2009april27journaldraft1.qxp:03-24-08 CAL U JOURNAL.qxd 4/22/09 7:59 AM Page 1 California University VOLUME 11, NUMBER 15 APRIL 27, 2009 Gov. Edward G. Rendell speaks at a news conference on campus about his proposed Tuition Relief Act. In the background is Charleroi Area High School senior Ronni Davis, who plans on attending Cal U next year to major in Secondary Education/ English. Davis explained to the audience how the tuition relief would help her afford the cost of college tuition. Governor Seeks Support for Tuition Relief P ennsylvania Gov. Edward G. Rendell wants to help high school students pay for college — but first, he says, they must help him convince the General Assembly to approve his tuition relief plan. At an April 14 news conference held at Cal U, the governor urged students to “write to your local legislators, or send them an e-mail” supporting the Pennsylvania Tuition Relief Act, which would help pay college tuition at the commonwealth’s 14 state-owned universities and 14 community colleges. Under the plan, eligible students could receive as much as $7,600 per year for tuition, fees, and room and board at any PASSHE institution, including Cal U. Relief would be available for firstyear students whose families earn less than $100,000 per year. Awards would be based on a sliding scale; all students would be required to pay at least $1,000 per year toward college costs. The governor hopes to deliver tuition relief starting this fall, using funds generated by regulating video poker. “We are not expanding gambling, because it is already there,” he said, estimating that more than 17,000 illegal video poker machines are in operation across Pennsylvania. “What we want to do is take over these machines, and the proceeds will then go to the tuition relief plan,” Commencement Ceremonies Set for May 1-2 U niversity President Angelo Armenti, Jr. will confer degrees upon 917 undergraduate and 178 graduate students at Cal U’s 168th Commencement. The School of Graduate Studies and Research will award master’s degrees at 7 p.m. Friday, May 1.The ceremony will include the vesting of the academic hood on each of the graduates. Undergraduates in the College of Education and Human Services, the College of Liberal Arts and the Eberly College of Science and Technology will receive their diplomas at 10 a.m. Saturday, May 2. Both ceremonies will he held in the Hamer Hall gymnasium. Some degrees will be conferred in absentia. Lt. Gen. R. Stephen Whitcomb ’81 will speak to master’s degree candidates, and Michele Karnash Mandell ’69 will address the undergraduates. Indian rights activist LaDonna Harris will receive an honorary doctorate at the undergraduate ceremonies. After working his way through numerous command positions all over the world, Whitcomb became commanding general of the Third U.S. Army in 2004, six decades after Lt. Gen. George S. Patton held the reins of the same organization. In February 2008 he was appointed the 63rd Inspector General of the Army, charged with inquiring into and reporting on the Army’s discipline, efficiency, economy, morale, training and readiness. A former assistant professor of Military Science at Cal U, he received a College Alumni Award from the School of Graduate Studies and Research in April 2008. Mandell retired last month as executive vice president of retail at Talbots, a leading specialty retailer and direct marketer of women’s apparel. A 25-year veteran of the firm, she was responsible for Talbots’ $1.3 billion U.S. women’s and children’s retail operations, including sales volume, profitability, in-store merchandise presentation and human resource development. — Continued on page 4 Rendell said. He compared the plan to the Pennsylvania Lottery, which benefits senior citizens, and to slots parlors, which provide property tax relief. “The only difference is the winnings will be used to pay for our kids’ college education.” The governor estimated the plan’s cost at $110 million for the first year of the program. A new class of incoming — Continued on page 2 Educators Win ‘Grow Up Great’ Science Grant A Lt. Gen. R. Stephen Whitcomb ’81 Michele Karnash Mandell ’69 grant awarded to the Cal U Center for Excellence in Elementary Science and Math Education will help to train early childhood educators to provide preschool children with basic science skills as they explore the outdoors. The center will receive $379,198 over two years from Grow Up Great With Science, a regional effort of the PNC Foundation to foster an interest in science among young learners. The center is an initiative of University President Angelo Armenti, Jr. Project leader is Dr. J. William Hug, assistant professor of Early Childhood/ Elementary Education. Also participating are education faculty members Dr. Deborah Farrer, Dr. John Shimkanin, Dr. Nancy Steeley — Continued on page 4 2009april27journaldraft1.qxp:03-24-08 CAL U JOURNAL.qxd 4/22/09 7:59 AM Page 2 ‘Celebration’ Showcases Student Research Writing F ollowing a successful debut last fall, “The Celebration of Writing” returns from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Tuesday in the Performance Center. The celebration encourages student scholarship and composition, showing how even freshmen not only can write and research well, but also conduct meaningful research writing that contributes to the University. This program celebrates a semester of writing revision after revision, hours of research labor and the subsequent development of young scholars. Said Peggy Roche, coordinator of the event: “We see it as an opportunity to motivate not only students but faculty, and to engage the entire University community in our writing process.” The projects presented come from the English Department’s Research Writing classes. Research topics can range from an analysis of how to do the best Frisbee toss to the complexities of abusive teen relationships. “Our freshmen have important Allie Hammill, a freshman from the Lawrencville section of Pittsburgh, proudly displays her poster, which demonstrates her Hometown research project in Professor Roche’s class. things to share, and the Research Writing course provides them with the means to do so,” said Dr. Krystia Nora, assistant professor of English. “In fact, some of the work done in this course proves worthy of outside publication.” Backing up Nora’s comment is freshman Greg Sobol. His article analyzing the causes of teenage Tommy John Syndrome, a common elbow injury in baseball pitchers, was accepted for publication in an upcoming issue of Collegiate Baseball magazine. He will present his piece, titled “Tommy John Surgery: The Amateur Baseball Epidemic,” at tomorrow’s celebration. “This event allows freshmen to share their work with a larger audience and encourage them to try to publish,” Roche said. “The celebration also reinforces the value of the hard work involved in researching and writing for the University and for themselves.” At last fall’s event Cassandra Baker’s work and presentation was voted “Most Creative” by those who attended, and she received a $25 gift certificate to use in the campus bookstore. For more information, visit the English Department website, www.cup.edu/liberalarts/english/index.jsp. PASSHE Marks 25th Anniversary Smith to Represent Liberal Arts T he Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE) marked its silver anniversary April 1 with an event in the state Capitol Rotunda. PASSHE was established when former Gov. Dick Thornburgh signed Act 188 in November 1982, to establish the largest provider of higher education in the commonwealth. With the stroke of a pen, the 14 state-owned universities came under the umbrella of PASSHE. Speaking on behalf of PASSHE students at the event was Cal U’s Ryan Jerico, Student Government president and one of three student members of the Board of Governors. “It was a nice event,” Jerico said. “I was honored to speak on behalf of the more than 110,000 students of the commonwealth. “We are thankful to everybody who has been involved — whether it be the legislators, faculty, trustees, administration or the staff — with an option that is as affordable and high quality as the State System.” PASSHE Chancellor Dr. John C. Cavanaugh was among those on hand in the Capitol. “It is an honor to lead PASSHE and to be a part of its next generation,” he said. “With our rich traditions, outstanding institutions and keen understanding of higher education in the 21st century, we are positioned to educate thousands of young people and prepare them for life and work. “Without the foresight of leaders such as Gov. Thornburgh, PASSHE might not exist. I want to thank him and my predecessors, Dr. James H. McCormick and Dr. Judy G. Hample, for establishing a solid foundation on which we can build.” Others who participated in the event were Kenneth M. Jarin, F Cal U Student Government President Ryan Jerico, one of three student members of the PASSHE Board of Governors, spoke on behalf of students as the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education marked its silver anniversary. chairman of PASSHE’s Board of Governors; Guido Pichini, president of the Pennsylvania Association of Councils of Trustees, a trustee at Kutztown University of Pennsylvania and a member of the Board of Governors; and Dr. Steve Hicks, president of the Association of Pennsylvania State College and University Faculties (APSCUF). Now in its 25th year, PASSHE is the largest provider of higher education in the commonwealth. The 14 PASSHE universities offer degree and certificate programs in more than 120 areas of study. Approximately 405,000 PASSHE alumni live and work in Pennsylvania. aculty in the College of Liberal Arts have elected Craig Smith of the Department of History and Political Science as their representative to the Faculty Professional Development Committee. Liberal Arts faculty should forward to him any faculty development concerns so that he can present them to the FPD Committee. The candidate with the next highest number of votes was Peggy Roche (English). She will serve as an alternate in the event that Smith cannot fulfill his duties throughout the four-year term of service on the FPD Committee. Gov. Rendell Seeks Support for Pennsylvania Tuition Relief Act — Continued from page 1 Gov. Rendell fields questions from the media following his presentation on the proposed Tuition Relief Act. Under the plan, eligible students could receive as much as $7,600 per year for tuition, fees, and room and board at any PASSHE institution, including Cal U. 2 students would be covered each year. The cost in year four, when the program is fully implemented, would be $540 million. Rendell emphasized that more than 170,000 Pennsylvania students would ultimately benefit from tuition relief, including 10,000 students who otherwise would be unable to attend college. Ronni Davis, a senior from Charleroi Area High School, spoke in support of the proposal. She plans to attend Cal U beginning this fall to study Secondary Education/English. Davis said she qualifies for financial aid, but it will not come close to paying all her college expenses. “While I am most grateful for the financial aid I will receive, by the time I graduate in 2013 I will enter the workforce with a substantial amount of debt — nearly $20,0000,” said Davis, whose father passed away when she was in middle school. “I am the example of how Gov. Rendell’s plan can work — and I can think of at least 10 more students just at my small school who are in a similar situation.” The governor urged all those who would benefit from the tuition relief plan to contact their local legislators. “We need your help,” Rendell said. “Nothing passes just because I propose it. We need you to make your voices heard. We want poker machines to be legalized and the tuition-relief plan passed so 170,000 families can realize their dream.” 2009april27journaldraft1.qxp:03-24-08 CAL U JOURNAL.qxd 4/22/09 7:59 AM Page 3 Technology Education Students Make Mark A group of 32 Cal U students traveled to the Technology Education Collegiate Association (TECA) International Conference in Louisville, Ky., on March 25-28 to compete against Technology Education programs from across the country. The TECA conference is held in conjunction with the International Technology Education Association (ITEA) conference, the largest technology conference in the world. The Cal U students are members of the Technology Education Association of California (TEAC), a professional organization for students majoring in Technology Education. After doing well in February at the Eastern Regional in Virginia Beach, Va., TEAC was among 60 teams from 18 schools, most of them Division I universities, competing in seven events. The team returned to campus with five awards: A first-place finish in the Communication contest; second-place awards in Manufacturing and Problem Solving; and third-place showings in Transportation and Robotics. Additionally, George Lavelle completed his term as president-elect and was inducted as the 2009-2010 president of the International TECA organization. He also received the national ITEA College Leadership Award, the highest honor given to a TECA/ITEA student member. It is based upon outstanding dedication to ITEA and TECA, academic George Lavelle (right) receives the Technology Education Collegiate Association (TECA) Outstanding Chapter Award from outgoing President Hannah Burdette. At the TECA International Conference, Lavelle was inducted as the 2009-2010 president of the International organization. achievement, and professional involvement. Lavelle also was co-presenter for a TECA session on “The New Teacher Toolbox.” For the sixth consecutive year, TEAC received the Outstanding Chapter Award, presented to an institution that displays exemplary activity in chapter service, professional activities and activities that promote Technology Education. Kati Wise received the Foundation for Technology Education (FTE) Undergraduate Scholarship. Graduate student Philip DiFilippo received the Foundation for Teacher Excellence Donald Maley Spirit of Excellence Outstanding Graduate Student Citation. This award is named after Maley, a graduate of California State Teacher’s College in 1944 who became a leader in Industrial Arts/Technology Education. Graduate student Raymond Boyles co-presented a session on “Teaching STEM Concepts with Agile Robotics.” Boyles and DiFilippo also participated in the Teaching Technology Showcase. Competing students were Glenn Bastian, Geoff Bernstein, Graham Bodner, Veronica Check, Thomas Crumlish, Dave Darak, Nicole Duschek, Brandon Edwards, Emily Ellis, Rebecca Giles, Dave Heefner, Elyse Horath, Ryan Hornstein, Craig Jaquith, Dan Juarin, Jason Kofmehl, Joe Kush, George Lavelle, Casey Marburger, Andrew Markle, Andy Milcic, Clayton Miller, Rob Rice, Kevin Romeo, Jesse Sopko, George Toney, Mike Ulderich, Alex Whittington, Kati Wise and Dana Williams. Faculty members who attended were Drs. Mark Nowak, John Kallis, Laura Hummell, Stanley Komacek, Glenn Hider and Peter Wright, and Ms. Katherine Weber. Cal Tied for No. 2 in Dixon Trophy Race A Senior Shaquetta Mance (25) and Cal U’s women’s basketball team helped the athletic department’s pursuit of the Dixon Trophy this past season. fter a winter sports season that included fine performances by its women’s basketball and swimming teams, Cal U’s NCAA varsity athletic program now ranks second among the 16 schools vying for the 2008-2009 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Dixon Trophy. The Vulcans began the spring sports season with 130.5 overall points after earning 42 points from the five winter sports — men’s and women’s basketball, women’s swimming and men’s and women’s track and field. 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 ninth consecutive season. The Vulcans also advanced to the NCAA Elite Eight after capturing their second consecutive NCAA regional championship, the team’s fourth championship in seven years. Cal finished 29-5 overall. The Vulcan swimming team posted its best finish in school history at both the PSAC and NCAA championships. Cal U placed third at the conference meet for 14 points and qualified a school-record nine swimmers for the NCAA Championships, where the Vulcans posted four All-America finishes. Cal U men’s basketball team finished with 7.5 points this past season, while the men’s and women’s indoor track and field teams combined for 5.5 points. Indiana University of Pennsylvania is in first place in the standings with 143.5 points. Cal U and West Chester University are tied for second place with 130.5. Shippensburg University (128.0) and defending Dixon Trophy holder Slippery Rock University (119.5) round out the top five teams. Six different institutions have won the Dixon Trophy. Last year Cal finished third, the University’s best finish in the trophy race. The PSAC has awarded the Dixon Trophy annually since the 1995-1996 academic year to the member institution whose athletic program earns the best overall finish in conference championships and/or regularseason play. During the course of the academic year, points are awarded based on an institution’s finish in the 22 conference sports. Only a school’s best 12 finishes, six men’s and six women’s, are used in the final calculation of the Dixon Trophy standings. Pirates Internship Is Ticket to Career in Baseball A senior-year “tryout” with the Pittsburgh Pirates has proven to be an invaluable ticket to a successful career for a Cal U alumnus. Paul Klein ’07 graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Sport Management and now works for the Washington Nationals of Major League Baseball as a member of the group sales department. He and his wife, Nicole, live in Alexandria, Va., and are expecting their first child. But it was his experiences with the Pirates as a Cal U senior that ultimately led to a sales career. “I realized that while I wasn’t initially interested in doing sales, an internship was the best way to get into sports,” Klein said. As a Pirates intern and sales “rookie,” he made calls to previous clients who had not renewed their tickets for the 2007 season and was successful in getting many to do just that. may be just that.” Near the end of his Dr. Brian Wood, internship, his supervisor, assistant professor of Sport Brian Lowe, took a job Management, said he knew with the Nationals as that Klein’s “superior work director of ticket sales. ethic” would allow him to Knowing that Klein would excel. be graduating soon and “I was elated that Paul also was an excellent group was offered employment sales representative, Lowe with a professional sports asked him to join the sales team in Washington, D.C. franchise, even before Paul Klein The internship graduating,” Wood said. “As a professor, it is validating that opportunity had, indeed, led to a reallife field of dreams. students, who put in the required effort, “Internships are the single greatest are leaving my program with the way to break into the industry, and once requisite knowledge and skills you’re in, it’s almost like being in a necessary to succeed. Paul will be a fraternity,” Klein said. “Your list of great representative of California University and its Sport Management contacts explodes during your internship, and the number of people Program.” Wood said he and his fellow who are connected to one another is amazing. You never know whom you professors try to encourage this same kind of success in all of their students may be talking to, so treat everyone by requiring each to do an internship in with the respect of a team president, because you never know, next week they order to graduate. “Many students entering the Sport Management program have the misconception that sport managers and administrators have an easy job: Work with athletes and watch the games,” Wood said. “This view couldn’t be further from the truth, and the internship experience illustrates the wide array of duties that are commonly performed in this profession.” Klein said he owes a great deal of thanks to the University for his success. “From day one at Cal U, there was an emphasis on making contacts and showing yourself to be a professional,” Klein said. “You never know when you’re going to meet someone in this industry who will make things happen for you — and quickly. My professors at Cal U are solid professionals, and I learned a great deal from all of them. I owe everything that I have right now to my decision to go to Cal U. “Going there was literally the smartest decision I ever made.” 3 2009april27journaldraft1.qxp:03-24-08 CAL U JOURNAL.qxd 4/22/09 7:59 AM Page 4 Professor Joins Oxford Round Table Talks D Dr. Margaret Marcinek r. Margaret Marcinek, professor of Health Science and Sport Studies, visited Oxford University in the United Kingdom, where she participated in a panel discussion addressing The Next Generation Besieged: Violence, Sex and Substance Abuse. Marcinek was one of 47 participants at the Oxford Round Table discussions held March 29 to April 3 at Lincoln College of Oxford University. As part of the Round Table panel, she participated in discussions throughout the week and served as the discussion leader for a session dealing with protecting vulnerable populations. The Oxford Round Table provides an interdisciplinary forum for the discussion of contemporary issues in a collegial “think tank” atmosphere. Participation in Round Table Discussions is by invitation only, based on nominations by earlier attendees, courses that attendees teach, presentations and writings, and professional involvement in a relevant area of interest. The Next Generation Besieged provided an interdisciplinary perspective on substance abuse and a generation at risk. Despite the so-called “war on drugs,” substance abuse continues to be a biomedical and social problem. Critical to addressing this problem is the need to understand more fully the biological basis of substance abuse, both of escalating use of prescription drugs and the recreational use of illicit drugs. Biological factors must be framed within contexts of culture and socio-politics, and sound legal and ethical standards must be established. These goals guided the Round Table discussions throughout the week. The spring 2009 Oxford Round Table brought together scholars, academicians and practitioners from the biomedical, social, philosophical and legal fields to explore various aspects of substance abuse and examine contemporary issues that place children in harm’s way. Panel members represented a diverse community from all over the world, and included physicians, nurses, social workers, ethicists, attorneys, educators, sociologists, criminal investigators and public school administrators. The panel examined issues facing the next generation, and came to better appreciate the diverse cultures that frame our respective value systems. It proposed approaches to preserve cultural values and practices while addressing the contemporary needs of multiple societies dealing with the global problem of substance abuse. Commencements set May 1-2 — Continued from page 1 Dr. J. William Hug, assistant professor of Early Childhood/Elementary Education, is the project leader for the Grow Up Great With Science grant. The project fosters an interest in science among young learners. Educators Land Grant — Continued from page 1 and Jane Bonari. The project will train 60 early childhood educators each year to use outdoor activities, easily accessible science equipment and inexpensive supplies to create lessons that connect children with science and nature. Pre-service teachers from the College of Education and Human Services, the education faculty team and experienced early childhood educators will collaborate in teams that teach preschoolers skills such as making detailed observations and explaining things they see. “One of the most magnificent human gifts is the natural curiosity that bubbles forth as children explore the world around them,” said Hug. “Encouraging this fragile sense of wonder in a child at an early age can lead to the development of foundational skills that translate into later school success.” The project will involve about 250 children each year. It targets preschoolers in Fayette County, where research shows that critical social conditions place many young learners at risk for low educational achievement. Parents may participate in some of the outdoor activities. Cal U education faculty members will lead the project in collaboration with The Private Industry Council of Westmoreland/Fayette Inc., which operates Head Start classes; the Pittsburgh Association for the Education of Young Children, which trains early childhood educators in southwestern Pennsylvania; and Ohiopyle State Park, Pennsylvania Bureau of State Parks, where the outdoor activities will be held. The Cal U grant is one of 15 announced by the PNC Foundation to support projects in seven states and the District of Columbia. This is the fifth anniversary of PNC’s Grow Up Great, a 10-year, $100 million investment in early childhood education. Explanation of the Academic Hood. Mandell received Cal Provost Jones also will U’s 2006 Distinguished introduce the platform Alumna Award and party at the undergraduate delivered the keynote ceremony. She will present address at Cal U’s 2005 the candidates along with Honors Convocation. Dr. Kevin Koury, dean of Harris, founder and the College of Education president of Americans for and Human Services; Dr. Indian Opportunity, has Michael Hummel, acting devoted her life to building dean of the College of coalitions that create Liberal Arts; and Dr. change. Leonard A. Colelli, dean of A consistent and ardent the Eberly College of advocate on behalf of Science and Technology. LaDonna Harris Tribal America, she CUTV will broadcast continues her activism in the areas of civil both ceremonies live on Armstrong Cable rights, environmental protection, the (Channel 61 Armstrong-Connellsville) and women’s movement and world peace. She Atlantic Broadband Communications visited and lectured at Cal U in September (Channel 21). In case of an overflow crowd 2007. on Saturday, guests will be directed to Provost Geraldine Jones ’71 will viewing areas in the Performance Center at introduce the platform party and present the the Natali Student Center. candidates at the graduate ceremony with For more information, contact Jodie Dr. John Cencich, acting dean of the School Rooney, academic events coordinator, at of Graduate Studies and Research, and Dr. 724-938-1584, or visit the Commencement Emily Sweitzer, interim associate website at www.cup.edu/academic/ provost/registrar. Cencich also will give the commencement. Summer Program Offers Reading Help T he California University of Pennsylvania Reading Specialist Program will work with young readers from 9 a.m. to noon weekdays, June 24 to July 29, in the Keystone Education Building on the Cal U campus. The summer program offers reading support for children in grades K-12, with individual diagnostic testing and remedial tutoring as part of the graduate Reading Specialist Practicum. Each child will work with a certified teacher who is earning a second certification as a reading specialist. Parents or guardians will receive a case report and summary of each child’s progress at the end of the program. Cost of the program is $100. To enroll a child, request registration materials from Dr. Christine Peterson, associate professor in the Department of Elementary/Early Childhood Education, at 724-938-4028 or peterson@cup.edu. Dr. Christine Peterson 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. Allan J. Golden Vice President for Administration and Finance Geraldine M. Jones Provost/Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. Lenora Angelone Vice President for Student Development and Services Dr. Joyce Hanley Executive Vice President Dr. Charles Mance Vice President of Information Technology Angela J. Burrows Vice President for University Relations Christine Kindl Editor Bruce Wald, Wendy Mackall Writers OfficeofCommunicationsandPublicRelations, 250UniversityAvenue,California,PA15419 724-938-4195wald@cup.edu The Journal is printed on paper made from trees harvested under the principles of the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (www.SFIprogram.org). 4