California University

Volume 20, Number 15 OCT. 22, 2018
KEEP UP WITH CAL U NEWS ONLINE: calu.edu/news

W

Alumni, Friends Enjoy Vulcan Fest
Homecoming Weekend

ith lawn chairs and blankets
for a chilly evening in tow,
Debbie Retucci, her husband,
Joe, and cousin Lori Hough were the
first fans to stake out a spot in front of
the stage where Lonestar, their favorite
band, was set to play.
“This is our band, and ‘Amazed’ was
our wedding song,” Debbie Retucci, of
Waynesburg, Pa., said of the country
music group’s signature ballad. “We
missed seeing them in Pittsburgh this
year, so I was so happy and surprised
that they were coming to Cal U.”
The three were among the fans who
enjoyed Lonestar and opening act Chris
Higbee, the highlights of Vulcan Fest
Homecoming Weekend, a collaboration
between Cal U and the Washington
County Tourism Promotion Agency that
was held Oct. 12-14.
Vulcan Fest was designed to promote
the county’s tourism assets to University
alumni, students and families while
also promoting Homecoming as a
tourism attraction.
The event brought James and Sue
Hammersmith to town.
They traveled four-and-a-half hours
from Blissfield, Mich., to see Lonestar.
It’s the 21st time they saw the band
this year.
The Hammersmiths had never visited
California before — never heard of it,

Richie McDonald, lead singer of Lonestar, performs Oct. 13 as part of Vulcan Fest Homecoming Weekend.

they said — although they have a cousin
not far away, in Morgantown, W.Va.
“It seems like a nice place, a nice
campus,” Jim Hammersmith said.
The weekend kicked off Oct. 12
with a 50th reunion for the Class of
1968 at Kara Alumni house, followed
by an all-class reunion party and
performance by Cal U alumnus Joe
Grushecky ’71 at the The Meadows in

North Strabane Township.
On Oct. 13, festivities began with a
Picnic on the Patio brunch for alumni
followed by the Homecoming parade
that featured 13 high school bands, the
Pittsburgh Steeline drummers and 35
other marching units.
Longtime mathematics and
computer science faculty member
George Novak ’55 served as the

grand marshal.
During halftime of the football game
between the Cal Vulcans and Gannon
Golden Knights, Jerron Corley, a senior
English major, and Whitney Ptak, a
senior criminal justice major, were
crowned Homecoming King and Queen.
Josh Fosbrink ´01,´03 and Christina
Kost Fosbrink ´01,´03 regularly return to
— Continued on page 2

Meet the Chancellor
at Open Forum Oct. 25

T
Cal U is one of 168 corporations and educational institutions — and the only university in
Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education — to hold ARM membership.

ARM Membership
Empowers Students

S

tudents in Cal U’s robotics
and mechatronics engineering
technology programs are
preparing for careers at the forefront of
advanced manufacturing.
Now California University of
Pennsylvania is empowering those
students to network, learn and innovate
through its membership in Advanced
Robotics for Manufacturing (ARM)

an institute headquartered in
Pittsburgh, Pa.
Cal U is one of 168 corporations
and educational institutions — and the
only university in Pennsylvania’s State
System of Higher Education — to hold
ARM membership. ARM is part of
Manufacturing USA, a consortium of
14 manufacturing innovation institutes
— Continued on page 4

he Cal U community is invited to Riders should gather at 6:45 a.m. in
front of the Convocation Center.
attend an open forum with
A limited number of bicycles are
Dr. Dan Greenstein, chancellor of
available for students to borrow. To add
Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher
your name to the waiting list, register at
Education, when he makes his initial
Herron Recreation and Fitness
visit to California on Oct. 25.
Center, or call 724-938-5907.
Chancellor Greenstein
took office on Sept. 4, and
About the Chancellor
this visit is one stop on a
Greenstein is the fifth
tour of all 14 State System
chancellor to lead the State
universities. At each campus,
System since its founding
Greenstein has scheduled
in 1983. Before coming to
a full day of meetings and
Pennsylvania, he led the
focus groups with a variety
Postsecondary Success
of university stakeholders,
Dr. Dan Greenstein
strategy at the Bill and
including students, faculty,
Melinda Gates Foundation. He also was
staff and administrators.
a top administrator in the University of
At Cal U, the entire campus
California system.
community may attend the open forum
“I’m laser-focused on helping to
from 1-2:15 p.m. in the Performance
ensure that our 14 universities are places
Center, inside the Natali Student
that every student can achieve success,”
Center. After a short presentation,
the chancellor says in his blog.
the chancellor will take questions
“I want to hear your stories, listen
from the audience.
to your ideas, and understand the
Greenstein is an avid cyclist, and he
challenges and obstacles that we face
is starting each of his campus visits on
— that you face. I want to know what
two wheels. Students, faculty and staff
makes us good, to know about the
are invited to join the chancellor on a
issues that keep us from becoming
6.5-mile bicycle ride around campus,
better, and to know how we can
beginning at 7 a.m.
address those issues.”
Cyclists may use their own bikes.

Page 2

OCT. 22, 2018

Fundraiser Boosts Military Scholarship

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otorcycle engines growling,
a contingent of American
Legion Riders roared up to
the Convocation Center Oct. 5 in a
show of support for the “Families First”
fundraiser.
More than 150 guests, many of
them American Legionnaires and their
families, turned out for the benefit dinner
organized by Robert Prah and Cal U’s
Office of Military and Veterans Affairs.
The event raised funds to help endow
the Commander Kerrie Gill Sr. Memorial
Scholarship for military families.
Gill, a two-time Cal U alumnus and
former IT Department employee, was
a three-time commander if California’s
American Legion Post 337 and served
as commander of the organization’s
Pennsylvania Department before his
death in 2015.
Hosts for “Families First” were
University President Geraldine M.
Jones, who welcomed the guests, and
University trustee Larry Maggi, an
American Legion member and chair of
the Washington County Commissioners.
Members of Gill’s extended family
attended the dinner.
Keynote speaker Denise Rohan,
the first woman to serve as national
commander of the American Legion,

C

Larry Maggi, University trustee, American Legion member and chair of the Washington County
Commissioners; Denise Rohan, keynote speaker and the first woman to serve as national
commander of the American Legion; and University President Geraldine M. Jones.

described her own transformation from a
homesick young soldier in basic training
to a determined woman who found
strength in her military “family.”
After leaving the Army to travel with
her husband, who was on active duty,

Rohan devoted herself to caring for
military spouses and children.
“It’s not just the person in uniform
who serves. It’s the entire family,”
she said.
Especially in recent years, when

multiple deployments have become
more common, “spouses and children
are asked to be resilient over and
over again.”
“It is reassuring to know there are
veterans and ordinary citizens who truly
care about our military families,”
Rohan added. She urged the veterans in
the audience to share their stories,
so their role in American history will
be remembered.
Maggi reminded the audience that
Cal U has been recognized nationally
as a Military-Friendly University. In
addition to supporting military members
and veterans on campus, the University
works extensively with service members
around the world who are enrolled in
online degree programs.
“This is an important event for the
University, for our community and for
the region,” Maggi said, noting that
Legionnaires traveled from as far away
as Harrisburg to attend.
“We are honored that the American
Legion’s past national commander is
here to spend time with local veterans
and raise money for this worth cause.”
To contribute to the Commander
Kerrie Gill Sr. Memorial Scholarship,
contact the office of University
Development at 724-938-5775.

Veterans Dinner
Turns 45

al U welcomes a nationally
recognized advocate for
student veterans when it hosts
its 45th annual Veterans Day dinner
on Nov. 8.
Jared Lyon, president and CEO
of Student Veterans of America
(SVA), will be the featured speaker at
the event, which will be held in the
Convocation Center.
Doors open at 5 p.m.; the
program begins at 6 p.m.
SVA represents more than
700,000 student
veterans,
supporting them
through their
higher education
experience
and beyond.
Under Lyon’s
leadership, the
organization has
grown to include
Jared Lyon
more than 1,500
chapters on
campuses in all 50 states and four
countries.
Lyon, of Washington, D.C., is a
Navy veteran who served multiple
deployments as a submariner and a
diver. After concluding his service,
he worked as an electronic-systems
administrator at Northrop Grumman
and managed Florida operations
for the Washington Nationals
baseball team.
At SVA, he co-authored the
National Veteran Education Success
Tracker (NVEST) research project,
the first comprehensive study of
student veterans who are using the
Post-9/11 GI Bill.
Last year he led SVA’s
commitment to expanding college
aid for military veterans through the
“Forever GI Bill.”
Robert Prah, director of the

Office of Military and Veterans
Affairs, said Lyon’s appearance is
timely since the Post-9/11 Veterans
Educational Assistance Act of 2008
— known as the Post-9/11 GI Bill —
is celebrating its 10-year anniversary.
“The student success rate of
veterans has been very high on
campuses including ours in terms of
academic achievement, involvement,
community service and giving back,”
Prah said.
“The involvement of Student
Veterans of American across the
country in helping student veterans
with everything from internships,
careers and overall student success is
quite impressive and significant.”

Attend the
Veterans Day dinner
“Few other schools have such a
long history of recognizing those
who serve, including our students
and alumni,” Prah said of the 45th
anniversary of the dinner.
“It’s one of our proudest Cal U
traditions and certainly Jared Lyon
adds to our long list of distinguished
guest speakers.”
Banners honoring Cal U veterans
also will be displayed on campus.
Hosted by the Cal U Veterans
Club, the Veterans Day dinner is
open to the public.
Cal U students are admitted free;
so are Cal U alumni who are current
or former service members. Cost
for local residents who are service
members or veterans is $10; ticket
price for non-veterans and guests is
$15. Checks should be made payable
to SAI-Vets Club.
Reservations are required; deadline to
register is Nov. 2. To make a reservation
or inquire about payment options, email
veterans@calu.edu or call 724-938-4076.

Members of Alpha Sigma Alpha cheer as they follow their float, which they built in partnership
with the Acacia fraternity.

Alumni, Friends
Enjoy Vulcan Fest
Homecoming Weekend
— Continued from page 1

campus for Homecoming from
Johnstown, Pa., with their children.
Josh is the on-air meteorologist for
WATM 23, and Kristina is an
associate dean of graphic arts at
online Independence College.
As students, the couple hosted the
CUTV coverage of the Homecoming
parade.
“We love coming back and sharing
our experiences with our kids,” Josh
Fosbrink said.
Keri Weaver ’97 says it took months

of planning to organize a Homecoming
reunion of softball alumni — but the
effort paid off.
She estimated that a group of about
55 former players and their families were
on hand at Roadman Park.
Weaver, who played first base for
the team that won Cal U’s first national
championship in softball, said the
preparations began even before the
group heard about this year’s
Vulcan Fest activities.
“Most of us haven’t been together for
years,” she said, “but it’s like we never
left. We pick up right where we left off.”

OCT. 22, 2018

Page 3

­­­Campus
BRIEFS

Nominations Open
for Presidential
Merit Awards

Mecia Howard, a senior environmental studies major, dances outside Manderino Library Oct. 2 during ‘Cultures and Arts,’ Cal U’s second annual
Liberal Arts Festival.

Liberal Arts Fair:
A Mashup for the Mind

T

he second annual Cal U Liberal
Arts Festival on Oct. 2 turned
Manderino Library into a mashup
of the mind and senses — visual art,
dance, music, intellectual scholarship
and theater — that showcased student
and faculty talent.
Titled “Cultures and Arts,” the
festival brought in nearly 400 high
school students and teachers, as well
as members of the Cal U community
and public.
Andrea Cencich, event organizer
and faculty member in the Department
of Arts and Languages, emphasized
cultural awareness as the primary
purpose of the festival.
“Many school districts may not
have a large connection to different
cultures,” she said. “From the language
arts perspective, we see the diversity in
our classes every day, and our College of
Liberal Arts wants to reflect this.
“The festival is a wonderful way of
showing our openness and tolerance to
not only visiting high schools but our
campus and the community.”
Before enjoying a belly-dancing
demonstration, Ryan McEachern

T

and Icis Witt, ninth-graders at Rochester
High School, Beaver County, enjoyed
a presentation on artifacts and artwork
from the Louvre, which included The
Madonna with the Blue Diadem.
“I like how the Cal U teachers
asked us questions and really helped
us understand what was being said,”
McEachern said. “It made the lecture
interesting and interactive.
Witt enjoyed her day on the Cal U
campus.
“I’m not sure if the arts is what I do
for a career, but it’s good to look around
at everything and sort of get a feel for
it,” she said.
Laura DeFazio, a professor in the
Department of Art and Languages,
talked with 80 high school students
about motifs in early Islamic
architecture.
“This is such a vibrant event where
I see so much communication along
with expression and exchanging of ideas
campus-wide,” she said. “To have the
foreign and visual languages in the same
department is a natural combination,
and the synergy with the students to run
events like this is amazing.”

Calvin Conroy, a senior mechatronics
engineering and technology major, who
is also a member of the Kappa Kappa
Psi honorary band fraternity, was one of
many Cal U students enjoying
the festival. He watched a judo
demonstration before viewing exhibits.
“You might just think about
traditional painting, but then you come
here and see all the different styles of
art and cultures, and it’s really cool
to see everything that’s on display,”
he said.
“I love the arts.”
The Office of the President was the
gold sponsor of the festival. Co-sponsors
of the festival included the College of
Liberal Arts, the Department of Art and
Languages, and Manderino Library.
“To have so many departments
participate in so many ways, showcasing
their creativity and come together is
special,” Cencich said. “We are so
grateful to the President and all of the
faculty, students and staff on campus
who helped.
“We believe the festival is getting
better each year and will continue to
do so.”

ElectionWatch Nov. 6 in Natali

he Cal U community and public are
welcome to attend a 2018 ElectionWatch
party beginning at 9 p.m. Nov. 6 in the
Performance Center, inside the Natali Student
Center.
Students, staff, faculty and community
members will share informal conversation and
pizza as results of the Pennsylvania gubernatorial
election and other key races unfold.
There is no admission charge for this year’s
ElectionWatch, which is presented by the campus
chapter of the American Democracy Project.
ADP campus director Dr. Melanie Blumberg, professor
in the Department of History, Politics, Society and Law,
said this is the first time Cal U has hosted an ElectionWatch
during midterms.

“The ADP decided to hold an ElectionWatch
event for the 2018 midterm based on the enormous
amount of attention it is being given,” said
Blumberg.
“The political scientists and several
historians have been telling students they are
witnessing one of the most consequential
midterm elections in memory.
“ElectionWatch caps a robust Get Out The
Vote effort.”
To celebrate Election Day, there will be music,
food and give-aways from 10 a.m.-7 p.m. in the
Natali Student Center.
The Student Government Association will also be
coordinating walks and rides to the polls. Those interested
should email SGA president Seth Shiley at shi1177@calu.edu.

Nominations are being
accepted for the 2019 Presidential
Distinguished Merit Awards, open
to tenured faculty members who
have demonstrated excellence in
teaching, research or service.
Any member of the Cal U
community — students, faculty,
staff or alumni — may make a
nomination. Self-nominations are
permitted. Each nomination must
include names of the nominee
and nominator and category of
nomination (teaching, research
or service).
Nominations close at 4 p.m.
Oct. 28. Support materials from
the nominees are due by 4 p.m.
Nov. 16.
Nominations can be submitted
via email or paper copy to
Dr. Marta McClintock-Comeaux,
Presidential Distinguished
Merit Awards committee chair,
at mcclintock@calu.edu or
Department of History, Politics,
Society & Law, Box 6.

‘Red Horse’
Showcases
First-year Actors
The fall semester’s second
presentation by the Department of
Music and Theatre showcases the
talents of Cal U’s newest actors.
First-year students will appear
onstage Nov. 1-3 in Red Horse, a
completely original retelling of the
experimental 1970s production
developed by the Mabou Mines
and director Lee Breuer. Actors
create images and moments
allowing dialogue to give way to
actor’s bodies in a poetic staging of
the life of the horse.
Suited for the family, Red Horse
marks the 22nd annual first-year
student show.
Shows are at 7 p.m. Nov.
1-2 and 2 and 7 p.m. Nov. 3 in
the Gerald and Carolyn Blaney
Theatre in Steele Hall.
Ticket price is $12 for adults,
seniors and children. Cal U
students with valid CalCards pay
50 cents, plus 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.

Procurement Fair
Set for Oct. 23
The 31st annual Procurement
Opportunities Fair, sponsored
by Cal U’s Government Agency
Coordination Office (GACO),
will take place from 9 a.m.-3 p.m.
Oct. 23 at the Monroeville
Convention Center in
Monroeville, Pa.
Admission is $45 per attendee.
A buffet lunch is included.
To register, visit
www.calu.edu/gaco. For more
information, contact Tracy Julian at
724-938-5881 or julian@calu.edu.

Page 4

OCT. 22, 2018

Panel Explores Anthem Issue

A

n issue causing considerable
public disagreement was
discussed in an insightful and
collegial manner Oct. 9 at an Issues
Expo hosted by the Cal U chapter of the
American Democracy Project.
“Taking the Knee” looked at
professional football player
Colin Kaepernick, the quarterback who
started a protest against police brutality
by kneeling during the national anthem.
Dr. Michael Slaven,
Dr. Sean Madden, of the Department of
History, Politics, Society and Law, and
Dr. Ayanna Lyles, of the Department
of Health Science, were joined on the
panel by students Shaheed Ansari and
Brandon Wright. Moderator was
Dr. Kelton Edmonds, director of the
Frederick Douglass Institute and a
professor in the Department of History,
Politics, Society and Law.
Lyles presented a timeline of
Kaepernick’s protest. She also
mentioned other athletes, such as the
NBA’s LeBron James and
Dwyane Wade, who are using their
platform to raise awareness about issues

affecting minorities in the United States.
“Professional and amateur athletes
pushing back with symbolic speech
and protesting to inspire change has
been part of American history for quite
some time,” Lyles said, referencing the
black power salute in the 1968 Summer
Olympics. “But why has this pushback
been so much?”
Madden said, historically, protesting
is unpopular even if one agrees on the
message, but that Kaepernick’s resilience
has paid off.
“Colin Kaepernick has already won
his protest by staying the course,”
he said.
Slaven said taking a knee is an openended gesture and that the NFL has
monetized every aspect of its game,
including the anthem, which often
includes fighter jets flying over stadiums,
paid for by the military.
“I believe the NFL subverted the
national anthem long before Kaepernick
took a knee,” he said. “I’m disappointed,
frankly, that more or all the players did
not join in, and for me the real culprit is
the NFL itself, not one guy.”

Ansari said the social and national
media cycles have amplified his action.
“It’s just so out there because of the
way people have driven it and how we
now live,” he said. “It’s become such a
controversial issue that everybody wants
to say something about.”
Wright agreed about the
overexposure but believes a lack of
communication has caused many to
forget the focus of his protest.
“There’s so much divide on this
issue because you have so many people
thinking in separate ways,” he said.
“They need to get back to his
initial stance.”
Many in the audience felt the
miscommunication was an important
aspect and criticized President Trump
for shaping the narrative in his tweets.
Edmonds concluded the event by
borrowing Madden’s phrase about
Kaepernick’s protest being successful.
“I want to encourage students who
are active about an issue to stay the
course, because attention spans are
short, and what is a monumental issue
now can be gone in a few days,” he said.

Alumna Makes
Polished Return
to Campus

Alumna Jamie Porter ’11 gives a
polishing demonstration to students
in Cal U’s jewelry-casting class, taught
by James Bové. Porter, a certified
bench jeweler, began her career as
an apprentice and is now inspects
and finishes final designs at Joyce’s
Jewelry in Uniontown, which creates
designs for stores nationwide. Porter,
who earned her bachelor’s degree in
fine arts from Cal U, said she found
her niche by taking a jewelry class
taught by Bové.

H

Fair Offers a Healthy Outlook

ealthy students are better students.
That was one of the messages presented — and well
received — Sept. 19 at Cal U’s 31st annual Health Fair
at the Convocation Center, organized by the Health Education
Awareness Resource Team.
Vendors from the health care industry, along with campus
organizations and clubs, presented information, conducted
screenings, organized physical activities and offered giveaways
at the event, coordinated by Rachel Michaels, Cal U’s director
for Student Wellness Support Services and the Prevention
Awareness Recovery Center.
“As a new student, I am glad that the school has
something like this because I’m finding out about many
activities and services that I did not know were available,”
said Brittney Roberts, who is majoring in biology with a preprofessional concentration.
“When I feel good about myself, I think it makes

me worry less so I can just concentrate.”
Senior Jamie Eakin, a biology major who is pursuing a
dental career, is involved in the Medical Interest Club, which
volunteers at local hospitals and community events, among
other initiatives. An avid runner, she believes the health fair is
educational and helpful.
“Along with the time I spend training for marathons,
I balance my time studying because it’s all about time
management and getting that release to focus on your studies,”
she said.
Cal U faculty have always been strong supporters of the
health fair.   
“We do promote healthy living and encourage our majors
to exercise regularly,” said Dr. Kyle Fredrick, professor in
the Department of Earth Science. “Most of our students are
seeking employment that requires a fair bit of field work, and
their level of fitness can impact their employability.”

Cal U Joins
Robotics
Institute

— Continued from page 1

that serve members in private industry,
academia, and the nonprofit and
government sectors.
Launched by Carnegie Mellon
University in 2017, ARM now
operates as a nonprofit public-private
partnership. It is funded with $80
million from the Department of
Defense and an additional $170
million from various public and private
organizations. Its goal is to “accelerate
the advancement of transformative
robotic technologies and education”
and make American manufacturing
more competitive on a global scale.
“Cal U’s membership in ARM
signifies its commitment to preparing
students with the skills and knowledge
essential for revitalizing U.S.
manufacturing through industrial
robotics innovation,” says
Jean Hale, Cal U’s executive director of
community and corporate relations.
“Membership in ARM provides
access to funding and supportive
infrastructure to enhance the
University’s existing connections with
small and mid-size manufacturers in the
region. It also allows Cal U to partner
with manufacturers as they work toward
implementing new robotic technologies
— a key element in strengthening our
region’s economic vitality.”
ARM focuses on solutions that
make it easier for small and mid-size
companies to benefit from robotics, and
on technological tools that allow U.S.
manufacturers to compete successfully
with low-wage manufacturing abroad.
Through ARM, Cal U students will
have opportunities to work with leading
companies on projects that advance
cutting-edge robotic technologies, with
special emphasis on key industrial
sectors such as aerospace, automotive,
textiles, electronics and more.
Cal U faculty will be valued
contributors to world-class knowledge
center that showcases what’s new and
next in robotics. Their participation in
ARM will help students map pathways
to high-value careers in robotics and
mechatronics engineering technology.
Students and faculty also will have
access to Hazelwood Green, ARM’s
center for advanced manufacturing
research that is scheduled to open next
year at the historic Jones & Laughlin
Steel site in Pittsburgh’s Hazelwood
neighborhood.
ARM says the center is designed to
bring “large-scale academic research
and corporate development under one
roof ” to develop and demonstrate
new robotics technologies, and to
create a workforce prepared to “work
collaboratively with robotic solutions in
a safe, high-satisfaction environment.”

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

250 University Avenue

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

California, PA 15419

724-938-4195

Wendy Mackall
Editor
Bruce Wald
Writer

wald@calu.edu­­­­­­­­­