California University
Volume 19, Number 4 mArCH 6, 2017 Read the JouRnal online: www.calu.edu/news/the-journal
Meeting Professionals Honor Senior S
enior Carly Carolla has set her sights on a career in event planning. It looks like she’s well on her way. She’ll soon have a bachelor’s degree in geography, with a concentration in tourism studies. And on March 1 the Pittsburgh Chapter of Meeting Professionals International (MPI) named Carolla its member of the month. MPI is the world’s largest association for the meeting and events industry. Membership provides access to seminars, workshops and online presentations to assist with professional development and business growth. MPI’s board of directors selected Carolla for the monthly recognition, citing her efforts in membership, recruitment and volunteering. She received the award at a networking event in Pittsburgh. “It was super-exciting,” Carolla said. “MPI provides a great opportunity to meet event planners in the Pittsburgh area. It’s all about networking.” Carolla has added two minors to her degree, one in parks and recreation management and another in event planning and management — a new minor introduced this semester. The Ohiopyle, Pa., native transferred to Cal U from Westmoreland County Community College. She had experience working at Nemacolin Woodlands resort, in Fayette County, and she was thinking of a career in hotel management.
Senior Carly Carolla is the Pittsburgh Chapter of Meeting Professionals International member of the month for March.
She credits Dr. Susan Ryan, coordinator for the tourism studies program, for shifting her career focus. A tourism course included a tour of the Convocation Center and an
information session with University Conference Services staff. Intrigued, Carolla went on to serve two internships and fill a student-worker position at the venue.
She’s had hands-on experience with concerts, a televised boxing match and the BotsIQ robotics competition. “The new event planning minor was perfect for me,” she said. “I had never even thought of event planning, but I loved everything about it as soon as I started working (at the Convocation Center).” Ryan attended the MPI event as Carolla’s invited guest. “I feel like a proud parent. It was so nice to see Carly recognized for her great work,” Ryan said. “The Convocation Center is a wonderful resource that complements our new minor. Carly’s involvement with the Convocation Center and MPI has been instrumental to her career development.” The University Conference Services staff is actively involved with MPI. Becky McMillen, executive director, is a past MPI chapter president, and Lindsey Bullis, convention services manager, will begin a term as president in July. Gloria Stone, technical director, is the chapter’s vice president of membership. Conference services graduate assistant Dan Bickerton ’16, who helps to recruit Cal U students, is the chapter director of leadership development. “From a marketing standpoint, MPI has been a great outlet for us,” McMillen said. — Continued on page 3
National Robotics Event Has Steam Theme Artist Joins G Gospel Choir’s Joyfest
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he Rev. Trini Lopez Massie will be the featured performer when Cal U’s Young and Gifted Gospel Choir hosts its annual Joyfest gospel concert. The University of Pittsburgh Gospel Choir and the Bethlehem Baptist Church Youth Choir will join Massie and Cal U’s Rev. Trini Lopez gospel singers Massie onstage at 7 p.m. March 25 in Steele Hall Mainstage Theatre. Massie is the minister of worship at Mount Ararat Baptist Church in — Continued on page 3
ear-driven “airships” from the age of steam set the tone for this year’s Greater Pittsburgh Regional FIRST® Robotics Competition. More than 40 teams from eight states, including Hawaii, will drive their robots across the playing field March 16-18 in the Convocation Center. Nearly 1,000 students are expected to take part in this year’s game, FIRST STEAMWORKS. Robot inspections and practice matches take place March 16. Qualifying matches are held March 17 through the morning of March 18, followed by elimination rounds and the FIRST Robotics finals. The event is open to the public.
The STEAMWORKS game Each year, FIRST Robotics teams face a new challenge designed to test their robots and entertain robotics fans. Each team begins with an identical “kit of parts,” then works with adult mentors to design, build, program and test their robots over a span of six weeks. Students also create mascots and promotional materials to support the team and create excitement at the competition site. This year’s challenge takes its cue from the era of steam-powered technology. In STEAMWORKS, threeteam alliances, called “adventure clubs,”
Teams from eight states will put their robots to the test March 16-18 in the Convocation Center when Cal U hosts the Greater Pittsburgh Regional FIRST® Robotics Competition.
will work together to prepare their “airships” for a long-distance race. Operating autonomously at first, and then under the control of student drivers, the robots will feed fuel (balls) into the airships’ boilers, deliver gears to the airship pilots and, finally, latch onto the airship in time for “takeoff.” Teams receive awards not only for their on-field success, but also for the
design, engineering, business savvy and presentation skills they demonstrate to the FIRST Robotics judges.
Behind the scenes In addition to watching the contest on the STEAMWORKS playing field, spectators can take a look behind the scenes at the “pits,” where competitors — Continued on page 2
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NATA Honors Faculty
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Arts and Athletics Intertwine Cal U seniors (from left) Karlissia Council, Kamara Townes and Aaryn Smith view a large mural on display Feb. 15 at the Black Arts Festival and Multicultural Affairs Night at the Convocation Center. Held in conjunction with the basketball teams’ home doubleheader against PittJohnstown, the festival showcased visual art from the Department of Art and Languages, along with spoken word performances, music, and arts-and-crafts vendors. At half time of each game, members of Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity and Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority treated fans to performances.
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Wild Game Dinner Turns 20
al U’s student chapter of The Wildlife Society will host its 20th annual Outdoor Bash and Wild Game Dinner at 6 p.m. March 25 at the Richeyville Volunteer Fire Department in Richeyville, Pa. Doors open at 5 p.m. In cooperation with the Ruffed Grouse Society and Local No. 1 of the National Wild Turkey Federation, the chapter will offer a variety of game dishes, such as deer, elk, bear, pheasant, rabbit, wild turkey, duck and goose, beaver, fish, and more. Outdoor gear, artwork and more will be raffled off and awarded as door prizes throughout the evening, while guests enjoy a “wild” array of foods. Cost is $20; tickets can be purchased in advance or at the door. This fundraiser allows student members of the Wildlife Society to participate in hands-on workshops and attend conferences, including the National Wildlife Society Conference, where they can network with wildlife biology professionals. To purchase tickets, email club adviser Dr. Carol Bocetti at bocetti@calu.edu, or call
Cal U’s student chapter of The Wildlife Society will host its annual Outdoor Bash and Wild Game Dinner on March 25.
724-938-5967. Email inquiries may also be sent to Cal U Wildlife Society student officers Laken Ganoe at gan5557@calu.edu or Luke Gray at gra0015@calu.edu. The Wildlife Society — a
professional community of scientists, managers, educators, technicians, planners and others who work to study, manage and conserve wildlife and habitats worldwide — is celebrating its 80th anniversary this year.
Steam Theme for Robotics — Continued from page 1 modify and repair their robots and market their teams. Teamswill have access to Coover and Helsel halls, where repair stations are being coordinated by Dr. Joseph Schickel of the Applied Engineering and Technology Department. Cal U is playing host to FIRST’s Greater Pittsburgh Regional competition for the fourth consecutive year. Admissions staff will be on hand to meet with high school students who may be interested in attending Cal U. “Hosting this event is big win for us,” said Becky McMillen, executive director of University Conference Services. “We work
very well with FIRST, and we’re so happy to have all these students on campus, especially with our focus on science and technology.” In addition to Hawaii and Pennsylvania, students will be traveling from Florida, Ohio, Michigan, New Jersey, New York and West Virginia for the contest. Winners of the Greater Pittsburgh Regional will join winning teams from other regional contests at the FIRST Championship, either April 19-22 in Houston, Texas, or April 26-29 in St. Louis, Mo. The FIRST Robotics competition is open and free to the public. Faculty or staff who wish to set up a display at the Convocation Center may contact Becky McMillen, director of Conference Services, at mcmillen_b@calu.edu.
hree Cal U faculty members — Dr. Barry McGlumphy, Dr. Shelly DiCesaro ’94 and Julie Ramsey-Emrhein — have been honored with 2017 awards from the National Athletic Trainers’ Association. Founded in 1950, NATA is the professional membership association for certified athletic trainers and others who support the athletic training profession. McGlumphy, a professor in the Department of Exercise Science and Sport Studies, received the Most Distinguished Athletic Trainer Award. The award recognizes NATA members who have demonstrated exceptional commitment to leadership, volunteer service, advocacy and professional activities. McGlumphy is the coordinator of Cal U’s master’s degree program in exercise science and health promotion, which he developed. He also works every year as an athletic trainer for National Football League teams. He was inducted into the Pennsylvania Athletic Training Hall of Fame in 2013. DiCesaro and Ramsey-Emrhein received the NATA Athletic Training Service Award, which recognizes NATA members for volunteering at the local and state levels. An assistant professor in the Department of Health Science, DiCesaro is the director of Cal U’s graduate athletic training program and the clinical education coordinator for the undergraduate athletic training program. In addition, she is in her sixth year as the licensed athletic trainer for Cal U women’s basketball. Ramsey-Emrhein, a past president of the Pennsylvania Athletic Trainers’ Society and a 2013 PATS Hall of Fame inductee, is an adjunct professor in the Department of Exercise Science and Sport Studies. “All three of our faculty members have distinguished themselves in both their dedication to athletic training education and through their service for the advancement of the profession of athletic training,” said provost Dr. Bruce Barnhart, director of California’s athletic training education program from 1991-2006. “We are fortunate to have them as members of our faculty.” They will receive their awards at NATA’s 68th annual clinical symposium and athletic training expo, set for June 26-29 in Houston, Texas.
Sociologist to Speak
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al U celebrates Women’s History Month with an appearance by award-winning sociologist Dr. Sam Richards, a Penn State senior lecturer who teaches the largest race and ethnic relations course in the United States. Richards’ talk, “I Unlearn,” is set for 10 a.m. March 22 in Morgan Hall auditorium. A question-and-answer session will follow. The free event is open to the public, as well as the campus community. More than 700 students take Richards’ course each semester at Penn State, where he is director of the Race Relations Project and cofounder of the World in Conversation Center. His talk will provide education on engaging in difficult dialogues, especially those related to race. All Women’s Studies activities this spring are sponsored by the Office of the President, the Office of the Provost, the women’s studies program, the Department of Social Work and the Linda and Harry Serene Leadership Institute.
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Chapel to Host ‘Requiem’ Singers
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he University Choir and Cal U Orchestra will perform Dan Forrest’s Requiem for the Living at 7 p.m. March 24 in Old Main Chapel. “It’s really a beautiful piece of music,” said choir director Dr. Yugo Ikach, co-chair of the Department of Music and Theatre. “I thought it would be lovely to do this in the chapel, where the acoustics are very nice. So much of what we do in commercial music technology is amplified pop music, and this is kind of old school.” Requiem for the Living was commissioned by the Hickory Choral Society in North Carolina. Forrest composed it over a period of approximately 10 months in 2012. “A requiem, at its core, is a prayer for rest — traditionally, for the deceased,” Ikach explained. “However, the five movements of Forrest’s work form a narrative just as much for the living, and their own struggles with pain and sorrow, as for the dead.” The California Singers, the string ensemble and other instrumentalists also will perform. Ikach said the piece is appropriate for the Christian season of Lent, traditionally a time of introspection. “None of us is going to be here forever. This puts things in perspective and works well with the liturgical season.” The performance is free and open to the University community and public.
Professionals Honor Senior — Continued from page 1 “Within the events industry, people recognize Cal U as a valid competitor, on the same level as the downtown Pittsburgh venues.” McMillen believes the new event planning minor will further the Convocation Center’s role as a site for practicums and internships. “Our partnership with tourism studies should help our students graduate with valuable experience — a background that’s resume-worthy when they’re looking for jobs.” Carolla hopes her classroom learning and hands-on experience will land her an event planning internship at Walt Disney World. “I am confident that I can be an event planner anywhere,” Carolla said. “Coming to Cal U was one of the best choices I’ve ever made.”
The University Choir and Cal U Orchestra will perform ‘Requiem for the Living’ at 7 p.m. March 24 in Old Main Chapel.
Campus BRIEFS Spring Break Schedule No classes will be held from March 13-18 as Cal U marks spring break for students. Classes resume March 20. All University offices will be open during the break. Residence Halls will close at 8 p.m. Friday, March 11. They re-open at 2 p.m. Sunday, March 19.
Graduate School Holds Open House The School of Graduate Studies and Research will hold an open house event from 6-8 p.m. March 8 in the Kara Alumni House. The graduate school offers both face-to-face classes and master’s degree programs delivered 100% online. At the open house, future students can meet with faculty, staff, students and alumni to learn how a Cal U graduate program can help to enhance a resume or advance your career. Cal U offers more than 95 graduate programs, including more than 60 delivered online. Certificate and licensure
programs also are available in a variety of disciplines. To learn more, call 724-938-4187 or email gradschool@calu.edu.
Meteorology Club Hosts Atmospheric Expert The Cal U Meteorology Club Colloquia Series presents Dr. M. Patrick McCormick, at 11 a.m. March 7 in Eberly Hall, Room 120. McCormick is a professor at Hampton University, in Virginia, and is the principal investigator for NASA’s Stratospheric Aerosol Measurement (SAM) II and the Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment (SAGE) I, II and III. He is co-director of Hampton’s Center for Atmospheric Sciences. He will discuss the SAGE III observation tools recently launched into orbit and destined for the International Space Station, and speak about Hampton University’s Atmospheric Science graduate and summer programs. For more information, contact Alex McAvoy at MCA1962@calu.edu.
Artist joins Joyfest — Continued from page 1
Getting Involved Members of the International Club display their nations’ flags Feb. 14 at the Clubs and Organizations Fair, which was held in the Convocation Center. More than 100 student clubs and organizations participated, and nearly 400 students visited the fair. A part of the First Year Seminar curriculum, the fair is organized in conjunction with the Student Government Association and SAI. It’s held every semester to encourage students to get involved with campus activities.
Pittsburgh, where he is responsible for all music performed in the main sanctuary, as well as the young adult choir and the church’s Praise and Worship Ministry. “The (Cal U) choir is excited to have someone of Trini Massie’s caliber … coming to sing with us,” said Dr. Randy Tillmutt, director of the Young and Gifted Gospel Choir and an assistant professor in the Department of Music and Theatre. “He is known to have a standard of excellence and to pull the best out of singers. He will lead us into worship.” Massie has shared the stage with a variety of nationally recognized musicians, and he has facilitated workshops and ministered in concerts across the United States and in Canada, Europe, Micronesia and the Caribbean. Founded in the 1970s, the Young and Gifted Gospel Choir is open to all Cal U students. Its repertoire includes traditional spirituals and African-American gospel music. At Joyfest, choir members have the opportunity to learn from and perform with a gospel music professional. Massie is a role model for Cal U students to emulate, Tillmutt said. “I believe he epitomizes what a student can become after leaving this fine institution of higher learning.” Admission to Joyfest is free. Tickets are not required, and the public is welcome to attend. Doors open at 6:30 p.m.
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FBI Agents Share Insight with Students
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ere’s a clue: The FBI offers internships that can be pathways to employment. Students with an interest in criminal justice had a chance to learn more about the bureau’s work, and how to get it, at a presentation sponsored by the Criminal Justice Club. About 30 students attended the Feb. 2 talk by FBI special agents Mike Nealon and Tony Rodriguez, of the agency’s Mon Valley satellite office. The agents showed an emotionally charged video about the FBI’s investigative work at the site of the Flight 93 crash on Sept. 11, 2001. They also reviewed the facts of a local healthcare fraud case that intrigued the roomful of students, most of them criminal justice majors. The video, produced by the FBI’s Office of Public Relations, featured interviews with five agents from the bureau’s satellite offices in Charleroi and Johnstown, Pa. All were first responders on 9/11, when Flight 93 was hijacked by four al-Qaeda terrorists. Airline passengers fought back against the hijackers, and the plane crashed in Stonycreek Township, Pa., killing all on board. Students watched the footage of FBI agents and others investigating the crash
“I can not begin to tell you how much time, effort and resources were needed (to collect the evidence),” Rodriguez said, after students listened to a transaction recorded by the FBI. Nealon added, “This case is just a snapshot of the (drug) epidemic that we are fighting in this country. They don’t put that on TV.” Unlike police, FBI agents do not charge individuals; instead, they present evidence to a grand jury and prosecutor. “It’s not what we know, but what we can prove,” Nealon explained. “Often it takes several years to bring someone to justice.” The agent urged students who are interested in the bureau’s work to contact him about internship opportunities. “Internships are an excellent way to get in to a job such as an analyst’s position,” he said. “Once you start, there are many opportunities to work your way up.” Freshman Richelle Santangelo, who is studying criminal justice and chemistry, is interested in forensics. “I find federal work really interesting,” she said. “I think it’s important to learn about all aspects of it, and I enjoyed hearing their experiences with a real case.”
FBI special agent Mike Nealon speaks with Cal U students interested in criminal justice following a presentation with fellow agent Tony Rodriguez on Feb. 2 in Duda Hall.
site while a narrator described their work as transparent. “Nothing happened that was not told to the (American) people. … Passengers on that plane caused the hijackers to abort their mission and crash that plane. “We all need to be vigilant and be the next hero.” The agents also reviewed a recent investigation that resulted in four people,
including a doctor, being charged with unlawfully dispensing or distributing the drugs Suboxone or Xanax through a former methadone clinic. Also included in the 238-count superseding indictment were allegations of Medicaid fraud and falsification of medical records. Three of the four defendants have pleaded guilty to various counts, the agents reported.
Former Coach Enters Hall of Fame Myers said the early years stand out. After a 35-28 record during her first two years, the Vulcans improved to 28-7 overall in 2004 and advanced to the NCAA Division II Atlantic Regional championship game. “I remember … the challenge of making a lot of difficult decisions early on, trying to do what I thought was best n just six years as head coach of for our team and the future of the Cal U women’s volleyball, program,” she said. Melissa Myers built a consistently “There’s always some anxiety when elite program — one that now has made you make changes, but I was grateful for 15 consecutive NCAA Division II postthe administrative support.” season appearances. In 2005 the Vulcans went From 2002-2007, Myers 33-3 overall and capped a 3-0 compiled a 161-49 cumulative PSAC Tournament run by record at Cal U, coaching the rallying from a 2-0 deficit on Vulcans to five NCAA Division the road to defeat two-time II Tournament appearances, defending champion Lock three regional finals, two PSAC Haven University in the finals, championships and one NCAA 3-2. Division II Atlantic Regional Cal U rolled to another Championship. Melissa Myers 30-win season in 2006 and She joins three of her former reached the finals of both the players as a member of the Cal PSAC and NCAA Division II Atlantic U Athletic Regional title contests. Hall of Fame: Dingding Lu ’04, ’06; The 2007 team went 35-4 overall and Katie Barker-Collins ’06; and Joanna achieved the program’s first undefeated Nist-Haupt ’10. “I am honored, shocked and humbled PSAC-West season in 25 years. Along the way, the women enjoyed a school-record by this,” said Myers about her Hall of winning streak, taking 33 matches in a Fame honor. row. “Cal U is a place that provides Cal U won its second PSAC title in excellent resources that help you to be three years and then posted three successful. For me, it was a great consecutive 3-0 victories to win the opportunity to begin my career as a head program’s second NCAA Regional title. coach.” That season ended with a loss to eventual As she reflects on her time at Cal U,
Editor’s Note: Cal U will hold its 22nd annual Athletic Hall of Fame luncheon at 5 p.m. April 22 in the Performance Center, inside the Natali Student Center. For reservations, contact the Office of Alumni Relations at 724-938-4418.
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national champion Concordia (Minn.) University in the national quarterfinals. Myers received PSAC-West and American Volleyball Coaches Association Region Coach of the Year honors in 2004, 2005 and 2007. Today, she is tied with current Cal U volleyball coach Peter Letourneau for the most career wins in school history, at 161. “Those were very good teams,” she said. “The first championship was a turning point. We had some quality players. It was the student-athletes who really turned things around and took us to the next level.” Myers’ players share her fond memories. “I had a great experience at Cal U for all four years I played there, and I loved playing under Melissa,” said Collins, who was a three-time all-region and allconference outside-hitter and MVP of the 2005 PSAC Tournament. “I learned so much from her. She was a great coach who always promoted the team and her players.” Myers earned her bachelor’s degree in human behavior and communications from Juniata College, where she starred in women’s basketball and track and field. She was inducted into Juniata’s sports hall of fame in 2009 as the only two-sport All-American in the college’s history She earned a Cal U master’s degree in exercise science and health promotion, with an emphasis on performance enhancement, while coaching in 2005.
“Cal U recognized early on that online education was the future. That was a really good program and another wonderful opportunity for me,” Myers said. “It made for some long nights that season.” Now a resident of Normal, Ill., Myers is in her 10th season as the head coach of the NCAA Division I women’s volleyball team at Illinois State University. Leaving Cal U was bittersweet, she said. “The administration was tremendously supportive, and I thought I’d coach at Cal forever. It was so difficult (to leave) because we had such a great group of young women who I knew were going to be good for several years — and they certainly were.” In Illinois, Myers guided the Redbirds to a 27-6 record in 2014, winning the program’s first Missouri Valley Conference regular-season and tournament titles since 1997. That season, Illinois State also won its first NCAA Tournament match since 1996. Myers now owns a 168-116 overall record heading into the 2017 season. She credits her time at Cal U for paving the path to her latest coaching success. “Coaching at Division I is so different, but Cal U prepared me well. I was handson with every aspect of the program and learned everything. “It was a great experience.”
The California Journal is published by California University of Pennsylvania, a member of Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education. Geraldine M. Jones University President
Robert Thorn Vice President for Administration and Finance
Christine Kindl Editor
Dr. Bruce Barnhart Provost/Vice President for Academic Affairs
Dr. Nancy Pinardi Vice President for Student Affairs
Bruce Wald, Wendy Mackall Writers
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