In the News

SCHOOL OF EDUCATION HOSTS ACTING SECRETARY OF

PENNSYLVANIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION. 1 Acting Secretary Eric Hagarty and his team spent a September morning engaging with students on the importance of their profession. He asked what he could take back to Harrisburg and advocate for that would help them be successful now – and when they become fulltime educators. They held a spirited and enthusiastic discussion about state plans for emergency certifications, recruitment, training and support structures, delays caused by the pandemic, and the re-evaluation of standardized testing.

I-HACK’S TRIANGULUM SEES COMPLETION. 2 Thanks to a generous gift provided by Deacon Martin P. Eisert ’85M, ’89M and Kathryn A. Eisert, CPA, a new sculpture rests in the Inspiration Plaza of the Institute for Health and Cyber Knowledge. Named the Triangulum, this original work created from steel, granite and glass was conceptualized and created by local artists Thomas Ferraro and Edward F. Grout who engaged with students, faculty and staff during the design phases. The three faces of the Triangulum are representative of aspects of Gannon, I-HACK and cyber knowledge, continuing Gannon’s trend of building a curated collection of art contributing to the student experience and supporting the values of our liberal core.

REV. MONSIGNOR THOMAS J. MCSWEENEY ’66 MULTIMEDIA SUITES DEDICATED AT GANNON CENTER

FOR COMMUNICATION AND THE ARTS. 3 Students, colleagues and friends gathered in a surprise celebration to honor the founder of Gannon’s Departments of Speech and Drama, Radio and Television, and 90.5 WERG-FM. For his contributions encouraging and transforming young minds, guiding them as they honed skills at the microphone, in the sound booth, on stage or behind the scenes, the Thomas J. McSweeney Multimedia Suites are now so named inside the Center and a scholarship was made in his name.

RUSKIN COMMUNITY RECOVERY AND SERVICE AFTER

HURRICANE IAN. 4 As our Gannon students, faculty and staff returned to the Ruskin, Florida campus after the impacts of Hurricane Ian in October, they not only reunited in support of each other, but immediately launched into service of others. Knights gathered to support efforts delivering an industrial-size generator to Fort Myers that was used to help maintain food supply for evacuees and first responders. The campus community also collaborated with Catholic Charities in the Diocese of Venice directing traffic, distributing food and water and generally supporting affected sites in the area.

STUDENT-CENTERED SPACE ABOVE DOC’S LANDING

GIVEN NEW NAME AND PURPOSE. 5 Gannon’s Activities Programming Board and Student Government Association teamed up to revitalize and repurpose the second-floor space of the Waldron Campus Center above Doc’s Landing. Previously a quiet space for dining or studying – still with views of Friendship Green and Gannon’s iconic sculpture of Jesus the Teacher – is now an entertainment space equipped with intentionally selected TVs and projectors, speakers and new furniture. The final piece? Students voted on social media to make the space their own, giving it the name: The Deck.

TRADITION OF EXCELLENCE CONTINUES WITH NEW

AND REPEAT AWARDS. 6 Gannon was recognized as a 2022 Great College to Work For®. This is the fifth time receiving this designation after achieving an overall score higher than the Carnegie comparison group. Gannon was also ranked as a Top National University by U.S. News and World Report for the fourth consecutive year, with special recognitions for undergraduate nursing and engineering programs, and high marks in social mobility. New to Gannon’s accolades, I-HACK and its architectural firm, The Collaborative, was awarded Honorable Mention for Additions, Renovations and Restorations by AIA Ohio, a society of the American Institute of Architects.

Stay up-to-date with Gannon’s news at

gannon.edu/newsworthy

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Make Yourself at HOME

A look inside South Hall, Gannon’s newest on-campus residence

It was an unseasonably warm Friday in midSeptember when Gannon formally dedicated and blessed its newest on-campus residence, South Hall. 1

This modern residence hall was designed to accommodate the university’s growing population and the evolving needs of our upper-level students to provide a welcoming place to call home for 95 Knights. The intentionality of the facility’s layout and amenities were guided by student input throughout its development and prove that the small details are what make a Gannon residence feel like home. So, what makes South Hall stand out from Gannon’s other residence halls on campus?

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Living the Suite Life

Three floors of this four-story building are dedicated to varying single and multi-student suites with private bathrooms designed to provide practical and convenient on-campus living. Three live-in resident assistants are available to support the residents 24/7. 2

“The kitchen provides students with opportunities to bond, make great food and spend time together. I’ve watched some of my residents make fried chicken in the kitchen while watching NFL together on our top-of-the-line TVs. This is the goal … this is what we want to provide for our residents and for our students: the possibility to form community.”

- Ella Hammer, South Hall Resident Assistant

A Place to Build Community

Modern shared kitchens and common areas on each floor bring students together to create community and shared experiences. Kitchens are equipped with modern appliances and décor resembling those on HGTV. Common areas feature gathering space for groups and individuals whether students are holding a late-night study session or sampling recipes from the home countries of their hall mates.

Functional and Fun Amenities

The amenities and atmosphere in South Hall are a hybrid of practicalmeets-entertaining to meet the needs of this generation of college students. The residence provides conveniences including laundry facilities and private storage areas connected to a lounge on the lower level. On the fourth-floor, students can bring the outside in and catch the morning sunrise with four functional garage doors facing south to overlook Gannon’s I-HACK. 3

Nods to Erie’s aesthetic are found throughout the building, bringing the community to life inside its four walls. 4 Amenities are paired with a tranquil color palette that mirror different phases of the day on each floor – from beach glass tones mimicking daytime vibes on the third floor, to a sunset scheme boasting bold oranges and yellows on the second floor, and more. “Erie has such amazing sun-shows and we wanted to try to give each floor its own personality. The theme is hinted at with artwork, photos, accent walls and colorful furniture pieces,” said Residence Life Director Denise Golden, Ed.D.

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An Aesthetic Art Experience

South Hall features 12 original pieces of artwork by Erie metal artist Evan Everhart. Most unique to the residence hall are the 29 pieces of original photography created by 18 current and former students that were selected from a pool of over 700 submissions. These photographs portray the students’ perception and experience of life on campus and in the Erie community. 4 The artwork throughout this building, and others continues Gannon’s trend of building a curated collection of art contributing to the student experience and supporting the values of our liberal core.

By Mallory Bottoni ’14, assistant director for marketing, communications and content

View more from the South Hall Dedication and Blessing Ceremony and take a look inside the residence hall at

magazine.gannon.edu/ Nov2022

New Floo , New Possibilities ENHANCING THE STUDENT EXPERIENCE

What was just an idea two years ago became a reality on the Ruskin Campus in September when the Academic Building's new third floor was formally dedicated and blessed.

More than 100 Gannon and Ruskin community members gathered 1 to celebrate the completion of this $3.9 million investment, which Sarah Ewing, Ph.D., dean of the Morosky College of Health Professions and Sciences, described as “a continuation of our visionary plan to deliver practical and hands-on learning environments that educate students to become highly skilled professionals who meet the evolving needs of today’s health care industry.” The intentional design of the third floor incorporates student and employee input to deliver an enhanced, holistic experience and provide meaningful community resources. “The hard work of our faculty and staff, and the success of our students has positioned Gannon as a leader in health care education that is recognized for innovation in treatment and delivery of care, but also in developing a strong network of practitioners worldwide who are well-rounded professionals making a difference in the lives of their patients every day,” said Keith Taylor, Ph.D., Gannon president. New opportunities in the floor’s laboratories are transcending this recognition by deepening students’ career readiness to confidently enter the field and immediately create positive impact. These industry-grade facilities include an Anatomy Lab, Rehabilitation Sciences Lab and a Medical Exam Teaching Lab 2 for pediatric and neurorehabilitation. A Patient Simulation Center, equipped with four high-fidelity patient simulators 3 and a multi-patient skills lab, is a highlight of this floor that creates crossdisciplinary learning and resources for the Ruskin community. “This space’s capability to allow me to grow as a student is expansive,” said Teanna Parisio, second-year occupational therapy doctoral student. “Innovative technology to simulate real-life health care situations will not only equip me with the resources to provide care during real-time events but will also facilitate a great learning environment and empower Gannon students with the skills to serve our community.” Integrating spaces on the floor like a 130-seat student gathering space and lecture hall as well as the learning commons 4 with project rooms and quiet study space brings Gannon and Ruskin communities on campus to share professional

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New Possibilities and personal development as well as educational engagements. These spaces also enhance program delivery modalities to pave the way for future programs as the university seeks to expand its offerings beyond the health care sector. There are amenities promoting comprehensive well-being, too. The Interfaith and Meditation Space 5 is an inclusive environment for those of all faith backgrounds for prayer, reflection or meditation. The convenience of on-campus dining is served at knightBITES, a fresh café featuring healthy meal and to-go options to enjoy outside on the patio or in the welcoming gathering area that connects all these spaces together.

ENHANCING THE STUDENT EXPERIENCE View more from the Dedication and Blessing Ceremony and take a look around the new floor at

magazine.gannon.edu/ Nov2022

“The expansion of the third floor has been a beacon of growth for our campus and demonstrates our university’s mission, vision and values, “Innovative technology to simulate real-life health care providing us – the students – with the resources necessary situations will not only equip to learn and prepare me with the resources to us to provide the provide care during real-time best evidenceevents but will also facilitate based care to our a great learning environment community, both and empower Gannon locally and globally,” students with the skills to said Parisio. serve our community.” Gannon looks forward to – Teanna Parisio advancing this positive momentum and significant growth at its Ruskin Campus, which now employs more than 35 faculty and staff, and enrolls nearly 300 students in its eight academic programs. By Mallory Bottoni ’14, assistant director for marketing, communications and content

Exploring Ethics of Biomedical and Health Sciences

The Ruskin Campus’ inaugural Orlando Biomedical Ethics and Catholic Social Teaching Lecture was held in September. SimonMary Asese Aihiokhai, Ph.D., associate professor of systematic theology at the University of Portland, presented “A Case for A Eucharistic Approach to Health Care According to the Social Teachings of the Catholic Church.” He emphasized that a career in health care goes beyond the rituals of the job and focused on themes of community, radical solidarity, healing and history. He cited the ethical responsibility each of us has to others and discussed inequities that can occur if it is not honored.

(L-R) Cindy Orlando and Richard Orlando, M.D. ’76, endowment sponsors, with SimonMary Asese Aihiokhai, Ph.D., and Sarah Ewing, Ph.D.

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