a student in the applied anthropology master’s program, won the judge’s award, and Ashley Moll, a student in the biology master’s program, won the people’s award during Â鶹ÊÓƵ’s Three Minute Thesis event held during Â鶹ÊÓƵ’s annual Research Appreciation Week.
The Department of Finance and Economics is pleased to recognize economics majors Emily Schumacher and Micaela Jebitsch, who shared the results of their research completed as part of the econometrics course sequence in economics at the 2025 Pennsylvania Sports Business Conference, “Inclusive Leadership in Sports.â€
The Â鶹ÊÓƵ Hotel, Restaurant, Tourism, and Event Management student chapter of Meeting Professionals International showcased their exceptional skills by organizing a networking event for Global Meetings Industry Day on April 7, 2025.
David Yerger has been selected as the recipient of the 2025 Garvin-Kort Faculty Award for Research in Economics. Generous donations from 1981 Â鶹ÊÓƵ Distinguished Alumni Award recipient John Kort ’74 and the late Alexander Garvin, economics faculty 1969–98, provide support for faculty research.Â
Matt Vetter (Language, Literature, and Writing), with co-authors Brent Lucia and Varshil Patel, published “The Dystopian Imaginaries of ChatGPT: A Designed Cycle of Fear†in Convergence: The International Journal of Research into New Media Technologies. The article offers a critical analysis of dystopian narratives that emerged as a response to OpenAI’s ChatGPT.
Five Â鶹ÊÓƵ archaeology graduate students from the Department of Anthropology, Geospatial and Earth Sciences received awards and scholarships at the ninety-fourth annual meeting of the Society for Pennsylvania Archaeology.
David Wachob, professor and chair of the Career and Wellness Education Department, recently visited the Saint Francis International School in Rome, Italy, to secure a student teaching agreement for Â鶹ÊÓƵ students.
Â鶹ÊÓƵ Professor Mike Sell and doctoral students Rachel Schiera and Zeeshan Siddique argue that reading, writing about, and talking about great works of literature enables us to improve our ability to make good decisions.
Patti Miller (English Composition and Applied Linguistics doctoral candidate) recently published an article in Peitho (winter 2025) titled “Nevertheless, She Resisted: Feminist Ethos and Agency in ‘The Epic of Gilgamesh’.â€
Kevin Patrick and John Benhart, of the Anthropology, Geospatial and Earth Sciences Department, attended the National Association of American Geographers conference in March 2025.
Â鶹ÊÓƵ’s twentieth annual Scholars Forum celebrated two decades of student-led research and innovation, highlighting standout projects from the Media Department of Chemistry, Biochemistry, and Physics—including an award-winning medicinal chemistry study by Justin Fair’s research group.
The Anthropology, Geospatial and Earth Sciences Department had 56 students who presented at the twentieth annual Â鶹ÊÓƵ Scholars Forum on April 9, 2025. They gave both oral and poster presentations, and two applied archaeology graduate students participated in the Three-Minute Thesis Competition.
As part of the 2025 Research Appreciation Week schedule of events, Department of Finance and Economics faculty member David Yerger received the Dean’s Award from the Eberly College of Business.
Â鶹ÊÓƵ archaeology graduate students from the Department of Anthropology, Geospatial and Earth Sciences traveled to Dubois, Pennsylvania, to present their work at the ninety-fourth annual meeting of the Society for Pennsylvania Archaeology.
The following information was shared with students on April 10, 2025:
Â鶹ÊÓƵ Anthropology faculty Amanda Poole and Abigail Adams, along with four Â鶹ÊÓƵ undergraduate students, participated in an academic panel at the eighty-fifth annual Society for Applied Anthropology Meetings held March 25–29 in Portland, Oregon.
Chemistry majors Nicholas Wright and Camryn Roche received top honors for their exceptional undergraduate research at the fifty-sixth annual Commonwealth of Pennsylvania University Biologists Research Conference, held April 5, 2025, at Bloomsburg University.
Four Â鶹ÊÓƵ Women’s Leadership Awards were presented to six women staff, administrators, and faculty at the Reception to Celebrate Women and the Women’s Leadership Award Ceremony on April 2, 2025. These awards celebrate the outstanding leadership and accomplishments of women employees to advance gender, sexual, and cultural inclusive excellence at Â鶹ÊÓƵ, in the communities, and in their professions.
Anna Cutshall, a biology major and business administration minor from Homer City, was selected for the 2025 Patricia Hilliard Robertson Memorial Scholarship for Outstanding Female Science Student.
Faculty and students of the Â鶹ÊÓƵ Anthropology, Geospatial and Earth Sciences Department traveled to Erie, PA to present at the Northeast-North Central Regional Geological Society of America Meeting. Their talks highlighted their ongoing research and demonstrated the diversity and synergy within the department.
On March 28–29, 30 students from the PA Community College Consortium Cooperative Agreement (PC4A) competed in a Jeopardy-style Capture the Flag competition, hosted through Hack the Box.
Two standout undergraduate student researchers at Â鶹ÊÓƵ, Parker Bradley and Symia Taimuty-Loomis, were selected to participate in the 2025 Undergraduate Research at the Capitol event.
Crystal Machado from the Department of Professional Studies in Education and Yao Fu from the University of Wisconsin presented a paper titled “AI and Bloom’s Taxonomy: Scaffolding Pre-service and Inservice Teachers’ Use of Artificial Intelligence for Learning and Teaching†at the Society for Information Technology and Teacher Education, on March 20, 2025.
Chemistry junior Parker Bradley presented his research on anticancer ruthenium-platinum bimetallic complexes at the Undergraduate Research at the Capitol – Pennsylvania event on March 25, 2025, engaging with legislators and showcasing his work conducted under Avijita Jain in the Madia Department of Chemistry, Biochemistry, and Physics.
Â鶹ÊÓƵ’s Criminal Justice Training Center has received Training Academy Accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc.
Mimi Benjamin and John Wesley Lowery presented at the 2025 NASPA Conference in New Orleans. Benjamin shared research on peer mentoring for underrepresented students and co-lead a session on research-to practice in student affairs. Lowery copresented on the 75-year partnership between HBCUs and NASPA, highlighting their historical contributions.
Â鶹ÊÓƵ will celebrate innovation, student and faculty research, and alumni success during Â鶹ÊÓƵ’s 2025 Research Appreciation Week, planned for April 7 to 11.
Â鶹ÊÓƵ students, including advanced undergraduate and graduate students, joined Dr. Palmiotto in the field with their archaeological colleagues from the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) Heritage Trust Program. There the team conducted investigations of sites within Botany Bay Plantation Heritage Preserve in Charleston County, visited the iconic Fig Island Shell Ring complex, and met with representatives of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation (MCN).
Riley Sullivan, an undergraduate researcher, presented his study on sustainable activated carbon biochar at Pittcon 2025, showcasing its potential for wastewater treatment.
H. M. (Skip) Kingston, a distinguished chemist and Â鶹ÊÓƵ alumnus, has returned to his alma mater as a scholar in residence. His pioneering research, philanthropic contributions, and mentorship are advancing scientific innovation at Â鶹ÊÓƵ, particularly in healthcare diagnostics and rural medicine, while equipping students with hands-on experience in cutting-edge analytical techniques.
Â鶹ÊÓƵ’s Applied Research Lab, a research consulting center that assists the Â鶹ÊÓƵ research community as part of Â鶹ÊÓƵ’s Research and Innovation, was approached by the Altoona Curve’s management team for a research project to analyze attendance rates for Altoona Curve games.
Rosemary Engelstad (clarinet professor, Â鶹ÊÓƵ) and Amanda Morrison (clarinet professor, Slippery Rock University) were selected to perform a recital at the SHE: Festival of Women in Music. At the festival, they performed a recital of music compositions for two clarinets by Theresa Martin (Appleton, WI), including Paradigm Shift, a work commissioned by Morrison (lead commissioner) and Engelstad in 2024.
Emmanuella Musiime, a Curriculum and Instruction doctoral candidate, and Crystal Machado from the Department of Professional Studies in Education presented a paper titled “Teaching Online: A Qualitative Exploration of Faculty Wellbeing and the Injustices They Experience in Synchronous, Asynchronous, and Hybrid Courses“ at the Society for Information Technology and Teacher Education on March 19, 2025.
In celebration of the hard work and dedication of its employees, Â鶹ÊÓƵ presented the first “One Â鶹ÊÓƵ†Award to the Office of Financial Aid during Â鶹ÊÓƵ’s annual Employee Service and Leadership Awards event held March 26, which also celebrated employees with 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, and 35 years of service.
A record-breaking dozen PhD students from Â鶹ÊÓƵ’s Literature and Criticism program took center stage at the fifty-sixth annual Northeastern Modern Language Association (NeMLA) conference, held in Philadelphia March 6–9.
Robert Orth, managing director of Â鶹ÊÓƵ’s Administration and Leadership Studies Research and Training Center, is the 2025 Social Sciences Career Pathways Speaker.
Professor Emeritus John Taylor and colleagues published a new study based on faunal collections from a 50-meter interval of the Jones Ridge Limestone in easternmost Alaska. The study provided new, detailed faunal range data across the base of the North American Ibexian Series and geochemical data that confirm an associated shift in ocean chemistry.
Now a PhD student at Carnegie Mellon University, Emma Bouchard ’22 focuses on leveraging machine learning to design chemical probes for studying enzyme catalysis, with an emphasis on automation and AI-driven solutions.
Â鶹ÊÓƵ piano professor Henry Wong Doe presented a session during the Pedagogy Saturdays portion of the Music Teachers National Association annual conference in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on March 15, 2025.
Professor Emeritus John Taylor published a new study on the taxonomy and stratigraphic distribution of Lotagnostus (Agnostida: Agnostidae) and associated trilobites and conodonts with Â鶹ÊÓƵ alumni James D. Loch ’83 and John E. Repetski ’69.
Two professors published a study on using a Facebook group to connect college students from the US and Israel. The group helped students have cross-cultural conversations, learn from each other, and grow professionally. The study shows that social media can be a useful tool for learning beyond the classroom.
At the 2025 Eastern Educational Research Association Conference, Chin-Yi Huang, a doctoral student in the Curriculum and Instruction program at Â鶹ÊÓƵ, presented their research on “A Bibliometric Analysis of TPACK Research in Higher Education: Mapping Trends, Themes, and Applications (2014–2024).â€Â
The National Hispanic Institute has recognized Â鶹ÊÓƵ student Marisol Gonzalez Flores as one of its College Students of the Year 2024.
Â鶹ÊÓƵ President Michael Driscoll and Â鶹ÊÓƵ’s proposed college of osteopathic medicine Founding Dean Miko Rose are featured on “Our Region’s Business,†a news show jointly produced by the Allegheny Conference and Pittsburgh’s WPXI-TV.
For the past two summers, artist Sean Derry has lived on the south side of Kachemak Bay while carefully deconstructing a homesteading cabin dating from Alaska’s statehood. Sean’s exhibition “From Always Until Now†opened at Bunnell Street Arts Center on March 7 and will remain on display until April 2.
Â鶹ÊÓƵ’s English Graduate Organization will offer its 2025 Conference, “Landscapes of Language and Literature,†on March 21 and 22. The conference will be offered both in person in Â鶹ÊÓƵ’s Sprowls Hall and via Zoom. It is free and open to the community.
Â鶹ÊÓƵ will celebrate employees who have completed 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, and 35 years of service to the university during the Employee Service Awards brunch in the Blue Room on Wednesday, March 26, 2025.
Matt Vetter, with co-authors Jialei Jiang and Zachary McDowell, recently published an article titled “An Endangered Species: How LLMs Threaten Wikipedia’s Sustainability†in the journal AI & Society.
The Associates for Student Development 2025 Résumé Project has officially wrapped up, and ASD has received all final submissions.
On February 15, 2025, the Â鶹ÊÓƵ Hackathon Team participated in the Nation Center of Academic Excellence – Northeast Cyber Competition. The team secured a first-place finish in the CTF section and ninth place overall against 12 other cyber teams from US colleges and universities.
Â鶹ÊÓƵ has named Edel Reilly to the position of dean of the College of Education and Human Services. She transitioned to this role on February 8.
The Keystone Wind Ensemble received an invitation to perform at the 2025 Texas Bandmasters Association Conference, July 24–26 in San Antonio, Texas. It is anticipated that over 6,500 people will attend the conference, including 2,400 band directors and more than 600 industry-related exhibitors.
Jackson White, a political science and economics honors double major in the Cook Honors College at Â鶹ÊÓƵ, was approved to serve as a student trustee on the Â鶹ÊÓƵ Council of Trustees by the Pennsylvania State System Board of Governors at its meeting on February 6.
John Wesley Lowery presented legislative and public policy updates at the ASCA annual conference in Portland. He received the inaugural Legacy of Excellence Award for his significant contributions to student conduct. A long-time ASCA member, he has received multiple awards and presented policy updates over 20 times
David Wachob, professor and chair of the Department of Career and Wellness Education, recently visited the Robinson School in San Juan, PR, to secure a student teaching agreement for Â鶹ÊÓƵ students.
Hotel, Restaurant, Tourism, and Event Management students Jade Peffer, Sky Eakin-Irwin, Sarah Johnson, and Ben Salvo, with faculty member Stephen B. Shiring, volunteered to work the information booth on Gobbler’s Knob for Groundhog’s Day 2025.
Following an eight-year hiatus, the Keystone Wind Ensemble returned to Â鶹ÊÓƵ in November 2023 to present a reunion concert. Based on the success of that performance, the ensemble returned in November 2024 for a second performance. Approximately 60 musicians returned to Â鶹ÊÓƵ for a series of rehearsals that culminated in a performance on November 3, 2024.
The Department of Anthropology, Geospatial and Earth Sciences congratulates our students named as Provost Scholars. To be named a Provost Scholar, students must have earned a minimum of 45 semester hours at Â鶹ÊÓƵ with a cumulative grade point average of 3.5 or higher. Provost Scholar recognition is given only once during a student’s time of study at Â鶹ÊÓƵ.
The Department of Anthropology, Geospatial and Earth Sciences congratulates our students for being named to the Dean’s List for fall 2024. Students receive this recognition for each semester in which they earn a GPA of 3.25 or higher while taking a minimum of 12 credits.
Mimi Benjamin, Claire Hamshire, and Alan Soong Swee Kit published a study in Teaching and Learning Inquiry on peer mentoring for underrepresented students in the UK, USA, and Singapore. They developed a model highlighting social connections, shared experiences, and trust as key to belonging
Ronnie Fleck and Evan Sala were the top performers in the fall 2024 CFA Society Pittsburgh Collegiate Stock Picker Challenge session, beating out 191 students from more than 15 local universities in the largest competition to date.
On January 11, Culinary Academy faculty Chef Thomas Barnes and Chef Erin Reed attended the Pennsylvania Farm Show in Harrisburg, PA, accompanied by select culinary and baking students.
Â鶹ÊÓƵ’s Academy of Culinary Arts Ice Carving Club will be creating its annual tribute to Punxsutawney Phil and Groundhog Day with an ice carving of Phil on Gobbler’s Knob as part of the community Groundhog Day celebration.
Matt Vetter, with co-authors Jialei Jiang and Brent Lucia, published a new article titled “From Hype to Practice: Reinterpreting the Writing Process Through Technical Writing Students’ Engagement with ChatGPT†in the journal Technical Communication Quarterly.
Following six years of “exemplary service to Â鶹ÊÓƵ,†Vice President for Administration and Finance Debra L. Fitzsimons has accepted the position of chief financial officer at Allegheny College in Meadville, Â鶹ÊÓƵ President Michael Driscoll said.
A team of Â鶹ÊÓƵ students presented their research at the Appalachian Collegiate Research Initiative (ACRI), a grant-funded program of the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC). The 2024 ACRI conference, held December 6–7 in Washington, D.C., featured projects from students representing 15 colleges and universities. These projects addressed a range of pressing regional issues, from economic revitalization to environmental sustainability, showcasing innovative, community-centered solutions.
Dr. Amanda Poole, Professor of Anthropology, Department of Anthropology, Geospatial and Earth Sciences, recently participated in the 66th African Studies Association (ASA) Annual Meeting, held in Chicago, Illinois, from December 12–14, 2024. The ASA Annual Meeting, the largest gathering of Africanist scholars in the world, is the flagship event of the association and brought together over 2,000 scholars and professionals under the theme Global Africa.
The Student Managed Investment Portfolio organization just wrapped up another successful semester in fall 2024. The club welcomed numerous new members as analysts, many of them first-semester freshmen, who brought renewed energy to the organization.
The Â鶹ÊÓƵ Economics Club wishes to thank the alumni and other guest speakers who met with students during the fall 2024 semester! From each one, students learned valuable insights about career pathways, tips for greater academic success, and networking suggestions.
Â鶹ÊÓƵ’s Criminal Justice Training Center has finalized an agreement with CNX Resources in Canonsburg to serve as the Pittsburgh region’s satellite site for the Center’s municipal police academy (Act 120) training.
Â鶹ÊÓƵ alumnus Dominic Rocco ’23 and Department of Finance and Economics student Gabe Kengersky presented breakout sessions as part of the Future Business Leaders of America Region 3 Leadership Conference held at Â鶹ÊÓƵ for high school students on December 16, 2024.
Treylor Shirley ’21 successfully concluded the 12-week NMT Capstone Semester at Penn State while he was at Â鶹ÊÓƵ. This life-altering experience kindled his enthusiasm for nanotechnology, prompting him to strive for a master’s degree and presently a PhD at Penn State.
John A. Mueller, SAHE professor emeritus, will receive ACPA’s 2025 Esther Lloyd-Jones Professional Service Award at the association’s annual convention in February 2025.
Officer Brayden Bumgardner was recently sworn into service by Indiana County Magisterial District Judge Anthony Sottile III.
Undergraduate students receive recognition on the Dean’s List for each fall, spring, or summer term(s) in which they earn at least a 3.25 GPA based on at least 12 credits of graded (not P/F) undergraduate coursework, or a combination of graded graduate and undergraduate coursework.Â
Bryna Siegel Finer, Department of Language, Literature, and Writing, has been selected as the incoming co-editor of the journal “Peitho.â€
Bryna Siegel Finer, Department of Language, Literature, and Writing, published a new book with Peter Lang, “Confronting Toxic Rhetoric: Writing Teachers’ Experiences of Rupture, Resistance, and Resilience.â€
The Â鶹ÊÓƵ Men’s Rugby Club, a significant part of Â鶹ÊÓƵ’s sports legacy, recently added another feather to its cap by winning its fourth national championship. Head Coach Seth Erwin was asked about the sport, its history at Â鶹ÊÓƵ, and the team.
Celebrate the achievements of our graduates with a photo gallery capturing memorable moments from our Winter 2024 Commencement Ceremony. Relive the joy, pride, and excitement of this special day!
The Pennsylvania Drone Association selected Â鶹ÊÓƵ for its 2024 Ellie Education Award, recognizing Â鶹ÊÓƵ as “an educational institution that has helped to elevate the drone industry in our commonwealth in a meaningful and significant way. “
Caleb Rokosky and Jessica Delaney shared their experiences from the Kopchick Summer Internship at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center at a November 1 presentation, highlighting how it boosted their academic and professional development. Funded by John and Char Kopchick, the internship offers valuable research opportunities for Â鶹ÊÓƵ students in relevant programs.
Kristopher Marinas, 32, will be honored during Â鶹ÊÓƵ’s December commencement for graduating with a perfect 4.0 grade point average—all while working as a full-time night shift custodian in the university’s Administration and Finance Division.
Â鶹ÊÓƵ will hold a commencement ceremony on December 14 for 563 graduates who have completed academic requirements for their degrees in December and January 2025.
Three students at Â鶹ÊÓƵ have been selected for Â鶹ÊÓƵ’s Justice Research Fellowship program offered through the Â鶹ÊÓƵ Administration and Leadership Studies Research and Training Center.
In conjunction with Â鶹ÊÓƵ’s Giving Tuesday/Month of Giving initiative, Â鶹ÊÓƵ Ambassadors donated $800 from the group’s Homecoming parade first-place float prize to the Â鶹ÊÓƵ Food Pantry and Help Center.
Students who were recognized as Â鶹ÊÓƵ Provost Scholars for fall 2024.
Â鶹ÊÓƵ’s Office of International Education has been successful in helping a fifteenth international student—Sylvia Mukasa, from Nairobi, Kenya—secure an Emergency Student Fund Award from the Institute of International Education Emergency Fund.
Â鶹ÊÓƵ’s Director of Strategic Partnerships Christina Koren has been selected for the Pennsylvania Business Central’s “Foremost Under 40 2024.â€
Edited by Andrew Zhou and his colleague, the newly published book “1D and 2D Nanomaterials for Sensor Applications†showcases breakthroughs in the use of advanced one- and two-dimensional nanomaterials for sensor technologies.
Miko Rose, the founding dean of Â鶹ÊÓƵ’s proposed college of osteopathic medicine, will join KDKA Newsradio host Larry Richert and Rich Fitzgerald on The Big K Morning Show on Wednesday, November 27.
John Lattanzio, Department of Mathematical and Computer Sciences, published a mathematical text titled "Essential Linear Algebra." The 824-page textbook is adaptable for use in both introductory and advanced courses and serves as an invaluable resource for the fundamental aspects of linear algebra.
Â鶹ÊÓƵ has been recognized by the All In Campus Democracy Challenge as a 2024 All In Most Engaged Campus for College Student Voting.
Mattie Updyke, a second-year Student Affairs in Higher Education student, received the 2024 Nancy Newkerk Scholarship for outstanding contributions to student advocacy, especially supporting LGBTQIA students. The award was presented during the annual SAHE Thanksgiving celebration, recognizing Mattie’s commitment to student growth, inclusion, and collaboration in higher education
Parker Bradley, an undergraduate from the Madia Department of Chemistry, Biochemistry, and Physics, earned recognition as one of the Top 10 Undergraduate Poster Presenters at the American Chemical Society's Central Regional Meeting.
Francis Allard has been awarded a Research Grant for Foreign Scholars by the Center for Chinese Studies in Taiwan.
Kalynne Ziegler, a senior undergraduate student in the Health and Physical Education Teacher Education program, was recognized as the 2024 recipient of the Outstanding Future Professional Award.
Asher Skiles '24 presented his innovative research on chiral active matter, using hexbug chains to model microtubule dynamics, and shared insights on REU applications and his transfer experience to the University of Pittsburgh at a recent event hosted by the Pre-Engineering and Physics Clubs.
Mike Sell shared his thoughts on the role of intertextual reference, collaborative dramaturgy, and tabletop roleplaying games on the most recent "Dungeons + Drama Nerds" podcast.
A local performance of "Fiddler on the Roof," produced by the Hope Springs Eternal Holocaust Project, featured several people with Â鶹ÊÓƵ connections.
Â鶹ÊÓƵ students Erika Jackson and Monserrat Lopez Villagomez, president of the Â鶹ÊÓƵ Latino Student Organization, presented “Uniting Through Culture: How Student-Led Programming Led to 200+ Attendees†at the 2024 PASSHE Summit: Uniting for Inclusive Student Success.
Dana Driscoll (professor of writing, Department of Language, Literatures, and Writing; director of the Center for Scholarly Communication) and Islam Farag (doctoral candidate, Composition and Applied Linguistics PhD program) published about the Jones White Writing Center's Graduate Editing Service in the latest issue of The Peer Review. Â
Erin Reed, a chef instructor at Â鶹ÊÓƵ's Academy of Culinary Arts, recently took top honors at the American Culinary Federation's Pastry Chef of the Year competition, in Phoenix, Arizona. Each of the three finalists were tasked with entering two plated desserts in the competition, and the judges picked Reed's as the best. Learn more about Chef Reed and her big win in this video.
Recently retired biology professor and university volunteer Tom Simmons moderated a session and gave two talks at the fiftieth anniversary Pennsylvania Vector Control Association meeting.
The Â鶹ÊÓƵ Literature and Criticism program was well-represented at the recent Festival of Monsters conference hosted by the University of California Santa Cruz’s Center for Monster Studies, October 16–18.
Miko Rose, founding dean of Â鶹ÊÓƵ’s proposed college of osteopathic medicine, has been named one of Pennsylvania’s Fifty Over 50 by "City & State Pennsylvania."
Â鶹ÊÓƵ piano professor Henry Wong Doe performed a solo recital at the Beckwith Recital Series, University of North Carolina Wilmington, on Friday, October 25, 2024.
Twelve Â鶹ÊÓƵ archeologists participated in service events at Historic Hanna’s Town in Westmoreland County and at the historic Lebanon Cemetery in York, PA, on Saturday, October 26.
Abigail Hancox, a first-year student in the Student Affairs in Higher Education program, has been appointed to the PASSHE Chancellor Search Committee. She also serves on the Board of Governors and studies public affairs at the master's level.
A pair of communications media majors, Emily Marines and Riley Yonchiuk, joined a rare club when they handled the play-by-play and color commentary duties for the streaming broadcast of the Â鶹ÊÓƵ vs. Clarion football game at Miller Stadium.
"Untold Stories of Pennsylvania Parks and Forests" launched with a new website and presentations at the Pennsylvania Historical Association annual meeting.
Amanda Poole, Department of Anthropology, Geospatial and Earth Sciences, joined colleagues around the world for a virtual panel discussion on October 16 focused on her cowritten ethnography, "Hosting States and Unsettled Guests: Eritrean Refugees in a Time of Migration Deterrence."
An Â鶹ÊÓƵ student has been named to the Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education Board of Governors, the chairman of the Â鶹ÊÓƵ Council of Trustees has been reappointed to the Board, and an Â鶹ÊÓƵ alumnus has been appointed to complete an unexpired term on the Board.
The following message was shared with all students on October 21, 2024:
The latest research from Devki Talwar, Madia Department of Chemistry, Biochemistry, and Physics, explores the thermal and vibrational behavior of carbon-based superlattices composed of binary materials.
Â鶹ÊÓƵ’s Miko Rose, the founding dean of Â鶹ÊÓƵ’s proposed college of osteopathic medicine, was an invited presenter for the 2024 Osteopathic Medical Education Conference, the world’s largest gathering of osteopathic physicians.
Â鶹ÊÓƵ's "The Pathfinder" has debuted a new website that will house recent issues of the publication, in case you missed your weekly email.
Chauna Craig (Department of Language, Literature, and Writing) was recently awarded a competitive arts residency this past September at Craigardan, an interdisciplinary residency program located in Elizabethtown, New York.
Mimi Benjamin, professor of Student Affairs in Higher Education, served as a keynote speaker for the Association of College and University Housing Officers – International/Residential College Society’s joint conference in Portland, Oregon, on October 8, 2024.
Â鶹ÊÓƵ Anthropology faculty recently published research about the resolution of skeletal commingling in an invited issue of the Journal of Forensic Sciences.
Francis Allard and Ben Ford, both anthropologists in the Department of Anthropology, Geospatial and Earth Sciences, recently presented their research as public lectures.
Family and consumer sciences education senior, Trinity Boland, won first place at the Salvation Army’s Runway Repurposed fashion show in Pittsburgh on May 22, 2024. Trinity submitted an original design and participated in the runway event.
Alexis Shirk, a family and consumer sciences education undergraduate student, received the 2024 Pennsylvania Association of Family and Consumer Sciences Undergraduate Scholarship award.
Michelle Tweardy, Family and Consumer Sciences Education program coordinator and faculty member, represented the Pennsylvania Association of Family and Consumer Sciences at the American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences National Leadership Summit.
Â鶹ÊÓƵ music alumni Dennis ('75 MA '82) and Elizabeth Cramer ('76) and David Earnest ('23) recently performed for "Last Fridays at the Museum," sponsored by the Pennsylvania Trolley Museum in Washington, PA.
Luke Nicosia M'24 published his thesis research in Westmoreland History. The research focused on an archaeological investigation of New Alexandria, PA, to understand how the damming of the Loyalhanna River affected the town.
Shijuan Liu gave an invited keynote speech at the 2024 ChinaCALL Conference and International Congress on English Language Education and Applied Linguistics, held in Beijing, China, August 23–25.
What if your internship could take you from the classroom to the White House? For Kiyana Tucker, it did! Her internship quickly became more than just an addition to her résumé, developing into an experience filled with professional growth, hands-on experience, networking opportunities, and personal enrichment.
Todd Cunningham, who has nearly three decades of experience in higher education information technology, most recently as executive director of Information Technology Services at Â鶹ÊÓƵ, has been named Â鶹ÊÓƵ’s chief information officer.
Anthropology faculty members William Chadwick and Andrea Palmiotto from Â鶹ÊÓƵ, Department of Anthropology, Geospatial and Earth Sciences, were honored to be invited by US Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III to the National POW/MIA Recognition Day at the Pentagon in Washington, DC on September 20, 2024.
The PA Community College Consortium Cooperative Agreement (PC4A) has awarded scholarships to five community college transfer students, providing one year of free tuition in AY 2024–25.
Â鶹ÊÓƵ’s Associate Vice President for International Education and Global Engagement and Executive Director of the American Language Institute Michele Petrucci has been honored for excellence by the Pennsylvania Council for International Education.
Francisco Alarcón of the Department of Mathematical and Computer Sciences has been selected to serve a four-year term on the Haimo Teaching Award by the Mathematical Association of America.
Mimi Benjamin, professor in the Student Affairs in Higher Education program, has been appointed to the NASPA: Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education 2026 National Conference Leadership Committee.
The Office of the Provost has announced the promotion of several faculty members to full professor effect the fall 2024 semester.
The Force is definitely with Â鶹ÊÓƵ’s Thomas Oraskovich, a senior sociology and political science major from Homer City. Oraskovich completed his second year in Â鶹ÊÓƵ’s Undergraduate Summer Opportunities for Applying Research (USOAR) program with his research project, “Rebels vs. Terrorists: Star Wars Rebels and Political Implications.â€
A social studies education major and political science minor from Pittsburgh had the experience of a lifetime this summer as an intern in the office of Senator John Fetterman in Washington, DC.
Silas Gesser, a senior in Â鶹ÊÓƵ’s Hotel, Restaurant, Tourism, and Event Management bachelor’s degree program from Westmoreland County, has been awarded the prestigious Statler Foundation’s Scholarship of Excellence.
Cellist Linda Jennings and pianist Chindarat Charoenwongse will present the first recital of the Â鶹ÊÓƵ season in Gorell Hall on Tuesday evening, September 3, at 7:00 p.m. The program will present traditional works alongside newer works, including Claude Debussy’s sonata, the slow movement of the Rachmaninoff sonata, and works by David Maslanka, Chen Yi, and Samuel Magrill. The recital is open and free to the public.
Mike Driscoll is not a university president by design. In high school, he took an interest in engineering and computers, so he went off to college to be an electrical engineer. But as it often does, life took another turn.