THE MAGAZINE OF HARCUM COLLEGE
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THE MAGAZINE OF HARCUM COLLEGE • FALL 2021
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
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HARCUM COMMUNITY NEWS
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CAMPUS EVENTS
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ADVANCEMENT NEWS
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GRANTS & AWARDS
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FACULTY & STAFF NEWS
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ATHLETICS ROUNDUP
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ALUMNI NEWS
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HEALTH BENEFITS For decades, Harcum has prepared thousands of professionals to heal, restore, and preserve health in humans and animals. THE ART & DESIGN CENTER: THE SYNERGY OF COLLABORATION Program Directors in Harcum’s creative majors have enriched the student experience through collaborative projects. BEAR PRIDE: MIHAILO VASIĆ ’16 A basketball program alumnus medals in Tokyo.
THE 21ST ANNUAL KEVIN D. MARLO GOLF & TENNIS CLASSIC, presented by Impact Health and Firstrust Bank, raised a record-setting $87,000. On June 28, at the Llanerch Country Club in Havertown, more than 100 sponsors, alumni, and friends of the college gathered to show their support for scholarships.
This Issue PATCHES STAFF Executive Editor/Writer Gale Martin
health BenefIts Our Legacy in Health Science PAGE 10
Contributors Amy Shumoski Bernadette Walsh Art Direction & Design Lilian Crooks Photography Jackie Pursell A’17 Amy Shumoski K.S.N. Images BOARD OF TRUSTEES Alexander Klein, Chairman Dennis S. Marlo, Vice-Chair Karl A. Thallner, Jr., Vice-Chair Louise A. Strauss, Secretary David M. Jacobson, CPA, Treasurer Jon Jay DeTemple, Ph.D., President Barbara Bosha Denis C. Boyle Joan P. Capuzzi, VMD Samuel P. Cimino, DDS Kevin Dow, MBA Ellen Farber ’12 Kent Griswold, Ph.D., MBA Tracy Johnson ’04 J. Michael McNamara Ben Post, J.D. Theodore A. Rosen
ON THE COVER Second-year Radiologic Technology major Marcell Clark is completing assignments in his lab class.
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PATCHES MAGAZINE is published biannually by the Office of Communications & Marketing at Harcum College in Bryn Mawr, PA. Please send address changes and class notes to the Office of Alumni Relations located at 750 Montgomery Avenue in Bryn Mawr, PA 19010; by email: alumni@harcum.edu; or by calling 610-526-6060. MISSION STATEMENT Harcum College provides its students with an opportunity for outstanding academic, career, and life preparation. We teach, mentor, and prepare students for success in their chosen profession in an experiential environment utilizing a wide variety of modalities and technology. Harcum’s emphasis on its core values of excellence, civility, empowerment, integrity, service, and respect for diversity assure that every member of our community is valued, supported, included, and equal. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited. The comments and opinions expressed in this magazine do not necessarily reflect those of Harcum College. The editorial board reserves the right to edit and select content for Patches that adheres to Harcum College’s commitment to maintaining the high standard of integrity that has always been characteristic of the college. © 2021 HARCUM COLLEGE
From the President THE 2021 EXIT SURVEY completed by 238 graduates revealed some remarkable things about Harcum College. Though most of those surveyed completed the lion’s share of their studies during the worst pandemic in 100 years, they expressed extreme satisfaction in their Harcum education nonetheless. Far and away, the most highly rated area of the College was academics. Fully 93% of graduates agreed or strongly agreed that they received a quality education, and 85% reported that their studies enhanced their ability to get a job. They also expressed generous appreciation for the preparedness and the enthusiasm of the faculty—all reasons why this issue of Patches highlights our academic programs and our faculty. The article “Health Benefits” documents the success of our health science programs, and I credit our faculty for the reputation we now enjoy in preparing Allied Health professionals. Additionally, the program directors and faculty within the Art & Design programs are forging a uniquely collaborative educational experience for our students, which makes their education more relevant and more valuable, abetted by “The Synergy of Collaboration.” I deeply enjoy watching our varsity athletes excel during their time here but continue to be inspired by their success after they have moved on. Case in point—Mihailo Vasić, a 2016 Men’s Basketball alumnus, became the first Harcum graduate to win an Olympic medal (bronze) in a new sport played for the first time at the Tokyo Games, Men’s 3x3 Basketball, featured in “Bear Pride.” Page after page in this issue underscores the value of a Harcum College education, highlights those whose gifts help make opportunities possible for our graduates—the individuals, the corporations, and the foundations— and affirms why we are the “College of Possibilities.” Until next time,
JON JAY DETEMPLE, PH.D., MBA
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Community News
TEACHER AND ARTIST DAVE WALSH completed the restoration of all the 8′ x 20′ panels in Klein Hall this summer, restoring the color, removing stains, and applying varnish. A gallery show to showcase all the restored art will be scheduled once it is safe to gather indoors again.
ROBUST CAREER PLATFORM INCLUDES ALUMNI Career & Transfer Services has launched a new platform called “College Central” for students and alumni. In addition to listing thousands of job opportunities on three local and national job boards, College Central offers résumé building and review services, in-person and virtual career advisor appointments, the ability to create a own portfolio for any field of study, a customizable job agent with daily job notifications, career prep and job search guides, text and email notifications with the latest resources and job alerts, and a free phone app for accessing the platform. Alumni can access the platform through the Career & Transfer Services page at the Harcum website and create an account at the College Central Alumni Login page. Contact Career & Transfer Services at careertransfer@ harcum.edu with questions.
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COLLEGE ADDS TWO TRUSTEES IN 2021 Harcum welcomed two additions to the Board of Trustees, a governing body drawn from the community and from Harcum alumni providing policy direction for the College. Barbara Bosha is the founder and president of Bosha Design+Communication (BD+C), a full-service branding and communication firm based in Drexel Hill, PA. She has more than 30 years of experience providing communication strategy and creative implementation to an eclectic range of organizations, from multinational corporations to local nonprofits. Ben Post, Esquire, is the founding partner of POST & POST LLC, a civil defense law firm devoted to the defense of hospitals, physicians, nurses and other health care providers in medical malpractice and other matters. He has consistently been named as a Pennsylvania Super Lawyer, and
has been selected to the “Top 100 Lawyers” lists for both Philadelphia and Pennsylvania in Philadelphia Magazine.
Harcum Committed to Saving Lives
Because of the Delta variant, COVID-19 cases and deaths rose dramatically over the summer. Harcum therefore instituted a vaccine requirement in September for all students and employees in an effort to stave off needless illness and deaths. The intent of the mandate is to get back to normalcy on the Bryn Mawr Campus, to resume the quality of life everyone enjoyed before the pandemic hit, which can only be realized by limiting the spread of COVID-19. “We hosted a vaccine clinic last spring and this fall. We offered gift cards as incentives, and published vaccine testimonials in our community e-newsletter,” said President Jon Jay DeTemple. “We want everyone to get vaccinated.”
ABOVE: Campus Activities Director Trevor Gullidge checks temperatures at the Health Services’ vaccine clinic in the Trout Library last spring. More clinics are occurring fall semester.
HARCUM WELL REPRESENTED IN PVMA’S DEI COMMITTEE The Pennsylvania Veterinary Medical Association (PVMA) formed a new committee assessing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion within their ranks, and four of the nine members are Harcum alumni: Kathy Koar ’99, Program Director; Flee Powers ’15; Jasmyne James ’17 (currently applying to veterinary school); and Danny Vasquez-Mondragon ’17. Koar said she is pleased that the committee features diverse graduates, adding, “That sends a powerful message about the need to culturally and ethnically diversify the profession.” HARCUM@READING REOPENS IN GRAND STYLE Officials and site staff from I-LEAD joined President Jon Jay DeTemple and two Reading students with success stories to cut a red ribbon, reopening the Reading Partnership Site, post-pandemic. Site Coordinator Hector Torres took guests through the new building featuring modern classrooms and a new computer lab. The event celebrated the Harcum degrees offered at the site and the HiSET program, which gives adults and young adult students the chance to obtain their GED. Customers Bank also awarded a check for $5,000 to I-LEAD in support of the Reading site. The Upland Center is an ideal location for adult and evening students offering plenty of parking and corporate-style amenities on the campus of Alvernia University.
REMEMBERING KEVIN D. MARLO The Washington, D.C. news team for the U.K.’s Channel 4 interviewed trustee Dennis Marlo on September 9, for their special coverage of the 20th anniversary of the World Trade Center attacks, which took the life of his son Kevin D. Marlo, for whom the Little Theatre and the Golf & Tennis Classic are named. The news segment is available at channel4.com/news.
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Campus Events PTA PINNING: CELEBRATION AND REMEMBRANCE Twenty-seven graduates of the Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA) program received their coveted pins on Wednesday, June 30, during a ceremony in Klein Dining Hall attended by PTA faculty, Harcum administrators, graduates, and their family members. The event struck the perfect balance between a celebratory and commemorative tone. Program Director Jacki Kopack told the assembled students and guests that this class persevered through the pandemic, facing “hardships, trials, and pervasive sorrow” compounded by the untimely passing of classmate Devin Gold. Christine Sturgis ’10 gave the keynote address. She told graduates her Harcum education helped her open her own The PTA PINNING CEREMONY on June 30, 2021, studio called MovementRx, which challenged her to help was one of the first events to be held on the Bryn Mawr people exercise more safely. Seven graduates were recognized Campus since the very earliest days of the pandemic. for special awards.To conclude, all graduates in attendance received their coveted pins from a family member, friend, or faculty member before observing a moment of silence and reflection for their fallen classmate.
Nursing faculty member DOLORES ALABRODZINSKI leads graduates in a special oath to the profession, a traditional pinning ceremony element.
INTIMATE CEREMONY FOR NURSING GRADS The Nursing Department hosted their annual event for graduates on Saturday, May 1, 2021. Their event symbolized the nursing students’ hard work and dedication towards completing their coursework and clinicals and is a formal event to mark the transition for student to nurse. Due to COVID-19 protocols, the event was held outdoors and was by invitation only.
PARTNERSHIP SITES HOLD CEREMONIES Several of the Partnership Sites organized events for 2021 graduates at their sites, including Grace Trinity Church in Philadelphia and the Coatesville Partnership Site. These celebrations offered some respite from the remote learning and rapid transition to online learning in order to limit the spread of COVID-19. “It seemed to be very meaningful for them to reconnect in person one last time as a group,” said Bill Shaw, director of the Coatesville site, who was impressed with the plans graduates detailed for their next steps academically and in the workforce.
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2021 DRIVE-THROUGH COMMENCEMENT A HARCUM FIRST More than 175 graduates of Harcum College piled into their cars, many with family members accompanying them, to drive through the back lot of the Bryn Mawr Campus to receive their diplomas. The Hybrid Drive-Thru Commencement began at 9 a.m. with the Dental programs and continued through 4 p.m. with Human Services. It was the first such event in the College’s history and was conceived as a way to offer 2021 graduates elements of an in-person ceremony while still observing CDC protocols to limit the spread of COVID-19. A small stage was erected in the backyard of the President’s House on campus. Graduates crossed a small stage to receive their actual diplomas from President Jon Jay DeTemple, and had a professional photograph taken. This year’s student winners were as follows: La’Vinia Pitts, Criminal Justice major, winner of the Harcum Award; Raelynn Forencsik, Interior Design Major, winner of the Student Leadership Award; and Matias Bentancour, Veterinary Nursing major, winner of the highly coveted President’s Award. More than 330 graduates met the degree requirements for either an Associate of Arts or an Associate of Science. A video featuring commencement customs and a website photo gallery were also created for graduates. This year marked the first class for Photography and Graphic Design graduates since the majors were acquired from the Antonelli Institute in 2018.
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Advancement News
LEFT TO RIGHT: PTA grads placed long-stemmed roses in front of a photo of Devin Gold that will be displayed in the PTA lab; the Gold Family received an honorary diploma at the June 30 PTA pinning in memory of their daughter.
From Heartache to Helping Others
The family of Devin M. Gold unexpectedly lost their beloved daughter and sister in Fall of 2020. At the time of her passing, Devin was only 27 and a few classes away from graduating from the Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA) program. Before coming to Harcum, she had been a basketball standout at Council Rock South High School and a Caldwell College (New Jersey) graduate, earning a B.S. degree in pyschology. Continuing her education and fostering her passion for helping others led Devin Gold to enroll in the PTA program in 2019. Her teachers and classmates remembered her as hard-working and consistently kind and supportive of her peers. “Devin was incredibly dedicated to the program,” her sister Kristen said, “and we were all so proud of her focused commitment.” During a June 30 pinning ceremony attended by the Gold family, tinged with the memory of a precious life cut short, President Jon Jay DeTemple said, “Usually at a pinning ceremony, I comment how it takes a whole family for our students to reach this milestone. Today, we have the family, but we don’t have Devin.” In the face of a tragic loss, the Gold Family did a remarkable thing. They endowed a scholarship in memory of Devin to provide assistance to qualifying students who wish to major in the Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA) program; to retain and prepare students for PTA professions; and to graduate students with the skills to succeed in their careers. To contribute to this or any existing scholarship or to establish a new one, contact Brooke H. Walker, Vice President of Institutional Advancement, bwalker@harcum.edu, 610-526-6005. GIFTS TO THE FARBER CHALLENGE: OPPORTUNITY DOUBLED “Everybody needs a chance,” said Edith Armstrong Toor, Class of 1950. “Give people an opportunity, and brightness and positivity is the result. If I can give that chance, if I can help someone, I will.” Moved to give to the matching challenge established by the Farber Family Foundation in 2020, Mrs. Toor firmly believes that a great many young people need and deserve more money for college. She feels strongly that giving to education is one of the most important charitable causes. One of the most appealing aspects of the Farber Challenge is that 100 percent of gifts go directly to increase student scholarships, one of the reasons the campaign met 85 percent of its goal within six months of launching the campaign. Edith Armstrong Toor ’50 is giving to the Farber Challenge because the impact of her gift and her ability to provide more scholarship aid for Harcum students is doubled during this campaign. Help Harcum College meet the Farber Challenge by making a gift at www.Harcum.edu/Giving.
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Edith Armstrong Toor ’50, a contributor to the Farber Matching Challenge, believes in the value of an education.
Grants & Awards New Grants Address Student and Community Needs
Recently, Harcum received several grants to support Harcum students pursuing associate’s degrees in numerous professions, and in turn, impacting the communities they will serve: A gift from THE W.W. SMITH CHARITABLE TRUST will expand the number of Harcum’s “Smith Scholars,” students with academic Kathleen Devaney is a first-year OTA major and a “Smith promise from the five-county Philadelphia Scholar,” who said she chose Harcum because of its comregion and City of Camden. Since 2017, the petitive OTA program. The scholarship will help her afford Trust has helped 20 Harcum students to books, gas for the commute, and she’ll not have to worry as pursue their degrees. much about tuition. For the second consecutive year, THE HUSTON FOUNDATION awarded scholarship funding for Chester County students with a preference for Coatesville Partnership Site students. New support from the Early Childhood Education (ECE) Professional Development Organization at PUBLIC HEALTH MANAGEMENT CORPORATION will help impact the degree completion rate while supporting ECE majors. Led by Harcum’s ECE program, the project builds on momentum gained from prior assistance. The new grant provides for mentors, summer course scholarships, a new course on infection control, a speakers series, and memberships in the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), which accredits Early Childhood Education Program Director Harcum’s program. Joanne Ricevuto and Assistant Program Director Youth courts help keep individuals who have committed Christine Carlson teach and mentor all the relatively minor offenses out of the court system. With ECE students at Bryn Mawr Campus and the funding from THE FOUNDATION FOR DELAWARE Partnership Sites. COUNTY, Director of Youth Courts Gregg Volz, will guide a project to change the school to prison pipeline. With a focus on Delaware County, the goals are to deliver training to schools, design a juvenile justice youth court, and begin to create a Youth Court Resource Center.
Harcum@Coatesville observed an intimate celebration for their 2021 graduates on May 4 at Graystone Manor.
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health
benefits
Ebonynessa Prince ’20, Nursing
Elainie Demeter ’22, OTA
Lauren Fura ’16, Dental Hygiene
Breone Alcox-McIntosh ’17, Vet. Nursing
a Benefits to Consumers
Our Legacy in Health Science
S
cience has transformed our world. Because of advances in health science, human beings live nearly twice as long as our ancestors did some 100 years ago when life expectancy in the United States barely notched 50 years for men and women. Popular news outlets have reported that recent advancements in medical technology may routinely propel the human lifespan past 100 years. While variables such as living-wage jobs, a secure family life, a well balanced diet, affordable housing, and safe neighborhoods can and do improve one’s quality of life, none of those things can replace one’s physical and mental health. “It is health that is the real wealth, and not pieces of gold and silver,” Mahatma Gandhi famously said. Good health benefits us all. Clearly, Harcum has invested in the critical connection between science and health, preparing thousands of professionals to heal, restore, and preserve good health in humans and animals. Currently, Harcum offers 14 majors in the health sciences (what colleges and universities refer to as the Allied Health fields) and a number of related certificate programs representing a broad range of occupations and specializations. Some programs such as Dental Hygiene and Veterinary Nursing have been offered for decades at the Bryn Mawr Campus. Regardless of the program, with each graduating class, Harcum infuses the health care industry in the Philadelphia region and beyond with a diverse range of accomplished, industry-licensed, and compassionate personnel.
While accessibility is critical, quality care is likewise invaluable to health care consumers. The Allied Health programs have extremely high licensing exam pass rates, each one nearing or surpassing 90% year in and year out.
Allied Health Program Pass Rates 100% Dental Assisting with EFDA 100% Dental Hygiene 87% Medical Laboratory Technology 100% Nursing 91% Occupational Therapy Assisting 89% Phlebotomy 100% Physical Therapist Assistant (Day) 100% Physical Therapist Assistant (Evening) 80% Radiologic Technology 96% Veterinary Nursing *Data from most-recent year available
Why are the health science programs so successful? Harcum’s President Jon Jay DeTemple credits the faculty first and foremost. “They are very well-qualified, they want to do good and serve, and they are motivated to turn out the best practitioners in their fields.” Dr. Philip Giarraputo, supervising dentist at the Dental Clinic, received the 2021 Philip Klein Faculty Award for excellence in teaching. His nominator Jillian Lydon, a 2015 graduate of the Dental Hygiene program and present-day colleague, nominated Giarraputo because he demonstrates his dedication and commitment to Harcum College daily through his teaching and superior patient care. The University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences
The Dental Expo sells out annually because of the continuing education credits it offers, so graduates from the dental programs can retain their licensures.
selected Jim Foster, OTA Program Director, for their Force for Good award recipient for creating an innovative telehealth fieldwork program to provide community consumers with an alternative when their day programs were shut down. He was also invited to speak at their 2020 Commencement. Kathy Koar, Veterinary Nursing Program Director, was named Pennsylvania Veterinary Medical Association’s (PVMA) Certified Veterinary Technician of the Year last fall. The Executive Director of the PVMA Jennifer A. Keeler said, “I can think of no one more deserving of this award in 2020.” These are but three individual accolades our allied health sciences faculty earned in the 2020–21 academic year, all of which underscore that a quality faculty is integral to academic success.
Today’s Veterinary Nursing program began in 1973 as "Animal Technology." In 1982, the name was changed to "Animal Health Technician." In 1990, the name was changed to "Veterinary Technology" with a name change in 2019 to "Veterinary Nursing" as part of a national initiative. The credential used by all licensed program grads like Lori Mansell ’13 is still Certified Veterinary Technician (CVT).
a Benefits to Employers
There is an expectation in the Greater Philadelphia region that colleges should be preparing competent, caring, licensed health care professionals with credentials from accredited programs. Harcum’s outcomes relative to passand employment rates objectively support that the College is meeting that expectation. Consumer testimonials and word of mouth point to a subjective level of success. Recently, a woman who needed blood drawn went out of her way to let the College know about a Harcum Phlebotomy student who helped her at Main Line Health in Newtown Square. Diane Riscavage said the student’s
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There are not enough professionals in the OTA and PTA areas either,” DeTemple said. Beginning this fall, Harcum will offer a new degree in Behavioral Health Science (BHS), which equips students of any age to care for individuals with autism, traumatic brain injury, mental health issues, and/or substance abuse problems. Newly appointed program director Mike Fratangelo said the potential consumers to be served by those holding a BHS is large and growing. “We will need more people who are trained in the helping professions as behavioral health specialists.” Mike Fratangelo, who joined Harcum in 2021 as the Program Director for the new Behavioral Health Science major, would love to see the program flourish and believes the accessibility of telehealth services can meet a critical need for care. demeanor was calming and reassuring, adding, “She took such He is particularly excited about offering the program care to not cause any more pain than necessary. Other than to Partnership Site students who can earn a Harcum the needle prick, not a mark left on me! She said she has degree right in their communities. “We’re providing an one more month before finishing the program at Harcum. education to learners who really want to be there but As someone who has never been a fan of getting blood never had an opportunity.” taken, I felt at ease.” Harcum constantly studies needs within the health Healthgrades, a Denver-based health care data comcare industry, developing programs where deficits pany, released a list of the top 100 U.S. cities “getting become apparent. “We step up,” DeTemple said. “We health care right,” and, in 2019, Philadelphia cracked the operate quickly.” top 10 in terms of access, quality of care, and patient satOne of those programmatic pivots happened in Spring isfaction. Offering superior access Semester of 2020, when the College demands having enough personnel. In August of 2021, the Philadelphia The Medical Laboratory Inquirer reported on a tight labor Technician Program market for nurses. The health-care directed by Donna research firm Advisory Board also Broderick (right), and identified nursing recruitment as a pictured with student “major pain point” in the last few Xelanys Morales, received months, which is one reason why a 10-year accreditation Harcum is introducing an Evening from NAACLS, the highest Nursing program. Admissions award. began outreach to prospects in July, and pending approval from the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN), the College will start its first cohort in January of 2022. “Harcum is helping to address the health care needs in our communities, especially where there are shortages.
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began offering a certificate program in Registered Behavior Technician (RBT), which has the potential to be a feeder program for the degree in Behavioral Health Science. As of August 21, all RBT summer students were registered for the national exam, an exciting development since RBTs offer therapeutic interventions that can make a real difference, especially in the lives of autistic children and those with alcohol or drug dependency. In addition to the RBT, Harcum introduced new specialty certifications in MRI and CT-Scan for Radiologic Technology graduates. “We constantly look at health care needs and where our programs can meet those needs,” DeTemple said, citing new course work for Expanded Function Dental Assisting students to help them pass a certification exam and changing the curriculum in Dental Hygiene to allow hygienists to give shots.
a Benefits to Graduates
“Eds and Meds” is the buzzword that’s come to define Philadelphia because of the universities and hospitals driving the region’s economy. The first public hospital in the United States was co-founded by Benjamin Franklin in Philadelphia in 1751. The Philadelphia health care market is just as emblematic today—one reason why Harcum allied health graduates are in demand. One hundred percent of Radiologic Technology graduates were employed in the field within a year of graduation.
There is something noble about those who desire to help people when they most need help.
According to 2020 data supplied by the Bureau of Labor & Industry and CAPTE, the median annual salary for PTAs is $59,440.
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Nursing laboratory classes always include simulated patient care exercises.
Fully 94 percent of 2020 Nursing graduates had full-time jobs within 8–12 months of obtaining their licensure. The Histotechnician and MLT programs both have a three-year job placement rate of 100 percent.
a Growing demand
Even more demand is expected to fill positions in the health sciences because of the aging of 71.6 million Baby Boomers (Americans ages 55 to 73). In addition to the current nursing shortage, according to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics, the demand for PTAs is expected to mushroom by 40% through 2024. They also predicted the need for OTAs will grow 31% through 2028. Employment opportunities for veterinary nurses and technicians is projected to grow 16 percent from 2019 to 2029, much faster than the average for all occupations.
a Competitive pay & less college expense
Nursing salaries in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware are some of the highest in the country according to May 2019 National Occupational Employment and Wages Estimates. The earning power of nurses working in Philadelphia trails only New York and D.C. Dental hygienists, radiologic technologists, OTAs, and PTAs all command attractive starting salaries without incurring the expense or debt of a four-year degree. Also, any graduate whose associate’s degree yields fulltime employment is entering the workforce years sooner than those seeking four-year degrees.
a Career flexibility
Philip Giarraputo, D.D.S., has been the supervising dentist at Harcum for 13 years and helps treat school age children during Sealant Day, an annual community service outreach program.
Harcum’s allied health degrees can serve the front lines at a medical facility working directly with patients or prepare students for a vital role such as Medical Laboratory Technologist or Histotechnician whose work supports those on the front lines but doesn’t require patient care. Numerous programs prepare graduates to work in a range of settings. An A.S. in Veterinary Nursing is one of the most flexible degrees and typical employment settings for graduates include clinics, research facilities, zoos/wildlife sanctuaries, husbandry and raising livestock, teaching, and animal shelters.
a Inherently rewarding
There is something noble about those who desire to help people when they most need help. Elainie Demeter is a second-year student in the Occupational Therapist Assistant program, who came to Harcum with an undergraduate degree in education studies. She thinks Harcum has done a great job developing their OTA program and loves the fact that she can work with any age range. She believes that OTA is the ideal field to make a real difference in people’s lives because she can treat the entire person, not just the diagnosis. “I want to inspire my patients to not give up and encourage them to be the best versions of themselves,” she said.
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Art & Design THE
PROGRAMS
& THE SYNERGY OF COLLABORATION Collaboration is often viewed as an ideal
within the halls of academia. In practice, it can be a lot harder to pull off. At Harcum,
several faculty members and the programs they lead saw an opportunity to grow
together when new creative majors, Graphic
Design and Photography, joined the Fashion and Interior Design programs in 2018.
What evolved was a model of collaboration and a hallmark of a vital academic
community—all to enrich the student experience at Harcum.
FASHION & PHOTO PROGRAMS
During the 2020–21 academic year, the Photography and Fashion Programs combined to offer an intensive, collabo-
rative project on site.
Photography Program Director Drew Simcox and Fashion Adjunct Faculty Member Angela Edmunds organized the
lesson together to allow Fashion students to learn more about what fashion photography demands while Photography students experienced the needs and expectations of Fashion students, who also doubled as models.
The shoot began with makeup and fittings in the morning. Once they were ready to shoot, the student photographers
and models marshalled every vantage point the center offered to artful conclusions. When they wrapped up around four hours later, their work successfully showcased all the Center’s most photogenic features (and students).
One major takeaway for the participants from the day? Each program area relies on the strength of the skill set of the
other—out in the real world, too. Designers benefit from insider knowhow to showcase their collections via photographs to stunning effect, and photographers need to learn the fashion industry’s conventions and expectations for shooting haute couture.
THE ART & DESIGN EXPERIENCE Prospective students had two in-depth opportunities to experience the programs and quality of instruction of the Art & Design majors during the Art & Design Experience. The program directors worked with the Admissions and
Communications & Marketing departments to plan and promote the first event onsite in the fall of 2019. Those efforts
attracted 27 high school age students who engaged in 53 workshops in two majors of their choosing to complete a range
of take-home projects: mood boards in Interior Design, greeting cards in Graphic Design, marbled scarves in Fashion, commercial photography, and Sumi ink paintings.
While the pandemic lockdown put the spring 2020 Art & Design Experience on hold, a virtual event was offered the
following year. All registrants received a carefully curated kit with all the necessary supplies to complete one project. Each Program Director led participants through a hands-on workshop via Zoom on April 8, 2021, and 18 individuals took part.
THE ZOMBIE TAKEOVER
One of most striking collaborations occurred in October of 2019 and was dubbed “The Zombie Takeover.” All
the programs helped pull off a very scary photo shoot. Fashion provided the costumes. Graphic designers
created some horrifying makeup looks. Interior Design
students did the set dressing, and photography students got invaluable shooting experience with lights, lenses, and eerie special effects in the Center’s green room.
After a year of remote learning, almost exclusively, all
the art & design programs anticipate developing more
collaborative projects to edify and energize students, if
and when the threats posed by intense personal interaction from COVID-19 fade away.
Faculty & Staff News VALERIE ARONOV-SCHWARTZ, Director of Health Services, was presented the 2021 Employee of the Year Award for her COVID-19 mitigation and pandemic management efforts. She organized two on-campus vaccine clinics. She researched the latest developments of the virus and interfaced with local health officials, tracked all of Harcum’s COVID-19 cases, coordinated quarantine arrangements, and arranged meal deliveries for resident students—all of which helped contain the spread of the virus on the Bryn Mawr campus.
DR. PHILIP GIARRAPUTO, Supervising Dentist, received the 2021 Philip Klein Faculty Award for Excellence in Teaching. He has served in that capacity since 2006, and was nominated for his focus on providing dental students with outstanding clinical and educational experiences that enable them to reach their highest potential. He was instrumental in the development of dental anesthesia courses and has crafted home-made elaborate models used for local anesthesia demonstrations.
and 20 years of nursing experience. She holds a Doctorate of Nursing Practice from LaSalle University, a Master’s in Health Administration and Education from Saint Joseph University, a Bachelor’s of Nursing Science from Temple University, and is also a registered nurse.
TAMARA ANDERSON, adjunct instructor, co-authored an article for the an journal of critical education policy studies at Swarthmore College. “The Erasure of Black Women” examines the intersection of patriarchy and white supremacy via scholarship, visual art, and poetry.
GALE MARTIN, Communications & Marketing, had a creative essay “The Year of Cortisol” published in the American Writers Review, a literary journal, in the “Turmoil and Recovery” issue, relating to the pandemic.
HUNT BARTINE, Associate VP Human Resources/ CHRO, was elected to a three-year term as Board of Trustee member for PAISBOA’s Health Benefit Trust, which oversees the self-funded medical plans covering over 100 secondary and post secondary schools in Eastern Pennsylvania. SUSAN DOEBLING, an adjunct faculty member and Harcum alumna, retired at the end of the 2021 academic year. She was a member of the first Dental Hygiene graduating class at Harcum College, the class of 1992. In 2012, she was awarded Harcum Outstanding Alumna honor from the Office of Institutional Advancement. DR. TANYA JOHNSON-COLEMAN was named the new Nursing Program Director. She has considerable experience teaching nursing at the university level
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JACKI KOPACK, PTA Program Director, was selected for a virtual poster presentation at APTA CSM called The Impact of COVID-19 on Physical Therapist Assistant “Educational Programs: A National Survey.”
NIASHIA MAZA was appointed Criminal Justice Program Director for both the Bryn Mawr Campus and Partnership Sites Criminal Justice programs. She holds an M.S. in Criminal Justice from Walden University, a B.S. in Criminal Justice from Temple University, and a post bachelor of science in Paralegal Studies from Peirce College. DR. JOANNE RICEVUTO, Assistant Vice President for Instructional Success, published two articles: one in Faculty Focus called “Assessments in a Virtual Environment: You Won’t Need that Lockdown Browser!” and the other by the Informing Science Institute containing researchfrom Harcum faculty about virtual instruction support. FRAN SCHUDA retired in 2021 as Nursing Program Director. She received the Lindback Award for Distinguished Teaching in 2020 for outstanding program outcomes.
Athletics Roundup
HARCUM MEN’S SOCCER RANKED 4TH Following a Cinderella season and a final four appearance in the NJCAA National Championships last June, the D-I Men’s Soccer Team was ranked 4th nationally early in the 2021–22 season, a singular distinction for a young program. The Bears finished last season 13–1, notching their first win of the new season by downing Mercer County Community College 3–2 on August 31. “It is good to be recognized,” said Men’s Soccer Head Coach David Hughes. “We put a lot of work into getting to the national stage last season. The season is just starting, but we’re happy to be ranked up inside the top four. It gives us confidence.”
Season Roundups
For the first-time ever four Harcum varsity sports competed during Spring Semester 2021 due to NJCAA COVID-19 restrictions, with both soccer teams joining Men’s and Women’s Basketball for abbreviated seasons. THREE PLAYERS NAMED ALL-REGION Women’s Soccer finished a brief spring season with a .500 record of 4–4, with heart, determination and perseverance during the pandemic. They advanced through the Region 19 championship game to the District Championship against Monroe. Three student-athletes were named First Team All-Region: Freshman Peta-Gay Dixon from Freeman’s Hall, Jamaica; sophomore Natasha Dudley from Kingston, Jamaica; and Kaeleigh Serianni, sophomore, Glenside, Pennsylvania. MEN’S TEAM EMERGES AS EAST REGION CHAMPS The Men’s Basketball team finished 17–1 on the season, and were named East Region Champions. Sophomore guard Yazid Powell, 6’4” from Philadelphia, received an honorable mention for the NJCAA DI Men’s Basketball All-America Team.
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL STANDOUT EARNS ALL-REGION HONORS The Women’s Basketball team finished 6–9 on the season. A highlight of the season was beating three nationally ranked teams in a row. Sophomore guard Courtney Turner from Woodside, Delaware, was named First Team All Region 19.
BEARS FROM AROUND THE WORLD: Did you know that the athletes representing Harcum during the 2020–21 season hailed from numerous other countries besides the U.S.? Brazil Canada Colombia Dominican Republic England Ghana Haiti
Nigeria Senegal South Sudan Spain Uruguay
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Alumni News What You’re Saying DOSSIE CAVALLUCCI posted an update.
Classmates from the Dental Assisting program, Class of 1980, met on campus for a minireunion. Left to right are Elyse Miller Frantz, Debbie Wilkinson Middendorf, MaryJo Phillips Scholes, Tina Newton Boylan, Dossie Cavallucci.
MARGARET CROWN-WEIL posted an update.
A reunion for a few of us from Harcum 1986. It’s like it was yesterday. ♥
@ Brianna Riley Culbreath
ROCHELLE GRIFFIN CULBREATH via Facebook So proud of my daughter who is doing exceptional things! She is on her way to Harcum College! #ProudMom
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ASHLEY GIRADI is with AMBER KEALEY via Facebook Congratulations to one of my best friends today she graduated from Harcum College for occupational therapist assistant. It definitely wasn’t an easy road but with all the studying and sweat and tears and countless phone calls with frustration you did it. I never had a doubt in my mind you couldn’t. Also all while trying to help plan my wedding with me. Kathleen Sophie, Tommy, and I are so proud of you and can’t wait to see what the future holds for you. We love you
In Memoriam CORDELIA TUCKER RAMSAUR
Class of 1942 ELIZABETH WILLIAMS MCDONALD ANDERSON
Class of 1947 KATHERINE G. O’DONNELL
Class of 1965 MARILYN HERBERT BUTLER
Class of 1976 AUDREY A. HILTON LANGHORNE
Class of 1986 CONSTANCE PAPARARO DUNGAN
Class of 1992
Marvin Levitties: Fashion Programs Founder; Devoted Trustee
GODCHILD SHARES TREASURED PHOTOS FROM ALUMNA’S 1922 YEARBOOK Harcum College was in its infancy in 1922 when Phyllis Hollinrake was elected Class President of the Harcum School, then a boarding and day school for girls, offering college preparatory, general academic, music, and art courses. Originally from Toronto, Hollinrake came to Harcum from another preparatory institution for school-age girls in Toronto called Branksome Hall. Because of Edith Harcum’s training and career as a concert pianist, the reputation of the Harcum School far exceeded the Main Line. This past August, Phyllis Hollinrake’s godchild Lili sent the College treasured images of her godmother from Harcum’s yearbook Purple Patches, the namesake of today’s college magazine.
Marvin Levitties, a long-serving and beloved trustee and the founding director of the Fashion Programs at Harcum College, passed away on May 17 at age 97. He was a legendary figure in the annals of Harcum College history. He served Harcum in many different capacities over the years including professor, program director, trustee, and chairman of the board of trustees, and was very highly regarded by alumni of the Fashion Merchandising and Design programs he taught, many of whom have launched highly successful careers in those fields. He also created the College’s first Travel & Tourism program. He was also instrumental in bringing medical programs to Harcum and established the Jean S. Levitties Scholarship at Harcum, in memory of his late wife.
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Bear Pride
Alum Wins Olympic Medal
T
he Harcum Men’s Basketball program has notched another first. Besides being nationally ranked in the NJCAA, appearing at the D-I National Championships, and making it to the Final Four, our winningest athletic program now boasts an Olympic medalist. Playing for Serbia, Mihailo Vasić ’16 and five teammates racked up seven consecutive wins in pool play beginning July 24, falling to the Russian Olympic Committee in the semi-final round. Hours later, the 28-year-old former Harcum Bear scored the game-ending basket to drop Belgium, 21-10, to secure the bronze. “Mihailo has had terrific success playing on the 3x3 professional circuit and now in the Olympics,” said Drew Kelly, Athletics Director and Head Coach of Men’s Basketball. “Vaske,” as he is nicknamed on Facebook, first caught Harcum recruiters’ attention while playing at Lee Academy in Maine, ranking as the fifth-leading prep basketball player from the Class of 2014 in the entire Pine Tree State. At Harcum, he was an “excellent” student, according to Tracie Kennedy, Director of the General Studies program. “Earned a B+ or better in almost all of his classes. Polite, respectful, a little shy, as I remember.” Science professor Dr. Alexandra Hilosky remembers Vasić fondly. “I remember him as a hardworking and bright student. I am not a bit surprised that he is an olympic winner,” she said. After graduating from Harcum, he played for the University of New Haven, graduating with a degree in psychology in 2018. According the the Tokyo Olympics website, he began playing 3x3 in 2016. He joined the
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Liman 3x3 club team in 2017, and was named the MVP of the final tournament of the Serbian national 3x3 championships in 2018. The Tokyo Olympics marked the first-ever contests in 3x3 basketball played in the history of the games. It is gaining popularity in the United States as well as in Europe. Because it is played on half of a normal basketball court, it is ideal in urban environments. The shot clock is only 12 seconds, far less than the 30 seconds in college basketball. It’s an extremely fast game that hardly stops, not even after fouls or made baskets. The first team to reach 21 points or whoever is leading after 10 minutes wins. To be great at 3x3, players must have mastered a range of basketball skills, which is why Vasić excels at the game. The 6’6” forward can do it all—dribble, shoot, rebound, and defend. “It was an honor to play and represent my country at the world’s biggest sporting event,” Vasić wrote to his Facebook fans. “Thanks everyone for support and kind words.” “The first Harcum alum to win an Olympic medal,” Kelly said.“That’s quite an impressive accomplishment.” To echo the sentiment of another Facebook fan, “Čestitamo (congratulations), Mihailo. The next one is in Paris.” Follow Vasić and the Liman 3x3 club at www. facebook.com/liman3x3 or on Instagram @liman3x3.
MURALS MOSAIC 2020–2021
As a companion project to the restoration of the historic murals, the College asked the Harcum community to create some art in response to the events, trends, and influencers today, using 10 x 10 inch canvas squares. Here are some of the submissions received for the Murals Mosaic Project. To view all the submissions online, visit www.harcum.edu/mosaic
NONPROFIT ORG US POSTAGE
750 Montgomery Avenue
PAID
Bryn Mawr, PA 19010
PHILADELPHIA, PA PERMIT NO 138
www.harcum.edu
PRIORITY MAIL US POSTAGE
PAID
PHILADELPHIA, PA PERMIT NO 138
PRESORTED BOUND PRINTED MATTER US POSTAGE PAID PHILADELPHIA, PA PERMIT NO 138
SHOW YOUR BEAR PRIDE. GIVE TO THE HARCUM FUND. Double your impact with your gift today. The Farber Family Foundation will match new and increased gifts. $0
$50,000
$100,000
$90,000 raised O U T O F $ 1 0 0 , 0 0 0 G OA L Give online at WWW.HARCUM.EDU/GIVING or use the enclosed envelope to mail your check. Questions? Contact the Office of Institutional Advancement at 610-526-6060 or advancement@harcum.edu
