Spring 2012 - Cal U Review by California University of Pennsylvania

2012

SPRING

CREVIEW ALU

ON CALL IN CALIFORNIA University students bolster volunteer fire department.

– HELEN KELLER

FROM THE PRESIDENT

“No man is an island,” as the saying goes, and no institution of higher learning exists in a vacuum. California University is proud of its contributions to our community. As one of Washington County’s largest employers, Cal U plays a major role in the economy of western Pennsylvania, providing paychecks to hundreds of area households. According to the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education, each of PASSHE’s 14 universities, on average, has a statewide economic impact of $313 million and injects $125 million into the economy of its local county. It’s easy to see that impact in and around California Borough. In addition to our faculty and staff, many Cal U students live and work in the towns near campus. A growing number of students jump-start their careers with co-op jobs or internships at area businesses. And as consumers, their spending supports stores, restaurants and other local enterprises. But that’s just a small part of their contribution. Cal U students donate their time and talent to a variety of worthy causes, serving as volunteer firefighters and helping out at schools and senior centers, historical societies and nonprofit organizations. They regularly put a local spin on projects such as the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life and the Big Event, the nation’s largest student-run service project, which annually provides help with yard work, window washing and other springtime chores for our off-campus neighbors. At Cal U, community service is woven into the fabric of everyday life. The Center for Civic Engagement promotes volunteerism and helps students to identify service opportunities. Service projects can be recorded on each student’s Activities Transcript, an official document that adds to the value of a Cal U degree. As an institution, Cal U also contributes to the region’s cultural landscape. Our campus regularly hosts renowned speakers, world-class performers and top-quality museum exhibitions. In recent months we’ve welcomed authors and sports stars, political analysts and Hollywood actors, each with an important message to share. These campus events are an added value for our students, and they typically are open to the public, as well. For the past 20 years California has been my hometown, and I enjoy having the neighbors drop by to enjoy these activities with us. I’m especially pleased when alumni return to campus. You exemplify the spirit of Cal U for Life, and your presence strengthens Cal U’s ties to the larger community. As your alma mater, Cal U can continue to enrich your life – and your participation in University affairs adds immeasurably to our success. As I hope you know, you are always welcome here. With warm regards,

Angelo Armenti, Jr. President California University of Pennsylvania 2 CAL U REVIEW SPRING 2012 ■

SPRING

2012

“Alone we can do so little, but together we can do so much.”

CALU REVIEW

The California University of Pennsylvania Magazine CAL U REVIEW Vol. 40 - No. 2 The Cal U Review is published quarterly by the Office of Marketing and University Relations and is distributed free. Third class postage paid at California.

CHANCELLOR Dr. John C. Cavanaugh BOARD OF GOVERNORS Guido M. Pichini, chairman Marie Conley Lammando, vice chair Aaron Walton, vice chair Leonard B. Altieri III Rep. Matthew E. Baker Jennifer Branstetter (designee for Gov. Corbett) Gov. Tom Corbett Sarah C. Darling, student member Rep. Michael K. Hanna Ronald G. Henry

Kenneth M. Jarin Bonnie L. Keener, student member Jonathan B. Mack Joseph F. McGinn C.R. “Chuck” Pennoni Sen. Jeffrey E. Piccola Harold C. Shields Robert S. Taylor Ronald J. Tomalis, secretary of education Sen. John T. Yudichak

CALIFORNIA UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA Dr. Angelo Armenti, Jr., president Geraldine M. Jones, provost and vice president for Academic Affairs Dr. Lenora Angelone, vice president for Student Affairs Dr. Charles B. Mance, vice president for University Technology Services Sharon Navoney, interim vice president for University Development and Alumni Relations Robert Thorn, vice president for Administration and Finance Craig Butzine, vice president for Marketing and University Relations COUNCIL OF TRUSTEES Robert J. Irey, chair Lawrence Maggi ’79, vice chair Peter J. Daley II ’72, ’75 James T. Davis ’73 Annette Ganassi Autumn Harris, student trustee Leo Krantz

Michael Napolitano ’68 Gwendolyn Simmons Jerry Spangler ’74 Aaron Walton ’68 The Hon. John C. Cavanaugh, chancellor, ex-officio

ALUMNI ASSOCIATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS Tim Gorske ’62, president Lorraine Vitchoff ’74, vice president Barbara (Williams) Fetsko ’75, ’83, secretary Deanne (Sovich) Zelenak ’79, treasurer Harry Serene ’65, immediate past president Roger M. Angelelli ’64 Jim Lokay ’02 Colleen (Murphy) Arnowitz ’88, ’97 Lawrence Maggi ’79 Rosemary (Rich) Bucchianeri ’69 Don Martin ’89 Joseph Dochinez ’51 Dante Morelli ’02 Kimberly (Mahaffey) Fahey ’97, ’99 Michael Napolitano ’68 Brian Fernandes ’99, ’00 George Novak ’55 Christina (Kost) Fosbrink ’01, ’03 Melanie (Stringhill) Patterson ’82, ’88 Josh Fosbrink ’01, ’03 Fred Retsch ’62, ’66 Paul Gentile ’62 Dolly Rozzi ’64 Abigail Grant ’07 James Stofan ’71 Alan James ’62 Lynne (Moltz) Stout ’94 Len Keller ’61 Tim Susick ’76, ’78 Marc Keller ’94 Judy (Durko) Zilkowski ’77, ’83 EX-OFFICIO MEMBERS David Amati ’70, president for Foundation for California University of Pennsylvania Angelo Armenti, Jr., president Geraldine (Johns) Jones ’72, provost and vice president for Academic Affairs Robert J. Irey, chair of the Council of Trustees Sharon Navoney, interim vice president for University Development and Alumni Relations Michael Slavin ’74, APSCUF president STUDENT MEMBERS Courtney Cochran Josh Giffin

Walter Harris Cory Stoner

STUDENT ASSOCIATION, INC. BOARD OF DIRECTORS Ashley Baird David Mutich Walter Harris Marc Roncone ’03 Robert J. Irey Shane Speicher Sam Jessee ’90 Jenna Terchanik Bonnie Keener Dr. Donald Thompson Hope Cox ’00, ’01 Michael Wagner Kevin McEvoy EX-OFFICIO MEMBERS Dr. Lenora Angelone ’89,’92,’97 Leigh Ann Lincoln

Dr. Nancy Pinardi ’95, ’96, ’98 Larry Sebek

FOUNDATION FOR CALIFORNIA UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA BOARD OF DIRECTORS Dr. David L. Amati ’70,’72 president Michele M. Mandell ’69, vice president Steven P. Stout ’85 secretary Paul Kania ’87, treasurer Linda H. Serene ’64, immediate past president Robert Lippencott ’66 Armand E. Balsano ’74 Lawrence Maggi ’79 William R. Booker ’74 Michael A. Perry ’63 Nathaniel W. Dixon Walter J. Sigut ’64 William R. Flinn ’68 Dr. Saundra L. Stout ’72 Richard C. Grace ’63 William J. Urbanik ’01 Annette M. Kaleita ’55 Dr. Lorraine G. Vitchoff ’74 Gary Kennedy ’58 EX-OFFICIO MEMBERS Dr. Angelo Armenti, Jr., president Tim Gorske ’62 Sharon Navoney, interim vice president for University Development and Alumni Relations EDITOR Christine Kindl WRITERS Wendy Mackall Colleen C. Derda

Bruce Wald ’85 Jeff Bender

PHOTOGRAPHERS Greg Sofranko

S. C. Spangler

Cover sTorY: Cal U junior Dexter Parzanese, a technology education major, is among the student members of the California Volunteer Fire Department. Page 4

inside Departments Campus Clips

Features

12 – 15

alumni Calendar

alumni spotlight

20 – 21

sports roundup

26-27

paying it Forward milestones

unearthing local history

Archaeology students catalog artifacts at small-town museums and teach children to dig into the past.

Picture this

30– 34

Software developed by a Cal U professor helps young children with special needs modify their own behavior.

writing on the wall

A graphic design student's colorful mural teaches preschoolers the 7 Habits of Happy Kids.

renaissance rebuild

An Applied Engineering and Technology course takes a lesson from Leonardo da Vinci.

stalking the wild begonia

Undergraduate research blooms after a Cal U botany professor discovers new plant species in South America.

Your review is online The Cal U Review is available online in an easy-to-read format. Visit www.calu.edu/news and click on ‘Cal U Review’ to see the current issue or previous editions. ‘As Seen in the Review’ also provides links to special online-only features!

SPRING 2012 CAL U REVIEW 3 ■

Cal U student Brandon McLean poses in turnout gear.

On Call in California

Students serve with the borough’s volunteer fire department

PHOTO COURTESY OF ROBERTO M. ESQUIVEL/HERALDSTANDARD.COM

hen the fire alarm sounds in California Borough, Cal U students are among those answering the call. Since 1997, the student membership program organized by California Volunteer Fire Department has enhanced community safety. By offering training and practice, it also lets students who are firefighters in their own hometowns maintain and refine their skills.

California Volunteer Fire Department battles a house fire in the borough. 4 CAL U REVIEW SPRING 2012 ■

“Because of the students, we are now one of the few fire departments in the area that can put a full crew of 10 to 15 firefighters out there Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.,” says fire Chief Tom Hartley Jr. A maintenance repairman II at Cal U for nearly 40 years, Hartley has been the VFD’s chief since 1981. Like many volunteers he followed in the footsteps of his father, a former assistant fire chief. Volunteer fire departments nationwide are struggling to find and keep members, Hartley says. Fewer people have time to devote to volunteering, in part because the current economic downturn has forced some to take second or third jobs. Once their skills are evaluated and they are amply trained, the Cal U students help California’s department fill the void. The VFD’s 30 members answer calls in a 17-square-mile area that includes California and Coal Center boroughs. “We respond to multiple types of calls and alarms, and provide mutual aid with a lot of nearby companies,” Hartley says. “The students get a wealth of experience, and we get a lot of time from them, which really helps.” Cal U staff also bolsters the department. Jamison Roth ’04, the University’s director of sports clubs, and residence hall director Dan Pretz both are members.

Time and training “There’s a lot more to volunteering than just answering the call when the whistle goes off,” says Roth. He joined the department as a student firefighter in 2002; now he’s a second lieutenant.

Working with his hometown West Ridge Fire Department in Erie, Pa., Roth learned that drills and training exercises, monthly truck cleaning and fundraising activities are all part of a volunteer’s duties. “Volunteer firefighters have to truly want to do this,” he says. “You don’t just sign up. It has to be in your blood.” Junior Dexter Parzanese, a secondyear student firefighter with California VFD, has served with the Laureldale Central department, near Reading, Pa., for the past five years. A technology education major, he learned about California’s student program through a Cal U brochure he received when he was in high school. “I chose Cal U for its tech ed program, and I applied online with the fire department in my sophomore year,” he says. “It rarely happens, but my professors are very lenient and understanding if I’m late or have to miss a class because I’m out on a call.” Parzanese frequently answers questions for newer student firefighters, and he enjoys working with the department’s veterans. “They are a bunch of nice guys who really know what they’re doing,” he says. “You learn a lot from them, and the monthly training keeps you sharp. I’d probably forget some things when I go home if not for this. “We just like helping everybody.” Andy Egut ’08 joined the student program in 2005. A native of Brecksville, Ohio, he’d followed his father and brother into his hometown fire department. Now he’s a Range Resources employee,

a California resident and a regular member of the California VFD. In and out of the station, he says, safety always come first. “The last thing we want to do is send anyone out to fight a fire without knowing their ability. We work very closely with our students,” he says. Barry Niccolai ’93, dean for residence and off-campus student life, serves as the fire department’s president. He began fighting fires in California in the 1980s. And he has nothing but praise for the relationship between California’s 105-year-old fire department and the 160-year-old University, which used to dispatch its calls. “The University makes an annual donation to the fire department, and it certainly encourages volunteer service as a way of giving back,” he says. “This program has worked out well.” Eventually, the fire department hopes to provide housing for student firefighters in its 12,000-square-foot facility, which opened in 2006. “This would be the fire department’s way of ‘paying it forward,’ because the students are running into the face of danger every time the whistle blows,” Niccolai says. “The reward for them is that they’re helping other people in a time of crisis, which is commendable.”

Fish fry fundraisers Maintaining a fire department is costly, even when it’s staffed by volunteers. California’s popular fish fry fundraisers help to support the department — and the

Lenten events have a definite Cal U flavor. This year the department teamed with Cal U’s Center for Civic Engagement, and 135 students turned out to lend a hand. The majority were members of a fraternity or sorority, AmeriCorps, or the Alpha Delta Lambda freshman honor society. “This opportunity really hit home for our students, and they were glad to do something that directly helps the people of California,” says Diane Williams, the center’s director. “And it’s fun. The (Vulcan Flyer) bus takes them right to the fire station. We have a lot of people who want to do it again.” David Santini ’91 takes special pride in the student program’s success. Now captain of the Arlington County Fire Department in Virginia — a professional department with 319 members and 10 fire stations — he started the program when he was California’s assistant fire chief. “Absolutely, I’m proud of this,” says Santini, who still rides with California’s volunteers when he visits his hometown. “This program improves our staffing, which gives us more people to do a more efficient and faster job. In turn, that improves service to the community. It’s safer for all involved.” Hartley says he hopes the program will continue to flourish. “We really enjoy working with the students, and right now we have a real good bunch,” he says. “It’s nice to have young guys around, and they are a big help.” ■ By Bruce Wald ’85, information writer at Cal U

Ready and waiting Seven students, all members of their hometown volunteer fire departments, currently are volunteers with the California VFD: • Nick Green • Brandon McLean • Brandon Michaels • Dexter Parzanese • Nate Scaccia • Tom Stone • Rich Weisman The department has six vehicles — two pumpers, a ladder truck, a rescue vehicle, a tanker and a brush truck. The department’s 30 members answer, on average, 330 calls per year. Fire Chief Tom Hartley Jr., a Cal U staff member, pitches in at the fish fry fundraiser. SPRING 2012 CAL U REVIEW 5 ■

arChaeologists unearth loCal history sTudenTs AssisT AT CommuniTY museum, field siTes And sChool rchaeology is all about people, says recent graduate Jonathan Crise, whether you’re excavating pottery shards at an old home site or digging through records in the basement of a river town’s museum. So Crise helps community residents unearth connections to their past by working at the Monongahela River, Railroad and Transportation Museum in Brownsville, Pa. “One of the things that I love about getting our students active in community projects is that it helps the public

to realize history isn't just for older people,” says Dr. Cassandra Kuba, an assistant professor of forensic anthropology in the Department of Justice, Law and Society. “Seeing younger adults involved in archaeology and museums helps to demonstrate the vitality and excitement one can find.” Crise, who graduated in May, and rising senior Alexandra Wasko served internships at the Brownsville museum last spring. They continue to perform service work through

Cal U’s affiliation with the Mon-Yough Chapter of the Society for Pennsylvania Archaeology (SPA).

Maps and records The pair began by cataloging donated maps and records with Marc Henshaw ’98, a Brownsville native and a doctoral candidate at Michigan Technological University. Part of Henshaw’s dissertation focuses on how the steamboat industry evolved in the Monongahela Valley.

Jonathan Crise looks over artifacts and Indian arrowheads at the Monongahela River, Railroad and Transportation Museum in Brownsville.

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The students’ original assignment quickly took on new dimensions. Soon after starting their internship, Crise and Wasko began accompanying Henshaw on archaeology digs, then cleaning and cataloging artifacts in the museum’s basement. They also helped to reorganize the museum’s main floor, where donated memorabilia documents the National Road, the region’s trolley and rail lines, and the boat-making enterprises that once flourished along the river. Even after their internship ended, the pair continued their lab work through an arrangement with SPA member Carl Maurer, a retired Cal U purchasing director. Although the museum officially is open only on Wednesday mornings, Tom Selinger, 12, a student at Elizabeth-Forward Middle School, examines bones with it welcomes the public when Cal U Dr. Cassandra Kuba. students are working there. “We are helping them, and they “The Scouts were directly involved,” “This was an excellent collaboraare helping us,” says Ernie Bradmon, Crise says. “This is what we are going tion,” Kuba says. “Our Cal U students the museum’s president and a retired to be doing for a living, so we have helped the middle-schoolers, and then railroad brakeman and conductor. to get experience — and part of that we were able to bring those prospective “When the students are here, is reaching out and college students to our campus.” that gives local residents or teaching other people Kuba say Cal U’s community work tourists more opportunities what it is we do.” opens the door to further exploration. to visit our museum. We people think we “If we can get the public interested don’t get much help here, (archaeologists) Distance learning and involved, it would help us to so any help we can get we just dig up Another project explore new sites, new avenues of take advantage of. This all used Cal U’s up-toresearch, and improve our success helps archaeology.” dinosaur bones, the-minute “smart” in preservation and funding efforts.” but to me, it’s all classroom technology Crise is onboard, and he plans to Field work about people. to teach sixth-graders help with Brownsville Archaeology Crise and 21 Cal U about the past. Month again this summer. One field school students also Guided by Kuba excavation will be conducted at took part in Brownsville Jonathan Crise ’12 and Cal U archaeology the old Vulcan Machine Works, behind Archaeology Month professor Dr. John Nass, Crise and other the Flatiron Building. A foundry at activities last summer. University students helped youngsters this location produced the cast iron The public was encouraged to watch in the Elizabeth-Forward Middle School used in bridge construction. as students excavated the home sites of conduct an archaeological dig. Crise also hopes to highlight archaetwo 19th-century riverboat captains. To prepare them for the project, ology with a display at Brownsville’s The Church Street site was the home Kuba and Nass used the Cal U Teaching annual Market Street Arts Festival. of Capt. Michael Cox, who was active and Learning Center’s mobile and fixed The field is often misunderstood, in the steamboat industry during its conferencing systems in Keystone he says. “middle period,” from 1865-1930. The Education Center to present a long“People think we (archaeologists) Bank Street site was the home of riverdistance lesson for the middle-schoolers. just dig up dinosaur bones, but to me, boat Capt. James Gormley, who lived They followed up by providing it’s all about people. Archaeology looks there for 30 years, beginning in 1832. Elizabeth-Forward with hands-on displays at the material remains that people have Both sites yielded numerous artifacts, of archaeological tools and visiting the left behind and what behaviors we can including New Geneva stoneware and school for in-person talks. Five Cal U infer from them. Greensboro pottery, as well as an early students also gave presentations. “The main goal is to learn about folding pocketknife made in Sheffield, At the end of the semester, selected human behavior.” ■ England. middle school students and their teachDuring the dig students organized ers visited the University to discuss programs for Scout troops, teaching By Bruce Wald ’85, information writer at Cal U what they had learned. them to screen soil to uncover artifacts.

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students get the piCture research-based tool helps children adjust their behavior t Dunbar Elementary in Connellsville, Pa., students with special needs are learning appropriate classroom behavior with help from a research-based software program called PictureTools. “Whether students don’t have the background knowledge or there is a cognitive function they don’t have, children with Dr. Kate Mitchem special needs often don’t understand the behavior actions we desire,” says special education teacher Elizabeth Pernelli ’07. “PictureTools gives students a very concrete, visual understanding of how we want them to behave.” The PictureTools program uses customizable images to support

self-management and problem-solving skills for children who have not yet learned to read. Students pose for photographs illustrating proper and improper behavior — waiting patiently in line, for example, and pushing ahead. Both images are loaded into the PictureTools program, so children can visualize the difference by looking at the pictures of themselves. Portions of the program let teachers create reward systems, such as awarding stars or smiley faces for proper behavior. PictureTools was created by Dr. Kate Mitchem, a professor in Cal U’s Department of Early, Middle and Special Education, and Dr. Gail Fitzgerald, a professor in the School of Information Science and Learning Technologies at the University of Missouri. It is one program in a series of free educational tools for teachers and parents developed by Fitzgerald and Dr. Kevin Koury, dean of the College of Education and Human Services at Cal U. The package also includes KidTools and StrategyTools software. Mitchem has been involved in conducting field research to measure the effectiveness of the software programs for nearly 10 years. The idea for PictureTools came to her after speaking to teachers as part of that research. “A number of them expressed interest in having a similar

program for children who don’t read,” she says. “I thought it would be really nice to do something with pictures rather than words.” All of the KidTools and StrategyTools programs were funded through competitive grants from the U.S. Department of Education. Only about 14 percent of applicants are awarded grants, Mitchem says, and she was excited when PictureTools received funding and was released last year. “We have a lot of research-based practices that can help kids be more successful, but they are not always used in the classroom,” she says. “Working in schools with teachers, students and children is my passion, and there is great need to get userfriendly teaching tools into the hands of teachers and parents.”

Teacher LouAnn Fabian ’92, ’10 finds that PictureTools software helps special needs students learn proper classroom behavior.

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Students are learning It didn’t take long for Mitchem to realize that KidTools and StrategyTools could benefit education students at Cal U. Some use her field research data to show how using the tools in a classroom can affect children’s learning. In a field experience class, other University students are using the software suite, including PictureTools, to develop behavior intervention plans for children with special needs. “All of the software programs are based on research-based interventions that my students learn about,” says Mitchem. “There may be little pieces of similar programs out there, but these are the only electronic performance support systems that are as comprehensive, and Cal U students get the opportunity to learn these programs before entering the workforce.” Teacher LouAnn Fabian ’92, ’10 uses the software with her special-needs students at Dunbar Elementary. Both she and Pernelli studied with Mitchem, and for nearly a year they have been using PictureTools to reinforce proper behaviors. Both find it helpful for teaching children to wait in line, work with others and share. “Instead of having to constantly correct my students, I have a tool, and there is a picture of the proper behavior to show them,” Fabian says. “Eventually you can remove the tool, and the positive behaviors remain.” Students also enjoy helping their teachers use the program to create a

Tool kiT for TeAChers PictureTools is available as a free download at www.kidtools.org. The KidTools and StrategyTools software programs also were highlighted during the ﬁfth annual autism Conference, held may 15 at the Cal u Convocation Center.

personal behavioral model. “The students have a great time posing for pictures that represent positive and negative actions in the classroom,” Fabian says. “Once one student sees another posing for photos, the rest of the class wants to participate.” Tools are working Although PictureTools has been available to the public for only a year, research on all the KidTools and StrategyTools software has shown positive results. “And there has definitely been a positive reaction to PictureTools in the classroom,” says Fabian. “A number of my students do not need to use the tool anymore, but I will refer to it at times to reinforce behaviors.” Besides using the software programs at Dunbar Elementary, Mitchem has researched their effectiveness in the Albert Gallatin Area School District in Uniontown, Pa.; in Uniontown Area School District; at Washington Park Elementary School in Washington, Pa.; and in Intermediate Unit classrooms. Much of her research shows an immediate impact on learning. “We have done a number of research studies, and they all have shown very positive results,” Mitchem says. “Even from a tactical point of view, the fact that teachers want to use them is another indication that the programs are successful.” Next, Mitchem says, she wants to take PictureTools to a new level. She and Fitzgerald are working to incorporate video into the software,

Dunbar Elementary teachers Elizabeth Pernelli ’07 (left) and LouAnn Fabian ’92, ’10 use PictureTools in their classroom.

and they want to create a mobile version of PictureTools that teachers and students can use on tablet computers or other digital devices. “Not only will a mobile version make the software easier to use in the classroom, but it also will help children with special needs live a very normal life,” Mitchem explains. “For a kid, walking around with an iPod Touch or an iPad is less intrusive.” Pernelli says she believes the mobile version of PictureTools will help teachers and parents of children with special needs reach their ultimate goal: to help children become independent. “Our goal as special education teachers is always independence,” she says. “PictureTools and the other programs provide structure in the classroom and help our students obtain a certain level of independence that we can build upon.” ■ By Jeff Bender, PR and Web writer at Cal U

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mural helps preschoolers learn ‘7 habits’ Colorful ArTwork is win-win for ToTs, TeACher And GrAPhiC ArTisT colorful mural 10 feet tall helps preschoolers in Cal U’s Learning and Language Center learn the 7 Habits of Happy Kids. Painted by graphic design student Vincent Conti, who graduated in May, the mural highlights the principles of Dr. Stephen Covey’s 7 Habits of Highly Effective People in images and language that children ages 3-5 can understand. This is the second year that instructors at the Learning and Language Center, in Morgan Hall, have incorporated the 7 Habits principles into their lessons, says Dr. Denise Joseph, the center’s director. The mural has a tree as its centerpiece, with robins, raccoons, deer and other animals gathered around. A ladder leading to a tree house names the 7 Habits in Covey’s language, with a kid-friendly equivalent on each square. Habit 1: Be Proactive, for example, becomes I Do the Right Thing (Without Being Told). Habit 4: Think Win-Win becomes Everybody Can Be Happy. Joseph and Dr. Barbara Bonfanti, chair of the Communication Disorders Department, devised the 7 Habits of Happy Kids after they became convinced that the 7 Habits principles can benefit people of all ages.

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The collaborative project also demonstrates Habit 6: Synergize — or what the preschoolers know as Two Are Better Than One. Conti undertook the assignment not only to assist the center, but also to fulfill a “social justice” requirement in his Advanced Painting course with associate professor Todd Pinkham. After showing Joseph and her colleagues many different sketches, Conti spent an estimated 50 hours creating the mural, using about a dozen gallons of acrylic paint. “This was the biggest project I had ever done,” he says. “It was hard to communicate what was needed in simple images, so the sketches helped. I kept trying to perfect my technique.” Working during the semester break, Conti used his smartphone to send photos of the mural to Joseph every couple of days. “Vincent was the most patient student,” Joseph says. “He listened to what we were conceptualizing, and then he really nailed it.” Joseph has no doubt the mural will help the children as they learn the 7 Habits principles and work to earn medals recognizing their achievements. “We will always come back to it at least once a day to talk about how,

with each habit, our students are continuing to grow and climb that tree.” Pinkham emphasized the value of the project for Conti, too. “The whole culminating experience for our students is to actually create something on their own that can make a difference for a community — and this project met that goal,” he says. “This was real-world stuff. You go into the preschool and see the whole wall.” The mural is only the latest in a series of collaborations between the Language and Learning Center and Cal U students. The University Choir has performed for the preschoolers, and athletic training majors have served as mentors and led exercise routines. “I am a firm believer that programs in a university setting should be collaborative,” Joseph says. “Cal U is such a wonderful resource, so I keep trying to incorporate something that uses talent from many different areas.” ■ By Bruce Wald ’85, information writer at Cal U

CrAzY ConTrAPTions sTArT ChAin reACTion of leArninG Project puts digital devices into students’ hands or students from the Westmoreland County Gifted Coalition it was a Crazy Contraption Challenge — a chance to build a Rube Goldberg-style device in friendly competition with other students. For Cal U graduate student Chris Allen, it was a research project powered by mobile technology and a step toward his Master of Arts Teaching degree. At Bellmar Middle School, in the Belle Vernon Area School District, 10 teams of students from nine school districts faced off with their crazy contraptions. Their assignment: To inflate and then pop a balloon using simple machines in a chain reaction of at least 10 steps. Team members built their devices with low-tech stuff: pulleys, gears, dowels, wire, marbles and a toy car. But instead of relying on classroom lessons, they used digital technology to educate themselves about simple machines, complete the engineering design process and put together a presentation. Allen’s research project examines whether digital devices such as the iPod Touch or tablet computer can have a positive effect on student outcomes. He collaborated on the contest with Cal U alumnus Ian Finn ’03, who teaches gifted students in Belle Vernon Area. Judging the crazy contraptions were Dr. Stephen Whitehead and Joseph Schickel, of Cal U’s Department of Applied Engineering and Technology, and Cal U student Brian Nicholas,

a student teacher at Bellmar. With the help of associate provost Dr. Stanley Komacek, Cal U loaned each team of students an iPod Touch to research the contest assignment. Allen created a website with access to appropriate computer apps and a blog where students documented their progress. Dr. Len Colelli, dean of the Eberly College of Science and Technology, donated personal funds to purchase construction kits. The gift was made in memory of his father, professor emeritus Dr. Leonard Colelli. Whitehead and Allen began discussing the project in 2010, when Allen was a student in Cal U’s graphics and multimedia program. “With educational technology, everyone gets so caught up in the technology they forget the educational phase,” Whitehead says. “But Chris totally gets it. It’s not about the technology; it’s about the engagement. “He found a way to get kids doing physics, science, chemistry and math in a hands-on activity that opens them up to being taught.” The middle-schoolers worked on their contraptions for weeks. At Bellmar, their efforts came down to a series of two-minute demonstrations. Their faces grew serious as they set their contraptions in motion for the judges. “It was definitely fun, but getting the ball-bearing to go down was a challenge,” said contestant Mitchell Plute of Trafford Middle School, in the Penn-Trafford School District.

“Our balloon didn’t pop right away when the judges were there, but it did when they walked away, and they saw it.” Pre- and post-contest surveys will inform Allen’s research results, but the students were clearly engaged. “We teach the way we’re taught, because that’s the way we are comfortable with,” Whitehead says. “But … with all this new technology, maybe we don’t have to. “Perhaps we need to take a step back and think about how to start fresh.” ■ By Bruce Wald ’85, information writer at Cal U

Kira Nicholson, 12, starts her team’s contraption under the watchful eyes of (from left) faculty member Joseph Schickel, student Brian Nicholas and graduate student Chris Allen, all of Cal U.

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CAMPUS C L I P S

Lordon

Schwerha

Two join list of fulbright specialists Two more Cal U professors have been selected to participate in the Fulbright Specialist program. Dr. J. Kevin Lordon, associate professor in the Department of Secondary Education and Administrative Leadership, will travel to Hebei University in China, where he will continue work on teacher leadership he began there in 2005. Dr. Joseph Schwerha, associate professor in the Department of Business and Economics, will take his expertise in cybercrime to the University of Malta. The Fulbright Specialist Program is a short-term complement to the core Fulbright Scholar Program. It sends U.S. faculty and professionals abroad for two to six weeks to serve as expert consultants on curriculum, faculty development and institutional planning at overseas academic institutions. The selection of Lordon and Schwerha brings Cal U’s complement of Fulbright Specialists to three. They join Dr. Aref Al-Khattar, who served this spring as a Fulbright Specialist at the University of Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates.

“Their enthusiasm was clearly evident.” Students created and packaged items to benefit Meals on Wheels and two senior centers: the Golden Living Center in Uniontown, Pa., and the Center in the Woods in California, Pa. They also worked on projects to benefit the American Cancer Society, the Muscular Dystrophy Association, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and the Ronald McDonald House in Morgantown, W.Va. A blood drive organized by Central Blood Bank collected more than 60 units of blood, and Veterans Club members urged participants to sign a Cal U flag that was delivered to the Veterans Affairs Hospital in Pittsburgh. Club President Zach Anderson arranged for members to spend a day doing volunteer work at the hospital when they delivered the flag. “We figured this was simple but something our members could jump right into,” Anderson says. “We’re also excited to spread the word of the many service opportunities for vets in Pittsburgh and on our campus.” Cal U’s commemoration of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day also included a presentation Jan. 24 by the Rev. Herman “Skip” Mason, national president of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc. Founded in 1906 at Cornell University, Alpha Phi Alpha was the nation’s first inter-collegiate black Greek letter fraternity.

event honors former social work chair Dr. Virginia “Ginny” Majewski was the guest of honor at the second annual Social Work Month celebration, held March 9 in the Performance Center. Majewski was chair of Cal U’s Department of Social Work and Gerontology when she left the University in 2002. She now is a professor and associate dean of the School of Social Work at Indiana University, Ind. She specializes in community organizing and cross-cultural practice, and has taught service-learning courses on Native American reservations in South Dakota. Nathan Morley, of the National Association of Social Workers’ Pennsylvania Chapter, delivered the keynote address, “Why Social Work Matters.” In addition to honoring Majewski, the celebration raised funds for the Social Work Student Scholarship Fund. Last year’s inaugural social work event honored Dr. Beverly Willison, whose efforts helped to pioneer Cal U’s Student Sexual Assault Response Team. An early supporter of the PEACE Project, now called the END V Center, Willison retired from Cal U in 2005.

students donate a day of service More than 225 students put Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s philosophy into practice during the University’s ninth annual Day of Service. Volunteers from campus clubs and organizations took part in 13 service projects and three donation collections at the event coordinated by the Center for Civic Engagement. “Our students want to do service work and help the community,” says the center’s director, Diane Williams. Students Brittney Dulin (left) and Ashley Volpe create Valentines for seniors during the annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service. 12 CAL U REVIEW SPRING 2012 ■

modern ‘renaissance man’ pays a call

reviving an ‘exquisite Corpse’ Faculty members Maggy Aston (left) and Todd Pinkham, of the Department of Art and Design, join junior Valerie Herrero as co-curators of ‘Over My Dead Body: Reviving the Exquisite Corpse.’ Based on a Surrealist parlor game, the exhibit in Vulcan Gallery included paintings, drawings, installations, prose, poetry and music created by students and faculty in the departments of Art and Design, Philosophy, and English, as well as the University Honors Program. In keeping with the Exquisite Corpse tradition, most pieces were created by multiple artists, who didn’t see the result of their collaboration until after it was complete.

Professor brings songbirds back from the brink Dr. Carol Bocetti, an associate professor in the Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, has been honored as a 2011 Recovery Champion by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The award recognizes individuals who have made outstanding efforts to conserve and protect endangered and threatened species of fish, wildlife and plants. Bocetti leads the recovery team for an endangered songbird species, the

Kirtland’s warbler, found only in Michigan, Wisconsin and Ohio. Her research and recovery initiatives have been a key factor in the growth of the warbler population from near record lows of about 200 pairs during the mid-1980s to the current estimate of more than 1,700 pairs, the Fish and Wildlife Service reports. Her research also documented the link between the size of jack pine stands — the warbler’s nesting habitat — and warbler productivity. “Thanks to Dr. Bocetti’s leadership and dedication, Kirtland’s warblers are making strides toward recovery,” says Tom Melius, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Midwest regional director. “That is a remarkable achievement for a species that was once on the brink of extinction.” A member of the Kirtland’s warbler recovery team since 1998, Bocetti became the team leader in 2006. At Cal U, she has taught environmental science courses for non-majors and courses in wildlife management, ornithology, mammalogy, and natural resource law and policy to majors in the fisheries and wildlife concentration.

Middle school students from the Laurel Highlands School District packed Steele Hall Mainstage Theatre for a presentation by Dr. Bulent Atalay, a scientist, artist, best-selling author and one of the world’s foremost authorities on Leonardo da Vinci. His talk, held in conjunction with the exhibition Leonardo da Vinci: Machines in Motion, focused on ideas from his book Math and the Mona Lisa, which discusses da Vinci’s work and the intersection of science, innovation, mathematics and the arts. Smithsonian Magazine, NPR and PBS all have described Atalay as a “modern Renaissance man.” That moniker often is applied to da Vinci, perhaps the 15th century’s most renowned artist and innovator. Atalay teaches university courses in physics and quantum mechanics, and he travels the world as a lecturer, photographer and artist. He also blogs for National Geographic. In addition to speaking with students, Atalay gave his presentation and led a tour of the Machines in Motion exhibition for a group of faculty, staff, alumni and University friends.

President Angelo Armenti, Jr. and Dr. Bulent Atalay

SPRING 2012 CAL U REVIEW 13 ■

CAMPUS C L I P S

networkers in training Students Danielle Gigliotto (left) and Catherine Mathison chat at the Mock Networking Reception and Etiquette Dinner in the Natali Student Center. More than 80 students and 30 Cal U alumni and staff attended the seventh annual event, where students sharpened their networking skills and learned how to navigate employment interviews that take place during meals. To learn more about the annual Networking Reception, contact Rhonda Gifford in Career Services at gifford@calu.edu.

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Charlie Batch (left) appears with Olympic gold medalist Maicel Malone and ESPN sports columnist Kevin Blackistone during a Black History Month presentation.

Black history month features athletes, actor Cal U celebrated Black History Month with weekly lectures and a series of special events emphasizing the arts, sports and personal relationships. Among the highlights was a panel presentation by Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Charlie Batch, Olympic gold medalist Maicel Malone, ESPN sports columnist Kevin Blackistone (“Around the Horn”) and coach Robert Wimberly of Liberty University in Virginia. The panelists described challenges they face, even as successful sports figures. And they acknowledged the important role that athletics has played in the success of the black community, and in bringing people of all backgrounds together. “Sports has allowed me to reach heights I never imagined,” Batch said. “What other event besides winning a Super Bowl can bring 150,000 people into downtown Pittsburgh?” A separate event featured a conversation with actor Morris Chestnut, best known for his role in the award-winning film Boyz n the Hood. A professional actor for more than 20 years, Chestnut described his work in Hollywood, and he answered questions posed by students in the audience. “Study and stay focused on your craft,” he told the aspiring actors among them. “It’s an extremely tough industry, 14 CAL U REVIEW SPRING 2012 ■

but one thing Hollywood will always respect is talent.” Cal U celebrates Black History Month each February. Sponsors of this year’s event were the President’s Office, the Office of the Provost, the Office of Multicultural Student Programs, the Black Student Union, Career Services, the Internship Center, Library Services, and the School of Graduate Studies and Research.

Thanks for your support Student Government President Walter Harris cuts a cake as Cal U students celebrate Tuition Freedom Day, the mathematical date when the tuition that students or their families paid for the 2011-2012 academic year is exhausted. For the remainder of the school year, the education provided to Cal U students is funded by a combination of state monies and privately funded scholarships. As part of the Cal U for Life initiative, students also signed thank-you postcards and an open letter thanking Pennsylvania taxpayers for their education.

Activists speak up during women’s history month In March, celebrated as Women’s History Month, the University focused on women’s rights and the role of activists in our own communities and around the world. A series of academic and cultural events included a presentation about “honor killings” in the Middle East with human rights activist Ahmad Ghashmari, an instructor at Kent State University in Ohio. Other sessions turned a spotlight on human trafficking and sex slavery around the world. The seventh annual Audrey-Beth Fitch Women’s Studies Conference examined international violence against women with presentations by Denise V. Holtz, a special agent from the FBI who battles trafficking in the United States, and Dr. Lee Ann De Reus, a scholaractivist who works with rape survivors in the Democratic Republic of Congo. “Our students help to select the topic for this annual conference,” says

conference co-organizer Dr. Marta McClintock-Comeaux, director of the Women’s Studies program. “Some of them are very passionate about these global issues, and they are eager to learn more and to raise awareness about them.” A more light-hearted talk was delivered by Harlan Cohen, author of Naked Dating. His presentation was billed as “a hilarious, candid and highly interactive event that reveals a simple five-step approach to finding the love of your life while fully clothed and totally sober.” Harlan used frank and funny language as he urged students to accept rejection, speak up for themselves and insist on mutual respect in a romantic relationship. Women’s History Month events were open to the entire campus community, as well as to the public. Sponsors were the Women’s Studies program, the Women’s Center, the Activists Club, the Office of the Provost and the Office of the President.

Dr. Lee Ann De Reus, a professor from Penn State-Altoona, conducts research and outreach work with women and children in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

AfTer ClAsses Cal U offers more than 150 student clubs and organizations. See what they’re all about! For a glimpse of the Spring 2012 Organization Fair, visit www.calu.edu; choose ‘Cal U Review’ and click on ‘As Seen in the Review.’

Marianne ’72 and Dr. Charles ‘Chuck’ ’73 Pryor

Gala award winners announced Cal U President Angelo Armenti, Jr., has announced the honorees for this year’s President’s Gala Awards for faculty and emeriti faculty. The awards will be presented at the President’s Gala on June 2 at the Omni William Penn Hotel in Pittsburgh. The President’s Gala is the University’s largest annual fundraiser; net proceeds support student scholarships. Dr. Marc Federico, of the Department of Exercise Science and Sport Studies, will receive the President’s Faculty Award for Teaching. Dr. Paul Crawford, of the Department of History and Political Science, will be honored for research. The award for service will be presented to Dr. Kelton Edmonds, also of the Department of History and Political Science and director of the Frederick Douglass Institute at Cal U. Dr. Phyllis McIlwain and Professor Richard Nemec ‘65 will receive the President’s Emeriti Faculty Awards. Dr. David L. Amati ‘70, ‘72, current president of the Foundation for California University, will be this year’s recipient of the Lillian M. Bassi Core Values Award. Honorary co-chairs for the event are Dr. Charles “Chuck” ‘73 and Marianne ‘72 Pryor. This year’s theme for the black-tie fundraiser will be “A Night on Broadway.”

SPRING 2012 CAL U REVIEW 15 ■

ALUMNI N E W S GREETINGS, FELLOW ALUMNI,

ur alma mater is gearing up for another Alumni Weekend on campus. Although I have been involved with this event for several years as a member of the Alumni Association, this year’s Alumni Weekend on June 1-2 holds extra-special interest and excitement for me. As a member of the Class of 1962, I will join my classmates to commemorate the 50th anniversary of our graduation from California University of Pennsylvania. Members of the Class of 1987 will join us to mark their 25th reunion. If you graduated in 1962, 1987 or any other year, for that matter, I encourage you to visit California and share in our celebration. Cal U will always be a special place to me, and I hope you have equally fond memories of your years here. Do yourself a favor and plan to attend one or more of the upcoming events as a way to reconnect with former classmates and meet new friends. If you are interested in becoming more involved with your alma mater, contact the Alumni Office. There are many ways you can give back to your University through gifts of time, talent and treasure. Take some time to come back to our beautiful campus, and encourage your neighbors, family and friends to send their college-bound students to Cal U. It is up to us, the alumni, to help Cal U continue to grow and to support the current and future students of California University of Pennsylvania.

See you on campus,

Tim Gorske, President, Cal U Alumni Association Board of Directors

alumni calendar June Alumni Weekend — June 1-2 Cal U Alumni Ambassadors lead walking tours of the campus beginning at 4 p.m. June 1. Reminisce about walks in the Quad, revisit Old Main, or enjoy the remarkable plantings in the University arboretum. The Classes of ’62 and ’87 gather for a casual reception with light refreshments and appetizers at 5 p.m. in the Michael and Julia Kara Alumni House. A dinner begins at 5:45 p.m., followed by a short program honoring class members. On June 2, classmates get together at 10 a.m. for a reception in the Gold Rush dining room, inside the Natali Student Center. All alumni may attend the annual Alumni Board election meeting at 8:30 a.m. June 2 in Room 206/207 of the Natali Student Center, followed by the Alumni Association Awards of Distinction luncheon at 11 a.m. in the nearby Performance Center. Top off the weekend at the annual President’s Gala 6 p.m. June 2 at the Omni William Penn hotel in downtown Pittsburgh! RSVP is required; contact Denise King, 724-938-5938. Golf Outing — June 4 Join us at Nemacolin Woodlands Resort in Farmington, Pa., for the annual golf outing sponsored by Cal U Athletics. Proceeds benefit the Athletic Scholarship Fund. Athletic Training Society alumni gathering — June 28 Attention athletic training alumni! We hope to see you in St. Louis at the National Athletic Trainers Association convention. Cal U alumni hold a reception from 8-11 p.m. at the Morgan Street Brewery, 721 N. Second Street, St. Louis. Cost to attend is $10 for alumni, $15 for guests; two beverage tickets and light hors d’oeuvres are included. For more information, contact Shelly DiCesaro at dicesaro@calu.edu.

JulY Alumni Night with the Pittsburgh Pirates – July 22 Help us cheer on the home team at PNC Park. Game time is 1:35 p.m. All guests receive a Pirates visor. Sundays are Kids Days, with pre-game activities for children on Federal Street. Kids may stay and run the bases after the game. For more information, check our website, www.calu.edu/alumni, or call the Office of Alumni Relations at 724-938-4418. SAVE THE DATE! Plan to join us October 13 for a “Holiday” Homecoming celebration! Send us your e-mail address at alumni@calu.edu to stay connected with the most up-to-date happenings at Cal U, including alumni chapter and sporting events, campus lectures, student events and more!

SPEAK UP! WE’RE LISTENING. . . What do you think of the Cal U Review? The editor and staff want to know. Is there a feature you enjoy — or one you don’t? A topic you’d like to read more about? To share your thoughts, send an e-mail to revieweditor@calu.edu, or drop us a line at: Cal U Review, Box 31, 250 University Drive, California, PA 15419-1394. ONLINE? Look for California University of Pennsylvania’s official Facebook page, and follow @CalUofPA on Twitter.

16 CAL U REVIEW SPRING 2012 ■

2012 LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD Dr. Marcella rye Blout ’65 he Cal U community gathered in April to honor Dr. Marcella Rye Blout ’65, recipient of the 2012 Lifetime Achievement Award. Blout taught for 32 years in Cal U’s Communication Studies Department. A hard-working coach for the Cal U forensics team and a devoted member of the Honors Advisory Board, she retired in 2000 after grooming hundreds of students for careers in broadcasting, education, sales and public relations. Although she retired from teaching, Blout did not step away from her students or the Cal U community. She has a long list of students with whom she has stayed in touch over the years, and she continues to offer them advice and professional support, including curriculum development. She also has edited several doctoral dissertations. “I think of you all as my lifetime achievement,” Blout told a room full of family, friends, former students and colleagues. “That constitutes the greatest fame of all.” “Cal U is blessed to call her a professor, mentor, benefactor and friend,” adds University President Angelo Armenti, Jr., who presented Blout with the Lifetime Achievement Award. After earning a bachelor’s degree in education from Cal U in 1965, Blout received both her master’s degree and her doctorate from West Virginia University. In retirement, she is an active member of the Emeriti Faculty Association and was a member of the group’s board of directors for more than 10 years. Blout also shares her expertise with the Communication Studies Department by occasionally serving as a judge for various competitions. She was on the planning committee for the inaugural Communication Studies Alumni Day, in 2001. Blout and her husband, Frank, frequently attend University events. The couple resides in Carmichaels, Pa. In 2003 former student Teri Naus Dunn established a scholarship in honor of Blout and her longtime colleague, emeritus professor Patrick Miller ’80. Other alumni, friends and family members contributed and quickly endowed the scholarship. That same year Blout also received the Cal U Alumni Association’s C.B. Wilson Distinguished Faculty Award.

Dr. Blout and President Angelo Armenti, Jr.

In 2006 she accepted an Emeriti Faculty Award at the annual President’s Gala. That recognition marked a return to the gala spotlight: At the 1997 black-tie event, she had been honored with the President’s Faculty Award for Teaching. In 2010 Blout was awarded the Distinguished Alumna of the Year Award. In Commencement ceremonies that same year, award-winning comedian Craig Shoemaker, a former student, accepted an honorary doctorate from Cal U and cited Blout’s influence on him as a student and a member of the forensics team. “With her nurturance and guidance I developed my skills, and that knowledge and passion she imparted to me is invaluable,” he said. ■ By Wendy Mackall, assistant communications director at Cal U

SPRING 2012 CAL U REVIEW 17 ■

WHET YOUR APPETITE. FOR THINGS TO COME.

F E RTILE GR OU ND F OR FR E SH E R T H I NKI NGTM Our recently opened Convocation Center at California University provides the largest indoor venue between Pittsburgh and Morgantown, W.Va. This state-of-the-art, technologically savvy facility houses 142,000 square feet of event space, including two executive conference wings, 15,000 square feet of SMART classrooms, and a 6,000-seat arena. Reserve space for your special event now!

E X E C U T I V E C O N F E R E N C E S E R V I C E S a t C A L I F O R N I A U N I V E R S I T Y O F P E N N S Y LVA N I A 18 CAL U REVIEW SPRING 2012 â&#x2013;

FOCUS O N THE COLLEGE OF LIBERAL ARTS

CertIfICatIon boosts Careers In musIC teChnology

California University of Pennsylvania

overview of the COLLEGE OF LIBERAL ARTS

F R O M

T H E

Dean

Dean:

Greetings!

A liberal arts education provides a level of enlightenment and creates a person for all seasons. Liberal arts faculty members are working to ready students to compete in the global marketplace by creating exciting programs, developing new

Dr. Mohamed Yamba

courses and engaging in an array of activities. Their research is recognized by peers as being

Department Chairs:

instrumental in shedding new light on enduring

Professor Greg Harrison

questions of relevance to the social sciences,

Art and Design

humanities and the arts.

Dr. Greg Spicer

This edition of Focus on the College of Liberal Arts

Communication Studies

provides a few examples of the activities, programs,

Professor Margo Wilson

and faculty accomplishments that form the

English

foundation of the College.

Dr. Laura Tuennerman History and Political Science

Dr. Emily Sweitzer Justice, Law and Society

• Co-organized and co-chaired by Dr. Emily Sweitzer and Dr. Michael Hummel, both of the Department of Justice, Law and Society, the Homeland Security Conference focused on the contemporary issue of “Transnational Crimes and Security,” involving a discussion of terrorism, piracy, drug trafficking, kidnappings and other crimes.

Dr. Arcides Gonzales Modern Languages and Cultures

• Dr. Clarissa Confer, of the Department of History and Political Science, organized and chaired the second annual Native American Day program, which

Professor Max Gonano

featured a discussion by the distinguished Dr. LaDonna Harris, who spoke on

Music

the contributions of indigenous women to contemporary American culture

Dr. Nancy Shaffer

and politics.

Philosophy

Dr. Holiday Adair Psychology

Dr. Michael Slavin Theatre and Dance

Program Directors:

Dr. Melanie J. Blumberg American Democracy Project

• To raise awareness of environmental issues, Professor Maggy Aston, of the Department of Art and Design, served as curator of the exhibition Reflections: Homage to Dunkard Creek, recalling the 2009 massive “fish kill” in the Pennsylvania-West Virginia waterway. • The seventh annual Audrey-Beth Fitch Women’s Studies Conference, organized by Dr. Marta McClintock-Comeaux, of the Department of Justice, Law and Society, examined the critical issue of violence against women, including discussions and activities focusing on sex trafficking, poverty and rape in the Democratic Republic of Congo. • Finally, an informed citizenry being essential to holding government

Dr. Clarissa Confer

accountable, Dr. Melanie Blumberg, of the Department of History and Political

LaDonna Harris Indigenous Peoples Institute

Science, spearheaded the American Democracy Project presentation, 2012

Dr. Michael Hummel Leadership Studies

Dr. Kelton Edmonds Frederick Douglass Institute

Dr. Kurt Kearcher

Election Outlook, which brought moderator Jon Delano of KDKA-TV and a panel of political experts to campus to share their insights and raise awareness about salient issues affecting the 2012 presidential election. These examples characterize the involvement of liberal arts departments and faculty in immersing students in experiential learning. They are the products of an engaged faculty that puts Cal U students first.

Composition Program and Writing Center

Dr. Marta McClintock-Comeaux

Sincerely,

Women’s Studies ON THE COVER Max Gonano (left), chair of the Music Department, and instructor Gregory Davis in the Commercial Music Technology Studio

Dr. Mohamed Yamba Dean, College of Liberal Arts

global job market sparks plans for Change Consolidation eyed for international studies program n expanding demand for workers who understand global issues has prompted plans to consolidate Cal U’s program in international studies. With real-life learning in mind, the streamlined program also would encourage students to travel and study abroad. “The appeal to consolidate is based upon what we are hearing from students, who see the global economy as their job market,” says Dr. Sean Madden, a professor in the Department of History and Political Science. Madden heads the committee dedicated to reconfiguring the Bachelor of Arts in International Studies. “The current structure has become a little confusing for both students and administration,” he says. “We hope the proposed format will eliminate the confusion.” Currently, about 40 students are enrolled in the international studies program. They are distributed across four departments: Modern Languages and Cultures, History and Political Science, Earth Sciences, and Business and Economics. The proposed organization would place all students under a single international studies umbrella, with areas of concentration in science and technology, history and political science, and business and economics.

“

We want to strongly encourage our students to participate in study-abroad programs. DR. SEAN MADDEN

”

A concentration in global issues also would be available, for students who want a broader perspective on world affairs. “We believe we have the resources to consolidate the program rather easily,” says Madden. “We have almost all the courses that are needed. We now can give students a central adviser, in addition to advisers across multiple disciplines.” Madden and the committee worked with department chairs to identify courses that could support the program. Only one new introductory course will be needed to complete the consolidation. Based on successful models from around the country, it would be designed to give students a multidisciplinary understanding of the field.

The consolidated program also would offer more opportunities to explore the world. “We want to strongly encourage our students to participate in study-abroad programs,” Madden says. “In addition to what our Modern Languages and Cultures Department offers, we have communicated with our 13 sister schools in the State System of Higher Education, to see what study-abroad programs they offer. We hope that our students will be able to participate in those programs.” If the proposed consolidation is approved, the program could be implemented as soon as the Fall 2012 semester. Students currently enrolled in the international studies program will have the option to continue under its original structure or switch to the new model, depending on their educational needs. When the changes are in place, Madden says, he believes the international studies program will be more competitive. “This is an extremely viable major, and we anticipate growth. Our students are becoming more aware of global studies, and they will become more appealing to the employer who needs an employee who understands issues and cultures around the world.” ■ By Jeff Bender, PR and Web writer at Cal U 3

Mix Masters

Initiative offers certification in audio production software

uccess in the recorded music industry calls for a musician’s ear, an entrepreneur’s spirit and an engineer’s eye for detail. Now students in Cal U’s commercial music technology program can add another piece to their portfolio: certification in Pro Tools software, the industry standard for recording, editing and mixing music and sound. Under an agreement inked this spring, California University has become an AVID Learning Partner, an educational provider for AVID-brand products, including Pro Tools. “In music, audio, TV or sports broadcasting, Pro Tools is the industrystandard digital audio workstation,” says Gregory Davis, an instructor in the Music Department and an AVID Certified Instructor. The film industry uses it, too. For the last nine years, every Academy Award nominee in the sound editing category has utilized the Pro Tools system. “Cal U is the only four-year college or university in Pennsylvania to offer Pro Tools certification,” says Max Gonano, chair of the Music Department. “This is definitely a career-builder for our students.”

“

there’s a reason it’s called the recording arts ... we’re instructing students in music first, then teaching them to use the computer as a tool in a creative environment.

”

GREGORY DAVIS COMMERCIAL MUSIC TECHNOLOGY INSTRUCTOR

Rich Baur (left) uses Pro Tools software to edit Daeshawn Ballard's digital audio tracks.

Commercial music technology students already are using the software as part of their digital audio instruction. The department outfitted a lab with basic Pro Tools workstations to support the commercial music technology (CMT) major, which debuted in 2010. A studio with more advanced Pro Tools recording and editing equipment sits nearby in Gallagher Hall. Last summer Davis trained at The Center for Pro Tools in Orlando, Fla., an AVID certified training location. After rigorous testing, he was certified as an instructor at the User, Operator and Expert levels. “Having a certified Pro Tools instructor at Cal U opens doors for our students,” Gonano says. Starting in fall 2012, all commercial music technology students will be able to train under Davis’ guidance, following strict guidelines outlined by AVID. Hands-on experience with the software system will continue as

they pursue their studies. Before they graduate, CMT students will have the opportunity to take the Pro Tools certification test, a task-oriented exam designed by AVID and administered by Cal U. “Passing the exam proves that our students are proficient,” Gonano says. “It’s a third-party endorsement that really means something in this industry. “With this certification, our graduates can walk into any studio and show that they’re ready to go to work.”

Analog before digital With multiple computer monitors and a professional quality mixing board, Cal U’s digital recording studio is tantalizing, but CMT students don’t start there. They are first and foremost musicians who must audition for the program and prove themselves as performers on at least one musical instrument. Before they set foot in the studio, CMT students spend plenty of time in the practice rooms.

“We’re training musicians,” Gonano stresses. “There’s more to this than pushing buttons. The studio itself is another creative tool.” He describes the ideal commercial music technology student as an “artist-techie-entrepreneur” equipped with musical skills, computer savvy and good business sense. Working with digital audio is just one part of the CMT package. “There’s a reason it’s called the recording arts,” Davis says. “We’re instructing students in music first, then teaching them to use the computer as a tool in a creative environment.” Students begin recording with analog equipment, using microphones and reel-to-reel or cassette tape recorders that capture sounds with a high degree of authenticity. Once they master the basics, students learn to record, edit and manipulate digital sound. “On any given day, students are down in the music building jamming, recording, discussing music or technology. It's just such a great environment to work in,” says Matthew Poirier, a rising junior and a CMT major. “Learning analog technology is super important, because it is what all the digital things are based on. A lot of people just start with computers and don't realize exactly what’s going on when they click a button or move a fader. Learning the analog gear first helps you grasp the concepts. “It’s one more advantage we will have when we graduate.”

Training institute Like many musicians, sound engineers often are freelancers. Spotting opportunities is part of their job. In keeping with that entrepreneurial

spirit, the Music Department is developing plans for a Pro Tools Institute. Designed to generate revenue, the institute would offer coursework and AVID certification exams for industry professionals. With the technology currently in place, and Davis as a certified instructor, the University could offer Pro Tools courses leading to User certification. Eventually, a facilities upgrade might enable Cal U to offer Pro Tools Operator and Expert certification, as well. “This is not training for novices, but certification for people who already are working with this system,” Gonano explains. With the rise of the region’s film industry and the number of music studios within a day’s drive of California, he envisions a robust market for the institute’s offerings. Training at summertime sessions or extended weekend classes would offer the same high-quality instruction provided to Cal U students. “Of course we’ll follow the Pro Tools formula, but we don’t want this to be a series of cookie-cutter-type classes,” Davis says. “We want to make sure there is a little more personality in the instruction.” Plans call for the institute to begin by offering weekend recording workshops that introduce the Pro Tools system. By summer 2013, Davis expects a series of certification courses to be in place. “It’s such a rapidly evolving trade that it only makes sense to have the technology developing just as quickly,” Poirier says. “Learning this technology really gives you the edge when you go to look for a job.” ■

Daeshawn Ballard

What is Commercial Music Technology? The Bachelor of Science in Commercial Music Technology is an interdisciplinary program that draws on the expertise of Cal U faculty in the departments of Music, Communication Studies, Applied Engineering and Technology, Theatre and Dance, Communication Disorders, and Business. Applicants must be proficient in at least one musical instrument and enter the program by audition. The CMT program prepares students to work as recording and broadcast engineers, digital composers and arrangers, sound mixers, TV and audio producers, and videogame engineers — all aspects of a recorded music industry estimated to contribute $10.4 billion to the U.S. economy each year.

By Christine Kindl, communications director at Cal U

Campaigns, issues and experts American Democracy Project gives students an inside look at politics s the 2012 presidential election approaches, Cal U students are seizing the opportunity to get hands-on experience with political campaigns, meet top political experts and network with professionals across the country. These extraordinary opportunities are made possible through the American Democracy Project, a multi-campus initiative focused on higher education’s role in preparing the next generation of informed, engaged citizens. Cal U’s campus chapter has created a series of programs that inform students about political issues and help to prepare some of them for political careers. “Many students who participated in these programs earned graduate degrees in campaign management, public policy and law,” says Dr. Melanie Blumberg, director of the American Democracy Project at Cal U. “Others work in government, and some hold elective office.” Dr. Melanie Blumberg In March, political commentator Jon Delano of KDKA-TV served as a moderator for the 2012 Election Outlook: The Race for the White House. A month later Jennifer Brunner, Ohio’s former secretary of state and recipient of a 2008 John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award, spoke to a University community about the consequences of new voter identification laws. “The speakers we bring in promote the importance of civic engagement both by example and by word,” Blumberg notes. “These are lessons students will carry with them throughout their adult lives.” The ADP also holds CampaignWatch and DebateWatch events designed specifically to engage students in the political process.

“

Political scientist Daniel Shea, of Allegheny College, speaks at the ‘2012 Election Outlook’ presentation.

We are so lucky to have all of the opportunities that Cal u offers through the american Democracy project.

”

LUCIE A. FREMEAU COMMUNICATION STUDIES MAJOR

Blumberg notes that these programs and other ADP initiatives are presented with support from the Office of the President, Academic Affairs/Office of the Provost, College of Liberal Arts, Department of History and Political Science, and Cal Campaign Consultants. The ADP, with the generous support of University friends, also helps students prepare for careers in politics. Through a partnership with The Washington Center for Internships and Academic Seminars, nine students will be placed in fieldwork positions at the Democratic and Republican national conventions this summer. “At the Republic National Convention, I’m hoping to work with the media, write blogs and press releases, and update social media sites,” says Lucie A. Fremeau, who is majoring in communications studies. Two members of the Cal Campaign Consultants, a student organization that teaches students the basics of professional campaigns, attended the 2012 American Association of Political Consultants’ Pollie Awards and Conference in Austin, Texas. The students networked with industry professionals and heard presentations about key issues facing the political consulting industry. “Attending the Pollie Awards was a wonderful opportunity to make some connections and learn from speakers about issues regarding campaigns, elections and building a strong voter base,” says Camilla Cionni, a political science major. Blumberg served as a judge for the Pollie Awards, the political world’s equivalent of Hollywood’s Oscars. “We are so lucky to have all Jon Delano of the opportunities that Cal U offers through the American Democracy Project,” Fremeau says. “Taking advantage of each experience allows me to play an active role in my education and gain firsthand experience that will help me in my career.” ■ By Jeff Bender, PR and Web writer at Cal U

liberal arts faculty put thoughts in print Books, chApTers And ArTicles Turn The spoTlighT on scholArship Members of the faculty of the College of Liberal Arts successfully combine research, teaching and learning: They publish books and journal articles in their fields, and gain national and international reputation as leading scholars. A few of their recent publications are presented here.

Dr. Carole Waterhouse (Department of English) published a new novel, The Tapestry Baby (Zumaya Press, 2011). The story focuses on a single mother who believes her child is predestined for a greater purpose than she can provide, and who journeys across Pennsylvania looking for a sign about whether to keep her child.

Dr. Craig Allan Smith (Department of History and Political Science) published an article, “Spreading the Wealth …”, in the Journal of Supreme Court History, 36, 2 (Fall 2011), and a book chapter, “Strained Relations …”, in In Chambers: Stories of Supreme Court Law Clerks and Their Justices (Charlottesville University Press, 2012).

Dr. Clarissa Confer (Department of History and Political Science) published a new book, Daily Life During the Indian Wars (ABC-CL I O, 2011). The book describes daily life from the colonial period to the end of the 19th century, when fighting between Native Americans and the U.S. government created upheaval in the everyday lives of American Indians, affecting everything from trade and food to marriage, housing, and family life.

Dr. Joseph Heim (Department of History and Political Science) wrote an article, “From Turko-Mongol to Imperial Persian Empire …”, that was published simultaneously in several languages, including Russian, and was included in the 2011 Annual Year Book of the Academy of History and Sciences of the Republic of Tartastan.

Dr. Michael Hummel (Department of Justice, Law and Society) published a book chapter on “America and Terrorism in the Twenty-First Century” (Westview Press, 2011). He also published a peer-reviewed journal article, “Who’s Running Al-Qaeda,” in the Homeland Security Review and served as a special guest editor for that journal, contributing to its special edition on transnational crime and society (2011).

Institute envisioned as hub for cultural awareness Programming would align with LaDonna Harris’ Native American advocacy s the University celebrated its second annual Native American Day last year, Dr. LaDonna Harris, president of Americans for Indian Opportunity, announced the official opening of the LaDonna Harris Indigenous Peoples Institute at Cal U. Plans are now under way to make the institute a central hub for Native American cultural education, awareness and history in Southwestern Pennsylvania — a goal aligned with Harris’ decades-long advocacy efforts on behalf of Native Americans. “We not only want to build an educational institute for Cal U students, but we also want to build cultural awareness within the surrounding community,” says Dr. Clarissa Confer, director of the institute and an associate professor in the Department of History and Political Science.

A specialist in Native American and U.S. social history, as well as the Civil War, Confer is the author of The Cherokee Nation in Civil War and Daily Life in Pre-Columbian Native America. A third book, Daily Life During the Indian Wars, was published in 2011. She now is working on an edited book, Transnational Indians in the North American West, with her former Cal U colleague Dr. Andrae Marak. “People are curious about Native American culture,” she says, “and we want to give the entire community a chance explore it with us.” Programming is being proposed to University officials, she says. “The Fredrick Douglass Institute has been successful here at Cal U, and much of our programming likely will be modeled after theirs. We are proposing to have Native American experts and faculty members give presentations throughout the year and provide exciting educational opportunities for the students and community.” The institute has added two Native American history courses to the University’s curriculum, Confer says. She hopes to add further offerings for students, such as “Indians 101,” a teaching tool Harris developed to educate Americans about the role of native peoples in U.S. history. One distinguishing feature of the LaDonna Harris Indigenous Peoples Institute is its focus on education using local Native American resources. “Southwestern Pennsylvania has a rich history in Native American culture that often goes unrecognized,” says Confer. “Part of the idea for this institute is to raise awareness by having people see active Native Americans in our culture, especially in this region.” ■

Dr. Clarissa Confer By Jeff Bender, PR and Web writer at Cal U

California University of Pennsylvania The College of Liberal Arts 250 University Avenue Phone: 724-938-4240 Fax: 724-938-5871 E-mail: liberalarts@calu.edu www.calu.edu/academics/colleges/liberal-arts A proud member of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education. Integrity, Civility, Responsibility

Andrew Johnson sands a piece before assembling his machine.

Geoffrey Wysocki checks the spacing between parts.

students re-create da vinci’s devices PoPulAr museum exhiBiTion finds iTs wAY inTo The ClAssroom

he technological genius of Leonardo da Vinci continues to educate. Dr. Mark Nowak, a professor in the Department of Applied Engineering and Technology, based a project for his spring semester course in Engineering Materials and Product Design on some of the 40 machines included in Leonardo da Vinci: Machines in Motion. More than 20,000 visitors saw the exhibition before it closed in early May. Each year, students in Nowak’s introductory course are required to complete a project that uses a variety of machines and tools found in the classroom. The course improves students’ design skills, teaches the safe use and proper maintenance of equipment, and emphasizes the appropriate selection of materials. Nowak toured Machines in Motion before the spring semester. An idea emerged as he listened to Tim Buchanan, executive director of special initiatives, and Walt Czekaj, director of University exhibitions, discuss the design of the replicas, which are based on da Vinci’s own models and sketches. “I saw the exhibit and heard about the craftsmen who made the machines for the exhibition from da Vinci’s drawings,” Nowak says. “I thought, ‘My students could definitely do that,’ so I made a list of the ones that would be most appropriate to replicate.” His class of 17 students visited the

exhibition, took all the necessary measurements and drew the designs by hand. “We had to modify some of the dimensions to fit the supplies we had on hand,” Nowak explains. “But once we got beyond that, these are full scale.” The sketches on paper had to be turned into computer-aided drafting designs before the students, working in teams, could proceed. “It was challenging,” says John Leasure, a technology education major. “No one else had ever done this, so it’s neat that we’re getting the opportunity. “There are a lot of mechanical parts involved. Some (machines) have bearings, and ours has a pulley system.” As he began the construction phase of his project, Collin Beattie, another technology education major, said even the preliminary steps were educational. “When we toured the exhibit, we got to see all the different machines and what they were utilized for. And it was a good experience to have to tweak certain parts that we couldn’t really measure because they were hard to access.” Information presented at the Machines in Motion exhibition taught students about the practical uses of the devices they re-created. “A lot of our classes have practical applications,” Nowak says, citing courses that have incorporated visits to construction sites and projects with the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission.

Evan Havics (left) and Dr. Mark Nowak use a caliper to take precise measurements.

“We try to learn about tasks in meaningful ways; we don’t ‘just do them.’” He also was encouraged to see students with slightly more experience helping their classmates. “Many of these students will be teachers one day,” Nowak says, as saws whirred in Helsel Hall. “They aren’t just current students; they’re future professionals. So it’s good to see them teaching each other.” ■ By Wendy Mackall, assistant communications director at Cal U SPRING 2012 CAL U REVIEW 19 ■

ALUMNI S P O T L I G H T

John Bertoty ’67, executive director of Blueroof Technologies

adaptive housing meets special needs Cal U alumnus is helping to build a better future for those who need accessible housing in the Pittsburgh area. John Bertoty ’67, a retired McKeesport High School principal, and his business partner Robert Walters, a Penn State Greater Allegheny engineering professor, are founders of the nonprofit Blueroof Technologies. The McKeesport nonprofit’s subsidiary, Blueroof Solutions, builds energy-efficient, technologically advanced homes that allow elderly people and those with disabilities to live as independently as possible. Bertoty and Walters first collaborated on technology education programs but decided to start Blueroof Technologies — named for the buildings with blue roofs at the Regional Industrial Development Corp.’s business park in McKeesport — to

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create jobs for technology graduates. Bertoty is executive director, and Walters is the company’s chief operating officer. “Western Pennsylvania is a hub for older adults, so we started to talk to them about what kinds of things we could do with technology to keep them in their homes,” Bertoty says. Blueroof has built 15 homes in the Pittsburgh area. They are single-family homes or houses for organizations such as United Cerebral Palsy and Milestones, which run assisted living residences. Single-family homes start at approximately $100,000. “The technology can do things like remind people to take medicine, announce visitors, help with mobility, and let you know when someone is out of bed,” Bertoty explains. The company also has partnered with the University of Pittsburgh and

Carnegie Mellon University as a test site for the Quality of Life Technology Center, a National Science Foundation Engineering Research Center that focuses on using technology to enhance quality of life. Local housing authorities are being asked to increase their inventories of accessible housing, Bertoty says, and another growing market is accessible housing for veterans. Bertoty lives in White Oak, Pa., with his wife, Sandra, and daughters Sharyn ’93 and Debra ’96. Their home is a Blueroof house equipped with a lift system for Debra, a special education teacher who was injured in an automobile accident. As his company enters its second decade, Bertoty continues to find helping others adapt to be very rewarding. “It’s a lot of fun,” he says. “Even more than I had as a principal.”

with training, teens ‘drive to stay Alive’ or teenage drivers, the dangers are many — deer, ice, tailgating, cell phones, speeding, driving under the influence and friends in the car, to name a few — and the stakes are high. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that teen drivers are involved in three times as many fatal car crashes as drivers in other age groups. Dr. Timothy B. Skraitz ’80, a doctor of chiropractic with an office in McMurray, Pa., has developed the Drive to Stay Alive program with the hope of changing those statistics. Skraitz is married to Vicki Brown Skraitz ’80. He developed the program in 2007 after attending training sessions at the Spine Research Institute of San Diego that focused on the physical trauma caused by motor vehicle accidents. “I thought it would be better to teach drivers better driving skills to prevent the accidents in the first place,” Skraitz says, noting that the highest numbers of teen driving accidents occur from May to October. The Drive to Stay Alive program provides classroom instruction, as well as behind-the-wheel training that teaches young drivers how to avoid a collision, brake safely, and navigate a slalom and skid course. “We want teens to practice these defensive skills so that it’s inborn and already ‘automated’ in their system,“ Skraitz says. Drivers also discover the dangers of tailgating and experience how easy it is to be involved in a crash while texting behind the wheel.

The first Drive to Stay Alive event was held in the Peters Township School District in McMurray, Pa. Recently the program has expanded throughout Washington County. Since its inception in 2007, more than 500 teen drivers have taken part in the program. This year, Drive to Stay Alive training is scheduled for Oct. 27 at CONSOL Energy Park in Washington, Pa. New courses will be featured. In spring 2013, the program will expand to Moon Township. “If we can save one kid from dying or being injured, the whole program is worth it,” Skraitz says. For more information on the Drive to Stay Alive program, visit www.drivetostayaliveinc.com.

Dr. Timothy B. Skraitz ’80

Chef’s winning recipe: Blend business, culinary arts n interest in business blended with a talent for cooking has turned out just right for Randy Tozzi ’89. Tozzi, who manages the prepared foods Randy Tozzi ’89 department at 27 Giant Eagle stores, was voted Chef of the Year by the Pittsburgh Chapter of the American Culinary Federation in March. The award recognizes efforts to promote and elevate the profession. It is an impressive achievement for Tozzi, who majored in business administration at Cal U and spent 20 years in sales before deciding to pursue his first love — culinary arts. “Ironically, before I came to Cal U,

I tried to get into a culinary arts school,” Tozzi says. “It has come full circle. I have always liked to cook, and the business degree has helped in my new career.” He graduated from the Pennsylvania Culinary Institute in Pittsburgh in 2004 and worked for Atria’s Restaurants and the Duquesne Club before taking a position with Giant Eagle. At the Market District store in Bethel Park, Pa., he created dishes on the spot, giving samples and recipes to customers. “I would also give classes throughout the week,” he says. “How to braise meats. How to grill the perfect steak. How to roast a delicious beef tenderloin.” Tozzi, of Carnegie, Pa., also has appeared on KDKA and WQED cooking shows. He recalled his first television experience, with Chris Fennimore,

host of QED Cooks. “I submitted a recipe to the show on cooking with beer and wine, and Chris called to say, ‘Why don’t you do this on TV?’” Although his current position does not allow much time at the stove, Tozzi spends many evenings cooking for his girlfriend, Susan McMahon, and her daughter, Elise Petruska. “They like to test me,” Tozzi says with a laugh. “We’re fans of the Food Network show Chopped, so they’ll test me on making something out of the five ingredients they got at the store.” He seems to have found winning recipes, both personally and professionally. “I wake up in the morning happy, and I go to bed happy,” he says. ■ By Wendy Mackall, assistant communications director at Cal U

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CrAsh And leArn students see sTem in action at BotsiQ competition etal clanked, sparks flew, fans cheered and students held frenzied discussions about robots during the seventh annual Southwestern Pennsylvania Preliminary BotsIQ Competition at Cal U. More than 40 high school teams participated in this year’s contest, part of a national program supported locally by the Pittsburgh chapter of the National Tooling and Machining Association. Inside the Performance Center, students who had spent hours designing and building customized robots grabbed their remote controls and steered them into an exciting, gladiator-style battle. BotsIQ tests students’ knowledge of science, technology, engineering and math — the subjects collectively known as STEM — as well as their recordkeeping and public speaking ability. “BotsIQ really helped my students learn to work on a team, just as they would in the workforce,” says Karl Guappone, a technology education teacher at Albert Gallatin High School in Uniontown, Pa. “The students worked on the robots in class, which was run like a business. They all had jobs to perform, and I am very proud of what they accomplished.” BotsIQ is based on the robotics curriculum from the National Curriculum Standards and mechanical engineering methodology used at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. High scores are given to teams that win battles, but the top award

Demonstrating their problem-solving skills, students from Windber High School make repairs during the BotsIQ competition.

goes to the team with the strongest documentation and the best group interview skills. Teams that clash in the preliminary contest automatically advance to the finals. Students used the Cal U competition to gear up for that event, competing with their robots for the first time and having judges review their records. Many said they were glad to have the extra practice. “We started building our robot two or three months ago, but we had some problems today,” reported Brandon Werner, a freshman from Ringgold High School in Finleyville, Pa.

“Our battery wasn’t working correctly, and our replacement put us over the weight limit. We figured out to use a lithium battery, similar to what a laptop uses, and that worked. “I am definitely happy we were able to compete before the finals.” Although all teams advanced, those who won their bracket were rewarded with top seeds in the finals, held at Westmoreland County Community College. Two teams from Plum Senior High School were bracket winners in the preliminary contest. Teams from Devereux Mapleton High School in Malvern, Pa., and Kiski Area High School in Leechburg, Pa., also won their brackets. ■ By Jeff Bender, PR/Web writer at Cal U

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To see the ‘2012 BotsIQ Top 5 Hits’ from the contest at Cal U, visit www.calu.edu; choose ‘Cal U Review’ and click on ‘As Seen in the Review.’

stalking the wild begonia Professor discovers new plant species, and research opportunities bloom enior Sara Gmutza adjusts the scanning electron microscope in Frich Hall, bringing a tiny begonia seed into focus. Magnified 100,000 times, the barely visible speck is revealed as a prickly orb. She notes its distinct texture, takes a photo and adds the black-and-white print to a stack of snapshots. Gmutza, a wildlife biology major, is the first person ever to examine these seeds gathered high in the Andes mountains. They were brought to Cal U by Dr. Mark Tebbitt, an assistant professor in the Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences. In January, Tebbitt conducted botanical fieldwork in central Bolivia under a grant from the American Begonia Society. Working with researchers from the Noel Kempff Mercado Museum of Natural History in the city of Santa Cruz de la Sierra, he discovered five species of tuberous begonias entirely new to science, plus four natural hybrids. “I’m a plant systematist,” Tebbitt explains. “My research focuses on how to identify species, how they evolved, how they are related, and how they interact with pollinators and disperse their seeds.” For about five years Tebbitt has been investigating a little-known group of South American begonias. Unlike most species, which thrive in humid tropical rainforests, these begonias grow on sunny cliffs alongside cacti and other succulent plants in the mountains of South America. “We were targeting new species, and we found new species,” he says. “The next step will be to name them and sequence their DNA.” Working with scientists from the Royal Botanic Gardens Edinburgh and the Universidad de los Andes Colombia, Tebbitt aims to show how these new plants are related to the more than

Dr. Mark Tebbitt works with plants in the Frich Hall greenhouse.

1,500 species in the genus Begonia. The work has practical value for plant conservationists, too. “This area of the Andes is rapidly changing, and plant species are becoming extinct,” says Tebbitt, whose next research trip will take him to Peru. “If the plants don’t have names, we can’t catalog them. Knowing what’s there is the first step toward conservation efforts.” Complete collections of Tebbitt’s finds were placed in the herbariums at the museum in Santa Cruz, Bolivia, and Missouri Botanical Garden in St. Louis. A doctoral student in Bogota, Colombia, is sequencing the plants’ DNA. To learn more about how the begonias are pollinated, Tebbitt will grow them in his outdoor research collection this summer. Most begonias are pollinated by bees or wasps, he says, but one species may rely on hummingbirds. His Cal U colleague Dr. Carol Bocetti, also of the biology department, will use gauzy “mist nets” to snare hummingbirds that visit the blooms. He hopes that pollen collected from their beaks and bodies will help to verify their role as pollinators.

Alexander Parada, of Bolivia, takes part in the research expedition.

Meanwhile, Gmutza is busy scanning, photographing and measuring the seeds of about 50 begonia species. “I’m amazed by the intricacy of the seeds — they’re really pretty to look at,” she says. “It’s fascinating to see the different species and how they vary.” Gmutza and Tebbitt plan to publish a paper based on their research. Gmutza’s careful observations and measurements provide taxonomic information that will help to classify the newly discovered plants. The magnified images she produces with the scanning electron microscope reveal structures invisible to the naked eye — clues to how the seeds are dispersed in the wild. “It’s wonderful to be able to do this research as an undergraduate,” says Gmutza. “I’m thinking about graduate school, so this is a great opportunity.” ■ By Christine Kindl, director of communications at Cal U

whAT is A TuBerous BeGoniA? Begonia is a large and diverse genus of plants indigenous to tropical forests in Asia, Africa and the Americas. The species classified as tuberous begonias sprout from fleshy, underground stems, called “tubers,” that store water and nutrients. Mature plants, about 18 inches tall, have rounded or lance-shaped leaves and produce large, showy pink, yellow, white or scarlet flowers. Commercial hybrids of the South American tuberous begonias are popular garden plants.

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‘the perFormanCe oF their lives’ Pennsylvania intercollegiate Band brings audience to its feet ore than 100 talented student musicians brought a classic march, an Italian rhapsody and the stirring Carmina Burana to life at Cal U in a performance by the 65th annual Pennsylvania Intercollegiate Band. Founded in 1948, it is the oldest continually operating band of its kind in the United States. Students from 23 Pennsylvania colleges and universities were nominated by their band directors and chosen to participate in the rigorous three-day event, which changes venue each year. The intercollegiate band last performed at California in 1987, early in the career of Max Gonano, chair of the Cal U Music Department. After a series of seat auditions and tightly scheduled rehearsals, the musicians earned a standing ovation

Cal u performers These Cal U students were selected to perform with the 2012 Pennsylvania Intercollegiate Band: • Evelyn Schwer, flute • Lee Romich, tenor saxophone • Chris Campus, trumpet • Eric Tito, euphonium • Steve Michel, trombone • Brad Harman, tuba • Kirill Tyulkov, celeste • Faculty member Kathy Sacco, piano.

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for their March 11 concert in Steele Hall Mainstage Theatre. The band was led by guest conductor Frank B. Wickes, former Carruth Alumni Professor and director of bands at Louisiana State University. Wickes has conducted more than 40 all-state bands and has led music clinics throughout the United States and Canada, as well as in Europe and South America. “These student musicians are at the top of their game,” says Gonano, Cal U’s director of bands. He shared duties as festival co-host with Marty Sharer, associate director of bands. “The music these students played is challenging, and under the direction of a world-class conductor, they gave the performance of their lives.” ■ By Christine Kindl, communications director at Cal U

Guest Conductor Frank B. Wickes puts the Intercollegiate Band through its paces. Their performance earned a standing ovation from the audience in Steele Hall Mainstage Theatre.

SPORTS P R O F I L E

SaLeS CaLL CAreer wiTh The PirATes BuilT on BroAdCAsTinG skills “When I left for the Pirates’ job in 1998, I asked the Suns wo decades ago, Dave Shinsky ’90 was the broadcast owner why he ever hired me for sales. He said it was because I was voice of Vulcan athletics. Today he works for the a broadcaster, so I knew how to communicate with people.” Pittsburgh Pirates, using what he learned in the Cal U Aspiring announcers still ask him for advice. Shinsky tells radio and TV operations. them that roughly 200 people apply for every sports broadcasting “My whole educational background centered around public job, and everyone in baseball turned him down at least twice speaking,” says Shinsky, who holds a degree in communication before he scored a seat behind the microphone. studies. “Now I’m in boardrooms making presentations to “There are a lot of great voices out there, but you have presidents, CEOs and marketing vice presidents. I use it to bring something else to the table,” he says. “You need every minute.” something that puts you a step ahead and gives After 15 years with the Pirates, Shinsky is you a higher value to the organization.” the organization’s senior account executive Cal u opened If he could relive his college career, Shinsky for corporate partnerships. He handles signage, says he would have minored in marketing radio and print advertising, and promotions the door for or sports management — he’s one of few ranging from giveaways to Jumbotron features my broadcasting sales executives in pro sports without that such as the popular pierogi races. background, he says. From his initial pitch to the boardroom career. Looking back, he praises emerita professor presentation, public speaking is his No. 1 dave shinsKy ’90 Dr. Marcy Blout ’65 for giving him sound advice. sales tool. And he urges students to take advantage of After graduating from Cal U, Shinsky internships, which are essential for building contacts. worked in small-market radio for several years before landing Shinsky says he enjoys working with the Pirates, a job as the radio play-by-play announcer for the Hagerstown although their on-field performance can make for a tough (Md.) Suns Minor League baseball team. sell. But Pittsburgh’s passion for baseball is strong, and He still remembers his first on-air game, in 1994. The the team is “getting where it needs to be.” second pitch was a home run call as future Major Leaguer After hours, Shinsky moves from the baseball diamond Shannon Stewart went deep. to the basketball court. He just concluded his 21st season as After Shinsky’s first season in the broadcast booth, the Suns’ a high school and college referee — the result of a two-credit owner asked him to help out with sales. He had no experience basketball officiating course he took during his final semester in that area, although his father runs a home-based specialty with emeritus professor Floyd Shuler. ad company. “I didn’t even realize that the final exam was the state exam “Cal U opened the door for my broadcasting career in the (for officials). And guess what? I’ve been doing it ever since. minor leagues, and that sort of sent me into my sales world,” Officiating is great exercise and my release from everyday life.” ■ he says.

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By Bruce Wald ’85, information writer at Cal U SPRING 2012 CAL U REVIEW 25 ■

SPORTS R O U N D U P

student-athletes shine in winter sports seAson inCludes honors for vulCAn TeAms, CluB hoCkeY ComPeTiTors And individuAl AThleTes men’s basketball Two-time all-conference forward Steve Swiech capped off his collegiate basketball career by earning Capital One Academic All-America Third Team honors from the College Sports Information Directors of America. He also earned first-team all-conference honors after leading the Vulcans in scoring (11.1 points per game), rebounding (6.2 rebounds per game) and field goal percentage (61.1 percent). Swiech had a cumulative grade-point average of 3.7 at the time of the Capital One award, and he expects to pursue aeronautical training after picking up a master’s degree in business administration in May. Guard Travon Vann received the inaugural PSAC-West Defensive Athlete of the Year after leading the team in steals, with 29, and averaging nine points and five rebounds per game. The Vulcans and head coach Bill Brown achieved the program’s 26th consecutive winning season and made their second consecutive PSAC playoff appearance this winter after winning Steve Swiech 17 games.

women’s basketball The women’s basketball team enjoyed its 14th consecutive winning season and its 12th straight PSAC playoff appearance this winter. Forward Amy Johns led the way to a 17-win campaign, becoming the fifth Vulcan in 10 years to earn PSAC West Athlete of the Year honors. She also was a first-team all-conference selection for the second consecutive year. Averaging 18.5 points and 6.7 rebounds per game, Johns finished her three-year career with 1,265 career points. Senior guard Danielle Luckett earned second-team all-conference honors after averaging nearly 13 points per game. She ranked among the PSAC leaders in assists and steals, with 95 and 65, respectively. The women’s team closed the regular season with nine wins in 12 games under interim coach Amy Johns Jess Strom.

swimming Before heading to the national championship meet in Mansfield, Texas, the women’s swimming team placed fourth at the PSAC championships for the third time in four years, compiling a team-best 412 total points. Melissa Gates was selected the PSAC Female Swimmer of the Year after she won three individual events and swam with two title-winning freestyle relay teams. Clarissa Enslin won the PSAC 200-yard freestyle competition for the second consecutive year. 26 CAL U REVIEW SPRING 2012 ■

swimmer wins second and third national titles Senior Melissa Gates became just the second Vulcan athlete to win three individual national titles when she swam to two first-place finishes at the NCAA Division II national championship meet in Mansfield, Texas. She repeated as the NCAA Division II champion in the 50-yard freestyle, setting a division record, and also won the 100-yard freestyle event. Gates placed second in the 100-yard breaststroke and swam with two All-American relay teams. The 200-yard relay team, which included sophomores Clarissa Enslin and Kelsey Nuhfer, and junior Caitlyn Sirkoch, finished fifth in the national contest. The 400-yard relay team of Gates, freshman Alyssa Novotny, Enslin and sophomore Jess Machmer placed seventh. Under head coach Ed Denny, the Vulcan swimmers finished the season ranked No. 12 in the nation, a program best. Gates, who will compete in the U.S. Olympic Team Trials this summer, finished her career as a 10-time All-American, honored six times for individual performances and four for relay events.

Track and field The Vulcan women’s team finished a program-best fifth at the PSAC Indoor Track and Field Championships. Sophomore Monique Sims set school records and finished second in both the 60-meter (7.75) and 200-meter (25.33) events. Sophomore Courtnee Whitaker finished third in the 60-meter hurdles (8.99), and the 4x400-meter relay team consisting of Shakeria Love, Janae Turner, Shantae Motley and Sims finished fourth with a time of 3 minutes, 57.99 seconds. Senior Aaron Dinzeo and sophomore Marcus Givan led the men’s team at the PSAC Indoor Championships by placing second in the 5,000-meter run (15:0.40) and high jump (1.97 meters) events, respectively. The 4x800-meter relay team consisting of Nick Pezza, Jared Schaut, Alex Smith and Nick Gibson placed fourth with a time of 10:26.11. Senior Chris Wolfe received all-region honors after he won the 800-meter event at a regular season meet at Edinboro with the second fastest time in the PSAC (1:54.56). Dinzeo also earned all-region recognition.

Che men’s hockey Under the direction of seventh-year head coach Justin Berger, the Cal U men’s team competed in the American Collegiate Hockey Association’s Division III (ACHA) National Championship Tournament for the sixth time in eight years. The club team won three straight games at the national tourney to reach the semifinals for the second consecutive year. The team finished the season at 28-5 overall, winning the College Hockey East (CHE) championship for the sixth year in a row. Freshman Justin Locante led both the team and the CHE in points (65) and goals (39). Senior goalkeeper Shane Bickar had a 2.53 goals against average.

Justin Locante

Senior defenseman Nick Posa was selected the CHE’s Most Outstanding Defenseman, and he and Bickar both earned ACHA All-American honors.

dvChC women’s hockey Only four years after it was founded, the Cal U women’s hockey team qualified for the ACHA Division II National Tournament for the first time, after placing third in the final regional rankings. The club players suffered three defeats at the Nationals in Wooster, Ohio. Led by second-year head coach Gregg Kaminski, the women reached the Delaware Valley Collegiate Hockey Conference semifinals by upsetting

once-beaten Delaware in the quarterfinals, 4-3. It was their ninth victory of the season. The Vulcans then were defeated in the semifinals by eventual champion West Chester. Cal U’s leading scorers were sophomore players Megan Cooper, with 22 points (14 goals), and Alli Paratore, with 16 points (six goals). Freshman goalkeeper Nicole Jones owns a 2.88 goals against average.

ChA men’s hockey Cal U’s Collegiate Hockey Association (CHA) men’s club team won the league championship for the first time in its eight-year existence following playoff victories over D’Youville College (8-7) and Carnegie Mellon University (8-5). Assistant team captain Pete Ellis was named the CHA playoffs’ Most Valuable Player after he scored four goals with four assists in the two games. He was the team’s secondleading scorer behind Zach Pennington (49 points), with 26 goals and 47 points. Jim Breen finished with 41 points. Cal CHA finished 17-5 overall under second-year head coach Ed Newill. ■

By Bruce Wald ’85, information writer at Cal U Nicole Jones

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PAYING IT F O R W A R D

‘fAmilY ProJeCT’ honors 1916 GrAduATes The Catherine minicks and lloyd Bockes scholarship will aid first-generation students

28 CAL U REVIEW SPRING 2012 ■

student (at Cal U) who took the train from West Brownsville. I think my father had to work to go to school. Scholarships are going to be essential for these kids who don’t have the resources to go to college.” She says she has reveled in the chance to learn more about what her parents were like as college students. “The information we got from Cal U told us everything they were involved in. My father was involved in much more than I ever imagined.” Rosalie George says she remembers coming to what was then California State Teachers College for piano lessons. “When we were back last fall for Homecoming, I was trying to figure out which room I had them in with Dr. Veon,” she says. “I’m almost positive it was Old Main.” we’ve created Doug George a family path credits his of giving mother for embracing the to Cal u. scholarship idea, which coincided doug george with her 80th birthday. “We’ve created a family path of giving to forward to this being something that continues, with many family members giving over the years.” “It all seemed to fit — my 80th birthday and my son and I thinking alike on supporting higher education as much as we can,” his mother adds. “I hope this encourages more people to support scholarships. I see how important it is.”

“

al U’s commitment to raising money for student scholarships and the challenges facing public higher education in Pennsylvania have inspired one family to make a difference. Doug George, of York, Pa., and his mother, Rosalie Bockes George, of Carlisle, Pa. — with enthusiastic support from their family — have created the Catherine Minicks and Lloyd Bockes Scholarship, named in honor of Rosalie George’s parents, who both graduated from Cal U in 1916. Doug George says he was inspired to look at Cal U as a place to pay it forward when he read an article in the Wall Street Journal that featured an interview with President Angelo Armenti, Jr. about the strain that rising tuition is placing on students. “My wife, Kim, and I support a variety of education causes as a component of our charitable giving,” Doug George says. “I had been looking for a higher education focus. By coincidence, I was reading the Wall Street Journal, and there was an article from Dr. Armenti. I was so impressed with his focus and passion. It all came through in the article. “So I made contact with Cal out of the blue. They presented us with a folio full of information, and this quickly took shape as something more than my wife and I providing some donations to the school. It became more of a family project.” The Catherine Minicks and Lloyd Bockes Scholarship is meant for firstgeneration college students who have financial need. The couple lived in Brownsville, Pa., for many years and owned the Woodward-Wright furniture business. “My parents both came from families that didn’t have the resources,” Rosalie George says. “My mother was a day

Catherine Minicks ’16 and Lloyd Bockes ’16 owned the Woodward-Wright furniture business in Brownsville.

To learn more about how scholarships benefit students at Cal U, or for information on how to establish a scholarship, call the Office of Development and Alumni Relations at 724-938-5775. ■ By Wendy Mackall, assistant communications director at Cal U

Doug George and his mother, Rosalie Bockes George

N G

Jillian Russell

Brice Meyers

STEELE SOCIETY MEMBERS INCLUDE CAL U IN THEIR PLANS

he Robert M. Steele Society recognizes individual alumni, parents, faculty, staff and friends of the University who have planned gifts to benefit Cal U students and programs after their lifetimes. These gifts are most frequently made through wills, personal and group life insurance, or as retirement plan beneficiary provisions. Increasingly popular are those gifts that create immediate income tax advantages and still bring the giver a lifetime of secure income for them and their spouses. Members of the Robert M. Steele Society can take justifiable pride in the role of the Society in gifts to Cal U totaling: • More than $3.5 million from Society members realized or placed in trust. • Nearly $1 million more in gifts that create a generous, secure,

lifelong income with immediately favorable taxation. • More than $5.3 million in gifts included in the long-range plans of current Society members. If you are considering steps to provide for Cal U in your own planning, or if you already have named the University in your will, trust, life insurance, retirement or other planning, or as a beneficiary to retirement, life insurance or other plans, we thank you. To read more about the Robert M. Steele Society, click “Giving” at the top of the Cal U homepage, www.calu.edu; then choose the “Legacy & Planned Giving” link on the left side of the Giving page. Consider the importance of your membership in the Robert M. Steele Society. For a simple “Acceptance of Membership” form or answers to any questions, call Gordon Core,

director of planned giving, at 724-938-5985 or reach him by e-mail to core@calu.edu. ■

Class of

’61

sets reunion record The Fall 2011 edition of the Cal U Review pictured the Class of 1961 at their 50th Reunion last June. With 39 percent of the class participating, their gifts, planned gifts and pledges reached new highs: $45,470 to the Class of 1961 Scholarship. $83,447 in total reunion giving (including the class scholarship). CONGRATULATIONS AND THANK YOU! TO THE CLASS OF 1961.

SPRING 2012 CAL U REVIEW 29 ■

CALU M I L E S T O N E S Basketball standout Men’s basketball coach Bill Brown (left) and University President Angelo Armenti, Jr. present the 2012 Basketball Alumnus of the Year Award to James Zell ’39 during the 13th annual Basketball Alumni Day festivities. A 1998 Cal Hall of Fame inductee, James was the Vulcans’ leading scorer his junior and senior year. He regularly returns to his alma mater from his home in Wellington, Fla., for the basketball gathering.

50s Thomas Beattie ’52 is retired from

TRW/Douglas Aircraft. He and his wife, Lory Kelty, live in Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif.

60s Constance Curnow ’60 is retired.

She lives in Bluffton, S.C. James ’61 and Catherine ’61 Husk, of Washington, Pa., were

among the couples featured in an Observer-Reporter newspaper article featuring those who have been married 50 years or more. Dr. David Mohan ’62, dean of Kent

State University at Geauga, Ohio, has been awarded the university’s 2012 Diversity Trailblazer Award. The award recognizes faculty, staff or a departmental group for significant contributions toward enhancing diversity and excellence at Kent State. Sandra Caruso Luterman ’64

is retired. She and her husband, Mark ’64, live in Los Angeles,

Calif. Mark is the owner of Luterman Associates LLC. Margaret Allen Ryan ’66 is

a retired programmer/analyst at Lockheed Martin. She lives in Greensboro, N.C., with her husband, Elvin. Michael Murray ’67 is retired.

He and his wife, Karen, live in Langhorne, Pa. Richard Kensinger ’69, MSW, a

faculty member in the psychology department at Mount Aloysius College, has been named a VIP of the Year by Cambridge Who’s Who for showing dedication, leadership and excellence in psychology. His areas of expertise include behavioral health care, and clinical and ethical considerations.

30 CAL U REVIEW SPRING 2012 ■

A recent newspaper article highlights Cassandra Vivian ’63, ’73, of Mount Pleasant, Pa., an author, historian and educator who completed and copyrighted a play, Titanic: The Monessen Story. This year marks the 100th anniversary of the Titanic disaster. Cassandra discovered there were 13 passengers on the ship that listed Monessen, Pa., as their destination. The play is available at www.cassandravivian.com.

Terri Ozegovich ’84 lives in

Hayward, Calif. Rebecca Harbaugh ’84, currently

the assistant superintendent of the Conewago Valley School District in Adams County, Pa., has been appointed the district’s superintendent, effective July 1, 2012. Anne Olenik Peters ’74, ’84 is

a special education supervisor in the Frazier School District. She lives in Brownsville, Pa.

Connie Feathers ’74 is a teacher Michael Filchock ’85 is a banker

70s

in the North Star School District in Somerset County, Pa. She lives in Davidsville, Pa., with her husband, Jack.

Stephen Russell ’70 has

David Welling ’75, currently the

Paul Bowman ’85 is an area

assistant superintendent of the Derry (Pa.) Area School District, has been appointed as superintendent, effective July 1, 2012. He and his wife, Cheryl, have three children. David replaces Roberta McCahan ’79, who is retiring.

special agent in charge with the U.S. Postal Service, Office of Inspector General. He and his wife, Danita, live in McDonough, Ga. At Cal U, Paul was in the ROTC and participated as a singer in campus talent shows.

Paul Hutnyan ’77 is retired. He

Julia Kolencik Ziring ’86 is a

and his wife, Terry, live in Warsaw, Va. As a student, he sang in the California State College Choir.

legal secretary for Argen Fox LLP. She and her husband, Neal, live in Columbia, Md.

Arlene Jones Helbling ’77 is retired

Tony Steratore ’87, an official

from her job as an elementary teacher. A resident of Woodsfield, Ohio, she is married to Robert M. Jones Jr. ’69.

’77 is the new chief executive officer of Charter Communications, the nation’s fourth-largest cable operator, with 4.4 million basic video subscribers.

for the National Football League, served as the back judge in Super Bowl XLVI, held Feb. 5 in Indianapolis, Ind. This was Tony’s 11th season as an NFL official and his second Super Bowl appearance. He also officiated Super Bowl XXXIX in Jacksonville, Fla. The highest-rated NFL officials at each position are selected to work the Super Bowl. They must have at least five years of NFL experience and previous playoff assignments. Tony’s brother, Gene ’88, also is an NFL official.

Lawrence “Larry” Maggi ’79

Kenneth Jamison ’88 is a senior

was a candidate for the Democratic nomination to challenge U.S. Rep. Tim Murphy in the 18th Congressional District. He currently is a Washington County (Pa.) commissioner.

ITS developer for the Central Florida Regional Transportation Authority. He lives in Orlando, Fla.

announced plans to retire in June 2012 as superintendent of the Belle Vernon (Pa.) Area School District, ending a 42-year career in education. Holly Worcester Robinson ’71

is a retired business analyst with Crawford and Co. She and her husband, James, live in Mundelein, Ill. At Cal U, she was a member of Gamma Delta Upsilon and the Flying Dutchman Club. Charles Martoni ’71 of Swissvale,

Pa., was elected as president of Allegheny County (Pa.) Council. Charles has held public offices for more than 40 years. He has been a school board member, borough councilman and mayor, in addition to serving on county council. State Sen. Jim Brewster ’72,

a Democrat from McKeesport, Pa., who was elected to represent the 45th Senatorial District in a special election in November 2010, was running unopposed in the April 24 primary. Dr. David Amati ’70, ’72

is serving as president of The Foundation for California University of Pennsylvania. David is the founder of Global Business Associates LLC. Barbara McLuckie Nalle ’73,

a self-employed consultant, lives in Ligonier, Pa. At Cal U she was a cheerleader and junior class secretary. She also was a member of Delta Zeta, Pan-Hellenic Council and the debate team.

Tom Rutledge

80s

at SunTrust Bank. He and his wife, Mona, live in Reston, Va. At Cal U, Michael played baseball.

Tony DeMarco ’88 has been ap-

proved as the head football coach at Riverbend High School, in Fredricksburg, Va., where he is also a math teacher.

Nancy Aloi Rose ’83 has been

appointed superintendent of the Bethel Park (Pa.) School District. Previously, she served the district as a principal at Independence Middle School, director of curriculum and instruction, and assistant superintendent. She had been acting superintendent since July 2011.

Lucille Hohman Venne ’89 is

retired. She and her husband, Robert, live in Merrittstown, Pa. While at Cal U, she was a swimmer. Loweda Woods-Veatch ’89 is a

BCM/parent mentor at Chestnut Ridge Counseling Services Inc. She and her husband, Gary, live in Brownsville, Pa.

90s Daniel Mento ’90 was chosen

2011 Teacher of the Year by the Brandywine Valley Association. Daniel teaches in the North Brandywine Middle School in the Coatesville (Pa.) Area School District. He was selected because he helped his students launch a high-altitude weather balloon to take digital photographs of the Earth’s atmosphere. He is married to Kimberly Shorts Mento ’87. Dr. John Wilkinson ’90 has been

hired as the new superintendent of the Belle Vernon (Pa.) Area School District. A resident of Venetia, Pa., he is currently the assistant superintendent of the Baldwin-Whitehall School District. Sandra Cam Hart ’91 is a diplomat

for the U.S. Department of Defense. She is married to Michael Hart. Regis Urban ’92 is a data

processing manager for Laborers’ Combined Funds of Western Pennsylvania. He and his wife, Darla, live in Munhall, Pa. Rochele Roberts Cassidy ’92 is

a self-employed photographer at Photography by Ro (www.photos byro.com), based in Coatesville, Pa. Rob Albinger ’93 is president of

Conspec Controls, in Charleroi, Pa. Conspec recently received the Manufacturing Business of the Year award from Catalyst Connection, a manufacturing consulting group that is committed to advancing the performance of manufacturing companies in southwestern Pennsylvania. Mark Wasko II ’91, ’93 is a design

draftsman for Finite Design Inc. He and his wife, Tina, live in Brownsville, Pa. Daniel Cane ’94 is a school psy-

chologist for the Lincoln Intermediate Unit. He lives in Camp Hill, Pa. Brian Heister ’95, a sales manager for CCM, lives in Harrisburg, Pa. He was a psychology major at Cal U. Bonnie Marsh ’95, of Centerville,

Pa., has been appointed a campus director at Laurel Business Institute in Uniontown, Pa. She joined LBI in 1996 as an instructor and has held administrative positions since 2002. David Horst ’95, a Pennsylvania

antiques dealer, has joined Morphy Auctions as chief consultant for the company’s Americana development.

He will handle consignments and cataloging of all Americana and folk art auctioned by Morphy, which is located in central Pennsylvania. Todd McLoughlin ’95 has been

inducted into Ohio’s District 12 Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame. At Cal U, he helped the Vulcans to four consecutive NCAA Division II playoff berths, including a Final Four appearance in his freshman year. Jennifer Murray Swartzbeck ’96

lives in Butler, Pa. Robin Brashear Youger ’97 is an

instructor for Penn State University. Robin lives in Belle Vernon, Pa.

Renee Walmsley ’99 is a constable

in California, Pa., a security guard for a company located in the South Hills of Pittsburgh, Pa., and the mother of three.

00s Dr. Greg Taranto ’00, principal

of Canonsburg Middle School in the Canon-McMillan School District, recently wrote an article for the Canon-McMillan Patch on the problems related to sleep deprivation in teenagers. Greg has published work in the areas of technology integration, adolescent learning and best middle school practices. He also is an adjunct professor in Cal U’s administrative leadership program.

Stephanie Ball Hopkins ’98 is an

independent consultant with Mary Kay. She lives in Maryland with her husband, Robert. At Cal U, Stephanie was a member of the Gerontology Club and Phi Alpha Psi. Jaime Johnson

’98 is a senior project manager in the geosciences division at the Pittsburgh office of RETTEW, a design firm that provides engineering, transportation, environmental consulting, planning and surveying services. She lives in Allison Park, Pa. Karen Hixon ’98 has been

accepted into a doctoral program with a major in counseling at Oregon State University. Karen is currently a licensed professional counselor in private practice in Portland, Ore., and an adjunct instructor at Lewis and Clark College. Jennifer St. Clair-Martin ’98

received the 2010-2011 Anne Sullivan Award for Teacher of the Year at Intermediate Unit 1. She works at Connellsville Junior High East and lives in Dunbar, Pa., with her husband, Eric, and children, McKenzie and Logan. Michael Beam ’92, ’98 recently

held his first solo exhibition of his artwork at Wine on Third Gallery (www.wineonthird.com) in New York. Michael’s work is also viewable at Saatchi Online Gallery, London, at www.saatchionline.com/ profiles/portfolio/id/290898. Amy Vogel Hart ’96, ’98 is a

teacher in the Diocese of Pittsburgh. She and her husband, Michael, live in Bethel Park, Pa. At Cal U, she was in the marching band.

initiatives for UPMC/Community Care Behavioral Health Organization. He lives in Monongahela, Pa., with his wife, Lori Krusec-Dodd. At Cal U, Jim was in the band and choir. He also was a member of Kappa Kappa Psi, Kappa Delta Pi and Chi Sigma Iota. Jennifer Rhoads Cox ’04 lives in

Bruceton Mills, W.Va., with her husband, Jeremy. Sarah Arbogast ’04 is a morning

traffic/general assignment reporter for KDKA-TV in Pittsburgh, Pa. She replaces Jim Lokay ’02, who took a position at WCVB-TV in Boston, Mass. Lesley Edwards Daniels ’04 is a

project manager for H.J. Heinz. She lives in Scenery Hill, Pa.

Daniel Shimshock ’00 is a supervisor

for German Township, Fayette County, Pa. He lives in New Salem, Pa. Brian Fernandes ’99, ’00 is in

higher education administration at Carnegie Mellon University. He and his wife, Jill Bittel Fernandes ’99, ’01, live in Jefferson Hills, Pa. Jill is the director of financial aid at Cal U.

Loralie Koerbel Bruce ’05 is a

Realtor for Keller Williams Realty. She and her husband, Jeremy, live in Pittsburgh, Pa. Matt Fannin ’05 is a teacher in the

Conneaut Lake School District, Pa. He and his wife are expecting a child. Matt is also an Eagle Scout.

Stephen Curry ’01 has been

Brad Heagy ’06 works in financial

named a partner in the law firm of Peacock Keller, located in Washington County, Pa. He will focus his practice on mineral law, oil and gas law, and real estate law.

planning for BNY Mellon Wealth Management. He and his wife, Jamie, live in Bethel Park, Pa.

Steven Toprani ’01,

the former district attorney for Washington County, Pa., has joined the litigation practice group of Leech Tishman, of Pittsburgh, Pa. Prior to his service as district attorney, Steve had a private practice representing clients in civil, family, criminal, business, commercial real estate and bankruptcy matters, as well as providing counsel to small businesses, injured workers and disabled veterans. He also was an assistant counsel in the Office of General Counsel under former Gov. Edward G. Rendell, where he served the Department of Public Welfare. Seth Martin ’02 has been inducted

into the District 12 Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in Ohio. During a 22-year coaching career, Seth’s teams posted a record of 307-109. He scored 1,459 points at Cal U, ranking 10th all-time.

Dr. Brandie DePaoli Taylor ’06 is

an epidemiologist at the University of Pittsburgh. She and her husband, Mark, live in Pittsburgh, Pa. Eric Fergus ’07 is a supervisor

of human resources for CONSOL Energy. He lives in Washington, Pa. Jessica Rager ’07, an assistant

professor and athletic trainer at Marietta College, Ohio, has been named as a representative to the National Athletic Trainers’ Association Young Professional Committee. She is in her fifth year at Marietta and teaches athletic training classes. Her primary athletic training teams include women’s soccer, women’s basketball, women’s crew and women’s tennis. Jordan Rehar ’07, of Wexford,

Pa., has been hired as supervisor of water operations for Range Resources’ Southern Marcellus Shale Division. He previously worked as a research biologist for Ducks Unlimited in North Dakota. James Curry ’07 is assistant

athletics director for compliance at Florida State University. He lives in Tallahassee, Fla.

Jim Dodd ’99, ’02 is a program

manager for drug and alcohol SPRING SPRING 2012 2012 CAL CAL U U REVIEW REVIEW 31 31 ■■

CALU M I L E S T O N E S Christopher Protho ’07 is the

band director at Mars (Pa.) Area Middle School. He also serves on the state Professional Standards and Practices Commission. Among other duties, the commission provides leadership in the areas of preparation, certification and standards of conduct for teachers. Dana Kobylka ’07 is a mobile

support equipment operator at Canadian Forces Base Trenton. She also works as a physiotherapist for Canadian Forces personnel and trains as a gymnast with members of Queen University’s gymnastics team. Dana plays softball in the summer with the University of Western Ontario women’s team. She and her fiance, Mark Signer, are planning a wedding for summer 2012. Joseph Anderson ’07 is the new

principal at George Washington Intermediate School in the New Castle (Pa.) Area School District. Previously, Joseph was the assistant principal at the school; he also was an emotional support/special education teacher at New Castle Junior/Senior High School. Hope Biddle Miller ’07 lives in

Mifflintown, Pa. David Levino ’07 is a media

enterpriser for Levino Solutions. He lives in Irwin, Pa. At Cal U, he was a reporter and anchor for CUTV and also was a Peer Mentor.

Jupiter Hammerheads, part of the Florida Marlins of Major League Baseball. Cheri McDowell ’09 is a

communications manager for a.i. solutions. She lives in Greenbelt, Md. At Cal U, Cheri was involved with Building Student Unity, the Cal Times, Student Activities Board and NAACP. Gerald Morris ’09 is a research as-

sociate for the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. He lives in Harrisburg, Pa. At Cal U, he was active with Cal Campaign Consultants.

Richard Ruck Jr. ’07 is a professor

of criminal justice in the Department of Sociology at East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania. He and his wife live in Roseto, Pa. Ashley Barton Krenn ’08 is a

science teacher and curriculum reviewer for the National Network of Digital Schools. She and her husband, Jared ’08, live in Weirton, W.Va. Tyler Wieneke ’08 works for the

U.S. government at Naval Station Norfolk. He lives in Virginia Beach, Va. Joy Crouse ’08, MS, ATC, CES is director of sports medicine and clinical outreach for the Alabama Orthopaedic Clinic, PC. She lives in Grand Bay, Ala. Masa Fujimoto ’08 is the trainer for the Class-A Advanced Affiliate 32 CAL U REVIEW SPRING 2012 ■

Delores Sciulli (left) and Basia Kossecka pin insignia on the uniform of ROTC cadet Joseph A. Sinclair ’11 during a commissioning ceremony that elevated Sinclair to the rank of second lieutenant in the U.S. Army. After graduating with a degree in liberal studies and a minor in leadership, he is attending the Infantry Basic Officer Leadership Course at Fort Benning, Ga. Cal U President Angelo Armenti, Jr. delivered remarks at the ceremony, along with Lt. Col. Andrew Loeb and Lt. Col. Ronald Bonomo, both professors of military science.

Colby McHugh ’09 and his father,

Richard, recently opened a beer distributor business in West Penn, Pa. John Carpinelli ’09 works in sales

for Kohl’s. He lives in South Park, Pa. At Cal U, he was in the PTA Club and the Society of Leadership and Success. Rachel Shearer ’09 has graduated

from Florida Coastal School of Law in Jacksonville, Fla. She also completed two internships at Florida Coastal. She did an international criminal/ human rights law fellowship in Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina, and an internship that focused on international business law in Clermont-Ferrand, France. Suzanne Schwing ’09 is vice

president and director of client companies for WellnessPlus. She is a native of New Orleans, La.

Ianthi de Alwis ’10 lives in Moreno

Valley, Calif. Steve Middleton ’10 is a certified

athletic trainer and the director of rehabilitation and sports medicine at Woodard Wellness Group in Carbondale, Ill. He is an adjunct faculty member in the Department of Kinesiology at Southern Illinois University. Ashley Rocco ’11 lives in

Pittsburgh, Pa. At Cal U, she was a member of the concert and marching bands, Kappa Kappa Psi, Alpha Lambda Delta, Student Pennsylvania State Education Association and Kappa Delta Pi. She also was a Peer Mentor. Danielle Morrison ’11 works for

10s

Victoria’s Secret. She lives in Bethel Park, Pa. At Cal U, she participated in track and field and the Bodybuilding and Fitness Club.

Beth Repasi ’10, who has a

Ashley Thurby ’11 is a contributor

Abigail Grant ’07 is a professor.

She lives in Manteo, N.C.

Rising in rank

meteorology degree from Cal U, recently discussed “Groundhog Day and Weather” with visitors at the Discovery Station in Hagerstown, Md. Gina Kelley ’10 recently was

chosen as therapist of the week at Back in Motion Physical Therapy Group in Sarasota, Fla.

to the “Ask the Coach” column in the Uniontown (Pa.) HeraldStandard. She is pursuing a Master of Education degree in school administration. Lindsey Allerton ’11 lives in

Farmingdale, N.J.

specialist/social services counselor for Community Alternatives Inc. She and her husband, Blaise Guzewicz, live in North Huntingdon Township, Pa.

the West Allegheny School District. She and her husband, Travis Miller, live in Upper St. Clair, Pa.

Fessler are engaged to be married. Michael works for Exelon Corp. at the Three Mile Island nuclear facility, near Harrisburg, Pa. Rebecca is a registered nurse at the Schuylkill Medical Center South Jackson Street, in Pottsville, Pa. They are planning a June 2013 wedding. Adam Rullo ’07, of Somerset, Pa.,

and Abby Barto, of Johnstown, Pa., are engaged. Adam is a special education teacher in the Rockwood (Pa.) Area School District. Abby is a kindergarten teacher in the Richland School District. They are planning a July 2012 wedding. Ashley Knizer ’11 and Brook

Sharpnack are engaged. Ashley is a first-grade teacher in the CanonMcMillan School District in Washington County, Pa. Brook is a special education teacher in the CanonMcMillan School District. They are planning a June 2012, wedding. Sarah Beaulieu ’11, of Wales,

Maine, and Kenny Chamberlain, of St. Agatha, Maine, are engaged. Sarah graduated in May with a master’s degree in athletic training. Kenny is pursuing a career with the Maine State Police. They are planning a September 2012 wedding. Bryant Balash ’08 and Monica

Heather Lersch ’10 is an aging

Brittany Killen ’10 is a teacher in

ENGAGEMENTS Michael Hontz ’11 and Rebecca

Megan Strine ’11 works as an

instructor at the Pali Institute, an outdoor education and science camp. Pali is situated on 74 acres in the San Bernardino Mountains, about 90 minutes from Los Angeles, Calif.

Suding are engaged. Bryant works as a customer support engineer for Rolls-Royce Defense North American, Indianapolis. He also is an Air Force veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. He serves in the 171st Air Refueling Wing, Pittsburgh, Pa. Monica is a second-grade teacher at Avon (Ind.) Community Schools. They are planning a June 2012, wedding at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Indianapolis.

Lauree Longo ’09 and Jason Janov

Blythe Sims ’09, of Washington, Pa.,

’09 are engaged. Lauree works for Country Meadows retirement community in Bridgeville, Pa. Jason works for Washington Community Mental Health/Mental Retardation Services. They are planning a wedding for October 2012.

and Bryce Jacobs, of West Alexander, Pa., are engaged. Blythe works for Oil and Gas Title Abstracting. Bryce works for Try Again Homes. Wedding plans are incomplete.

Sabina Hadrych ’05, of Washington, Pa., and Ryan Miller ’04, ’06

are engaged. They are planning a wedding in July 2012. Sabina has a bachelor’s degree in social work; Ryan has a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and a master’s degree in law and public policy.

Tara Clark ’06 and Matthew

Cooney are engaged. Tara is a sales representative for Medical Devices in New York City. Matthew is serving as a Marine officer recruiter in New York City and is pursuing his MBA. They are planning a summer wedding in Delmar, Calif.

Nicole Batovsky ’08, ’10 and Ryan

Stauffer, both of Donora, Pa., are engaged. Nicole is a certified public accountant at Alpern Rosenthan in Pittsburgh, Pa. Ryan is a materials chemist for Ferro Corp. in Washington, Pa. They are planning a wedding during the upcoming Christmas season. Cassie Weimer ’10, of Somerset,

Pa., and Nathan Ohler, of Rockwood, Pa., are engaged. Cassie is a high school special education teacher in the Turkeyfoot Area School District. Nathan is a gas well tender for RJB Well Services. They are planning a July 2014 wedding. James “Joe” Watson ’10 and Anna Sottosanti ’09,

both of Belle Vernon, Pa., are engaged. James is a manager for a family business in Belle Vernon. At Cal U, he was a member and officer of the Cal U Billiards Club, an ACUI participant in billiards, and a member of the billiards teams in 2009 and 2010. He is a brother of the Delta Chi Fraternity and currently an alumni adviser. Anna is the marketing/advertising coordinator for Goldstock Jewelers in Pittsburgh, Pa. At Cal U, she was a member and officer of the Billiards Club, an ACUI participant in billiards, a member of TAGA, student screen printing and student photography. They are planning a wedding for August 2012, at Heinz Chapel, Pittsburgh. Michael Anglin ’11 and Ashley

Cox, both of Sharpsville, Pa., are engaged. Michael is an elementary teacher in the Sharpsburg (Pa.) Area School District. Ashley is a credit analyst at the Home Savings and Loan Co. in Youngstown, Ohio. A wedding is being planned for June, 2012.

Brandon Manack ‘04, ‘11 and Rachel Felix ‘04, ‘11 are engaged.

Brandon is a technology education teacher at Ferndale Area Junior/ Senior High School in Johnstown, Pa. Rachel is a technology education teacher at Altoona (Pa.) Area Junior High. They are planning a July 2012 wedding.

Corey Francis ’04 and Cara Cramer ’05 were married Aug. 20,

2011, at Immaculate Conception Church in Washington, Pa. Corey is an account manager at Huddle House’s corporate office in Atlanta, Ga. Cara is a registered nurse at Georgia Regional Hospital in Atlanta. Their honeymoon trip was to Hilton Head Island, S.C. They are living in Atlanta.

Katie Moran ’10 and Stephen

Boccella were married Nov. 12, 2011, at SS. Simon and Jude Church in Bethlehem, Pa. Katie is a senior wellness coach at Wellness Coaches USA. The couple are living in Macungie, Lehigh County, Pa. Noraann Zimmerman ’00 and

Justin Peel were married Oct. 22, 2011, in the Landingville (Pa.) Social Hall. Noraann works in Pottsville, Pa., as an income maintenance caseworker for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Her husband works for Shalmet Corp., Deer Lake, Pa. They live in Schuylkill Haven, Pa. Jeff Sandusky ’03, of Belle Vernon,

Pa., and Renee Moeller, of Baldwin, Pa., were married Nov. 5, 2011, in St. Thomas More Church, Bethel Park, Pa. Jeff is a sales director for Catalyst Rx in Pittsburgh, Pa. His wife works for Comcast. They live in Canonsburg, Pa. Ben Baker ’09, of Rockwood, Pa., and Ashley Chirico, of Stoystown, Pa., were married Oct. 22, 2011, in Berachah Baptist Church in Somerset, Pa. Ben is a fifth-grade teacher in the Rockwood Area School District. His wife works at Somerset Trust. They are living in Rockwood.

Kerwell were married Oct. 22, 2011. Roseann is a case manager at The Ranch, an addiction, eating disorder and trauma treatment center. She played softball at Cal U and was a member of the 1998 national championship team.

John Testa ’08 and Heather Bihler

’09 were married July 23, 2011, at the Hilton Garden Inn, Southpointe, in Canonsburg, Pa. John is a warehouse technician for CONSOL Energy. Heather is an adult probation officer for Washington County, Pa. They visited Myrtle Beach, S.C., for their honeymoon. Kristen Danter ’07 and Brian Montag Jr. ’07 were married Aug.

20, 2011, in St. Patrick’s Roman Catholic Church in McKeesport, Pa. Kristen is a contract representative with CVS Caremark Specialty Pharmacy in Monroeville, Pa. Brian is a laboratory technician at Eastman Chemical Co. in West Elizabeth, Pa. Allison Marsteller ’03 and

MARRIAGES

Roseann Walsh ’02 and Benjamin

S. Timothy Warco II were married Oct. 1, 2011, at Nemacolin Country Club, Beallsville, Pa. Allison is an enforcement officer for Washington County Domestic Relations. Her husband is a licensed funeral director at Warco-Falvo Funeral Home in Washington, Pa., and also serves as a deputy coroner for Washington County. They are living in Washington.

Richard Guzur ’94 and Rebecca

Guianen were married Sept. 10, 2011. Richard graduated with a bachelor’s degree in human resources/management. They visited Montego Bay, Jamaica, for their honeymoon and are living in Erie, Pa. MacKenzie McCloskey ’09 and

Joshua Scheponik were married Sept. 30, 2011, in Monongahela, Pa. They are living in Van Voorhis, Pa. MacKenzie is the assistant director at KinderCare in Peters Township, Pa. Joshua is an office manager at Airgas Specialty Products in Donora, Pa. Alyson Ramsey ’00 and

Christopher Cochran were married Feb. 29, 2012. They both work for Cricket Communications in Pittsburgh, Pa. They visited Cabo San Lucas for their honeymoon and are living in Washington, Pa.

In Print Jason Jack Miller ’97 signed a five-book deal with

Raw Dog Screaming Press for his Murder Ballads and Whiskey series. The first two books, The Devil and Preston Black and Hellbender, are now available in eBook format and also will be available in paperback in 2012. Miller is from Fayette County, Pa., and is an adjunct creative writing faculty member at Seton Hill University, in Greensburg, Pa. For more information about Jason, visit www.jasonjackmiller.blogspot.com. To order a book, visit www.rawdogscreaming.com/. Gail Ann Gross ’81 is the author of Prince Bravery

and Grace — Attack of the Wet Knights, a royal adventure that brings a lighthearted approach to the issue of bedwetting and is perfect for children ages 4-10. Gail is available for group speaking engagements and elementary-school author visits. She also works part time for the nonprofit Blind and Vision Rehabilitation Services as a community trainer and screener for the Preschool Vision Screening program. Her book is available at www.braveryandgrace.com and www.amazon.com, where it is also available for the Kindle. Gail, who was a member of Delta Zeta at Cal U, met her husband, Rick ’80, at Cal U. Rick was a member of Sigma Tau Gamma. SPRING 2012 CAL U REVIEW 33 ■

CALU M I L E S T O N E S Florence Johnson ’08

and Terry Steffens were married July 10, 2011. Florence is a second-grade teacher at Dominion Christian School in Oakton, Va. They were married at the Meadowlark Botanical Gardens in Vienna, Va., and live in Reston, Va. Emily Zabkar ’10 and Stephen Nugent ’07, ’09 were married June

IN MEMORIAM

BIRTHS Jerome “Jeb” Kukurugya

’02, ‘05 and his wife, Anne, welcomed their first child, Jerome Michael Julius Kukurugya, on May 5, 2011. The family lives in Florida. Jerome is a middle school guidance counselor, and Anne is an elementary guidance counselor.

18, 2011. The bridal party included

Matthew Lambert ’10 and Britany Morris-Lambert ’07, ’10

announce the birth of their first child, Maelynn Kay, born Jan. 20, 2012. Matt works for Columbia Gas, and Britany is a social worker with SPHS. They live in McClellandtown, Pa. Ginelle Michael ’00 and Charles Michael ’02,

Lesley Edwards Daniels ’04

Nicole Duschek ’10 and Katie Mercadante ’09, ’11. Emily and

Stephen are both teachers employed by Agora Cyber Charter School. They live in Bethel Park, Pa.

and the Daniels family welcomed Barrett Sebastian on Dec. 22, 2011.

’09 announce the birth of their second child, William Toufic, on Feb. 7, 2012.

Julie Gray Franczyk ’03 and her

husband, Steve, welcomed their first child, Kaitlyn Ann, on Feb. 21, 2012.

LaMont Lyons ’04, ’10 and Rachel

Scribner were married Sept. 24, 2011, at Mount Olive Baptist Church in Canonsburg, Pa. LaMont is an assistant high school principal in the Woodland Hills School District. Rachel works as a substitute teacher in the Ringgold School District. They live in Monongahela, Pa.

✃

JUST THE

Lauren Repp Fabean ’05 and her husband, Fred Fabean ’01,

announce the birth of their first child, Laney Jane, on Jan. 31, 2012. Lauren is a first-grade teacher in the Canon-McMillan School District in Washington County, Pa.

Laura Thompson Krambeck ’91,

’92 and her husband, U.S. Navy Capt. Scott Krambeck, welcomed twin daughters, Sophia Louise and Lydia Elise, on Aug. 1, They live in San Diego, Calif.

Send your Milestones news or address changes by fax to 724-938-5932, by mail to Alumni Relations, P.O. Box 668, California, PA 15419, or by e-mail to alumni@calu.edu. Questions? Call 724-938-4418.

FAX NAME

MAIDEN NAME

Cheryl Diane “Cherry”Asbury ’67 John N. Beck ’58 Rebecca Lynn Balko Berda ’70 Marian Petika Bertovich, R.N. ’65 Anna Louise Sedlak Charlton ’62 Camillo C. “Cam” Colelli ’53 Mary Jane Cotton ’42 Martha Eleanor Dunegan ’28 Victor Marco Egidi ’66 John E. Greenlee ’59 James Hedman ’58 Jenay Lynn Howell ’10 Robert M. Jones Jr. ’69, ’75 Eric D. Kaczkowski ’00 Joseph B. Katko ’64 Kathy L. Klisowski ’88 Matthew J. Kremposky III ’73 Sharon Ruth Swanson Ludi* Philip D. Marella ’55 Ida Belle F. Minnie ’74, ’78 Franklin E. Nagle ’49 Richard D. “Bud” Orlandi ’58 Robert S. Petriello* Don Powell ’58 Constance A. Ranson ’02 Bonnie Sue Riffle-Mathews ’77 Terrence E. Ryan ’93 Katherine I. Sale ’38 Sandy John Sarantinos ’61 Margaret A. Schmitt ’43 David E. Sloan Jr. ’62 Raymond B. Stringer ’77, retired foreman at Cal U Glenda Surovchak ’59, ’65 Irene Sabatini Taffoni ’66, ’68 Jerome M. “Jerry” Vasil ’88 Bonnie Elizabeth “Betsey” Weaver* Anita Louise Morgan Welsh ’88 Dorothy Grace Verderber Wilson* Donald V. Zawacki ’74, ’76 *No class year provided or on file

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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. 34 CAL U REVIEW SPRING 2012 ■

SETTING THE RECORD STRAIGHT Alissa Williams is the first Cal U student recipient of the Delta Zeta scholarship. An incorrect photo was published in the Winter 2012 edition of the Cal U Review. The Review regrets the error.

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2012

SPRING

CALU REVIEW

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Come fly away Alumna Britney Vokish ’11 (left) and student Jessica Desvarro defy gravity as they rehearse for ‘Kinesthetic Mindfulness,’ the spring dance concert produced by the Department of Theatre and Dance. The piece was choreographed by faculty member Diane Eperthener.