California University

VOLUME 12, NUMBER 10 APRIL 5, 2010

Thea Kalcevic
’06, who
transformed a
prestigious
internship into a
full-time job
with The Late
Show with David
Letterman in
New York City,
will address
more than 1,300
of Cal U’s most
accomplished
scholars this
Saturday during
Honors
Convocation.

Top Scholars to be Honored

C

alifornia University will recognize more than 1,300
of its most accomplished scholars at an Honors
Convocation 2 p.m. April 10 in Hamer Hall
Gymnasium.
Alumna Thea Kalcevic, a production associate with
The Late Show with David Letterman in New York City, will
deliver the honors address. She earned a bachelor’s degree
in Communication Studies with a concentration in
television and radio broadcasting in 2006.
A former entertainment anchor and master technical
director with CUTV, California University Television,
Kalcevic was chosen from a nationwide field of hundreds
of applicants for a writer’s internship with Letterman in
spring 2006. She has been employed at the late-night TV
show ever since.
While she was a student, Kalcevic received a Cal U
Distinguished Service Award for academic achievement
and service to the University and the community. She also
was the recipient of a Cal U Internship Support Program
Award from the Alumni Association Board of Directors.
A graduate of nearby Belle Vernon Area High School,
Kalcevic has been a speaker at Cal U’s Alumni Pride
Weekend.

Kalcevic now lives in Astoria, N.Y. Always civicminded, she is a volunteer fundraiser for the Susan F.
Komen Race for the Cure in New York City, the New
York AIDS Walk, and New York’s City Harvest.
Cal U President Angelo Armenti, Jr. will preside over
the Convocation, and Provost Geraldine Jones will
introduce the platform party.
The University rewards academic excellence on the
part of master’s-, bachelor’s- and associate degree-seeking
students by honoring Presidential Scholars at this annual
event. In addition to meeting other requirements,
Presidential Scholars carry a grade-point average of 3.25
or above. Both full- and part-time students are eligible for
the award.
This year’s Honors Convocation will recognize 238
students from the College of Graduate Studies and
Research, 214 from the College of Liberal Arts, 618 from
the College of Education and Human Services, and 263
from the Eberly College of Science and Technology.
A reception for all attendees will be held in the
gymnasium immediately after the program.
For more information, contact Jodie Rooney at 724-938-1584
or rooney@calu.edu.

Sunday’s Red and Black
Affair Has Vintage Theme

F

ashions from the past return to the
runway Sunday for the fourth
annual Red and Black Affair
Extraordinaire
Presented by Cal U’s University
Alumni Association, the fashion show
will feature vintage clothing from the
1850s to the 1970s.
Foster-Tweeds Vintage Fashions will
present styles from the 1930s to early ’70s,
offering a glimpse of past elegance and
glamour in day, dinner and evening wear.
Cal U’s Department of Theatre and
Dance will provide replicas of clothing
from earlier periods.
The sold-out fashion show begins at
12:30 p.m. in the Natali Student Center.
Doors open two hours earlier so visitors
can shop at vendor stands in the student
center. Guests also can enjoy a gourmet

luncheon, auction, door prizes and other
games of chance. Lumene Cosmetics will
continue the tradition of providing gift
bags to all guests.
Emcee for the fashion show is Dr.
Nancy Pinardi, associate vice president
for student development and services at
Cal U. Some 400 alumni and friends of
the University have purchased tickets for
the fundraiser, which has raised nearly
$60,000 for student scholarships over the
past four years.
For more information about Sunday’s
Red and Black Affair Extraordinaire,
contact Tricia Rutherford Stahl at
412-257-8596 or 412-498-1674.
Information about Foster-Tweeds can
be found at http://web.me.com/
johanna15425/Foster-Tweeds/
Welcome.html.

IT Becomes
University
Technology
Services

“I

t’s not your dad’s IT Department,”
explained Dr. Charles A. Mance, vice
president for Information Technology,
as he described the reasoning behind his
department’s reorganization and new name.
As Cal U moves toward more collaborative
learning, greater data
sharing and new mobile
computing initiatives,
Mance anticipates a
greater need for a
broader-reaching, more
responsive department.
And he is ready to
deliver.
Look for University
Technology Services —
Charles Mance,
UTech Services — to
vice president for
Information
replace the traditional
Technology, is
Information Technology
spearheading an
effort that aims
Department at Cal U
to better address
over the next few
the growing
months.
technological
needs of students,
“Information
faculty and staff.
Technology was a term
that originated with
data processing,”
Mance said. “University Technology Services is
more descriptive of what we do today — and
how we will address the growing needs of
students, faculty and staff in the future. It’s all
about service.”
This user-focused approach, developed from
successful business models, will affect all aspects
of technology at the University. Features will
include everything from an expanded Help Desk
to a new security, quality and compliance group
that will develop policies and procedures, and
— Continued on page 3

On Campus This Month

Author, professor and archaeologist Dr. Brian Fagan (left) will discuss climate change at
11 a.m. April 13 in Eberly 110. Artist Thomas Mann will discuss his own work and the
business aspects of art this Tuesday and Wednesday on campus. His appearance is part
of Cal U’s Visiting Artists Series. See stories on page 2.

Archaeologist Discusses
Climate Change

A

Cal U has been designated a Founding Partner by the Library of Congress for its
role in the Veterans History Project of the American Folklife Center through the
Teaching with Primary Sources Program.

Library of Congress
Designates Cal U
a Founding Partner

A

s the 10-year anniversary of the Veterans History Project of the
American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress approaches, Cal
U has been designated a Founding Partner for its role in this endeavor.
The University was informed last month in a letter from U.S. Rep. Ron
Kind of Wisconsin and U.S. Sen. Richard G. Lugar of Indiana.
Through the Library of Congress Teaching with Primary Sources (TPS)
Veterans Oral Histories Project, more than 100 oral histories have been
collected and added to the VHP
collection, which now numbers
“The most important
more than 68,000.
TPS is housed in the College of
‘thank you’ belongs to the
Education and Human Services.
men and women who
“We are privileged to be
unselfishly and bravely
recognized along with the
thousands of other volunteers who
served our country and
have contributed to the largest oral
share their stories.”
history program in the history of
the United States,” said Dr. Michael
— Dr. Michael J. Brna
Cal U TPS program director J. Brna, director of the TPS
program at Cal U.
“We are also pleased that we are
able to add the perspectives of local veterans to the national collection.
Without this initiative, those perspectives would have been lost.”
Founding Partner status is awarded only to those VHP partners active
since the program’s inception.
Brna praised the collaborative efforts of Cal’s Communication Studies
Department for taping, Manderino Library for archiving and TPS for
digitizing the oral histories, and to various faculty, students, staff and
community members for conducting interviews.
“Our relationship with the Library of Congress is a world-class affiliation
that meets the institution’s community service mission and commitment to
the region,” he said. “The most important ‘thank you’ belongs to the men
and women who unselfishly and bravely served our country and share their
stories.”

Improv Group
Stages
‘Reunion’

S

inging, dancing, comedy and
improvisation willl hit the stage
when The Good Life, a student
improv troupe, presents “The Good
Life Class Reunion” from 8-10 p.m.
April 6 and 7 in the Blaney Theatre
in Steele Hall.
This is The Good Life’s third year
at Cal U, and the troupe’s first
performance as a branch of the
University Players.
Previous Good Life improv
shows have appeared at Cal U and at
other colleges in the greater
Pittsburgh area.
Because of limited seating in the
Blaney Theatre, tickets will be sold
only at the door. Cost is $3; doors
open each night at 7:30 p.m.

2

s part of the Meteorology/Earth
Sciences Colloquia series, Dr. Brian
Fagan will visit the Cal U campus
April 13 and lecture during the 11 a.m.
common hour in Eberly Hall, Room 110.
Fagan is the author of 46 books,
including seven widely used undergraduate
college texts, and a contributing editor to
American Archaeology and Discover
Archaeology magazines. His presentation is
titled, “And on that day the earth will be
burnt to ashes: An Archaeologist Looks at
Climate Change.”
The event is free and open to the Cal U
community and the general public.
In addition to the lecture, Fagan will
participate in roundtable discussions in
classes throughout the day.
An emeritus professor from the
University of California at Santa Barbara,
Fagan earned his doctorate from
Cambridge University in Great Britain. He
is an archaeological generalist, with
expertise in the broad issues of human
prehistory.
Fagan has contributed more than 100
specialist papers to national and

international journals, and formerly wrote
a regular column for Archaeology Magazine.
He serves on the editorial boards of six
academic and general periodicals and has
been an archaeological consultant for many
organizations, including the National
Geographic Society, Time/Life, and
Encyclopedia Britannica.
Fagan has lectured extensively about
archaeology and other subjects at many
venues, including the Smithsonian
Institution, the National Geographic
Society, and the Cleveland Museum of
Natural History. He also has appeared on
television programs, such as Little Ice Age
on The History Channel.
“Dr. Fagan has published a number of
popular climate-related texts on
archaeology, and I have used some of his
texts as required readings in my Applied
Climatology course,” said Dr. Chad
Kauffman, associate professor in the
Department of Earth Sciences and faculty
adviser to the Meteorology Club.
“This is a must-see presentation for our
students and anyone with an interest in
archaeology.”

Program Mixes Art, Business

A

rt students, working artists and
anyone interested in operating a
studio business may attend a
lecture and workshop by artist Thomas
Mann, who will discuss his own work
and the business aspects of art April 6-7
as part of Cal U’s Visiting Artists Series.
Mann has been an active participant
in the contemporary American craft
movement for the past 30 years as an
artist, gallery owner and lecturer.
He will discuss his own artwork at 6
p.m. April 6 in Duda Hall, Room 103.
From 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. April 7, Mann
will conduct a “Design For Survival
Workshop” in the Chapel of Old Main.
Both events are sponsored by Cal U’s
Department of Art and Design.
Admission is free to the Cal U
community and the general public.
Workshop participants will experience
three lecture-presentations: “Design
Vocabularies: What Are They and How
to Use Them,” “De-Mystifying Public
Relations” and “Pricing Your Work: The
Pivot Point of Success.”
Sessions are designed for everyone

who is thinking about starting a studio
business in any field, or anyone who owns
a business and wonders how to advance
it.
Mann lives and works in New Orleans,
La., where he oversees a jewelry design
and production studio, a sculpture studio
and a gallery. He currently exhibits his
jewelry and sculpture at more than 250
galleries, stores and premier craft events
nationwide and abroad.
Although he uses several design modes
when creating jewelry, he typically
combines industrial aesthetics and
materials and with evocative romantic
themes and imagery, a design system he
calls “techno-romantic.”
“This workshop is a must for anyone
interested in understanding the business
side of art,” Bove said. “Thomas Mann is
energetic and makes the business aspect of
art approachable and easy to understand.”
Registration is not required, but anyone
interested in attending the workshop should
contact James Bove, assistant professor in the
Department of Art and Design, at
bove@calu.edu or 724-938-5761.

Students
Collect for
Quake
Victims
Andrea Cencich, professor
for the Department of
Modern Languages and
Cultures, helps students
(from left) Javier Solis,
Renata Silva and Codie
Howard organize coats
that were collected for the
victims of the recent
earthquake in Chile.
Students from the
Department of Modern
Languages and Cultures,
International Club, Foreign
Language Club and the
Hispanic Student
Association volunteered
for the collection.

Autism
Conference
Dr. Peter Gerhardt,
professor and chair of the
Scientific Council for the
Organization for Autism
Research, presents the
keynote address at the
third annual autism
conference at Cal U on
March 10. His presentation
covered principles of
Applied Behavior Analysis
in support of adults and
adolescents with autism
spectrum disorder.

Scholarships Available for Future Teachers
Students Majoring in Science,
Technology, Engineering, Math Eligible

S

tudents majoring in science,
technology, engineering or
mathematics at any Pennsylvania
State System of Higher Education
(PASSHE) university can apply for up to
$10,000 a year in scholarship assistance
in their junior and senior years by
committing to becoming a high school
math or science teacher.
Students who transfer from
community colleges to a PASSHE
university also can apply for the
scholarship funds.
Individuals who already hold a
degree in one of the so-called STEM
fields can receive a $10,000 stipend to
help cover the cost of returning to school
to earn teacher certification.
Both awards are available through the
Robert Noyce Scholarship Program,
which is funded through a grant from the
National Science Foundation and is
administered by the Pennsylvania State
System of Higher Education

Foundation. The deadline for applying
for fall 2010 awards is April 20.
The scholarship program was
developed to help increase the number of
basic education teachers with strong
content knowledge in science,
technology, engineering and
mathematics. Recipients of either the
scholarship or the stipend are required to
teach in a high-need school in
Pennsylvania for one year for every
semester they receive the scholarship.
To be eligible for the scholarship,
applicants must have an overall gradepoint average of at least 3.00, and must
be a full-time student during each
semester for which the award is received.
Transfer students or graduates whose
academic standing is or was less than
3.00 must complete at least a semester of
coursework at a PASSHE university to
establish the qualifying GPA.
Applicants for the stipend must have
earned a degree in science or

By committing to becoming a high school math or science teacher, students majoring in
science, technology, engineering or mathematics at any PASSHE university can apply for
scholarship assistance through a grant funded by the National Science Foundation.

mathematics and make a commitment to
completing certification requirements to
teach secondary science or mathematics
within two years of the initial award.
For more information or an
application, please go to:

IT Becomes University Technology Services
— Continued from page 1

ensure a consistently high level of service.
One of the largest initiatives will take place this summer,
when Desire2Learn replaces BlackBoard and eCollege,
eliminating the need for students and faculty to adapt to two
online learning systems. Recently selected as the single
learning management system for PASSHE, Desire2Learn, in
conjunction with the Learning Edge Equella learning
content management system, will facilitate an exchange of
ideas across all 14 state universities and beyond.
By August 2011, Banner will supplant (SIS) SCT Plus as
the University student information system. The Banner
administrative suite will elevate the University’s capability for
reporting and data analysis and offer a more user-friendly
portal for students.
Mance notes that the success of UTech Services rests on
quality trained support staff who will be certified to provide
strategic — not just tactical — responses. “We have highpotential people in our group, and they will be put in

‘stretch’ positions where they can grow,” said Mance.
While the University’s SMART classrooms symbolize a
commitment to interactive education, Mance suggests that
UTech Services can support and enhance even the most
sophisticated learning environment, making it more
productive for students and faculty — and more efficient for
the University.
“We’re investing in technology that can simulcast
between two SMART classrooms, for example, to make the
space more usable and give more students access to
advanced resources.
“Cal U’s campus is so impressive, and its reputation for
excellence is growing,” Mance said. “I want to make sure
our technology service and support is just as impressive.
“With the changes we’re making, I foresee an extremely
high quality, customer-centric department that supports and
empowers everyone in the Cal U community.”
Learn more about University Technology Services at
www.calu.edu. Updates on UTech Services initiatives will appear in
the Journal throughout the next few months.

www. thepafoundation.org or contact
Eileen Showers in the PASSHE
Foundation office at 717-720-4065 or
eshowers@thepafoundation.org.
Information also is available through
Pennsylvania Career Link.

Women’s
Basketball
Banquet Saturday

C

al U’s women’s basketball banquet
will take place at 5 p.m. Saturday
on the upper level at Lagerheads, in
Coal Center.
Cost for the buffet dinner is $15.
FastBreak Club members at the Captain’s
level will receive two complimentary
tickets. For a reservation, e-mail Annie
Malkowiak at malkowiak@calu.edu or
Nancy Skobel at skobel@calu.edu.
The Vulcans ended this season with a
25-8 overall record. The team made its
ninth consecutive NCAA tournament
appearance and advanced to the PSAC
championship game for the 10th straight
season. Both are league standards.

3

Vulcans No. 2
in Dixon Standings

F

ollowing a successful winter
season, Cal U’s athletic program
moved up to second place in the
2009-2010 Pennsylvania State Athletic
Conference (PSAC) Dixon Trophy
standings.
The Vulcans began spring
competition with 124 overall points after
earning 49.5 points from their five
winter sports — men’s and women’s
basketball, women’s swimming, and
men’s and women’s indoor track and
field.
Shippensburg leads the standings
with 138 points.
Cal U earned a winter-best 15 points
from the women’s basketball program
after the team advanced to the
championship game of the PSAC
Tournament for a league-record 10th
consecutive season.
The Vulcans women’s swimming
team collected 11 points after finishing
fifth at the PSAC Championships last
month and in the nation’s top 20 for the
second consecutive year.
The women’s indoor track and field
team achieved its best finish in program
history, earning 10 points after placing
sixth at the PSAC Championships. The
team set eight records during the indoor
season.

Men’s basketball finished with 7.5
points for a second straight year, and the
men’s indoor track and field team
totaled six points.
Seven different institutions have won
the Dixon Trophy. Cal U brought home
the trophy a year ago with a conferencerecord 161 points.
The Dixon Trophy has been awarded
annually since the 1995-1996 academic
year. The winner is determined by a
point system based on the results of
conference playoffs and/or regularseason records.
Each institution’s point total is
calculated by adding its top six women’s
finishes and top six men’s finishes in 22
conference sports.
The award is named for the late F.
Eugene Dixon Jr., former chairman of
the Board of Governors of the
Pennsylvania State System of Higher
Education.
The final eight league championships
will take place this spring in baseball,
women’s golf, women’s lacrosse, softball,
men’s and women’s tennis, and men’s
and women’s outdoor track and field.
The announcement of this year’s
Dixon Trophy winner is scheduled for
May 18 at the PSAC Award Luncheon
in Harrisburg, Pa.

Two Win Omega Awards

T

wo members of California University’s chapter of the National Order of
Omega have been selected to receive scholarships from the national
organization.
The Order of Omega sponsors undergraduate scholarship
awards up to $750 in the names of the organization’s current
and past executive directors.
Melanie Niskach received the Patrick W. Halloran
Scholarship, and Meagan Boyer won the Parker F. Enright
Scholarship. Both recipients are members of the Sigma Kappa
Sorority.
Members of Cal U’s chapter of the National Order of
Omega nominated them for the awards. Scholarship
candidates must be juniors or seniors displaying leadership
and service to their Order of Omega chapter, the Greek
Melanie Niskach
system and campus life.
Niskach, who is majoring in communication disorders,
served as the Cal U Order of Omega secretary and treasurer
in 2009. Boyer, an elementary and early childhood education
major, was the organization’s president last year.
The purpose of the National Order of Omega is to
recognize those men and women who have attained a high
standard of leadership in interfraternity activities, and to
create an organization that will help to mold the sentiment of
the institution on questions of local and intercollegiate
fraternity affairs.
“To be recognized by the National Order of Omega is an
impressive achievement for our students and chapter,” said
Meagan Boyer
Joy Helsel, Cal U’s director of Fraternity and Sorority
Life/Special Publications. “Both Melanie and Meagan are truly deserving, as well
as ideal examples of students making the most effective use of their Greek
experience.”

Two-time indoor track and field All-American Brice Myers turned in one of many fine
individual performances during Cal’s successful winter sports season, which has the Vulcans in
contention for a second consecutive Dixon Trophy. He won the PSAC title in the 60-meter
hurdles and finished fourth nationally in the event.

Campus BRIEFS
Participants Needed for Relay for Life
Students, faculty and staff are encouraged to participate in the
American Cancer Society’s Relay For Life at Cal U on April 10-11.
The third annual event is taking place at Rotary Park. Relay For Life is
an overnight walk-a-thon for teams of people. Each team must have one
person on the track at all times to signify that cancer never sleeps.
Cost is $10. To register and donate, please visit
www.relayforlife.org/pacalu.
Those interested in joining Relay For Life should e-mail Heather Brooks
at bro3766@calu.edu or come to the final team captain meeting at 5 p.m.
Wednesday in Hamer Hall, room 142.
Last year Cal U students raised $27,000 to aid the American Cancer
Society’s mission of eliminating cancer as a major health problem.

Gifford Delivers Keynote Address
Rhonda Gifford, Cal U’s director of Career Services, was an honorary
inductee and gave the keynote address at the recent Alpha Lambda Delta
induction ceremony in Steele Hall Mainstage Theatre.
Gifford spoke of the importance of finding one’s passion in life and
pursuing it as a career.
Founded in 1924, the ALD society was formed to honor the academic
excellence of freshmen in their first semester of college. Along with
academic excellence, the society also emphasizes community
involvement. Members are required to complete a community service
project and a Career Advantage Program activity related to their chosen
career path.
The 2010 ALD induction class consisted of 82 new members.

The California Journal is published weekly by California University of Pennsylvania, a member of The Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education.
Dr. Angelo Armenti, Jr.
University President

Dr. Lenora Angelone
Vice President for Student Development and Services

Ron Huiatt
Vice President for Development and Alumni Relations

Geraldine M. Jones
Provost/Vice President for Academic Affairs

Angela J. Burrows
Vice President for University Relations

Robert Thorn
Interim Vice President for Administration and Finance

Dr. Joyce Hanley
Executive Vice President

Dr. Charles Mance
Vice President for Information Technology

Christine Kindl
Editor

Bruce Wald
Writer

Office of Communications and Public Relations • 250 University Avenue, California, PA 15419 • 724-938-4195 • wald@calu.edu
The Journal is printed on paper made from trees harvested under the principles of the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (www.SFIprogram.org).

4

Wendy Mackall
Writer