Cal U Review - Fall 2014

2014

FALL

WHERE INNOVATION FLOURISHES Southpointe center fosters creativity and connections PAGE 4

The California University of Pennsylvania Magazine

CAL U REVIEW FALL 2014 • VOL. 42 - NO. 3 The Cal U Review is published by the Office of Marketing and University Relations and is distributed free. Third class postage paid at California.

FROM THE INTERIM PRESIDENT

CHANCELLOR

Frank T. Brogan BOARD OF GOVERNORS

Guido M. Pichini, chairman Laura E. Ellsworth, vice chair Ronald G. Henry, vice chair; chair, Finance, Administration and Facilities Sen. Richard Alloway II Rep. Matthew E. Baker Jennifer G. Branstetter, Governor’s designee Marie Conley, chair, Academic and Student Affairs Gov. Tom Corbett Carolyn C. Dumaresq, acting Secretary of Education

Christopher H. Franklin Todd Garrett Chelsea E. Getsy Rep. Michael K. Hanna Jonathan B. Mack David M. Maser Joseph F. McGinn, chair, Audit Robert S. Taylor Aaron A. Walton, chair, Human Resources Sen. John T. Yudichak

CALIFORNIA UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA

Our Cal U community glitters with stars.

That was especially evident during Homecoming Week, when talented alumni, faculty and students lit up the stage for “Our Showcase of Stars,” a fundraiser supporting the Student Scholarship for Academics, Arts and Athletics.

Musicians and singers, comedians and actors provided an evening of unforgettable entertainment. Their performances capped off a signature event that introduced some of our most accomplished Cal U students to a group of extraordinary alumni and generous friends.

But one stage show doesn’t come close to telling the whole story.

Many of our students are stars in the classroom. They are competing successfully for prestigious scholarships. Their undergraduate research is attracting national attention, and they are landing internships that propel them toward rewarding careers.

Outside of class, our students engage in service-learning projects that are making a real difference in southwestern Pennsylvania and beyond. They are shattering the silence about the exploitation of children and teens, expanding the region’s food network and raising awareness about domestic violence and other important issues.

Our faculty also have star power. Among them are published authors and respected researchers whose scholarly endeavors have the potential to change lives. Whether they are winning national awards, making discoveries or awakening students to new ideas, they put our University on the map.

And our alumni? Within their ranks are stellar educators, industry leaders, military officers and artists, to name just a few. Best of all, many of our graduates return and share their talents with our students.

Won’t you join our constellation of stars? Whether your own special abilities lie in performance or productivity, service or leadership, we can use your skills. And we’ll welcome you back with applause.

With warm wishes,

Geraldine M. Jones, interim president Dr. Bruce Barnhart, acting provost and vice president for Academic Affairs Robert Thorn, vice president for Administration and Finance Craig Butzine, vice president for Marketing and University Relations Dr. Nancy Pinardi, interim vice president for Student Affairs

COUNCIL OF TRUSTEES

Lawrence Maggi ’79, chair Annette Ganassi, vice chair Roberta Betza R. Tyler Courtney Peter J. Daley II ’72, ’75 James T. Davis ’73

Michele M. Mandell ’69 Robert Miner, Jr. ’78 Thomas Uram Aaron Walton ’68 Kembia Munsanje, student member Frank T. Brogan, chancellor, ex-officio

ALUMNI ASSOCIATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Lynne (Moltz) Stout ’94, president Brian Fernandes ’99, ’00, vice president Jesse Hereda ’04, secretary Alan James ’62, treasurer Bobbi (Williams) Fetsko ’75, ’83, immediate past president Colleen (Murphy) Arnowitz ’75, ’97 Justin Binion ’11 Robert Crall ’10, ’12 Trinette (Schmidt) Cunningham ’93 Shelly (Fetchen) DiCesaro ’94

Mindi (D’Auria) Fisher ’07 David Gwyer ’65 Charles Kacsur ’08, ’09 Chase Loper ’10, ’12 Melissa McKean ’07 Dante Morelli ’02 Fred Retsch ’62, ’68 Abigail (Grant) Scheg ’07 Bryan (Tolle) Schuerman ’09 Judy (Durko) Zilkowski ’77, ’83

LIFETIME HONORARY MEMBERS

Paul Gentile ’62 Len Keller ’61 Anthony Lazzaro ’55

Michael Napolitano ’68 George Novak ’55

STUDENT MEMBERS

Kelsey DeNardo Jacob Giffin

Daniel Meighan Kirsti Roesner

EX-OFFICIO MEMBERS

Geraldine M. (Johns) Jones ’72, ’80, interim president Anthony Mauro '92, '93, associate vice president for University Development and Alumni Relations

Steven Stout ’85 Barbara Hess Leslie (Berdar) Fleenor, ’08

SAI BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Daniel Bickerton, student Zachary Bogardus, student-secretary Hope Cox, alumna Kelsey DeNardo, student-vice president Brendan Garay, student-treasurer Emily Lorence, student Brian Proud, student-president

Marc Roncone, alumnus Ashley Roth, alumna Bryan Schuerman, graduate student Tallen Stroman, student Dr. Donald Thompson, retired faculty Randy Tozzie, alumnus

EX-OFFICIO MEMBERS

Dr. Nancy Pinardi ’95, ’96, ’98, interim vice president for Student Affairs Leigh Ann Lincoln, chief financial officer, SAI Larry Sebek, interim associate vice president for Student Affairs FOUNDATION FOR CALIFORNIA UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Geraldine M. Jones Interim President, California University of Pennsylvania

Steven P. Stout ’85, president Armand E. Balsano ’74, vice president William R. Flinn ’68, secretary Paul Kania ’87, treasurer David L. Amati ’70 William R. Booker ’74 Robert E. Eberly III Ryan Fisher, student member Dr. Annette M. Kaleita ’55

Mitch Kozikowski Robert Lippencott ’66 Reginald A. Long ’81 Lawrence Maggi ’79 Michael A. Perry ’63 Dr. Harry E. Serene ’65 Linda H. Serene ‘64 William G. Stough

EX-OFFICIO MEMBERS

Interim President Geraldine M. Jones communicates regularly with the campus community via e-mail and online. To see all her messages, visit www.calu.edu; click on “About Us” and choose “Meet the President.” To stay up-to-date with the latest happenings at Cal U, alumni may send their e-mail addresses to alumni@calu.edu.

Geraldine M. Jones ’72, ’80, interim president Anthony Mauro '92, '93, associate vice president for University Development and Alumni Relations Lynne Stout ’94, alumni association president CAL U REVIEW EDITOR

Christine Kindl WRITERS

Wendy Mackal Jeff Bender

Bruce Wald ’85

PHOTOGRAPHERS

Greg Sofranko S.C. Spangler

Roberto Esquivel

ON THE COVER Ethan Henderson (top) and Ezekiel Stuart watch a 3D printer create a project during a Mobile Makeshop® session organized by the Children's Museum of Pittsburgh and held at the Cal U Center for Innovation at Southpointe.

PAGE 18 Eli Wright, 8, of Brownsville, Pa., flips upside down on a bungee jump ride at Homecoming 2014. His parents are Harry and April Baringer Wright '99.

INSIDE DEPARTMENTS CAMPUS CLIPS

FEATURES

12–15

STUDENT SPOTLIGHT 16–17 ALUMNI NEWS

20

PAYING IT FORWARD

21

ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT

22–23

SPORTS PROFILE

25

SPORTS ROUNDUP

Where Innovation Flourishes

4

SAI Garden Project

26–27

MILESTONES 28–34

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Endless Possibilities For the second consecutive year, Cal U is ranked among the nation’s top 100 colleges by Educate to Career, whose fact-based analysis indicates which schools do the best job of improving graduates’ earnings potential and boosting their chances for quality employment. To learn more about the value Cal U delivers, visit educatetocareer.org.

The Cal U Center for Innovation at Southpointe sparks creativity and provides resources for families, businesses and communities.

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Students get hands-on lessons in sustainable agriculture at the SAI Farm, where 'learning never tasted so good.'

Positive Approach

New programs in Applied Behavior Analysis prepare special educators for board certification.

Revitalizing Haudenosaunee Culture Students transcribe historical texts to preserve Native American culture.

Fly Like an Eagle

A former ROTC cadet returns to campus as a U.S. Army colonel.

A NOTE TO OUR READERS The Cal U Review is published three times a year to keep you updated with alumni news and information from all four Colleges at California University. Both the current edition and back issues are available in an easy-to-read format online at www.calu.edu/news/cal-u-review, along with photos, videos and other special features “As Seen in the Review.”

FALL 2014 CAL U REVIEW 3 n

Dr. Stephen Whitehead (left), associate provost for innovation, joins community education manager Chris Allen at the center.

Where

innovation flourishes At Southpointe, Cal U’s Center for Innovation fosters creativity and connections

D

r. Stephen Whitehead, Cal U’s associate provost for innovation, insists that “innovation is a process, not a product.”

That’s the guiding principle behind the new California University of Pennsylvania Center for Innovation at Southpointe.

Located in Washington County’s thriving Southpointe business complex, the center is becoming a hub for creativity and a link to University resources.

“We are embracing the community,” Whitehead says. “The Innovation Center helps to strengthen the University’s brand and position Cal U as a leader and a regional resource.

“We want to engage the community through outreach activities involving career development, professional development, entrepreneurship and educational pathways.

We are here to provide resources that businesses and community members may not have known were available.”

Besides offering a creative space for the region’s entrepreneurs, the center provides educational programming for children, professional development for businesses 4 CAL U REVIEW FALL 2014 n

and school districts, and resources for the entire community.

“We know if we can get people in the building, we can excite them about what we are doing,” Whitehead says.

Connecting children to science

One of the center’s first priorities was to spark innovation through a series of children’s camps focused on STEAM — science, technology, engineering, arts and math.

A similar camp developed in collaboration with Southpointe tenant ANSYS had been a success on Cal U’s main campus in 2012, and it served as a model for the Innovation Center’s first program for children.

This summer, weekly Innovator Wednesdays camps engaged middle school students in hands-on projects built around themes such as space travel, architecture, civil engineering, videogame design, robotics and more.

“It took off faster than expected,” says Chris Allen, the center’s community education

manager. “We were averaging 15 to 18 campers per class by the end of the summer.

“The employees working in Southpointe started to find out about the camps, and they would drop off their children on their way to work.”

Tech-minded teens are stopping by, too. The Innovation Center is a FIRST® Robotics Tech Challenge Training and Testing Field for the popular national robotics competition. Teams from the Greater Pittsburgh region can rev up their robots on a playing field exactly like the one they’ll encounter at the 2015 regional challenge, which will be held this spring at the Cal U Convocation Center.

Family Play Labs, monthly events that began in November, encourage parents and their children to explore technologies such as 3D printing, animation software, robotics and app development.

And plans are under way to host a regional competitive gaming league through eSport, a flight simulator competition among school districts, a Future Innovators Guild for high school students and a Future Creators Guild for middle schoolers.

The Innovation Center helps to strengthen the University’s brand and position Cal U as a leader and a regional resource.

Summer campers learn about alternative fuels and the new BMW i3. The hybrid vehicle was brought to the class by Bobby Rahal BMW.

As awareness expands, new opportunities have come to the Innovation Center’s doorstep, Allen says.

“Parents whose children attended our camps started introducing us to parent groups at local school districts, where we were able to start conversations about how we could help them and develop stronger relationships.”

Dr. Stephen Whitehead, ASSOCIATE PROVOST FOR INNOVATION

Henry Drak, an instructor from the Children's Museum of Pittsburgh, leads a 3D printing activity at the Innovation Center.

Connecting corporations to communities

Whitehead and Allen recognize the center’s capacity for strengthening connections among school districts, businesses and the University. With its “whiteboard walls” and distance-learning labs, the center is poised to deliver professional development that sparks innovation and creativity.

“Companies at Southpointe are looking to be more innovative,” Whitehead says.

“We are working closely with schools and businesses to find out where creativity gets off track, and put together a curriculum to help re-establish and enhance creativity in the workplace.”

This fall, for example, the center hosted a focus group for teachers of gifted students from local school districts. In conversations led by Dr. Sarah Tambucci, director of the Arts Education Collaborative in Pittsburgh, the teachers identified a number of concerns.

The Arts Education Collaborative will review their comments and provide a report.

Based on those findings, the Innovation Center will partner with school districts to create professional development programs targeted to teachers’ needs.

“Cal U’s Innovation Center offers yet another opportunity for thinking about learning places and learning spaces for adults, as well as children and youth,” Tambucci says.

“The location of the center, at Southpointe, is an ideal way to focus on the synergy among education, community and industrial sectors. I anticipate that

this facility will … become a hub for opportunities and options for creativity and innovation.”

Allen expects that businesses will see the benefit of connecting with community resources.

“I really think the opportunity for the corporate world to engage with local school districts, and to connect in a way that wasn’t possible before, will stand out.”

Connecting entrepreneurs to the region

Innovation is often linked to entrepreneurship, and the center is fostering that connection. Up-and-coming business owners can rent “creative space” for meetings, use expertise available through the center, or simply make connections here.

“We are not trying to be the experts in innovation,” Whitehead says. “The center

should be the first step toward finding an expert. That could be a professor at Cal U or a company in Southpointe. Building these connections will advance the goals of the center while expanding its resources.”

The center also is developing an “ecosystem of innovation,” with the goal of connecting Washington County entrepreneurs to the thriving community of like-minded business owners in the Pittsburgh metro area.

“The great startup community in Pittsburgh has an incredible synergy that we want to bring to Washington County,” Whitehead says.

“We want to lead that charge so we are developing connections and expanding the Pittsburgh startup ecosystem across the entire region. We are just touching the surface of what is possible in this venture.”

By Jeff Bender, PR/Web writer at Cal U

WHAT’S HAPPENING? The California University of Pennsylvania Center for Innovation at Southpointe is located at 135 Technology Drive, in the Southpointe business complex in Canonsburg, Pa. To learn about upcoming events, visit www.calu.edu/innovation.

To inquire about space for a corporate meeting, business presentation or training event, contact Christopher Allen at 724-873-2765 or allen@calu.edu.

FALL 2014 CAL U REVIEW 5 n

Growing

opportunities Students practice sustainable agriculture at SAI Farm

T

he Sycamore Bistro, tucked away in a corner of the campus Quad, is a healthy, happening place. For one thing, it serves Starbucks coffee, ever popular with the Cal U crowd.

For another, it’s in Herron Hall, right next to the fitness center. For the health-conscious, healthy wraps and salads — piled high and stuffed full of tomatoes, lettuce, onions and peppers — are always on the menu.

This year, thanks to a partnership between AVI dining services and the Student Association Inc., some of the produce in recipes and toppings at the Bistro came from a garden at SAI Farm, a 94-acre property adjacent to Roadman Park on Cal U’s upper campus.

Two students, senior Marshall Lefebvre, an environmental studies major, and junior Jacob Williams, a history major with a minor in environmental sciences, spent their summer planting, nurturing and harvesting garden-fresh produce destined for the Bistro.

“It was a good experience,” says Lefebvre, president of the Horticulture Club at Cal U. “Jake and I had very little experience with gardening before that.

“Learning something new never tasted so good.”

Sustainable agriculture

The garden project is one of many academic opportunities involving faculty and students under the umbrella of ICES — the Interdisciplinary Center for Environmental Studies — at SAI Farm.

The garden is intended to teach students about sustainable agriculture and where their food comes from, says Dr. Sarah Meiss, associate professor in the Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences and ICES’ assistant director.

“It has to be sustainable for the environment, it has to be a sustainable business that pays a decent wage, and it has to be healthy for people,” Meiss explains.

6 CAL U REVIEW FALL 2014 n

Student Jacob Williams gets hands-on experience with gardening.

“We started the Horticulture Club for students so they can learn how to plan and take care of a garden.”

The goal is to keep things as natural as possible, including using rain-collection barrels for irrigation.

“We don’t want to use pesticides or herbicides, and we’re OK with that, because it’s the best way to do it. With gardening, you just have to try it. This might die; we might get bugs; there might be deer and turkeys (eating the crops).

“And you know what? Things died. But a lot of things grew. The students did a fantastic job.”

The Horticulture Club also constructed cold frames,

which protect plants and extend the growing season. The Botany Club has helped to prepare garden beds and will monitor seeds as they germinate over the winter.

“Salad greens work well in cold frames,” Lefebvre explains.

Community resource

Sustainable agriculture is Meiss’ passion, and she has a vision for the role Cal U could play in expanding and supporting it locally.

For example, “how can we here, at Cal U, create a group or organization that could help to organize the local farms in Fayette, Greene and Washington counties so they could have a market in Pittsburgh?” she asks.

Meiss has developed relationships with the Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture, which connects farmers and consumers looking for sustainably produced food; the Pittsburgh Food Policy Council, which focuses on urban planning, food access, food distribution, and health and nutrition; the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission, which provides planning assistance for a 10-county region; and the Fay-Penn Economic Development Council, which guides policies in Fayette County.

We want to be an educational foundation for all of that, a center where we can bring together farmers and producers.

Dr. Sarah Meiss ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR, DEPARTMENT OF BIOLOGICAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES

These organizations say that local food production is not only environmentally sound, it’s also an investment in the region’s economy.

“If we invest in producing the food here, if we invest in the local companies that deliver it, if we invest in the restaurants that serve it, that money stays in the Pittsburgh area,” Meiss says.

Marshall Lefebvre, president of the Horticulture Club, says 'learning something new never tasted so good.'

“We want to be an educational foundation for all of that, a center where we can bring together farmers and producers.”

Cal U students, too, are learning about the economics of sustainable agriculture.

“It goes beyond us just learning about keeping critters out of a garden,” Lefebvre says. “Dr. Pamela Twiss recently brought social work students out to the farm, and we talked to them about local produce and sustainable agriculture from a financial independence perspective.”

Seeds of possibility

The hands-on learning opportunities on a 94-acre farm are numerous.

Meiss and her students have a list, ranging from green-lighted projects to big dreams.

“Beehives have been approved,” she says. “I want our students to see that an integrated farm, with beehives and pollinators and fruits and vegetables, is a way that anyone can live.”

Emily Murray, who expects to graduate in May with a degree in environmental studies, was part of a Horticulture Club crew that planted 20 pawpaw trees at the farm this fall. Pawpaws produce tropical-like fruit but are hardy in Pennsylvania’s climate.

"They’re native to this part of the country,” Murray says. “The fruit isn’t usually sold in stores, because it doesn’t ship well. That’s such an important concept in sustainable agriculture, to plant native things that don’t disrupt the environment and to buy seasonally.”

On Meiss’ list is a project for students in entomology classes.

“I’d like them to design a bed that would encourage pollinators and attract other insects that would benefit the garden,” she says.

It’s possible that the only thing growing faster than the vegetables is the enthusiasm for all the projects that might take root at the farm.

“I absolutely love it,” Meiss says.

“Everyone is so supportive, and the students are learning so much. I tell them, ‘You are all smart. Sometimes you have an idea that I never even thought of.’ And then they’ll ask if they can try it.

“And I say, ‘Yes! Let’s go do it!’”

By Wendy Mackall, assistant communications director at Cal U

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POSITIVE

APPROACH New Applied Behavior Analysis programs prepare students for board certification

D

r. Richard Dowell, principal of The Mon Valley School, was delighted to learn that 10 new iPads had arrived.

Cal U’s Department of Special Education received funding to provide the iPads, and $500 in iTunes gift cards, for use at the special education school in Jefferson Hills, Pa. The Edith L. Trees Charitable Trust provided the grant, which allows Mon Valley School teachers — including eight preservice teachers from Cal U — to use the tablets with children in grades K-12.

“Our biggest goal is to give students

access to the community and get them as independent as possible,” says Dowell. “The use of technology is huge for these children.”

Managing behavior

An educational approach taught at Cal U also is paying off, both for students with special needs and for the professionals who work with them.

Applied Behavior Analysis, or ABA, has gained traction in the media and among parents as an effective approach for bringing about meaningful changes in behavior,

Special education major Bryanna Greene works with a pupil at The Mon Valley School, where Cal U students gain clinical experience.

especially in children with autism. The developmental disability affects an estimated 1 in 68 children across the United States.

“Special education at Cal U has its roots in Applied Behavior Analysis, and has for 40 or 50 years,” says Dr. Katherine Mitchem, a professor in the Special Education Department.

“We were one of the first programs that used ABA as a conceptual model, and we continue to look for ways to incorporate advanced training for our students.”

Applied Behavior Analysis focuses on approaches such as positive reinforcement and encouraging structured routines throughout the day. Although ABA is perhaps best known for its use with children with autism and other disabilities, large corporations also use “organizational behavior management” to improve worker productivity.

“When we talk about behavior, it’s not just about children who act out, but everything humans do,” says Mitchem. “Our students are getting a taste of this in their courses, and they want to better understand why people behave the way they do.”

New ABA programs

To meet the need for specialists in this field, Cal U will offer two ABA programs beginning in summer 2015: a Master of Education in Applied Behavior Analysis, and a Board Certified Behavior Analyst Preparation Certificate program.

Students who complete the programs will meet the requirements to take a certification exam and become board certified behavior analysts — professionals who can design behavior plans, monitor their execution and supervise people providing behavioral therapy services.

Many of these professionals supervise teachers who work with children on the autism spectrum, or provide support with school-wide behavior issues. Others work with children in foster care, or in elder care or corporate settings.

The Mon Valley School is just one location where Cal U students can gain clinical experience.

“Students in the ABA program will have the opportunity to work in many different variations of Applied Behavior Analysis through our practicum sites,” says Dr. Peter Heh, coordinator of Cal U’s new ABA programs.

“What is going to make Cal U stand out are the practicum placements we are going to offer. The possibilities are endless once a student becomes certified.”

For more information about Cal U’s Applied Behavior Analysis programs, visit www.calu.edu.

By Jeff Bender, PR/Web writer at Cal U 8 CAL U REVIEW FALL 2014 n

REVITALIZING

HAUDENOSAUNEE

CULTURE

Students transcribe historical texts to preserve Native American names, folklore

W

orking on an international project to preserve the culture of Native American nations may be a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

But for students in Dr. Keat Murray’s Early American Literature class, such projects have become quite familiar. His students recently compiled a database of traditional names that have fallen out of use among the six Haudenosaunee nations, and now they are transcribing traditional narratives of Haudenosaunee culture.

“When I was completing my doctoral dissertation, I was using a lot of 18thcentury manuscripts for my research,” says Murray, an assistant professor in the Department of English.

“So when I was approached about working to transcribe parts of Native American culture, I was very excited to bring that to my students.”

Scholars at Six Nations Polytechnic, an indigenous community-based learning center in Ohsweken, Ontario, commissioned the American Philosophical Society to transcribe and create a database of the 6,200 traditional Haudenosaunee names collected by Mohawk ethnographer Charles A. Cook from 1900-1951.

Through his relationship with the society, Murray was able to involve a class he was teaching at Swarthmore College. When he came to Cal U, he brought the project with him.

The database will have a significant cultural impact for generations of Six Nations tribal members, who will study it and use it in revitalizing linguistic and cultural information.

“It's not often that you get a chance to work on a project of this caliber in an undergraduate setting, so I was thrilled to have that opportunity,” says Cal U senior Shawn Reese, who is studying creative writing.

“Working from Cooke's original manuscript was a great way for me to learn more about the Haudenosaunee culture and to provide a service for the Six Nations that will hopefully be of some use for future generations.”

By the time Murray presented the class’s findings and the completed database at a conference at Six Nations Polytechnic in October, his students already were at work on a second project.

Early American Literature students, along with Dr. Clarissa Confer’s Native American History students, are working to transcribe 84 of the 157 narratives in ethnologist Frederick Wilkerson Waugh’s collection of Haudenosaunee stories.

The project will be completed under the auspices of the LaDonna Harris Native American Studies Institute at Cal U. Students at the University of Pennsylvania will transcribe the remaining stories.

“Projects like these allow me to further exercise scholarly skills such as analysis,

Rick Hill (right), director of the Indigenous Knowledge Centre at Six Nations Polytechnic, presents a Covenant Chain wampum belt to American Philosophical Society archivist Brian Carpenter (center) and Cal U English professor Dr. Keat Murray.

WHO ARE THE HAUDENOSAUNEE? Haudenosaunee (pronounced HOH den oh SHAWN ee) is the traditional name for the Iroquois Confederacy, which was formed in the 1500s and is currently composed of six nations: the Onondaga, Oneida, Seneca, Mohawk, Cayuga and Tuscarora.

Their ancestral lands lie largely in upstate New York and Canada.

interpretation and synthesis. Because of this, I've grown as a writer,” says senior Deven L. Bourquin, who is studying creative writing and journalism.

“These are the kinds of projects that have an impact,” Murray says. “There are many projects that sit in a drawer after they are completed, but this is something that is going to revitalize traditional Haudenosaunee culture in ways that the Six Nations determine.

“Many of these names are linked to historical events, and students begin to see how culture can continue through their own efforts.”

By Jeff Bender, PR/Web writer at Cal U FALL 2014 CAL U REVIEW 9 n

A ‘SECOND LIFE’

WELL LIVED Noss lecturer, a transplant patient, discusses mental health

A

s the 2014 speaker for the Noss Lecture Series, Dr. Richard Cavasina imparted insights gained during a distinguished career in psychology, and as the recipient of a life-saving liver transplant.

“All of us have mental health issues, whether we acknowledge them or not,” Cavasina told the audience in Steele Hall Mainstage Theatre.

“It’s important to consider what you can do for your own mental health that helps with your career goals and helps in your job.”

Cavasina, a member of the Psychology Department for 28 years, retired from Cal U in 2012 and was named an emeritus professor the following year.

Shortly after he retired, Cavasina received a liver transplant at Allegheny General Hospital. He now serves as director of the patient advocacy program at the Pittsburgh-based Abdominal Transplant Institute, which helps to support transplant patients and their families through surgery and the recovery process.

As a Noss lecturer, Cavasina joins a list of renowned speakers who have appeared on campus. The contemporary lecture series was introduced in 1983, reviving a tradition begun in the late 19th century

by Theodore B. Noss, principal of the South-Western State Normal School, a forerunner of Cal U. In his address Cavasina expressed gratitude for the support he received from his wife, Toni, during his six-year wait for a new organ, as well as after his surgery. The couple continues to meet regularly with transplant patients and their families to answer questions, offer advice and listen to their concerns.

Cavasina also conducts research regarding psychological issues involved with transplantation.

After struggling with depression and other mental health symptoms during the worst of his illness, Cavasina says the transplant has given him “a second life.”

“You can’t do this by yourself. You have to have support,” he says. “Today, I have a greater respect for life. I’ve learned that it’s the little things, not the big things, that truly matter.”

By Christine Kindl, communications director at Cal U

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An alumnus marks his promotion to U.S. Army colonel

S

hortly before Lance Oskey graduated in 1993, his family and friends gathered in Old Main to watch the young ROTC cadet accept his first military commission, as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army.

After deployments to Korea, Iraq and Afghanistan, and a number of stateside assignments, Oskey returned to campus this summer to mark another significant milestone in a distinguished military career.

This time family, friends and a number of Army colleagues celebrated his promotion to the rank of colonel.

“Colonels run our Army,” says Col. Robert Mundell ’86, who presided over the ceremony in the Kara Alumni House. “Achieving the rank of colonel is a significant step in the career of a military officer.”

Fewer than half of the Army’s eligible lieutenant colonels are selected for promotion, explains Mundell, chair of the Department of Command Leadership and Management at the U.S. Army War College, where Oskey is completing a master’s degree.

“Lance has clearly demonstrated the potential to lead the Army in positions of increasing responsibility, and will do so with distinction.”

Capt. Robert Prah ’06, ’10, director of Veterans Affairs at Cal U, read aloud the military orders that made Oskey’s promotion official, and Mundell administered the oath of office.

Then Oskey’s father, mother and brother Eric exchanged the oak leaf cluster on his shirt to reflect his new rank. His wife, Amy Boehm Oskey ’94, and their 15-year-old son, Lucas, replaced the shoulder boards on his uniform jacket.

Oskey’s relatives chuckled when he promised to pass on the new epaulettes with the eagle insignia to the first of his nephews to become a colonel.

Noting that his wife and son had moved a dozen times during his career, Oskey added, “I know it’s been a difficult path, but both of you have made me a better person, and so a better officer. For that, I thank you.”

Col. Lance Oskey '93 (right) raises his hand as Col. Robert Mundell '86 administers the oath of office that makes Oskey's promotion official.

Oskey studied business as a Cal U undergraduate, “but I was always more dedicated to the military science curriculum than to my academic studies,” he recalls.

“I thoroughly enjoyed my time here, especially with ROTC. It was a good mix between a small-college atmosphere and the great experiences you’d expect at a larger school. I always felt part of a community.”

With so many California graduates among his circle of family and friends, Oskey felt strongly that Cal U was where he wanted to celebrate his promotion.

“There’s a degree of balance, after being commissioned here 21 years ago.”

When Oskey completes his studies at the Army War College, he will be prepared to serve at the national and strategic level. Fewer than 3 percent of colonels are

promoted to one-star general, the next rank for U.S. Army officers, Mundell explains.

“For most officers, the rank of colonel is the end of the line, the high point of their military career.”

Turning to Oskey, he adds: “I am very hopeful that this will not be your last promotion.”

By Christine Kindl, communications director at Cal U

ALUMNI SALUTE How many Cal U graduates were on hand to celebrate Col. Lance Oskey’s promotion?

SEE PAGE 32 FALL 2014 CAL U REVIEW 11 n

CAMPUS C L I P S University, IU1 ink ESL agreement An agreement between Cal U and Intermediate Unit 1 will allow students who have achieved English as a Second Language certification through IU1 to receive 18 credits in Cal U’s online Master of Education in ESL program.

The M.Ed.-only (without certification) program in ESL is offered through Cal U Global Online. To be eligible, an applicant must meet the admission requirements and be accepted by Cal U’s School of Graduate Studies and Research.

IU1 provides leadership and educational services to the schools and communities of Fayette, Greene and Washington counties. The new agreement recognizes the achievements of individuals certified in ESL through the Intermediate Unit while providing the opportunity for them to continue their graduate-level education at Cal U.

Dining returns to Gallagher Hall As the new addition to the Natali Student Center takes shape, a familiar venue again has become Cal U’s primary dining location. The all-you-care-to eat Gold Rush now is located in the newly renovated Gallagher Dining Hall.

With a complete electrical upgrade, updated furnishings and a handicapped accessible chairlift, the second-floor dining facility opened this summer.

A warm welcome On Move-In Day 2014, interim University President Geraldine M. Jones stops on her campus walkabout to greet incoming students (from left) Ezgi Yildirim, Hazal Morkok and Esin Yildirim. Accompanied by dad Osman Yildirim, the young women arrived from Turkey to study at Cal U. This fall, first-year students from 35 states and 16 countries started their Cal U journey with Move-In Day activities and a three-day Cal U for Life New Student Orientation.

building’s multi-station kitchen “a remarkable design” that will have benefits long after the Gold Rush returns to the student center next year.

“You can’t hold a trade show, Commencement or robotics event on the Convocation Center floor and serve dinner there for that same event. Now we have an effective, appealing dining facility right across the street.”

Princeton Review ranks Cal U among ‘best’

Students enjoy a meal at the 'new and improved' Gold Rush dining room in Gallagher Hall.

Gallagher Hall served as the University’s main dining location from 1966-1998, when food service operations moved to the Natali Student Center. The “new” Gold Rush seats 500, about 70 more than the dining hall in Natali.

Larry Sebek ’90, interim associate vice president for Student Affairs, calls the

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For the 10th consecutive year, The Princeton Review has named Cal U among the best universities in the northeastern United States.

The nationally known education services company selected California University as one of the 226 institutions profiled in the Best in the Northeast section of its “2015 Best Colleges: Region By Region” listing at www.PrincetonReview.com.

“The colleges we choose … must pass our reviews for academic excellence,” The Princeton Review notes. Nationally, only 648 colleges — about 25 percent of the country’s 2,500 four-year institutions — were named as best in their region this year.

Selections are based on institutional data, visits to schools, and the opinions

of independent and high-school-based college advisers, as well as comments from students themselves.

Wrote one student: "From freshmen right out of local high schools, to students from Brazil, Canada, and Europe, to older, non-traditional students pursuing a higher education, I think it is this unique blend of people that make Cal U special."

GACO passes $3 billion mark The Government Agency Coordination Office at Cal U has reached a new milestone: Since its founding in 1985, GACO has helped area businesses obtain more than $3 billion in government contracts.

As a Procurement Technical Assistance Center, GACO helps local businesses pursue government contracts and subcontracts, as well as export opportunities.

Deborah S. Wojcik, GACO’s director, says clients have reported receiving 49,349 contracts and subcontracts totaling more than $3.1 billion. GACO is now assisting 1,631 Deborah S. Wojcik regional businesses.

“Our program gives businesses a chance to compete for an opportunity to sell to the government on the federal, state and local level, and to prime contractors,” Wojcik explains.

GACO also provides training in government contracting procedures through seminars, webinars and an annual procurement fair.

The program began at California University and now includes satellite offices in Pittsburgh and at Slippery Rock University. GACO operations are supported by grants from the Sarah Scaife Foundation and the Defense Logistics Agency.

Programs respond to STEM demand Students interested in STEM — science, technology, engineering and math — can register for new programs in high-demand fields: • Cal U’s interdisciplinary Bachelor of Science in Environmental Studies: Natural Resource Management and Policy prepares students for careers in Pennsylvania’s Marcellus shale region and beyond.

The program began this fall. Drawing on the disciplines of geology, chemistry, biology and environmental studies, it prepares students for employment within the oil and gas industry, or in related areas such as environmental compliance and mitigation.

The program emphasizes law and policy issues specific to the energy sector, as well as land management and administration, natural resource law and policy, oil and gas law, ethics, and conflict resolution. Students also earn a minor in geology.

• Two new mathematics programs — a Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics: Statistics, and a statistics minor — provide students with skills in statistics and data analysis. Both programs started this fall.

Statistical analysis is an essential element of many disciplines, including business, behavioral and social sciences, natural sciences, health professions, and technology.

The new concentration prepares students for either employment or graduate-level studies. The statistics minor can be added to a variety

Natural Resource Management and Policy prepares students to address environmental compliance and mitigation issues.

of undergraduate programs in the sciences, criminal justice, economics, education and more.

Professional, skills-based coursework combines with rigorous academic study in two new master’s degree programs set to debut in summer 2015. Both will be delivered 100 percent online.

• The Master of Science in Cybersecurity addresses the growing need for specialists to ensure the security, confidentiality and integrity of the world’s computing and information systems infrastructure. The 30-credit program builds technical skills in network security, teaches management and leadership, and develops an awareness of legal and ethical issues.

• The M.S. in Applied Mathematics responds to the need for professionals trained in advanced mathematics and “big data” analysis to work in business, industry and government.

The program advances mathematics knowledge while developing technical, professional, management and leadership skills. Graduates are prepared to work as operations research analysts, statisticians and actuaries — all fast-growing careers.

Science in a jar Katie Aberegg, a 10-year-old from Eighty-Four, Pa., shakes a jar of glow sticks and glitter during a Physics Tricks class at Cal U's Summer Educational Enrichment for Kids program.

For 15 years SEEK has been offering educational experiences that are both entertaining and academically challenging. This year, 112 children attended SEEK programs.

Cal U intends to secure the National Professional Science Master’s Association’s (NPSMA) Professional Science Master designation for both programs. In PSM programs, students typically forgo a thesis and instead complete a collaborative research project, as well as an internship in the business, government or nonprofit sector. For more information, visit www.calu.edu.

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CAMPUS C L I P S Professor takes WING energy group award The Shale Media Group honored Dr. Christina A. Toras, chair of the Department of Professional Studies, Dr. Christina at the second annual A. Toras Women in Natural Gas WING Awards celebration.

The group is a news, information, education and mapping resource dedicated to the shale oil and gas industries. Its WING Awards honor women employed in the industry who contribute to community outreach efforts, acts as role models and provide leadership for other women in the energy sector.

Toras is coordinator for both the Bachelor of Arts in Jurisprudence: Land Management and the land management certificate, two online programs developed to address workforce needs within the energy sector. A licensed, practicing attorney, she also coordinates the graduate programs in legal studies offered through Cal U Global Online.

Among other WING Award winners was Janice Lobdell, of Cabot Oil and Gas, who is seeking a bachelor’s degree in land management at Cal U.

Students Rachael Fawley and Corrine Dowlin saw their 'digital storytelling' project air on the C-SPAN3 television network.

Digital storytelling airs on C-SPAN The C-SPAN3 television network included a “digital storytelling” video created by students in the University Honors Program, and an interview with English professor Dr. Christina Fisanick, when its American History TV series examined the 1948 Donora smog crisis.

The video created by students Rachael Fawley and Corrine Dowlin used photos and newspaper headlines to describe the three-day period in 1948 when a deadly smog enveloped the western Pennsylvania

town, killing 21 people. The incident is credited with sparking the federal Clean Air Act. The Pittsburgh-based Senator John Heinz History Center hosted the discussion with C-SPAN. Cal U students worked on the digital storytelling project in conjunction with local historical societies that are members of the history center’s affiliates program.

“Collaborating with (the Heinz History Center) has truly been fruitful for me and my students,” Fisanick says.

The “Donora, Pa., 1948 Smog Crisis” episode aired on C-SPAN3 Oct. 12. Later that month, Fisanick and Dr. Michael Brna, director of Cal U’s Teaching with Primary Sources program, were among the experts who also led sessions at the Clean Air Started Here environmental conference sponsored by the Donora Historical Society.

Counselor honored as Red Cross ‘hero’

Employer of the Year Jeff Peters, of the United States Steel Corp., accepts the 2014 Employer of the Year Award from Rhonda Gifford, director of the Career and Professional Development Center at Cal U. The campus relations specialist at U.S. Steel, Peters is a two-term member of the Cal U Career Advantage Advisory Board. He has presented a webinar on ‘Job Fair Success,’ shared job search tips at the center’s ‘Inside Scoop’ event and sponsored T-shirts promoting the Hire CalYOU online career center. U.S. Steel was a gold sponsor for this year’s fall Career Fair, which brought more than 65 employers to campus.

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Dr. Grafton Eliason’s actions truly speak louder than words.

A professor in the Department of Counselor of Education, he was honored as a Red Dr. Grafton Eliason Cross Hero by the organization’s Southwestern Pennsylvania chapter.

Eliason serves as chaplain for the Woodlands Foundation in Wexford, Pa., a nonprofit organization that enriches the lives of children and young adults with disabilities and chronic illnesses.

He trains counselors and social work interns for the Red Cross chapter’s main office in Pittsburgh, contributes to the Service to the Armed Forces program, and tends to Red Cross workers in the wake of traumatic incidents.

In addition, he is always on call with the Red Cross’s disaster mental health team, which has responded to incidents including the 2009 LA Fitness Center shooting in Collier Township, Pa., which left four people dead.

While maintaining confidentiality, Eliason says, he uses his Red Cross experiences to enlighten his students.

“The award itself is about educating.

It’s not really about the work that I do, but about passing on knowledge.”

Panelists discuss ethics in government The University marked Constitution Day Sept. 17 with two panel discussions exploring ethics in government.

Dr. Ambrus Price, the newest member of the Department of History and Political Science, joined veteran faculty members Dr. Melanie Blumberg and Dr. Emily Sweitzer for the free presentations.

Dr. Gary DeLorenzo served as moderator.

Community connection As part of a community service project, youngsters (from left) Laura Pennock, Norma Cusin, Camryn Joy Williams and Dorey Gunter clear a species of invasive plant from the banks of Pike Run, near California’s Rotary Park, to create more space for recreation. The students were among more than 1,200 members of the Religious Society of Friends, or Quakers, who attended the Friends General Conference, one of the largest conferences held at Cal U. The annual gathering brings together individual Quakers and members of Friends congregations throughout the United States and Canada.

endangered when ethical standards falter,” says Russell, who retired in 2012.

“Presidents who practice candor, have no hidden agenda and are devoted to the American people will be the most successful stewards of the American experience.”

Constitution Day panelist Stephen V. Russell ’70 greets students after a presentation on ethics in government.

Joining the panels was Stephen V. Russell ’70, an educator and historian of political, Hollywood and sports culture. The former superintendent of the Belle Vernon (Pa.) Area School District, he has been a consultant to ESPN SportCentury, Turner Classic Movies and Hofstra University’s nationally known presidential conferences.

“The basis of effective government is public confidence, and that confidence is

Grad School holds monthly open house Cal U has scheduled a monthly series of free open house events so college graduates can explore the University’s graduate-level degree and certificate programs, meet faculty and staff, and learn how to make graduate studies affordable through paid assistantships, scholarships and federal aid.

Open house events are held at Cal U’s main campus and at the Cal U Center for Innovation at Southpointe, 135 Technology Drive, Canonsburg, Pa. Daytime and evening sessions are planned at both locations.

Each open house includes refreshments, brief presentations and question-andanswer sessions to help students discover how Cal U can help them to meet their educational and career goals.

On the main campus, sessions are scheduled from 5-8 p.m. Feb. 10 and April 16; and from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. June 13.

Main-campus sessions meet in Eberly Hall, Room 115.

At Southpointe, open house events are slated from 7 a.m.-noon Jan. 14, 5-8 p.m. March 11, and 10 a.m.-4 p.m. May 2 and July 18.

All open house sessions are free, but online registration is requested. Visit the “events” calendar at www.calu.edu to register or learn more.

Cal U’s Graduate Admissions Office is open from 8 a.m.-4 p.m. weekdays in Eberly Hall, Room 202B. For more information about the School of Graduate Studies or its open house events, call 724-938-4187 or e-mail gradschool@calu.edu.

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STUDENT S P O T L I G H T

WINNING WAYS S

THEIR

Martial arts champion Matthew Reese

Talented students claim uncommon awards

enior Matthew Reese is a master of self-defense. In fact, he’s a grand champion in Tang Soo Do, a traditional Korean martial art.

Reese, a technology education major, competed this summer in Portugal at the 13th International Tang Soo Do Federation World Championship.

The contest is held every two years in various locations worldwide.

Reese competed as a third-degree black belt, placing first in forms, or precise patterns of movement, and taking the grand champion title overall. He also placed first in weapons and third in sparring among competitors ages 18-29.

In addition to the individual events, he took part in team sparring and team forms competitions, winning the team grand champion title in forms.

Now a certified Tang Soo Do instructor, Reese began studying martial arts at age 7. He represents Monroeville-based C.S. Kim Karate, a chain of 13 schools certified by the international federation. He trains at the school’s McMurray location.

“Matthew steps up. He becomes the leader and gets it done by working very hard,” says Master Dean Kelly, Reese’s trainer.

At the world championship, Reese met martial arts competitors from around the globe.

“I now have some pen pals in Wales, made some friends from Mexico and was playing cards with a bunch of Panamanians. … It was a very good trip.”

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One-act wonder

A class assignment led senior Kyle Hilsey to his moment in the spotlight.

His one-act play was selected from a pool of more than 300 entries, and a fully staged production of Just Say Yes debuted this fall at the fourth annual Tri-State Theatre Festival, presented by the South Street Players in Spring Lake, N.J. Hilsey penned three one-act dramas for Dr. Carole Waterhouse’s creative writing course at Cal U. He submitted all three to the festival judges, who gave the nod to Just Say Yes. “Our reading committee thoroughly enjoyed Kyle Hilsey's one-act,” says Rob Sullivan, the festival’s producer and a member of the South Street Players’ board of directors.

“It had just the right mix of elements that we look for each year — great dialogue, interesting characters and a wellstructured plot. We receive a plethora of really good plays each year, but it's pretty amazing how there are always just a few that stand out among the rest. This year, Kyle wrote one of those plays.”

The setting is the back room of a church, in the last minutes before a bride walks down the aisle. The plot twist: That’s not the groom urging her to run away with him; it’s the best man.

Hilsey arrived at Cal U to study athletic training, but he changed his major to creative writing after taking a number of English courses.

“Kyle is extremely innovative and has a wonderful, workman-like attitude about his writing,” Waterhouse says. “He puts a great deal of effort into what he does.”

With one play to his credit, Hilsey also is seeking publishers for his poetry and short stories.

“I couldn’t believe I finally got the ‘yes’ I was looking for,” he says. “I thought this was something I was just going to do for a class. It’s incredible to actually see people performing the lines I wrote.”

Bull’s-eye!

Senior Justin Bradley took his compound bow to Mexico and bagged half a dozen medals.

Despite scorching weather conditions, the justice studies major earned two gold, one silver and three bronze medals when the Archery Pan American University Cup contest premiered at the Baja California Olympic Training Center in Tijuana.

Bradley and 12 other U.S. competitors

I thought this was something I was just going to do for a class.

It’s incredible to actually see people performing the lines I wrote.

Kyle Hilsey AWARD -WINNING PLAY WRIGHT

It’s a lot of fun.

You get to shoot and become friends with different people from all over the world.

Justin Bradley GOLD -MEDAL ARCHER

faced top collegiate archers from North, Central and South America. Bradley earned his gold medals in national competition, as a member of the American men’s compound and mixed compound teams.

“It was really hot, dry and physically draining,” Bradley says. “The heat was distracting, but something you just deal with. Competing can be a grind.”

He should know. This summer Bradley placed ninth at the 10th World University Archery Championships in Legnica, Poland.

In March he takes aim at the 2015 U.S. Collegiate Archery Association Indoor National Championship, seeking to better

last year’s fourth-place finish and regain the title he captured in 2013.

Bradley credits his grandfather’s gift of a toddler’s toy bow with introducing him to the sport. Bow hunting with his father cemented his interest. Now he practices two or three hours a day, five or six days a week, as he prepares for competition.

He’s also a member of the Cal U Archery Club, a student group that meets weekly in Charleroi.

“It’s a lot of fun,” Bradley says. “You get to shoot and become friends with different people from all over the world.”

By Bruce Wald ’85, information writer at Cal U

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Cameron Chambers leads the Cal Singers during their performance at 'Our Showcase of Stars.'

2014 Homecoming King and Queen Sarah Barger and JaQuan Cornish pose for photos at Adamson Stadium.

A STAR SPANGLED

HOMECOMING Students Sam Stuckey (left) and Jeff Smith, of the Wild & Bluegrass band, get the showcase crowd clapping.

R

etiree Matthew “Matt” Blair ’57 couldn’t have been happier. It was the first time the Niles, Ohio, resident had returned to the campus where both he and his mother, Alta Allshouse, earned their degrees.

Cloudy skies gave way to sunshine as the 2014 Homecoming Parade stepped off with grand marshals Steven Stout ’85, board president for the Foundation for California University, and wife Lynne Stout ’94, president of the Cal U Alumni Association's board of directors, leading the lineup of floats and bands.

“There were great science instructors here when I was a student,” says Blair, a former education major.

“I didn’t end up with a career in education, but they really prepared me to get my job with Republic Steel.”

Fond memories of Cal U are as much a part of Homecoming as the traditional parade and football game. This year’s festivities also featured some of Cal U’s most talented alumni, students and faculty performing onstage. “Our Showcase of Stars” capped off a signature event, “The President’s Showcase: Investing for Tomorrow,” that boosted the Student Scholarship Fund for Academics, Arts and Athletics.

“I want to bring my kids with me the next time I visit,” says Blair. “I think they’d really enjoy seeing the campus!"

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Singing ‘The Altos' Lament’ are theatre students (from left) Annabel Lorence, Katey Sheehan and Summer Gobel.

Students become living pictures at ‘The President's Showcase: Investing for Tomorrow.’ Here, senior Charles France speaks to a guest about his internship in Washington, D.C.

Matthew 'Matt' Blair '57, on his first visit to campus since his graduation, waves as the Homecoming Parade passes by.

Students express their appreciation as alumni and University friends, including Elizabeth and Charlie Georgi '04, make their way to ‘The President's Showcase.’

Interim University President Geraldine M. Jones and granddaughter Jurnee wave to the crowd at the Homecoming Parade.

Interim University President Geraldine M. Jones brings the audience to its feet with her rendition of 'When October Goes.'

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ALUMNI N E W S Greetings from the Office of Alumni Relations! The winter holidays aren’t far off, and we’re already looking ahead to an exciting new year.

Please mark your 2015 calendar for the annual Athletic Hall of Fame celebration, at a new time and location: Athletic Hall of Fame Induction Saturday, Feb. 21, 2015 Noon – 2 p.m.

Cal U Convocation Center

For the birds

Remembering Cal State

Wildlife conservation expert Dr. Carol Bocetti (left), of Cal U’s Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, joins a staff member from the National Aviary at a brunch for Cal U alumni and friends. The Sept. 21 event in the rose garden at the Pittsburgh aviary included an appearance by several feathered residents of the nation’s premier bird zoo.

Members of the Class of 1964 gather on campus Sept. 27 for their 50th Class Reunion.

More than 40 alumni traveled from as far away as New York and South Carolina to reconnect and reminisce while attending the Pioneer Dinner at the Kara Alumni House.

Say ‘Cheesesteak!’

My medallion

Alumni and friends from the Philadelphia area gather Sept. 11 at McFadden’s, in Citizens Bank Park, before the Pittsburgh Pirates vs.

Philadelphia Phillies baseball game.

At the 50th Class Reunion, Gayle Fulton Singer ’64 (left) accepts her Pioneer Medallion from interim University President Geraldine M. Jones ’72, ’80.

After the induction ceremony, please join us for the annual Alumni Basketball Day and a double-header in the Convocation Center arena. The Vulcan women play Gannon University at 3 p.m.; the men’s game is at 5 p.m.

Watch for details in an upcoming edition of your “Under the Towers” e-newsletter. To add your name to our e-mail list, contact the Office of Alumni Relations at 724-938-4418 or alumni@calu.edu.

Leslie Berdar Fleenor ’08 Director of Alumni Relations

ALUMNI ASSOCIATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS

CALL FOR NOMINATIONS Would you like to stand for election to the Cal U Alumni Association Board of Directors? Or would you like to place the name of a fellow alumnus on the ballot? Elections will take place this spring, with eight (8) seats to be filled.

Candidates will be screened by the Nominating Committee for Board Members (NCB). All candidates must submit a nomination form, a brief essay and a color photo. Nomination forms must be received by the NCB no later than April 3, 2015.

For candidates’ qualifications, details about the nominating process and an official nomination form, visit www.calu.edu/alumni.

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ELECTIONS WILL TAKE PLACE THIS SPRING, WITH EIGHT (8)

At the ballgame Cal U Alumni & Friends round out the baseball season with a visit to PNC Park. Enjoying the festivities are Pittsburgh Pirates fans (from left) Daphne Livingstone ’09, University friend Shirl Unatin and Michele M. Mandell ’69, a member of the University’s Council of Trustees.

The 2003 yearbook shows Alpha Sigma Alpha members, including Jessi McConn Hilborn ’07 (second row, second from right) and Emily Hale Lambert ’04 (third row, left).

PAYING IT F O R W A R D

NEVER FORGOTTEN Memorial scholarship honors Alpha Sigma Alpha sisters

S

upportive. Loyal. Sisters, by choice.

Current and alumni members of Alpha Sigma Alpha sorority are honoring those bonds by remembering two former members — Emily Hale Lambert ’04 and Jessi McConn Hilborn ’07 — with a memorial scholarship Lambert was an education major who died on Feb. 25, 2012, from melanoma.

Hilborn, who died May 4, 2013, was a criminal justice major who battled Crohn’s disease, a liver disorder and eventually liver cancer.

Jessica Denk ’05 was Hilborn’s roommate at Cal U. Shortly after Hilborn’s death, Denk began working to establish the ASA Memorial Scholarship in both women’s memory.

“Both Emily and Jessi left behind beautiful families, and they both passed away within a short time of each other,” says Denk, an English teacher at West Allegheny High School in Imperial, Pa. “Jessi and I pledged together, and anyone would say that she was constantly smiling. Having Crohn’s disease didn’t stop her from having fun with us and being an active member.”

The sisters’ goal is to reach the $10,000 level necessary to endow the scholarship, so it can be awarded annually.

By this fall, thanks to fund-raisers and

alumni donations, only $2,800 remained to be raised.

Brianna Akins, who is pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Nursing, became a member of Cal U’s Epsilon Upsilon Chapter of Alpha Sigma Alpha in 2007. A nurse at Mon Valley Hospital, she is now the chapter’s adviser.

“It’s good to see current sisters getting behind the scholarship, not just because it’s something one of them may receive, but because it honors two sisters,” Akins says.

“When you become a sorority member, you instantly meet so many people on campus. Being Greek is a bond — between the sororities and with the fraternities.

Socially, it connects you, and on a career level, you can make some great contacts.”

Amanda Nickeson Cherry ’97, ’99 agrees that Greek sisterhood has an impact.

“The time I spent at Cal U, as a sister of Alpha Sigma Alpha, left an indelible impression on me and shaped the person I am today,” she says of her motivation to give to the scholarship fund.

“I never met Emily and Jessi, but I felt an enduring connection to them. This scholarship offered me a way to give back to a community of individuals that will always be a meaningful part of my life.”

For Denk, the scholarship represents the best way to honor her ASA sisters.

“Alpha Sigma Alpha will be at Cal U for years,” she says. “I thought it was a great way to keep their names alive. Ten years from now, recipients will know who Jessi and Emily were. It’s a great way to share a legacy.”

By Wendy Mackall, assistant communications director at Cal U

MAKE A GIFT To contribute to the Alpha Sigma Alpha Memorial Scholarship in memory of Emily Hale Lambert and Jessi McConn Hilborn, contact Randi Minerva, in the Office of University Development and Alumni Relations, at 724-938-4248 or minerva@calu.edu.

To donate online, visit www.calu.edu/giving.

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ALUMNI S P O T L I G H T Duke mentored me and got me to where I am today. He was open to me sitting in on his other classes and watching him teach, which was immeasurably helpful to what I do now.

Brett Kern '07 ART PROFESSOR, DAVIS AND ELKINS COLLEGE

RESHAPING CHILDHOOD MEMORIES

A

s adult responsibilities blossomed, artist Brett Kern ’07 returned to a childhood memory.

The Davis and Elkins College art professor decided to take look back at simpler times by creating a series of ceramic pieces based on familiar toys.

Brett Kern ’07 re-creates toys in ceramics.

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An astronaut and cartoon-style dinosaurs are among the boyhood treasures that inspired Kern’s creativity.

“The earliest memory I have is of getting an inflatable dinosaur when I was a very young boy, for being good at the hospital,” Kern says.

“The ceramic project is to remember these objects as permanent, valuable and important. This entire line spawned from being at the age of responsibility, but you want to latch on to what you enjoyed as a kid.”

Kern came to Cal U in 2003 as a graphic design major. He was introduced to ceramics by Professor Richard “Duke” Miecznikowski, in the Department of Art and Design.

“I wasn’t a prodigy,” Kern says. “I got a decent grade and liked it enough to take advanced ceramics the next year. It took ceramics to make me enjoy learning and working hard.

“Duke mentored me and got me to where I am today. He was open

to me sitting in on his other classes and watching him teach, which was immeasurably helpful to what I do now at Davis and Elkins.”

While he was in graduate school at West Virginia University, Kern returned to Cal U each summer to teach Upward Bound classes, which prepare high school students to be successful in college.

“I knew how to be in charge of a studio, I knew how to teach, thanks to the Upward Bound position that Duke helped me with, and I knew how to make ceramics. I can’t tell you how important he was to my career.”

Up next: A show in 2015 at West Liberty University with some new creations, perhaps from ’80s pop culture.

“I have some ideas in the pipeline,” Kern says. “I definitely want to keep things fresh.”

By Wendy Mackall, assistant communications director at Cal U

‘I WANT TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE’

C

lara L. Pascoe ’89, ‘91 has built a career around supporting the things she values.

In more than 25 years of fundraising and nonprofit management, she’s been director of development for West Virginia University’s College of Creative Arts and executive director at Touchstone Center for Crafts in Farmington, Pa. After six years as executive director of the Community Foundation of Fayette County, a nonprofit public charity, she spent two years as director of development at the Senator John Heinz History Center in Pittsburgh.

In September Pascoe returned to her former post at the Community Foundation.

“I’m old-school and want to make a difference,” she says. “I just felt I could make more of a difference here.”

Pascoe’s career path began with a love for art. After studying at the Art Institute of Pittsburgh, she earned a bachelor’s degree in art history at Cal U, then added a

master’s degree in communication studies.

“I went to California as a non-traditional student because they accepted all of my credits from the Art Institute,” she recalls.

“Cal U gave me my career. It got me started and gave me skills. For me, the Cal U experience was profound.”

Pascoe first was exposed to grantwriting during her graduate fellowship at the Westmoreland Museum of American Art. She’d found her niche — and years later, nonprofits continue to benefit.

During her first stint at the Fayette County foundation, Pascoe helped to increase its endowment assets from $3 million to $8 million. Today, the organization holds more than $14 million in assets.

Now Pascoe is responsible once again for guiding the foundation in fundraising, grant-making, public policy, outreach and community engagement.

“We want to help people help their community,” she says. "Our business is to

WHERE FITNESS MEETS FARMING

A

lot of things grow on Potter’s Farm in Pine Grove, Schuylkill County, Pa. Tomatoes, zucchinis and strawberries. Biceps, triceps and quadriceps. Greg Hoak ’08 patiently tends them all.

A personal trainer for the past 12 years, he has a master’s degree in exercise science from Cal U Global Online. And he co-owns the working farm with his wife, Leah Zerbe.

Hoak also operates FarmerFit, an outdoor training program that uses tools of his trade — tractor tires, straw bales, sleds, plows — to help people achieve their fitness goals.

What do farming and fitness have in common? Sustainability, he says.

Crops on the farm are grown using chemical-free methods, and Hoak plants seeds that have not been genetically modified.

“In sustainable farming, we develop a long-term plan to create healthy soil. We do this slowly so we can produce healthy food over a long period of time,” he explains.

“Most of our customers are also our neighbors. We aren’t certified organic, but many of our customers come to the farm and see our practices firsthand.”

Hoak says fitness is long-term process, as well.

“My approach has always been a low-intensity, more sustainable exercise program. My clients don’t try to get in shape

Clara L. Pascoe ’89, ‘91 directs the Community Foundation of Fayette County.

be of service to donors and the community in philanthropic endeavors that have an impact on making this a better place to live, work, raise our children and care for the things that matter to us.

“Fayette County has got my heart.”

By Bruce Wald ’85, information writer at Cal U

Fitness meets farming at Potter's Farm, where Greg Hoak '08 is the co-owner.

in four or five months, buy a new DVD every year and constantly fall off the exercise wagon.”

He says the agricultural setting fuels his clients’ motivation.

“There’s something about the group camaraderie, fresh air and workouts near fields of colorful vegetables.”

In farming and in fitness, Hoak knows just how far to push the limits.

“Retention is my goal. I’ve had some of the same clients for 10 years, and they’re in excellent shape. If you ask them to do too many repetitions of a certain exercise, they may never come back.

“And if you push too hard for more food per acre, the system comes crashing down, too.”

By Wendy Mackall, assistant communications director at Cal U FALL 2014 CAL U REVIEW 23 n

CUE THE LIGHTS! RAISE THE CURTAIN! DEPARTMENT OF THEATRE & DANCE PRESENTS ITS SPRING 2015 SEASON

Join the audience for some of the best entertainment in the region. Enjoy award-winning drama and hilarious comedy presented by Cal U’s nationally accredited Department of Theatre & Dance.

PROOF

LOVE@1STPLIGHT

URINETOWN

BY DAVID AUBURN

BY DREW ALOE

8 p.m. Feb. 26, 27 and 28 2 p.m. Feb. 28 Blaney Theatre in Steele Hall

8 p.m. April 2, 3 and 4 2 p.m. April 4 Blaney Theatre in Steele Hall

BOOK AND LYRICS BY GREG KOTIS MUSIC AND LYRICS BY MARK HOLLMANN

8 p.m. April 23, 24 and 25 2 p.m. April 25 Steele Hall Mainstage Theatre

.50 FOR CAL U PATRONS $12 FOR $ OF ALL AGES 5 STUDENTS TICKETS FOR MOST PERFORMANCES ARE AVAILABLE AT THE DOOR

Welcomes the public to all Department of Theatre & Dance performances. Visitors may park in the Vulcan Garage, off Third Street near the campus entrance.

FOR MORE INFORMATION OR TO ORDER TICKETS (WITH A CREDIT CARD) BY PHONE, CALL THE STEELE HALL BOX OFFICE

CAL U STUDENTS WILL RECEIVE A $5 REBATE WHEN ATTENDING THE SHOW

724-938-5943

SPORTS P R O F I L E

She became an example of just how much one can accomplish with hard, smart work, determination and a great attitude.

Ed Denny HEAD SWIM COACH

Former Vulcan swimmer takes on triathlons

V

ulcan swimmer Ashley Hager Kearcher made Cal U’s athletic honor roll twice before she graduated in 2009. Now she’s set her sights on another goal: earning “elite” status with USA Triathlon, so she can compete professionally in the demanding sport that has become her passion.

Kearcher began training for her first triathlon shortly after she completed her degree in sport management. The grueling sport involves swimming, cycling and running, non-stop, over racecourses of various lengths.

“Our graduate assistant coach (Rachel Driver ’05) was training for the Pittsburgh Triathlon and asked if I was interested,” Kearcher says. “I did it, and I fell in love with it. I’ve competed regularly ever since.”

In August, Kearcher finished 15th in her age group, and third among all U.S. runners, at the International Triathlon Union’s World Triathlon Grand Final, held in Edmonton, Alberta. Earlier that month she placed fourth at the U.S. national championship in Milwaukee.

Those races were “sprints,” typically a half-mile swim, 12- or 13-mile bike ride and 5-kilometer run. This fall she doubled the mileage to compete in Olympicdistance races.

At the Mighty Moraine Man Olympic Relay in Portersville, Pa., Kearcher was the first woman to cross the finish line after swimming 1,500 meters, biking 24.9 miles and running 6.2 miles. Her time of 2 hours, 48 minutes put her in 10th place overall.

It was her 10th triathlon of 2014.

“I was able to keep my same speed,” says Kearcher, despite the longer distance.

“There’s more of a burning feeling in your muscles because you’re constantly pushing to the max.”

Kearcher trains for triathlons by mixing long and tempo swims with biking and running. She also teaches spin classes at a gym in Morgantown, W.Va., where she lives with husband Kalen Kearcher ’10 and son Kalen, 3.

“Ashley is one of the truly great success stories of Cal U women’s swimming,” says head coach Ed Denny, who added the

Uniontown, Pa., native to the team after an open tryout.

“She became an example of just how much one can accomplish with hard, smart work, determination and a great attitude.”

Kearcher continues to show that same determination. “I don’t know if the Olympics is in my future, but going pro is a goal,” she says.

Earning “elite” status with USA Triathlon, the sport’s national governing body, would allow her to compete for prize purses of $5,000 or more at sanctioned events. USAT says it connects with 550,000 members each year and describes triathlon as “the fastest growing sport in the Olympic movement.”

“You get to focus on three different sports, which is appealing to me. I’ve always liked running, and I was always that little girl who loved being on her bike. And there’s swimming, of course.

“The sport is growing, and I really enjoy the family atmosphere of the triathlon community.”

By Bruce Wald ’85, information writer at Cal U

FALL 2014 CAL U REVIEW 25 n

SPORTS R O U N D U P

GOLF TEAM TOPS CONFERENCE AS FALL SEASON ENDS The women’s golf team closed the fall sports season by winning its fifth Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Championship in seven years.

Cal U won the championship event by nine strokes over second-place Kutztown University. The Vulcans finished with a 65-over 633.

Sophomore Carla Maestre tied for second place overall with a 15-over 157. Junior Cara Vanderman and freshman Cai Yan Ho finished tied for fourth and sixth place, respectively.

Rounding out the Cal U golfers were sophomore Rachel Lim, who placed eighth, and freshman Stephanie Perkins, who tied for ninth.

The Vulcans also won PSAC women’s golf titles in 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2012.

Minor leaguer hits one in all-star game

Former Vulcan standout Kyle Petty completed his second year of minor league baseball with the Everett (Wash.)

Aquasox, the Class-A short-season affiliate of the Seattle Mariners.

First baseman Petty had a team-high 19 doubles and was second on the team in hits (58), runs scored (29), and stolen bases (8).

He was selected for the Northwest League All-Star Game, where he produced one hit in two at-bats.

In 2013, after being drafted by the Seattle Mariners in the 23rd round, Petty played for both Everett and the team’s Arizona League affiliate, batting .305.

A four-time all-conference selection who played seven different positions for the Vulcans, Petty was the 2013 PSACWest Baseball Athlete of the Year after batting .416 with 37 stolen bases.

At the close of his collegiate career, the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association named him a First-Team AllAmerican catcher.

Kyle Petty

26 CAL U REVIEW FALL 2014 n

Basketball alumna’s taking care of business

Former basketball standout Jenni Morrison ’03 is the new athletic business manager at Cal U. Morrison returns to California after four years as the athletic director at Defiance College in Ohio. Prior to that, she was director of athletics at Penn State-Fayette, the Eberly Campus, for three years Morrison was a two-year starting point guard for Cal U. During her senior year the Vulcans compiled a 58-8 cumulative record with a pair of PSAC championships and an NCAA Final Four appearance.

Morrison was a graduate assistant coach for the 2004 NCAA National Championship team.

“Jenni has experience with adding sports teams, building and renovating facilities, managing budgets, and hiring staff,” says Dr. Karen Hjerpe, Cal U’s director of athletics. “She has worked on NCAA financial reports and contributes to the overall financial operations of the Athletics Department.”

Soccer forward sets record for assists

When forward Erin Hogan recorded four assists during a 5-1 Cal U victory at Pitt-Johnstown on Sept. 30, the women’s soccer player broke a league record that had stood for 17 years.

Hogan’s big day gave her 50 career assists, surpassing the previous record of 47, set in 1997.

Giving her teammates a lift is nothing new for Hogan, a four-year starter. In 2013 she led the NCAA’s Division II with a single-season school record of 17 assists.

That total ranks second in PSAC history.

Academic excellence has become a cornerstone of Cal U’s athletics program.

For nine consecutive semesters Vulcan sports teams have compiled a cumulative GPA of 3.10 or higher. Last spring’s cumulative GPA was 3.147, and 37 Vulcans achieved a perfect 4.0.

Vulcan placekicker is one to watch

Placekicker Cody Nuzzo was named to college football’s prestigious Fred Mitchell Award Watch List.

The award recognizes kickers for their excellence on the football field and in the community. Nuzzo was one of 36 kickers from the Football Championship Subdivision, Division II, Division III, NAIA and NJCAA levels to be featured on the list.

Nuzzo led the Vulcans in scoring in 2013, with 71 points, and he became the team’s career leader in field goals, with 32, after booting four in this season’s opening win over Virginia State.

He set a school record by kicking a 50-yard field goal the following week at Bloomsburg.

Cal U’s 20th annual Cal U Athletic Hall of Fame induction and luncheon will be held at noon Feb. 21 in the Convocation Center’s south conference wing.

The annual Alumni Basketball Day celebration will follow, with Cal U’s varsity basketball teams taking on PSAC-West rival Gannon University in the Convocation Center arena.

The women’s game begins at 3 p.m., followed by the men’s game at 5 p.m.

THIS YEAR'S INDUCTEES: Roger Gordon ’97, a four-time allconference and two-time all-region performer for the men’s soccer team from 1993-1996. Gordon finished as Cal U’s career leader in goals (47) and points (110). Those marks, along with his 16 assists, still place him among the school’s career leaders.

Gordon produced 32 total points in both his freshman and senior seasons, and he helped the 1993 team make the program’s first PSAC Final Four appearance after a record-setting 13-3-1 regular season.

Kimmiee Miller ’09, a two-time NFCA and three-time all-conference third baseman for the softball team from 2001-2004. A member of four PSACWest championship teams, Miller led the NCAA Division II in batting with a .523 average (67 for 128) in her senior season, and she helped Cal U make four consecutive NCAA Division II Regional Tournament appearances. She finished with a .390 career batting average, which still ranks fourth highest in team history. Miller also had career totals of 12 home runs and 36 doubles.

Erin Hogan

Hogan had 14 assists in 2012 — a figure that tied the Vulcans’ previous singleErin inductee Hogan season record, set by Hall of Fame Kim Kottmeier-Whitlock ’96, ’98 in 1994.

Vulcan scholars earn kudos in the classroom

As the fall semester began, Cal U received word that 70 of its studentathletes, representing all sports, had earned Division II Athletics Directors Association Academic Achievement Awards for the 2013-2014 academic year.

The D2ADA awards program recognizes the academic accomplishments of student-athletes in NCAA Division II. To be eligible, a student-athlete must have a cumulative grade-point average of 3.5 or higher, have attended a minimum of two years of college, and have been an active member of an intercollegiate team during his or her last academic year.

INDUCTION DATE SET FOR HALL OF FAME

Cody Nuzzo

Off the field, Nuzzo has been campus president of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes for several years. He mentors children each week at a local church’s youth group, gives lessons for young kickers in the Pittsburgh area each summer, and has worked as a counselor at various kicking camps.

By Bruce Wald ’85, information writer at Cal U

Darcie Vincent, who coached the women’s basketball team from 2000-2008, compiling a 212-47 (.819) cumulative record and 82-14 (.854) mark in the PSAC-West. Under Vincent, Cal U women’s basketball appeared in eight consecutive PSAC championship games, made seven consecutive NCAA Division II Tournament appearances, won six PSAC-West titles, won 26 or more games fives times, won four conference crowns, made three NCAA “Elite Eight” appearances and two NCAA Final Four showings, and won the 2004 NCAA Division II National Championship to cap a 35-1 season.

For Hall of Fame reservations, call 724-938-4418 or 724-938-4351.

For more information about the Hall of Fame’s newest class, visit www.calvulcans.com.

FALL 2014 CAL U REVIEW 27 n

CAL U M I L E S T O N E S 40s

70s

Robert Bateman ’43, an industrial arts education major, lives in Irwin, Pa.

Jonathan Rand ’70 is retired. He majored in secondary education at Cal U. Jonathan and Bea Lynn Rand live in Aurora, Ill.

50s Dick Strojan ’59 is retired from teaching at the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown. He lives in Irwin, Pa.

Gregory J. Pandrock ’70, of New Eagle, Pa., is the president of Futuristic Clubs of America Inc. He played for the Cal U golf team and was vice president of his class. He teaches driver education to senior citizens.

David Pomykala ’72 is retired. He and Kathryn Pomykala live in Belle Vernon, Pa.

60s Audrey Jones Wessel ’64 works in sales for Sam’s Club. She studied secondary education at Cal U. She and William Wessel ’64 live in Massillon, Ohio.

Molly Florian Bado ’64 is retired from Prince William County Schools, where she was a gifted education teacher. She studied elementary education at Cal U and was a member of Sigma Sigma Sigma and the Newman Club. She and Anthony Bado ’64 live in Manassas, Va. Morgan France ’64 lives in Oakland, Md. Joseph F. Sank ’65 is a retired industrial arts teacher and school administrator in Allegany County, Md. He and his brother, Michael coauthored History of Charles, Pennsylvania 19142014, a book about their hometown. It describes the birth and growth of a coal-mining town in southeastern Indiana County.

George Simmons ’65, who studied social studies at Cal U, was honored at the NAACP Washington Branch’s Human Rights Awards Banquet earlier this year.

The Rev. Abraham Allende ’66 is bishop of the Northeastern Ohio Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America. He was an education major at Cal U. Rick Parmley ’68, of Brunswick, Ga., is retired.

He majored in education at Cal U. Ceane O’Hanlon-Lincoln ’69, a historian and writer, has been inducted into the Connellsville Falcon Foundation’s Hall of Fame, part of the Connellsville (Pa.) Area School District.

Tailgating travelers Marjorie ’Midge‘ ’70 and Dennis ’70 Petcovic traveled from their home in McDonough, Ga., for the 2014 Homecoming football game and a visit with former classmates. Midge is a retired college professor, and Dennis served 30 years in the U.S. Army before retiring as a colonel. A former Vulcan football player, he met Midge when the two were college sophomores.

28 CAL U REVIEW FALL 2014 n

Lynne Crawford ’72 is a school administrator/ attorney for the Hanover Park Regional School District. She earned her degree in special education from Cal U, where she was a member of Sigma Sigma Sigma, the college newspaper, the Pan-Hellenic Council, and Phi Kappa Theta.

She also was a lifeguard. She and Richard Mischel live in South Orange, N.J. Bill Funk ’72 is the principal of R. William Funk & Associates, based in Dallas, Texas. The Uniontown, Pa., native studied political science at Cal U. Joseph Simko ’73 is president and general manager of Hodge Foundry. He studied education at Cal U. Joseph and Kim Simko live in Sharon, Pa. John Cornish ’73 is retired. He and Carolyn Cornish live in Somerset, Pa. John majored in education at Cal U. Suzanne Raggi Kelly ’74 has retired after teaching for 35 years in the Fort Cherry School District. She was listed several times in Who’s Who Among American Teachers. She and her husband, Jim, live in Washington, Pa., and have three children.

Mark Farrington ’76 is a human resources and civil service director in Lakeland, Fla. He studied business and psychology at Cal U. Debra Teets ’76 is a lead support teacher for Intermediate Unit 1. She studied education at Cal U and lives in Uniontown, Pa.

Emeriti honors Emeritus professor of psychology Dr. Richard A. Cavasina is a recipient of the Deahl Honors Society Award for Distinguished Alumni at West Virginia University. This award is given to outstanding alumni who have made significant contributions to WVU through community service.

Dr. J. K. Folmar, an emeritus professor of history, recently became a member of the Wall of Fame at Jemison High School in Alabama, where he graduated in 1950. Folmar, 82, has written seven books on local history, river transportation and poetry. He was awarded a Commonwealth Distinguished Faculty Award for Research in 1980. He taught at Cal U from 1969-1999 and was chair of the History Department.

JoAn Tracy ’76, of Harrisburg, Pa., is a workforce development analyst for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. She studied urban affairs at Cal U, where she was a member of Delta Sigma Theta and Kappa Alpha Psi, vice president of the Black Student Union, and a member of the Young and Gifted Black Choir.

Bonnie Murray Stanley ’76 is a retired elementary teacher from the Wellsboro Area School District. She lives in Wellsboro, Pa. Harold Frazier ’77 is the chief assessor for Greene County, Pa. He studied history at Cal U. Harold and Drema Frazier live in Mount Morris, Pa. Dr. Helen Popielarczyk Bartus ’78, who earned her bachelor’s degree in education at Cal U, lives in Millsboro, Del.

80s John Ackermann ’80 is a principal in the Chartiers Valley (Pa.) School District. He studied industrial arts at Cal U. He and Elizabeth Ackermann live in Pittsburgh, Pa. Dr. Robert Freado ’80 is retired middle school principal in the Peters Township (Pa.) School District. He is now the director of caregiving ministries at the Bible Chapel, in Pittsburgh’s South Hills.

Mitzi Chambers ’80 is an elementary school teacher for the Trinity Area School District in Washington, Pa. She is also a customer service representative for the racing department at the Meadows Racetrack and Casino.

Karen Burkey Krotzer ’84, of Manassas, Va., completed her master’s degree in curriculum and instruction in multilingual/multicultural education at George Mason University in

Washington, D.C. She taught kindergarten in the Manassas (Va.) Public Schools for 20 years and recently began working in the kindergarten department as an English as a Second Language teacher. She and her husband, Daniel Krotzer ’83, have two daughters.

Fred Barch ’84 is principal of Boynton Beach (Fla.) Community High School. He studied earth sciences at Cal U. James Ferretti ’85 is a team leader for the sanitary chemistry and biology team for the Laboratory Branch in the Department of Environmental Protection’s Division of Environmental Science and Assessment. He majored in environmental studies at Cal U. Carol Peters Lehnerd ’85 is a controller for Amelie Construction & Supply LLC. She studied business administration at Cal U, where she was a member of Phi Alpha Psi. She and Carl Lehnerd live in Butler, Pa. Carrie Gilmore ’86 is a program analyst for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. She studied business administration at Cal U, where she was involved in Omega Pearl.

Michele Bythrow ’86 is superintendent of the Halifax (Pa.) School District. She and her husband, Todd Orner ’86, live in Gettysburg, Pa. Rhonda Prenn Sterling ’88 and Dale Sterling ’88 live in Mason, Ohio. Rhonda majored in secondary education/biology at Cal U, where she was on the tennis team and active with Young Life and Intervarsity Christian Fellowship.

Cheryl Sabatula ’89 is a nurse at the Fayette County (Pa.) prison. She and Kevin Sabatula live in Brownsville, Pa. Michael Kelly ’89 is a clinical associate professor in the Department of Leadership, Counseling and Research in Virginia Tech’s College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences.

90s Lisa Rendulic Kingsbury ’90 is a training manager for Sony Pictures Entertainment. She majored in communication studies at Cal U, where she was a member of the forensics team and could be heard on WVCS radio. She and Jeff Kingsbury live in Los Angeles, Calif.

Zeb Jansante ’81, ’91, principal of Bethel Park (Pa.) High School, has been named 2014 Principal of the Year by the Pennsylvania Association of Elementary and Secondary Principals.

Clementine “Tina” Hall Williams ’88, ’91 is an educator in the Camden City (N.J.) School District.

She studied political science at Cal U, where she was a graduate assistant in Student Affairs and a student representative on the Judicial Board. She and Charles Williams live in Camden.

Scott D. Fowler ’89, ’91 is retired from school administration after 25 years as a teacher, school

At the White House Ryan Devlin ’08 poses with President Barack Obama at the White House, where Ryan was recognized as one of four finalists for the 2014 National Teacher of the Year Award.

He teaches 11th-grade English, coaches cross country and chairs the English department at Brockway (Pa.) Area High School. Ryan also was featured in a national documentary on PBS, American Graduate, and was appointed

by Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett to serve on the Professional Standards and Practice Commission.

administrator and central office administrator in Maryland and Virginia. He now works as an author, consultant and speaker with regard to autism advocacy. He and his wife, Ann Marie, live with their two children in Salisbury, Md.

Chris Hogan ’95 is a financial speaker and strategist. He conducts on-site training sessions for businesses and also speaks at colleges. He and his wife, Melissa, have three children and live in Spring Hill, Tenn.

Mark Gregris ’92, an engineer for the U.S. Army, lives in Springfield, Va. At Cal U he studied business and was in ROTC and Theta Xi fraternity.

He also was active with Special Olympics.

The Rev. John B. Gizler III ’96 has been appointed pastor of three Catholic parishes in the Pittsburgh area: Ascension Parish, Holy Innocents and Guardian Angels. He recently celebrated his 12th anniversary of ordination as a priest of the Diocese of Pittsburgh.

Michael J. Beam ’92 was selected as a panelist to represent the Western New York region at the New York State Council on the Arts Museum Program in September 2014.

Also, an exhibition titled ne plus ultra, at Big Orbit Gallery in Buffalo, N.Y., recently highlighted work that Michael created over a 10-year period.

Victor Shandor ’92 is an area superintendent for Fulton County (Ga.) Schools. He studied communications at Cal U, where he also played football. He and Melissa Shandor live in Alpharetta, Ga. Alfleda Edwards Bane ’85, ’92 is a case management supervisor for the Washington (Pa.) Drug and Alcohol Commission. She studied early childhood/elementary education at Cal U, where she was a member of Omicron Delta Epsilon and Kappa Delta Pi. She and Robin Bane Sr. live in Eighty Four, Pa. Angie Suder ’94, who was a communication studies major at Cal U, lives in Shermans Dale, Pa. Jeffrey Martino ’94 works in sales for Xerox. He and McCrae Martino live in Murrysville, Pa. Anthony Todd Jr. ’95 is a talent development specialist for Vertex Inc. He studied business administration at Cal U, where he played football and was a member of the Black Student Union and Alpha Phi Alpha. Anthony and Yolonda Todd live in Coatesville, Pa.

Michele Papakie ’96 received the International Association of Business Communicators’ Golden Triangle Award honoring her as 2014 Pittsburgh Business Communicator of the Year. A lieutenant colonel in the Pennsylvania National Guard, Michele chairs the Department of Journalism and Public Relations at Indiana University of Pennsylvania and is owner/CEO of Prism Simple Solutions LLC. Susan Petrucelli ’94, ’96 is director of developmental education at American International College. She studied geography, with concentrations in travel and tourism and regional planning, at Cal U. She and Antonio Luis live in Westfield, Mass.

Christopher Sefcheck ’97 is principal of Thomas Jefferson High School in Jefferson Hills, Pa. Previously, he was principal at Frazier High School in Perryopolis, Pa. Dr. Karin Savage ’97 is an associate professor at Allegany College of Maryland. She began working at the college in 2009 as director of the physical therapist assistant program.

Tracey Clement Findling ’97 majored in social work at Cal U. She and Glen Findling ’96 live in Greenville, N.C. Kristine Kennington ’98 is the principal at Boomer-Ferguson Elementary, in the Wilkes County, N.C., school system. She earned her bachelor’s degree in secondary education from Cal U.

FALL 2014 CAL U REVIEW 29 n

CAL U M I L E S T O N E S Louise Urban ’98 is president and chief executive officer of Allegheny Health Network’s Jefferson Hospital, in Jefferson Hills, Pa. Previously she was executive vice president and chief operating officer at Jefferson. She earned her bachelor’s degree in nursing at Cal U. Richard Brian Charlton ’91, ’99 is a substitute teacher and also a curator at the Donora (Pa.) Historical Society.

00s Jameson Auten ’00 is vice president of regional service delivery at the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority. He studied political science at Cal U and lives with his wife, Mindy, and their four children in Kansas City, Mo. Michael James ’02, of New Cumberland, Pa., is a teacher in the Lower Dauphin (Pa.) School District. He studied technology education at Cal U. Erica Bertovich Usher ’02 is a prevention supervisor for Fayette County Drug and Alcohol Commission Inc. She studied psychology at Cal U. She and Bryan Usher ’02 live in Smithfield, Pa. Jennifer Carlton Ames ’02 majored in business administration at Cal U. She and Brandon Ames ’01 live in North Huntingdon, Pa. Jason Marvin ’03 is an administrator in the Peters Township (Pa.) School District. Previously, he was the assistant principal at Ringgold High School.

Ed Zelich ’03 is superintendent of the Charleroi (Pa.) Area School District. Previously, he was

In training More than 16 Cal U alumni and current students participated in a Warfighter training event in Kansas this summer. The soldiers are part of the 2IBCT, 28th Infantry Division. Cal U alumnus and Kansas City Chiefs football player Eric Kush ’12 visited the Pennsylvania ‘Keystone’ soldiers and, with his son, Jack, posed for a picture with Capt. Robert Prah ’06, ’10 (left), director of Veterans Affairs at Cal U, and Spec.

Amanda Peterson, a Cal U senior.

an elementary school principal in the Laurel Highlands School District and the athletic director, assistant principal and boys’ basketball coach at Waynesburg High School.

Glenn Gehringer ’07 is a permit manager for Transport Investments Inc. He and Marilou Gehringer live in Pittsburgh, Pa. He earned his master’s degree in legal studies from Cal U.

Bernadette Lewis ’03, ’05, of Washington, Pa., is a manager at Applebee’s restaurant. She studied public relations and regional planning at Cal U, where she was a member of Student Government, the Student Association Inc. board of directors, Emerging Leaders and Theta Phi Alpha.

Angel Mason ’07 is associate athletic director at Hamilton College in Clinton, N.Y. She earned her master’s degree in sport management from Cal U.

Justin Welker ’06, of Wexford, Pa., is a water supervisor for Range Resources. He majored in environmental studies at Cal U. Lindsay Vlasic ’06 works as a probation officer aide in Westmoreland County, Pa. At Cal U, she was a member of the Sport Management Club and a community assistant for Building C.

Akil Patterson ’07 is a coach with the Terrapin Wrestling Club in Maryland, an official Regional Olympic Training Center of USA Wrestling.

Sandra Richmond ’07 is director of nursing at Pennsylvania College of Technology. She earned her master’s degree in exercise science from Cal U. Anne Jablonski ’08 studied legal studies at Cal U. She and Michael Jablonski live in Belle Vernon, Pa. Katie Benick ’08 is director of performance services at Tidewater Physical Therapy. She oversees operations in Suffolk, Newport News and Gloucester, Va. She earned her master’s degree in exercise science from Cal U, where she also played volleyball and basketball.

Andy Moats ’08 has been a teacher in the Waynesboro, Pa., area schools for 17 years.

Rob Hinton ’08 is director of the Upshur County (W.Va.) Economic Development Authority.

Marc Levin ’09 is a scheduling coordinator for Home Helpers. He studied education at Cal U, where he was a writing tutor and member of the marching and concert bands. He lives in Lansdale, Pa.

Together in California Interim University President Geraldine M. Jones '72, '80 (far left) joins members of the Adamusko and Jordan families who stopped in at Cal U this summer. Visiting campus as part of their family get-together were (front row, from left) sisters Irene Adamusko Probasco ’59, Mary Adamusko Moriarty ’77 and Carol Adamusko Smith ’76; (center row) Susan Adamusko, Jack Probasco, Susan Jordan '72 and Pat Jordan-Ford '82; and (back row) Joe Adamusko ’65, Linda Mallison and David Adamusko ’70. Family members traveled from the Philadelphia area, Ohio, Virginia, Florida and even Hong Kong for the reunion. Not pictured here is Mary Jordan Mariani ’78, a Mon Valley resident.

30 CAL U REVIEW FALL 2014 n

Angela Abadilla ’09 is principal of Baden (Pa.) Academy Charter School. She was the senior program officer for arts education in the Pittsburgh (Pa.) Public Schools prior to her appointment to her new position.

Edward Bernot ’09 is the principal of Vincentian Academy in McCandless, Pa. He earned his master’s degree in educational administration from Cal U. Christi Weiser ’09 is the head softball coach at North Iowa Area Community College in Mason City, Iowa. She earned her master’s degree in exercise science and health promotion, with an emphasis in sports psychology, from Cal U.

10s Jon Konzelman ’10 is director of the Scranton School for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Children.

He earned a master’s degree in exercise science from Cal U.

Robert Rocco ’11 is superintendent of the Ridgway Area School District, in Elk County, Pa. He earned his superintendent’s letter of eligibility from Cal U.

Laurel Marshalek ’12 is a veterinary student at the University of Missouri. At Cal U she played for the softball team and was on the equestrian team. She also was a member of the Lions Club.

Joe Merlino ’11 is the wrestling coach at Broadneck High School in Annapolis, Md.

Jazmine Fenlator ’12 was a member of the 2014 U.S. Olympic bobsled team. She earned her master’s degree in exercise science from Cal U.

Stephanie Beason ’10 is head women’s basketball coach and athletic director at Cottey College in Nevada, Mo. She earned her master’s degree in exercise science and health promotion from Cal U.

Colleen Frickie Wildenhain ’11 is an athletic trainer at Sweet Briar College. She and Ryan Wildenhain ’11 live in Sweet Briar, Va. She earned a master’s degree in athletic training from Cal U.

Erin Berstler ’10, of Philadelphia, Pa., is a clinical therapist for Holy Redeemer Health System. She majored in psychology with a minor in women’s studies at Cal U, and was a member of the University Honors program. She also was senior class gift chair, a Cal U for Life orientation leader, a member of the choir and active with Colleges Against Cancer.

Marguerite Smith Haldin ’09, ’11 is a remedial reading and math teacher with Allegheny Intermediate Unit 3. At Cal U, she earned degrees in elementary education and as a K-12 reading specialist. She and Sean Haldin live in Munhall, Pa.

Jennifer Schaeffer Wolfe ’10 is a child protective services caseworker in Washington County, Pa. She studied criminology at Cal U, where she was a peer mentor and a member of the Criminal Justice Club, the criminal justice honor society, the Psychology Club, the Law and Justice Society, and the choir. She and Stephen Wolfe ’10 live in Pittsburgh, Pa. Stephanie Gunesch ’10 is head coach of the of the Victor (N.Y.) Central High School swim team.

She earned her master’s degree in exercise science from Cal U. Sarah Swango Penrod ’07, ’10 is a Spanish teacher at St. Mary’s County (Md.) Public Schools. She majored in international studies and Spanish education at Cal U, where she was a member of the band. She and Michael Penrod live in Lusby, Md. Jessica Lance ’11 is an office manager. She studied sport management at Cal U and lives in Searcy, Ark. Sean King ’11 is the sports information director at Washington and Jefferson College, in Washington, Pa. Sean studied sport management at Cal U.

IN PRINT California University graduates continue to make their mark in the world of book publishing.

David Zema ’75 is a co-author of Transform: The World’s Leading Entrepreneurs and Professionals Get to the Heart and Soul of Transforming Your Life, Business & Health. His business, David Zema Enterprises, focuses on helping clients to create marketing messages.

He studied communications at Cal U.

Mercedes Himmons ’10, ’11, of Philadelphia, Pa., is an athletic trainer for Aspire Sports Medicine LLC. She studied athletic training and rehabilitation science at Cal U, where she was a member of Phi Sigma Pi, a student ambassador and a member of the Athletic Training Club.

Elisa Ashton ’12, of Pittsburgh, Pa., is a food service worker for UPMC Mercy. She studied history at Cal U and was a member of the History Club.

Eric Westendorf ’12 is the principal at Central Westmoreland Career and Technology Center in New Stanton, Pa. He earned his master’s degree in education at Cal U. Aimee Hazlett ’12, of Farmington, Pa., studied elementary education at Cal U. She was involved with the University Choir, Habitat for Humanity, the Bowling Club, Billiards Club and Colleges Against Cancer.

Jacob Milliron ’12 is the city controller of Jeannette, Pa. He studied history and political science at Cal U. David Jenkins ’12 is the baseball coach at Sewanee: The University of the South, in Tennessee. He previously was an assistant baseball coach at Shenandoah University in Virginia.

Charisma Timmons ’12 of Kissimmee, Fla., is a tennis instructor. She earned her master’s degree in exercise science from Cal U. Lucie Fremeau ’13 is an advertising account manager for Merkle Inc. She lives in Pittsburgh, Pa. At Cal U she majored in communication studies and was a member of the Public Relations Student Society of America and the Society of Professional Journalists.

Melissa David ’13, a communications major, lives in Maplewood, N.J. Katalin Parent ’13 is the assistant athletic trainer and strength and conditioning coach for the State University of New York at Fredonia. She earned her master’s degree in exercise science and health promotion from Cal U. Amy Guzik ’13 is director of the Jeannette (Pa.) Recreation Commission. She studied elementary education at Cal U and has been a substitute teacher in the Norwin, Yough and Jeannette City school districts.

Annetta Walker ’12, of Pittsburgh, Pa., is a premium billing analyst for UPMC. She studied business administration at Cal U, where she was a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha, the Inter-residence Hall Council and the Young and Gifted Gospel Choir.

Joe Donar ’13 is co-owner and coach at CrossFit Iron Flag in Westmont, Ill. He also recently appeared on an episode of Steve Austin’s Broken Skull Challenge on Country Music Television, in which contestants participate in various physical competitions. Joe studied exercise science and health promotion at Cal U.

Doug Rosensteel ’82 is the author of Psi Another Day, the first of three books about the adventures of Rinnie Noelle. The books incorporate anti-bullying and anti-drug messages as the lead character uses her special abilities to fight for the underdog. Doug studied chemistry at Cal U and operates BHD Technologies, a management consulting firm specializing in leadership development and process improvement. More info: drrosensteel.com.

Kristopher White ’05 is the co-author and editor of several books in the Emerging Civil War book series. He is a historian for the Penn-Trafford Recreation Board and a continuing educator for the Community College of Allegheny County. Kristopher served for five years as staff military historian at Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park and is a former licensed battlefield guide at Gettysburg, Pa. More info: emergingcivilwar.com/ publications/the-emerging-civil-war-series.

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CAL U M I L E S T O N E S Engagements Jacquelyn Glunz ’11 and Chadwick Oliver are engaged. Jacquelyn studied psychology at Cal U and is a field representative for Dean Foods. Chadwick is director of information technology for Sportsfield Specialties. They are planning a July 2015 wedding in New York.

Jeffrey Palencik ’09, ’13 and Amber Preston ’12 are engaged. Jeffrey is a substitute teacher. Amber is pursuing her master’s degree in clinical mental health counseling at Cal U, where she is a graduate assistant. They plan to marry in May 2017.

James Comunale ’12 and Mary Ventrone ’12, ’14 are engaged. Both majored in education at Cal U. They are planning a July 2015 wedding.

John Prekrel ’08 and Kaitlyn Strosnider are planning a June 2016 wedding. John teaches high school science in Dorchester County, Md. Kaitlyn is completing her degree in secondary education, biology, at Cal U.

Alumni salute Among those attending the promotion ceremony for Col. Lance Oskey ’93 were these Cal U graduates: (seated, from left) parents Ernest ’65 and Linda Webb ’66 Oskey; sister Tasha Oskey ’08; wife Amy Boehm Oskey ’94; brother-in-law Todd Klein ’94; (standing, from left) Col. Robert Mundell ’86, who officiated at the ceremony; Col. Oskey; Damon Oskey ’94; Staff Sgt. Jesse Maund, career counselor and ROTC instructor at Cal U; and Capt. Robert Prah ’06, ’10, Cal U’s director of Veterans Affairs.

Josh Carter ’13 is the equipment manager for the Hershey Bears, of the American Hockey League.

He completed an internship as an equipment manager for the Anaheim Ducks of the National Hockey League while a senior at Cal U, where he also played club hockey.

Tammy Bimber ’13, a graduate of Cal U’s Master of Science in Nursing program, is nurse manager of the emergency care center at Warren General Hospital. She recently presented information at the Birmingham (Ala.) Chapter of the American Association of Legal Nurse Consultants on the role of a sexual assault nurse examiner. She also published an article on the topic in the Journal of Legal Nurse Consulting.

Breanna Blose ’13 is a field director for the campaign of state Rep. Mark Painter, who represents the 146th Legislative District in Montgomery County, Pa. Breanna graduated from Cal U with majors in political science and international business. An officer in Cal Campaign Consultants and the campus College Democrats chapter, she was among the Cal U students who attended the 2012 Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, N.C. Tommy Loera Jr. ’13, of Pasadena, Calif., is a teacher and athletic trainer at Bishop Mora Salesian High School. He earned his master’s degree in sport management from Cal U.

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Derek Pegritz ’95, ’13 composed music for the Washington Symphony Orchestra’s 13th season opener in fall 2014. He is a recent graduate of the commercial music technology program.

Courtney Cochran ’12, ’13 is a field manager for the Democratic Party in Arizona, where she is working on the campaign for the re-election of U.S. Rep. Rob Barber. A political science major at Cal U, a Student Ambassador and president of the Internship Ambassadors Club, Courtney was among the Cal U students who attended the 2012 Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, N.C. Robert Kibler ’14 is a process control engineer for U.S. Steel. He studied computer engineering technology at Cal U. Robert and Amanda Kibler ’14 live in Claridge, Pa.

Brittany E. Prater ’09 and Douglas A. Zaruta are planning a May 2015 wedding in Dallas, Pa. Brittany earned a bachelor’s degree in sport management from Cal U. She works for Geisinger Health Plan in WilkesBarre, Pa. Doug is a fourth-year medical school student at The Commonwealth Medical College in Scranton, Pa. Michelle R. Kelley ’12 and Russell J. Pepper ’91 have announced their engagement. Michelle, who studied nursing and business administration at Cal U, is a registered pediatric nurse and works at Bayada Pediatrics. Russell, who studied earth science at Cal U, is an environmental specialist at AECOM.

Weddings Jimmy Peters ’11 and Lindsey Steppe were married Sept. 6, 2014, in Columbus, Ohio. Jimmy earned his master’s degree in exercise science from Cal U. He is a personal trainer at the Arena District Athletic Club.

Emily Fuller ’14 and Zackery Howard were married July 26, 2014, in Carmichaels, Pa. Emily studied elementary education at Cal U.

Amanda Bilitski ’14 is a middle-level educator for Yeshiva Schools. She lives in Brownsville, Pa.

Samuel Desmond III ’09 and Nicole Oliver ’08 were married May 25, 2014, in Canonsburg, Pa. Samuel studied business information systems at Cal U and is a material control specialist for Williams Companies. Nicole earned her master’s degree in business from Cal U and works as a national account manager for Align Networks.

They live in Washington, Pa.

Bryan Stefanik ’14 is director of sport performance, head trainer and site manager at Power Train Sports Institute in Canonsburg, Pa. He earned his bachelor’s degree in exercise science from Cal U.

Shannon Howard ’01 and Jonathan Fish were married July 12, 2014, in Scenery Hill, Pa. Shannon works for Head Start, and Jonathan works for Deckman Control Systems. They live in Washington, Pa.

Tyler Care ’14 is the head men’s basketball coach at Penn State Greater Allegheny. He was a graduate assistant coach at Cal U, where he earned his master’s degree.

Zachary Dillow ’11 and Tiffany Wolfe were married Sept. 6, 2014. Zachary is a principal in the Albert Gallatin School District, in Fayette County, Pa. Tiffany is a CT technologist at Ruby Memorial Hospital in Morgantown, W.Va. Danielle Sweitzer ’05 and David Bandish were married July 19, 2014, in Uniontown, Pa. Danielle is a sixth-grade math teacher in the Brownsville (Pa.) Area School District.

Brian Markwood ’10 and Rebecca Bush were married April 19, 2014, in Crafton, Pa. Brian is a special education teacher with the Currituck County School System in North Carolina.

Jeffrey Kirk ’10 and Kelsie Garvin ’10 were married May 31, 2014, in Butler, Pa. Kelsie earned her degree in communication studies with a concentration in public relations.

She works in marketing for Montgomery IP Associates in Canonsburg, Pa. Jeffrey earned his degree in business administration. He works as a spare parts manager at Auma Actuators in Canonsburg.

Benjamin Hogan ’06 and Victoria Ballant ’08, ’11 were married July 5, 2014, in Masontown, Pa. Ben is a route sales associate with Frito Lay. He studied business administration at Cal U. Vicki, who studied elementary education and earned her master’s degree as a reading specialist at Cal U, is a kindergarten teacher at Hutchinson Elementary School in the Laurel Highlands School District. They live in Uniontown, Pa. Matthew Dixon ’07 and Gina DeGennaro were married Sept. 6, 2014, in Washington County, Pa. Shea Marie Vocht ’09 and Joseph Lapsley ’08 were married July 26, 2014, in Blue Bell, Pa. Shea is a special education teacher for the Phoenixville School District.

Jennifer R. Weightman ’11 and Travis Townsend were recently married. Jennifer is a secondary math teacher for the Carmichaels (Pa.) Area School District.

‘Do It for Garrick’ Contributions from Cal U students and student organizations, alumni, employees and friends combined to endow the Garrick A. Lackey Memorial Scholarship. Garrick was vice president of Student Government, a member of the Student Activities Board and active in other student organizations when he was killed in a traffic accident in November 2013. He was on track to graduate in spring 2014. Students spearheaded a number of fundraising efforts to reach the $10,000 threshold and endow the scholarship.

Katie Lynn Thompson ’07 and Joshua Michael Cassarly were married Nov. 15, 2014, at Olive or Twist in Pittsburgh, Pa. Katie is a career consultant at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh. Josh is a client support specialist for Socialware, based in Austin, Texas. They are living in Pittsburgh.

Anniversaries Clyde and Kay Clendaniel of Washington, Pa., recently celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary. For 12 years Clyde was chair of the Chemistry and Physics Department at Cal U. An emeritus professor, he retired from the University after 35 years.

Drs. Karen ’67 and Franklin Kuzy recently celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary with a cruise. Karen was an educator and supervisor in the Washington (Pa.) School District for 35 years.

Birth Kris Mintmier Hoover ’99 and her husband, Andy, of Martinsburg, Pa., welcomed their second child, Maddison Noelle Hoover, on Dec. 20, 2013.

In Memoriam Carl Bowers ’69 John Casario Jr.* Ronald A. Christ, Ed.D.,* emeritus professor William Erwin Cowden Sr.,* retired director of security at Cal U Richard Michael Dudas II ’83 Ashley Wynn Evans ’95 David Warren Fabian ’64 Charles R. Galiszewski* Bernice Turney Gaskell ’50 Kathleen Ann Gebe ’82 Edward Michael Goetz ’72 Ruben A. Gonzales ’81 Elizabeth Hiscar ’65 Charles William “Bill” Holman ’54, founding member of the Robert M. Steele Society at Cal U Harold “Hal” Theo Hunter,* former football coach and assistant athletic director at Cal U Ena Dolores Coven Janosko ’41 Jean M. Phillips Kacmar ’46 Dorothy Ruth Kahl,* retired Cal U purchasing agent Josephine H. Anderson Keibler ’42 Della Mae Lammay ’49 George Lange ’56 Ruth Lewis ’46 Michael Tyler Lukan* Robert Mihallik ’59

Remembrances Adelaide Ivill Guesman ’38 died Sept. 16, 2014. She and her husband, the late Ivan Guesman ’41, were great supporters of Cal U. Adelaide had retired from Jefferson-Morgan High School after 35 years in the classroom. She and Ivan were recipients of the 2013 Lillian M. Bassi Core Values Award, and the 2007 Alumni Couple of the Year Award. In 2008 Cal U awarded them each an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters. They donated a guest room at the Kara Alumni House at Cal U in memory of their parents and made provision to fund scholarships for Cal U students. A residence hall on campus was named in their honor in 2013.

Norman G. Hasbrouck, who retired in 2013 as special assistant to the President and director of the Office of Continuous Improvement at Cal U, died Aug. 30, 2014. Previously, he was the dean of admissions at the University.

Sally Ann Martin ’72 George L. Misher ’47 Edward Vincent Monaghan ’67 Edward F. Mottle ’57 Laura Mullan ’44 Robert C. Nesti ’50 Ruth K. Sparks Ohler ’62 Paul Anthony Pechatsko ’98 Dina F. Popovich* Joseph D. Scarmazzi ’55, emeritus professor of education Dale Ellen Pape Seamon ’70 Paul A. Simmons,* husband of former Cal U Council of Trustees member Gwendolyn Simmons Zella Wilkinson Smith ’44 Margaret J. Dunlevy Snodgrass ’62 Rosemary J. Urick ’01 Barbara Ann Waggoner ’89 Jacob C. Wilson* Dominick L. “Pickle” Zangla,* retired locksmith at Cal U *No class year on file

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PUT YOURSELF IN GOOD COMPANY WHEN YOU JOIN THE ROBERT M. STEELE SOCIETY

F

ar in the future, the decision you make today will help to educate young men and women you have never met — but whose gratitude will be eternal.

Name the Foundation for California University of Pennsylvania in your will, and you enjoy: • Control. You decide on the gift amount, its timing and how your gift will be used.

• Simplicity. One or two sentences added to your existing will as an amendment or “codicil” makes your wishes known.

• Low impact. Nothing changes on your tax return, monthly income or financial statements.

• Flexibility. Your estate planning can change in countless ways without being “locked in.”

• Lasting appreciation. Name the Foundation for California University in your will or estate planning, and the University will be grateful, now and for many years to come.

For answers to questions or to review the use of your gift, contact Gordon Core, director of Planned Giving, at 724-938-5985 or core@calu.edu. To read more, visit www.calu.edu/plannedgiving.

Send your Milestones news or address changes by e-mail to alumni@calu.edu, by fax to 724-938-5932, or by mail to Alumni Relations, P.O. Box 89, California, PA 15419. Questions? Call 724-938-4418.

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Information will be published as space and deadlines allow. Please indicate on another sheet what activities or sports you participated in while you were a student. We welcome high-resolution electronic photographs. Please e-mail images to revieweditor@calu.edu; put the words “Milestones photo” on the subject line of your e-mail, and be sure to tell us your name, year of graduation and the identity of everyone in the picture. Please do not send computer printouts or low-resolution digital photos, as they will not reproduce well in this magazine.

Stay connected to the Cal U Alumni Association’s online community! Your personal ID number is on this magazine’s mailing label.

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Cal U for Life!

Fireworks light up the sky above Old Main to celebrate the conclusion of Cal U for Life New Student Orientation, a three-day series of activities designed to help first-year students make a smooth transition to college life. Upperclassmen lead many of the sessions that introduce freshmen to Cal U traditions and University services before classes begin.