California University

Volume 21, Number 15 OCT. 21, 2019
KEEP UP WITH CAL U NEWS ONLINE: calu.edu/news

Greenstein:
Access to
Higher Ed
is Key

E

mphasizing the importance of
preserving access to quality
higher education, the chancellor
of Pennsylvania’s State System of
Higher Education addressed the Cal U
community on Oct. 10.
That goal, said
Dr. Daniel Greenstein at an open
forum, will require all 14 schools in the
System to pay attention to their culture
and to each other.
Greenstein made the visit to
Cal U — his third since being named
chancellor in 2018 — as part of his fall
tour of all 14 State System universities.
The chancellor addressed questions
from the audience related to the
ongoing State System Redesign, the
effort to transform universities and
expand educational opportunities
for students.
Social mobility, economic
development, equity and social justice
are the driving forces behind the
redesign, which is in the second of
three phases.
“Higher education is probably the
most reliable pathway into the middle
class,” Greenstein said.
“In Pennsylvania by 2025-2026
the estimate is at least 54 percent of
the adult population will require
some form of post-secondary
education. And virtually all new
jobs that are being created since
the recession require some form of
post-secondary education.”
A piece of the plan to keep a
State System education accessible and
affordable was the tuition freeze for the
2019-2020 academic year.
— Continued on page 4

Dr. Carol Bocetti (left) conducts field work and research with Cal U student Leah Williams. Her work on the Kirtland’s warbler recovery team was
instrumental in having the species removed from the endangered list.

Warbler’s Status
Career Highlight for Bocetti

I

t’s official: The Kirtland’s warbler
is no longer considered to be an
endangered species.
The removal of the songbird, which
is found only in Michigan, Wisconsin
and Ohio, from the list of species
protected under the Endangered Species
Act was announced Oct. 9 by the U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service. The Kirtland’s
warbler has recovered from a low of
about 167 pairs in 1987 to the current
estimate of about 2,000 pairs.
The recovery of the bird is
the culmination of decades of work
for Cal U’s Dr. Carol Bocetti, a
professor in the Department of
Biological and Environmental Sciences.
A member of the Kirtland’s warbler
recovery team since 1998, Bocetti

became the team leader in 2006.
Working with the National Fish
and Wildlife Foundation, the Michigan
Department of Natural Resources, The
Nature Conservancy, the U.S. Forest
Service, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service and others, she spearheaded
efforts to develop a conservation strategy
and commitment to managing habitat,
a significant step toward recovery and
long-term conservation of the Kirtland’s
warbler.
“This is the highlight of my
career,” said Bocetti. “My science
contributed to the improved
management of the species. This
success feels very personal.”
Her research documented the link
between certain characteristics of jack

pine ecosystems and the nesting and
reproduction of the Kirtland’s warbler.
While no longer considered to be
an endangered species, the Kirtland’s
warbler will be classified as conservation
reliant, meaning its habitat will need
ongoing management.
“We won’t have all the protections
that go along with being on the
endangered species list. But we do have
a strong and vibrant partnership that
will continue to sustain the species,”
Bocetti said.
In 2016, Bocetti and her team won
the U.S. Forest Service Wings Across
the Americas Bird Conservation
Partnership Award.
In 2011, Bocetti was honored as
— Continued on page 3

5K, Proposal Highlight Vulcan Fest Homecoming

A

beautiful finish.
It applied to the weather
on Saturday during the second
Vulcan Fest Homecoming Weekend,
which started out not so terrifically
but ended with sunshine and splendid
fall temperatures.
And it applied to the Vulcan Fest 5K.
More than 100 people ran or walked the
course around and through campus in
the rain, but the excitement of finishing
the first such race at Cal U brought
smiles to nearly everyone’s faces.
Matthew Jenkins, a senior studying
tourism, hospitality and event studies,
was the overall men’s winner, and
Ally Wilson, a senior criminal justice
major was the fastest woman.
“I’ll do this every year if I’m able
once I’m an alumna,” Wilson said. “The
course was good. “

“I used this for a warm-up,” said
Jenkins, who was planning to run in
a marathon at Ohiopyle State Park on
Sunday. “My stretches felt great, and I
thought, ‘I’m going to win this!’”
Frank S. Ptak, age 83 and Class of
1959, eagerly chose the inaugural Vulcan
Fest 5K when he was looking for an
October event — his 11th this year — to
race-walk.
“I wanted to do it at my alma mater,”
he said.
Right on cue, the rain stopped as
the 70th annual Homecoming Parade
stepped off from the Convocation Center
at noon.
Nigel Wright and his wife Amy, 2007
graduates, returned to campus with their
4-year-old daughter, Amelia, Class of
2037, who has never missed the parade.
— Continued on page 3

Members of Delta Zeta cheer as their float, created with Acacia, passes through the Booker
Towers during the Homecoming Parade.

Page 2

T

OCT. 21, 2019

Cal U Celebrates Arts and Culture

he Convocation Center was
transformed into a celebration
of art and culture around the
world on Oct. 1 for the third annual
Liberal Arts Festival at California
University of Pennsylvania.
More than 500 high school students
and teachers, as well as members of the
Cal U community and public attended
the event.
Emphasizing the importance of a
liberal arts education, the fair showcased
the various forms of work and art from
students and faculty in the departments
of Art and Languages; Communication,
Design and Culture; Criminal Justice;
English; History, Politics, Society and
Law; Music and Theatre; Psychology;
and the Honors Program.
“Our festival continues to grow
and improve,” said event organizer
Andrea Cencich, from the Arts and
Language Department. “I’m so proud
of our Cal U students, and this is truly a
celebration of culture, arts, and diversity.”
Assisting Cencich were
Sabrina Hykes-Davis, from Music and
Theatre; Amanda Magdic, from the
Admissions Office; and Becky McMillen,
from University Conference Services.
Hykes-Davis said the liberal arts
infuses many skills from other academic
areas, including her field of design and
entertainment technology.
“This festival is so important because
students and people can come and see all
of the different facets of the College,”

Ayushna Rai, from Brentwood High School, checks out her face paint during the third annual
Liberal Arts Festival.

she said. “Painting is technology,
and because of this festival we get
a wonderful opportunity to talk
and interact.”
Sydney Smichnick, a senior at
nearby California Area High School,
wants to study political science and
minor in Spanish. She enjoyed Chinese
writing and painting skulls made
from sugar.
“I’m pretty interested in all of this,
especially learning about different
cultures, and what I am seeing today all

relates to what I want to do,” she said.
Adam Majed, a junior from
Brentwood High School, enjoyed looking
at costumes at the “Fashions for the
Stage 1880 through 1980” booth.
“The liberal arts are fun, and I like
to build things,” he said. “This place is
really nice and I am enjoying walking
around and seeing as much as I can.”
The costumes that Marissa Sorenson
helped to design caught his eye.
“Getting involved with other aspects
gives you a complete sense of what goes

on as an actor,” said Sorenson, a junior
majoring in theatre with a concentration
in musical theatre. “The festival is such a
great outlet to explain and show people
what we do.”
Preschool children from the Rutledge
Institute for Early Childhood Education
and The Village childcare and preschool
were first-time participants. The
little ones performed a medieval skit,
decorated suitcases and pounded drums
at the Arabic Corner.
“They love going to events on
campus and have enjoyed this so
much,” said Ashley Roth, assistant
director of the Rutledge Institute,
director of The Village, and an
instructor at Cal U. “Hopefully we
will come back every year.”
The festival was held in Manderino
Library for its first two years.
T. David Garcia, vice president for
Enrollment Management, welcomed
some of the visiting students while
attending his first festival since arriving
on campus last March.
“Cal U is a special place and this
is very impressive and an ideal way
to showcase our school to prospective
students,” he said.
The Office of the President and Office
of Academic Affairs were the sponsors.
Co-sponsoring the festival were the College
of Liberal Arts, the Department of Art
and Languages, Department of Music and
Theatre, and Office of Graduate Studies and
Research.

­­­Campus BRIEFS
Nominations Open
for Merit Awards

Jason Alrutz, tree care foreman for Davey Tree, cuts limbs from the Kentucky coffeetree on the Quad.

T

New Roles for an Old Tree

he majestic Kentucky coffeetree
in the Quad has reached the end
of its lifespan. But its limbs —
and its progeny — will live on at Cal U.
The 40-foot tree, known
scientifically as Gymnocladus dioicus,
was removed Oct. 3 by arborists from
the Davey Tree company. Signs of
decay had been evident over the past
several years, and tests pointed to
changes in the giant’s trunk that had
weakened its structure and raised
safety concerns.
“I hate to take down a tree,” says
Mike Kanalis, director of Facilities
Management at Cal U. “But safety is
always our priority, and it was time.”
The tree is estimated to be about
135 years old, based on the 43-inch
diameter of its trunk.
Its age can be determined more
specifically by examining cross-sections
of the trunk. Dr. Robert Whyte, of
the Department of Biological and

Environmental Sciences, has requested
sections to examine and use in
classroom activities.
Kanalis also is setting aside lumber
for other faculty-led projects, including
the children’s “sensory garden” outside
Morgan Hall. In the past, programs
such as technology education and
applied engineering and technology
have crafted decorative items from big
trees that once stood on campus.
“We’d like to repurpose as much
of the tree as possible, so we can keep
it within the academic community,”
Kanalis says.
Casey Marburger ’10, ’12, a member
of the Davey Tree crew, remembers the
Kentucky coffeetree from his time as a
technology education major on campus.
“I’ve been on trimming projects
with trees over 100 feet tall, but this is
the biggest removal I’ve been a part of
thus far,” he says. “This tree was near
the end of its lifespan, and the slow

decay was catching up with it.”
Walter Balla, of the Facilities
Management staff, has been
anticipating the tree’s demise. He’s
been collecting the shiny, flat pods
filled with hard-shelled seeds that
give the Kentucky coffee tree its
common name.
Nearly a dozen seeds have
germinated, and seedlings are sprouting
on sunny windowsills across campus.
Eventually, Ballas hopes to plant the
seedlings in protected spots on campus
where they can grow and thrive.
The University plans to install a
new tree — either another Kentucky
coffeetree or a similar native species —
near the same location behind Herron
Recreation Center.
“The scenery has changed since
I was a student,” Marburger says of
campus. “Plant another tree here,
and it could stand for another
several generations.”

Nominations are being accepted
for the 2020 Presidential Distinguished
Merit Awards, open to tenured faculty
members who have demonstrated
excellence in teaching, research, or
service. Students, faculty, staff or
alumni may make a nomination. Selfnominations are permitted.
Nominations close at 4 p.m. on
Oct. 25. Support materials from the
nominees are due by 4 p.m. Nov. 15.
Each nomination must
include nominee's name, category
(teaching, research, service) and
nominator's name. Send nominations
to Dr. Summer Arrigo-Nelson
at arrigonelson@calu.edu or
the Department of Biology and
Environmental Science, Box 45.

SECA Charity
Deadline Oct. 25
Members of the campus
community are invited to participate
in the annual SECA campaign
through Oct. 25.
SECA, the State Employees
Combined Appeal, supports a number
of local, regional, national and
international charities. Contributions
help families and individuals in need
of shelter, medical care, food, job
training and other services.
Employees can make a
single donation or bi-weekly
deductions through the Employee
Self-Service system.
For more information, visit
seca.pa.gov or contact Renee Hanna
at hanna_r@calu.edu or extension 1624.

OCT. 21, 2019

Page 3

Student
to Visit
Russia

A

Childhood education major Elijah Gilbert asks, ‘Will this coconut sink or float in water?’ at STREAM Fest.

Learning's Fun at STREAM Fest

C

al U students and preschool
children continue to prosper
from STREAM Fest, a variety
of science, reading, engineering, arts
and math activities for children that
has become a yearly event.
The fun morning in Keystone
Hall was conducted by Cal U’s
pre-kindergarten education majors,
who planned and taught the
STREAM lessons.
Nearly 40 children came from the
Rutledge Institute for Early Childhood
Education, which supports an
innovative preschool learning program
on Cal U’s campus, and The Village, an
accredited early childhood education
center in downtown California.
Drs. Clover Wright and Diane Fine,
assistant professors in the Department
of Childhood Education, oversee the
teachers-in-training.
The event complements the field
work many of the Cal U students are

doing for the first time this semester at
local school districts. All components of
STREAM are used in each activity.
“This gives them the experience
of being able to teach in front of their
peers, with their peers and in front of
their professors,” Wright said. “They
are exhausted and elated at the end,
but most of them look at this as their
favorite part of the semester.”
Excitement and anticipation
were evident as sophomore DeAisa
Wade and junior Madison Grey
prepared clay for a fossil-making
activity they planned.
Wade has begun her field work at
Hilltop Community Children’s Center
in Pittsburgh.
“This gives them a hands-on project
that we can observe and help with,
where they will learn about fossils while
having fun at the same time,” she said.
“What’s really nice is that we get to
put together lesson plans and actually

teach them and carry out the activities
as opposed to doing the lesson plan for
class and on other college students,”
said Grey, who is doing her field work
at Ringgold Elementary.
Partnerships between Cal U, the
Rutledge preschool and The Village are
ongoing. Three days before STREAM
Fest, the preschool children participated
in the Cal U Liberal Arts Fair.
Later this month, Cal U’s Center
for Volunteer Programs and Service
Learning is sending students to both
locations to decorate for Halloween as a
Jennie Carter Day of Service project.  
“We are making full use of the
resources on campus,” said
Ashley Roth, assistant director of
the Rutledge Institute, director of
The Village, and an early childhood
education instructor at Cal U. “What’s
so nice is that not only do we go to the
University, but they come to us, which
just adds to our relationship.”

5K, Proposal Highlight Homecoming
— Continued from page 1

“I just love this time of the year
and spending the morning on campus,
particularly in the fall,” said Nigel, a
technical program manager for Uber’s
Advanced Technology Group. “Our
daughter loves the parade, and I really
enjoy catching up with friends from my
era of Cal U. “
The surprise of the day came
mid-parade, when Nicolas Bishop
stepped away from his float to propose
to McKenna Ferris, who was with the
float behind. The seniors met at Cal U
during their freshmen years.
“The time was right,” said Bishop.
“Tomorrow is our 3-year anniversary.”
(She said yes!)
Under sunny skies, the party moved
to Roadman Park on the upper campus.
Several DJs took the stage to entertain,
led by DJ Bonics, famous for his work
with rapper Wiz Khalifa. DJ Femi, aka
Bria Thomas ’15, and WCAL DJ
Nick Rae also performed.
Samples of Cal U Brew — made

Cal U Homecoming royalty gathers on the football field at halftime with President
Geraldine Jones. From left, 2019 Homecoming King Eric Townsend, with his daughter,
Aubree, and Co-Queens Maddie Rush and Cynthia Obiekezie.

by Uniontown-based Laurel Highlands
Brewing and co-owners Bob and
Allison ’07 Kotarsky and Matt and
Amy ’07 Smiley — were available.
Members of the Class of 1969, back on
campus for their 50th reunion weekend,
also enjoyed the atmosphere prior to the
Cal U vs. Clarion football game.
“There are 16 of us who met at

Cal U and have remained good friends,”
said Lindsay LiVolsi Merryman, who
married Bill Merryman ’67.
To close out a perfect day, Cal U
defeated Clarion, 35-20. At halftime,
Eric Townsend was crowned
Homecoming King. Co-Homeoming
Queens were Maddie Rush and
Cynthia Obiekezie.

fter a virtual conversation
with fellow students in Russia,
Cal U junior Victoria McGough is
excited to meet some of them in real life.
She will do just that for the spring
2020 semester when she attends the
National Research University School of
Economics in Perm, Russia, as part of a
study abroad program.
“When you have the chance to go
to another country, you have to be
open-minded and embrace it to truly
understand and get the experience you’re
looking for,” said McGough, who has
been studying Russian for several months.
McGough and classmates chatted
virtually with the Perm students on
Sept. 25 as part of Dr. Sean’s Madden’s
ongoing collaboration with
Dr. Tatyana Permyakova, a professor in
the National Research University’s School
of Foreign Languages.
She was Madden’s faculty collaborator
during his 2012 experience as a Fulbright
Specialist in Russia. The two have
continued to make connections between
the National Research University and
Cal U.
This year marked the fifth virtual
exchange among their students.
Despite the cultural and geographical
differences, the two student groups found
themselves sharing many traits.
Both talked about the challenge of
balancing studying and working and not
getting enough sleep.
The Perm students mentioned “Game
of Thrones” when asked about popular
American television shows or movies
and one replied “awesome” when a
Cal U student said she enjoyed
international music.
A long-term goal of both
educators is to attract students from
each other’s school.
McGough, who hopes to join the
Peace Corps and someday be an attorney
who practices international law, found the
talk beneficial.
“I find it’s very informative, easygoing
and down to earth being able to talk to
students face to face over the internet,”
she said.

Career High
for Bocetti
— Continued from page 1
a Recovery Champion by the U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service. The award
recognizes agency employees and partners
who have made outstanding efforts to
conserve and protect endangered and
threatened species.
Bocetti and 13 students attended the
joint conference of The Wildlife Society
and the American Fisheries Society
Sept. 29-Oct. 3.
At the event, Bocetti received a
Fellows Award from The Wildlife Society,
which recognizes current members who
have distinguished themselves through
exceptional service to the wildlife profession.
In 2018, she was named by the society
as the Student Chapter Advisor of the
Year. She also won that honor in 2012,
the same year that Cal U’s student chapter
was named The Wildlife Society chapter
of the year.

Page 4

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OCT. 21, 2019

Students Flock to Fall Career Fair

ach Zigmond ’14 began working
at Sherwin-Williams during his
sophomore year at Cal U while
earning his bachelor’s degree
in accounting.
Now a manager, he was back on
campus Oct. 3 for the Cal U Fall
Career Fair, hoping to attract current
students for the company’s management
administration training program as well
as part-time help.
“I use my accounting skills every day,
and Cal U also taught me to interact
with people, which is something I do
constantly at work,” said Zigmond. “We
have opportunities available and came
here because we know we can find top
talent at Cal U.”
Approximately 90 employers
recruiting all majors for full-time and
part-time jobs, internships and volunteer
opportunities occupied booths inside the
Convocation Center as hundreds of
Cal U students capitalized on the
networking opportunity.
Ally Wilson, a senior criminal justice
major, visited the Pennsylvania State
Police booth to learn more about the
process from trooper and recruiter
Aaron Allen. She has already passed the
written and oral exams.
“I’ve wanted to be a police officer for
as long as I can remember, and if I do
not make it through the state academy,
I will go through a local academy,” she
said. “Either way, I am going to police.”
Allen was impressed.

“She seemed squared away and very
confident, and those are the type of
people we want,” he said. “She’s a
great candidate.”
First-year student and psychology
major Erin Polakovsky enjoyed visiting
the Peace Corps booth and hearing
about a recruiter’s experience counseling
in Thailand.
“I plan on going into clinical mental
health counseling so hearing about that
was pretty awesome. I will go anywhere
to work,” Polakovsky said. “I really love
it here and love my major.”
Junior communication studies major
Stephen Elcock learned about the fair
from Emma Jackson, a counselor in the
Career and Professional Development
Center. Stops at the Crime Victims’
Center of Fayette County and Excela
Health were beneficial.
“I’m looking for interpersonal
communications and really liked the oneon-one basis with people at this fair,” he
said. “This has worked well for me.”
Many alumni not only represented
employers at booths but also returned
to their alma mater to check out
new possibilities.
Dylan Carson ’17 spoke to U.S. Steel
and Advanced Acoustics Concepts about
networking IT jobs.
“I thought things went well, and
these are a couple of leads I would not
have had otherwise,” Carson said.
Rhonda Gifford, director of the
Career and Professional Development

Communication studies major Clarke Yancy (left) speaks with Nella Gigliotti ‘16 and Tom Boyle
from Heeter at the Cal U Career Fair.

Center, said this year’s fair had its most
employers ever and attributed the success
to Handshake, a comprehensive online
career and internship resource offering
powerful search tools and alerts.
Handshake allows students to build
their personal profiles to be visible
to employers and also access job
recommendations based on their major
and interests.
“We had at least 10 new employers,
and Handshake has absolutely enhanced

New Actors, Technicians in Spotlight

T

he Department of Music and
Theatre showcases the talents
of Cal U’s newest crop of
aspiring actors and technicians when it
presents playwright Jason Pizzarello’s
hilarious Saving the Greeks: One Tragedy
at a Time at 7 p.m. Oct. 24-25, and at
2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Oct. 26.
The 23rd annual First Year Show is
open to the public and will be performed
in the Gerald and Carolyn Blaney
Theatre in Steele Hall.
“Saving the Greeks” is a breezy
comedy full of laugh-out-loud merriment
that pays homage to the melodramatic
absurdity that is Greek tragedy.
The audience follows the story of
Dialysis and his downtrodden slave,
Peon, as they try to right all the wrongs
done to the pitiful citizens of Athens.
Their efforts lead them to create
Betterland, a city where formerly
doomed tragedians can start their lives
over again, free from the misfortunes of
their previous existence. Traveling from
tragedy to tragedy, Dialysis and Peon
gather inhabitants for their new utopia.
“Our students have been working
tirelessly to bring some of the most
popular tragic Greek heroes to life while
staying true to some ancient Greek
comedic performance practices,” said
Dr. John Paul Staszel, director and

Naomi Terrell (left), Karlie Cook, Cole McGlumphy, Noah Kendall and Shauna Fahad rehearse
for Cal U Department of Music and Theatre’s performances of ‘Saving the Greeks.’

assistant professor in the Department of
Music and Theatre. “If you have always
wanted to study Greek mythology, or
just brush up on your Greek history, but
wanted to do so with a comic twist, this
is the show for you.”
Subject matter offers mature content
and themes that may not be suitable for
younger patrons.  
Ticket price is $12 for adults; $6 for
those 60 and older and 12 and younger.
Cal U students with valid CalCards pay

a $5 deposit that is refunded at the show.  
For ticket information, or to charge
tickets by phone, call the Steele Hall Box
Office at 724-938-5943.
Playing off the Greek theme, since
the word “cereal” comes from Ceres, the
Greek goddess of agriculture, the cast is
partnering with Greek Life and the
Cal U Cupboard for a breakfast food
drive. Nonperishable foods may be
donated at the door before the show or
taken to Natali Room 119.

our fair,” Gifford said. “This tool has
significantly increased our campus
exposure to employers, and we are
very pleased.”
The Career and Professional Development
Center offers services for students and alumni
in the Natali Student Union, Suite 138.
Resume reviews are offered 11 a.m. to
1 p.m. weekdays. Students also may contact
the center for career goal appointments or
information on upcoming job fairs; call
724-938-4413.

Access to
Higher Ed
is Key
— Continued from page 1
“I’m proud of that, it was the
right thing to do for our students,”
Greenstein said.
Another element in the System
Redesign is the culture at each
campus. Recently, employees systemwide were asked to complete a survey
on issues like innovation, inclusion
and engagement.
“The point of gathering all this
data is not to do a U.S. News and
World Report ranking on culture. It’s
to spend time reflecting and to learn
about who we are and what we want
to become,” Greenstein said.
While challenges remain, he
praised the efforts at Cal U.
“We do what we do because we
believe passionately in the purpose of
higher education,” Greenstein said.
“It’s hard because different demands
are being put on us while we are
still doing our business. I want to
acknowledge, thank you and honor
you doing what you do every day.
“Everything you do has
lasting significance.”

The California Journal is published by California University of Pennsylvania, a member of Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education.
Geraldine M. Jones
University President
Dr. Bruce Barnhart
Provost and Senior Vice President
for Academic Affairs

Dr. Nancy Pinardi
Vice President for Student Affairs
Christine Kindl
Vice President for Communications
and Marketing

Office of Communications and Public Relations

Robert Thorn
Vice President for Administration and Finance
Anthony Mauro
Vice President for University
Development and Alumni Relations

250 University Avenue

California, PA 15419

T. David Garcia
Vice President for Enrollment
Management

724-938-4195

Wendy Mackall
Editor
Bruce Wald
Writer

wald@calu.edu­­­­­­­­­