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Tradition
P e n n S t a t e p r o u d i n t h e L e h i g h V a ll e y
From the Lehigh Valley to Mexico, Rome, and China‌ Penn State Students have a WORLD OF OPPORTUNITIES
In the Moment
Photographer Scott Johnson snaps a pic of our own Mandy Marquardt for the “Faces of Penn State” campaign. Read more about it on page 7.
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contents
contents
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Campus Pride
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Alumni Pride
10 Connecting the Dots A Penn State alumnus and trustee inspires a new generation of
Penn State students to find solutions for challenges threatening Mexican agriculture.
16 When in Rome as a College Freshman Words and images by Jenna Mason ‘16 18 Abroad in America Students that hail from countries abroad embrace the Penn State
experience and enrich the campus community.
22 Giving the World a CHANCE What started as a way to promote conservation through scientific
research in Pennsylvania schools has now made exciting connections across the globe.
26 Calendar of Events 28 The Big Picture
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Ireland. Spent a semester there in college and dying to go back ever since! Wales. Land of my ancestors... the landscape is beautiful and the pubs and the people are friendly. Made me wonder why my ancestors crossed the pond! Greece. The people were wonderful and the sights amazing! I would love to travel to Italy! Italy. Being of Italian descent (partly), I’ve always wanted to experience its culture and traditions,and its history and beauty. Germany. I visited my pen-pal Janine in 2010, I’ve had three years of the language, and its beauty takes my breath away! Innsbruck, Austria. I was in awe of this quaint Olympic town nestled in the Alps. England. From the mountains in the Lake District to the museums in London, I love every square inch. Join the conversation. Send your favorite travel memories to tradition@psu.edu or tag your Penn State travel pics on Twitter or Instagram using #psulvtravels. Your responses may appear in a future issue.
/psulvalumni /psulehighvalley @psulehighvalley @psulvalumni @psulehighvalley youtube.com/PSULehighValley
staff
As breathtaking images and fascinating stories of our students’ travels came in, memories and wanderlust (and maybe a tinge of envy) spread through the team. So we asked our Tradition staff, “What is your favorite international destination? Or, if you haven’t traveled abroad, where would you most like to go?”
Tradition
Editorial team
Allison Goodin Kate Morgan Ann Williams writers
Susan Chappell ‘84 Allison Goodin Donna Hahn Jenna Mason ‘16 Alexandra Lynn ‘15 Lynn Staples Copy Editor
Donna Hahn
cover design
Kate Morgan
Photography contributions
Kim Holloway Dan Z. Johnson M. Scott Johnson Jenna Mason Kate Morgan The Chance Program Ann Williams graphic design
Kim Holloway
correspondence
Tradition Penn State Lehigh Valley 2809 Saucon Valley Road Center Valley, PA 18034-8447 tradition@psu.edu Tradition is published twice a year by the Office of University Relations, Penn State Lehigh Valley. The Pennsylvania State University is committed to the policy that all persons shall have equal access to programs, facilities, admission, and employment without regard to personal characteristics not elated to ability, performance, or qualifications as determined by University policy or by state or federal authorities. It is the policy of the University to maintain an academic and work environment free of discrimination, including harassment. The Pennsylvania State University prohibits discrimination and harassment against any person because of age, ancestry, color, disability or handicap, national origin, race, religious creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or veteran status. Discrimination or harassment against faculty, staff, or students will not be tolerated at The Pennsylvania State University. Direct all inquiries regarding the nondiscrimination policy to the Affirmative Action Director, The Pennsylvania State University, 328 Boucke Building, University Park, PA 16802-5901; Tel 814-8654700/V, 814-863-1150/TTY. U.Ed. LVO 13.103
from the chancellor Perhaps you’ve noticed that things look a little different around here. As Penn State Lehigh Valley begins its second century of educating students, we thought it would be the perfect time to breathe new life into our campus magazine. One of the first things you may notice is a new tagline on our cover: “Penn State Proud in the Lehigh Valley.” We are very proud of what we do here at the Lehigh Valley campus, but we realize that we are just one part of what makes up a person’s Penn State experience. Some of our readers began their Penn State journey at the Lehigh Valley campus. Some of our readers finished their Penn State degrees at the Lehigh Valley campus. Some of our readers never set foot on this campus, but are alumni living in the Lehigh Valley region. Still others are connected to the campus or Penn State in other ways. But every one of our readers has their own unique Penn State story. With the refreshed focus of the magazine, we hope that Tradition will give every reader, no matter what their connection, something to be “Penn State Proud” about. This first issue of 2013 has a particular focus on the increasingly global reach of our students and faculty, campus, and University. We hope that you enjoy reading about some of the amazing destinations that students are not only traveling to, but also coming from, to enrich the Penn State community. In addition, we welcome your feedback about Tradition, and encourage you to let us know if there is anything in particular you’d like to see in future issues. Send your ideas to tradition@psu.edu.
Ann Williams
NOTE: In April, Williams began sharing images like the ones above on Instagram using #chancellorgram. Follow along to see the world from this photographer’s eyes.
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featured speaker: jeffrey tambor With a long and successful acting career on stage, television, and the big screen, Jeffrey Tambor had a vast repository of experience to draw on when crafting his message to the Class of 2013. Tambor, particularly well-known for his comedic work on Arrested Development, effortlessly combined wit and wisdom in a humor-laden speech that had the entire arena chanting his character George Bluth Sr.’s motto, “There’s always money in the banana stand!” In fact, to demonstrate the campus’ excitement in welcoming “Bluth” to Penn State, Tambor was presented with a custom-made t-shirt and greeted by over 150 waving fans proclaiming that “Penn State Lehigh Valley Bleeds Bluth and White!” In between the laughs, Tambor inspired the graduates with advice from his view “on the back nine.” He challenged them to “adore everything;” “Celebrate... live... scream... be maniacal;” “Ask for help;” and “Give praise. Everyone needs an ‘atta boy.’” Tambor credited his four children with being his greatest teachers. His eight-year-old son even provided some advice for Tambor’s commencement address: “Tell them you are wrinkly.” Judging from the dozens of tweets and comments, Tambor’s message was not only funny and memorable, but also taken to heart. View Tambor’s speech on our YouTube channel /PSULehighValley starting in June. View more photos on flickr.com/psulehighvalley today. Go to lv.psu.edu and click on “commencement photos” to buy a commemorative photo.
Top: Andrew Hannis ’13 received his degree in business and will start work at TD Bank. Middle: Student Marshal, elementary education major Angelica DeLucia ’13, processes with Faculty Marshal Dr. Debra Miller. DeLucia encouraged her fellow graduates to travel the world to gain perspective. 4 Tr adition
Bottom: Hugs and kisses abounded as friends and family members greeted graduates at the post-ceremony reception.
2013 Commencement M ore than si x t y- fi v e seniors wok e up to a glorious spring day on M ay 4 as the y prepared to recei v e their Penn S tate Lehigh Valle y degrees. The comm unit y shared messages of congrat u lations and pict ures online using # P SULVgrad. E v en Chancellor W illiams and J effre y Tambor chimed in.
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campus
campus pride
Above: Lehigh Valley THON team members show their FTK pride with dancers (in front) Noah Nealon and Natalie Podgorska. Below: Team members spend some time with campus THON child Sean Geltz.
THON 2013 During the freezing weekend of February 15–17, over 16,000 students, alumni, and families entered the Bryce Jordan Center (BJC) at University Park for THON—the no-sitting, no-sleeping dance marathon created in 1977 to fight pediatric cancer. For 46 hours straight, 710 Penn State dancers from different organizations and campuses in various costumes and colors crowded the floor of the BJC. Penn State Lehigh Valley dancers Noah Nealon and Natalie Podgorska courageously stood on their feet for the entire 46 hours, celebrating the final four hours with nine-year-old cancer survivor Sean Geltz and his family. The BJC reached full capacity early Sunday morning, leaving part of the Lehigh Valley morale team out in the cold while the others stood inside to cheer on Noah and Natalie for more hours than expected. But after all of the challenges, Lehigh Valley placed ninth out of nineteen commonwealth campuses with a campus record-breaking total of $33,707.56. THON 2013 raised a whopping $12,374,034.46 “for the kids,” blowing 2012’s total of $10.69 million out of the water. The pain, tears, hard work, support, and determination from Penn State Lehigh Valley and others will help more children’s lives to be saved.
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Advisory Board Welcomes Dan Schaffer The Penn State Lehigh Valley Advisory Board welcomes its newest member, Dan Schaffer, president of Reeb Millwork Corporation in Bethlehem. Schaffer, a Penn State graduate who spent his first two years at the Lehigh Valley campus, began working at Reeb Millwork twenty-seven years ago as a temporary employee, eventually working his way to the top spot in the company. For the past few years, Schaffer has been an active member of the campus’ Campaign Committee, helping to connect alumni and friends with the campus, translating to a number of recent gifts. “We are pleased that Dan is expanding his involvement and look forward to his insight as a member of our Advisory Board,” said Chancellor Williams. Having paid his own way through college, Schaffer looks forward to playing a part in growing the campus and providing opportunities for students. “Penn State Lehigh Valley offers students the ability to join a large college with a local feel. In my experience, starting at the local campus allows for an easier transition to University Park. Now, with the campus’ expanding curriculum, students can get all they need from a large college while finishing their degree locally and affordably,” said Schaffer. Schaffer resides in Coopersburg with his wife Jennifer and children Elise, Brad, and Nicole.
Five Lehigh Valley students chosen for “Faces of Penn State” campaign In September 2012, the University launched a campaign to celebrate members of the Penn State community that embody Penn State’s values of teaching, research, and service. “Faces of Penn State” profiles these outstanding individuals who contribute to improving the world through exceptional academics, inspiring research, worldwide reach, a national name, and strength in numbers. We are so proud to announce that this spring, five Lehigh Valley campus students will join the roughly sixty ‘faces’ already named. Junior Mandy Marquardt is being recognized in the category of ‘Worldwide Reach’ for her dedication to raising awareness about diabetes. A standout member of the Penn State Lehigh Valley Cycling Team, Mandy also races for Team Novo Nordisk, which is comprised of athletes living with type 1 diabetes. In addition to being a worldclass cycling program, Team Novo Nordisk is committed to changing the lives of those living with diabetes through athletics, research, outreach, and philanthropic initiatives. The other students recognized are also concerned with affecting the future of people’s health, but are donning lab coats instead of bicycle helmets to do so. Last year, Patrick Hullihen, Digisha Patel, Jessica Raad, and Anthony Toczek asked their biology professor, Dr. Jacqueline McLaughlin, if they could perform research on a line of human leukemia cancer cells. The students, who have dubbed themselves “Team K562,” a reference to the name of the cells they are researching, are studying the ability of select drugs to not only halt the proliferation of the leukemic cells but to induce red blood cell maturation. Team K562 will be recognized in the category of ‘Inspiring Research.’
History in our midst A history lesson came to life on February 27 when Dr. Terrance Roberts, one of the original ‘Little Rock Nine,’ spoke to a packed auditorium. Roberts was just fifteen years old when he joined eight others to become the first black students to attend a formerlysegregated high school in Little Rock, Arkansas. Roberts spoke about what it was like going to the school under such heated circumstances and that it was scary at times. He repeatedly stressed to the audience the importance of education in bettering the world. Today, Roberts is co-chairperson of the Master’s in Psychology program at Antioch University. A much sought-after speaker, Roberts also heads a management consultant group dedicated to improving human relations in the workplace. Since 1998 he has been the official desegregation consultant for the Little Rock, Arkansas School District, and provides similar services to school districts around the nation.
To view their full profiles, visit www.faces.psu.edu.
Miller receives Atherton Award Debra Miller, education program coordinator at Penn State Lehigh Valley, joined five other faculty members in receiving the 2013 George W. Atherton Award for Excellence in Teaching on March 25 during a luncheon at University Park. “Dr. Miller deals with complex issues in education with skill, grace, and humility. Her students love her, and her colleagues hold her in highest regard. She is truly deserving of this prestigious University award,” said Kenneth Thigpen, director of academic affairs at Lehigh Valley. Currently, Miller is in her thirty-ninth year of teaching education and her fourth at Penn State Lehigh Valley. The George W. Atherton Award for Excellence in Teaching is named for the seventh president of the University (18821907) and is presented each year to faculty members who have devoted substantial effort to and developed a record of excellence in undergraduate teaching. spring 2013 7
On the Shelf Poe’s Persuasive Influence edited by Barbara Cantalupo, associate professor of English. Lehigh University Press, 2012. Originally presented as talks at the Poe Studies Association’s Third International Edgar Allan Poe Conference: The Bicentennial, in October 2009 (co-chaired by Cantalupo), the essays in this volume deal with Poe’s influence on authors from the U.S. and abroad. It also includes two examples of primary texts by contemporary authors whose work is directly related to Poe’s work or life, an interview by Cantalupo with Japanese detective novelist Kiyoshi Kasai, and poems by Charles Cantalupo. $10K Donation to Benefit Science Programs R. Charles (Chuck) Stehly (far left), a trustee for Keystone Nazareth Charitable Foundation, presented a check for $10,000 to Penn State Lehigh Valley. Accepting the check are Chancellor Ann Williams and Director of Academic Affairs Kenneth Thigpen. The donation will be used to support expanding science offerings and renovations in the biology and chemistry labs.
Caduceus by Sørina Higgins, instructor of English. David Robert Books, 2012. Heartbreak and faith are the twin strands threading through Caduceus: a book of voices, messages, personas, layered texts, ancient tales, and contemporary feeling. Gender and the American Presidency: Nine Presidential Women and the Barriers They Faced by Theodore F. Sheckels, Nichola D. Gutgold, and Diana B. Carlin. Lexington Books, 2012. Nichola D. Gutgold, professor of communication arts and sciences, and her co-authors explore women qualified enough to be president and reasons why they have been discharged as presidential contenders. This analysis profiles key presidential contenders including Barbara Mikulski, Nancy Pelosi, Elizabeth Dole, Olympia Snowe and others. Gender barriers, media coverage, communication style, geography, and other factors are examined to determine why these seemingly qualified, powerful politicos failed to win the White House. These three authors were featured on C-SPAN’s Book TV.
Honors Convocation 2013 Dr. Julie Ealy, assistant professor of chemistry, presented the First-Year Chemistry Achievement Award to Thomas A. Porter ’16 at the 27th Annual Honors Convocation on April 24. Porter was among the thirty-three awardees, which included students, faculty, and staff, recognized for excellence during the ceremony.
The Syrias Life by Dubbilay Syrias. Self-published through AuthorHouse, 2012. Alexander Atiyeh ’11 (also known as “Dubbilay Syrias”), who attended the Lehigh Valley campus for two years, published his first book, The Syrias Life, which is intended to prove that a struggle is necessary in order to prosper in life. Through visual and metaphorical performance poetry, The Syrias Life combines several events in the life of Dubbilay Syrias to demonstrate how an imbalanced brain functions better than a normal one. To submit a book for publication, email tradition@psu.edu.
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Class Notes Tom Newell (’85, Finance) has joined the Merrill Lynch Wealth Management team in Allentown as a Financial Planner. Tom also serves as a board member for the Penn State Lehigh Valley Alumni Society.
alumni
alumni pride
Lori Piltz (’92, Nursing) has attained the
designation of Certified Professional in Healthcare Quality (CPHQ) after passing her certification exam in October 2012. Lori works at Lehigh Valley Health Network as a Clinical Quality Specialist in the Quality Department. She is married to Mike Piltz
(’92, Broadcast/Cable).
Michael Polise (’06, IST), Senior Information Assurance Specialist for PPL, and Debbie Barrett Polise (’05, HDFS), Special Education Teacher for the WhitehallCoplay School District, were married on August 11, 2012. Mike currently serves as a board member of the Penn State Lehigh Valley Alumni Society.
2013–14 Featured Alumni Call for Nominations Help us honor exceptional Penn State alumni who have had an impact in the Lehigh Valley. Recommend a special alumnus for the 2013–2014 Penn State Lehigh Valley Featured Alumni. Nominating a candidate is easy and just a click away! For more information and to submit a recommendation, please visit our website at lv.psu.edu before August 1, 2013.
Will you be displaying your Penn State pride on your next vacation or business trip? Share your photos through Instagram or Twitter using #psulvtravels.
Penn State Lehigh Valley’s Alumni Society hosted its semi-annual Berkey Creamery ice cream sale this spring, with over 250 alums stopping by the campus on March 21 for refreshments, pictures with the Lion, campus tours, 20 percent off Penn State gear at the student bookstore, and 1,644 half gallons of Penn State’s amazing ice cream!
Alumni night at the gallery was held in January during the Mann’s Mind exhibit and artist reception. The 2012–13 Featured Alumni winner, Ann Marie Surovy ’03 (pictured left), joined fellow alumni for an evening of inspiring art. Rebecca Whitelock ’05 (pictured right, with Ann Lalik) was the winner of one of the evening’s door prizes: a one-of-a-kind necklace from the artist’s collection.
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With more than 500 amazing photos taken by the students and faculty on the trip, it was hard selecting just a few to use with the article, so we created the mosaic cover for this issue of Tradition. To see more, visit their trip blog at pslvasb.weebly.com and click on “Travel Blog.”
Connecting the Dots W ith Penn S tate alu mn us and trustee Samuel E . Hay es Jr . ‘6 4 ( at left ) as their gu ide, st u dents discov er link s between Penns y lvania and Me x ico, and what is threatening their economic and ecological sustainabilit y.
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It’s about 89 degrees in Guanajuato, Mexico. Eleven Penn State students, eight from the Lehigh Valley campus and three from the College of Agriculture at University Park, are hiking a large hill to visit a rural village on the final day of their study abroad experience. Up to now, their days have been jam-packed exploring the University of Guanajuato and its picturesque city, expansive agave fields that support Mexico’s tequila industry, and even a Green Giant processing plant. But today, they will experience how many families in rural Mexico survive on subsistence farming and family members who spend the majority of the year working away from home. It is the culminating experience of a ten-day trip that Samuel Hayes, Jr. thoughtfully orchestrated to not only teach the students about current issues, but also inspire them to be part of future solutions. As Hayes leads them closer and closer to the ejido, an area of communal land used for agriculture, the students endeavor to do something they’ve been attempting the entire trip— keep up with him. “He walks really fast,” said Michael Brittenburg, a Lehigh Valley campus sophomore, echoing the sentiments of many of the trip participants. “But this trip would absolutely not have happened the way it did without Sam Hayes.” Indeed, the opportunity would never have existed without Hayes, who has had a connection to this region of Mexico since serving as Pennsylvania’s secretary of agriculture from 1997– 2003. For the students, the fast pace and diversity of the itinerary underscored the urgency with which many ecological, economic, and social issues need to be addressed.
Planting the seeds of a life-changing student experience As the leading exporter of agriculture to Pennsylvania, Mexico plays an important but sometimes unknown role in the state’s economy. During his time as secretary of agriculture, Hayes became acutely aware of this. He also became familiar with the University of Guanajuato (UG); and as a research university with many campuses and a focus on agriculture, it reminded him a lot of another university—his alma mater, Penn State. With the important economic connections between the two regions, and the similar structure and mission of their primary academic institutions, a partnership seemed natural. continued on next page
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In July 2011, the University’s Board of Trustees held their summer meeting at the Lehigh Valley campus for the first time in more than a decade. While here, trustee committees were invited to learn more about some of the campus programs and initiatives. As a member of the board’s education committee, Hayes happened to be in attendance when the education faculty, including Dr. Mary Hutchinson, presented highlights of the program. “He asked me, ‘What are you doing to get them to study abroad,’” said Hutchinson, associate professor of ESL education. “I explained that it was often difficult for student teachers to work a study abroad experience into their schedule, but that we did offer a variety of short-term embedded opportunities.”
see and do while in Guanajuato. The result was a rigorous itinerary that immersed the students in the social, ecological, and economic issues facing Mexican agriculture.
Making connections Upon arriving in Mexico, one of the first connections students made was with the UG students and faculty that they’d work with over the course of the trip. As part of the course assignments, Penn State and UG students were broken into groups to work on a specific topic that they presented later in the trip. Brittenburg and freshman Becky Ortiz worked with some of their UG peers to make a presentation about endemic Mexican plants like agave, mesquite, and cactus. Ortiz, a Mexican-American from Nazareth, Pa., was not unfamiliar with these plants, but confesses she didn’t know much about the science of them until delving deeper into the subject and seeing them first-hand on this trip. Though she has made many trips to Mexico before, she had never had the chance to explore Guanajuato. “My father’s family lives about two hours away in San Luis Potosi, but I was excited that many of them, including my abuelita (grandmother), were able to come to Guanajuato to visit while I was there,” said Ortiz. “Working side-by-side with UG students also let me practice my Spanish!”
Just a few months prior, Hutchinson and Dr. Karen Kackley-Dutt had led a group of students on a service learning experience at La Selva Biological Station in Costa Rica. It was embedded in a civic and community engagement course taught by Hutchinson, and a biology course instructed by Kackley-Dutt. Their experience in developing an international field course prompted Hayes to propose a collaboration that would fulfill the campus’ desire to offer more international opportunities and Hayes’ desire to bring a substantial group of Penn State students to Mexico at one time. The team worked for more than a year to develop the experience. Hutchinson and Kackley-Dutt set about creating the courses that would correspond with the trip, while Hayes organized what the students would 12 Tr adition
Brittenburg jumped at the chance to participate because the subject matter fit so well with his academic and career aspirations. The Zionsville, Pa., native is majoring in environmental resource management with a focus on water science. “I’m grateful that all of my life, I feel like I’ve never really had any worries. So I knew I wanted to do something to help people. I figured the best way to do that would be to focus on something environmental, and access to clean water is a huge issue in the world,” said Brittenburg. In fact, the availability and management of water is one of the key challenges to Mexico’s farming industry at every level. Eduardo Salazar Solls, dean of life sciences at UG, explained that Mexico is and has been experiencing climate change and pointed to
Guanajuato, Mexico
• Founded in 1559, the city of Guanajuato is the capital of Guanajuato state
• A UNESCO World Heritage Site and former silver-mining city
• Known as the birthplace of Mexican independence
• Hosts the annual Cervantino Festival in
honor of Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra, author of Don Quixote
• Birthplace of famed Mexican muralist Diego Rivera
three years of severe drought as an example. But he stressed that the country is not going to just sit back and watch it happen, saying, “We won’t go to sleep or cry. We will work.” With each passing day of their journey, the students got to see just how Mexico is working amidst environmental and economic issues. Each experience organized by Hayes built upon the next to help them understand how each piece of the puzzle must come together in order to be successful. And each step of the way, Hayes was there to be sure the students were, as he said, “connecting the dots.” “He would reinforce things to us again and again—reminding us to notice how synchronized things had to be when planning the harvest and everything that goes into production,” said Ortiz. The point of all this was to help the students see the bigger picture of how just one threat to the balance of the process creates major problems and, more importantly, that solutions are imperative. Dr. Kackley-Dutt recalled a powerful statement that Hayes made to the students.
From the top: Patrick Camacho ’14, Orlando Ibanez ’16, Jonathan Huhn ’15, Ezra Swope ’15, Kaytee Norris ’14, Mellissa Strong ’14, and Bhavik Patel ’15. Back lower level, left to right: Ashley Peters ’15, Rebecca Ortiz ’16. Front row, left to right: Michael Brittenburg ’15, Danielle spring 2013 Wilson 13 ’16, and Samuel Hayes Jr. ’64.
“When we finally got there, I wanted to complain that my feet hurt and I wanted a drink of water, but... There are people living in villages that only get water when Mother Nature provides it, which is hardly often.” —Danielle Wilson ‘16
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“He said, ‘There is a clash of interests between the laws of economics versus the laws of nature. Your job is to bring balance.’ He did much to inspire these students to become active participants in bettering our world.” “What stuck with me most is when Mr. Hayes told us that any dummy can make a list of problems, but it takes a wise person to solve them,” said Brittenburg. The students also stayed connected to the world via the World Wide Web by blogging their trip experiences. Though blogging was part of their course requirements for the trip, many of the students found it to be a valuable piece of their experience. Ortiz noted that the blog requirement helped keep her focused on what they were learning in Mexico in addition to what they were doing and seeing. For freshman Danielle Wilson, maintaining a trip blog had the added bonus of keeping her family and friends connected to her while she was abroad. “It was neat blogging about my experience in Guanajuato, and it also taught me how to use a blogging site,” said Wilson, a Saylorsburg, Pa., resident who plans to major in horticulture. “It gave my family and friends a chance to not only read about, but see pictures of what the group and I learned each day on the trip.”
At the village, Hayes introduced them to Pedro, whose four-acre farm provides just enough food to subsist. They also met Pedro’s father, who, like many Mexicans, spends much time away from the family working abroad to send money home. For the last eighteen years, he has worked legally, he proudly reports, at a nursery in Santa Barbara for eight months out of the year. “They showed us the water source that was used for the village. It looked green and contaminated. I didn’t want to put my finger in it let alone drink it,” said Brittenburg. “They often depend on water deliveries. It just brought home that all of the environmental issues are making things worse for these people.” “I knew there were problems in the world,” said Ortiz, “but to see it in person made it very real.” Hutchinson and Kackley-Dutt could see very clearly that Hayes knew exactly what he was doing when he made this the final destination of the trip. They posit that even some of the UG students, most of whom come from middle and upper-class families in developed areas of Mexico, had their eyes opened by what they witnessed in the village.
“It was the culmination. It connected the dots for them. You could see it on their faces,” said Kackley-Dutt. In fact, Bittenburg was so impacted by the beauty of the area, the friendliness of the people, and the enormity of the need, that he is considering traveling back to UG for their summer language program and possibly making it his home post-graduation. “Sam is an incredible humanitarian. One of the solutions he has come up with to combat these issues is to inspire the younger generation to take up the cause. He succeeded,” said Hutchinson. Both Hayes and the Penn State Lehigh Valley team hope that this trip was just the first chapter in the partnership between them and UG. Hayes stressed how important education is in making the world a better place, and sharing knowledge with future students by offering this opportunity again will benefit both the institutions and the communities the students will come to serve. In his own words: “We should not let a little trickle of water like the Rio Grande keep us from working together. Our hope is with the young people. They can work together to make North America a better place.”
Reaching the ejido You may wonder why Hayes placed the hike to the rural village at the end of the trip. Would it be a bit anticlimactic following the agave genome research center, the acres of strawberry and mesquite fields, and the breathtaking architecture of Guanajuato city? The answer would be decidedly ‘no,’ based on what the students recalled as the most memorable part of their entire experience. “When we finally got there, I wanted to complain that my feet hurt and I wanted a drink of water, but I had no room to be saying anything. There are people living in villages that only get water when Mother Nature provides it, which is hardly often, and they work a lot harder for their money than most people might,” said Wilson. “It was such an eye opener. It made me realize how much most citizens in the United States take so many things for granted.”
Students cross the bridge that will lead them to Pedro Ramirez’s ejido. Most people in these small rural villages attend school until sixth grade. In this particular village they have to travel ten miles to the next town for middle school, which only about 40 percent of the children do.
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When in Rome as a College Freshman Words and images by Jenna Mason ’16 In a comparative literature course offered at Penn State Lehigh Valley, I and fifteen other students studied the history of Rome through the words of memoirist Robert Hughes and the lens of filmmakers that based movies in Italy in preparation for our spring break trip to Rome, Italy. Learning about the history of Rome allowed me to have a better appreciation for its age, culture, and architecture, but classroom lectures could never compare to actually visiting the country. When we arrived in Rome, our eyes moved every which way at the speedy and aggressive drivers. Ancient buildings surrounded by crowded alleys stood on every cobblestone street. Our little hotel, Teatro Pace, which means “Theatre of Peace,” sat between two restaurants in an alley. With no elevator available, we lugged our belongings up a stone spiral staircase that dates back to the 1500s. Just beyond our hotel lay all of Rome’s beauty. We toured the Coliseum, the Roman Forum, the Vatican, St. Peter’s Basilica, the Sistine Chapel, the Spanish Steps, the Trevi Fountain, the Mouth of Truth, the Pantheon, Area Sacra, Campo de Fiori, Piazza Navona, and many local churches. For the first time in my life, I was a foreigner, and it made me realize how foreigners must feel in America. Our class project involved creating a memoir through video during our trip. Most of us struggled with figuring out what we would capture through our iPhones and digital cameras. I do not speak Italian, so I struggled with communication. I felt as though some Italians became frustrated with me and my classmates because we did not fit in well. For Italians, it’s unusual to exchange your meal due to dissatisfaction as well as leave the restaurant without finishing every last bite. While my classmates and I found our clashing cultures interesting and entertaining, Italians sometimes found it irritating. But I think everyone should have the chance to be a foreigner. Looking at a different world as an outsider helps us to better understand and respect each other for our different backgrounds, levels of knowledge, and ways of living. I would have never thought that I would be traveling to Italy during my freshman year of college, but I feel as though this is the best time to travel abroad, for college is the time to expand your mind and reflect upon yourself. My video memoir will display my personal experience in Rome, and I hope that it will teach my audiences about the importance of experiencing different cultures and being an outsider. The world has so much to offer. But we don’t always need to travel nine hours by plane in order to experience another culture. Connections to other cultures are at our fingertips or sit next to us during classes. Stepping out of your comfort zone can be difficult, but it is also inspiring.
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While the Uni v ersit y remains committed to prov iding st u dy abroad opport unities for its A merican st u dents, it is also increasingly a destination for st u dents who call other countries home . Some are e v en beginning their Penn S tate journe y right here in the Lehigh Valle y.
Abroad in America by Allison Goodin As things like technology, social media, and transportation grow more accessible, it seems like the miles and borders and oceans that separate each of us from the rest of the world grow less vast every day. Whether through travel, the Internet, or even just by walking out our front door, each of us has almost limitless opportunities to connect with people and places on an international level. It may come as no surprise, then, that college-bound students in foreign countries are looking beyond their own borders for highereducation opportunities and are choosing Penn State in record numbers. Just last fall, Penn State received its highest-ever ranking, twelfth in the nation, for its international student enrollment in the Institute of International Education’s annual Open Doors report. The majority of the roughly 6,000 international students attend the University Park campus, but some start their Penn State educations like so many of our U.S. students do—at a Commonwealth Campus like Lehigh Valley. 18  Tr adition
It really is a small world after all As I began preparing questions to ask the students that agreed to participate in this article, I thought of my own study abroad experience almost eleven years ago. I spent the first semester of my junior year studying at University College Dublin in Ireland. My heritage had made the Emerald Isle my top choice, but I remember breathing a sigh of relief knowing that language would not be a major barrier to my experience. Four years of high school Latin wasn’t going to get me very far in any country. But now I was about to interview students from Argentina, Spain, and the United Arab Emirates. I was eager to learn how they were handling their transitions. Except for a high school trip to Toronto, I had never been outside the U.S. until I got on the plane to Dublin. How were these students adjusting to the wilds of the Lehigh Valley? Did they ever feel a bit lost? As it turns out, I was the one going in the wrong direction. While I’m sure there are many students attending Penn State in a way similar to what we think of as “traditional study abroad,” I was surprised to find out that all three of the students I interviewed had either been born in America or had an American parent, and two had direct connections to the Lehigh Valley. Small world, indeed. As they told me their stories, I realized that my study abroad experience, while invaluable to me, was not going to provide much help in relating to these well-traveled, multi-lingual, multi-national students. They were living examples of just how global our everyday experience has become. The common thread running through each student’s story is their parents’ decisions to travel internationally for their professions. Freshman Fernando Quiroga was born in Midland, Michigan, where his Cuban father was working with Dow Chemical Company at the time. After just two years, Quiroga’s family, including his mother, originally from Puerto Rico, and three brothers moved to Buenos Aires, Argentina, again for his father’s work. Until coming to Penn State Lehigh Valley, Argentina was the only home Quiroga knew. During his sixteen years there, he attended an international school where classes were taught in English or Spanish depending on the subject matter. Following in his older brothers’ footsteps, Quiroga looked to America when he began his college search. “I knew I wanted to go to a big state school,” said Quiroga. “My school counselor recommended looking at Penn State as an option. Now that I’m here, I plan to study economics and minor in mathematics.”
Whether you believe in coincidence or fate, something seemed to be working behind the scenes to bring Eva Abeniacar’s parents together. The sophomore tells of a serendipitous meeting on an airplane between her mother, a teacher who grew up in Emmaus, Pa., about ten minutes away from the Lehigh Valley campus, and Spanish father. Her family, including an older sister, was living in Puerto Rico when Eva was born while her father, a civil engineer, was working on a bridge there. Shortly after her second birthday, the family moved to Madrid, Spain. The school system in Spain differs from American high school in many ways. One of the biggest differences is that Spanish students are required to select a major that will direct the classes they take. It seems engineering runs in the family because that was the major Abeniacar chose, and it also influenced her decision to attend Penn State. “I like taking things apart, seeing how they work, and putting them back together,” said Abeniacar. “I have a cousin who attended Penn State and I found out about a special program at the University for women who want to be engineers.”
Eva Abeniacar Madrid, Spain That program, Women in Engineering (WEP), brought Abeniacar to University Park the summer before her senior year of high school, and solidified Penn State as her choice to pursue a mechanical engineering degree. The fact that there was a campus in the Lehigh Valley has allowed her to live with family while completing her first two years. Sophomore Angela Awad, also a 2+2 student, was actually born right here in Allentown. While both of her parents are Syrian, her mother’s family had already put down roots in the Lehigh Valley before meeting Awad’s father during a summer in their native country. They decided to make their home in Allentown, and her father began working for Lutron Electronics. Around Awad’s eighth birthday, Lutron extended an offer to work for the company in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, and the family decided to move there.
Argentinian culture is completely different from here. In many ways, America is a new world, even though I was born here. Just going to the supermarket is an experience. —Fernando Quiroga spring 2013 19
Despite being a world away, Awad knew she wanted to go to college in the U.S., and Penn State was at the top of the list. “My family is big on football and big on Penn State. Two of my cousins are graduates of the Smeal College of Business, and one currently works at Air Products,” said Awad. “My family definitely had an impact on my decision.” To help ease the transition, Awad moved back to Allentown to live with family and attend Dieruff High School for her senior year. She is now looking forward to moving to University Park to complete her communication sciences and disorders degree and become a speech therapist or audiologist.
Cultural Shift With people all over the world networking daily on Facebook, using Skype to conduct business, and even shopping at Walmart in some nations, you might think that our cultural differences are starting to disappear, too. But according to these students, the American experience is vastly different from what they are used to. From the education system, to social customs, to food, being young adults in America has required some adaptation. “In Abu Dhabi the fashion is different; the way you interact with friends is
Fernando Quiroga Buenos Aires, Argentina different. It isn’t a land of opportunity in the respect that you can own property no matter where you come from. You can’t buy a home unless you are truly from there,” said Awad. “Argentinian culture is completely different from here,” said Quiroga. “In many ways, America is a new world, even though I was born here. Just going to the supermarket is an experience.”
Abeniacar also misses living in the urban environment of Madrid, where she could walk almost anywhere she needed to go. Awad often longs for the close proximity to the beach that living in Abu Dhabi provided. And Quiroga misses the native music of Argentina, including the tango it is so famous for. They have all, however, embraced their participation in the Penn State community and look forward to taking advantage of other opportunities that the University offers. Quiroga says he has felt very welcomed at the Lehigh Valley campus, and hopes to become involved in campus athletics. Awad decided very early on that she wanted to be a leader at the campus. “At our new student orientation, I looked at the older student volunteers and thought, ‘I want be like them. I want to leave a mark on this campus, even though I’m only here for two years.’ I became an admissions assistant, a Lion Ambassador, and joined other clubs.” Both she and Abeniacar have been heavily involved in another Penn State tradition: THON. This year, Awad served as the campus THON chair, while Abeniacar was treasurer. Their efforts helped to break the campus fundraising total and contributed to another record-breaking overall total of more than $12 million. “I had never experienced anything like THON in Spain. To see so many people volunteering for the same cause was amazing, and I really wanted to be a part of it,” said Abeniacar. When asked about their plans after Penn State, none of these students would give a definitive answer to what part of the world they’d like their future to take place in. They are all keeping their options open, and their passports ready, if necessary. Perhaps that openness is a result of their parents’ examples. Perhaps it is also another example of how ‘small’ our world is becoming. They view the world as accessible, and borders are not obstacles; they are opportunities.
“The food culture has definitely been one of the biggest adjustments for me,” said Abeniacar. “We eat a lot more fresh foods in Spain. Even McDonald’s tastes different here.”
Angela Awad Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates 20 Tr adition
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Giving the World a CHANCE
When the CHANCE program, Connecting Humans and Nature through Conservation Experiences, was founded in 2004, its mission already emphasized a global view of environmental sustainability. After all, conservation issues do not end at our backyard fence. But you have to start somewhere. For CHANCE’s founding director, Jacqueline McLaughlin, associate professor of biology at Penn State Lehigh Valley, it was in the science classrooms of Pennsylvania’s schools and with undergraduate Penn State students. Now entering its ninth year, CHANCE has evolved beyond Pennsylvania’s borders to reach across the United States and across the globe with its mission of transforming the teaching and learning of environmental science by using research as the catalyst. 22 Tr adition
What is CHANCE? CHANCE began as a partnership between Penn State and the Pennsylvania Department of Education that would address the need to train the state’s high school teachers in the areas of conservation and environmental science in an innovative way, beyond classroom walls and textbooks. Underpinning the goals of the program is the belief that true comprehension of scientific concepts is greatly enhanced by the promotion of scientific inquiry methods (research itself). In essence, the concept is a lot more engaging and better understood when you can see it applied in the real world. The main tools that the program uses to accomplish this have not changed since CHANCE began. The first is a series of online learning modules that are freely accessible to educators to use in their classrooms. Targeted toward high school and undergraduate students, they cover broad scientific concepts, like global warming, species extinction, biodiversity, and invasive plant species, by employing the very specific, very real, research strategies of scientists in the field. Using real data sets and real-world ecosystems, high school students now take on the role of global-minded researcher. “These tools are filling the niche in the transition from simple inquiry-based learning, like textbooks, to professional science practice,” said McLaughlin, who also storyboards and edits the CHANCE modules. “Furthermore, these modules are being created by some very respected names
in the science world. How many high school students can say they learned from a Nobel laureate?” The laureate she is referring to is paleoclimatologist Dr. Richard Alley, Evan Pugh Professor of Geosciences at Penn State, who worked with McLaughlin and partners to develop the module, “Global Warming: Turning Up the Heat,” geared toward advanced placement biology and undergraduate science students. The second tool in the CHANCE toolbox invites high school teachers and Penn State undergrads to gain confidence in teaching these concepts through research-based, hands-on, international field courses. They utilize an experiential learning model that includes pre-trip assignments, a 17-day practicum, and post-trip assignments. To date, CHANCE has traveled to Costa Rica, Panama, and China for field experiences. Participants who complete the course become CHANCE fellows and part of a growing community that includes more than 130 educators and 150 undergraduates from across the state, nation, and now the world. For Robert Bekesy, a middle school teacher in Boyertown School District, becoming a CHANCE fellow provided professional training that made him feel more qualified to teach conservation and research. “I decided to participate because I thought, well, I teach the science fair, I teach research, and I teach conservation, but I don’t have any real research background,” said Bekesy. “So how could I run the whole science fair and grade 100 students when I don’t have any real experience myself? What better way for me to learn how to teach it than to actually experience it myself.”
How the world began to take a CHANCE
Dr. McLaughlin at the 13th Annual Outreach Scholarship Conference, University of Alabama, September 30–October 3, 2012
The internationalization of the CHANCE program can be attributed to a number of factors. Perhaps the most important factor is that the program has refused to be stagnant—it is constantly evolving, adapting, and innovating itself to remain a relevant leader in promoting a new way of educating people about conservation science. The agent of that evolution is McLaughlin herself. By seeking out new partnerships to support CHANCE’s mission, as well as reporting on
“What better way for me to learn how to teach [conservation research] than to actually experience it myself.” —Robert Bekesy, middle school teacher in
Boyertown School District the program’s progress through published scholarly articles and presentations, CHANCE has taken on a life of its own. “The challenge that spurred the creation of CHANCE is a challenge faced by educators on a global level, and the program is becoming a model and resource for their own efforts,” said McLaughlin. A prime example of this is the program’s partnership with Jiangnan University in Wuxi, China. In 2010, CHANCE offered a new embedded field course in China that has led Jiangnan to become a lead academic partner to the program. The original field course gave Penn State students an exciting opportunity to work side by side with Chinese students to gain an interdisciplinary and international understanding of the correlation between global economic growth and its impact on the environment. Specifically, the students performed handson research on the water pollution and eutrophication realities of Lake Taihu— continued on next page spring 2013 23
China’s third largest fresh water lake and a major source of water for Wuxi City, the second most industrialized region in China. Since then, McLaughlin has been invited back to Jiangnan to co-teach an environmental science course that she developed with colleagues. Additionally, students and faculty from Jiangnan got their own study abroad experience by joining the CHANCE program at Yellowstone National Park in Montana during the summer of 2012. With Ecology Project International as a major partner, they studied wildlife ecology and land and water preservation in our nation’s first National State Park. Most recently, McLaughlin was invited by the Universidade de Coruña (UDC), Coruña, Spain, to present CHANCE to the institution’s science faculty. While there, she will also lead a faculty development workshop on the use of high-end inquiry learning in undergraduate research and how to “transform” undergraduate learning environments, including classrooms, laboratories, online interfaces, and fieldbased programs using this pedagogical approach. She and UDC faculty and administrators will also explore the possibility of partnerships that could open new frontiers for future CHANCE fellows. Making every past, present, and future CHANCE opportunity available would not be possible, McLaughlin stresses, without the support of a growing network of corporate and scientific partners and sponsors. “From our local partners, like Plantique, Hawk Mountain Sanctuary, and the Wildlands Conservancy, to international organizations like Sanofi Pasteur, Dow Chemical Company, and the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI), CHANCE thrives because of its partners, who offer their resources in so many different ways—financial, physical, and otherwise,” said McLaughlin.
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Connecting… and staying connected As the CHANCE community of fellows and programs became more widespread, the need for a dedicated and accessible space to contain all the information surrounding its opportunities became a necessity. In 2011, chance.psu.edu underwent a complete makeover. The new website, funded by one of the program’s corporate partners, ATAS International, Inc., showcases the CHANCE mission and provides up-to-date information to the community. “We created a user-specific information structure for the three main populations we serve: K–6 pre-service and in-service teachers, 7–12 pre-service and in-service teachers, and Penn State University and other world-wide undergraduates,” said McLaughlin. “This new site allows the user to easily learn about the courses and resources that are most relevant to them.” The website, designed by Michelle Lynn, features videos, a newswire, course descriptions, professional resources and development opportunities, and outreach activities. The homepage also streams the program’s most recent Facebook updates, another online tool keeping the CHANCE community connected. The program’s more robust online presence may have also contributed to a ‘chance’ connection for it and Nurul Salmi, instructor of biology at Universiti Sains Malaysia, Penang, Malaysia. “I have always been interested in conservation science, sustainability, and environmental literacy, and how they are interlinked. In Malaysia, these topics are very much in their infancy and there is not much opportunity for exposure, learning, and hands-on experience,” said Salmi. “During the summer of 2012, I had the opportunity of time, so I wanted to acquire experiential learning, training, program development, and knowledge sharing in these aspects. The wonders of online resources helped me get connected with Dr. McLaughlin and Penn State’s vast resources.”
What followed is, according to McLaughlin, a “wonderful example of educational outreach and community partners.” McLaughlin and a number of CHANCE partners embraced Salmi’s desire for professional development by offering her a summer jam-packed with rich opportunities for hands-on experience. Her adventure began by volunteering at Hawk Mountain Sanctuary in Kempton, Pa., where she was mentored by Dr. Keith L. Bildstein, director of conservation science at the Sarkis Acopian Center, and explored environmental education and raptor conservation efforts in different parts of the world. From there she shadowed McLaughlin and interacted with Penn State and Jiangnan students throughout the 2012 CHANCE field courses in Panama and Yellowstone. “In the Greater Yellowstone for Wildlife Ecology program, I got insights into wildlife conservation and preservation, complex human-wildlife issues, and how decisions affect biodiversity management, not to mention camping in some of the most beautiful backcountry areas,” said Salmi. She closed her experience at Penn State Shaver’s Creek Environmental Center in Petersburg, Pa. There she learned about designing nature education programs, ecological literacy, nature interpretation methods, community engagement, and administration of an environmental center under the direction of Mark McLaughlin, director of Shaver’s Creek Environmental Center. “I hope to use these experiences as inspiration and models for developing academic programs for my own students and my university,” said Salmi. “I also want to engage local schools and communities in nature education and promote ecological literacy so that we can all make better decisions every day and contribute to make this Earth a better place to live.”
On the horizon Throughout its near decade history, CHANCE and its founder have also been recognized on the University, state, and national level. These accolades, paired with increasing global interest in the program, reinforce the value of the CHANCE mission and help poise it for a bright future.
“There is an unquestionable need to educate every citizen on this planet on environmental issues in order to sustain our living world as we know it.” —Jacqueline McL aughlin
While always enhancing its present offerings, ideas for a new field course in Africa, new research modules presented in various languages, MOOCs, faculty research, and teaching collaborations are on the table right now with several of CHANCE’s key partners. “There is an unquestionable need to educate every citizen on this planet on environmental issues in order to sustain our living world as we know it,” said McLaughlin. “And so, I hope CHANCE continues for years to come to positively impact our world through its mission to enhance the teaching and learning of environmental science through real-world, research-based practices.” Top: Students hike through Yellowstone, taking in breathtaking vistas at each turn. Right: Nurul Salmi smiles for the camera during a research outing in Yellowstone. spring 2013 25
calendar
calendar of events
This calendar is accurate as of press time. All events located at Penn State Lehigh Valley campus unless otherwise noted.
Looking to re-engage with Penn State alumni in the Lehigh Valley? Join us for events marked with a paw. For more information, visit www.psulvalumni.org. June 20
Blue & White Night
6–8 p.m. Cosmopolitan in Allentown. Alumni gather at a different venue for happy hour each month. June 29
Car Wash Looking for that
May 1–25
ASD Goes to PSU 3rd–5th
grade students from McKinley Elementary School will exhibit art created during the PSU visiting artist program. May 30–June 27
Techno-LOVE A
collaborative art exhibition by the AP portfolio art students from Palisades and Southern Lehigh High Schools. Reception: June 4, 5–7 p.m. June 3
Penn State Lehigh Valley Golf Tournament Annual
Golf Tournament to support Penn State Lehigh Valley athletic teams. 8 a.m. Brookside Country Club in Macungie. June 8
Mini Golf Penn State Style Bring the family for an
evening of mini golf at Putt U. 3:30 p.m.
new car shine? Come out for a quick car wash from our very own students. All proceeds benefit the THON organization as they prepare to fundraise for the upcoming year. Begins at 10:30 a.m. Auto-Zone in Whitehall. July 8–19
Summer Youth Camps
Academic camps for students entering grades 1–12. Twoweek format. All camps run for ten half-day sessions, Monday through Friday. More info is available at www.sycroar.org.
July 14
Penn State Lehigh Valley BBQ Alumni, recent grads, and entering freshmen are invited to attend this celebration of all things Blue & White. 1 p.m., Upper Macungie Park, off Rt. 100. July 15–August 9
Penn State Lehigh Valley Student Exhibition Artwork created in the various studio art courses at the campus. Media include: drawing, painting, photography, metalwork, ceramics, sculpture, and graphic design. Reception: July 24, 5–7 p.m. August 22
Phil Grosz Night Hosted by the Lehigh Valley Alumni Chapter. Rodeway Inn. August 26–October 11
Words as Images This
exhibition features a group of artists who often rely on text to create visual images. The words are presented in a visual context encouraging the viewer to look closer into the image and probe their meaning. Reception: September 11.
October 15
Oktoberfest Food, beer
tasting, and Penn State trivia from 6–8 p.m. at Dunderbak’s in the Lehigh Valley Mall. October 26
TV Tailgate: PSU at Ohio State Catch this away game with fellow alums and friends of Penn State in the Lehigh Valley. Location TBD.
August 31
PSU vs. Syracuse Chapter
July 9
bus trip to this game. MetLife Stadium; East Rutherford, NJ.
Valley Chapter of the Alumni Association as they cheer on the Iron Pigs at Coca-Cola Park.
September 27–29 Celtic Classic Volunteer with Alumni Society members during the annual Downtown Bethlehem festival.
Penn State Night at Iron Pigs Join the Lehigh
Is it a Chicken? Or is it a Lion? Log on to B104.com before June 7 and vote for the Nittany Lion in the radio station’s “Chicken Dancing with the Stars” contest! Our mascot will be up against other local mascots to get the most votes for his video showing his own version of the Chicken Dance.
September 28
Diverse Literacies Conference Nurturing
Diverse Learners through Student-Centered Instruction. Keynote speaker: Yetta Goodman. www. diverseliteracies.org for info. Bear Creek Resort and Conference Center, Macungie.
October 28–December 20
The 8th Street Bridge Turns 100 Years This
exhibition will commemorate the 100th anniversary of the opening of the Albertus Meyers Bridge in Allentown. This bridge, commonly referred to as the 8th Street Bridge, was dedicated on November 17, 1913. Reception and community event: November 17. November 8
Dance for a Cure 2nd annual
Alumni Society event benefiting THON and the Four Diamonds Fund. 8 p.m.–1 a.m. MIXX Nightclub. November 21
Fall Berkey Creamery Ice Cream Delivery Watch for
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new order forms coming this September.
SUMMER YOUTH CAMPS For students entering grades 1–12 Two-week format, mornings & afternoons All camps run for ten half-day sessions
July 8–19, 2013
Entering Grade 1
Entering Grades 7, 8 & 9
Literacy Lab Adventures in reading, writing, experimenting, and summer fun focusing on helpful skills for young learners.
Rocketry Learn the principles of how rockets work as well as how to design and build model rockets.
Entering Grades 2 & 3 Drama Dabblers An enriched learning experience using drama as the writing genre of choice. Camping Trip Chronicles Campers will bring the outdoors inside as we swap stories and sing our songs around the “campfire.”
Entering Grades 4, 5 & 6 Kidventions Hands-on activities will challenge campers to plan, build, and test their inventive ideas. Detective Diaries: Forensic Files Edition Experience different elements of the mystery genre and incorporate them into detective fiction, all while trying to solve a two-week “whodunit.” Clay and Sculptural Creations Discover the world of three-dimensional art. Explore sculptural form working with a variety of materials. Drawing, Painting, and Sculpting Pop-Up Books Create drawings and paintings that will become part of a simple pop-up book.
Tales and Trails of Treasure Hunting Hunt for caches, design containers, and discover more about the many types of treasure hunts that await the challenger. Robotics Spend the afternoon in our Engineering Lab, beginning with a classroom lesson, followed by handson lab activities.
Entering Grades 9, 10, 11 & 12 High School Writers Workshop A true writing workshop in which writers create and share their writing. Explore the craft and process of writing. World of Math Open the doors to hidden patterns, brain teasers, and more in this camp that offers math enrichment and SAT review for a range of abilities and interests.
**Extended care option available mornings beginning at 8 a.m. and afternoons until 5:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 5 p.m. Fridays.
For detailed camp descriptions and registration information, visit us online at www.sycroar.org or call us at 610-285-5058. Penn State is committed to affirmative action, equal opportunity, and the diversity of its workforce. U.Ed. LVO 13.81
The Big Picture +85%
1.4%
945
3.2%
78
+17%
Growth in enrollment for Penn State Lehigh Valley from 2007 to 2012.
Enrollment for Penn State Lehigh Valley for the 2012–13 academic year.
Penn State Lehigh Valley Students studied abroad in the spring and summer semesters in 2012 and 2013.
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of all Penn State University students who study abroad are Lehigh Valley students.
of Penn State Lehigh Valley students study abroad.
Increase of Penn State Lehigh Valley students enrolled in study abroad from 2012 to 2013.
36+
locations outisde the continental U.S. that are the birthplace of Penn State Lehigh Valley community members. (See the Google Earth Project at www.lv.psu. edu/googleproject) Afghanistan Albania Bosnia Brazil Canada China Columbia Croatia Dominican Republic Ecuador Egypt El Salvador
Germany Greece Haiti Hong Kong India Iran Italy Jamaica Kenya Lebanon Mexico Nicaragua
Norway Pakistan Peru Poland Puerto Rico Syria Taiwan Turkey Ukraine Venezuela Vietnam
0.0000000008% Earth taken up by the Penn State Lehigh Valley campus (rounded up).
1.2%
of all Penn State University students are Penn State Lehigh Valley students.
8,879
Penn State University alumni reported living outside the United States in 2012.
We are... everywhere.
Did you know that a team of Penn State researchers spent much of the Antarctic summer, which runs from December to February, camped out on the Pine Island Glacier ice shelf? They were mapping the ocean cavity beneath the ice shelf.
spring 2013  29
Nonprofit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Permit No. 166 Lehigh Valley, PA
2809 Saucon Valley Road Center Valley, PA 18034-8447
6.30.14 Time is running out to show your support for Penn State Lehigh Valley students through a gift to For the Future: The Campaign for Penn State Students. This effort is directed toward a shared vision of Penn State as the most comprehensive, student-centered research university in America. Our alumni and friends are becoming our partners in achieving six key objectives: ensuring student access and opportunity, enhancing honors education, enriching the student experience, building faculty strength and capacity, fostering discovery and creativity, and sustaining the University’s tradition of quality. With your gift, you can help Penn State Lehigh Valley to reach our goal of raising $3 million by June 30, 2014—and our goal of creating opportunities for future generations.
For more information: Maureen Joly, Director of Development
msj13@psu.edu Phone: 610-285-5039 www.lv.psu.edu/Giving/giving.htm