February 13, 2012 - Cal U Journal

California University

VOLUME 14, NUMBER 4 FEB. 13, 2012 READ THE JOURNAL ONLINE: www.calu.edu/news/the-journal

Poli-Sci Major Interns in Harrisburg enior Tyler R. Menzler is working for the Pennsylvania Department of State’s Licensing Commission as part of a 15-week internship sponsored by PASSHE, the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education.

Menzler, of Donora, Pa., is a political science major at Cal U. He is one of 14 students participating in The Harrisburg Internship Semester (THIS) program, which gives students the opportunity to work in all areas of state government while earning a full semester’s worth of credits.

THIS invites students from each of the 14 PASSHE universities to participate.

Menzler, the son of Robert Tyler R. Menzler and Mary Beth Menzler, is a 2008 graduate of Ringgold High School. He and the other students participating in the program will attend several academic seminars during their spring semester internship. Each student also will complete an individualized research project as part of the program’s requirements.

More than 500 students from PASSHE universities have participated in THIS since the program began in 1989. Interns have worked with dozens of state agencies, as well as in the offices of the governor, the speaker of the House of Representatives and the state attorney general.

Students who are interested in participating in THIS may obtain more information by contacting the Cal U Internship Center or calling the Dixon University Center at 717-720-4089. Details also are available online at: www.passhe.edu/this .

PASSHE is the largest provider of higher education in the Commonwealth, with nearly 120,000 students. The 14 PASSHE universities offer degree and certificate programs in more than 120 areas of study. About 500,000 PASSHE alumni live and work in Pennsylvania.

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Brittney Dulin (left) and Ashley Volpe make holiday hearts for the Center in the Woods inside the Performance Center during Cal U’s Day of Service on Jan. 31.

230 Join Day of Service total of 230 students put Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s philosophy into practice during the University’s ninth annual Day of Service, held on Jan. 31.

Volunteers from various campus clubs and organizations took part in 13 service projects and three donation collections, all in the Performance Center. Coordinating the event was Cal U’s Center for Civic Engagement.

“With the semester already under way, it’s a busy time for everyone, and we just thought the most effective way to get many groups involved would be to bring the service activities to the students,” said the center’s director, Diane Williams.

“Our students want to do service work and help the community. Their enthusiasm was clearly evident.”

Students worked on projects such as designing

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shamrocks with old Irish blessings for the Golden Living Center in Uniontown, Pa., and packaging items for the American Cancer Society, Muscular Dystrophy Association and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

They also decorated bags for Valentine’s Day for the Ronald McDonald House in Morgantown, W.Va., and collected change in a wishing well to buy items on the Pittsburgh Ronald McDonald House’s wish list — a collection that will continue until March 9.

Other students created Valentine’s Day cards for Meals on Wheels recipients and made holiday hearts for the Center in the Woods.

A total of 1,355 items were made during the day.

Two students who participated in the Day of Service for the first time were senior Chelsea Johnson and freshman Joe Cenname.

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Earth Sciences Students Build Networks ore than 200 students connected with potential employers at Cal U’s second annual Earth Sciences Networking Event.

Held Jan. 31 in the north conference wing of the Convocation Center, the informal session introduced earth sciences students to professionals working within their discipline.

“I wanted to speak to some professionals I met at conferences over the past few years,” said Ryan Dolan, a senior with a double major in parks and recreation management and geographical information systems (GIS) and emergency management.

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Fulbright Specialist Returns Dr. Aref Al­Khattar, professor of criminology and director of Cal U’s graduate program in applied criminology, returns to Cal U after spending nearly a month in the Middle East as part of the Fulbright Specialist Program. See story on page 2.

“I found that there are a lot of employers offering internships here, and a few job openings I’m interested in pursuing. Overall, this is a great event for students who need to start establishing professional connections.”

More than 30 businesses and agencies sent representatives to meet with students. Among them were Range Resources, CONSOL Energy, Hatch Mott MacDonald, AGES Inc. and the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection.

Parks and Recreation departments from Butler County and townships in — Continued on page 2

Cal U student Garrett Schmidt discusses career opportunities with Janie Bauman of The Wilds, a conservation center located in southeast Ohio.

Cal U Students Bring StormFest Again ore than 100 students from California University of Pennsylvania again are participating in StormFest at the Carnegie Science Center in Pittsburgh.

StormFest is an educational outreach event hosted in part by the Southwestern Pennsylvania chapter of the American Meteorological Society (Cal U Meteorology Club), in collaboration with the Science Center.

The fifth annual event explores the geosciences — geology, geography, meteorology and more — with two full days of interactive activities for students of all ages.

The two-day event will be held Feb. 24-25.

StormFest activities are free with paid admission to the Science Center.

Field trips for children in grades K-6 are the focus of activities from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Feb. 24.

StormFest is open to the general public from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Feb. 25.

Meteorology students will staff the event, and geology, geographic information systems, mathematics and education students also will volunteer. Cal U has recruited about 20 student volunteers from Ohio University and the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown, as well.

At StormFest kids can make rocks, rain sticks, lava lamps and “edible landfills.” They can even create “glurch,” a substance that has both solid and liquid properties.

Cal U students developed these and more than 30 other activities to teach children about

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For the fifth consecutive year, Cal U students are participating in StormFest at the Carnegie Science Center in Pittsburgh.

Fulbright Specialist Returns fter spending nearly a month in the Middle East as part of the Fulbright Specialist Program, Dr. Aref Al-Khattar returned to Cal U with a feeling of pride.

“It is a great honor to be selected as a Fulbright Senior Specialist,” said Al-Khattar, a professor of criminology and director of Cal U’s graduate program in applied criminology.

“It was difficult to develop a proposal and have it reviewed by specialists for approval, but the end result was very rewarding.”

The program landed Al-Khattar at the University of Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates.

There he held workshops for faculty members, revised syllabi for applied criminology courses, lectured to graduate students and explained the American judicial system to the campus community.

Al-Khattar also had the

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opportunity to discuss online teaching and to demonstrate tools that Cal U professors use in the Global Online program, ranked No. 1 in the United States by Guide to Online Schools.

The Fulbright Specialist Program sends American faculty members and other professionals abroad to serve as expert consultants on curriculum, faculty development and institutional planning at academic institutions overseas.

As a Fulbright Specialist, AlKhattar’s name will appear worldwide on a roster of available experts for the next five years.

“This is a good designation to have, not only for me, but also for Cal U,” he said.

This was not the first time that AlKhattar had visited the University of Sharjah.

Cal U and Sharjah have developed an exchange program over the past few years.

In August 2010, students from

Sharjah came to Cal U to attend lectures on campus, visit local courts and police headquarters, tour regional forensic laboratories, and speak with FBI agents. The student exchange has continued since that visit.

“We are very proud that Dr. AlKhattar was able to represent Cal U in the Fulbright Specialist Program,” said Dr. John Cencich, dean of Cal U’s School of Graduate Studies and Research.

“Not only did he dedicate his time and expertise to students, but he also further established our ongoing relationship with the University of Sharjah.”

One of Al-Khattar’s favorite moments of the trip was arguing the thesis of a student who attended training at Cal U last year.

“I was very honored to take part in all of the activities at Sharjah,” he said. “I encourage Cal U professors to apply for the Fulbright Specialist Program in the future.”

Students Gearing Up for History Day oung historians will prepare for regional competition at the fifth annual California University of Pennsylvania Primary Sources History Day Competition.

The competition is set for 9:15 a.m.3 p.m. today in the Convocation Center’s north conference wing Sponsored by the Library of Congress of Teaching with Primary Sources program in collaboration with the Department of History and Political Science, the event is modeled after the National History Day™ competition.

This year’s contest mirrors the National History Day theme, “Revolution, Reaction, Reform in History.”

Participants in junior (grades 6-8) and senior (grades 912) divisions will compete in both individual and group

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projects. Cal U faculty members, students and other community volunteers will judge exhibits, documentaries, websites, performances and historical research papers.

All competitors receive framed certificates, and prizes will be awarded for first, second and third places in both group and individual divisions at both the junior and senior levels. Roughly 150 students from the Belle Vernon Area, Charleroi, Sewickley, Trinity and Uniontown Area school districts will participate.

The regional competition, known as NHD Pitt, will be held March 3-4 at the Senator John Heinz History Center in Pittsburgh for schools in Allegheny, Washington, Greene, Fayette, Westmoreland and Somerset counties.

For more information, call Lynne Berdar at the TPS office, 724-938-6025, or e-mail berdar@calu.edu .

the science behind weather and other natural phenomena.

Nick “the “Weather Dude” Walker, the oncamera meteorologist from The Weather Channel, will be at StormFest 2012 on Feb. 25 to sign autographs and perform on the Science Center’s stage.

Cal U’s own “Dewey Sleet the Weather Geek” will lead kids in activities throughout the two-day festival. This year he will have his own table, where he will answer weather-related questions, such as why each snowflake is unique.

Karly Bitsura, secretary for the Southwestern Pennsylvania Chapter of the AMS, is this year’s StormFest coordinator. A former volunteer, she began planning in July.

“The kids really do love the activities, and you’re kind of sneaking learning up on them.

They have fun and don’t realize they are learning, but they are,” she said. “It’s very rewarding for the volunteers, too, because they know we are getting through to the kids.”

Participants on Feb. 25 will receive a free souvenir T-shirt if they complete 18 of the activities.

Last year, Bitsura said, more than 3,000 visitors attended StormFest, including families and school groups from throughout western Pennsylvania.

For more information about StormFest, e-mail Bitsura at bit0907@calu.edu or visit www.carnegiesciencecenter.org .

Earth Sciences Students Build Networks — Continued from page 1 Allegheny and Westmoreland counties also were represented.

“We came to this networking event at Cal U to share information about Range Resources with students and show that we are a friendly face within the community,” said Josh Reinard, a GIS technician at the energy firm.

Many of the employers acknowledged a need to recruit earth sciences majors because of the local boom in the gas and oil industry.

“There is no doubt that the Marcellus shale has been a major contributor to the influx of environmental jobs in western Pennsylvania,” Reinard said.

“We have many internships available for students, and we encourage those who will be graduating to apply for our full-time positions in the field.”

According to the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry, core and ancillary industries related to the Marcellus shale play created 48,000 jobs across the state in 2010.

Dolan said most of the jobs he found at the networking event had ties to the oil and gas industry, and he credits Cal U professors for bringing industry representatives to campus.

Dr. Lisa Lohr, a geology professor in the Earth Sciences Department, was the primary organizer of the event.

Other professors within the department encourage students to attend professional society meetings and invite working professionals to speak to their classes throughout the year.

“Cal U is very lucky to have professors who get their students involved with professionals,” said Steve McGuire, a technical consultant for Chester Engineers and a representative of the Pittsburgh Geology Society.

“We have seen over the years that you get a much better prepared students if they had a chance to interact with professionals in the field.”

Daffodil Days Orders Due by Feb. 24 al U again will participate in one of the American Cancer Society’s oldest and most beloved fundraising programs, Daffodil Days.

As the first flower of spring, the daffodil represents hope and renewal. To the American Cancer Society, the daffodil symbolizes the hope for a rapid cure.

Last year, Washington County raised $108,000 through the Daffodil Days campaign. This year’s goal is $112,500.

American Cancer Society supporters can order a bunch of 10 cut daffodils for $10; a pot of mini-daffodils for $12; a vase with daffodils for $15; or the “Shar N. Hope” collectible Boyd’s Bear with daffodils for $25. Daffodil yellow or chocolate lollipops are available for $1 each.

In addition, donors can make anonymous gifts through two initiatives: for $25, Project Care will send a bear

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with daffodils to a child; or for $10, Gift of Hope will send a bunch of daffodils to a treatment facility. The American Cancer Society also accepts general contributions to support its mission.

Order forms have been distributed on campus. Additional copies are available at University Printing Services in Azorsky Hall, Room 103.

Checks should be made payable to the American Cancer Society. Orders are due by Feb. 24; send them to campus coordinator Julie Kingsley, of Printing Services, at Box 111.

Flowers will be ready for pickup after noon on March 21 in the Azorsky Hall lunchroom, or you can ask to have them delivered to an office.

On March 22, the student group STAND (Students Taking a New Direction) will be selling individual daffodils during the common hour at the Natali Student Center. STAND also

Accounting major Cat Mathison poses with daffodils at University Printing Services.

Purchases of daffodils, the first flower of spring, support the American Cancer Society through its annual Daffodil Days campaign. Deadline for orders is Feb. 24.

will help to deliver flowers on March 21.

An Employee Dress Down Day will take place on March 23 for faculty and staff members who make a $5 donation to Daffodil Days.

In the past 14 years, Daffodil Days has raised more than $240 million in gross revenue to support the work of the American Cancer Society.

For more information, e-mail kinglsey@calu.edu or call 724-938-5518.

Campus BRIEFS Online Auction Benefits Pens Scholarship Fund

Cal U students Blaire Crumbley (left) and Michelle Cooper design Valentine bags for the Ronald McDonald House during Cal U’s Day of Service.

230 Join Annual Day of Service — Continued from page 1 “This was always something I wanted to do,” said Johnson, an education major. “I never had free time in the past, and I am just glad it worked out this year.”

Cenname, an associate member (pledge) of Delta Chi fraternity, was working alongside other associate members and current Delta Chi brothers.

“It’s good to go out, get involved and do things like this,” he said.

“Service work of any kind is important, and I enjoy doing this.”

At tables outside the Performance Center students registered for the April 22 MS Walk in Pittsburgh, which benefits the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.

“We want to register people for the walk but also make them aware of what MS is and know the facts,” said Mark Wahl, a senior communication studies major.

At another table Veterans Club members urged participants to sign a Cal U flag that will be 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 deliver the flag.

“We figured this was simple but something our members could jump right into,” Anderson said. “We’re also excited spread the word of the many opportunities for vets in Pittsburgh and on our campus.”

A blood drive organized by Central Blood Bank was also held during the Day of Service. More than 60 units of blood were donated, which has the potential to save 183 lives.

Last year Cal U was able to conduct its Day of Service on the actual date of the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday, but this year the spring semester did not start until Jan. 23. Nevertheless, Williams said she was pleased with the student turnout.

“I really think our students are giving their time, and it showed with our Day of Service,” she said. “They responded.”

Pittsburgh Penguins fans can bring home an autographed All-Star jersey, ride a Zamboni or dine in the exclusive Lexus Club at CONSOL Energy Center. All it takes is a winning bid in the fourth Pittsburgh Penguins Online Auction.

Bidding opens on Feb. 26 at www.pittsburghpenguins.com . Online bidding closes at 5 p.m. March 7, 2012.

Ten prize packages are available in all, including collectibles autographed by Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang, an Iceburgh birthday party for kids, and a neon clock with the original Pens’ logo. Complete descriptions will be available at www.calu.edu and on the Pittsburgh Penguins’ website.

Cal U is the official education partner of the Pittsburgh Penguins. Proceeds from the online auction support the Pittsburgh Penguins Scholarship, awarded annually to a Cal U student.

FPDC Merit Award Nominations Due Each Faculty Professional Development Committee (FPDC) Subcommittee — Research, Teaching and Learning, Technology, Service and Service-Learning, and Grants and Contracts — offers a $1,000 award that can be used for professional activities.

The form to nominate a faculty member for a merit award can be downloaded from the Cal U website. Search for FPDC. Self-nominations also will be accepted.

Completed nomination forms must be received by noon Wednesday in the Faculty Center, Room 134, Azorsky Hall.

Sophomore Symposium Focuses on Internships Sophomores can learn about the internship process and connect with current interns during the inaugural Sophomore Symposium.

The Internship Center and the Internship Ambassador Club will sponsor the symposium from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Thursday in the Performance Center inside the Natali Student Center.

During the event, students will learn about the internship process and funding, along with effective ways to find internships. A complimentary, full-course lunch will be served, and current interns will be available to discuss their experiences.

Registration is on a first come, first served basis. Seating is limited to 250 students. A $5 registration deposit is required, but it will be returned at check-in.

Students may register at the Internship Center in Eberly 230 or in the Natali Student Center. Deadline is today.

Contact Tracie Beck at beck_t@calu.edu or 724-938-1578 with questions.

GACO Seminar Set for Wednesday Cal U and Slippery Rock’s Government Agency Coordination Offices (GACO) will host a seminar Wednesday that examines “Going Online to Do Business with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.”

The seminar is scheduled for 9 a.m.noon at the Regional Learning Alliance, 850 Cranberry Woods Drive, Cranberry Township. Elizabeth Bowers, the western representative for the Bureau of Minority and Women Business Opportunities of the state Department of General Services, will discuss data-mining state websites.

For more information, contact Renee Decker at 724-738-2346 or Cal U’s GACO office at 724-938-5881.

Plan Now for SEEK Summer Fun It’s never too soon to plan a rewarding summer experience for children.

Cal U’s Summer Educational Enrichment for Kids program (SEEK) will offer two weeklong sessions in 2012 for children entering grades 1-8. Classes will be held July 16-20 and August 6-10.

SEEK allows children to participate in interactive learning experiences that are entertaining and academically challenging in a fun and creative environment. Full and half-day sessions are available.

For more information, e-mail seek@calu.edu.

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Intramurals Seeking a Few Good Players ntramural sports have been popular with Cal U students for decades, but Tom Hasbrouck ’06, ’09 is hoping more faculty and staff will get involved.

“You can forge a lifelong relationship through intramurals, and the more staff and faculty we have playing, the better off we are,” said Hasbrouck, Cal U’s assistant director of recreational services.

“It’s a way for faculty, staff and students to engage one another on a level playing field. Your rank or title doesn’t matter. You are not playing with or against a professor, you’re playing with Bob or Sam.” Faculty and staff may place their names on a list of “free agents” who can be selected by established teams in need of personnel, or they may form a new team. Participants must register online at www.imleagues.comschools/cup .

The Student Association Inc. sponsors intramural sports, but “a staff or faculty person can be with any team, so it’s a win-win for everyone,” Hasbrouck said.

Last season, for example, three members of the Cal U community joined an intramural basketball team dubbed Staff Infection. Wally Balla of facilities management, Dan Brierley of University Technology Services, and Dr. Mark Nowak, professor of applied engineering and technology, spent time together on the court.

“I really enjoyed it and plan on doing it again,” said Nowak, an avid runner who hadn’t played competitive basketball in years. “At first I was a little rusty, but after we got going some skills started to develop again. It was nice to get back out on the court and play some ball, and it was a really good time. I would encourage other faculty and staff to do the same thing.”

Pete Ware, whose campus ministry is sponsored by the Coalition for Christian Outreach, has been enjoying intramurals since he arrived on campus four years ago.

Ware plays football on the Staff Infection team, but he also plays basketball with students. In fact, he was part of last fall’s three vs. three title team and last winter’s five vs. five champion.

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Cal U staff members Walter Czekaj (left) and Robert Prah compete in an intramural dodge ball game inside the Herron Recreation and Fitness Center.

“I love to compete, and intramurals pushes me to work harder,” he said. “It gives me an easy way to build relationships and friendships with students, because we get to laugh and play hard together.”

During the winter months, the intramural program features indoor soccer and five vs. five men’s and women’s basketball. Water polo and water volleyball begin in March; spring sports include softball, outdoor soccer, tennis, roller hockey and dekhockey.

New sports added this academic year were outdoor soccer, three vs. three basketball and Frisbee golf. In all, Cal U offers 16 intramural sports.

Most intramural games are played at Herron Recreation and Fitness Center. Football and softball teams play at Roadman Park, and dekhockey players use the courts adjacent to Hamer Hall. The Frisbee golf

course is on the SAI Farm, on Cal U’s south campus.

Flag football remains the most popular intramural sport, with more than 460 people competing last fall on 32 men’s teams and seven women’s teams.

In all, 1,802 participants, mostly students, competed in at least one intramural sport in 2010-2011, and 792 participated last fall.

As thoughts turn to fitness with the start of the new year, Hasbrouck recommends intramurals as a refreshing alternative to traditional workouts for staff and faculty members.

“Everyone who plays it enjoys it,” he said. “It’s a great way for staff, faculty and students to engage one another and get the competitive juices flowing. It builds all the life skills that Cal U tries to emphasize, too.

“We hope that people give it a try.”

Two Honored at Alumni Basketball Day wo devoted supporters of the Vulcan basketball programs were honored at the 13th annual Cal U Alumni Day basketball celebration Jan. 28.

James Zell ’39 and Dr. Nancy Pinardi ’95, ’96, ’98 were named the basketball alumnus and alumna of the year at the event, held for the first time in the Cal U Convocation Center.

A multisport star who played from 1935-1939, Zell was the basketball team’s leading scorer in his junior and senior year.

He was inducted into the Cal U Athletic Hall of Fame in 1997. Zell is a retired manufacturer’s representative who also owned his own engine parts warehouse business. He coaches in the youth basketball program at St. Peters United Methodist Church in Wellington, Fla. Men’s head basketball coach Bill Brown said Zell has returned to his alma mater almost every winter since the Alumni Basketball Day tradition began in 2000.

“No one epitomizes California’s basketball tradition more than Jim Zell,” Brown said. “He was a model student-athlete more than 70 years ago, and today he remains a loyal and treasured part of our program.”

Pinardi, Cal U’s associate vice president for Student Affairs and executive director of

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Leonardo da Vinci Exhibit Continues eonardo da Vinci: Machines in Motion continues through May 6 in the Convocation Center. The free, handson museum exhibition features 40 full-size replicas of machines crafted from da Vinci’s own technical drawings.

The exhibition is open from noon to 8 p.m. seven days a week in the south conference wing of the Convocation Center. The public may attend and ride the free campus shuttle; visitor parking is available in the Vulcan Garage.

For details and images from the exhibition, visit www.calu.edu .

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Dr. Nancy Pinardi, associate vice president for student affairs and executive director of the Student Association Inc., receives the basketball Alumna of the Year Award from Annie Malkowiak (left), assistant women’s basketball coach; President Angelo Armenti, Jr.; and Jess Strom, interim head women’s basketball coach. James Zell was honored as the alumnus of the year.

the Student Association Inc., was the first president of the women’s basketball team’s FastBreak booster club. She is still an active member.

“Nancy has been a tremendous supporter of our program in so many ways,” said Annie Malkowiak ’94, ’96, assistant women’s basketball coach and the first Alumna of the Year.

In the annual men’s alumni game, the white jerseys out-scored the black jerseys 101-82. Reon Nesmith ’98 was named Most Valuable Player.

The day concluded with the Vulcan women, under interim head coach Jess Strom, defeating Mercyhurst, 76-67. The Vulcan men lost in overtime, 82-78, to the Lakers.

The California Journal is published weekly by California University of Pennsylvania, a member of The Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education.

Dr. Angelo Armenti, Jr. University President

Dr. Charles Mance Vice President for University Technology Services

Sharon Navoney Interim Vice President for Development and Alumni Relations

Geraldine M. Jones Provost/Vice President for Academic Affairs

Robert Thorn Vice President for Administration and Finance

Christine Kindl Editor

Dr. Lenora Angelone Vice President for Student Affairs

Craig Butzine Vice President for Marketing and University Relations

Bruce Wald, Wendy Mackall, Jeff Bender Writers

Office of Communications and Public Relations

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250 University Avenue

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wald@calu.edu