Behrend Magazine - Fall 2019 by Penn State Behrend

BEHREND M A G A Z I N E PENN STATE

FALL 2019

RESTORING THE GORGE p.8 Multi-phase trail project highlights Behrendâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sustainability initiatives, environmental commitment

In the classroom and the community, we are making an impact

ary Behrend’s decision to donate her family’s Glenhill Farm to Penn State was based in large part on her desire to serve the public good. World War II had ended, and a wave of veterans had left the armed services. Many were hoping to enroll at America’s colleges. From the day Penn State Behrend opened, in 1948, the college has been a community resource. The old ice-skating rink, near what is now Wilson Picnic Grove, was open to the public, and for generations, our gymnasiums have hosted local high school proms. Those are just two of myriad examples. Our most significant contribution to the public good has, of course, been the success of our graduates, who bring their talents to the companies where they work and communities in which they live. That’s the first pillar of the three-fold mission of teaching, research, and service that we deliver as part of Pennsylvania’s land-grant University. The research and service components amplify our impact. In the past year, our students and faculty members received nearly $5 million in research funding. One team built a microwave tuner for NASA. Another discovered an invasive species in Lake Erie. Through our Economic Research Institute of Erie, we provide locally focused, data-driven reports of the region’s economy that have guided local civic and business leaders since 1982.

Our open-lab model of engagement has brought new companies to Knowledge Park, our 106-acre technology complex. Companies partner with us, and locate near us, so they can tap into our pipeline of student talent and access equipment they can’t find anywhere else. Our expertise and our track record of innovation also benefit smaller companies and individual inventors, some of whom come to us with little more than an idea sketched on a napkin. The Innovation Commons idea lab and the Northwest Pennsylvania Innovation Beehive Network have directly supported nearly 200 entrepreneurial projects, which have led to 10 new companies and $2.6 million in leveraged funding. That’s good for the region we call home. Companies that have access to support networks and a steady source of outstanding employee talent don’t often pack up and move to a new market. They grow, and their roots reach deeper into the community. That leads to even more opportunity for those who choose to live and work here. We contribute to the public good because it’s the right thing to do. As an educator, an employer, a neighbor, and a leading resource for business innovation and technical expertise, we are an asset to the community. We also are invested in its forward momentum, which has supported our own growth over the last seventy years. As always, I invite you to share with me your thoughts and ideas.

Chancellor Ralph Ford rmf7@psu.edu Vol. 36 No.2 Penn State Behrend Magazine is published twice a year and provided free to alumni and friends of Penn State Behrend by the Office of Strategic Communications. Executive Editor: William Gonda wvg2@psu.edu. Editor: Heather Cass hjc13@psu.edu. Contributors: Robb Frederick ‘92, Steve Orbanek. Photos: Rob Frank ‘06, Matt Kleck. Change of address/Unsubscribe: Development and Alumni Relations at 814-898-6089 or amm74@psu.edu. Correspondence: Behrend Magazine, 207 Glenhill Farmhouse, 4701 College Drive, Erie PA 16563-1902. Phone 814-898-6419. Copyright ©2019 Penn State Erie, The Behrend College. This publication is available in alternative media on request. Penn State is an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer, and is committed to providing employment opportunities to all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or protected veteran status. U.Ed. EBO 20-137.

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BEHREND M A G A Z I N E PENN STATE

ON THE COVER

FALL 2019

Dr. Mike Naber, associate teaching professor of geosciences, leads an educational walk on the trail in Wintergreen Gorge, a 3,980-foot-long canyon surrounded by mature forest, on and adjacent to the Behrend campus. This unique living laboratory is just steps from the School of Science building and is a popular recreation destination for students and the surrounding community. But heavy use by day hikers, trail runners, and mountain bikers has taken a toll on the area and led to severe erosion in some spots. This summer, Behrend began a $690,000 project that will make existing trails more sustainable, protect wildlife, and improve visitor access to this beautiful natural resource. Read more about the project and the college’s commitment to sustainability on page 8.

IN THIS ISSUE $1 Million Grant Will Boost Math Education ........................................................... 5 Outreach Program Getting a New (Old) Home……….................... ………………7 Student Achievements Add Up .............................................................................. 10 Alumnus Dives for Ancient Shark Teeth… ............................................................. 12 Called to Care: Why Two Recent Grads Chose Nursing ...................................... 15 Science Alumnus Enjoys a 3,000-Acre Classroom………… ................................. 16

Athletics News ......................................................................................................... 18 Meet One of Behrend’s First Graduates… ............................................................ 22 Alumni News ............................................................................................................ 23

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FALL 2019

In Brief

Cartoonist shares business, life advice

It isn’t often you get the chance to belly laugh in a business class, but it was nearly impossible not to when Dave Blazek, creator of the nationally syndicated comic strip Loose Parts, stopped by MKTG 441 Sustainability in Marketing Strategy this past sping. Blazek talked about his unconventional career path and how he wanted to be a journalist, but ended up as a newspaper advertising sales representative and, eventually, a cartoonist. The Erie native and Penn State graduate, who began his studies at Behrend, encouraged students to approach each task and job with a positive attitude, strive for creativity, and dare to say yes to opportunities when they arrive, even if they seem scary or impossible at the time.

^ Blazek was featured in our September 2014 issue of Behrend Magazine and graciously drew cover art for that issue.

Blazek also gave a public talk in the evening, entertaining college and community members with a laugh-out-loud life story and even drew personalized cartoons for several audience members.

Erie Hall project now in design Penn State Behrend students have been asking for more fitness and recreation space for the past several years. They won’t have to wait much longer.

This spring, the Penn State Board of Trustees approved an architect for the Erie Hall project, which will result in a new facility that addresses the interest among Behrend students for individual and group recreation space. Gymnasium, studio, and locker room space will relieve pressure on Behrend’s Junker Center, which was built in 2000, and will create additional facilities for student fitness and recreational activities including spinning, yoga, dance, and intramural sports. Behrend students have committed $9 million of their Student Facility Fee funds toward construction of the $25-million center, which will be designed by Sasaki Associates of Watertown, Massachusetts, in partnership with Erie’s Weber Murphy Fox. Construction of the building is expected to begin in 2020.

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“The student commitment underscores the need for expanded and improved fitness and recreational facilities,” Chancellor Ralph Ford said. “Our enrollment has increased by nearly 25 percent since Junker Center opened, and space assessments have identified a definitive need for more student-life space, most notably, for fitness and recreation.” The building also will provide new space for several of the college’s NCAA Division III athletic programs, including baseball, softball, track and field, cross country, and wrestling. New locker rooms, team rooms, athletic training areas, and practice space will enhance opportunities for Behrend student athletes to excel. In addition to fitness, recreation, and athletics facilities, the new center is expected to house the college’s Personal Counseling and University Police and Public Safety offices. Personal Counseling will use the new space to offer workshops related to anxiety reduction, stress management, nutrition, and healthy living strategies, among other health-related topics.

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Behrend hosts international manufacturing conference

In Memoriam Sally Metzgar, a longtime supporter of the college and its students, died July 19 at the age of 83. Her husband, Bob, was at her side. The Robert and Sally Metzgar Admissions and Alumni Center is named for the couple. The building, which opened in 2010, houses the college’s admissions, financial aid, alumni relations, bursar’s, and registrar’s offices. The Metzgars owned and operated North Penn Pipe and Supply. Sally, a former model, also worked at Bell Telephone and at the U.S. Navy’s Ordinance Research Lab at Penn State.

This summer, Penn State Behrend’s School of Engineering hosted the largest international advanced manufacturing research conference in the world, NAMRC 47 | MSEC 2019, at Erie’s Bayfront Convention Center. More than 600 researchers and manufacturers from around the globe gathered to share the latest innovations and developments in manufacturing equipment, systems, technologies, and processes.

Sally was an active and engaged member of the Behrend community. She particularly enjoyed meeting with recipients of the Metzgar Leadership Scholarship, which supports six students every year. “Sally was a warm, nurturing person,” Chancellor Ralph Ford said. “She had a genuine interest in our students and their stories, and she always believed they could succeed.”

Students serve others during spring break In March of this year, two dozen students and four advisers from Penn State Behrend participated in an alternative spring break service trip to Puerto Rico. The group worked to help residents recover from the catastrophic flooding that occurred as a result of Hurricane Maria, a Category 5 hurricane that devastated the area in 2017 claiming nearly 3,000 lives, and causing billions of dollars in damages. The students painted houses, cleared trails, and helped with landscaping and other basic home repair projects.

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In Brief

Continued

MIS students redesign city’s website When City of Erie Mayor Joe Schember took office, he put improving communication with constituents at the top of his administration’s todo list. Schember wanted to create multi-platform ways of communicating with Erie residents, largely through electronic media, without spending too much of the city’s finances. His team knew just where to turn for free technology services—Partnership Erie, a Black School of Business outreach center. Dr. Kathleen Noce, teaching professor of management information systems at Behrend and director of Partnership

Erie, was happy to help, putting several Management Information Systems majors on the project. The students worked closely with Schember’s office and ultimately came up with a refreshingly simple design—a color photograph of the sun setting over Presque Isle Bay, as well as a search bar and the words “How Can We Help?” The site has received many accolades for its design and ease of use. The MIS

students did the work for free. Andy Steinmetz, then the city’s digital media coordinator, said the website work might have cost as much as $50,000 if the city had hired an outside firm.

Behrend THON Club breaks fundraising record Long before he was a college student, Jack Walker, executive director of the Behrend Benefitting THON Club, was committed to Penn State’s largest studentrun philanthropic event, a dance marathon benefitting children and families affected by childhood cancer. “I became involved with THON in my sophomore year of high school when I was the head of my high school’s ‘mini THON,’” said the Pittsburgh native and junior dual major in Political Science and Psychology. “It was really life-changing. When I came to Behrend, I made a promise to give everything I have to THON and make Behrend one of the best supporters of the event.” He succeeded. The club raised the highest amount—$57,155.67—in Behrend’s THON history. “It truly reflects the commitment and dedication of the students involved in helping to fight pediatric cancer,” said Dr. Ken Miller, senior director of administration and student affairs.

From left, Behrend THON dancers Tyler Malush, Morgan Shaw, and Matt Hammel.

THON is held annually at Bryce Jordan Center at University Park. Behrend’s dancers at this year’s event were Morgan Shaw, Matt Hammel, and Tyler Malush. Forty fellow Behrend students, including Walker, attended the event to support and cheer on the dancers.

National Fuel donates $40,000 to youth outreach Last year, the college's Youth Education Outreach office provided programming to more than 24,000 young people and educators in the region. Thanks to a $40,000 gift from National Fuel Gas, that number can be expected to continue growing. The college thanks National Fuel for recognizing that successful communities and organizations start with young people who are motivated, educated, and excited to learn.

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NSF awards more than $1 million to Behrend researchers

he National Science Foundation (NSF) has awarded more than $1 million to faculty researchers at Penn State Behrend to develop a pipeline of highly qualified mathematics teachers who are committed to teaching in “highneed” school districts. The fiveyear project will target teacher shortages by developing

fewer qualifications, that influences their students, who may come out less prepared, or at least less motivated to pursue mathematics themselves.” The NSF grant, which includes funding from the Robert Noyce Teaching Scholarship Program, will create a support network for students in the four partner districts who have an interest in mathematics. Nagle and four colleagues—Dr. Paul Becker, associate professor of mathematics; Patrick Kelly, lecturer in mathematics education; Dr. Michael Rutter, associate professor of statistics; and Jodie Styers, associate teaching professor of mathematics education—will develop a new Aspiring Mathematicians Program, a two-year program for high school juniors and seniors who will participate in math workshops at Behrend. A total of 100 students will be recruited for the program, which will include discussions of math-based careers, including teaching.

“It’s often difficult for a high school student to see the potential for math, and the sorts of problems that can be solved with math,” Nagle said. “Part of the problem is that when a student does show an interest and an aptitude for “It’s often difficult for a high math, we say, ‘That’s great. Have school student to see the potential you thought about engineering? for math, and the sorts of problems Or being an actuary?’ We tend to funnel them into fields that use that can be solved with math.” math, but not into teaching math.”

– Dr. Courtney Nagle

partnerships with the Erie, Corry Area, Iroquois, and Northwestern school districts. The NSF funding will support scholarships for Behrend students, who will be eligible for $22,500 in both their junior and senior years at the college. The students will commit to teaching for at least two years in a “high-need” district for each year of funding they receive. The U.S. Department of Education considers a district “highneed” if a high percentage of its students live below the poverty line, if a high percentage of its secondary-school teachers are teaching outside the content area for which they were trained, or if the turnover rate for teachers is high. STEM fields (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) are a particular challenge. Forty-two states, including Pennsylvania, do not have enough teachers trained in mathematics, according to the U.S. Department of Education. “From there, the problem snowballs,” said Dr. Courtney Nagle, associate professor of mathematics education at Penn State Behrend and the lead researcher on the NSF grant. “When you have teachers with less experience, and maybe

Additional funding from the grant will encourage Behrend students to remain in the mathematics major, and will promote teaching as a career path. Sophomores will be eligible for paid internships, which will require sixty hours of engagement with students in the partner districts. In the junior and senior years, students will be eligible for Noyce scholarships. Each Noyce scholar will be paired with two teaching mentors from the partner districts, who will be paid for their work on the project. “Erie is a perfect test bed for this,” Nagle said. “We have high-need districts in both urban and rural settings that are very close to our campus.” The demographics of a school district are a crucial factor in how teachers convey the real-life applications of math, Nagle said. A teacher in a rural district, for example, might explain how to calculate an area by using the example of a family farm. An urban teacher might measure the same area in city blocks. “It all comes down to knowing your students,” Nagle said. “If you know their background, and you know what’s happening in their lives, you are better able to show them how the applications of math connect to the problems they are trying to solve.”

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Class Project Generates Buzz

Student’s videogame now available on Xbox, Nintedo, PlayStation, and PC platforms

hotographers often talk about the “golden hour,” the period just after sunrise, or before sunset, when the natural light is redder, and warmer, and more directional.

He built one of the game’s puzzle levels for the final in his Art 168 course. His method of moving players through the level – allowing them to rotate their view of the puzzle, twisting it like a Rubik’s Cube—rewards exploration. It’s a big reason the game is now available for PC, and on the Xbox, Nintendo, and PlayStation digital stores.

DIGITFest, a two-day digital media conference. There, he connected with Dr. Matthew White, assistant teaching professor of game design, and owner of Whitethorn Digital, an Erie-based videogame publisher.

“That was the look I wanted,” said Brian White also has worked at gaming Wilson, a senior in Penn State Behrend’s companies, including Volition, which Digital Media, Arts, and Technology developed the “Saints Row” program, and the creator games, and PlayStation. He of “Where the Bees Make “I liked the idea that you could have a thought “Where the Bees Make Honey,” an indie videogame Honey” was a good fit for his cube, and if you could somehow rotate that was released in March. company, which will publish five “I wanted it to look like those it, you would see a new secret...” games this year. perfect summer evenings we — Brian Wilson “First of all, it’s gorgeous,” he had as kids.” said. “Every image in the game could The visual design elevates “Where the “I liked the idea that you could have a be framed and put on a wall. Bees Make Honey,” particularly among cube, and if you could somehow rotate “Brian also has a story to tell,” he said, indie videogames. GameSpot called it it, you would see a new secret—maybe “and that’s what sticks with you. There “absolutely gorgeous.” Damien Smith a door on the other side—that would is an element of nostalgia to the game, at “The Video Game Autopsy” called it lead you deeper into the story,” but it’s more than that. It’s about how “utterly magical.” Wilson said. you can’t fully appreciate the magic of “If ‘Where the Bees Make Honey’ The Rubik’s move also reinforces the childhood until you have had some time isn’t enough to make you believe game’s emotional pull: By focusing to look back on it.” videogames are indeed art,” Smith said, on Wilson’s created world, with its With the game finished, Wilson, who “I don’t know what game ever will.” waterfalls, cliff walls, and rock bridges, will graduate in December, is instead The game follows Sunny, an office drone rather than its central character, and her looking forward: He already has an idea quest to collect honeycombs, the game whose four-season daydreams filter for a second game. offers a wistful look back at childhood nostalgia for creative play through a “I definitely will develop another one,” distinctly adult perspective. Wilson, who imaginary play. he said. “That’s just how I express myself grew up in Hermitage, Pennsylvania, Wilson shared a beta version of the now. There is no other way of explaining developed the story after revisiting a game at Penn State Behrend’s 2018 it: It’s in me, and I have to do it.” lake where he had played as a child.

A screenshot from "Where the Bees Make Honey," a dreamlike and emotionally resonant video game designed by Digital Media, Arts and Technology student Brian Wilson.

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OUTREACH PROGRAM TO GET A NEW HOME

$6.3 million project will preserve, expand Federal House as new home for CORE

enn State Behrend will renovate and repurpose the historic Federal House, the oldest brick structure in Harborcreek Township, to create a new home for the Susan Hirt Hagen Center for Community Outreach, Research, and Evaluation (CORE). The $6.3 million project will be funded by private support and by the University. With funding in place and a preliminary design by GBBN Architects, the college will preserve the original brick structure of the Federal House and connect it to a new, modern-design building that will allow CORE to expand its programs, which have an impact on more than 3,000 youth across the Erie region of Pennsylvania every year. CORE, an outreach center of the collegeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s School of Humanities and Social Sciences, was established in 1998 through a gift from Susan Hirt Hagen, the first woman to serve on the board of directors of the Erie Indemnity Company, parent company of the Erie Insurance Group. The program originally focused only on teen-pregnancy prevention. In ten years, CORE and its Positive Youth Development initiative contributed to an 80-percent reduction of the teen-pregnancy rate at Union City High School. Over the same period, the dropout rate at the school decreased by 63 percent.

Today, CORE provides programming to elementary, middle- and high-school students across Erie County. Signature community programs include the Mentor Project, which matches at-risk youth with trained college students and community members at ten sites in Erie County, and Positive Youth Development, which applies the 40 Developmental Assets framework to create a comprehensive safety net of school, community and family support resources.

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‘The Gorge Has Been Loved a Little Too Much.’

Trail restoration project will preserve Wintergreen Gorge for future generations

intergreen Gorge, located on and adjacent to the Behrend campus, has been a popular recreation destination for students and the surrounding community for seventy years. It’s easy to see why: The 3,980-foot-long canyon is surrounded by mature forest and offers shaded trails for hikers, runners, and bikers. Fourmile Creek, which cuts through the gorge, features a half-dozen waterfalls and places to wade and cool your heels. “The problem is that the gorge has been loved a little too much,” said Dr. Mike Naber, associate teaching professor of geosciences, as he points out severe erosion on the ridge of the main trail during a tour. “There are heavily trafficked parts of the trail that have no topsoil. Without soil, vegetation can’t grow, which makes the trail susceptible to flooding and erosion.” The hillsides in the gorge are unstable in places, due to heavy use by hikers, trail runners, and bikers. At the site most popular with visitors—a 250-foot overlook known as “Devil’s Backbone”— nearly all of the natural undergrowth has been worn away. But, this summer, Behrend began the first phase of the Wintergreen Gorge

Phases of the Wintergreen Gorge project Phase 1: Cooper Road parking lot, trail improvements up to the Bayfront Connector Phase 2: Trail improvements from the Bayfront Connector to Trout Run Phase 3: Bridge over Trout Run Phase 4: Trail improvements from Trout Run to the two trailheads on campus, Prishak Building parking lot and Ohio Hall parking lot

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Sustainability Master Plan. This initial $690,000 project will make existing trails more sustainable, protect wildlife, and improve visitor access to this beautiful natural resource. Funding for the project was provided by the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development, the Erie County Department of Planning and Community Development, and Penn State. Planning for the work began in 2013. The primary gorge trail already was cut when Mary Behrend donated her 400-acre property to Penn State in 1948. The Behrends rode their horses there. The college has maintained the gorge as a public resource, but foot and bicycle traffic has affected the natural environment, which includes three endangered plant species. More than fourteen miles of trails cut through the area. “Many of the gorge trails in use today were developed over time, as visitors created their own paths,” said Dr. Sherri “Sam” Mason, sustainability coordinator at Behrend. “Some began as shortcuts. Others were a way to avoid water or

mud. The planned improvements will provide a more functional, ADAaccessible trail system that better protects and preserves the unique and fragile environment of Wintergreen Gorge.” Phase I—expanding and improving parking at Cooper Road and installing boardwalks over protected wetland areas nearby—has begun. Other improvements planned include topping the trail with compacted aggregate to make portions of the trail ADA-accessible, raingardens to filter runoff from the Bayfront Connector, a bridge over Trout Run, and stabilization of the entire 2,300-foot creek trail. “Everyone involved in this project appreciates the unique environmental value of the gorge,” said Dr. Ivor Knight, associate dean for research and graduate studies, who oversees sustainability efforts at the college. “The planned improvements carefully balance the need to preserve public access to the gorge while protecting and enhancing the natural environment for generations to come.”

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Meet Dr. Mason

A Q&A with Behrend's new sustainability coordinator

r. Sherri “Sam” Mason was just 10 years old when an episode of Diff’rent Strokes, a popular ‘80s-era sitcom, inspired her life’s work.

“One of the characters, Kimberly, washed her hair with rain water and it turned her hair green, ostensibly because of acid rain,” Mason said. “That show made me realize that how we live our lives can impact the greater world in very negative ways, and I wanted to fix that. From that moment, I wanted to be an environmental chemist.” Mason, Penn State Behrend’s new sustainability coordinator, made good on that career wish. Before joining Behrend this spring, she was a chemistry professor at the State University of New York in Fredonia. Her groundbreaking research on plastic pollution in the Great Lakes found high concentrations of microplastics, especially in Lake Erie and Lake Ontario. That research led to the Microbeads-Free Water Act of 2015. She is now a globally recognized expert on freshwater plastic pollution and a member of a United Nations working group focused on plastics and microplastics in the world’s marine environments. Behrend Magazine recently caught up with Mason to learn more about her and her plans for Behrend:

Q&A

Why were you attracted to the position at Behrend? I moved to the Great Lakes region eighteen years ago and fell in love. When I was looking for a new job, I was disheartened that I might have to leave the area, but the sustainability coordinator position at Behrend is exactly what I was looking for. How do you define sustainability? It’s the simultaneous pursuit of human health and happiness, environmental quality, and economic well-being for current and future generations. All are equally necessary to have a functioning, sustainable society. What is your role as the sustainability coordinator? To help the campus become more sustainable in a variety of ways, from decreasing energy usage or working to get energy from renewable resources, to thinking about how to incorporate

Yes. Right now my courses are focused on sustainability, but I’m developing a course on my other love—the Great Lakes.

and departments across campus. I hope to encourage faculty members to incorporate sustainability into their courses, either as a component, a topic of discussion, or an overarching theme. I also want to encourage all the faculty and staff members on campus to embody sustainable practices when doing their jobs, such as printing less, walking across campus more often, carpooling, and using reusable water containers.

Why is sustainability important at colleges?

What are three things readers can do to be more sustainable?

We must practice what we preach. We have to demonstrate sustainability in how we do business if we expect our students to embody it in their own lives and careers.

1. Consume less. Buy experiences as gifts rather than things. 2. Eat lower on the food chain. Try to eat a few meatless meals a week. 3. Use less plastic.

sustainability in our curriculum, to leading activities like beach clean-ups and other community engagement projects. I’m also overseeing the Wintergreen Gorge trail improvements project. It’s a big job, but I love it. Do you teach, too?

You see sustainability as a collegewide effort, then? Absolutely. Sustainability is an umbrella that covers all the schools, programs,

What would people be surprised to know about you? I swam the length of Lake Chautauqua—15.5 miles—in ten and a half hours in the summer of 2017.

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FALL 2019

Student Success

enn State Behrend students succeed in and out of the classroom. Here are just some of the many students whose accomplishments and achievements were remarkable this year.

BEHREND WINS SECOND CONSECUTIVE SAE SUPERMILEAGE COMPETITION The Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) Club ended this year’s International Supermileage Challenge the same way it finished the 2018 event: in the winner’s circle.

Behrend SAE club and the driver of the vehicle. “I think this year was probably the most rewarding, simply because we did not know if we would even make it onto the track.”

However, the path to the championship, which was held in June at Eaton Corp.’s Marshall Proving Ground test track in Michigan, was not easy.

When problems arose, the students did what engineers do best—they remained focused and methodically worked through the issues, using sound engineering practices and good old-fashioned ingenuity. It led to a big win for the Behrend car, which reached 2,420 miles per gallon of gas.

“Basically, everything that could have gone wrong, went wrong,” said Aleksey Checkeye, vice president of the

SUMMER IN THE SENATE Carlos Mora, a junior majoring in Political Science, landed a prestigious summer internship with the U.S. Senate in Washington, D.C. The position was in the Secretary of the Senate’s office, rather than with an individual Senator, so Mora was exposed to many facets of U.S. Senate operations. Mora worked in the Disbursing Office.

< Carlos Mora

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BIOLOGY STUDENTS PRESENT RESEARCH WORK Three Biology students traveled to Orlando, Florida, this spring to present their research at the Experimental Biology 2019 conference, the largest interdisciplinary meeting of its kind. Biomedical and life sciences researchers from all over the world attend the meeting to network and share research.

Jessica Till V

Kara Dobson, Veronica Stefanick, and Jessica Till presented plant research work they have done with Dr. Michael Campbell, professor of biology and director of the University's Lake Erie Regional Grape Research and Extension Center. Dobson also presented her work—“How Lake Erie Alters Climate Change in the Lake Erie Grape Belt”—at an International Association for Great Lakes Research meeting in Rochester, New York, this summer. Veronica Stefanick and Kara Dobson >

FINANCE MAJORS WIN REGIONAL RESEARCH CHALLENGE A student investment team from Penn State World Campus, consisting of three Behrend Finance majors, won the regional competition of the CFA Institute Research Challenge in Pittsburgh. The team—Mike Dalton of Oregon, Kris Mbah of Michigan, and Kristen Rance of Georgia—was coached by Dr. Brian Boscaljon, associate professor of finance. The team advanced to the Americas Competition in New York City. < From Left, Dr. Brian Boscaljon, Mike Dalton, Kris Mbah, and Kristen Rance.

ARTSAPALOOZA AT BEHREND In April, Olivia Coghe orchestrated Artsapalooza, a one-day arts festival and craft show on campus, as her senior capstone project. The event featured artists, artisan vendors, live musical performances, and craft activities. “I’m from Pittsburgh, and the Three Rivers Art Festival is one of my favorite things, so I wanted to emulate that, but on a smaller scale,” said Coghe, who graduated in May with dual degrees in Arts Administration and Digital Media, Arts, and Technology, “That’s how I got the idea of the different vendors and musical performers.” The senior capstone project is a requirement for Arts Administration majors. Community engagement is a core component of the program, which launched in 2012 and is one of a few such undergraduate programs in the country. The event was a resounding success with several hundred attendees checking in throughout the day. Olivia Coghe >

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DIVING FOR ANCIENT SHARK TEETH Alumnus turns hobby into profitable business

^ < Bill Eberlein ´89

ne of the most fascinating things about a human life is how it often unfolds in a series of serendipitous events that lead to unexpected twists and turns.

“I really loved looking for shipwrecks in Lake Erie,” he said. “And there was plenty of opportunity to dive in Erie. If you had gear, you could join in a free dive every weekend.”

When Bill Eberlein ´89 arrived at Penn State Behrend in the late 1980s, he planned to pursue a career in accounting. After taking a few economics classes, he discovered he loved economics, so he majored in that, too. Thirty years later, after a long, successful career in information technology, he now makes a (good) living diving for and selling ancient shark teeth through his business, Megateeth Fossils.

Ten years later, Eberlein moved to Savannah, Georgia, to take a job at Gulfstream Aerospace in information technology. How does an accounting and economics major end up in an IT position? The brief explanation is that he followed his interest and aptitude just as he did in his diving hobby. And when a Gulfstream coworker learned that Eberlein was an avid diver, the coworker told him about diving for shark teeth in the rivers around Savannah.

So how does one go from accounting and economics to IT to fossil dealer? The first twist for Eberlein came when he was 21 and working part-time at Sears, where a coworker talked him into taking a free scuba diving lesson. He loved it. Before long he was spending his free time with local dive club members exploring the waters around Erie. He even joined the Erie County Sheriff’s Office Scuba Team.

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“My first thought was: ‘That’s silly, looking for tiny, little shark teeth,’” he said. “I was used to really cool stuff like shipwrecks, you know?” But then he learned that the teeth this coworker hunted for were not run-of-the-mill, one-inch shark teeth you can find in any tourist gift shop along the East Coast, but hefty, palm-size fossils from the ancient Megalodon shark, an extinct species of shark that lived two to five million years ago.

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“The Megalodon wasn’t just a shark, but a dinosaur shark that was thought to be one of the largest and most powerful predators in the sea,” he said. Scientists estimate that the average Megalodon was 34 feet long with thick, robust teeth built for grabbing prey and breaking bone.

In 2003, he left Gulfstream to teach classes in information technology and accounting at Savannah Technical College. Five years later, he decided to dive and sell fossils full time.

“The Megalodon wasn’t just a shark, but a dinosaur shark that was thought to be one of the largest and most powerful predators in the sea.”

Eberlein was intrigued and he wanted to find a tooth, so he signed up for a charter trip near Hilton Head, South Carolina. The charter crew warned him that it was hard to see something like Megalodon teeth and that he shouldn’t be too disappointed if he didn’t find any. He came up with a bagful of them, astonishing the charter captain.

– Bill Eberlein ´89

“My boat captain and I usually head out early in the morning and come back around lunchtime,” he said. “One time, I found more than forty teeth in one hole, but I average about two teeth a dive.”

Rare are the days he comes up empty-handed. But, if he does, Eberlein takes comfort in the fact that he gets to do something he loves almost every day. “I just remind myself that, for me, my worst day under water is better than my best day sitting behind a desk in an office,” he said.

“I was used to diving in dark, murky water and sort of feeling my way around,” he said. “I just took my hand and dug down into the silt a little bit, and it wasn’t long before I felt a tooth.” Inspired by his early success, Eberlein dove into his new hobby, searching for fossils on weekends and vacation days. Soon he had collected so many that he needed to do something with them. “I knew there was a market for the teeth and figured I could use the money to pay for my new boat,” he said. His accounting degree came in handy as the profits from Megateeth Fossils paid for Eberlein’s boat, and then some. The average whole tooth in good condition sells for about $100, imperfect small ones for as little as $20. The most valuable tooth Eberlein has found is worth about $5,000. He keeps that one for himself, in a safety deposit box.

FALL 2019

Challenge Accepted J

ulia Cecchetti’s dog is a special kind of mutt: a DIY quadruped – a robot – that can walk and trot and pivot in six different directions. She calls it Rocky. Cecchetti, a Mechanical Engineering junior at Penn State Behrend, built the dog because she wanted to better understand inverse kinematics. That’s the math that links independent joint angles – an ankle, knee, and hip, for example – to move an object into a specific position. “If you want to move the foot,” she said, “you first have to figure out the exact position and sequence for each of the motors above it. It’s a process.” She figured it out within a week. “Julia is a builder,” said Jill Johnson, lecturer in mechanical engineering. “She likes putting things together, seeing what works, and watching it go. It is absolutely apparent that she lives for that.” Cecchetti has a restless intellect. Her parents taught her basic math with M&M candies: When she subtracted properly, she could eat those pieces of candy. She was in kindergarten at the time. By high school, she had learned to challenge herself. When she lost interest in geometry, frustrated by what she felt was the slow pace of the class, she read ahead, working her way through more advanced textbooks. She taught herself Algebra II, Trigonometry, and Calculus, and then tested out of those courses. With a professor’s recommendation, she enrolled part-time at Penn State Behrend, taking advanced calculus and a chemistry course. She was still in tenth grade. The next year, she took more college courses. She joined the robotics club and the SAE Supermileage team. She

BEHREND MAGAZINE

helped Dr. Joseph Paullet, professor of mathematics, design a robotic snake, which can move using six different gaits. A year later, as a senior, all but one of her classes were at Penn State Behrend. Cecchetti enrolled at the college fulltime in 2018. By then, she already had sixty-four credits on her transcript. She took the spring semester off to intern at a California-based aerospace company, which kept her on through the summer. When she returns to the college this fall, she will have essentially skipped her sophomore year. She still reads ahead, borrowing books from Brian Lani, lecturer in mechanical engineering. “She really gets excited about engineering and mechanical design,” Lani said. “That helps hold her interest. “She also understands the applications of these core concepts, which can be difficult to master,” he said. “She knows why she has to know them, and that helps her see the finish line.” Cecchetti already has started planning her senior capstone design project: a static-fire, liquidfueled rocket engine. She can show you the CAD model. “Rocket propulsion is super-complex,” she said. “It uses every branch of engineering: thermal, combustion, chemistry, fluid dynamics, strength of materials, and more, all wrapped up in one system. It’s one of the most challenging engineering problems you can take on. I love that.”

BEHREND MAGAZINE

CALLED TO CARE

ursing is said to be a calling by many of those in the profession. We talked with two recent graduates to find out why they chose it.

Megan Thorpe ’18 at age 11 with her newborn brother ^

Megan Thorpe When she was a child, Megan Thorpe ’18, dreaded the question that wellmeaning adults love to pose to younger people: “What do you want to be when you grow up?” “I didn’t have any idea,” Thorpe said. “What I did know was that I loved babies, and I wanted to help people.” That’s why she was happy to step into the labor and delivery room to witness the birth of her younger brother when she was just 11 years old. “My mom wanted my older sister to be there, but she declined, so I volunteered,” Thorpe said. “I didn’t really know what I was signing up for. However, standing in that delivery room at Saint Vincent Hospital in Erie, I knew what my future career would be; nursing called me that day.” Thorpe was impressed by the nurses who supported her mother during labor and delivery. “They were caring, compassionate, full of love, and quick to teach and help me understand what was happening,” she said. “There is a saying that ‘people may forget your name, but they'll never forget how you made them feel,’ and it rang true that day. I wasn't the patient, but the nurses made

me feel important and special. I knew I wanted to be just like them.” Today, she is. She graduated from Penn State Behrend in 2018 with a bachelor’s degree in Nursing and is working as a nurse in maternal child health at the same hospital in Erie where her brother was born.

Lauren Myers When she was young, Lauren Myers ’18, of Pittsburgh, spent a lot of time with her great aunt who, though not a nurse, was frequently caring for those in need.

accompanied her friend on visits to the hospital and was impressed by the nurses on the floor. “They were with us every second of the day, and they would stop whatever they were doing to give any of us a hug,” Myers said. “They were so compassionate and caring, and I wanted to be like them. I wanted to be the person in a position to help and do whatever I could to brighten someone’s worst day, even if that would be just offering a hand to hold or a shoulder to cry on.”

Unfortunately, Myers’ friend's mother passed away, but her life inspired what is sure to be decades of service to others. Myers graduated from Penn State 18 rs ’ Behrend in 2018 with a bachelor’s Lauren Mye degree in Nursing.

“She was always volunteering, visiting shut-ins, and otherwise helping people,” Myers said. “My mom was the same way, so it only made sense that I’d find a career that allowed me to do the same.” Myers planned to be a pediatrician, but in her senior year of high school, she had an experience that led her down a different path. Her best friend’s mother, who had battled multiple forms of cancer for several years, was admitted to a Pittsburgh hospital. Myers frequently

“I started out in the intensive care unit at Saint Vincent Hospital in Erie, but now I work in labor and delivery,” Myers said. “In the future, I’d also like to try oncology nursing.” While these may seem like very different specialties, they have a common thread. “In all three of these units, there are major life changes occurring, and these are the times when a patient and their family are most in need of love and support,” Myers said.

FALL 2019

A 3,000-Acre Classroom

ay Bierbower ‘05 is the epitome of a teacher, always enthusiastically sharing information and educating those around him. But you won’t find Bierbower in a traditional classroom with desks and white boards. As an environmental education specialist for the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) at Presque Isle State Park, Bierbower’s classroom spans more than 3,000 acres, and his subject matter ranges from fish to climate change to coyotes to cast-iron cooking over a campfire. In addition to teaching public and school programs, he works with the fish systems in the aquatics laboratory at the Tom Ridge Environmental Center and is the coordinator for the park volunteer program, which includes several hundred people who help at Presque Isle in a variety of ways. It’s the perfect job for an amiable guy with a lifelong love of nature, the outdoors, and learning. Bierbower grew up on a farm in rural Pennsylvania where he spent his free time hunting and fishing and dabbling in carpentry, mechanics, welding, electrical work, and more. “Like most boys who grew up on a farm, I learned to do a little bit of everything. You know what they say: Jack of all trades, master of none,” he said with a grin. He smiles a lot. He clearly enjoys his work.

Bierbower likes fish, not just catching them, but raising them. At work, he grows several hundred steelhead and brown trout in the aquaponics lab. The fish are raised for educational purposes and released in the spring. But Bierbower’s most impressive fish operation is in his own home where he has more than seventy tanks in his basement fish room, pursuing both a hobby and a business. He breeds a variety of plecostomus, a common aquarium cleaner fish, and angel fish, which he sells to local aquarium shops, to fish clubs, and on eBay.

Bierbower thought he might be a veterinarian, until he shadowed one and realized it wasn’t the job for him. In college, “I can’t even tell you how many times he gravitated toward the School I’ve helped a kid catch their first fish, of Science and earned a degree in Biology. His senior project at I really enjoy it; they are so excited.” Behrend involved what is still the – Ray Bierbower ’05 most extensive dietary study of coyotes at Presque Isle State Park. “Seems like other researchers don’t like to dig around in coyote scat,” he said with another grin. He started with the DCNR at Presque Isle as a seasonal environmental education specialist in 2008 and became a full-time educator in 2010. He likes all the programs the park offers, but especially enjoys leading night hikes at Presque Isle and teaching anything water- or fish-related. “I can’t even tell you how many times I’ve helped a kid catch their first fish,” he said. “I really enjoy it; they are so excited.”

BEHREND MAGAZINE

“I don’t have a farm to keep me busy, so I have a fish room,” he said.

He gets up at 4:40 a.m. to work on his “farm,” feeding all the fish and cleaning a third of the tanks every day, so that each tank gets fresh water twice a week. Not all the aquatic creatures are for sale; some, like the goldfish and African clawed frogs, are just for fun. After his morning shift at home, Bierbower heads to his job at Presque Isle where he said there is always plenty to do and learn. Sometimes, his students even stump him. “Last week, a child asked me if turtles can get ticks,” he said. “I didn’t know. I had to go look it up. Turns out, they can. You learn something every day here.”

BEHREND MAGAZINE

< Ray Bierbower works for the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) at Presque Isle State Park.

^ Ray Bierbower poses with a turtle from his classroom FALL 2019

FALL 2019

ATHLETICS

Season Report

2018-19 Honors

AMCC Coaches of the Year

ATHLETICS

Dan Perritano – men’s soccer Phil Pisano – men’s volleyball Jen Wallace – men’s swimming and diving

Highlights from the 2018-19 season Men’s soccer advanced to the NCAA Sweet Sixteen for the first time in program history. The Lions also finished the year with their highest ranking in the final National Coaches Poll in the sixteenth spot. Senior goalkeeper Chris Ralph was named a Scholar All-American, as well as the AMCC and ECAC Defensive Player of the Year.

Sophomore Jake Paulson was the first wrestler to represent the Lions on the national stage since the sport was renewed at Behrend just two years ago. He won five matches in a row at the NCAA Southeast Regional to place third overall!

Ashley Gruber – softball

AMCC Players of the Year Brenna McGuire – women’s soccer (offensive) Chris Ralph – men’s soccer (defensive) Lexi Irwin – women’s volleyball

A three-hour delay due to a power outage did not stop the men’s basketball team from claiming the AMCC Championship in dramatic fashion, edging out their competition with a 67-65 victory. Senior Justin Gorny scored the final six points of the game and the Behrend defense forced a missed shot at the buzzer by La Roche University to claim its first title since 2013-14.

Dillon Hildebrand – men’s volleyball Mark Patterson – men’s swimming and diving Jessica Wyckoff – women’s swimming and diving AJ Nichols – softball (pitcher)

AMCC Rookies of the Year Brenna McGuire – women’s soccer Kristin Reiland – women’s volleyball

Track and field sophmore Braeden Smith was the All-Atlantic and CSAC indoor track and field high-jump champion, qualifying for the NCAA Championship meet. He placed eighth overall to earn All-America honors. Smith repeated as the high-jump champion at the All-Atlantic and CSAC outdoor track and field meets to make his second trip to nationals this season where he placed thirteenth.

Zachary Tingley – men’s cross country Chase Bietz – men’s swimming and diving Marcella Puglia – women’s swimming and diving

BEHREND MAGAZINE

President's Cup remains at Behrend For the fifteenth consecutive year, Penn State Behrend won the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference (AMCC) President's Cup. The award honors the most outstanding overall athletics program in the conference. The Lions captured five conference championships— men’s and women’s soccer, men’s and women’s swimming and diving, and men’s basketball—and finished as runners-up in women’s volleyball and men’s and women’s cross country.

BEHREND MAGAZINE

Meet Jenna Shelton:

ATHLETICS

An athlete and a scholar fter a long day of classes and studying, Jenna Shelton ’18, Penn State Behrend’s 2018 Female Scholar Athlete of the Year, would look forward to relaxing—with a grueling run with her track and field teammates. “I would get to the end of the day and think: Finally, I can go to practice and relax,” Shelton said. “All I have to do is run. I can do that.”

sometimes my worst enemy.” Shelton has been working on pushing past the walls her brain tries to construct when she is running. “I’ve learned to focus on my breathing,” she said. “I didn’t drop out of any races at the end of the season, which was a big accomplishment for me. I’m learning to deal with it and keep going.”

Track is a familiar sport for Shelton, who ran during her high school years and three years at Behrend after transferring When she’s not at from a community college. Though Behrend, Shelton works she graduated in May with a degree in Marketing, Shelton has one more year “Setbacks and roadblocks don’t of eligibility and will stop her. In racing, in the classroom, continue running with and in life, we need people with the Lions this year as she works on an MBA that kind of tenacity and grit.” at Behrend. – Greg Cooper, head coach, track and field Greg Cooper, head coach of track and field and cross country, is happy to have another year with his middle-distance track star. “Jenna is a persistent and dedicated young woman,” Cooper said. “Setbacks and roadblocks don’t stop her. In racing, in the classroom, and in life, we need people with just that kind of tenacity and grit.” The Cabot, Pennsylvania, native is a first-generation college graduate driven to achieve. She graduated with a 3.75 cumulative grade point average while racking up significant accomplishments in track and field and cross country. Yes, Shelton runs cross country, too, but prefers track. “I’m not a sprinter, but I like running short and fast,” she said. “Middledistance track events are perfect for me because when I have too much time to think about what I’m doing, I start getting into my own head. My mind is

part-time at Achille’s Running Shop in Erie. After earning her MBA, she hopes to work at an athletics or nutrition company. “I’m hoping the MBA program will help pinpoint which direction I really want to go,” she said. Whatever it is, we’re sure that she will overcome any obstacles that stand in her way.

Jenna Shelton ’18 >

ATHLETICS

FALL 2019

ATHLETICS

Pride of the Lions Sada crushes NCAA Division III record for career doubles

ou would think hitting would be the defining attribute of someone who has slammed more doubles than any baseball player in Division III history. For Scott Sada, it’s No. 2, trailing only his humility. In April, Sada, who graduated from Penn State Behrend with a Plastics Engineering Technology degree, hit his eighty-second double against Medaille to become the NCAA Division III all-time leader in career doubles. He would add eight more before the season ended. “Honestly, I did not even know I was close. It came out of nowhere,” said Sada, who primarily played shortstop in his four seasons with the Lions. “It’s definitely kind of cool to think about it now, but it was nothing I ever set out to do or accomplish.” That is what makes Sada’s accomplishment even more impressive. In some baseball circles, the “two-bagger” is viewed as the quintessential hit. It keeps innings and rallies alive, often leading to a team scoring more runs in the contest. For a player who averaged 22.5 doubles per season, you would think that there had to have been a method to the madness. For Sada, the secret might have been his speed. “On our team, one of the big things we emphasized were hustle doubles,” he said. “For me, if the ball got past the third baseman, I would be looking two, just to get that extra 90 feet and be in scoring position. If I noticed that an outfielder was jogging to the ball, I would also try to catch him off guard and go for two.”

BEHREND MAGAZINE

< Scott Sada ’19

Of course, he does have that sweet spot when he’s standing in the batter’s box. “It’s pretty much a fastball, middle in,” Sada said with a smile. “I’m pretty confident that my hands are fast enough that I can hit anyone’s fastball down the line.” For his career, Sada finished with a .387/.454/.652 line. While doubles were his specialty, he was no slouch with regard to home runs, either, finishing with 22 over the course of his career. His impact went well beyond the field, however. “Scott was a major asset for our program. He was an instrumental part of the lineup and he positively influenced everyone in our program: coaches, teammates, alumni, faculty,” said Paul Benim, head coach of the Behrend baseball team. “It will be strange to not write Scott Sada into the lineup next spring. He honestly concludes his career as perhaps the most decorated player in the history of Behrend Lions baseball.” Sada said he will miss his time as a member of the Penn State Behrend team but is ready for the next chapter. He is now working at PRISM Plastics in Meadville. “I had such an awesome time at Behrend. Coach Benim makes you more than a college baseball player; he makes you a man, and I’ll always stay in touch with him,” Sada said. “I’m hoping to still play in some summer baseball leagues. I want to put off playing that slow-pitch softball for as long as I can.”

BEHREND MAGAZINE

Turning “trash” into cash

ATHLETICS

The college’s annual Trash to Treasure sale, a joint effort of Penn State Behrend Athletics and the Office of Sustainability, raised $5,000 for United Way of Erie County. The sale featured gently used and new items donated by the Penn State Behrend community. The annual spring cleaning sale makes good use of items that might otherwise be discarded when students move out.

Men’s teams play some unique (far, far) away games International travel is an opportunity for students to expand their horizons. Penn State Behrend’s athletic teams fundraise to travel outside of the United States and typically go on trips in a four-year rotation so that all student-athletes have the opportunity to travel at least once during their college career. The trips are an eye-opening experience

for students. They have the chance to observe different cultures, interact with residents, and play a few international games. This year, the men’s basketball team went to Cuba, where they explored Havana and Trinidad as well as the Bay of Pigs and the Parque El Cubano. While there, they also played three

games against the Cuban basketball club and professional leagues.

The men’s soccer team went to Spain and spent time in Madrid, Toledo, Peniscola, Valencia, and Barcelona. They also visited historical museums, attended a La Liga game versus Real Sociedad, and played three exhibition games against Spanish soccer clubs.

FALL 2019

On Life, Luck, and Love Early alumnus reflects on a life well lived

ony D’Angelo can’t believe his luck.

“When I die, it’s going to take the mortician a half an hour to take the smile off my face,” he said. “I’ve had a nice life.” Anyone who had been there at the beginning might not have predicted that. In July of 1926, D’Angelo was born to his sixteen-year-old mother in an apartment on lower Holland Street in Erie. D’Angelo was from a different generation, though, a time in which the circumstances of your birth and your family’s finances often mattered less than your willingness to work hard. After his high school graduation, he enlisted in the U.S. Air Force and was a pilot during World War II. Lucky break No. 1: He never saw combat. “The war in Germany ended two days before I was scheduled to go and they grounded me,” he said. Lucky break No. 2: While he was away, Penn State opened what was then called Behrend Center in his hometown, making higher education convenient and, thanks to the G.I. Bill, affordable. “I didn’t want to work in a foundry; I wanted to use my brain,” he said. “Going to Behrend was one of the best decisions I made in my life.” D’Angelo earned a two-year degree in Industrial Electricity and Electronics and was runner-up for the top spot in his graduating class of 1951, the second class in Behrend’s history. He opened his own business— DeAngelo TV and Electronics—on the corner of 10th and Parade streets in Erie. (A note on the spelling of his last

name: He has gone by both DeAngelo and D’Angelo because the nuns who taught him in grade school told him it was DeAngelo and, as he recalls, “you just didn’t argue with nuns back in the day.”) Lucky break No. 3: Perfect career timing. It was the height of the electronics era and D’Angelo turned a profit for thirty-three years. “I did OK,” he said. “I never set the world on fire or made a million dollars, but I owned and controlled my own business all of my life, and I really enjoyed it. Being happy at your job is one of the most important things in life.” Another of those important things? D’Angelo, who just turned 93, will tell you with no doubt: love. Lucky break No. 4: He got the girl. “Her name was Catherine Jell, but she went by Kitty,” he said. “She wanted to go to the Glen Miller dance, but she’d just broken up with her boyfriend and didn’t have anyone to go with, so a friend set us up. She took to me like a bear takes to honey. Oh, she was so beautiful. She looked just like Liz Taylor. I couldn’t believe a beautiful girl like that would go out with a guy like me.” She not only went out with him, she married him. They had a daughter and, later, two grandchildren. They celebrated their fortieth wedding anniversary, before she passed away from ovarian cancer sixteen years ago. “Those were the best forty years of my life,” he said. “I tell you, if she’s not in Heaven, there is no Heaven. She was an angel.” Tony D’Angelo's 1951 yearbook photo >

Today, D’Angelo, who still lives in the Erie area, spends time with his daughter and grandchildren and enjoys connecting with old friends. He’d love to talk to any fellow Behrend alums from the early years. You can reach him at (814) 838-4730 or tonydangelo610@gmail.com.

BEHREND MAGAZINE

ALUMNI NEWS 1970s

Dave Blazek ’79 (1975-77) recently won a Reuben Award for Best Newspaper Panel Cartoon in America from the National Cartoonists Society. Blazek was honored for his cartoon, Loose Parts, which is nationally syndicated by The Washington Post. The Reuben Award is the “Oscar Award of cartooning” and Blazek’s work was recognized by hundreds of the world’s best cartoonists, illustrators, graphic novelists, and Hollywood animators. He recently published his seventh book of cartoons— Quirky Rectangles of Mirth. Blazek and his wife, Eileen ’79, live in Valley Forge. LoosePartsComic.com

1980s

Greg Green ’88, who earned a degree in Business Management, has been working in healthcare sales and management for twentytwo years. He is currently a professional services executive at Abbott Diagnostics Division in Seattle, Wash., where he resides with his wife, Grace, and twin daughters, 16. He has fond memories of playing basketball under Coach Doug Zimmerman and recalls witnessing the team’s transition to an NCAA Division III level sport. Ggreen8911@me.com

1990s

Jeffrey S. Lavelle ’93 is the chief toxicologist/mass spectrometry scientist for LabSolutions LLC in Atlanta, Georgia. He was recently board certified as a toxicological chemist by the National Registry of Certified Chemists. He reports that he frequently travels to Pittsburgh to visit family and lifelong friends, some of whom he met at Behrend. jeffreylavelle1214@comcast.net Dr. Angel R. Otero ’95, professor of accounting at the Florida Institute of Technology, recently published a university textbook, Information Technology Control

and Audit, 5th Ed. Otero has more than twenty years of experience in the areas of public accounting and auditing, information technology consulting, and information systems auditing. He worked for Deloitte for more than ten years and attained the position of senior manager before leaving to teach. rotero01@yahoo.com

2000s

Kara Holden Onorato ’00 is the CFO at Unity Health Care in Washington, D.C. She is an active volunteer, advocate, and fundraiser for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society in memory of her daughter, Sonny, who passed away in 2017 at age 20 from acute myeloid leukemia. konorato1@yahoo.com Carmen Cole ’02 was named the Sally W. Kalin Librarian for Learning Innovations for the Penn State University Libraries. The threeyear appointment is an endowed position for an early-career librarian. Cole, who earned a degree in Creative Writing at Behrend, is the information sciences and business liaison librarian at University Park. ccc143@psu.edu Ross A. Lockwood ’03, a certified public accountant, was elected president of the Northwestern Chapter of the Pennsylvania Institute of Certified Public Accountants for the 2019-20 fiscal year. He is the controller for the Wesbury United Methodist Retirement Community in Meadville, where he resides. RLockwood@wesbury.com

2010s

Jeremy Gurdak ’11 was recently promoted to manager, audience and context, at Oracle Data Cloud in Broomfield, Colo. He leads a team of seven who help strategize advertising campaigns for Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Snapchat, Amazon, Spotify, Nextdoor, and Pandora using Oracle’s audience and context capabilities. jeremy.gurdak@gmail.com

Nicholas Jones ’12 reports that his degree in Mechanical Engineering has helped him climb the ladder at USG Corporation, also known as United States Gypsum Corporation, where he is a gypsum process technical manager. He learned about an opening at USG through the Nittany Lion Career Network and has been promoted several times in the past six years, each time moving to a new city. He recently built his own home near Chicago, where he plans to stay for the foreseeable future. nicholasjones116@gmail.com Abram Pleta ’13 recently earned a Ph.D. in automotive engineering from Clemson University. His dissertation was on alternative toolpath methods in the milling of nickelbased superalloys. He is the research and development manager at Five Star Carbide Holdings in Greenville, South Carolina. abram.pleta@gmail.com Mitchell Wilston ’14 (2010-12), who earned a degree in English, works at PNC Financial Services, where he designs and launches split tests and personalization campaigns for PNC’s digital properties. He resides in Pittsburgh. mitchellwilston@gmail.com Kyle A. Peterson ’15 recently started a new job as an associate attorney at the Pittsburgh law firm of Willman and Silvaggio, LLP. Peterson, who earned a degree in Political Science, and his wife, Brittany, live in Pittsburgh. kap170@pitt.edu Matt Colpoys ’18 was recently named an assistant coach for the Johns Hopkins men’s basketball team, the Blue Jays. Colpoys, who earned a degree in Finance, led the Behrend Lions to a 42-14 record as a two-year starter before an injury late in his sophomore year ended his playing career and began his coaching career. He resides in Baltimore, Maryland. mcolpoy1@jhu.edu

How to interpret these class notes • All alumni whose names are in bold type spent some or all of their Penn State years at Penn State Behrend. • For those who completed their studies elsewhere in the University, years at Behrend are shown in parentheses after the graduation year. • Regular type indicates a Penn State graduate who did not attend Behrend—most often the spouse of someone who did. • If no state is given after a city name, that city is 1) in Pennsylvania, 2) in the state referred to earlier in the class note, or 3) a major city requiring no further identification.

Find Alumni News on the web: • On Facebook: “Penn State Behrend Alumni” • On LinkedIn: “Penn State Behrend Alumni Society” • On Twitter: Follow us at “BehrendAlum”

Now let’s hear from you!

Email your class note information to Kristen Comstock at kristencomstock@psu.edu, mail it to her at Penn State Behrend, Metzgar Center, 4701 College Drive, Erie PA 16563, or submit it online at behrend.psu.edu/classnotes.

FALL 2019

Penn State Behrend

By the Numbers 144

A few figures from the 2018-19 academic year that you may find interesting, impressive, or just plain fun.

Top 10%

Where Penn State Behrend ranks for return on tuition investment (ROI) in Pennsylvania (Payscale.com)

Associate, bachelorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, and masterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s degree programs

394

Faculty members

4,100 Seats available in Behrend classrooms and laboratories

Active student organizations

1,939

2,769

275

Work orders completed by the Maintenance and Operations department

2,939 Courses offered

16:1

Student to faculty ratio

Average class size

$2,622,896 Scholarships awarded to students

BEHREND MAGAZINE

Student organization events and meetings

Events hosted by Youth Education Outreach

2,654

2,000

Cough drops distributed by the Health and Wellness Center

3,482

Pizzas delivered to student club events

Student appointments scheduled with Academic and Career Planning Services advisers and counselors

Graduate Admissions

Penn State Erie, The Behrend College 4701 College Drive Erie, PA 16563-0101

Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage

P A I D

State College, PA Permit No. 1

Address Service Requested

Students witness history in the making in Europe

his spring, eleven Penn State Behrend students and two faculty members participated in a fifteen-day study abroad experience in London and Kyiv, Ukraine, where they got a firsthand look at European politics at a particularly significant time in history. The students met with members of the U.K. Parliament in London, including Lord David Hunt of the House of Lords and the Honorable Luke Graham and Honorable Nick Boles, who are members of the House of Commons. They also attended a panel discussion on Brexit at the London Business School and met with representatives from several U.K. businesses and financial firms. In Kyiv, the students heard six lectures by Kyiv School of Economics faculty members about issues related to Ukraine’s integration into the European Union, as well as the country’s economic, political, and social development since the fall of communism in 1991. The students visited Ukraine’s parliament as well as the offices of the World Bank and International Financial Corporation. They also attended a roundtable with a member of the European Union delegation in Ukraine and arrived in Kyiv in time to witness the inauguration of the new Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelensky! “It was a thrilling trip filled with academic and cultural experiences,” said Dr. Lena Surzhko-Harned, assistant teaching professor of political science, who led the trip with Dr. Chris Harben, assistant teaching professor of management.