Interim Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs
CREDITS
Editor: Justin Zackal, interim assistant director of communication, University Communication and Public Affairs.
Designer: Sandy Busch, graphic communication director; Megan Cassioli, graphic communication assistant director, University Communication and Public Affairs.
Contributors/Editorial Assistance: Lisa Gray, administrative assistant, University Communication and Public Affairs; Steve Radick, BCW Global; Rachel Burnett, BCW Global. Photographers: Mike Schnelle, visual communication director, University Communication and Public Affairs; Alumni Relations; SRU alumni.
SPRING 2023
The ROCK is an Educational Advertising, Collegiate Advertising and CUPRAP (Cuppie) award winner.
THE ROCK
The ROCK is published two times annually by the Office of University Communication and Public Affairs for friends and alumni of the University. Send address changes to: Slippery Rock University University Communication and Public Affairs
1 Morrow Way 104 Maltby Avenue, Suite 201 Slippery Rock, PA 16057
ABOUT THE COVER:
Carolyn Rizza, the late SRU professor and equestrian center benefactor, riding her horse, Dutch Harbor (photo by Abigail Foltz). Rizza passed away Dec. 27, 2022. See page 16.
SAP STORY
Shawn Davis, a Slippery Rock University associate professor of biology, and his wife, Carolyn, boil tree sap at SRU’s Macoskey Center. Davis teaches an ecology class at SRU in which students analyze how weather affects maple syrup production.
rock quarry
Karen Riley, next SRU President, starts July 1
The search for the next president of Slippery Rock University is complete. The Board of Governors of Pennsylvania‘s State System of Higher Education unanimously selected Karen Riley to be the next SRU president. Her appointment takes effect July 1, 2023.
Riley will succeed William Behre, who has been SRU president since 2018. Behre announced in February 2022 he would retire on June 30, 2023. Following a nationwide search, four candidates interviewed on campus and two were recommended to the SRU trustees. Following trustee approval, the Board of Governors selected Riley.
Since 2021, Riley has been provost and chief academic officer at Regis University in Denver, Colorado. Prior to that she was dean of the College of Education at the University of Denver from 2014-21. Riley earned a bachelor‘s degree in psychology at Colorado State University and then a master‘s degree in early childhood special education and a doctorate in educational psychology from the University of Denver. Her husband, Steve, is a western Pennsylvania native.
More details about Riley will appear in the next issue of The Rock magazine.
Centered on Success
Renovations to the former University Union building at SRU will begin this spring. SRU renamed the building the Campus Success Center in anticipation of a $19.4 million renovation project that will be completed in 2024.
Upon its completed renovation, the Campus Success Center will house the following offices:
• Office of Disability Services
• Financial Aid Office
• Student Support Office
• Mailing Services
• Parking Office
• Student Counseling Center
• Center for Career and Academic Progress
• Student Health Center
• Shell spaces for future development
“The Campus Success Center will serve as a centralized location for students to access resources they need to be
success ful,” said Scott Albert, associate vice president for facilities, environmental safety and sustainability. “This will im prove our existing space with better place ment of offices that will create more opportunities for collaboration and flexibility.”
Built in 1970, the former University Union has been a gathering place for SRU students, faculty, staff and the community for the last 50 years. Many functional areas in the building, including the bookstore and Rocky‘s Grille, relocated in 2012 when the Smith Student Center opened. Most recently, the building housed the Office of Disability Services, Mailing Services, and the Parking Office, which have been temporarily relocated elsewhere on campus during the renovation.
The former University Union under went two expansions in 1994 and 2001, when the bookstore and Rocky‘s Grille were added, respectively, but no major renovations have occurred in the last 20 years.
FILES rock
LeAnn Penn, ’17, Bachelor of Science, biology
HOME: Born and raised in Andover, Ohio. I am currently living in Bethesda, Maryland.
PROFESSION: I am a first lieutenant in the Pennsylvania Army National Guard. After being selected to attend the Interservice Physician Assistant Program at Fort Sam Houston in Texas, I’m about to begin my first job as a physician assistant in pediatric emergency medicine with U.S. Acute Care Solutions at Shady Grove Adventist Hospital in Rockville, Maryland.
HOBBIES: I have been highly involved in local Christian Bible study groups and volunteerism. I also have a weakness for animal rescue, as I have two “fur-babies” of my own: Chance, a golden retriever mix, and Stella, a silver kitten.
ACCOMPLISHMENTS: Completing my Master of Physician Assistant Studies through IPAP was one of the most daunting challenges I have ever undertaken. The only thing that could have prepared me for this program was completing my undergraduate degree in biology from SRU within three years while earning my commission through ROTC.
WHY I GIVE: I decided to create a scholarship while completing my senior semester at SRU. I realized that I was the only biology student who was in ROTC at that time. It was extremely demanding to do both! I want to help those who are working hard for their bachelor’s degree in biology or chemistry while at the same time serving our country. It is because of the foundation SRU laid in my life that I continue to excel in the all of the incredible opportunities that God has provided for me.
Retro Rocky
SRU raised more than $22,000 for student scholarships as part of the Rally for Rocky campaign. As part of the campaign, the University’s retired mascot, Rocky I, made a special, one-time appearance on campus during Homecoming weekend in October after the campaign goal was met. Rocky I is an anthropomorphic rock with a green and white stocking cap that served as SRU’s mascot from the early 1980s before retiring in 2000.
Alumni Weekend is June 23-25
Join fellow Rock alumni and come back to campus, June 23-25, for SRU Alumni Weekend. Organized by SRU's Alumni Engagement Office and the SRU Alumni Association, this threeday gathering includes classes, food-tasting events and other exclusive programs designed for alumni. Come for one event or spend the entire weekend on campus. It’s also a time to celebrate. This year, SRU is celebrating the 50th reunion of the Class of 1973, as well as any alumni who missed their 50th, along with special reunions of The Green and White Society and the SRU water polo team. All class years ending in 3 or 8 will also be recognized at a special reunion celebration party. Learn more or register online rockalumnievents.com/alumniweekend, or contact the Alumni Engagement Office at 1-800.GET.ROCK or alumni@sru.edu.
Rank U. Very Much
SRU continues to be recognized in several national rankings. In The U.S. News & World Report 2022-23 Best Colleges rankings, SRU ranked 85th on the “Best Regional Universities North” list and 24th in the “Top Public Schools - Regional Universities North” list. SRU also ranked 16th among regional universities in the North for “Most Innovative Schools.”
But those aren’t the only lists on which SRU appeared. Washington Monthly placed SRU 105th out of more than 600 master’s-level universities in the country, as well as a “Best Bang for the Buck” college. SRU also made the Princeton Review’s “Best Northeastern” list, joining only 23% of the nation's fouryear colleges to earn the distinction of “regional best.”
NEW LINE OF DUTY
SRU student and local police chief answers the call to become a teacher
First responders run to where help is needed most. Sometimes that means going where few others are willing to go, where danger lurks on the other side of the door. Police officers like Jeff Hollidge do this every time they serve an arrest warrant. The 35-yearold has spent his 12-year career in law enforcement running to danger. But now, as a student at Slippery Rock University, Hollidge is running to a different kind of uncertainty and need. He is changing his career and becoming a school teacher.
“I haven‘t lost my passion for law enforcement, I just see a greater passion to educate children,” said Hollidge, a junior dual major in early childhood and special education from Pleasantville, who is currently the police chief of the Harrisville Police Department. “Our future, and the future of our children, depends on our current education system and having teachers in the schools.”
5, who will rely on the school system in the coming years.
“The teacher shortage right now is very, very real,” Hollidge said. “COVID really impacted the schools with teachers leaving the profession. It opened my eyes and I started asking myself, ‛What kind of future are kids going to have if they don‘t have education?‘ That was the biggest factor in me deciding to become a teacher.”
the day at school. That‘s one advantage I can bring is knowing the cause of some of these problems and the importance of being a role model as well as an educator in the classroom.”
He also said that despite his chiseled jaw and shaved head, he can relate to children more than what most people might think.
“People say I have a military or police officer look,” Hollidge said. “It can be a false representation because people don‘t understand that I have this super fun side. I love being goofy and acting like a little kid. I can be just like a kindergartner sometimes.”
“ Our future, and the future of our children, depends on our current education system and having teachers in the schools.”
As a police officer who has often referred people to children and youth services agencies, Hollidge saw the critical need for children to have strong mentors in the classrooms.
Hollidge is personally impacted by the shortage of teachers in Pennsylvania, which are down 66% in the last decade (see page 11). His wife, Eva, is a teacher, and they have two children, ages 1 and
“I‘ve seen very deplorable conditions when entering homes,” Hollidge said. “Kids might not have stable families and when they come to school that could result in behavioral problems. Or they might be getting their only hot meal of
The transition from police officer to teacher isn‘t as dramatic as what you might see in the movies.
“They are definitely both thankless jobs, but I‘ve never been the type of person who looks for a pat on the back or take credit for anything,” Hollidge said. “I try to do my job to the best that I could possibly do it and make sure everyone‘s safe and happy. That carries from both law enforcement and education.”
After graduating from Oil City High School in 2006, Hollidge studied criminal justice at Clarion University. He
left Clarion before graduating to enroll in the police academy because he was tired of sitting in classes and he wanted to start working. He became a police officer in 2010 and served first with the Thiel College campus police, then Emlenton Borough Police Department and eventually in the Venango County Sheriff‘s Office as a warrant officer for nine years.
“It can be very dangerous work,” Hollidge said. “You don‘t know when you make a traffic stop that you could be walking up to the nicest person in the world or a career criminal. When I leave my house each day, I probably tell my wife and kids ‛I love you‘ 10 times before I walk out the door. I feel like I can‘t say it enough because I don‘t know if I‘m going to come home.”
had a ton of positive things to say about the instructors, and I have some of them in class currently. I can relate to all the things she told me about the professors and I see how she benefitted. SRU has great programs for teacher preparation and I want to get the best education as possibly can get for my new profession.”
“Jeff will be an outstanding teacher,” said Joseph Merhaut, associate professor of special education, who had both Holllidges as students in his classes.
and with our time?‘” said Hollidge, who enrolled at SRU in 2020. “Our second child wasn‘t born yet, and we had to figure out how we are going to support the family, even figuring out who‘s going to take care of the dog when my wife is at work and I‘m in college all day. But once I make my mind up on something, I‘m very determined to fulfill that.”
“ When I leave my house each day, I probably tell my wife and kids
’I love you‘ 10 times before I walk out the door. I feel like I can‘t say it enough because I don‘t know if I‘m going to come home. ”
When Hollidge told his wife that he wanted to join her as a teacher in 2020, she thought he was joking at first, but after a few serious discussions, Hollidge decided to enroll at SRU, where Eva got her degree in elementary education in 2011.
“She‘s the reason I came here,” Hollidge said. “She was extremely happy with the program (at SRU) and
“He‘s an excellent student. As a police officer I can see similarities in that he has to be consistent and fair to people and follow the rules. It‘s more challenging than ever to be teacher or a police officer. We need more people like Jeff entering both of those professions.”
Still, making the transition to go back to college wasn‘t an easy decision for Hollidge and his family.
“Even after I decided that this is what I want to do, we had to ask, ̓How are we going to make it happen financially
In 2020, Hollidge started working as a police officer in Harrisville Borough, an eight-minute drive from Slippery Rock, so he could pick up 30-40 hours of work each week between classes. He was later promoted to chief of the department, adding even more responsibility. But he‘s making it work, balancing classes, work and taking care of a family with two children who haven‘t started school, but they will by the time their father is a teacher. He said it‘s not a matter of if he graduates but when. He‘s on schedule to graduate in spring 2024.
“This will by far be the hardest thing I‘ve ever done in my life, but it‘ll most definitely be worth it,” Hollidge said.
SRUteachersdispatches to meet needs
370 Pennsylvania Teacher Certificates awarded to SRU grads in 2021, most from any college in the state
1,119 Education undergrads at SRU, most since 2014-15
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is issuing 66% fewer teacher certifications than it did just a decade ago. This, combined with a surge in teacher retirements over the last few years, has created an alarming shortage of teachers in school districts across the state. Slippery Rock University, a longtime leader in teacher preparation, is the premier institution for helping future teachers meet the challenges of the profession and meeting the needs of the workforce.
According to the most recent count by the Pennsylvania Department of Education, SRU graduates earned 370 teacher certificates in 2021, which is more than any of the 96 schools in the state with teacher education programs.
The number of undergraduate education majors at SRU has remained relatively steady in the last decade. In fact, the 1,119 enrolled in fall 2022 was the highest in the last seven years. However, SRU also provides a path for career changers through graduate programs.
SRU‘s secondary education graduate programs are designed for career changers who have a bachelor‘s degree or appropriate coursework in math, science, social studies and English. Completion of a program will lead to a master‘s degree and can lead to state certification. Most students complete online programs in one calendar year of full-time study, beginning with the first summer session. All of SRU‘s College of Education master‘s programs are offered online for the convenience of working professionals.
“ I’ve had countless conversations with graduates who came to SRU after starting a career in a different field or needing to gain traction as a teacher, and they graduate from our programs with the confidence and skills needed to succeed.”
–
Keith Dils, dean of the College of Education
“We provide our teacher candidates with tailored coaching and feedback based on the latest research, using the latest technologies and following the time-tested approaches used by the great teachers,” said Keith Dils, dean of the College of Education. “I‘ve had countless conversations with graduates who came to SRU after starting a career in a different field or needing to gain traction as a teacher, and they graduate from our programs with the confidence and skills needed to succeed.”
Engineered for Success
Nearly 200 students are now enrolled in engineering programs at Slippery Rock University. Since launching its first engineering program in 2016, SRU now offers four engineering majors: civil, mechanical, petroleum and natural gas, and industrial and systems. These programs are geared toward meeting the needs of students and employers in the region.
In addition to being one of the most affordable engineering programs in the region, SRU’s programs are designed to prepare its students to immediately join the workforce. The four-year tuition for engineering at SRU is less than half the cost of most schools within a two-hour driving radius of campus. Students would not only pay more to attend schools out-of-state or in the city, but programs at those schools tend to also be more focused on theory and graduate-school preparation.
SRU engineering students work for employers such as Wabtec, Westinghouse, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, and natural gas companies headquartered in the region, and they have jobs waiting for them after graduation. Here are some examples of current students and recent alumni from SRU’s School of Engineering who have landed jobs:
KARAH DONAHEY, ’23, CIVIL ENGINEERING
Karah Donahey is a 33-year-old, self-described “soccer mom” who started working in the construction industry not long after graduating from high school. After working her way up to a supervisor position, she felt she needed something more: a college degree.
Donahey, who became a full-time student at SRU in 2020, is well on her way with a job offer waiting for her as a civil engineer for PennDOT after she graduates. Donahey interned at PennDOT between semesters at SRU, contributing to the bridge-design unit, analyzing hydrology reports and load checks, and ensuring future bridge designs are structurally sound.
“I didn‘t realize how many different routes I could go with an engineering degree until I came to SRU,” Donahey said. “I thought I was coming here to be a civil engineer, but I can go into environmental, geotechnical, or structural engineering, or even project management, where you can apply a little bit of everything and not just specialize in one thing.”
JACOB SOUTHWICK, ’23, CIVIL ENGINEERING
Jacob Southwick is another PennDOT intern who has a full-time job as a civil engineer waiting for him after graduation. But unlike Donahey, Southwick came to SRU directly from high school with a more specific plan.
“I want a job where I can get my hands dirty and not be stuck in an office all day,” Southwick said. “I got this internship with PennDOT early in my time at SRU because I knew this is where I wanted to be. I have a passion to make a difference in the transportation and government sectors and helping them work better. I’m excited to start.”
Southwick values his SRU education and the direct path to employment and, as a first-generation college student, the affordability.
“When I was looking at colleges, I wanted a solid education that would be close to home and at a good cost,” Southwick said. “Choosing to go to SRU was a no-brainer.”
CAYMAN KELLY, ’22, PETROLEUM AND NATURAL GAS ENGINEERING
Raised by parents who worked blue- and whitecollar jobs, Cayman Kelly is combining those functions as a data analyst in an industry known for its hardhat workers. Kelly is an associate engineer at CNX Resources in Canonsburg, where her job could also be considered a “green collar” job because she’s helping to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Kelly began working full-time at CNX as an intern during her senior year at SRU. After graduating, she transitioned to her current role with CNX’s New Technologies group where she aggregates and analyzes data to support the development team. This helps them estimate costs of projects and make commercial decisions.
As part of the first cohort of SRU‘s petroleum and natural gas engineering program, Kelly credits her professors at SRU for preparing her for her career.
“My SRU professors encouraged and empowered me to take on new challenges and prioritized industry experience throughout my education,” Kelly said. “They supported me, gave me confidence in my abilities, and pushed me to be a creative problem solver.”
ESTEBAN RAMIREZ, ’20, INDUSTRIAL AND SYSTEMS ENGINEERING
Raised in Texas, Esteban Ramirez was encouraged to enroll at SRU after his mother moved to western Pennsylvania to become a nurse. He’s glad he did.
Ramirez is now a scheduler for Heeter, a printing and data solutions company in Canonsburg. Managing his clients’ printing projects is not the first type of job people think engineers do.
“If you get into civil engineering, you know what your job is going to be, but with industrial engineering it’s a lot like business or statistics – it’s applied,” Ramirez said. “At SRU, I learned a lot about a concept called lean manufacturing. That’s something I use every day. The engineering program is interdisciplinary, and that‘s why I love it so much because it made me more versatile.”
TIFFANY JOLAYEMI, ’23, INDUSTRIAL AND SYSTEMS ENGINEERING
A thrower on the SRU track and field team, Tiffany Jolayemi will soon trade discus and hammer rotations for a variety of roles at Wabtec, a rail technology company headquartered in Pittsburgh.
She’ll become a lead operations intern at Wabtec after graduating in the spring, rotating between quality sourcing, technical, supervisory and other positions around the country, all of which will lead to a permanent placement within the company. She previously held a summer internship at Wabtec in 2022, where she worked at a call center diagnosing problems with locomotives. This led to a full-time job offer following her graduation.
Her transition to the workplace figures to be as smooth as her acclimation to SRU.
“There are fewer than 20 students in a lot of my classes, so you get that personal feel,” Jolayemi said. “And, the students help set the pace, instead of it entirely being on the professor to cover the topics. It’s nice when everyone‘s on the same page.”
JOSH SALADA, ’23, MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
Josh Salada (right) worked in SRU’s 3D Printing Lab, where he conducted facultystudent research on a project related to additive manufacturing, a process that helps small businesses make their own parts. Needing only one course to graduate this spring, he’s already working full-time as an engineer for Miller Fabrication Solutions, a family-owned metal fabricating company.
“I really benefit from having a broad, liberal arts education around all the engineering principles,” Salada said. “It’s about having knowledge in my toolbox and applying different theories and bringing that into my work. There‘s plenty of opportunity in engineering no matter where you go. You can branch out and do anything you want.”
KEY STATS ABOUT THE SRU SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING
CURRENT SRU ENGINEERING MAJORS (191)
• 81 – Mechanical Engineering
• 71 – Civil Engineering
• 24 – Petroleum and Natural Gas Engineering
• 15 – Industrial and Systems Engineering
MEDIAN ANNUAL SALARY*
• $95,300 – Mechanical Engineers
• $88,050 – Civil Engineers
• $130,850 – Petroleum Engineers
• $95,300 – Industrial Engineers
*According to national BLS data for 2021
STATISTICS
• $45,697 – Four-year cost of tuition/fees for engineering at SRU
• $106,215 – Average cost of 14 engineering programs within 120 miles of SRU.
• 7.8% – Projected job growth for engineers in Pennsylvania from 2020-30.
Ride of Her Life
Remembering Carolyn Rizza, benefactor of SRU’s Storm Harbor Equestrian Center
Paul Rizza first said hello to Carolyn, a newly hired colleague, in 1975 at the Spotts World Culture Building. It would be hard to imagine then that the two Slippery Rock University professors would still be together 47 years later, nearly 25 years after retiring from the University they served and supported. Carolyn, 78, passed away Dec. 27, 2022, due to complications from autoimmune diseases.
Carolyn, a Texan who owned horses, married Paul in 1979. That’s when Paul began riding Carolyn’s favorite horse, Felony, because she was the type of horse that took care of her rider, slowing down on trails before approaching obstacles like fallen trees and other debris.
“Felony would look back to see if I‘m OK, and then she’d jump,” Paul said. “She was a real caretaker.”
Paul later decided to buy a horse of his own, a halfPercheron, half-Thoroughbred steed named Storm Harbor, for $950.
“Carolyn thought he was too much horse for me, so she started riding him instead,” Paul said. “So then Storm Harbor became her horse and I had Felony.”
The names Rizza and Storm Harbor may sound familiar. That’s because there are now two buildings on SRU’s campus named after them: the former West Hall was renamed Paul and Carolyn Carruth Rizza Hall in 2003, and the equestrian center, built in 2005, was named after Storm Harbor.
“We couldn‘t really name a place on campus ‘Felony’s Equestrian Center,’” said Courtney Gramlich, who has been director of SRU’s Storm Harbor Equestrian Center since 2006. “Storm Harbor was Carolyn’s second choice.”
Gramlich, who was 8 years old when she first met Carolyn, is one of the countless people impacted by Carolyn’s life of altruism, philanthropy, and, of course, horsemanship. The Rizzas have given more than $1 million to the equestrian center, including money to build the center and the
Photos from the Rizza family album include, second from left, Carolyn riding Dutch Harbor, and Carolyn with her husband, Paul, in the late 2000s, and shortly after the couple married in the early 1980s.
endowment to pay its staff. They also funded a 2019 project that expanded the facility to more than 23,700 square feet and stalls for 18 horses.
The SHEC provides equine-assisted activities and equineassisted therapies for children and adults with disabilities, serving people from more than six counties. It also provides SRU students opportunities to serve individuals with disabilities, giving them valuable field experiences
“Carolyn was such a caring and supportive person. She was someone you wanted to have in your corner,” said Gramlich, who took riding lessons at Thornwood Farm in Harrisville, where Carolyn boarded her horses. “I always looked up to her. She had really nice horses and was always showing and foxhunting and going places with her horses. She was so friendly and I wanted to be like her.”
Foxhunting is a sport that dates back to 15th-century England where mounted riders follow a pack of hounds that are hunting a fox by scent. Carolyn took up the sport when she was a college student in North Carolina. She earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Duke University, a master‘s degree in social work from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and a Ph.D. in medical sociology from Duke. Proximity to foxhunting clubs is what led Carolyn to SRU.
“When she was looking for a job, she took a map of the United States and applied only to (colleges) that were close to hunt clubs,” Paul said. “There was a club in Ligonier and Chagrin Valley, Ohio. SRU was in between so she thought it was a good choice.”
The SRU community remains grateful for her choice. Carolyn served on the SRU faculty for 24 years, retiring in 1999 as a professor of sociology and social work and as department chair. Paul, who worked at SRU from 1972-98, was a professor of geography and environmental studies.
Carolyn served the campus and the community in a variety of capacities, from adviser of the equestrian club to president of the Association for Gerontology in Higher Education and a board member of the Butler Visiting Nurses Association. Creating the equestrian center at SRU merged Carolyn’s passion for horses and helping people, particularly those with disabilities.
“She was a staunch supporter of Slippery Rock University and the equestrian center,” Paul said. “(She should be remembered) as a kind person and someone who did a lot for the University.”
“The equestrian center wouldn’t be here without her,” Gramlich said. “But you can’t just look at her legacy as a financial giver. She was also a giver of time. She was very involved and cared for people. She was a diverse person with her giving and her support.”
advocated for underprivileged people and saw humanity everywhere she went.
“She was very caring and generous,” Paul said, “and she would always give people a break whether they deserved it or not.”
Carolyn was also relentless, even late in her life when she couldn’t seem to catch a break. She contracted COVID three times, which was further compounded by the other autoimmune diseases she had. In 2021, she was thrown from her horse, Dutch Harbor, when he was spooked on a trail near Thornwood Farm. Because she was riding alone, Carolyn crawled to a road and waved for help despite having broken ribs, a fractured collarbone and scapula, and a collapsed lung. She had to be airlifted to a Pittsburgh hospital. Following her recovery, she got back up on the horse and resumed riding within a few months.
“It’s been a great life. Thank you for being a part of it!”
The fact that the equestrian center is named after her horse and not her is a testimony to her selflessness.
“She didn’t care that people knew she gave a dollar, let alone a million dollars,” Gramlich said. “She would rather the center be horse-focused and not on her name.”
So what explains West Hall being renamed Carruth Rizza Hall? That answer goes back to her upbringing. Carolyn’s mother, Ethel Carruth, donated $2.5 million to the University and had the building renamed to celebrate her daughter and son-in-law’s retirement.
Ethel was a civic and cultural leader in Houston, Texas, where the Carruths were well-known philanthropists. Her father, Allen “Buddy” Carruth, was president of the Wortham Foundation, a major philanthropic organization. Her grandfather, B.F. Carruth, was a founder of both the John L. Wortham & Son insurance firm and American General Life Insurance Company.
Although her family owned a cattle ranch in Texas, Carolyn’s affinity for horses wasn’t learned from her family as much as it was innate.
“She was born with it; she always liked horses,” Paul said. “When she was a little girl, her dad would take her to ride ponies before church, and her parents bought her a horse when she was about 8 years old. She became very dedicated, and she loved the sport.”
In addition to foxhunting, Carolyn would show horses and she was a member and supporter of numerous equine organizations. She and Paul owned as many as four horses at one time during their marriage.
Carolyn took riding lessons her entire life, which fit her personality as an academic. She was a lifelong learner. She and Paul traveled the world, visiting 87 countries on all seven continents, and Carolyn was known to sign up for lectures, walk beside tour guides, and take a lot of notes. She also
Even as emergency room visits and hospital stays became more frequent, Carolyn remained optimistic she would recover quickly. That optimism changed after she entered hospice care and returned to their home in Grove City on Christmas Eve 2022. Paul and Carolyn had to come to terms with the inevitable.
– Carolyn Rizza
“We never talked about what would happen if she died and I was living,” Paul said. “I said to her, ‘You’re not supposed to leave me.’ She said, ‘I’m sorry,” and a tear came down her face. That broke me up. She was going through all this, and here she felt sorry for me.”
Carolyn passed away at home, two days after Christmas and just 37 days after her last ride.
In one of the notebooks she kept, there were songs, scripture passages and a message intended to be included in her memorial service. Carolyn, who was a part of so many others’ lives, had these parting words:
“It’s been a great life. Thank you for being a part of it!”
Left, Carolyn Rizza, with her horse Dutch Harbor (photo by Abigail Foltz), was one of the main benefactors of Storm Harbor Equestrian Center at SRU (background). Her mother donated $2.5 million to the University in 2003 to rename SRU’s West Hall, Paul and Carolyn Carruth Rizza Hall.
THRILL OF VICTORY
The SRU women’s basketball team celebrates after beating archrival Indiana, 52-48, on Jan. 25 at Morrow Field House. The victory marked The Rockʹs first win against IUP in more than 16 seasons, and SRU followed that up by beating the Crimson Hawks three weeks later in Indiana.
PICTURE OF HEALTH
Q&A with SRU’s new dean of the College of Health Professions
Christine Karshin just completed her first semester as dean of Slippery Rock University‘s College of Health Professions. The CHP was established for the fall 2022 semester and is SRU‘s fifth college. After a semester of working with faculty and administrators, Karshin has some clear plans for how CHP will serve students, the community and health care employers in the region.
Q: The CHP vision statement is “The College of Health Professions prepares health professionals through community engagement, collaboration, and academic excellence.” Why is community such a strong emphasis?
A : Karshin: “Certainly, it‘s important what our students are learning here on campus, but we need to make sure we are giving them opportunities to get out into the community to practice their craft, and, at the same time, provide a great service to our community. From an educational standpoint, it gives students the opportunity to get a sense of whether or not this is the type of work they want to be doing, by working alongside others or simply jobshadowing. But most of all, it invigorates students to do the best they can when they return to the classroom because they see how what they are learning can be applied and that motivates them to be successful.
“Additionally, as a public university, there are ways we can improve how we are seen as a partner in the surrounding community and beyond. And the way we do that is for our faculty and students to get out there and fulfill needs. One example of this is our PA program‘s service project, called “ROCK-a-Bye Baby,” where faculty, staff and students collected and donated books and recorders that are being used by families at neonatal intensive care units in Pittsburgh (see page 25).
“Another example of community engagement is how we recruit students to ensure there is a steady pipeline of professionals entering the health care field. Our faculty travel to local high schools with pre-sports medicine concentrations and they talk about our exercise science and athletic training programs. Then we invite those students to come to campus. We had a busload of about 40 students attend one of our exercise science visitation
days. Once prospective students see our campus, classrooms and labs, that‘s quite inspiring for them, and hopefully they consider SRU as one of their top college choices.”
Q: What about collaboration? Is that among faculty, students and health care professionals?
A: Karshin: “Short answer, ‛Yes!‘ Health care is a team effort. Health care educators have historically prepared students in silos. If you went to nursing school, you learned how to be a nurse. If you went to PT school, you learned how to be a physical therapist. But in reality, on the first day of the job as a social worker, physical therapist, physician assistant, or an athletic trainer, you‘re going to be working side by side with people from many other disciplines. Very rarely do patients have problems that can be solved by a single health care professional throughout the
it‘s a collaborative effort, we must prepare students to be an integral part of a health care team.
“We want our students to collaborate and learn from one another. It‘s not just having conversations with students or faculty in other departments, it‘s providing them opportunities for simulations and cases they can work on together in small groups. That‘s why interprofessional education is so important. And employers are seeking students who have this experience while they are students.”
Q: But aren‘t most health care professions encouraged and rewarded to specialize?
A: Karshin: “Absolutely. You need people who specialize, and patients want the best and brightest within a particular discipline. When I was diagnosed with ovarian cancer, I had a fantastic oncologist who did the surgery and provided treatment. Now I‘m two and a half years in remission. But my oncologist was just one component of the team who took care of me during my six-month journey during the pandemic. Health care needs are complex: someone could have diabetes, heart disease and depression. There are all these factors. Yes, the health care industry is professionalized in such a way
that you must really ‛know your lane,‘ but to serve your patients can‘t always ‛stay in your lane.‘ Health care professionals cannot work in isolation to be effective.
Q: What have you learned about the faculty since arriving at SRU?
A: Karshin: “We have wonderful faculty and they model the same approach to collaboration as practitioners out in the field. They work with one another within their disciplines, across disciplines, across colleges here on campus and across universities. They are doing a phenomenal job inviting our students to be part of their research, not as subjects but as researchers. This leads into the third part of our vision statement: academic excellence. We emphasize teaching. Our faculty are knowledgeable, and they hold our students to the highest standards because that‘s what it takes for them to succeed because patients‘ wellbeing and often their lives are at stake.”
Q: What are the benefits of having a College of Health Professions?
A: Karshin: “It‘s an external recognition of our programs to prospective students and employers, and it improves the internal processes and organizational structures. As a dean leading the college, I understand the disciplines and help navigate faculty and staff through their
accreditation and re-accreditation processes. I can also help reinforce our commitment to interprofessional education. I‘ve done a lot of that work at my previous institution (Eastern Michigan University) before coming here. As a University, this college will set us apart from other universities.”
Q: What‘s next for you and the college?
A: Karshin: “We‘re doing a thorough analysis to develop our mission and strategic plan. It‘s important that we are deliberate in the course we are charting for the next three to five years. As for me, I‘m getting out to meet with employers and others in the community. I‘m part of the Leadership Butler County program, where I get to meet people from across all industries. I‘m also developing relationships that will lead to more shared resources. Resources are not just grants and fundraising opportunities, but bringing people to campus who have been successful in the disciplines that are represented in our college, as well people from other areas who can enhance the programs that we offer. This spirit of collaboration to make people successful and contribute to the greater good is not just practiced by health care professionals - it applies to the dean as well.”,
ROCK-a-Bye Baby
After nearly two months together under the same roof, Kellee Gnipp needed peace of mind before leaving her daughter overnight in the neonatal intensive care unit at West Penn Hospital in Pittsburgh. That‘s when nurses wheeled in a cart full of children‘s books and recording devices that were donated to the hospital from SRU‘s Physician Assistant Program. The nurses told Gnipp that she can read the book into a heart-shaped recorder and her daughter, Kenni, would be able to hear her mother‘s voice even while they were apart.
“You worry, because she‘s going to think I‘m not there for her,” said Gnipp, a 2011 SRU graduate with a degree in elementary education. “I was the first person the nurses gave a recorder to, and when they were explaining it to me, I said,‛Oh, my gosh, this is the coolest thing ever.‘ Then, when they mentioned it was from Slippery Rock, I was like ‛OK, that makes it even better because that‘s where I went, and Slippery Rock University is the best place in the world.̓ It was perfect timing.”
Perfect timing is exactly what the Gnipp family needed after Kenni was born 10 weeks premature, Aug. 9, 2022, in the Bahamas while Kellee and her husband, Adam, were taking what they planned to be one last vacation together as a childless couple. Born 3 pounds, 1 ounce, Kenni was transported by private air ambulance to Pittsburgh and eventually discharged from West Penn Hospital, Oct. 4. Now completely healthy and back home in Cranberry Township, Kenni benefited from hearing her mother‘s voice during her final days in the NICU.
“There are social and emotional benefits, from the voice recognition of family members and being able to hear their mom or dad, but there are also numerous cognitive benefits,” said Olivia Buterbaugh, SRU assistant professor of physician assistant studies, who worked in pediatric medicine for nearly a decade. “During infancy, rapid growth and brain development
is occurring. Through numerous studies, it has been demonstrated that reading aloud to babies not only promotes overall neural pathway brain development, but also supports language development and builds brain processing speed.”
“Spending that much time in the NICU, your whole view changes. I would walk in and say her name and she‘d smile. For me to know that she was still going to hear my voice whenever I wasn‘t there was just wonderful.”
Recognizing a need for parents to read to their infants in NICUs, Buterbaugh and a group of professors in SRU‘s PA program started a service project earlier last year titled “ROCK-a-Bye Baby.” Faculty, staff and students from SRU‘s PA program collected more than $1,200 worth of books and recorders that are being used by families at West Penn Hospital.
“There‘s a lot of guilt that comes with the NICU whenever you can‘t be there for whatever reason,” Gnipp said. “Spending that much time in the NICU, your whole view changes. I would walk in and say her name and she‘d smile. For me to know that she was still going to hear my voice whenever I wasn‘t there was just wonderful. “Even now that we‘re out of the NICU, I can still use the recorders if I wanted to record something when she‘s going to my mom‘s or a babysitter. It gives you a little peace of mind knowing that even though I can‘t be there 24/7, my baby can still hear my voice.”
For more information about “ROCK-a-Bye Baby,” including how people can donate, contact Buterbaugh at 724.738.4641 or olivia.buterbaugh@sru.edu
Kellee Gnipp, ’11, with her daughter, Kenni.
Onthe Catwalk
SRU alumna connecting art and fashion for the Pittsburgh community
Many people think of their careers as a series of crossroads. For Cat Burton, there‘s one particular crossroad that she prefers.
“My passion lies at the intersection of art and fashion,” said Burton, a 2017 Slippery Rock University graduate with a degree in communication: integrated marketing. “Fashion is something everyone can see. It‘s an expression of yourself: the style, the clothes that you choose to wear. There‘s something really special about making a type of art that you get to present to the world.”
Burton is in her second year as the creative arts manager for the Children‘s Museum of Pittsburgh. Although she is an artist and model herself, Burton wants to provide more access and strengthen communities through the arts, whether that‘s stoking children‘s creativity or providing opportunities for emerging artists.
To Burton, art is not created in isolation. The busier the intersection the better.
“Arts are often not a priority in the public school systems,” Burton said. “Children need a creative outlet and a place to express themselves.”
As the creative arts manager at the Children‘s Museum, Burton creates exhibit spaces for community artists and coordinates programming, including a recent project fashion-related project titled “How You Wear It.”
She has many side ventures as well. As founder of a production company, Create Art Together, Burton produces concepts, visuals, events and shows for clients that include independent artists, brands and other organizations.
“The best art is created through collaboration,” Burton said. “Everything I do as a project manager is a collaborative process, whether it‘s fashion show or an art gallery exhibit. There are stylists, models, DJs and the behindthe-scenes crew. It‘s really cool to see everything come together.”
Burton‘s skills and passion started coming together as a student at SRU. A native of Erie, Burton liked the atmosphere at SRU and got involved with many campus organizations. She worked in what is now the University‘s Office for Inclusive Excellence, served as a mentor for the Jump Start program, and helped lead several student clubs, including Black Action Society and the Student Organization of Latinos/Hispanics and Allies.
in 2017 before coming back to western Pennsylvania to work two operations/ facilities jobs in Pittsburgh. Burton was an operations coordinator at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center for a year and a half before taking a job as a facilities manager for the August Wilson Center for African American Culture for two years.
“I learned a lot about how to run events from behind the scenes,” Burton said.
“Although it wasn‘t what I wanted to do for the rest of my life, I was grateful for all the experience I gained that helps me today.
“ My passion lies at the intersection of art and fashion.”
– Cat Burton, ‘17 Communication: integrated marketing major
“I really enjoyed getting to express myself through those cultural organizations, and I found my grounding as a person in the community,” Burton said. “I didn‘t realize I had that capacity before I came to SRU. I learned how to work with others who have different communication styles and views and create something beneficial for everyone.”
Because of her involvement at SRU, she pursued a career related to arts and culture. She lived in Washington, D.C., for a few months after graduating
“Now, I work with the exhibits department of the Children‘s Museum. Because the exhibits team builds all their exhibits, I bring that facilities management experience with me into this job.
Although I‘m more front-facing now with programming, I still have all my behindthe-scenes knowledge I‘ve learned from previous positions.”
Burton is most proud of her work with the “How You Wear It” exhibit, which was part of the MuseumLab at the Children‘s Museum of Pittsburgh. It included submissions from 30 different artists, including a “spider dress” from technology designer Anouk Wipprecht with arms and sensors to maintain personal boundaries – a stylish nod to physical distancing in the pandemic era.
The nearly yearlong exhibit included a speakers‘ series and a week-long sewing class for children taught by a professional stylist.
Style412 produced the video that accompanied the exhibit and served as another example of Burton‘s continued collaborations. She has been a frequent model and production assistant for Style412, a nonprofit dedicated to Pittsburgh‘s fashion industry.
Burton‘s portfolio also includes curated exhibitions at Social Status, Glitterbox Theater, and TRUSST Lingerie, along with various creative work with 1Hood Media, Luxurae Hair, Day Owl and Sabika Jewelry. In 2019, she directed her first fashion show, “Styled By Example,” celebrating Women‘s History Month. The event, hosted by her production company at Spirit Hall in Pittsburgh, showcased the work of several of the city‘s stylists and models with fashion from each of the previous decades dating back to the 1920s.
Burton is also active with organizations and committees that spread awareness, appreciation and application of the arts. She‘s served on the arts advisory committees for the Pittsburgh International Airport and Creative Learning Network and was also part of the Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council‘s Pittsburgh Emerging Artist Leaders.
She is committed to drawing attention to other artists and their work, which complements her own sense of style.
“My style is minimalist,” Burton said. “It‘s a lot of neutrals and black and white. I don‘t like to stand out. There is
maximal art, which can also be beautiful with bright colors, but it‘s not what I‘m drawn to. I like art that you have to get up close to see.”
And while that may be Burton‘s style, it‘s not for everyone.
“Good art is whatever makes the artists happy,” Burton said. “And sometimes the viewer could have a completely different idea than what the artist is trying to convey.”
There will be many more intersections and creative crossroads along Burton‘s career journey. She‘s currently exploring collaborations for a film festival and creating scholarships for community artists.
“I definitely want to generate more funding and bridge the gap for the artists so we can create more opportunities for them,” Burton said. “The more people I work with, the more I can network and bring opportunities for others.”
Cat Burton’s work on the How You Wear It exhibit at the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh included a panel discussion on sustainability (top) and a workshop for children (right). Left, a model from the 2019 fashion show Burton directed titled “Styled by Example.”
Meghan, a Slippery Rock University senior social work major, is a living testimony to the impact of a college education, despite the fact that she was once homeless.
“If I didnʹt have access to higher education, I would have never realized or been able to reach my full potential,” said Meghan, a State College native who now lives in Butler. “While I got decent grades and people said I have the potential to do anything I wanted in life, if I didnʹt have access to college, I wouldn’t have been able to do the things I wanted to that require a degree.”
Getting a college degree might have seemed unlikely after Meghan graduated from high school. She lived in a supportive independent living facility managed by the Centre County Youth Service Bureau. She considered herself homeless off and on from 2012-17, including a semester at Juniata College where she lived in her car while attempting to earn a degree in social work.
As someone who has seen the need for social services and benefitted from them firsthand, Meghan wants to pursue a career in social work where she can give back. Attending SRU has prepared her to take that step.
“I‘ve been really challenged by the social work faculty at SRU who pushed me out of my comfort zone and into my growth zone to where I am now a more critical and worldly thinker,” Meghan said. “I‘m able to look at problems through a different lens than I had before, mixing some of my street smarts with the theories of upper-level classes of academia. I‘ve grown into a completely different person than I was two years ago before I came here.”
“Meghan‘s determination speaks to what we do here at SRU. We help people change the trajectory of their lives. Meghan may have encountered an awful lot of adversity in her life, but that never stopped her. It only motivated her more.”
– President Behre
Meghan met with SRU President Bill Behre and became a vocal advocate for students from the foster care system or who were once homeless. She wanted to make sure they knew about and had access to resources.
“We had most of the resources available on campus, but students didn‘t know about them and they weren‘t found in one centralized place our website,” Behre said. “Meghan was instrumental in making us think about new ways to reach these students and make sure they receive these resources."
SRU has since created a webpage specifically for foster students or unaccompanied homeless youth and their unique challenges, including emergency housing, access to the University‘s food pantry, and tutoring and mentoring. There are more than 15 SRU students who have self-identified as coming from the foster care system, and likely more who haven‘t self-identified.
“A college education can be generation changing,” Meghan said. “You can set your family or your future family up for success with better jobs and things that you didn‘t have when you grew up.”
Meghan is interning with the Southwestern Pennsylvania Human Services in Butler County this spring before she is set to graduate in May.
“Meghan‘s determination speaks to what we do here at SRU,” Behre said. “We help people change the trajectory of their lives. Meghan may have encountered an awful lot of adversity in her life, but that never stopped her. It only motivated her more.”
If you want to help students like Meghan who have short-term, immediate financial needs, the SRU Foundation has created the Student Support Fund. This fund helps provides critical aid for students facing unexpected or emergency circumstances. To learn more or to donate, visit srufoundation.org/ studentsupportfund.
IN THE ‘Growth Zone’ Former homeless student helped by social services finds path to give back at SRU
rock CLASS NOTES
EDITORIAL INFORMATION
To submit “Class Notes,” email us at alumni@sru.edu or go to www.rockalumni.com.
We do not publish engagements or pregnancies, but we do publish marriages and births.
Please note that due to space restrictions, submissions may be edited. However, remember that we are proud of all our alumni and all they do. GO ROCK!
1950s
Bev Suhr, ’52, and Dorothy Colton, ’52, education majors, reunited in Oil City 70 years later to look over their Saxigena yearbooks and reminisce. 1
1960s
Floyd Cogley, ’61, shared that he and four other SRU graduates, Patty Burns, ’58, Sally Brubaker, ’61, Rich Gailey, ’64, and Skip Brown, ’67, found themselves all dwelling in Waterman Village, a small retirement community in Florida. The fellow graduates all discovered each other by spotting Floyd’s Steelers decorated golf cart that also sports a Rock license plate on the front.
1970s
SLIPPERY ROCK UNIVERSITY ALUMNI ASSOCIATION
2022-2023
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
President, Melissa Visco, ’04
President Elect, Michael Zody, ’88
Treasurer, Keith Warcup, ’75
Secretary, Don Huddart, ’87
Immediate Past President, L. Michael Ross, ’77
Executive Committee Honorary, Richard Manning ’75
BOARD MEMBERS
Angela Beeman, ’06
Andrea Boggs, ’14
Corey DeSantis, ’13
Joe Dropp, ’03
Ashley Ganoe, ’05, ’09M
Patrick Geho, ’92
Susan Whelpley Greaves, ’80,’85M
Michael Harich, ’94
Rajeev Karmacharya, ’95
Donna Kratz, ’84
Justina Cerra Lucas, ’13
Bruce Newton, ’78
Karen Perry, ’79, ’80
Corey Riddell, ’88
Ron Shidemantle, ’92
Matt Vannoy, ’09
Sam Zyroll, ’78
Angela Erceg Orras, ’78, retired as a medical technologist. She worked at Sharon Regional Health System in Sharon, and then Blake Medical Center in Bradenton, Florida. She is a second generation graduate; her mother, Margaret Grega Erceg, graduated in 1948.
1980s
Judith Chupasko, ’83, was recognized for a lifetime achievement award by Marquis Who‘s Who Among America‘s Top Scientists for 2022-23. Chupasko was a successful mammalogist, working 29 years as a curatorial associate in the Mammalogy Department at the Harvard Museum of Comparative Zoology, and she also taught environmental biology at Boston College for eight years.
Mark Deitrick, ’88M, was conferred the status of professor emeritus from the Community College of Beaver County, in recognition of his distinguished service to students and colleagues and his significant contributions in program development and research. His promotion was preceded by his retirement as professor of education, psychology and social work. He provided 30 years of service at the college in various roles, including counseling, teaching, administration and supervision. Deitrick continues to maintain his practice as a psychotherapist in Beaver.
Barbara Dzuricsko, ’81, was presented a Pennsylvania House of Representatives Citation in recognition of her induction into the Pennsylvania High School Track and Field Hall of Fame.
Russell Klase, ’82, retired in 2020 after 36 years in the oil and gas industry. Klase moved to Parachute, Colorado, and opened the Reckless Roadhouse restaurant in DeBeque, Colorado, with his son, Russell.
Amy Maricondi, ’85, was named director of business development at Samaritan Healthcare and Hospice in New Jersey. Maricondi first joined Samaritan as a professional relations specialist in 2011 after more than 20 years working in senior care, longterm care and rehabilitation facilities throughout southern New Jersey. Maricondi is responsible for developing and executing a clearly defined business plan to optimize market penetration, creating new affiliations, developing new business ventures that align with Samaritan’s mission and vision and ensuring the organization’s continued success. 2
Jim Trdinich, ’86, was appointed the Pittsburgh Pirates team historian and hall of fame director in 2022. He has
worked for the Pirates full-time since 1989, including most of his tenure as the team’s director of baseball communications. He served as an intern with the team while attending SRU in 1985.
1990s
Eric Holmes, ’93, was appointed as chief of police and director of public safety at Duquesne University.
Steve Hudyma, ’90, was recognized as part of the Athletic Training Staff of the Year by the Professional Soccer Athletic Trainers‘ Society. Hudyma is the assistant athletic trainer for the Philadelphia Union, a Major League Soccer team.
Ray Novotny, ’94M, authored a chapter of the book “Reptiles of Ohio,” recently published by Ohio Biological Survey. In his research, he discovered that short-headed garter snakes, a species known to be found in Pennsylvania and New York, was new to Ohio in 1989. Novotny was honored by Cleveland Museum of Natural History as its Nature Educator of the Year in 2021 and Outstanding Senior/Retired Interpreter by the National Association for Interpretation in 2022. 3
Brad Saleik, ’97, was named community relations manager for STAR Financial Bank in Fort Wayne, Indiana. STAR Financial is an Indiana community bank providing banking, mortgage, investing, credit card and wealth management services. 4
Travis Squyres, ’97, joined Mars Bank as senior vice president and chief risk officer. Squyres will oversee compliance and risk management activities for the bank.
Kenneth Weiland, ’92, retired with 30 years of service from the U.S. Army. Weiland’s most recent role was inspector general for Pennsylvania.
2000s
Richard Graham, ’07, was promoted to assistant vice president of enrollment strategy and engagement at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia. Graham oversees enrollment, marketing and engagement strategies for undergraduate and graduate admissions.
Sarah (Clark) Hendess, ’03, released her debut novel, “Second Chances in Hollywood,” published by The Wild Rose Press.
Paul Miller, ’03, had his first publication released, as he co-wrote a chapter in the “Rock Music Icons: Musical and Cultural Impacts.” The chapter, titled “Obey Your Masters: Metallica’s Journey to Icon Status,” chronicles the rock band Metallica‘s illustrious career by analyzing shifts in fan perception, musical style and cultural significance.
Kirk Sander, ’03, received the 2022 Waste360 40 Under 40 award. Waste360 recognizes inspiring and innovative professionals under the age of 40 whose work in waste, recycling and organics have made a significant contribution to the industry. Sander is the chief of staff and vice president of safety and standards for the National Waste & Recycling Association.
Dave Sevier, ’08, the head football coach at King High School in Tampa, Florida, was selected by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as the high school head coach of the week for the Tampa Bay area after he helped King win its first district championship in 40 years.
Amy Wilson, ’07M, received a Ph.D. in administration and leadership studies from Indiana University of Pennsylvania in December 2021. Wilson holds an Master of Arts in professional writing from SRU and she earned a Master
of Science in leadership and business ethics from Duquesne University in 2010. She is the senior corporate communications strategist for II-VI Incorporated in Warrendale. 5
2010s
Alexander Bell, ’16, joined Blank Rome LLP Pittsburgh’s office in the general litigation practice group.
Kristopher Oliveira, ’15, completed a Ph.D. in sociology from the University of South Florida. Oliveira’s dissertation referenced back to his time as an undergraduate student in the SRU Pride Center. Oliveira hopes to work alongside other LGBTQ+ SRU alumni to endorse and uplift the SRU Pride Center in their work to advocate for LGBTQ+ students at SRU.
Madison Small, ’19, opened Range Physical Therapy and Wellness in Missoula, Montana, in May 2022. A fifth-generation business owner, Small was featured in the Missoula Valley Lifestyle magazine. 6
Kevin Squires, ’15, was elected to a four-year term on the West Mifflin Area School District board of directors.
2020s
Nanami Mano, ’21, was awarded the Surge scholarship from the Rizing Tide Foundation, an organization with a mission to bridge the diversity gap inin the physical therapy profession. Mano is pursuing her residency program in geriatric therapy at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Mano was selected by the Rizing Tide Beachcombers, a panel of diverse professionals in the PT industry and was recognized for her future impact potential, academics, personal character, leadership and other valuable traits.
In Memory
Lauren Pawlak, ’20
Roy Herr, ’19
Joshua Zappone, ’10
Cameron Vandevort, ’09
Kaye Reiber, ’07
Matt Alderson, ’06
Melanie Postlethwait, ’01
Meghan Buck, ’98
Dennis Hasenflu, ’96
Andrew Lopus, ’95
Barbara Jordan, ’94
Debra Pincek, ’93, Retired Manager
Jennifer Shaffer, ’93
Barbara Burke, ’86
Nancy Harvath, ’86
Jean Probst, ’86
Michael DePolis, ’85
Cynthia Lewis, ’85
Patricia Sloan, ’84
Royann Winfield, ’83
Robert McComas, ’82
Michael DeStefano, ’80
Robert Barrickman, ’77
David Messics, ’76
Monique Simmons, ‘76
Thomas Gombar, ‘74
Docia Jacobs, ’74
Arthur Sparbanie, ’74
Weddings
Maura George, ’15, and Alex Fort were married on Oct. 1, 2022. 7
Jack Williams, ’74
Cathy Haas, ’73
Charles Venglarik, ’73
Carol Auippy, ’72
Barry Rose, ’72
Joseph Sokol, ’72
Lynn Leicht, ’71
Rita Cassella, ‘70
Marjorie Long, ‘70
Clarence Adams, ‘69
Jean Fitzmaurice, ‘69
Gary Barnes, ’67
John Thoma, ’67
Renee Boccio, ‘66
David Mastropietro, ‘66
Raymond Bechtel, ‘65
Lucille Chirozzi, ‘65
Gary Giannangeli, ’65
Howard Dickson, ’64
Charles Dunaway, ’62
Sue Lindell, ’62
Alice Stauffer, ’62, Retired Faculty
Edgar McGee, ’61
Daniel Woitovich, ’61
Raymond Yovanovich, ’61
Alfred November, ’59
Pauline Walter, ’57
Madelin Clements, ’56
Cord McKenna, ’18, and Emma Burgman, ’20, were married Oct. 29, 2022, in New Brighton. The couple resides in Ellwood City. 8
Christine Murcko, ’19, and Sean Patt, ’19, were married Nov. 5, 2022, in Mechanicsburg. The couple met during their freshman year while living in Rhoads Hall. 9
Samantha Neigh, ’15, and Marc Sensenich, ’15, were married July 30, 2022, in Cranberry Township. q
Marissa Newhams, ’18, ’20M, and Tristan Jacobi, ’17, were married Aug. 27, 2022, in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. w
Allison Polesnak, ’11, and Justin McCain were married May 13, 2022, in Pittsburgh. The couple resides in Plum. e
Marlene Raack, ’54
Robert Raack, ’54
H. Shultz, ’54
Hubert Voltz, ’54, Professor Emeritus
John Mastri, ’53
Marvin Donaldson, ’52
Lois Watson, ’52
Shirley Birdy, ’51
Millie Fitterer, ’51
Alda Barr, ’49
Norma Laughner, ’48
Roberta Braden, Professor Emeritus
Christine Ferguson, Retired Staff
Virgil Galante, Retired Manager
Gary Goepfert, Retired Manager
Robert Grabbe, Staff
David Manuel, Retired Staff
Ray Owen, Retired Faculty
Carolyn Rizza, Professor Emeritus
Jack Thompson, Retired Staff
Christina Rizer, ’19, and Jacob Tepke were married July 30, 2022. The couple resides in Marienville. r
Births
James Baxendell, ’09, and Rebecca Baxendell, ’08, ’16, welcomed their second child, Emily Peach, Sept. 3, 2021. t
Michelle (Barr) Cummings, ’13, and Andrew Cummings, ’13, ’14M, along with their dog, Boozel, welcomed Theo Cummings, Oct. 5, 2022. y
Daniel Long, ’11, and Brandi (Lockerman) Long, ’09, welcomed their son, Callen Richard, Oct. 27, 2022. u
Ryan McGregor, ’09, and Kacie (Neckers) McGregor, ’09, welcomed their second daughter, Margot Mae, Oct. 10, 2022. i
Travis Urban, ’10, and Catherine (Rodgers) Urban, ’12, ’17M, welcomed their son, James Allen, Aug. 4, 2022. He joins brother Connor. o
w Come
!wDevin Goda caught a lot of passes as a Slippery Rock University football player, enough to catch a few looks from NFL scouts. Now he‘s getting looks from millions as a professional model for some of the world‘s most recognizable brands. Goda, a 2011 SRU graduate, is only the third permanent male model in the 50-year history of the TV game show “The Price is Right.”
On the field, Goda had to develop chemistry with only one quarterback. On set, he has to do the same, but with multiple people and multiple cameras.
“You have to be on point,” Goda said. “On our show there‘s probably about 10 cameras on the set and you have to be ready. I never really realized how detailed this job would be. It‘s helped me prepare for other things (in my career) that I‘d like to get into, with acting and understanding camera angles.”
Goda‘s path to The Price is Right stage was a lot more involved than running down the aisle after hearing “Come on down!” At SRU, Goda decided to give modeling a try between football practices and taking classes as a safety management major. His first agency, the Pittsburgh-based Talent Group, got him work for regional and local companies, including Dick‘s Sporting Goods.
Goda, listed as a 6-foot-3, 225-pound receiver on the SRU roster during his senior year in 2011, is one of the most prolific pass-catchers in school history. He finished his career at The Rock ranked second in school history for career receptions (173) and receiving yards (2,259), marks that currently rank fifth all-time.
“Devin wasn‘t one of those guys who‘d come into the room and pound his chest and say ’look at me,‘” said George Mihalik, former SRU football coach. “He was a low-key guy and he just did his job and he was committed to the program and did everything that was asked of him. He was a very talented wide receiver and dominated many of our football games.”
Left, Devin Goda, ’11, has been a model on The Price is Right since 2018, including a 2019 College Rivals episode (middle) in which he wore an SRU football jersey. Right, host Drew Carey poses for a photo with Goda. (Photos by Eric McCandless and Ella DeGea/CBS.)
to win the Super Bowl that season.
After he was cut during training camp, Goda tried out for several other teams, including the Green Bay Packers and Dallas Cowboys, but ultimately chose to further develop his modeling background and pursue it as a career.
Mihalik said he‘d often joke with Goda about forgetting his football career to become a model so that Mihalik could be his manager.
“He was like a lot of guys who wanted to play in the NFL,” Mihalik said. “But not many also had a modeling career they could fall back on, let alone a good career in safety management with his SRU education.”
“I was ready to transition to something else and I never thought I‘d transition to this career (as a model), but that‘s what God chose for me,” said Goda, who signed with the modeling agency, Wilhelmina Models, in 2013. “I sent my information to agencies in New York, and Wilhelmina picked me up right away and I‘ve been with them since. I‘ve been one of their top-five men‘s models. It‘s been a good ride and hopefully it keeps going.”
Goda has appeared in national campaigns for American Eagle, Macy‘s, Under Armour, Calvin Klein and others. As an “Under Armour guy,” Goda has been successful enough to focus on
It was there where he worked on his grandparents‘ sheep farm, and first watched The Price is Right with his grandmother, Mary Goda.
After The Price is Right‘s first male, Rob Wilson, debuted in 2012, the show‘s producers decided to expand its cast of male models. That was Goda‘s opportunity. After three auditions, Goda landed a spot on the show in 2018 to his grandmother‘s delight.
“My grandma was a huge fan, and she was a big supporter of mine,” said Goda of his grandmother who passed away in October 2022 at the age of 92. “We always watched it together. I knew what the show was about, but I didn‘t really fully understand it until I was actually on stage and see how crazy it is.”
punching bag or a (basketball) hoop, or something that can I be athletic and have fun,” Goda said. “The cars are fun but doing activities are my favorite.”
In 2019, Goda had an opportunity to show off his No. 83 Rock football jersey for a “College Rivals” themed show in 2019. All the contestants and models wore their favorite college jerseys and apparel from schools like Texas, UCLA and Georgia. But it was The Rock that drew the most attention.
“That was really cool to wear, and I got a lot of great feedback,” Goda said. “A lot of people who didn‘t know The Rock know about us now, so that was exciting.”
“When I saw that I was filled with pride,” Mihalik said. “Everybody knows The Price is Right and we‘re just so proud to see him on there. But what I‘m most proud of is that he never forgot where he came from.”
While revealing prizes on The Price is Right or showing off the latest Under Armour apparel may be exciting, it‘s the spotlight moments he had at SRU that still stick with Goda.
“Running out of the tunnel with the band playing every home game,” said Goda about the pregame ritual when he and his teammates exited the locker room. “That was something that always gave me chills and to this day I always think about it.”
Goda continues to split time living in Los Angeles and New York along with frequent trips to Baltimore to Under Armour‘s headquarters. Although he doesn‘t make it back to SRU as often as he would like, during a phone call last year he said he‘s always proud to represent and support his alma mater.
“Everybody knows The Price is Right and we‘re just so proud to see him on there. But what I‘m most proud of is that he never forgot where he came from.”
– George Mihalik
Retired professor and football coach
Mihalik, meanwhile, wonders what might have been if he followed through with his suggestions to be Goda‘s manager.
Crazy, for instance, is having contestants leap into his arms after they win a new car. As a model, Goda showcases the prizes up for grabs, which sometimes means live demonstrations, like running on a treadmill.
“I love the workout stuff and they let me do my own thing, whether that‘s the
“I always told him, ’Let‘s forget this football thing and let‘s go to New York,‘” Mihalik said. “I would still tease him and say that he didn‘t have that body for modeling until he came to The Rock. Give credit to Devin, but you see what the SRU strength and conditioning program can do from someone.”
Goda’s modeling work for the Wilhelmina agency includes the Joseph Abboud fashion show (left) and the cover of the spring 2016 issue of Men’s Health magazine (right). Goda played football at SRU from 2007-11 (middle).
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Lee Bowers, ’98, bachelor’s in safety and environmental management
DAY JOB: I am the vice president of environmental health and safety for RPM International Inc. RPM is a Fortune 500 multinational parent company of several world leaders in specialty coatings, sealants, building materials and related services with more than 16,000 employees globally. I’ve enjoyed my 25-year career with RPM, traveling the world (30-plus countries) and growing professionally within several management roles. I was the vice president of operations for our Performance Coatings Group in Maple Shade, New Jersey, joining our corporate team to lead EH&S in November 2021 and relocating to the Cleveland, Ohio, area.
BACKGROUND: I was recruited by SRU as a standout swimmer at Plymouth Whitemarsh High School near Philadelphia and came to The Rock as an environmental science major. After graduating from SRU, I moved to New Jersey where I met my wife, Tracie. I spent eight years in the U.S. Coast Guard Reserve and served three stints on active duty after 9/11 as a boarding officer. We have three sons, Marco (27), Nico (27) and Brett (19) and are also now proud grandparents to Pollyana. We spend many of our winter weekends at our place in the Poconos, summers at the Jersey shore and enjoy boating on Lake Erie.
INFLUENCE OF SRU: I received a top-notch education at SRU. SRU has one of the premier undergraduate safety degree programs in the U.S., and I am proud to say we have hired several other SRU graduates over the years at RPM companies. These new graduates often demonstrate the same leadership qualities that I honed during my time at The Rock, which is a testament to the quality of the safety management program and the values instilled in SRU students.
