Bloomsburg

WINTER 2016

T H E

U N I V E R S I T Y

M A G A Z I N E

Our most

Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania

ambitious
and
personal
fundraising effort
ever

SPECIAL

CAMPAIGN ISSUE

BLOOMU.EDU

Bloomsburg:
The University Magazine

From the President

With Gratitude
THANK YOU.
These two very simple words express my sincere gratitude for your personal commitment to
Bloomsburg University.
I thank you, the members of our extended campus community, for the difference you make in the
life of this institution through your meaningful gifts of time, energy and financial support. Every
personal connection has an impact and a story.
Nowhere was your thoughtfulness more apparent than last fall during a series of events to kick
off the public phase of It’s Personal: The Campaign for Bloomsburg University. Over the course of
10 days in October, we joined with students, faculty and staff for a rally on the Academic Quad and
celebrated with alumni, donors and friends at events in Nelson Field House and Philadelphia’s
Franklin Institute.
The momentum built quietly for five years during the campaign’s private phase. As a result,
we constructed a downtown building, established and awarded endowed scholarships, initiated
institutes, created professorships and supported students’ career-related activities. You have learned
about these endeavors and met many of the donors in previous issues of Bloomsburg: The University
Magazine.
In this special issue, we share stories about the It’s Personal campaign and its focus on four areas:
academic scholarships, athletic scholarships, faculty support and professional experiences. As we
head toward the $50 million goal, every gift is important to enhancing educational experiences for
our students today and in the future.
So, again, I say thank you to every individual who has given back to Bloomsburg University in
time, talent or treasure and invite others to join in this ambitious campaign. Together, we will have a
lasting personal impact on the lives of our students.

DAVID SOLTZ
President, Bloomsburg University
Editor’s note: BU President David Soltz regularly offers his opinions on issues in higher
education and his vision for Bloomsburg University at bupresident.blogspot.com.

FEATURES
08

It’s Personal: The Launch

Events kick off the public phase of the
most ambitious fundraising campaign in
BU history.

13 Why It’s Personal
14

Reasons for giving are as individual as
fingerprints. Duane Greenly ’72, chair
of the campaign cabinet, explains.

The Personal Approach

At Bloomsburg University, our story is
our people. That’s also the focus of
It’s Personal.

15 Scholarships: Changing Lives
16

PHOTO: COLE KRESCH

p. 08
Winter 2016

Guido M. Pichini, Chairman
Marie Conley ’94, Vice Chair
David M. Maser, Vice Chair
Richard Alloway II
Matthew E. Baker
Audrey F. Bronson
Jane M. Earll
Christopher H. Franklin
Sarah Galbally
Michael K. Hanna
Ronald G. Henry
Jonathan B. Mack
Daniel P. Meuser
Leslie Anne Miller
Pedro A. Rivera
Judy Schwank
Cynthia D. Shapira
Harold C. Shields

Chancellor, State System
of Higher Education
Frank T. Brogan
Bloomsburg University
Council of Trustees
Patrick Wilson ’91, Chair
Mary Jane Bowes, Vice Chair
Nancy Vasta ’97/’98M, Secretary
Ramona H. Alley
Robert Dampman ’65
LaRoy G. Davis ’67
Joseph J. Mowad ’08H
Charles E. Schlegel Jr. ’60
Kenneth Stolarick ’77
John E. Wetzel ’98

An outstanding faculty member’s impact
lasts a lifetime. Mary Katherine Waibel
Duncan inspires students to excellence,
ethics and engagement.

departments

BLOOMSBURG UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA IS A MEMBER
OF THE PENNSYLVANIA STATE SYSTEM OF HIGHER EDUCATION
Robert S. Taylor
Aaron A. Walton
Tom Wolf

Fulfilling Dreams

Students should not have to stress about
paying for their education. Endowed
scholarships are the key.

18 The Good Life

Tab l e of C on ten ts
Pennsylvania State System
of Higher Education Board
of Governors

Grateful students are the beneficiaries
of donors’ generosity.

President, Bloomsburg University
David L. Soltz
Executive Editor
Rosalee Rush
Editor
Bonnie Martin
Photography Editor
Eric Foster
Designer
William Wiist
Sports Information Director
Tom McGuire
Marketing/Communications
Coordinator
Irene Johnson
Communications Assistants
Nick Cellucci ’16
Victoria Mitchell ’18
Dana Shirley ’16

03 Around the Quad
06 On the Hill
21 Husky Notes
30 Over the Shoulder
32 Calendar of Events

Bloomsburg: The University Magazine is published three times a
year for alumni, students’ families and friends of the university. Bonus
content and back issues may be found at www.bloomu.edu/magazine.
Address comments and questions to:
Bloomsburg: The University Magazine
Waller Administration Building
400 East Second Street
Bloomsburg, PA 17815-1301
Email address: magazine@bloomu.edu
Visit Bloomsburg University on the Web at www.bloomu.edu.

ON THE WEB

www.BLOOMU.EDU

COVER PHOTO: ERIC FOSTER

HUSKY NOTES
SPORTS UPDATES
ALUMNI INFO, MORE
TM

Bloomsburg University is an AA/EEO institution and is accessible to
disabled persons. Bloomsburg University does not discriminate on the
basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity,
age, national origin, ancestry, disability, or veteran status in its programs
and activities as required by Title IX of the Educational Amendments of
1972, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, Section 504 of the
Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and
other applicable statutes and University policies.
© Bloomsburg University 2016

WINTER 2016

1

Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania

unleash your inner husky

A FORCE TO RECKON WITH
PHOTO: ERIC FOSTER

BU WOMEN’S RUGBY CLUB inside center Nicole Snyder blasts past defenders
in a match against Michigan’s Grand Valley State University in the women’s
Division II 15s Rugby nationals. Bloomsburg won the match 78-5.
Celebrating their 20th anniversary, the club earned third in the nation in
women’s Division II 15s Rugby, defeating sides from Rutgers, Ithaca and Vassar
College and falling in a close match to Davenport University. This was the first
time in club history that the team went to the Final Four.

2

BLOOMSBURG UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA

Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania

around THE quad
Tearing Down
the Prison
Walls
SPENCE

STUDENTS ENTERING the criminal
justice field confront a perception that
criminals are violent and aggressive.
A course is tearing down those stereotypes and the societal walls between the
imprisoned and those on the outside.
Incarcerated Women: Rehabilitative
Programming in Women’s Prisons was
offered for the first time in fall 2015 at
the State Correctional Institution (SCI)
Muncy, near Williamsport. BU students
commuted to the prison to attend the
class taught by criminal justice professional John Adami. What makes the experience unique is that their classmates
were incarcerated women serving time
at SCI Muncy.
Adami has more than two decades of
experience in the criminal justice field.
A unit manager at the federal maximum security prison in Lewisburg, he
supervises a group of case managers
and counselors who interact daily with
inmates.

“We’re trying to show university
students what it’s like inside a prison,”
says Adami. “The whole idea is to give
students some hands-on experience.”
Modeled after The Inside-Out
Prison Exchange Program started at
Temple University in 1997, the course is
designed to expose students directly to
various aspects of the prison environment. Inmates and students interact
and collaborate in a classroom setting.
“I look forward to this class every
week. These women are smart, motivated and kind-hearted,” says Brooke
Spence, a junior criminal justice student
from Hellertown. “It really changes
your perspective on the inmates, the
staff and the prison system itself.”
The course exposes BU students to
career opportunities in correctional
facilities, while inmates are given the
opportunity to share their experiences
and prepare for their eventual return to
society.

“They want to know about what it
is like outside of the prison, since a lot
of them have been in there for over 10
years,” says Spence. “When you’re on
the outside, you have this stereotype
that prisons are filled with violent
criminals. In reality, a majority of them
are there for nonviolent crimes and just
want to better themselves and get back
to their families.”
Working alongside prison inmates is
a challenge for students. Spence admits
it is difficult to learn about the struggles
of incarcerated women.
“We do not have the right to judge
these women,” she says. “Being in this
class has reassured me many times that
I am in the right major, and that finding
a career that involves interacting with
inmates, especially women, is what I
want to do.” l
— By Nick Cellucci ’16
Read more at bloomu.edu/magazine.

WINTER 2016

3

Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania

around THE quad
Military Friendly

VICTORY MEDIA AGAIN RECOGNIZES BU

PHOTO: JAIME NORTH

ONCE AGAIN, BU has earned the title of Military Friendly
School from Victory Media, publisher of GI Jobs magazine.
BU welcomed 71 new military students in fall 2015, bringing
the total to 299. Military students are defined as current and
former military members, their spouses and dependents who
are using benefits.
As a Military Friendly School, BU is ranked in the top 20
percent of colleges, universities and trade schools working to
embrace military service members, veterans and spouses as
students ensuring their success on campus.
To meet the needs of military students, BU provides
preferred class scheduling and has established a military
students lounge. The BU Student Veterans Association offers
opportunities for social and educational activities and is
involved in fundraisers to benefit organizations such as The
Wounded Warrior Foundation and the American Red Cross. l

Vocation Exploration PCM AWARDED $85,000 GRANT
LILLY ENDOWMENT INC. has awarded a grant of nearly
$85,000 to Protestant Campus Ministry (PCM). PCM will use
this grant to fund the Vocation Exploration Initiative at BU
(VEI-BU). VEI-BU, open to all undergraduate students, will
offer experiences and practical tools to help students make
career and life decisions reflective of their faith, values and

unique calling. The program, funded through 2019, will also
bring nationally known speakers to campus each year.
PCM’s partners in this initiative are BU’s Zeigler Institute
for Professional Development and Center for Leadership and
Engagement, Princeton Theological Seminary’s Institute for
Youth Ministry and Bloomsburg area churches. l

Town Government to BU

DAN KNORR ’07 IS DIRECTOR OF EXTERNAL RELATIONS
DAN KNORR ’07 joined BU last fall as director of external and government
relations. Formerly the Borough of Danville’s administrator of government
affairs, Knorr served as mayor of the Town of Bloomsburg from 2008 to 2013
after two years as a member of Bloomsburg’s Town Council.
As director of external and government relations, Knorr serves as an
advocate for the university and Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher
Education. He monitors legislation and public policy, seeks out opportunities
for state and federal funding and economic development, and builds
relationships with higher education organizations, local governments and
other entities.
He fills a vacancy created by the retirement of Jim Hollister ’78. l

4

BLOOMSBURG UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA

Inaugural Fellowships

MarCom Awards

FACULTY RECEIVE INAUGURAL AWARDS

PRESIDENT’S REPORT,
MAGAZINE HONORED

BAUMAN

CLICKARD

GEYFMAN

THREE FACULTY MEMBERS received inaugural fellowships established as a
result of the It’s Personal campaign. Each two-year term includes an annual award
stipend of $2,500 to augment scholarship and create professional and applied
learning opportunities for students.
The faculty honorees and their fellowships are:
• Mark Bauman, associate professor of teaching and learning, Vicki and Jack
Mihalik Fellowship in the College of Education
• Stephen Clickard, professor and chair of music, Jack and Helen Evans
Fellowship in the College of Liberal Arts
• Victoria Geyfman, professor of finance, Michael and Bree Gillespie Fellowship
in the College of Business l

Going to Californium

CHEMISTRY ASSISTANT PROFESSOR,
MENTOR EARN ACS RECOGNITION
A BLOOMSBURG UNIVERSITY faculty member and
his Florida State University adviser won the Nobel
Laureate Signature Award for Graduate Education
in Chemistry for their work studying the littleknown element californium. Florida State Gregory
POLINSKI
R. Choppin Professor Thomas Albrecht-Schmitt and
his former graduate student Matthew Polinski, now
an assistant professor of chemistry at BU, received the award from the American
Chemical Society (ACS) in recognition of Polinski’s doctoral dissertation research
under Albrecht-Schmitt’s supervision. That thesis work became a major part of
a paper Albrecht-Schmitt authored in Nature Chemistry — with Polinski as a coauthor — on the element californium.
Californium is a man-made, radioactive element known as Cf on the Periodic
Table of Elements. It is also part of what’s called the actinide series, a part of the
periodic table where all of the elements are radioactive. It is a wildly unstable
element, but Albrecht-Schmitt’s team was able to show that it had very unusual
chemistry, marking the beginning of a new type of chemistry not previously
observed. They also found it was extremely resistant to radiation damage, which
could further research on how to develop materials for storing radioactive
elements. Polinski’s work was a key part of that discovery. l

BU’s Vision: 2014 President’s Report
won the MarCom Platinum Award,
administered and judged by the
Association of Marketing and
Communication Professionals.
Approximately 16 percent of entries
won this award. Additionally,
Bloomsburg: The University Magazine
won MarCom’s Gold Award, presented
to approximately 23 percent of entries,
for issues published in fall 2014 and
winter and spring 2015.
One or more of Bloomsburg
University’s publications has been
honored by MarCom every year since
2010. These publications have included
the university Viewbook, Celebrity
Artist Series mailer, Football Campaign
booklet, and Living and Learning
Communities booklet. l

One-Two Test

INSTITUTE WORKS TO SAFEGUARD
ATHLETES’ BRAINS
A HOT TOPIC in athletics today, at
all levels, is the matter of concussions
and their effect on the brain. BU’s new
Institute for Concussion Research
and Service is a collaboration between
interdisciplinary faculty and students
working to better understand
concussions.
Under the supervision of Joseph
Hazzard, assistant professor of
exercise science, the institute has
two main goals: to give medical
professionals a better understanding
of concussions, symptoms and their
outcomes, and to provide a service
to the medical community that will
assist them in making better return-toplay decisions. The two-part portable
testing system, which is unique to BU,
gives Hazzard and his team the ability
to travel to the athletes. The institute
began last fall working with student
athletes from BU and Berwick and
Danville high schools. l

WINTER 2016

5

ON THE HILL

sports

FOR UP-TO-DATE SCORES
AND COVERAGE, GO ONLINE
BUHUSKIES.COM

Hailey Vonasek: Ovarian Cancer Survivor
by TOM McGUIRE
A DIAGNOSIS OF CANCER at any age
is traumatic, but getting that diagnosis a
few months before high school graduation is especially devastating. Senior
Hailey Vonasek from Sparks, Md., faced
that scenario four years ago when she
received the news that she had ovarian
cancer.
In early March 2011, as a senior in
high school, Vonasek suffered discomfort in her lower abdomen while playing
soccer. Her doctor initially thought
she was suffering from a sports hernia
or a cyst. Instead, her symptoms were
caused by a 13-centimeter mass on her
ovaries. A week after having surgery
to remove her ovaries, she learned the
mass was cancerous.
Rather than making carefree high
school memories, Vonasek spent much
of her senior year getting chemotherapy, four rounds every three weeks, at

6

BLOOMSBURG UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA

Franklin Square Hospital in Baltimore,
Md. She lost all of her hair, but still was
able to graduate with her class at Notre
Dame Prep, albeit bald.
“It was scary thinking that I could
die,” says Vonasek, “but then I said ‘I
need to keep a positive outlook on this.’
I think my mom was more scared than
me, but I didn’t want this to affect me.”
Vonasek’s soccer career was put on
hold as she underwent treatments. Her
only workouts came every three weeks,
when she was physically able following
her chemo.
“I was headed to the University of
Rhode Island to play soccer, but ended
up having to take a medical red-shirt,”
Vonasek says. “When the doctors told
me that there was no way I would play
again, I was determined to prove them
wrong.”

Vonasek left Rhode Island after a
short time and enrolled at BU where she
is majoring in exercise science. “Coming
to Bloomsburg was a good fit academically and athletically for me,” Vonasek
says. “Plus it allowed me to be closer to
home for my monthly treatments.”
The first time she played in a game
was very emotional. “I cried after my
first pre-season scrimmage,” Vonasek
adds. “I didn’t think I’d be so emotional,
but it felt so good to be back on the
field.”
Now cancer-free for four years,
Vonasek is looking forward to July 16,
2016, when she hits the five-year mark.
“It’s a date I think about all the time,”
she says. l
Tom McGuire is BU’s director of sports
information.

Athletic Hall of Fame Inductees

THE 34TH ATHLETIC Hall of Fame class includes Dale Sullivan
’61, a two-time Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC)
winner for the wrestling; Michelle Martin Custer ’97, a two-time
All-American for field hockey and 1996 National Player of the Year;
Kim Stamm ’96, BU’s 11th all-time leading scorer for women’s
basketball; Rob Dixon ’99, whose career record of 104-35 for
men’s tennis has ranked him sixth on BU’s all-time list; and
Marcus Nilsson ’99, a 12-time PSAC champion who was Dixon’s
partner in the winningest men’s tennis doubles team in BU history.
More at buhuskies.com
Shown are, from left, seated: Custer and Stamm; and standing:
BU President David Soltz, Sullivan, Dixon, Nilsson and BU Athletic
Director Michael McFarland. l

Champion Scholars
STUDENT-ATHLETES collected prestigious academic
awards during fall 2015. Men’s soccer player Josh Smith,
of Mechanicsburg, was named first team College Sports
Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) Academic
All-America as well as the Pennsylvania State Athletic
Conference (PSAC) Champion Scholar at the men’s soccer
championships. Women’s soccer player Chrissy Hollan, of
Laurys Station, was named second team CoSIDA Academic
All-America, and field hockey player Sam Peters, of Harrisburg, was named Champion Scholar winner at the PSAC
field hockey championships.
• Smith, a junior exercise science major, has a perfect 4.0 GPA.
As a defender, he started in 18 of the 19 games he played during
the season scoring two goals and assisting on two others.
• Hollan, a senior defender, earned a 3.91 GPA in speech
pathology. She is a member of Phi Kappa Phi honor society and
has been recognized as both a BU and PSAC scholar-athlete.
She played and started in all 19 games this season, scored four
goals and was named first team All-PSAC.
• Peters, a junior, is a nursing majoring with a 3.98 GPA. She was
the Huskies’ leading scorer this season with 16 points coming
on a team-high seven goals, while adding two assists.
The PSAC Champion Scholar Awards are modeled after
the NCAA’s Elite 90 award and honor the student-athlete
with the top grade point average who is competing at the
site of each of the PSAC’s 23 team championship finals. l

Ezra Ranco: Home at Last
EZRA RANCO of Collegeville had an
unlikely childhood. He was born into a
family of three children, his dad barely
present. When he was 5, he was put up
for adoption by his birth parents.
“It got to the point where my parents
couldn’t take care of us,” Ranco says, “so
one of us went to live with our grandparents. I was the one that got picked.”
In the span of 11 years, he bounced
from one foster home to another, the
equivalent of 27 foster homes, two hospitals, and a group home facility.
At one point, Ranco had three foster
families within a little over three years.
He met his current parents, Nelson and
Ellen Ranco, when he was 13 and was
officially adopted three years later.
“Of all the things that have happened
in my life, I feel like they’ve all had a
major impact in the course of how my

life has turned out now,” says Ranco.
The red-shirt junior began to play
football his freshman year of high
school and spent his free time on the
field. Football alone was not a coping
mechanism for Ranco, who also ran
track and played basketball. He found
having close relationships with his
adoptive family and friends helped.
As high school came to an end, it was
time for another large transition – college. Ranco chose Bloomsburg University, where he is a criminal justice major,
because both academic and athletic
sides appealed to him.
Ranco, who received the Jahri Evans
Football Endowed Scholarship, praises
the many role models in his life, including coaches. “Coach (Chet) Henicle
told me I had so much more to play for.
Nothing’s really holding me back,” says

Ranco, who was named second team
All-PSAC (Pennsylvania State Athletic
Conference) East in fall 2015 after leading all BU defensive linemen with 38
tackles on the year and seven tackles for
loss, including 5.5 sacks.
With his parents’ support of his athletic and academic endeavors, “I really
have the best of both worlds,” Ranco
says. After graduation, he plans a career
where he can give back what life has
given him. l
— By Dana Shirley ’16

WINTER 2016

7

by TOM SCHAEFFER

“We know it’s an ambitious goal, but we believe it is attainable.”
With those words, Bloomsburg University President David Soltz announced the
public launch of It’s Personal: The Campaign for Bloomsburg University on Oct.
16, 2015.
The $50 million fundraising campaign, the largest in Bloomsburg University’s
history, is about impact, Soltz said, “impact that is personal to you as a donor or
volunteer and personal for the students and faculty members you support.”
The It’s Personal campaign raised nearly $37 million during the private
phase that began July 1, 2010, demonstrating the support of thousands of
alumni and friends. That total reached $38.2 million by Dec. 31, 2015, but, Soltz
acknowledged, “there is still more work to be done.”
8

BLOOMSBURG UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA

PHOTOS: COLE KRESCH

It’s Personal: The Launch

PHOTO: BROOKE MCCOY

WHY IT’S PERSONAL? Because that’s
Bloomsburg University’s ultimate
goal: to provide a personal educational
experience with a profound impact
each alumnus will carry far beyond
graduation.
Every BU graduate has a story about
his or her BU experience … stories
about new friends, new ideas and
new opportunities that helped shape
them into the people they’ve become.
No matter how different those stories
may be, each reflects the university’s
commitment to preparing students
for personal and professional success.
Through the It’s Personal campaign, BU
is strengthening that commitment.

As the campaign was officially
launched inside a transformed
Nelson Field House on Oct. 16, 2015,
BU President David Soltz and other
speakers made it clear that the goal was
not just to raise $50 million. “Tonight,
we celebrate our opportunity to make
a lasting impact on the lives of current
and future Bloomsburg University
students,” Soltz said.
Then, with the help of Roongo, BU’s
mascot, and several student-athletes,
Soltz shared the result of contributions
received from more than 14,800 donors
during the campaign’s private phase:
nearly $37 million.
The campaign and its priorities also

(Opposite page) BU President David Soltz welcomes guests to the It’s Personal campaign launch.
(This page) Soltz reveals the amount raised to date (top). Speakers include, from left, Erik Evans, vice president
for university advancement; Courtney Dunn ’15; and Terry Zeigler ’76.

were introduced at a similar event in
Philadelphia’s Franklin Institute and
an outdoor rally for faculty, staff and
students on the Academic Quadrangle.

Areas of Opportunity

“In 2010, President David Soltz and
Bloomsburg University identified areas
of opportunity where support would
be most effective in helping to elevate
Bloomsburg University to even greater
heights,” said Duane Greenly ’72, chair
of the campaign cabinet. “Tonight, that
vision is coming to fruition with the
launch of the It’s Personal campaign and
its ambitious goal of $50 million.
“The end result of the campaign is

CONTINUES ON NEXT PAGE
WINTER 2016

9

The Carver Hall Bell
The 1-ton bell in the tower of Carver Hall, silent since
Jan. 1, 1989, when it rang to celebrate BU’s 150th
anniversary, started ringing again last October. Featured
on the cover of this issue, the bell now chimes each day
at noon and to signify landmark events connected to the
It’s Personal campaign. Installed in Carver Hall in June
1867, the bell stands today as a symbol of the very powerful
and personal nature of giving. Learn more about the bell’s
history on page 30.
its impact on students: ensuring access
to high-quality faculty, a curriculum
tailored to students’ passions, and
opportunities to help them ease the
debt they may incur throughout their
time here.”
Money raised during the campaign
will be dedicated to funding areas
identified as most beneficial to
current and future students and to
the university’s continued success.
They are: new academic and athletic
scholarships; recruitment, support and
retention of outstanding faculty; and
professional experiences for students.
Key to the success of the It’s Personal
campaign are alumni, friends, parents
and other members of the Bloomsburg
University community whose participation, support and generosity will

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BLOOMSBURG UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA

help the university reach its goal.
“Bloomsburg University is fortunate,”
Soltz said, “to have individuals who
share their time, talents and resources
in support of our students.”
The impact of the campaign will
be heard, as well as felt. “After being
silent for nearly 25 years, the bell
located atop Carver Hall has finally
rung again,” Soltz added, explaining
the significance of recent repairs to the
bell located inside the iconic building’s
tower. “Throughout the course of
the campaign, its ringing will serve
as a symbol of the very powerful and
personal nature of giving.”
As the campaign launch event
continued, stories from alumni,
performances by theater students, and
testimonials from supporters illustrated

that It’s Personal is more than just
a campaign theme. The strongest
example came from Courtney Dunn, a
2015 BU graduate and recipient of the
Helen and Ervene Gulley and Ellen
Barker Memorial scholarships.
“Throughout my time as a Husky, I
was fortunate enough to be surrounded
by people who helped raise me up,”
Dunn said. “From the scholarships I
received and the donors who made
those scholarships possible, to the
faculty who mentored me and helped
me find my passion, I know that it’s
these individuals who have helped
shape my life forever.” l
Tom Schaeffer is communications
coordinator for the Bloomsburg
University Foundation.

(Opposite page) The Concert Choir performs at the It’s Personal launch event.
(This page) Members of the It’s Personal Campaign Cabinet, from left, are Nick Giuffre ’78,
Dr. Joseph Mowad ’08H, Steph Pettit ’89, chair Duane Greenly ’72, Terry Zeigler ’76,
Pat Mica ’67, Drew Hostetter ’76, Ed Breiner ’77 and Mike Boguski ’85 (top). Nelson Field
House is transformed for the Oct. 16 event, left. The Franklin Institute provides an elegant
background for the launch in Philadelphia.
PHOTOS: COLE KRESCH

WINTER 2016

11

Theater majors and recent graduates share compelling stories while portraying
scholarship recipients (top). BU mascot Roongo draws admirers during the rally
on the Academic Quadrangle, left. BU President David Soltz addresses the crowd
at the on-campus rally. BU President David Soltz addresses the crowd at the oncampus rally announcing the It’s Personal campaign.

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BLOOMSBURG UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA

Why
It’s
Personal
EACH OF US HAS written our own story with Bloomsburg University and no two stories are alike. The
It’s Personal campaign asks you to look into your heart and recall the details of your unique connection,
your fond recollections, the personal experiences that made you who you are.
I know firsthand how those experiences can change the trajectory of a young person’s life. Having
grown up only a few miles from the campus, then attending and graduating from the university in 1972,
both Bloomsburg University and the town of Bloomsburg have impacted my life tremendously.
It’s that personal impact that helped my wife, Sue, and me decide on our own commitment to the It’s
Personal campaign. We knew we wanted to give back, and we were in agreement that our gift had to
be personal. After exploring our options we discovered that we could make a gift that would have an
impact, not only on the university, but also the community.
With the construction and dedication of the Greenly Center, we had the opportunity to help
strengthen BU’s partnership with the downtown community. It created a new home for the BU
Foundation, added classroom space to the downtown area and established an art gallery where BU
students and faculty can share their work with the public.
Making an impact and creating a legacy that represented our personal connection to the Town of
Bloomsburg and the university – that is what ignited our passion and inspired us to make a difference
though this campaign.
The It’s Personal campaign will continue to transform the educational and personal experiences for
BU students. We are committed to helping students be better prepared for success after graduation by
ensuring they are taught by dedicated faculty and have access to a curriculum tailored to their passions
and opportunities to help ease the debt they may incur.
I encourage you to think about your own BU experiences that helped shape the person you are today.
Through this campaign, we each have the opportunity to create a legacy by passing those experiences
forward to the next generation of Huskies.
The stories that follow illustrate the positive impact of talented faculty, the benefit of scholarships
and the value of giving back to our university in a way that is meaningful – personal – to you.


Duane R. Greenly

WINTER 2016

13

The Personal Approach
Personal (adj): relating to, directed to, or intended for a particular person
It’s Personal (noun): a campaign to enhance the educational experiences
of Bloomsburg University students and support, reward and retain
faculty members; descriptive of each individual’s singular experience with
Bloomsburg University

AT BLOOMSBURG UNIVERSITY,
each experience is a personal
experience. Ask an alumnus about
memories of the campus, and you will
hear about a one-on-one relationship
with a special faculty member or
lifelong friend. Ask a faculty member to
reflect on her career, and you will hear
about a superior student from decades
ago who continues to share milestones
in his personal life and career. Ask a
student to name someone who brings a
smile or makes a difference every day,
and you will hear about a wonderful
staff member who helped her schedule
a class or someone who keeps her
residence hall spotless.
At Bloomsburg University, our story
is our people. Students. Faculty. Staff.
Alumni. Donors. Friends. Individuals.
So, the name, It’s Personal: The
Campaign for Bloomsburg University, is
a natural.

14

BLOOMSBURG UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA

Focus on Three Areas

The It’s Personal campaign focuses
on three areas: academic and athletic
scholarships, faculty support and
ProfessionalU.
• Academic and Athletic Scholarships:
Bloomsburg University is devoted
to providing high-quality, accessible
education. Today, rising operational
costs and limited public funding put
a heavy financial burden on students
and their families. Scholarships keep
a college education affordable, create
opportunities and help the university
attract the best and brightest
students.

• Faculty Support: Many alumni
attribute their success to dedicated
faculty who mentored them, inspired
them and provided career-building
experiences. Faculty who were
the source of life-changing “aha”
moments. Competition is fierce in
recruiting and retaining talented
educators and distinguished scholars

who thrive on building personal
connections with students. With
investments to aid in recruiting,
retaining and recognizing highachieving, passionate faculty, more
doors will open for student success.
• Professional U: Professional U
is a campus-wide initiative that
provides students with annual
experiential learning opportunities,
including internships, job shadowing,
undergraduate research projects,
international study, service-learning
and alumni networking events.
Financial support for Professional U
helps provide relevant experiences so
all students may develop the strong
skills they need for career success.

Learn More

Bloomsburg University students are
following in your footsteps, pursuing
their own personal paths to their degree.
Learn how you can convey your passion
for BU and impact today’s students at
itspersonal.bloomu.edu l

CAMPOS

KEPNER

Scholarships: Changing Lives
by SUE A. BEARD

SCHOLARSHIPS ARE MORE than
financial rewards for academic
achievement or exceptional talent.
Scholarships change lives.
Some 84 percent of Bloomsburg
University’s full-time undergraduates
receive financial aid, including state and
federal grants and loans. In addition, this
year 765 BU students are benefiting from
nearly $1.4 million in scholarships from
both annual and endowed funds.
Each of their stories is unique. A
sampling:

Elijah Campos

Philadelphia freshman Elijah Campos,
18, and his two older brothers were
being raised by their grandparents until
a private school in central Pennsylvania
changed his life. Founded by the
philanthropic chocolate industrialist,
the Milton Hershey School offers a free
education to children from low-income
families. From second grade until high
school graduation, Campos found a
nurturing, supportive and inspiring
haven that encouraged him to hone his
vocal talents.
“I started singing when I was around
5,” remembers Campos, one of eight
children in his family. “When I sing, it
feels like all the stress in life just goes
away.”
At Hershey, Campos performed in
all of the school’s vocal ensembles,
including the Milton 5, a student group

modeled on the 1960s and ’70s pop and
soul group, the Jackson 5.
“Milton Hershey School set a new
standard for me. It made me want to
achieve more than anyone expected and
taught me responsibility to keep my life
on track, no matter what comes my way.”
A vocal music major with aspirations
of becoming a rapper, R&B and Latinoinfused singer and songwriter, Campos
graduated from Milton Hershey School
with $80,000 in scholarships earned
through academic success and chose
BU in part because his oldest brother,
Eric Campuzano, lives nearby. After
Campos auditioned for admission to
BU, the music department awarded him
the Harold H. and Melba Beck Hyde
Memorial Music Scholarship. He expects
to graduate debt-free in four years.
“Receiving the scholarship will push
me to work harder than ever because I
know someone truly believes in me,” he
says, “and I will not let them down.”

Kim Kepner

The single mother of 5-year-old twin
girls, Kim Kepner, 24, cares for infants
in a day care center while taking social
work classes — a career inspired 10 years
ago by her terminally ill father’s hospice
worker.
A nontraditional student who
graduated from Luzerne County
Community College (LCCC) in May
2014, Kepner, from Berwick, dropped out

of college when she became pregnant in
her freshman year, but never gave up on
her education.
While she relies on loans and a
few grants, the Harold H. and Melba
Beck Hyde Memorial Social Welfare
Scholarship has helped her buy
textbooks, which are not always covered
by financial aid, and to be more flexible
with her work schedule. She received the
one-time $500 award for an essay about
why she chose to major in social work.
On track to earn her bachelor’s degree
in December 2016, she plans to land
a job after graduation and then study
for her master’s degree at Marywood
University. Eventually, she wants to work
in a hospital pediatrics ward, where she
would incorporate the grief counseling
training she’s received as a volunteer at
Camp Courage, a bereavement camp for
children in nearby Millville.
Kepner credits the faculty at LCCC,
who encouraged and supported her
decision to follow her heart and transfer
to BU to become a medical social worker.
And she still remembers vividly the
hospital social worker who was there
for her every day during her dad’s illness
and on the day he died. “If I can make
just one person feel like she made me
feel, I’ve done my job.”l
Sue A. Beard is a retired newspaper
editor and freelance writer based in Fort
Myers, Fla.

WINTER 2016

15

Fulfilling
Dreams
by JACK SHERZER

PHOTO: COLE KRESCH

PHILADELPHIA NATIVE Kimberly
Abney will be the first to tell you
she wasn’t ready for the academic
challenges ahead when she came to
Bloomsburg University. Abney arrived
six weeks before fall classes began
to attend the university’s Act 101/
Educational Opportunity Program,
designed to help students prepare for
college. After earning a 3.0 grade point
average in the summer program, Abney
thought she was ready.
But problems soon arose. She was
a part of a group of girls who always
traveled around campus together,
skipping class and getting into trouble
for pulling pranks, and Abney kept
getting into trouble. Soon, she was on
academic probation with a 0.58 GPA.
“My friends started leaving. The first
one left after the second semester and
three more left the next semester. I
was embarrassed when I had to spend
the summer after my freshman year at
Community College of Philadelphia,”
Abney recalls. “When you start seeing
your friends not completing the goal
we all set out to complete, which was to
obtain a degree, it wakes you up. I knew
I had to shape up.”
Kimberly Abney did “shape up.”
With help from BU’s Academic Support
Services, she maintained a 2.5 GPA and,
in 2009, earned her bachelor’s degree in
psychology – graduating on time with
the rest of her class. She then earned a
master’s degree from Eastern University
in Philadelphia. Today, Abney is a
certified school counselor for a private
charter school in Philadelphia, working
with students in need of emotional
and behavioral support.

16

BLOOMSBURG UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA

“Scholarships allow us to admit students on
their ability … not their ability to pay.”
— Jerome Dvorak, BU Foundation

Giving Back

Abney never forgot how Bloomsburg
helped her mature and succeed. And
she wanted to give back.
She got her chance through a BU
Named Virtual Endowed Scholarship.
Under the program, donors give four
annual gifts of at least $1,000 for a
student scholarship and commit to
a minimum deferred/planned gift of
$25,000 for a permanent endowment.
Donors can select eligibility criteria for
recipients, such as a field of study.
Abney’s scholarship will be given to a
student who, like her, attended the Act
101/EOP and has a GPA of at least 2.5.
She’ll be able to read the application
essays and see firsthand the good she
is doing. The Kimberly Abney College
Fund will make its first award of $1,000
in 2017.
“There may be students struggling
the way I did, and knowledge of this
scholarship may give them a goal
and something to work toward,”
says Abney, who financed her own
education through loans. “I want to give
something back.”
In the wake of decreasing public
funding for higher education, the
Virtual Endowment program is one
way BU is offering for all alumni – even
those, like Abney, who are just starting
their careers – to get involved and help
students.
It’s the direct connection between
alumni and students that is at the heart
of It’s Personal: The Campaign for
Bloomsburg University, a $50 million
fundraising effort. A key part of the It’s
Personal campaign is letting the Husky
community know that gifts of all sizes
are significant.
“A $1,000 scholarship can have
a meaningful impact on a student’s

life,” says Jerome Dvorak, executive
director of the Bloomsburg University
Foundation, which oversees the It’s
Personal campaign. “It can be the
difference between someone attending
or being forced to drop out.”

New challenges

When Pennsylvania’s State System of
Higher Education was formed in 1983,
made up of Bloomsburg and 13 sister
institutions, 65 percent of all funding
came from the state. Today, that figure
has dropped to 25 percent while costs –
to universities and students alike – have
increased.
“In the 1970s a student could work in
the summer and earn enough to attend
school in the fall. That’s not the case
anymore,” Dvorak says. The current
annual in-state tuition is $17,806 and the
average student graduates with $29,661
in debt. “Scholarships allow us to admit
students on their ability … not their
ability to pay.”
To make a significant impact, Dvorak
says, an annual scholarship should
provide at least $1,000 each year. That
requires a minimum endowment of
$25,000 to ensure adequate interest
to cover the scholarship. Setting up a
named endowment is frequently a part
of estate planning.
For the It’s Personal campaign,
however, BU wants to increase its
endowment while immediately
recognizing donors, so the BU
Foundation pioneered the Virtual
Endowment. “We started testing the
concept of Virtual Endowments three
years ago as a way donors could see the
good the money is doing right now,”
Dvorak says. “And the deferred $25,000
gift ensures their philanthropic legacy
will continue.”

Using the same gift guidelines,
BU created the Virtual Professional
Experience Grants. These grants
support students taking part in
internships, research projects and
international study.
BU is also using the power of the
Internet with the BU Foundation’s
new crowdfunding site, TakeActionBU.
Donors can support various projects
and causes and leave messages for the
students they’re helping.
“I like to tell people that I’m in the
business of fulfilling dreams,” Dvorak
says, “donor’s dreams to help someone
and student’s dreams to graduate.”

Stepping up

For Abney, the opportunity to go to
Bloomsburg changed her life.
“Bloomsburg is such a good university
– I met some great people who are still
in my life,” says Abney, 28. “I knew I
wanted to give back. Someone told me
that I’m probably the youngest person
funding a scholarship.”
Abney’s plans to help students go
beyond her scholarship. She wants
to create a mentoring program called
TGIF – Thank Goodness I’m Female –
to help others overcome the issues she
and her friends faced as they adjusted to
a college environment.
“I’m grateful to Bloomsburg,” Abney
says. “Bloomsburg helped me get to
where I am today and made me who I
am today.” l

Jack Sherzer is a professional writer
and principal partner with Message
Prose, a communications and public
relations firm in Harrisburg.

How to help

To learn how you can show your
Husky pride and directly help
students through It’s Personal: The
Campaign for Bloomsburg, go to
itspersonal.bloomu.edu

WINTER 2016

17

PHOTOS: ERIC FOSTER

The Good Life
by SUSAN FIELD

ON A TYPICAL DAY in the fall semester,
psychology professor Mary Katherine
Waibel Duncan teaches five classes in a
row. Instead of feeling exhausted, Waibel
Duncan feels energized.
“You’d think by 2 p.m., I’d be done,
but instead, I’m like, ‘What else do you
have for me?’ Teaching fills me up,”
says Waibel Duncan, who has taught at
Bloomsburg University for 15 years.
Waibel Duncan’s joy for teaching,
and her emphasis on good character
and service-based learning, has not only
inspired her students, but has made
her their role model — both inside and
outside the classroom.
Waibel Duncan was named the first
Joan and Fred Miller Distinguished
Professor of Good Work, which
recognizes her accomplishments and
provides funding that can be used for
research or to advance a project focusing
on good work. Faculty support, along
with scholarships and Professional U,

18

BLOOMSBURG UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA

“I will always remember
Dr. Duncan as a professor
who helped me develop
the foundations on which
I will build the rest of my
academic, professional
and personal life.”
— Ashley Schoener ’15
is a focus of the It’s Personal campaign.
She also was selected in spring 2015 for
a Teaching and Learning Enhancement
(TALE) Outstanding Teacher award,
after being nominated by students.
“When she begins teaching, all eyes
turn to her and you’re enraptured. She
takes a simple subject and immerses you
so thoroughly that you’re not staring
at the clock or glancing at your phone,
because you might miss something,” says

Mary McCauley, who graduated in May
2015 with degrees in psychology and
criminal justice. “Aside from her abilities
as a teacher, she’s an amazing person.
From her unshakable stance on ethics, to
her commitment to her students and her
family, she’s the type of person everyone
wishes to see more of in the world.”
In the classroom and through the
university’s Good Work Initiative, a
project focused on student excellence,
ethics and engagement, Waibel Duncan
champions the idea that “a noble end,
without a noble means, is not noble.”
“We live in a world where people cut
corners to get to the top first. I want my
students to know that success without
coming by it honestly, without earning
it through merit, is not good work,” says
Waibel Duncan. “I want my students to
be successful in whatever they do but,
more than that, I hope they are people of
good character.”
Cary Tessein, who graduated in

Mary Katherine Waibel Duncan, the first recipient of the Joan and Fred Miller Distinguished Professor of Good Work, third
from left, is congratulated by, from left, the Millers and BU President David Soltz.

December 2015 with a degree in
psychology, calls Waibel Duncan one of
the most influential professors she’s ever
had.
“The thoughtful way in which Dr.
Duncan taught class not only allowed me
to learn the incredible field of positive
psychology, but it caused me to think
about myself as a student and grow as a
person,” she says.
Ashley Schoener, also a 2015
psychology graduate, hopes to emulate
Waibel Duncan as she furthers her
career. “I hope to one day display the
degree of class and intellect upon
which she carries herself. I will always
remember Dr. Duncan as a professor
who helped me develop the foundations
on which I will build the rest of my
academic, professional and personal
life,” says Schoener, now enrolled in the
University of North Dakota’s master’s
program in counseling psychology.
Waibel Duncan’s positive contributions
extend beyond the classroom to the

greater campus community. In 2011, she
founded the university’s Toy Library,
which offers hundreds of toys, games
and puzzles designed to teach literacy to
students of all ages and developmental
abilities. The library’s resources are
available for volunteer work, service
learning, internships, teaching and
clinical work.
She was inspired to start the Toy
Library after her son was diagnosed
with an autism spectrum disorder. “The
doctors said my son may not develop
functional language but, through play,
he’s developed it,” Waibel Duncan says.
“I had to unleash the power of play in
homes and schools.”
Last spring Waibel Duncan, along
with her psychology colleague Jennifer
Johnson and a team of undergraduates,
completed three community service
projects for the literacy initiative,
Handmade Literacy for Our Hometown.
The National Honor Society of Phi Kappa
Phi Literacy Award funded the projects.

“I never before felt as though I was
making meaningful contributions to my
field and the community at large,” says
Laurie Ganey ’15, who helped with the
projects and is now a graduate assistant
in California University of Pennsylvania’s
school psychology master’s program. “I
hope to never forget the way that Dr.
Duncan inspired me to be a better person
than I ever thought possible.”
Though her students say Waibel
Duncan inspires them, the reverse is also
true.
“Some of the most pivotal moments in
my career came from working one-onone with students,” Waibel Duncan says.
“In this profession, you have eyes on you
at all times, and that motivates me to do
outstanding work in the most ethical way
possible.” l
Susan Field ’11/’12M is a freelance
writer based in Philadelphia.

WINTER 2016

19

Everyone has a story. Tell us yours!
Personal Stories

Professional Stories

Athletic Stories

Academic Stories

Join us as we celebrate the life-changing, profound impact of Bloomsburg
University. We’re collecting stories. Stories of first-generation college
students. Dedicated faculty members. Record-setting student-athletes.
Successful alumni. Together these personal experiences illustrate the value
of a Bloomsburg University education.

Share your story:

itspersonal.bloomu.edu/huskystories
#ItsPersonalBU
20

BLOOMSBURG UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA



www.facebook.com/bufoundation



www.instagram.com/bufoundation



www.twitter.com/thebufoundation

Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania

husky notes

Sports rants go big league

Sploops won place in a Keystone Innovation Zone Competition. Shown
from left are Paul Rosa; Tom Fletcher, vice president, strategic enrollment
management; Ira Blake, provost; Kelly O’Brien-Gavin, executive director,
Greater Susquehanna KIZ; and Sean Roth.

SEAN ROTH AND PAUL ROSA met in 2010 in the offices of BUNow,
a student-run news and information website, and immediately
formed a connection talking about sports. Five years later, the 2013
graduates are business partners who founded Sploops, the first video
sports forum for mobile application. The social media app was
released in the Apple App Store in November 2015.
“We loved calling in to radio talk shows and posting in online
forums,” says Rosa, a mass communications graduate. “We saw
mobile on the horizon and said, ‘Let’s create a website and a mobile
app and evolve the sports forum into something better.’ ”
“Our app allows people to get on the phone on a whim and rant
about something that just happened,” says Roth, who earned a
bachelor’s degree in management. “Whether it be their favorite team
losing or winning … someone getting hurt … a big trade. It captures
that emotion then and there better than any text or radio can.”
The friends came up with the concept for Sploops during a
brainstorming session in Andruss Library and their idea took off,
capturing third place in the Pennsylvania State System Business
Plan Competition and first place in the Keystone Innovation Zone
Competition. The prize money, along with their own funds, provided
seed money and concept validation, which led to a beta website with
150 users. In 2014, they decided to bring the concept to mobile.
“There was $138 left in the business bank account when we
presented the concept to BU alumni,” says Rosa. “The connections
we made led to a $115,000 investment.”
“Once you get that funding, it accelerates everything. We knew
that was going to propel us to the next point,” Roth adds.

Why Sploops?

The app’s name is derived from the original design for the Sploops
website that featured a spinning combination lock to represent
Rosa and Roth’s vision of sports loops. It was christened early in the
business plan competition process.
“We’ve had a lot of controversy about the name,” says Rosa. “I
think that’s why we love it so much.”
A launch party for Sploops was scheduled on campus in late
January. l
Learn more about Sploops at bloomu.edu/magazine or sploops.com

WINTER 2016

21

Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania

husky notes
’60s
John Murtin ’65 was recognized at
the 2015 Little League Baseball World
Series as the Little League Volunteer of
the Year. Before his retirement in 2004,
Murtin was a social studies teacher in the
Mahanoy Area School District (MASD),
principal of the Mahanoy Area Middle
School and MASD superintendent.

’70s
Gayle Thorpe Baar ’71 retired after 19
years as a Texas public school librarian.
Jim Doyle ’72 published the book, The
Best Seat in the House: My 48 Years in
Local Sports Broadcasting. The hardcover
book contains BU sports history,
including game descriptions; features
on former coaches Danny Hale, Charlie
Chronister and Jan Hutchinson; and
access to 74 audio clips. Available at
bestseatdoyle7@gmail.com.
Edward Krzykwa ’72 of Chiropractic
Family Practice, Vicksburg, is accepting
patients into the new natural health
care method, Positive Polarity Therapy.
Krzykwa has been in practice for 39
years.
Richard Jarman ’73 is chairman of
the board of directors for the National
Advanced Mobility Consortium (NAMC).
NAMC is a nationwide alliance of small
businesses, large defense contractors,
academic institutions and other
research organizations involved with the
translational research and development
of prototype, ground vehicle and robotics
systems and technologies.
Douglas Yocom ’73 is president and
CEO at Precision Medical Products Inc.,
Northampton. The firm was honored as
a Best Places to Work in Pennsylvania
for 2015 by the Central Penn Business
Journal. For more than 50 years, PMP
has provided engineering, manufacturing

22

BLOOMSBURG UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA

and contract packaging of medical
devices.
Steven P. Keifer ’74 retired as
superintendent of Hamburg Area School
District. Keifer completed 41 years of
service to public education including
33 years in the Danville Area School
District as teacher and superintendent.
Keifer volunteers with the United Way of
Berks County, is president of Our Town
Foundation, a Hamburg area economic
development organization, and works
with the Hamburg Area Education
Foundation.
Thomas Williams ’74 serves on the
board of directors of Berks Encore.
A partner in Senior Family Wealth
Guardians and CEO of ParenteBeard
Wealth Management, Williams has
written articles for financial advisory
journals and given presentations on
financial planning and tax matters. He
is a Certified Public Accountant and a
certified financial planner. Williams and
his wife, Dawn, reside in Mohnton with
their daughter, Faith.
Carl Bilotta ’75 was commissioned by
the Lakeland School District to paint
murals on the school’s walls. Bilotta
retired after more than 30 years of
teaching fourth grade in the district.
William Patrick Martin ’75 recently
published Wonderfully Wordless: The 500
Most Recommended Graphic Novels and
Picture Books. His trilogy of best book
guides began with A Lifetime of Fiction
and The Mother of All Booklists, both
issued in 2014. Martin is also the editor
of four books of liberal quotations.
Robert B. Meeker ’75 retired as
emeritus professor of library science
from Chicago State University after 35
years of service. Meeker received three
Faculty Excellence Awards and wrote
more than 25 publications.
Sandra Millard ’75 is interim vice
provost and director of libraries at the
University of Delaware. She attended
the Harvard Leadership Institute

for academic librarians, chaired the
Governor’s Task Force on School
Libraries and is a member of the
American Library Association, Library
Administration and Management
Association and Library Information
Technology Association.
Richard White ’78 retired from Global
Geophysical Services, Houston, Texas,
where he was president, CEO and a
member of the board of directors.
Diane Teel Flyte ’79 retired from the
Pen Argyl Area School District after
teaching business and computer courses
for 35 years.
Michelle Hopkins ’79 retired from
Montoursville Area High School after
36 years with the district. Hopkins
taught English, speech and journalism
and served as English department
chairperson, Peer Helper founder and
adviser, student assistance professional
team member and chair, junior high girls’
basketball coach, and Scholastics Writing
Contest scorer.

’80s
Mark Derr ’81 is the administrator
of York County. He was previously
the regional service group manager of
financial services for HRG Inc., and
manager of York Township. He and his
wife live in East Manchester Township,
and have three adult children.
Brian Mahlstedt ’81 is first senior
vice president, senior lending officer
at First National Community Bank
(FNCB), Dunmore. He oversees FNCB’s
commercial lending and business
development teams and develops and
manages business relationships with
the bank’s commercial customers in
Northeastern Pennsylvania. President
of the Deutsch Foundation and past
President of the Abington Youth
Basketball League, he resides in Clarks
Summit.

Sherry Bartlett Griggs ’82 is the
superintendent of the Sayre Area
School District. Griggs previously was
a principal in the Loyalsock School
District.
Joseph Di Gangi ’83 is president of
ELANA Financial and Settlement
Architects, Easton. Di Gangi is a certified
financial planner.
Judith Mariotz Maloy ’84 is chief
executive officer and managing director
of Polaris Direct, a New Hampshire mail
processing firm. Business NH Magazine
named Polaris Direct one of the top
women-led businesses in the state in two
categories: 17th on the list of the top 20
fastest growing women-led companies
and 10th out of the top 80 women-led
businesses.
Melanie Berger
Wiscount ’84 was
nominated for the
Presidential Award
in Excellence in
Mathematics and
Science Teaching
Award. Wiscount earned a doctorate in
educational leadership with an expertise
in educational technology from Wilkes
University in June 2015.
Christine Kuperavage Zanis ’84 is
vice president and senior trust officer at
Riverview, Halifax and Marysville banks.
Zanis oversees trust business
development, administration and
operations.

William Covert ’85 is chief financial
officer of Stephano Slack, Wayne.
Covert is a Certified Public Accountant
and chartered global management
accountant and earned personal financial
planning certification. He is a member
of the American Institute of Certified
Public Accountants and Pennsylvania
Institute of Certified Public Accountants.
Sandra J. Breznitsky Sackrison ’85
is the radiology system service line
administrator at Vidant Medical Center,
Greenville, N.C. She received her
doctorate in health sciences from Nova
Southeastern University. She lives in
Edenton, N.C., with her husband, Jeffrey,
and two children.
Diane McElhiney Esposito ’87 is
associate dean for graduate nursing
programs at Palm Beach Atlantic
University in West Palm Beach, Fla.
Donna Snyder ’87M is executive
director of Student Services Inc. (SSI) at
West Chester University. SSI manages
the campus bookstore, the Ram e-card
program, and check-cashing and
ticket services, as well as providing
financial services in support of student
organizations, student publications,
student programming, athletics and the
graduate student association.

Carol Aranos Fastrich ’88 is assistant
vice president of marketing and
communications of the Pennsylvania
Credit Union Association. She has
more than 20 years of communications
and marketing experience, 15 of them
focused on credit unions.
Aaron Menapace
’88 was named the
2015 Berks County
Interscholastic Athletic
Association (BCIAA)
Athletic Director of the
Year. Menapace, athletic
director at Hamburg Area School
District, is certified as a master
athletic administrator by the National
Interscholastic Athletic Administrators
Association. He serves as president of
the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic
Association District 3 Athletic Director’s
Association and treasurer of the Berks
County Athletic Director’s Association,
and sits on the BCIAA Board of Control.
He is certified by the American Sport
Education Program. Menapace resides
in Mohrsville with his wife, the former
Stephanie Jepko ’95, and their two
children.
Dana Kiessling Moser ’89 is
general manager of rabbittransit’s
Northumberland County transportation
division. Moser oversees operations in
Elysburg, which provides nearly 500
paratransit trips a day. She has more than
25 years’ experience in transportation
and operations.

Mulka, Breiner join Foundation Board
JACK MULKA ’66, long-time BU administrator, and Ed
Breiner ’77, retired CEO of Schramm Inc., are the newest
members of the Bloomsburg University Foundation Board.
Mulka, whose BU career ran from 1968 to his retirement in
2002, served his alma mater as director of student activities,
director of Kehr Union, dean of student development, dean of
academic support services and special assistant for university
advancements. For his service, Mulka was awarded BU’s
Martin Luther King Humanitarian Award and the BU Alumni
Association’s distinguished alumnus award. He is married
to the former Kathy Matzko ’68, who retired from BU’s
admissions office.
Breiner began his career as a cost accountant at Ingersoll
Rand. Twenty-two years later, he finished his career as vice

MULKA

BREINER

president and branch manager of an Ingersoll-Rand sales
and service facility in Harrisburg. He joined Schramm Inc.,
a global design and manufacturer of mobile rotary drilling
equipment, in 2000 and retired in 2014 as president and CEO.
He is married to the former Julie Miller, who also graduated
from BU in 1977.

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23

Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania

husky notes
’90s
Bret Lieberman ’90 is vice president
for North America at New Holland.
Previously head of New Holland’s
North American manufacturing unit,
he began working for the firm in 1990
in the service parts division. He also
held positions in purchasing, human
resources, quality management and hay
tools production.
Wendi Maio Achey ’91 is professor of
business marketing at Northampton
Community College, Bethlehem. Achey
was previously employed at B. Braun as
a marketing manager and at Integrated
Biosciences as the director of marketing
and advertising. She won an ADDY
Award, which is presented to designers
in the advertising field.
Michael Smith ’91 opened a new
eatery in Bloomsburg, Smitty’s Steaks.
Previously, Smith worked as a chef and
manager at Ridgway’s and Rose Marie’s,
both in the Bloomsburg area.
Duane Carey ’92 was appointed to
Governor Hogan’s One Maryland Blue
Ribbon Commission to help streamline
state procurement policy. Carey is
president of Maryland Business for
Responsive Government, an organization
that educates Maryland’s business and
political communities and the public
on matters related to business and job
growth, and IMPACT Marketing and
Public Relations, which recently won
SmartCEO’s 2016 Future 50 award for
fastest growing Baltimore companies.
Brian Ralph ’92 is
president of William
Peace University,
Raleigh, N.C. Ralph
previously served as vice
president for enrollment
management at Queens
University of Charlotte, N.C. He’s served
as a part-time senior associate consultant
with Ruffalo Noel Levitz since 1999,
specializing in strategic enrollment

24

BLOOMSBURG UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA

planning. Ralph and his wife, Kristen,
have three daughters.

Paul Cutrufello ’98 is an associate
professor at the University of Scranton.

Keely Walsh Mahan ’92 is a teacher at
Davis Elementary, Southampton.

Lyndell Davis ’98 is principal of Truman
High School, Levittown. Previously
vice principal of Hopewell Valley
Central High School in New Jersey,
Davis was named National Association
of Secondary School Principals’ New
Jersey Assistant Principal of the Year and
New Jersey Supervisors and Principals
Association’s Visionary Leader of
the Year in 2014. Prior to Hopewell,
Davis was assistant principal at Upper
Moreland High School in Montgomery
County.

Todd Neuhard ’92 is assistant to the
superintendent, secondary education,
in the Lower Dauphin School District.
Neuhard previously was principal
of Lower Dauphin High School and
principal and assistant principal of
Central Dauphin East High School.
Joseph Lettiere ’94 is vice president
of CAN DO Inc., Greater Hazleton’s
economic development organization.
Lettiere previously was an economic
development specialist, marketing
director and vice president of marketing.
Patricia Marr Cross Coleman ’95 is
superintendent of the Sullivan County
School District.
Susan Dresher
Cunningham
’96 joined Keller
Williams Real Estate
in Montgomeryville,
specializing in residential
real estate in Montgomery
and Bucks counties.
Kara Gordon Seesholtz ’96 is director
of donor relations and communications
for The Central Susquehanna Community Foundation. Seesholtz, who has
been with the foundation since 2004,
lives in Mifflinville with her husband and
two children.
Jennifer Dreisbach Bumgardner ’97
is senior director, Doctivity, Physician
Optimization and Data, at SystemCare
Health in Moorestown, N.J.
Christie Van Horn Livengood ’97 is
distribution manager with the Power
Packs Project, Lancaster. Power Packs
provides weekend food and nutritional
information to families when the school
lunch program is not available.

Keith Eopechino ’98 is the assistant
director of admissions at Penn State
Harrisburg.
David Manbeck ’98 is president-elect
of the South Central Chapter of the
Pennsylvania Institute of Certified Public
Accountants. Manbeck is a director with
Boyer and Ritter CPAs and specializes in
nonprofit organizations.
Brandon Ortman ’98 vice president/
commercial lending officer of First
Columbia Bank and Trust Co., graduated
from the American Bankers Association
Stonier Graduate School of Banking in
Philadelphia. Ortman began his banking
career in 1999. He serves as treasurer
of the Columbia Child Development
Program and is on the boards of the
Columbia Child Development Program
and the Columbia County Traveling
Library Authority.
Jeremy Kipp ’99 is Boise State’s
women’s swimming and diving head
coach. Kipp spent the past eight seasons
on the staff of University of Southern
California’s men’s and women’s
programs.
Ryan Moran ’99 is assistant to the
superintendent for curriculum and
instruction for pre-K to fifth grade at
East Stroudsburg Area School District.
Moran and his wife, Lori, have two
children, Cayden and Brynley.

James Murray ’99 was named High
School Teacher of the Year at the St.
Francis Indian School, a private school on
the Rosebud Indian Reservation in South
Dakota. St. Francis Indian School enrolls
200 students in ninth through 12th grades.

Susquehanna Steam Electric Station, near
Berwick. He has been employed 13 years
at the electric station.
Robert Pretopapa ’02 is
a wealth adviser at One
Financial Services, with
offices in Allentown and
Bethlehem.

’00s
Robyn Defelice ’00 is director of
internships and experiential learning in
the Center for Professional Development
and Career Experience at Bloomsburg
University.

Shelton DuVall ’03 is the director of
recruiting at Northwestern Human
Services (NHS), Lafayette Hill. NHS is the
nation’s largest and human services and
behavioral health care provider.

Louis Starzl ’00 is group controller for
High Hotels Ltd. Starzl previously was the
director of finance at Hollywood Casino at
Penn National Race Course.

Crystal Skotedis ’03 was
selected as a Woman of
Influence by the Central
Pennsylvania Business
Journal. She is a director
at Boyer and Ritter, Camp
Hill, where she manages
financial services.

Jennifer Rossi Lauver ’01 is senior vice
president and audit director at Fulton
Financial Corp. She joined Fulton in 2013,
most recently working as vice president
and audit director.
Alison Zeisloft Thompson ’01 is
assistant principal at Springhouse Middle
School in the Parkland School District,
Allentown.
Gerard Donadi ’02 is licensed by the
Nuclear Regulatory Commission to be
a control room reactor operator at the

Samantha Basalik Duemig ’04 is a
special education teacher with Bucks
County Intermediate Unit 22.
Evan Witmer ’04 is vice president,
retail market manager, at Meridian Bank,
Malvern. Witmer leads Meridian’s retail
banking strategy.
Sarah Shief ’05 is mortgage specialist
at West Milton State Bank, Milton. She

has been in the banking industry for nine
years, and began her career with West
Milton State Bank in 2012.
Andrew Besancon ’05 is global sales
manager at NinjaTek, Manheim, where
he works with the power transmission
and conveying industry and additive
manufacturing.
Pamela Collier ’06M is an ad
representative at The News-Item,
Shamokin.
Lynn Warmkessel Freeze ’06M is a
Danville High School alumni honoree for
outstanding lifetime achievement and
community service. Freeze is a deacon
in her church and served as a medical
missionary in Honduras.
Mark McHugh ’06 is an administrative
specialist at Regional Hospital of
Scranton. McHugh is attending the Jay S.
Sidhu School of Business and Leadership
at Wilkes University in Wilkes-Barre. He
is a member of the Eastern Pennsylvania
Healthcare Executive Network.
Anthony Keffer ’06 is vice president
and general manager at The Sportsman’s
Shop in East Earl, where he oversees
daily retail operations and buying. Keffer
previously was the firm’s manager with
shared buying responsibility. He resides in
Ephrata with his wife, Jessica.

CFOs Honored
RICHARD KING ’86, treasurer and
chief financial officer for Schlouch
Inc., Blandon, was among top financial
executives honored by the Lehigh Valley Business Journal. King was named
2015 CFO of the Year for private
companies with revenue over $25
million. Three other BU graduates,
Mark Singley ’82, Neil Cooper ’84 and
Marianne Nastasiak Kitzmiller ’88/’99,
were finalists.
King worked for Kreischer, Miller
& Co., Toll Brothers and Beard Miller
Corp. before joining Schlouch in 1998.
Schlouch leadership nominated King
for helping to lead the construction
company through the recent financial

KING

SINGLEY

crisis, implementing changes in business practices and systems.
Singley, vice president of finance
and chief financial officer, Convergent,
Bethlehem, was a finalist in the category for private companies with revenue
up to $25 million; Cooper, chief financial officer, Pocono ProFoods, Strouds-

KITZMILLER

burg, was a finalist in the category for
private companies with revenue over
$25 million; and Kitzmiller, executive
director for finance and administration,
First Presbyterian Church of Allentown,
was a finalist in the Best Turnaround
Specialist category.

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25

Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania

husky notes
Gina Ormont Sabo ’06 is a technology
integration specialist for St. Joan of
Arc Elementary/Middle School of the
Archdiocese of Baltimore.
Jahri Evans ’07 joined Philadelphia
Soul’s ownership group as part of the
Arena Football League. Evans is a New
Orleans Saints’ offensive lineman and
Philadelphia native. His Philadelphiabased foundation, JEF, focuses on helping
student athletes further their education
and athletic careers.
Jo’nelle Smith Fetzer ’07 is a client
services representative with Hartman
Group, Williamsport. She is responsible
for coordinating renewal processing,
developing medical cost and benefit
comparisons, and facilitating solutions
to claims and billings issues to support
clients. She lives in Milton with her
husband and their two children.
Nicholas Fox ’07 has been chosen for
research at Oxford University. He earned
his master’s and doctoral degrees from
Texas A&M.
Joette Leshinski ’07 was a contestant on
Wheel of Fortune. Leshinski, who lives in
Los Angeles, works behind the scenes in
entertainment productions and lends her
voice talents to the production of audio
books.
Jillian Ibbs ’08, marketing coordinator
for the Larson Design Group, coordinated
the firm’s Daniel C. Baker 125th anniversary celebration, which received a
2015 Marketing Excellence Award from
The Zweig Group. The Zweig awards
recognize effective marketing in the
architecture, engineering, planning and
environmental consulting industry.
Kelly Renner ’08 received a Master of
Arts in Urban Education from The New
Jersey City University. Renner has been
a kindergarten teacher for eight years at
Public School #6 in West New York.
Tristan Zelinka ’08 is a guidance
counselor at Solanco High School,
Quarryville.

26

BLOOMSBURG UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA

Sarah Lenig ’09 is a sales associate at
RE/MAX EDGE of Danville. She has
taught middle school reading in the Line
Mountain School District for the past
five years.
Laura McCourt ’09 attended her white
coat ceremony during her first year as
a student at West Virginia School of
Osteopathic Medicine, Lewisburg,
W. Va. She received a master’s degree
from Philadelphia College of Osteopathic
Medicine.
Travis Petty ’09 is an attorney with
Marinos and Knecht, Berwick. Petty is a
graduate of Widener University’s School
of Law.

’10s
Alison Carney ’10 is head coach of the
women’s tennis program at Susquehanna
University, Selinsgrove. Carney previously served as an assistant coach for
Susquehanna’s men’s and women’s tennis
programs.
Michael Hamlin ’10 is assistant
men’s basketball coach at Bloomsburg
University. Hamlin returned to BU after
one year as an assistant at Mansfield
University.
Brett Jacobs ’10, a Naval Supply Systems
Command (NAVSUP) Fleet Logistics
Center (FLC) Norfolk officer, was selected
for the NAVSUP Internship Program.
Jacobs, who has been in the Navy for four
years, was selected for a Navy Acquisition
Contracting (NACO) internship.
Alicia Kittle-Burk ’10/’15AuD joined
Hear PA Audiology as an audiologist.
Kittle-Burk serves clients at the firm’s
six locations.
Roobhen Smith ’11 is principal at St.
Joseph Center for Special Learning,
Pottsville. Smith lives in Summit Hill with
his wife, Harmony, and son. Previously, he
was the dean of students at Pius X Junior/
Senior School in Bangor.

Kenneth Lawson ’12 is senior credit
analyst, Hudson Valley Loan Production
Office, Poughkeepsie, N.Y. Lawson was
previously with Sussex Bank in Rockaway
as a credit analyst. He received the 2014
Sussex Bank President’s Award.
Kathryn Pavlick ’12 is the girl’s tennis
coach at MMI Preparatory School in
Freeland. She is a fourth grade teacher at
Freeland Elementary/Middle School.
Patrick Halcovage ’13 completed
an internship with the Montgomery
Township Police Department. He is
a graduate of Montgomery County
Community College Police Academy.
Sara Huff ’13 is the teen librarian at
The William Jeanes Memorial Library,
Lafayette Hill. Huff heads the library’s
Youth Advisory Board, Teen Reading
Lounge and other programs and activities.
Cassidy Sherman ’14 is a general
assignment reporter for the Bedford
Gazette, Hollidaysburg. Sherman writes
a blog titled, Would You Like Some Cheese
With Your Wine? Previously, she was a
social media coordinator with EZTbUse.com.
Kathryn Saulinas ’15 is a marketing
associate at the Elmwood Park Zoo,
Norristown.

Vice president named
SCOTT BEHRENT ’82 joined
Merchants Insurance Group
as regional vice president for
the company’s New England
regional office in Manchester,
N.H.
Behrent has more than 27
years of property and casualty,
underwriting and claims
experience, most recently as
director of commercial underwriting services with a
regional property and casualty carrier based in New
York. Most of his professional experience focused on
the needs of clients in New England.
A resident of Massachusetts, Behrent earned
the Chartered Property and Casualty Underwriter
(CPCU) and Associate in Claims (AIC) insurance
designations.

the line up

Memorial golf tournament

PHI SIGMA XI fraternity brothers from the 1960s and ’70s dedicated
their summer 2015 golf outing at Sugarloaf Golf Club, Conyngham, in
memory of fraternity brother Gerry “Hoss” Edwards ’71. Golfers raised
$2,000 in Edwards’ memory for the Norman L. Hilgar Scholarship,
which benefits students in the College of Business. Edwards was an
organizer and participant in the outing that has taken place for more
than 20 years.

reunions, networking and special events

VANGUARD ROAD TRIP: Michael Baranowski ’97, left, led BU finance majors on
a tour of Vanguard’s headquarters in Malvern during a Career Road Trip. Kimberly
Laudenberger ’98 hosted the trip assisted by Vanguard employees Ed Artim ’97,
Daniel Bauman ’00, Matt Hoch ’08, Julie Dennis Goodwin ’09, Spencer McHugh
’13, Ian Kennedy ’13 and Bradley Ungard ’13. Students are, from left, Eric Horowitz,
Austin Pfeiffer, Benjamin Hendershott, Ace Ahmed, Joe DiMaggio, Jacob Warriner,
Eric Linn, Cody Poepperling, Meredith Endy and Cameron Muth.

SWEET VISIT: Friends from the late 1980s
get together annually and, this year, visited the
Hershey Spa and Chocolate World. From left are,
Sue Dougherty ’89, Monique Manning Heffner
’88, Sherri Shuman Kreisher ’89, Michelle
Garrity Nolan ’89 and Tina LaGreca ’89.

MASS COMM GRADS: Five mass communications
alumni who participated in a recent career
roundtable discussion are, from left: Aaron
Hagenbuch ’07, Francesca “Frankie” Stokes ’15,
Greg Guidone ’14, Stephanie Della Torre ’14 and
Erik Coyne ’10.

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27

Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania

husky notes

DECADES OF SERVICE: Former Husky Ambassadors who celebrated 30 years
since the organization’s founding are, from left, front row: David Marcolla ’00,
Zachary Pearce ’11, Neil Strine ’93, Mark Schiffer ’93, former Director of Alumni
Affairs and Husky Ambassadors Adviser Doug Hippenstiel ’68, Matt Albertson ’12,
Joe Yasinskas ’06, Greg Orth ’95 and Molly Alexander ’15; and back row: Assistant
Director of Alumni Engagement and Husky Ambassadors Adviser Nate Conroy
’06, Ansley Dawidziuk ’98, Kyle Smith ’11, Kevin Cecco ’98, Michael Gillespie ’95,
Lori Varney Jones ’87, Anysia Ensslen ’07, Deanna Marcinko ’07, Tina Delorey
Brown ’96, Jennifer Bean Adams ’98, Lisa Habakus Appleby ’89, Theresa Von
Tobel McGrath ’94 and Brian Ladley ’95. The reunion included a pre-football game
tailgate and a reunion dinner.

MEMORIES OF CARLIN: Former BU swimmers, from
left, Rich Kozicki ’76, Paul Richards ’75, Stu Marvin ’78,
Doug Thran ’77 and Pete Jones ’72, remembered former BU
assistant coach, the late Jim Carlin ’71, at the Bloomsburg/
Dickinson swim meet. (Photo: Ted Hodgins)

28

BLOOMSBURG UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA

TOUR DE PINK: BU alumni, from left, Adam
Black ’07, Shawn Venesky ’07, Michael Gillespie
’95 and Greg Orth ’95, set off with 200 other
cyclists on the Tour de Pink, benefiting the
Young Survival Coalition (YSC), which provides
support to women with breast cancer. The
three-day, 244-mile bike tour took the riders
from Frazer, outside of Philadelphia, through
Maryland and Delaware and culminated south of
Rehoboth Beach, Del. Each rider raised at least
$2,500 with every dollar going directly to the
YSC. Gillespie says he logged more than 1,200
miles on his bike over the summer to prepare for
the challenge.

CLASS OF 1965: Fifty years after graduation, members of the Class
of 1965 met for a reunion during homecoming weekend. From left,
front row, are: Barbara Szymanek Czepukaitis, Doris Farenkopf, Joan
Stackhouse Bankus, Judy Radler, Geraldine Prior Gillung and John
Skowronski; middle row: Alex Kozlowski, Tom Kaczmarek, Tom
Gillung, Harry Ravert, Robert Donahue, Larry Kipp, Donald Franklin,
John Phillips and Bonnie Davey Rae; and back row: Peter Fleming,
Robert Griffiths, William Ross, James Goss and Larry Greenly.

VITAL STATISTICS
Marriages

Obituaries

James Myers Jr. ’92 and Julie Saltzer-Lee, Aug. 22, 2015
Elizabeth “Betsey” Urban ’00 and Brian Skitsko, June 27, 2015
Michael McLaughlin ’01 and Janet McCullough, March 2, 2013
Brian Kamenetz ’03 and Lisa McMahon, June 6, 2015
Samantha Basalik ’04 and Kenneth Duemig Jr., Nov. 8, 2014
Katrina Trusa ’04 and Kevin Emerich, July 12, 2014
Jennifer Kunetz ’05 and Jack Drey, June 26, 2015
Sarah Shewack ’05 and Dustin Bride
Alison Wascavage ’05 and Brett Veach, June 26, 2015
Karalyn Jordan ’06 and Norman Eifler ’06, Sept. 26, 2015
Michele Pituch ’06 and Hunter Livingood, April 12, 2013
Carissa Anthony ’07 and David Tardiff, Sept. 6, 2014
Kasey Motter ’07 and William J. Brenneman, July 26, 2014
Kelly Tarlecki ’07 and Jonathan Lucas, May 16, 2015
Melissa Landis ’08 and Jonathan Beer ’06, Oct. 10, 2009
Jonathan Milliron ’08 and Amanda Nagle, Oct. 18, 2014
Kevin Savage ‘08 and Shayna Martz, July 4, 2015
Ty Butler ’09 and Sarah Knorr, July 4, 2015
Lauren Kopich ’09 and Vincent Esser ’09, Oct. 10, 2015
Chris Massell ’09 and Jennifer Davis, July 25, 2015
Adrienne Rebarchak ’09/’12M and Michael Bannon, July 11, 2015
Gabriela Bresnock ’10 and William Lovell ’12, Oct. 25, 2014
Erica Coulson ’10 and Jared Forrey ’10, Sept. 26, 2015
Jennifer Apichell ’11 and Michael Snarski III, June 27, 2015
Kathleen Morris ‘11 and Jeremy Singleton, May 22, 2015
Christopher Tressler ’11 and Madeline Leeper, April 18, 2015
Morgan Peachey ’12 and Joshua Detwiler, Nov. 1, 2014
Justin Pierce ’12 and Rebecca Stitt ’14, June 20, 2015
Leann Ickes ’13M and Randy Womelsdorf, Oct. 24, 2015
Derrick Hicks ’14 and Jill Dalykas, April 25, 2015
Kayla Drexel ’14 and Patrick Welsh, Sept. 4, 2015
Cory Siegrist ’15 and Jenna Kay Raup, March 6, 2015

Margaret Potter Steiner ’38
Wanda Farnsworth Langdon ’44
Louise Adams Missmer ’44
Walter James ’50
Rodney Morgans ’50
William Rishel ’50
Donald Kearns ’51
Philip Weinstein ’52
Rosella Danilo Davis ’53
Rose Marie Grant Kautz ’54
Charles Yesson ’54
Nancy Williams Betz ’55
Yvonne Zeisloft Eyer ’57
Louise Shepperson ’58
Carl Shively ’58
Frank Vacante ’58
George Baurys ’59
Raymond Burger ’59
Judith Burrows Walter ’59
William Wary ’60
Henry Schnitzer ’61
Ruth Thomas Pritchard ’62
Madelyn Scheno Turock ’62
Orva Wynings McNaney ’64
Catherine Wolcott ’64
Irene Manning Basalyga ’65
Grace Devaney ’65
James Knorr ’65
H. Belle Mann Himes ’66
Chester Faleski ’67
John Poploskie ’67
Frank Szalku ’67

Thomas Brann ’68
Frances Demnicki Johnson ’69
Anne Kessock ’71
Naomi Ulrich ’73
Mildred Warwick ’73
Grace Herrold ’74
Mary Ellen Krick Deitz ’74
Leonard Joseph Stratchko ’74
Frank Marino ’75
Kathryn Gierl Adamson ’76
James Miller ’76
James George ’77
Loline Judge Sechevich ’77
Barbara Chesnick Heidger ’78
G. Dale Wagner ’78
Lenore Bingham Scotto ’82
Kenneth Kuzma ’84
John Berger ’88
Charles Conway ’88
Jill Murphy Zeltt ’90
Michelle McGinley Hughes ’91
Cynthia Hilliker Reed ’93
Michelle Sullivan Kirschler ’94
Cynthia Kocher ’94
Michelle Englehart Boberick ’95
Thelma Glatz Urban ’99
Daniel Gimpert ’00
Sharon Roscoe Marshalek ’01
Brian Fetterman ’12
Daniel Montalvo ’12
David Stoltzfus ’12
Mary Schlauch ’15

Births
Mike Amow ’93 and wife, Shelli, a daughter, Katherine “Kate” Elizabeth, May 20, 2015

Tara Clancy Newell ’00 and husband, Jonathan, a daughter, Hudson Adley, July 15, 2015
Michael McLaughlin ’01 and wife, Janet, a son, Killian Robert, Sept. 10, 2015
Jessica Snyder Eifler ’02 and husband, James Eifler ’02/’05M, a son,
Callen James, June 10, 2015

Samantha Basalik Duemig ’04 and husband, Kenneth, a son, Carter James, Dec. 29, 2014

Jessica Silfies Muller ’05 and husband, Joseph Muller ’04, a son, James Abram, May 5, 2015
Michele Pituch Livingood ’06 and husband, Hunter, a daughter, Lucille Mary, March 3, 2015
Kasey Motter Brenneman ’07 and husband, William, a son, Gavin Liam, born May 29, 2015

Dana DiSalvatore Post ’07 and husband, Stephen Post ’06, a son, Hudson Bryant, Oct. 11, 2015

Send information to:

magazine@bloomu.edu
Bloomsburg: The University Magazine
Waller Administration Building
400 East Second Street
Bloomsburg, PA 17815-1301

WINTER 2016

29

over THE shoulder
A Bell for Institute Hall
by Robert Dunkelberger

IT HAS BEEN 150 YEARS since
that day in March 1866 when an
educator of many years’ experience
came to Bloomsburg and, convinced
to stay, announced plans to reopen
the Bloomsburg Literary Institute.
A man of drive and determination,
Henry Carver tapped into the spirit
of a community desperate for greater
educational opportunities and raised
$25,000 in donations from the
townspeople. This financial support
enabled him to construct a new
building, which was dedicated on April
3 and 4, 1867. Originally called Institute
Hall, it was formally named Carver
Hall in 1927.
However, Institute Hall lacked a
feature important to Carver: a bell
for its tower. This time, he turned to
three of his students, David Waller Jr.,
George Elwell and Charles Unangst, to
raise the needed funds.
Waller gave the following account in
a 1939 interview:
The story of the bell was more (a
story) of the amazing magnetism of
Henry Carver. His philosophy was
that the individual could accomplish
whatever he set out to do, if
sufficiently determined. He had all the
boys who expected to go on to college
imbued with that idea.
It was just after the new building had
been dedicated. The term had closed.
Examinations were over. It was a
Saturday morning [April 13] and we
looked forward to the opening the
following Monday of our last term of

30

BLOOMSBURG UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA

Presbyterian Church have good bells.
We want one just as good, if not better.
Now, hustle along and raise that
money today for the bell. You three
can do it. It will cost $1,200, at least.”

David Waller Jr., 91, rings the bell on Alumni Day, May
21, 1938. He helped raise funds to purchase the bell
71 years earlier.

school here before leaving for college.
The three of us were walking together
up Main Street. At the Episcopal
Church corner we met Professor
Carver, coming down town.
We stopped to talk. There was nothing
we enjoyed more than being with him.
“Well, there’s the new building and
there’s the tower, boys,” he said. “But
there is no bell in it. Now, we have to
have a bell — and a good one. We want
no cheap bell. The courthouse and the

That was a jolt just as we thought
ourselves tired and needing relaxation.
But we took the counsel of the father
of one of us. He gave us some good
advice. We started out. We began to
get subscriptions. It wasn’t long before
the word was noised about town that
we were out to raise the money for the
bell in a one-day drive. The little town
became interested. As the hours wore
on everybody wanted to know how we
were coming along. By nightfall we
had the money.
According to the May 31, 1867, issue
of The Columbian, it actually took
about one week to solicit subscriptions
for the donations. Regardless, the
newspaper praised the local generosity
which, it said, “casts much credit upon
the citizens of Bloomsburg and vicinity
for their display of liberality and public
spiritedness.”
The bell was ordered from the
Meneely Foundry of West Troy, now
Watervliet, N.Y., one of the leading U.S.
manufacturers of bells between 1826
and 1951, and arrived six weeks later on
May 24. The next day, workers hoisted
the 2,171-pound copper bell through
a back window into the secondfloor auditorium, and then through
a ventilator opening into the upper
part of the tower, where it rang for the
first time at 8 p.m. The total cost of

The Institute Hall bell as it appeared in 2005.

purchasing, shipping and hanging the
bell was about $1,115.
Just as the fundraising effort for the
building had been successful, so was
the campaign for a bell. The Bloomsburg
Democrat echoed the praise of The
Columbian when it said of the bell, “It is
a matter of necessity and the citizens of
our town and county justly merit praise
for their liberal subscriptions; and we
shall not fail to notice the energetic
labor of our young men George Elwell,
David Waller and Charles Unangst, who
canvassed for subscription not only
with vigor but success.”
The early story of the Institute
Hall bell is one of a community that
demonstrated unwavering support to
help ensure the success of the school
it had helped to create. Today, after 25
years of silence, it rings again. l

The 1867 Meneely bell was installed in Institute Hall’s tower more than a decade before this photo
was taken. Unfortunately, the bell is not visible.

WINTER 2016

31

calendar
Academic Calendar
WINTER 2016
Academic Calendar
Spring 2016
Spring Break Begins
Monday, March 7
Classes Resume
Monday, March 14
Classes End
Monday, May 2
Finals Begin
Tuesday, May 3
Finals End
Saturday, May 7
Graduate Commencement
Friday, May 6
Undergraduate Commencement
Saturday, May 7
Summer 2015
Session I: May 16 to Aug. 5
Session II: May 16 to June 24
Session III: June 27 to Aug. 5

Concerts

Listed events are open to the public
and free of charge. For information and
additional events, see bloomu.edu/
music-events or call 570-389-4286. All
programs, dates, times and locations are
subject to change.
Student Honors Recital
Thursday, Feb. 11, 7 p.m.
Haas Center for the Arts, Mitrani Hall

Taste of the Arts
Saturday, Feb. 27
2 to 5 pm
Caldwell Consistory
Voice Studio Recital
Wednesday, March 23, 7:30 p.m.
Carver Hall, K.S. Gross Auditorium
University-Community Orchestra
Sunday, April 10, 2:30 p.m.
Haas Center for the Arts, Mitrani Hall
Percussion Ensemble
Tuesday, April 12, 7:30 p.m.
Haas Center for the Arts, Mitrani Hall
Husky Singers
Friday, April 15, 7:30 p.m.
Haas Center for the Arts, Mitrani Hall
Women’s Chorale
Saturday, April 16, 7:30 p.m.
Haas Center for the Arts, Mitrani Hall
Concert Band
Sunday, April 17, 2:30 p.m.
Haas Center for the Arts, Mitrani Hall
Guitar Ensemble
Tuesday, April 26, 7:30 p.m.
Carver Hall, K.S. Gross Auditorium
Jazz Band Festival
Wednesday, April 27, noon
Haas Center for the Arts, Mitrani hall

Celebrity Artist Series

Events in the 2015-16 Celebrity Artist
Series season will be presented in Haas
Center for the Arts, Mitrani Hall, and
Carver Hall, Kenneth S. Gross Auditorium.
For more information and to order tickets,
call the box office at 570-389-4409 or
visit cas.buzz. Programs and dates are
subject to change.

Activities and Events

Polish Baltic National Philharmonic
Friday, Feb. 5, 8 p.m.
Haas Center for the Arts, Mitrani Hall
$32 adults/$16 children and BU students
Clothesline Muse
Nnenna Freelon, Jazz Singer
Saturday, Feb. 20, 7:30 p.m.
Carver Hall, K.S. Gross Auditorium
$25 adults/$12 children and BU students
Don Quixote, The Moscow Festival Ballet
Friday, March 18, 8 p.m.
Haas Center for the Arts, Mitrani Hall
$35 adults/$17 children and BU students
Koresh Dance Company
With guest performers from local and
regional dance studios
Saturday, April 23, 8 p.m.
Haas Center for the Arts, Mitrani Hall
$30 adults/$15 children and BU students
Boom-Tic-Boom
Allison Miller, Jazz Drummer
Wednesday, April 27, 7:30 p.m.
Carver Hall, K.S. Gross Auditorium
$20 adults/$10 children and BU students

Art Exhibits

Exhbitions in the Haas Gallery of Art
and The Gallery at Greenly Center, 50
E. Main St., Bloomsburg, are open to
the public free of charge. For more
information, gallery hours and reception
times, visit departments.bloomu.edu/art.
Shelby K. Shadwell
Drawing
Feb. 4 to March 10
Haas Gallery of Art
Reception: Feb. 4, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Artist Lecture: 1:15 p.m.

Alisha McCurdy
Various Media
March 24 to May 3
Haas Gallery of Art
Reception: April 20, 10:30 a.m. to noon
Design as Art/Art as Design
Various Media
Feb. 9 to March 4
The Gallery at Greenly Center
Reception: Feb 9, 4 to 6 p.m.
Breaking Ground
Various Media
March 14 to April 8
The Gallery at Greenly Center
Reception: March 17, 4 to 6 p.m.
Senior Exit Show
Various Media
April 20 to May 7
The Gallery at Greenly Center
Reception: April 20, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Alumni Events

Visit bloomualumni.com for details on
these and additional events or to register.
For information, contact Alumni Affairs at
800-526-0254 or alum@bloomu.edu.
Alumni Awards
Saturday, April 23

Special Events

Parents and Family Weekend
Oct. 21 to 23
Homecoming Weekend
Friday to Sunday, Oct. 14 to 15

PHOTO: ERIC FOSTER

For the latest information on
upcoming events, check the
Bloomsburg University website
bloomu.edu.

32

BLOOMSBURG UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA

The same BU gear you love.
Just in a different location ...
for now.
THE UNIVERSITY STORE

400 East Second Street
Bloomsburg, PA 17815
General Information: 570-389-4175
Customer Service: 570-389-4180
bustore@bloomu.edu

OPEN SEVEN DAYS A WEEK.
SEE BLOOMUSTORE.COM
FOR THIS WEEK’S HOURS
AND TO SHOP ONLINE.
FEATURED IN PHOTO:
Knit hat, pom-poms,
alumni coffee mugs,
portable drinking cup
and infinity scarf.

A new residence hall is being built at
our campus location. So we’ve temporarily
relocated to the Kehr Union where you
can purchase your favorite BU items in
person or online at bloomustore.com.

NON-PROFIT ORG.

1011050113
Office of Marketing and Communications
400 East Second Street
Bloomsburg, PA 17815-1301

U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
BURLINGTON, VT 05401
PERMIT NO. 73

MIX
Paper from
responsible sources
fsc.org

FSC® C022085

SPRING
LI N E U P

Big City Shows, Small Town Charm

Celebrity Artist Series

Polish Baltic National Philharmonic
Friday, Feb. 5, 8 p.m.
Haas Center for the Arts, Mitrani Hall

Clothesline Muse
Nnenna Freelon, Jazz Singer

Saturday, Feb. 20, 7:30 p.m.
Carver Hall, K.S. Gross Auditorium

Don Quixote, The Moscow Festival Ballet
Friday, March 18, 8 p.m.
Haas Center for the Arts, Mitrani Hall

Koresh Dance Company

With guest performers from local and regional dance studios

Saturday, April 23, 8 p.m.
Haas Center for the Arts, Mitrani Hall

Boom-Tic-Boom
Allison Miller, Jazz Drummer
Wednesday, April 27, 7:30 p.m.
Carver Hall, K.S. Gross Auditorium

www.cas.buzz

Ticket Sales and General Information: 570-389-4409
A NOTE TO PARENTS

If this issue of Bloomsburg: The University Magazine is
addressed to a daughter or son who has established a
separate residence, please notify us of that new
address by sending an email to: magazine@bloomu.edu

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Bloomsburg, PA 17815-1301

Bloomsburg

SPRING 2016

U N I V E R S I T Y

M A G A Z I N E

Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania

T H E

ALSO INSIDE

Charting the Course

More than 100 alumni contribute to firm’s success. Page 8

BLOOMU.EDU

Heads Up

Institute helps determine when it’s OK to play. Page 18

Bloomsburg:
The University Magazine

From the President

Love Letters
When I picked up the local newspaper Easter morning, a pleasant
surprise was waiting for me and every subscriber: a “love letter to BU”
from an alumnus. This member of the Class of 2014 spoke of the fun he
had, the relationships he formed (including meeting his fiancée) and the
excellent career preparation he received. In part, he said:
Allow me to offer some advice to those still on campus. Do as much as you can, talk to as many people as
you can, experience as much as you can. … Appreciate the opportunity, the school, your friends, your professors
and, most of all, your time there. … Attending Bloomsburg was a pivotal part of my life where I learned many
valuable lessons. The truth is Bloomsburg University and everyone who helped fill my page there have made
me a better person. Dear Bloomsburg University, from the bottom of my heart, thank you.
This letter was totally unexpected, just like an email message from a former graduate student, also from
the Class of 2014, sent directly to Provost Ira Blake earlier this year. The letter writer praised her faculty
mentor and the opportunities she had at Bloomsburg that formed the basis for further study. She said:
I would like to thank BU for providing the resources I needed to be successful. During my time at BU, I was
able to learn, practice and cultivate a set of research and leadership skills that have shaped my professional
career in the best way possible. … Upon my graduation from BU, I began a doctoral program. The experience
BU provided me allowed me to begin my Ph.D. program with a well-rounded knowledge and skill set.
These two heartfelt letters — unsolicited and much appreciated — speak to the personal nature of our
students’ experiences. They underscore the impact of our dedicated faculty and the value of the curricular
and co-curricular experiences that lead to our graduates’ personal and professional success.
I truly believe there is no greater testimonial than a compliment from an alumnus. Or, in this case, two
alumni. I invite you to send your thoughts on how Bloomsburg University prepared you for life after college
to president@bloomu.edu.

DAVID SOLTZ
President, Bloomsburg University
Editor’s note: BU President David Soltz regularly offers his opinions on issues in higher
education and his vision for Bloomsburg University at bupresident.blogspot.com.

FEATURES

08 Charting the Course
12
14

From recent graduates to members of the
senior leadership team, more than 100
alumni enjoy career success at Vanguard.

Leading by Example

BU President David Soltz and his wife,
Robbie, demonstrate their belief in the
importance of public higher education,
based on their own experiences.

Redoubling Efforts

Cloning revenue in the education arena,
where tight budgets have become the
norm, is an innovative way BU turns
research into profits that benefit the
university.

PHOTO: ERIC FOSTER

15 The Strongest Links

A father-son duo ensures that BU’s College
of Business stays at the forefront with a
new major, Supply Chain Management.

p. 18

18 Heads Up

BU’s Institute for Concussion Research
and Service forms a partnership with
Geisinger Orthopaedic Institute and
participates in prestigious study.

Joseph Hazzard, director of BU’s Institute for Concussion Research and Service, tests a student-athlete.

20 A New Definition

Tabl e o f Con ten ts

Radical acceptance: the credo of
Ben Dearman ’04.

Spring 2016

departments

BLOOMSBURG UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA IS A MEMBER
OF THE PENNSYLVANIA STATE SYSTEM OF HIGHER EDUCATION

Pennsylvania State System
of Higher Education Board
of Governors

Chancellor, State System
of Higher Education
Frank T. Brogan

Guido M. Pichini, Chairman
Marie Conley ’94, Vice Chair
David M. Maser, Vice Chair
Richard Alloway II
Matthew E. Baker
Audrey F. Bronson
Sarah Galbally
Michael K. Hanna
Ronald G. Henry
Jonathan B. Mack
Daniel P. Meuser
Leslie Anne Miller
Pedro A. Rivera
Judy Schwank
Cynthia D. Shapira
Harold C. Shields
Aaron A. Walton
Tom Wolf
Three vacancies

Bloomsburg University
Council of Trustees
Patrick Wilson ’91, Chair
Mary Jane Bowes, Vice Chair
Nancy Vasta ’97/’98M, Secretary
Ramona H. Alley
Robert Dampman ’65
LaRoy G. Davis ’67
Joseph J. Mowad ’08H
Katherine Mullen ’17
Charles E. Schlegel Jr. ’60
Kenneth Stolarick ’77
John E. Wetzel ’98

President, Bloomsburg University
David L. Soltz
Executive Editor
Rosalee Rush
Editor
Bonnie Martin
Photography Editor
Eric Foster
Designer
William Wiist
Sports Information Director
Tom McGuire
Marketing/Communications
Coordinator
Irene Johnson
Communications Assistants
Nick Cellucci ’16
Victoria Mitchell ’18
Dana Shirley ’16

03 Around the Quad
06 On the Hill
22 Husky Notes
30 Over the Shoulder
32 Calendar of Events

Bloomsburg: The University Magazine is published three times a
year for alumni, students’ families and friends of the university. Bonus
content and back issues may be found at bloomu.edu/magazine.
Address comments and questions to:
Bloomsburg: The University Magazine
Waller Administration Building
400 East Second Street
Bloomsburg, PA 17815-1301
Email address: magazine@bloomu.edu
Visit Bloomsburg University on the Web at bloomu.edu.

ON THE WEB

www.BLOOMU.EDU

COVER ILLUSTRATION: WILLIAM WIIST

HUSKY NOTES
SPORTS UPDATES
ALUMNI INFO, MORE
TM

Bloomsburg University is an AA/EEO institution and is accessible to
disabled persons. Bloomsburg University does not discriminate on the
basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity,
age, national origin, ancestry, disability, or veteran status in its programs
and activities as required by Title IX of the Educational Amendments of
1972, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, Section 504 of the
Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and
other applicable statutes and University policies.
© Bloomsburg University 2016

SPRING 2016

1

Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania

READY TO DANCE

DANCE MINOR CARLOS SANTIAGO rehearses for a
performance with the Koresh Dance Company. Santiago, a
sophomore from Williamsport majoring in communication
studies in leadership and public advocacy, was one of 14
dancers from Bloomsburg University and local dance studios
who performed a five-minute original piece to open the dance
troupe’s Celebrity Artist Series appearance. The students’
performance, Wet Stone Full of Light, was choreographed
by Ronen Koresh and staged for Bloomsburg by Shannon
Bramham of the Koresh Company.

2

BLOOMSBURG UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA

PHOTO: ERIC FOSTER

unleash your inner husky

Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania

around THE quad

Diabetes Hits Home
MORE THAN 29.1 MILLION PEOPLE
in the U.S. suffer from Type 2 diabetes,
a disorder in which cells in the muscles,
liver and fat tissue do not use insulin
properly. For the seniors and graduate
students in BU’s Current Topics in
Biology course, this disease strikes close
to home.
During fall 2015, students conducted
research projects on diabetes mellitus,
finding that 11.9 percent of the total
population of BU’s home county,
Columbia County, has diabetes, a
steadily increasing rate higher than
state and national averages. This
led students to examine influencing
factors, such as race, ethnicity, poverty
and education levels, and diabetes’
implications related to issues ranging
from diagnosis and classification to risk
factors and screening.
“Their assignment was to come up
with an original research question

that they could answer using state
and national databases,” says Cynthia
Surmacz, professor of biological and
allied health sciences. “One was the
U.S. Diabetes Surveillance System from
the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention.”
Analyzing data from Pennsylvania
counties, students found that residents
of lower-income counties have higher
rates of diabetes and obesity. They
uncovered a similar connection
between diabetes, education and
poverty, discovering that people who
did not earn a high school diploma are
more likely to be living in poverty, and
those living below the poverty line may
not be able to afford healthier foods,
leading to obesity.
“Diabetes is really prevalent in my
family, which is scary,” says Katie
Greene, a senior allied health science
major from Tunkhannock. “Some of

Greene

them had heart attacks, some had
circulation problems and one had a leg
amputated because of diabetes.
“One solution is to have more
educational programs on the
importance of maintaining a healthy
lifestyle,” she says. “Here at BU, we have
access to the Student Recreation Center,
as well as healthier food options, but
not everyone in the community has the
same opportunity.”
All students presented posters of
their work at BU’s College of Science
and Technology Research Day.
Greene and fellow students Andrew
King, Bloomsburg, and Rebecca
Price, McAdoo, also presented their
research at the annual meeting of the
Pennsylvania Academy of Science at
Delaware Valley College, Doylestown. l
— By Victoria Mitchell ’18

SPRING 2016

3

Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania

around THE quad
Community Volunteer SENIOR FINDS NICHE

Official Business
JUNIOR APPOINTED
TO TRUSTEES

KATHERINE MULLEN, a junior chemistry
major from Bloomsburg, has been
appointed to BU’s Council of Trustees.
Active in student research, she received a
BU Undergraduate Research, Scholarship
and Creative Activity grant to conduct
polymer synthesis and analysis during
summer 2015 and presented her findings
at the American Chemical Society National
Conference in San Diego in mid-March.
The Honors Program student participated
in the College of Science and Technology’s
Undergraduate Research Day, Susquehanna
Valley Undergraduate Research Symposium
and Conference on Research and Education
in Nuclear Magnetic Resonance and Mass
Spectroscopy.
Mullen received the Edward J. and
Julianne M. Breiner Scholarship and
the Honors Spring Scholarship and
was recognized by Phi Kappa Phi for
outstanding academic achievement during
her freshman year. She serves as president
of the Premedical Sciences Club and is a
member of the Catholic Campus Ministry
College Choir. l

4

BLOOMSBURG UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA

SENIOR NAZEER CURRY, an anthropology and business major, told the Pennsylvania State
System of Higher Education’s Board of Governors that he found his niche when he began
volunteering off-campus. Recipient of a Board of Governors Scholarship, Curry serves on the
United Way of Columbia County Board of Directors and helped to organize the United Way’s
5K race benefiting member agencies. A member of the local Rotary Club and BU’s Student
United Way, he serves as a program assistant for BU’s Act 101 program. Curry’s volunteerism
also extended to his hometown of Philadelphia where he presented a Junior Achievement
program on financial literacy. Shown, from left, are George Agbango, acting vice provost;
Marie Conley ’94, member, Board of Governors; Curry; David Soltz, BU president; and Frank
Brogan, chancellor, State System. l

Chemical Reaction
PROFESSOR AWARDED
DISCOVERY GRANT

KRISTEN LEWIS, assistant professor
of chemistry, was awarded a grant of
supercomputer time and storage from the
Extreme Science and Engineering Discovery
Environment (XSEDE) program. XSEDE
is a system that allows scientists access to
supercomputers and high-end visualization
and data analysis resources across the county.
XSEDE is a five-year, $121-million project
supported by the National Science Foundation. Lewis was approved for a one-year startup
allocation of 50,000 service units on Comet, a supercomputing system housed at the San
Diego Supercomputer Center (SDSC), and 500 GB of space on Data Oasis, a data storage
system also housed at SDSC.
A computational chemist, Lewis studies the properties of chemicals through
computer modeling. She will investigate the effects of hydroxyl group distribution on
the stability, structure and antioxidant activity of fullerenols — molecules related to
“buckminsterfullerenes,” also known as “Buckyballs” — an important research area in
materials chemistry. l

Eye to the Future
STUDENTS, ALUMNI CONNECT
TO ADVANCE CAREERS

FIFTY STUDENTS participated in the first Career
Intensive Boot Camp hosted by BU’s Center for
Professional Development and Career Experience.
The event included workshops on subjects ranging
from salary and benefit negotiation to tips for
navigating the first week on the job. BU faculty,
alumni and other professionals offered professional
advice and help to start their careers. l

Up to the Challenge
BU TEAM WINS CYBERSEED
DOCUMENTARY COMPETITION

BU’S DOCUMENTARY was chosen best out of 30
schools — including Brown, Penn State and Syracuse
universities — at the recent CyberSEED conference.
Hosted by the Comcast Center of Excellence for
Security Innovation at the University of Connecticut,
CyberSEED brings together top information security
professionals and business leaders to discuss emerging
cybersecurity trends and formulate best strategies for
tackling threats. Dozens of universities and colleges
compete in unique cybersecurity challenges. l

‘Wow’ Factor

NEW RESIDENCE HALL TO OPEN IN AUGUST 2017
AN EXTERNAL GATHERING SPACE with a fire pit. A second-story outdoor
plaza. Two lounges on every floor. And a “green” roof with sustainable, lowmaintenance plants. Just a few of the “wow” factors built into plans for BU’s new
residence hall at the site of the former University Store Building.
Demolition of the University Store Building began in January, after the store
relocated to Kehr Union, Mailroom Services moved to Elwell Hall and the BU
Police Department began operating out of new headquarters at the rear of Andruss
Library. Construction of the university’s first intentional multiuse building will be
completed by August 2017, in time for the hall’s first 398 residents to move in.
The new seven-floor residence hall, being constructed at a cost of $60 million,
will provide suite-style living in units designed for one, two, three or four students,
and will be home of the University Store, new dining venues Chick-fil-A and
Qdoba, the university mailroom and an integrative learning center. l

Time Travel

Soil Judging

REDISCOVERING
ORGANISMS from 208 million
years ago only reflects a portion
of how Alan Gishlick, instructor
of evolution, taphonomy,
sedimentology and stratigraphy,
spends his summers. A curator
for the Yale Peabody Museum
of Natural History, he runs the
summer field program in the
Petrified Forest National Park
in Arizona. His team surveys
the flora and fauna of the park,
focusing on 225 to 208 million
years ago. Over seven years,
Gishlick and his team discovered more than 300 skeletal elements
of three types of organisms, which he brought back to the museum
for its collections. BU students from take part in the digs each
summer and receive hands-on training. l

BU’S FIRST SOIL judging
teams competed for the first
time at Malabar Farm in
Wooster, Ohio, with the A
team placing eighth out of
16 and the B team placing
13th. The top individual was
Daniel Steinhauser, a senior
from Pittsburgh, who was
16th out of 62 participants.
Matthew Ricker, assistant
professor of environmental,
geographical and geological
sciences, is the team’s trainer
and adviser.
The competition involved figuring out how many horizons –
different layers of different types of soil – were in each pit. The
students also judged the morphology of the soil, landscape, soil
classification, and site interpretation. l

GEOLOGY INSTRUCTOR RUNS SUMMER DINO DIGS

STUDENTS DELVE INTO NEW COLLEGIATE SPORT

SPRING 2016

5

ON THE HILL

sports

FOR UP-TO-DATE SCORES
AND COVERAGE, GO ONLINE
BUHUSKIES.COM

Caruso All-American in Track and Field
WOMEN’S TRACK and field standout Kaylee Caruso, a junior communications studies major from Montoursville, became BU’s first All-American in the
long jump when she finished seventh at the 2016 NCAA Division II Indoor
Track and Field National Championships at Pittsburg (Kan.) State University.
Caruso, the defending Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC)
outdoor champion in the event, advanced to the finals as one of the top nine in
the two heats and placed seventh overall. At the PSAC Indoor Championships,
she won the long and triple jumps and was named the PSAC Field Outstanding
Athlete. l

Student Work
Sparks Careers
COLLEGE WORK-STUDY jobs often
involve filing papers, making copies or
stuffing envelopes — but not in BU’s
Sports Information Office. Dedicated
students who work in there gain realworld experience as they help promote
upcoming events and provide game day
coverage. For many, this first taste leads to
a career in the sports publicity field.
Behind the scenes at any BU athletic
contest, the sports information staff is
keeping statistics for the game and then
writing a story about it for buhuskies.com.
There are photos to be taken, social media
sites to be updated and in-game music to
be selected. Work-study students work
with Tom McGuire, sports information
director (SID), and his assistant Dave
Leisering to make sure each event receives
the coverage it deserves.
McGuire, who has worked in the field of
sports information for more than 25 years,
has mentored nearly two dozen talented
students who have gone on to careers
in sports communications, including
John Gatto ’08, now the assistant SID at
the University of Scranton, and Lindsey
Wykoff Mitchell ’06, who works for the
American Diabetes Association after

6

BLOOMSBURG UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA

Vitkauskas, BU President David Soltz

many years with the NBA’s New Orleans
Pelicans.
“Working in Bloomsburg’s SID office
was really a life-changing experience for
me,” says Gatto. “I learned more and more
of what went into the daily operation of
the office as my four years went along. I
eventually earned more responsibility at
the games and began to fall in love with
the job itself. I decided to jump into the
profession after graduation.”
For Mitchell, who played women’s
tennis for the Huskies, the job in the office
was an eye-opener. “I underestimated
the profound impact the opportunity
would have in navigating a career in
sports communications. Whether it was
writing press releases, communicating
with media or working a game or event,
the understanding of the day-to-day
responsibilities and tasks, as well as how
to represent the department on-campus

Mitchell

Gatto

and externally, was the foundation upon
which my career was built,” she says. “I
will always be grateful for the opportunity
to work in sports information as the reallife, on-the-job training it provided was
vital as I began and continue my career.”
And the tradition continues. Jordan
Vitkauskas, a senior mass communications
major from Northampton, has worked
in BU’s sports information office for four
years. In recognition of his outstanding
efforts in the absence of an assistant sports
information director in fall 2015, he was
named the BU Student Employee of the
Year for 2015-16. He will be honored on
the national level in June as the recipient
of the Bill Esposito Award from the
Eastern College Athletic Conference
Sports Information Directors Association.
The annual award goes to a graduating
college senior who plans to pursue a
career in athletic communications. l

Former AD Honored
MARY GARDNER, former director
of BU athletics, is the recipient
of the 2016 Division II Athletics
Directors Association Lifetime
Achievement Award. Gardner
retired in 2011 after leading the
Huskies athletics program for 23
years. She will receive her award in
Dallas, Texas.
Gardner was one of the
first female athletics directors
responsible for both the men’s and
women’s programs when she was appointed in 1988. Earlier in
her career, she served as associate director of athletics, assistant
professor of exercise science, head coach of BU’s women’s
swimming and diving program for 14 seasons and the men’s team
for one season. She coached field hockey from 1974 to 1978.
As athletics director, Gardner oversaw Bloomsburg’s $18
million athletics facilities renovations, involving Steph Pettit
Stadium, the tennis complex, Redman Stadium and the Nelson
Field House. l

Mortellite

SENIOR JAKE HARNER, a communications studies
major from Philadelphia, earned a spot in the U.S. Olympic
swimming trials in the 100-meter breaststroke. Posting a
time of 1:02.61, he now has a chance to swim in the USA
Swimming Olympic Trials for a place on the U.S. squad,
which will compete in Rio de Janeiro.
Harner also earned All-American honors at the 2016 NCAA
Division II Swimming Championships in the 100-meter
breaststroke. One of nine BU swimmers participating at the
championships, Harner broke school and Pennsylvania State
Athletic Conference (PSAC) records with a time of 53.69
seconds to finish sixth overall. As a team, the Huskies finished
19th with 80 points. l

Sadowski

Post-Season Basketball Awards
REDSHIRT SOPHOMORE Christian
Mortellite, a business administration major
from Hammonton, N.J., was named to the
All-Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference
(PSAC) Eastern Division First Team for
basketball. Mortellite finished fifth in the
conference in scoring and first among all
PSAC Eastern Division players, averaging
19.0 points per game. He also tied for third
in the conference in total three-pointers
made (66) and was fifth in the league in
free-throw percentage (.849), three-point
field goal percentage (.413), and three-

Harner’s Big Splash

point field goals per game (2.4).
Two members of the women’s basketball
team were honored by the PSAC. Redshirt
senior Adreana Sadowski, an English major
from Fleetwood, was named the PSAC East
Defensive Player of the Year, and freshman
Julia Gantz, a business administration
major from Havertown, was selected
as PSAC East Freshman of the Year.
Sadowski, who averaged 14.8 points per
game while shooting a league-leading 60.5
percent from the field, set a school-record

Gantz

for points in a single game with 43. She
pulled down 6.9 rebounds per game and
upped that average to 9.3 boards a game in
February.
Gantz, who averaged 5.8 points per game
and knocked down 25, also was named
the PSAC East Freshman of the Week in
January. She nabbed 36 steals, third on the
Huskies’ roster. Gantz’s career high came
a game against West Chester, when she
tallied 18 points on 6-of-11 shooting and
4-of-7 from three-point range. l

SPRING 2016

7

PHOTOS: GORDON WENZEL/IMPRESSIONS

Martha Geiger King ‘85 and Tom Rampulla ‘87

Charting the Course
by ALYSSA SAYLOR

Investors around the globe entrusted $256 billion in 2015 to Vanguard, one of the
largest and fastest growing investment management firms in the world. Located far from
Wall Street in Malvern, Pa., the company was named for HMS Vanguard, the flagship of
Adm. Horatio Nelson at the Battle of the Nile in 1798. Among the crew are more than 115
Bloomsburg University alumni, including two members of the company’s 10-person senior
leadership team. These Huskies attribute their BU education and experience as critical to
their growth and success as professionals.
“THE SPIRIT OF THE SCHOOL … a
strong sense of camaraderie” led Martha
Geiger King ’85, managing director of
Vanguard’s Institutional Investor Group,
to enroll in Bloomsburg University. A
finance professor set her on her career
path.
Starting out majoring in French and
economics, King played intramural
sports, participated in Greek life, where

8

BLOOMSBURG UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA

she was president of TKE Little Sisters
her senior year, and worked part-time
at a local restaurant. She fell in love
with finance — and changed her major
to finance and economics — after a few
courses with a professor who kept her
challenged, and left an impression that
has lasted a lifetime.
“Professor Bernie Dill. He always
asked really good questions. And the

power of those questions — that’s
something that really stuck with me,”
says King. “I think asking a good,
insightful question is more important
than being able to make bold statements
and pronouncements. As a leader, I’d
argue that’s a way to challenge people,
and to draw them out to be their best.”
King, who also completed the
advanced management program at the

“I think asking a good, insightful question is more
important than being able to make bold statements and
pronouncements. As a leader, I’d argue that’s a way to
challenge people and to draw them out to be their best.”
—Martha Geiger King ’85,
managing director of Vanguard’s Institutional Investor Group
University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton
School, is responsible for service and
business development for Vanguard’s
institutional clients, organizations that
hire the firm to manage their retirement
plans or endowment and foundation
assets. Any given day could find her
meeting with a multibillion-dollar
client, managing and mentoring her
team, and setting the strategic direction
of the company along with her fellow
managing directors on the senior
management team.
“The proudest moment in my career
so far was the chance in 2002 to build a
business that didn’t exist at Vanguard —
the Vanguard Financial Advisor Services
(FAS) division. It is now the secondlargest business in the company and
continues to grow at an incredibly rapid
rate,” with more than $1 trillion in assets
under management.
Building FAS took determination,
hard work, resilience and help from
King’s colleagues, such Tom Rampulla
’87 who succeeded her as head of
Vanguard’s advisor business in 2015. He
leads business unit strategy and oversees
business development, relationship
management, and daily servicing for the
more than 1,000 financial advising firms
that are FAS clients. A finance major
at BU, he received a master’s degree
in business from Drexel University
and is a graduate of the Harvard
University Business School’s Advanced
Management Program.
Rampulla says he discovered his
leadership skills at BU, where he was
president of his fraternity, Sigma Iota
Omega. “Being the face of the fraternity,
dealing with and addressing issues,
running events, and being a sounding
board for my frat brothers really was a
blessing in learning how to be a leader,”
he says.

Rampulla, who has held a variety
of positions at Vanguard, believes his
decision to keep an open mind about
career moves has been a key to his
success. For example, working abroad
was never on his radar until he was
asked to move to London to jump-start
Vanguard’s business in Europe.
“At first, I worked from home over
there, and thought — how do I get
started? We figured it out along the
way,” recalls Rampulla, who is married
to the former Melissa “Missy” Fraatz
’89. Since that process began in 2009,
Vanguard’s European business has
grown to $95 billion in assets under
management and more than 230 staff
members.
“An experience like that gives you
a completely different perspective on
the world,” Rampulla says. “Besides
establishing a business in a country
completely new to Vanguard, fitting
in with the culture was another major
challenge. Those challenges helped me
to gain great personal and professional
development.”

Choose a company, not a job

Christine Rogers-Raetsch ’94,
a principal in Vanguard’s Human
Resources Division, leads the firm’s
culture, employee engagement and
diversity efforts.
Majoring in history and political
science at BU, Rogers-Raetsch earned
a master’s degree in history from
Villanova University. “All of those years
of research, writing, presenting and,
most importantly, thinking critically,
prepared me for a career at Vanguard,”
she says.
She advises students to focus on their
personal values when considering the
next step after college. “There’s a lot of
recent brain science and research about

King

success, happiness and effectiveness
that suggests you’ll be more successful
if you feel like you belong to an
organization,” she says. “Find the
company that fits your values and go
from there.”
Pete Mahoney ’96, head of Global
Fund Accounting and fund controller
for the Vanguard funds, agrees. “Find a
place where you like to work. I wouldn’t
be concerned about what you’re doing.
Be more concerned about the ‘why.’ ”

Patience and persistence pays off
Ian Kennedy ’13, a fixed income
investment support analyst, and Ben
Hendershott ’15, a fund financial
associate, both in Vanguard’s Fund
Financial Services, have three things in
common: they both work at Vanguard,
they are former presidents of the
Bloomsburg Investment Group (BIG),
and they helped establish the studentrun Bloomsburg equity fund (The BIG
Fund). The fund’s ultimate goal is to

CONTINUES ON NEXT PAGE
SPRING 2016

9

Keys
to a
Career
Rampulla

generate scholarships for BU students.
“The fund started as just an idea,” Hendershott says.
“We all had a passion for investing, and through that we
thought we should create a way for students to get some
investment experience and training.”
Both alumni remember spending countless hours
consulting with faculty and other colleges, and honing in
on the regulatory angle of introducing the fund. “There
were a lot of hurdles,” says Kennedy, reflecting on the
process of establishing the fund, which began trading in
November 2014. “We knew we were going to get there
eventually. We all went back (to BU) to celebrate once the
fund was finally trading.”
“One thing I’ve learned through college and my career,”
Kennedy says, “is if things don’t move fast enough, don’t
get frustrated. It’s a process. You’ll get there.”

Two strong organizations fuel success

“Bloomsburg and Vanguard have a great relationship,”
explains Kimberly Holler Laudenberger ’98, a project
lead and talent recruiter for Fund Financial Services at
Vanguard who recently hosted BU finance majors as part
of a Career Road Trip.
“I think the relationship speaks for itself,” says
Rampulla. “Look at all the great talent that’s come out of
Bloomsburg.” l

Alyssa Saylor is a public relations project manager with
The Vanguard Group
10

BLOOMSBURG UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA

Whether you
come to work at
a company like
Vanguard, where
teamwork is
essential to success,
or another company
— be the kind of
person others love
having on their
team. Think about
what kind of colleague are you to the people you
work with every day.

— Martha Geiger King ’85, managing director of
Vanguard’s Institutional Investor Group

Keep an open mind.
I had a completely
open mind in my
career at Vanguard,
and I wouldn’t be
where I am today
if I didn’t have that
mindset.
— Tom Rampulla ’87,
managing director of
Vanguard’s Financial
Advisor Services

What are the secrets to a successful career?
Some of the more than 100 BU alumni who work for Vanguard offer advice.
I was a liberal arts major who
fell in love with statistics and
analysis, who got a CFP (certified
financial planner designation), and
who managed a $50 billion book
of business. I would have never
scripted that career path. I was
open to the possibilities, took some
risks, and listened to great mentors,
advocates and friends along the
way. Your ‘thing’ may not be one thing … that’s ok.
— Christine Rogers-Raetsch ’94’, principal of Culture and
Inclusion in Vanguard’s Human Resources

Take advantage of the opportunities
as they present themselves. Don’t sit
on the sidelines. You’ll be rewarded
for taking the risk.
— Pete Mahoney ’96, head of Global
Fund Accounting and Fund Controller
for the Vanguard funds

Take advantage of networking. Keep in contact with your
peers and professionals you know. You never know when an
opportunity will present itself.
— Kimberly Holler Laudenberger ’98, talent recruiter in
Vanguard’s Fund Financial Services

Cherish every relationship and networking opportunity
with people you meet. Even at a company as big as
Vanguard, there are so many circular relationships.
— Daniel Bauman ’00, project manager in Vanguard’s
Corporate Communications

Start at the bottom and be willing
to work hard to get to where you
want to be. It takes time, and it
takes effort.
— Ian Kennedy ’13, fixed income
investment support analyst in
Vanguard’s Fund Financial Services

You have to go after what you want. Don’t be complacent.
There are so many opportunities out there. Be open-minded
to it all.
— Ed Artim ’97, manager in Vanguard’s Fund Financial
Services

When looking for a job, you should look at the whole
picture. You don’t want just a job that might seem like
a good fit or more financially lucrative now. You want a
place where people respect your opinions and value your
talents. Establishing a place for a long-term career is more
important than job jumping ... chasing what may only be a
short term gain for a temporary job.
— Michael Baranowski ’97, fund financial associate in
Vanguard’s Fund Financial Services

Start early. Look for internships
during your sophomore, junior
and senior years. Build connections
and get involved in college as
much as possible.
— Ben Hendershott ’15, fund
financial associate in Vanguard’s Fund
Financial Services

SPRING 2016

11

PHOTOS: ERIC FOSTER

“I saw my parents achieve success after attending
a public university, and I always believed I’d have
the opportunity do the same.”
— David L. Soltz, President, Bloomsburg University

Leading by Example
THE IMPORTANCE of public higher
education hits close to home for
Bloomsburg University President David
L. Soltz and his wife, Robbie. That’s why
their commitment to It’s Personal: The
Campaign for Bloomsburg University is
especially personal to them.
Strong advocates for high-quality,
affordable education, the couple
established the David and Roberta Soltz
Scholarship, an endowment funded with
a $100,000 blended gift. The scholarship
is designated to help meet the financial
need of high-achieving students
enrolled in the sciences, so they may
graduate on time.

12

BLOOMSBURG UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA

After obtaining their undergraduate
and doctoral degrees in biology, both
pursued successful, rewarding careers.
“We are both products of public higher
education,” David Soltz says, “and we
believe in its value and mission.”
The tradition of public higher
education extends back even further for
the BU president, whose mother and
father graduated in 1943 from Ball State
University, Muncie, Ind., known then as
Ball State Teachers College. “I saw my
parents achieve success after attending a
public university, and I always believed
I’d have the opportunity do the same,”
he says.

In the late 1960s, when Soltz was
an undergraduate at the University
of California, Berkeley, the state was
contributing more than 75 percent of
tuition costs to help students receive
a high-quality education without
incurring a high level of debt. However,
he has seen firsthand how that funding
model has changed and the effect it has
on students.
As a professor at California State
University, a public higher education
system that predominantly serves
low-income students, Soltz worked
with many bright students who were
committed to graduating from college,

“When you learn you were selected
for a scholarship that was established
by the president of the university and
his wife, it’s very affirming.”
— Kira England ’15

Learn more about the It’s Personal
campaign at itspersonal.bloomu.edu.

but were forced to put their dreams on
hold because of their inability to pay
their tuition. What troubled him most
was the knowledge that these students
had the work ethic and the dedication to
be successful.
“Unfortunately, I saw far too many
students who were nearly finished
with their degrees, but were forced to
drop out because they simply could not
afford to pay,” he says. “State institutions
do their best to keep costs low and
quality high, but sometimes it’s just not
enough.”

Focus on Scholarships

One of the It’s Personal campaign’s
major priorities is to fund scholarships,
ensuring that Bloomsburg University
can continue to enroll students based
on their ability, not their ability to pay.

That’s why they designated their gift to
help upper division students who are
maintaining a grade-point average of
3.5 or higher while truly facing financial
need.
Kira England, a recent recipient of the
David and Roberta Soltz Scholarship,
graduated in December 2015 and is
attending prerequisite courses at BU to
prepare for graduate school. England
lives in Bloomsburg with her husband
and their 2-year-old daughter and was
working, with her husband’s support,
to pay for her education without taking
loans.
“When you learn you were selected
for a scholarship that was established by
the president of the university and his
wife, it’s very affirming,” England says.
“It felt like all my hard work had paid
off.”

The scholarship also significantly
helps the young family. “With the cost
of raising a small child and paying for
my education, this was a very big relief
for us,” adds England. “It also helped
me to make the decision to pursue my
graduate studies immediately.”
“As the president of this university,
it was important to me to lead by
example,” Soltz says. “Public higher
education is important to all of us at
Bloomsburg University. We have the
opportunity to give back and help
students who remind many of us of our
younger selves.” l
Tom Schaeffer is communications
coordinator for the Bloomsburg
University Foundation.

SPRING 2016

13

Redoubling Efforts
Kehres, Aronstam, Borland

by NICK CELLUCCI ’16

PUBLIC COLLEGES and universities,
including Bloomsburg University, are joining
the ranks of research institutions by turning
new projects and ideas into revenue. Robert
Aronstam is doing just that with a protein
cloning service he brought with him when
he became the dean of BU’s College of
Science and Technology in July 2015.
Aronstam is a molecular neuroscientist
with a career that has included work at the
Medical College of Georgia, the Guthrie
Research Institute and the Missouri College
of Science and Technology. The core of his
research is focused on the human brain and
synthetic biology, engineering brain proteins
that don’t exist in nature.
“The brain has 89 billion neurons that
squirt chemicals (neurotransmitters) onto
each other,” Aronstam explains. “When a
neuron squirts out one chemical, it interacts
with a receptor on the next cell. Binding of
the chemical to the receptor, a special type of
protein, on the receptive cell turns that cell
on or off. Brain function emerges from the
total activity of billions and billions of these
receptor switches.”
Signal transduction refers to the process
by which different cells respond to chemical
signals from one another.
Aronstam has worked closely with
colleagues and former undergraduate and
graduate students throughout his career to
clone and sequence virtually every receptor
and transducer protein used in the brain.
That collection is now maintained and being
expanded upon by BU students and faculty,
including Michael Borland and Ellen Kehres,
assistant professors in BU’s Department of
Chemistry and Biochemistry.

14

BLOOMSBURG UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA

The clones are propagated in bacteria
and then frozen for storage. Cloned human
proteins are useful for work in a variety of
fields, including medical and pharmaceutical
research.
“If you’re a scientist, the cell is now
your test tube,” Aronstam says. “You can
introduce clones for the proteins you are
interested in, have the cell make them, and
then determine the effects on cell function.”

“It’s a great training tool.
We have BU students
who want to learn how
to clone and modify cells.
We can put them on some
immediate projects.”
– Dean Robert Aronstam
Researchers can mutate the clones to
make proteins with abnormal properties,
but it’s a lengthy process. That is where
Aronstam’s work comes into play. Since
2004, he and his colleagues have distributed
clones to scientists throughout the world for
research purposes.
“You could clone any of these proteins
yourself, but it would take you weeks or
months,” says Aronstam. “If you visit our
website, you could receive the clone the next
day, and you would know exactly what you
are getting.”
The high-quality clones now sold by BU
can be referenced in an online database.
Among them are new proteins and variants
discovered by Aronstam and his colleagues
over the years.

“Since we had complete collections of
high-quality and highly documented clones,
we made our clones available to other
scientists throughout the world. There
was a tremendous demand, and soon we
had a thriving business,” Aronstam laughs.
“So much of what we do in academia has
commercial value, and we have to be willing
to capture a portion of this and reinvest it in
the institution.”
At BU, Aronstam envisions the cloning
service providing opportunities for
institutional growth, scientific discovery and
training, especially for students.
Since his arrival in July 2015, BU has sold
nearly $80,000 worth of clones through
an e-commerce site established by the BU
Foundation. “We’re closing in on $3 million
in sales since 2004. Once we have the clones,
it’s mainly profits, and it all goes back into
the university,” Aronstam says. The money
is used to maintain the collection, train
students and support student and faculty
research.
“We’ve sold to scientists at hundreds
of institutions on every continent (except
Antarctica),” says Aronstam. “We’ve been
able to support student travel and keep
faculty engaged in the research process.
That’s central to our educational mission of
learning and discovery.” l
Nick Cellucci ’16, a mass communications
major from Gettysburg, is a communications
assistant in BU’s Office of Marketing and
Communications.
Visit the BU cDNA Resource Center
at www.cdna.org.

ILLUSTRATION: WILLIAM S. WIIST

The Strongest Links
by JACK SHERZER

FAMILY TIES are often likened to an
indestructible chain, and the generations
compared with the links that bind the
past to the future. So it seems appropriate
that an unbreakable father-and-son team
is codirecting Bloomsburg University’s
new Nicholas J. Giuffre Center for Supply
Chain Management.
John Grandzol has shared his business
savvy at Bloomsburg for 15 years; his son,
Christian, has provided students with
experiential learning for nine. Hailing
from different professional backgrounds,
the Grandzols seem to naturally
complement each other, affording
students a 360-degree view of the startto-finish supply chain, from procurement

and purchasing to distribution and
delivery.
Before coming to BU, John graduated
from Temple University with a math
degree, and later a master’s and doctorate.
He worked in the U.S. Social Security
Administration and the U.S. Navy, linking
contractors and customers in the biggest
of leagues — the procurement and logistics
arena for the nation’s military aircraft.
Christian earned his bachelor’s and
master’s degrees at Marywood University
in Scranton, and began teaching at BU as
he earned his doctorate.
BU undergraduates jokingly refer to the
father-son team as Professor Grandzol,
the Elder, and Professor Grandzol, the

Younger, like a coupling out of a Grimm
fairy tale. But they are a forward-thinking
duo who believe that teaching occurs
not just within the classroom, but when
students are immersed in the real-world
experience. They teach through all-day
simulation games; visits to warehouses,
hospitals and factories; and guest
speakers, often recent BU graduates who
have already made good on their business
degrees. One popular speaker hailed from
Martin Guitars, and favorite field study
sites include Woolrich Inc., the nation’s
oldest outerwear manufacturer, and the
Susquehanna Brewing Co.

Learning by doing

Supply chain management “doesn’t lend

SPRING 2016

15

“Our students are
already ahead of the
curve of other students or
employees they have to
collaborate with.”
– Christian Grandzol, Professor,
Supply Chain Management
John Grandzol

itself to merely conceptual knowledge
... we really immerse our students in
what their workplace will be like,” says
Professor Grandzol, the Elder.
“Students see firsthand the actual result
of their own decisions using principles
learned in class. They are very self-driven
and brainstorm improvements, and
they physically see the impact of poor
process planning or poor quality or lack of
standardization.” Then, even better, they
learn how to prevent it and remediate it.
Faculty members stay current with
changing economic and political
conditions, as the dizzying pace of the
field and the world stage demands,
moving beyond research-based programs
at competing institutions. “Our students
are already ahead of the curve of other
students or employees they have to
collaborate with,” Christian says.
When designing the major, professors
looked at the handbook for supply chain
management positions, then worked
backward to create the curriculum to
connect with the career. The major
grew out of a supply chain management
concentration and more than 50 students
are enrolled. The university is also
building a pipeline of graduates to teach
needed courses.
“The demand (for good supply chain
managers) exceeds the supply. There
are tremendous opportunities out there,
which is why just about all of our students
have job offers within the supply chain
field before they graduate,” John says.

Alumni involvement

Benefactor Nicholas J. Giuffre ’78 of
Bradford White Corp., manufacturer of
residential and commercial water heating
and storage products, is a true believer in
the BU experience. His $2.5 million gift
takes classroom-to-boardroom training
to a new level, giving his alma mater a
16

BLOOMSBURG UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA

Christian Grandzol

premier locale for speakers and added
resources for more in-the-field training.
Another successful graduate who
delights in the major’s skyrocketing
growth is Annie Ellen Cody ’14, a
procurement operations analyst for
Accenture in the King of Prussia office.
Her chief client is an international car and
equipment rental company that operates
in the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico.
Accenture recruited her through LinkedIn
while she was still a BU student.
“From the get-go, you are taught to
quickly and efficiently add value with
minimal waste,” Cody says. She loves
that supply chain management involves
a healthy mix of rules and processes,
combined with a generous helping of
figuring things out on your own. She
is both “excited and envious” of the
experiences BU students are receiving
since the concentration became a major.
And, she adds, most of the projects she
is assigned at Accenture are the “same
thing we had been taught” at BU.
Another supply chain success story
is Brian Toth ‘14, who is a third-shift
product supervisor at Bayer, leading
a team of 45 that makes high-quality
syringes in a sterile setting. He completed
an internship at Sherwin-William Paints
and a Pittsburgh-based surgical practice
and previously helped produce Gatorade
for PepsiCo. At Bayer, he troubleshoots
everything from quality defects and
machinery breakdowns to employee
paycheck, cross-training, and sterility
issues, zeroing in on employee safety.
“What I like about the supply chain
field is that it’s both analytical and
hands-on,” Toth says. “From helping an
employee who is having a problem with
their paycheck or figuring out how to
reallocate our labor if one of our machines
goes down, the job is all about meeting the

challenge and problem solving.”
As a member of BU’s Supply Chain
Club (APICS), Toth competed in a local
competition and won, sending him on to a
national conference in Tennessee. Today,
both Toth and Cody are working toward
their APICS certification, a nationally
recognized standard of excellence within
the industry.

Career outlook

BU’s supply chain management
programs have seen steady enrollment
increases concurrent with program
improvements since it started as a career
concentration in 2007. In addition to the
students specializing in supply chain
management, students majoring in general
management and other business fields
have benefited from practical experiences
initiated under the supply chain umbrella.
To date, more than 1,200 students have
visited over 16 manufacturing facilities
and distribution centers – engagement
that has positive returns for both students
and industry relations.
The Grandzols say the job outlook
for supply chain management
professionals is expected to grow by
20 percent. Globalization, outsourcing
and automation mean solid connections
must be built and maintained across all
networks, from inventory and distribution
to operations, accounting and delivery.
That is something Professor Grandzol,
the Elder, and Professor Grandzol, the
Younger, teach students every day. l
Jack Sherzer is a professional writer and
principal partner with Message Prose, a
communications and public relations firm
in Harrisburg.
Visit bloomu.edu/magazine to watch
an animation explaining Supply Chain
Management.

From left: Erik Evans, vice president for university advancement; Giuffre family members Nicky, Nick, Kathy, Charlie
and Natalie; and BU President David L. Soltz.

Reconnection
by TOM SCHAEFFER

THE LARGEST GIFT in the history of
the Bloomsburg University Foundation
is benefiting BU’s supply chain
management program.
Nicholas J. Giuffre ’78 recently
contributed a $2.5 million blended
gift to the BU Foundation and the
university’s It’s Personal campaign. The
gift establishes the Nicholas J. Giuffre
Center for Supply Chain Management
within the College of Business. The gift
will also endow the Nicholas J. Giuffre
Distinguished Professor in Supply Chain
Management to support the university’s
supply chain management major and
experiential learning opportunities
for students. It is the first endowed
professorship in the College of Business.
When Giuffre jumps into a project,
he brings all of his passion, loyalty and
commitment. After graduating from
Bloomsburg University, he took his first
job with the Bradford White Corp., a
major U.S. manufacturer of residential
and commercial water heating and
storage products, and has been with the
company ever since. “I started out taking

“Once they asked me
to share my time and
my resources … and my
daughter started classes …
it was personal for me.”
– Nicholas J. Giuffre ’78

service calls, moved up into sales and,
38 years later, here I am, president and
CEO,” Giuffre says.
When he reconnected with BU, he did
it with the same level of involvement.
It started in 2012, when the Delaware
County native and first-generation
college graduate received a phone call
from the BU Foundation. “They asked if
I would be interested in supporting the
renovation project in Sutliff Hall,” Giuffre
says, “and the idea of naming a classroom
came up.”
At the same time, Giuffre’s only
daughter, Natalie, was considering a BU

education of her own. “I brought her
with me to see the classroom in Sutliff
Hall that would be named for our family.
My jaw dropped when I saw the campus,”
says Giuffre. Within a few weeks, Natalie
was enrolled and her dad was serving on
the College of Business Advisory Board.
He now also serves on the BU Foundation
Board of Directors and the It’s Personal
Campaign Cabinet.
As he became reacquainted with
his alma mater, Giuffre recalled his
experiences at Bloomsburg. “During
that 30 years I was away, I didn’t really
think much about BU,” he says. “But once
they asked me to share my time and my
resources … and my daughter started
classes … it was personal for me.”
Establishment of BU’s supply chain
management major inspired Giuffre to
make the donation. “I knew I wanted
to make a major commitment to the
university, and when I learned about
the four-year degree in supply chain
management, a light bulb went on,” says
Giuffre. “This is what I do, every day.
This is how I became successful, and I
know that this will help prepare many
future students for successful careers.”
Giuffre’s daughter, Natalie, graduates
this spring, and he is very proud that
she will join him as a member of the BU
alumni network. “I’m grateful to have
been involved with the university these
past four years. Now I’m even more
excited about recruiting alumni to be a
part of this campaign and sharing with
them that it’s about more than money, it
really is personal.” l

Dean of College of Business Jeffrey Krug speaks
at dedication.

SPRING 2016

17

“If a student has suffered a
serious concussion or repeated
concussions, the partnership with
Bloomsburg (University) will
allow us to take a deeper look and
get more information.”
— Roxanna Larsen, Program
Director, Geisinger Sports and
Orthopaedic Medicine

Heads Up
by JACK SHERZER

WHEN AN ATHLETE is involved in a head-on collision on the field, the
effects can be immediate and obvious. He may lie motionless, or rise
slowly and stagger. On the other hand, he may leap up, appear to be
unharmed and continue playing, only to complain of a severe headache,
memory loss and dizziness immediately after the game … or days later.
After thousands of professional football players sued the National
Football League in 2012, alleging that the NFL failed to disclose the
neurological damage linked to repeated hits to the head, concussions
charged to the front lines of medical research.
Bloomsburg University is becoming a leader in the field.

18

BLOOMSBURG UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA

Geisinger-BU Partnership

In partnership with the Geisinger
Orthopaedic Institute, Division
of Sports Medicine, Bloomsburg
University and its team of trainers,
coaches and researchers are working
to better assess injured athletes, study
and protect the brain, and ultimately
head off a severe cognitive condition
called CTE, or chronic traumatic
encephalopathy. Their research is
guiding return-to-play calls.
Under a new agreement, Geisinger
Sports Medicine physicians “will rely on
BU’s Institute for Concussion Research
and Service to provide additional
assessment results,” says Joseph
Hazzard, director of both the institute
and BU’s clinical athletic training
program. “These results will enhance
their clinical decision-making ability,
especially as it relates to return-to-play.”
BU’s Institute for Concussion
Research and Service is a collaboration
between interdisciplinary faculty and
students working to better understand
concussions. The institute has two main
goals: to give medical professionals a
better understanding of concussions,
symptoms and their outcomes, and
to provide a service to the medical
community that will assist in making
better return-to-play decisions. It
works with student-athletes from BU,
Susquehanna and Bucknell universities
and 20 area high schools.
Roxanna Larsen, program director
of Sports and Orthopaedic Medicine
at Geisinger’s Woodbine Lane facility
near Danville, says, “If a student
has suffered a serious concussion or
repeated concussions, the partnership
with Bloomsburg will allow us to take a
deeper look and get more information.
“It’s the individuality of concussions
that is hard to explain,” she adds. “Why
does one person heal more quickly than
others? The testing that BU does will
help find more subtle issues.”
Testing may include a symptom
checklist and neurocognitive testing,
such as computerized quizzes of basic
knowledge and memory recall, along
with balance testing. The researchers

will also search for biomarkers, such
as the presence of certain chemicals in
saliva, to objectively gauge the presence
and extent of brain injury.
“Research indicates that any time a
person is injured, there are chemicals in
the bloodstream that allow the healing
process to begin and show in saliva,”
says Hazzard, who served for 15 years
as BU’s head athletic trainer before
transitioning to full-time teaching in
2004. “We’re looking for a salivary
biomarker that would indicate a
concussion.”
The latest agreement builds on
BU’s longstanding relationship with
Geisinger Sports Medicine. Dr. Dan
Feldmann, director of sports medicine
services, is the head team physician for
BU and the medical director for BU’s
athletic training program, and sports
medicine specialists Dr. Matt McElroy
and Dr. Ryan Roza are also BU team
physicians.
The partnership also gives students
enrolled in BU’s graduate-level clinical
athletic training program hands-on
experience conducting assessments in
the institute’s lab, located in Centennial
Hall.
“It gives students the unique
opportunity to decide how, in their
professional career, they are going to
apply the management of concussions
from an assessment standpoint,”
Hazzard says. “How are you going to
make the decision to return a player
to the field and what kind of data are
you going to use? They have a unique
opportunity to understand a broad
range of assessment tools.”
Hazzard isn’t aware of any other
institution that is doing the same kind
of concussion work that BU students
are pursuing. “It’s one thing to teach
students research methods and another
to take them out, do data collection
and allow them to understand the
difficulties.”

C.A.R.E. Consortium

The agreement with Geisinger
Sports Medicine reinforces BU’s recent
appointment as one of 30 institutions

participating in the nation’s largest
concussion research project, the NCAADepartment of Defense Concussion
Assessment, Research and Education
(C.A.R.E.) Consortium, now in its third
year.
C.A.R.E. Consortium researchers
have collected more than 25 million
data points from 16,000 student athletes
at the 21 schools already participating,
including the University of Pittsburgh,
Virginia Tech, Princeton University,
University of North Carolina at Chapel
Hill and the U.S. military academies.
After adding BU and eight additional
testing sites — the University of
Chicago, University of Miami (Florida),
University of North Georgia, University
of Pennsylvania, Temple University,
Wake Forest University, Wilmington
College (Ohio) and Winston-Salem
State University — researchers estimate
more than 25,000 student athletes will
take part.
This research is part of the landmark
$30 million NCAA-U.S. Department
of Defense Grand Alliance, which
is funding the most comprehensive
study of concussion and head impact
exposure ever conducted. The alliance
also supports an educational grand
challenge aimed at changing important
concussion safety behaviors and the
culture of concussion reporting and
management. Participating schools
receive a portion of that funding to
cover the cost of research. l
SPRING 2016

19

A New Definition
by JACK SHERZER

RADICAL ACCEPTANCE
Ben Dearman realized his dream of
rising to the highest levels in fitness and
owning a New Hampshire gym counted
among the state’s top 10. He trained
Navy Seals and Rangers. Then, this
year, his life changed when unobtrusive
swelling in his neck was diagnosed as
Hodgkin’s lymphoma. He’s had two
biopsies and surgery to implant a power
port for chemotherapy, and begun a
course of treatment scheduled to go into
September
But in a blog where he’s chronicling his
journey, two main themes emerge: Don’t
call it cancer — it’s a fight. And don’t
complain about what’s happening — deal
with it.
Radical acceptance.
“You go through these three
transformations — the person you were
before, the person you become as you are
going through this and the person who
comes out,” the 37-year-old Dearman
says. “Theoretically, I’m supposed
to be done by September, but even if
everything goes well I’ll have no hair
on my body, my immune system will
be like that of a 6-year-old, I may be 10
or 15 pounds lighter and my digestive
system will be totally different. I figure it
will take me at least three to six months
before I’m back.”
Before the diagnosis, Dearman
weighed 181 pounds and was training
for one of powerlifting’s ultimate goals:

20

BLOOMSBURG UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA

the “3-4-5,” or 300-pound bench press,
400-pound back squat and 500-pound
deadlift. Now, he says, his definition
of exercise is different: it’s about
concentrating on movement and not
worrying about lifting or how hard he
exercises.

“You go through these three
transformations — the
person you were before, the
person you become as you
are going through this and
the person who comes out.”
– Ben Dearman ’04
The same hard work, determination
and willpower that are seeing Dearman
through his fight have been the pillars of
his success since the Lewisburg native
graduated from Bloomsburg in 2004
with a degree in exercise science. An
internship at a gym near the college
convinced him he loved personal
training, and after graduation he landed
a job as a strength training coach at
Bucknell University. He then spent a year
as a civilian contractor working with the
Navy Seals and Rangers.
Eight years ago, he achieved his dream:
opening a small gym, KDR Fitness, in

Lebanon, N.H., with his girlfriend, Jamie
Crowe. He now owns a 4,800-square-foot
facility with eight employees.
After he wins his fight, Dearman plans
to educate people about cancer the same
way he’s enjoyed teaching about fitness.
That’s one reason he’s doing the blog
— www.bendearman.net — to develop
material for a future book.
“You are more likely to meet someone
who had cancer than who has had a kid
– it affects one in three people,’’ Dearman
says. “I want to educate people about
how you go through this process. Just
because you’re diagnosed with cancer
doesn’t mean it’s a death sentence. It
means a lot of things, but it doesn’t
necessarily mean what you think.” l
Jack Sherzer is a professional writer
and principal partner with Message
Prose, a communications and public
relations firm in Harrisburg.

SPRING 2016

21

Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania

husky notes

Heritage in Wool
TUCKED AWAY in rural Pine Creek Township, population 3,215, is the global
headquarters of Woolrich Inc., the nation’s oldest vertically integrated woolen
mill and apparel manufacturer.
Founded in 1830 to make fabric, the firm has accomplished what few
companies do — thread the proverbial needle to survive, under the family
ownership, for 186 years and compete in a global economy.
Hundreds of workers still make signature blankets and woolen fabric at the
Woolrich mill in the center of its namesake village — including the red Marine
Corps scarlet fabric used in the stripes and insignia of U.S. Marine Corps
uniforms. To survive in a global business environment, finished clothing items
are sourced from factories not only in the U.S., but around the world.
Sean Acton, who earned his MBA from BU in 2015, keeps those global
connections secure, working with more than 60 factories in a dozen countries,
including the U.S. As vice president of operations, Acton oversees aspects of
relationships with firms that manufacture finished products, as well as the
company’s purchasing, in- and out-bound logistics, warehousing, customer
service, quality control, information technology, and building and grounds.
Though the company originally made just fabric, over the years they’ve
developed some of America’s most iconic garments: red and black checked
shirts in the 1850s, pocket vests for railway workers in the 1890s, clothing
for Adm. Richard Byrd’s Antarctic explorers in 1939, and the Arctic parka for
pipeline workers in the 1970s.
“We’re a heritage brand,” says Acton, who came to Woolrich in 2004. “We
are famous for providing the red and black wool that Woolrich made into
hunting coats and pants that were once referred to as Pennsylvania tuxedos.”
While globalization of the garment industry hit the company hard in the
1990s, Woolrich retained its headquarters and all the business functions in the
same building complex that grew from the mill built in 1845. In contrast to that
century-old mill, Woolrich’s warehouse and shipping center in nearby Jersey
Shore ensure same-day shipping. A design studio and retail store have been
established in New York City.
“Manufacturing is in our DNA,” says Acton. “We’re meshing design
with manufacturing and staying true to our heritage. We think about the
construction and quality of every piece we design. We design and build the
specifications as if we are making it ourselves. Quality is something we still take
very seriously. If you want to keep it for decades, you can.” l
Eric Foster is photography editor for Bloomsburg: The University Magazine.

22

BLOOMSBURG UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA

PHOTO: ERIC FOSTER

by ERIC FOSTER

’50s
Donald Cesare ’52 published a book,
Blue, Grey, Black: My Service to Country,
about his career as a special agent,
stretching from the mountains of
Colorado, where he trained Tibetan
freedom fighters, to the civil rights
battlefields of Mississippi, where he
infiltrated the Ku Klux Klan. Bloomsburg:
The University Magazine featured a
story on his role in investigating the
assassination of former President John F.
Kennedy in the fall 2003 issue.

’60s
Elizabeth McDonald Schaefer ’68 is
the author of the book, Ladies of Punta
Gorda and Memories of War, which
commemorates the efforts of women to
improve society through first-person
narratives and historical profiles.

’70s
Karen Willis Blackway ’72 is codirector of the Eagle Rock Resorts
Snowsport School in Hazle Township.
Paul Wolverton ’72 retired from the
field of school psychology after more
than 39 years. Wolverton works parttime as a commissioned lay pastor for the
Bunker Hill (W.Va.) Presbyterian Church
Greg Roussey ’73 is a
construction services
manager for Dewberry in
Carlisle. With more than
40 years of engineering
experience, Roussey
previously worked as
a project or task manager overseeing
construction management services for
many projects on the East Coast. He is
a member of the American Society of
Highway Engineers and the American
Council of Engineering Companies of
Pennsylvania.
John Marzano ’74 is vice president,
marketing and public affairs, at Lehigh
Valley Health Network. Marzano

was previously vice president, chief
marketing and communications officer at
Orlando (Fla.) Health.
James Schmucker ’78 retired as
executive director of the Business Group
on Health in Lancaster.
Kevin Wixted ’79 received a 2016
Pollock-Krasner Foundation Grant for
Painting, and will serve as juror for the
Art of the State Exhibition at the State
Museum of Pennsylvania. He is professor
of painting in the School of Art and
Design at Alfred University in western
New York.

’80s
Richard Donahue ’80 presented his
test-taking skills workshop at the
national Teacher Cadet Instructor
Conference in Myrtle Beach, S.C. He is a
teacher at Denmark-Olar High School.
Kathleen Wilds Walters ’80 is director
of finance at Boyer & Ritter in East
Pennsboro Township. She previously
was chief financial officer of the Brenner
Family of Dealerships and director of
finance with Keen Transport Inc.
Daniel Wilson ’81 co-authored the
book, Library as Safe Haven: Disaster,
Planning, Response and Recovery. Wilson
is associate director for collections and
library services at the University of
Virginia Claude Moore Health Sciences
Library and coordinator for the National
Network of Libraries of Medicine
Library Ready Initiative.
Richard DiLiberto
’82 was selected by the
Delaware State Bar
Association to receive
the Daniel L. Herrmann
Professional Conduct
Award. He was admitted
to the Delaware Bar in 1986, served a
judicial clerkship in Delaware Superior
Court, and has practiced at Young,
Conaway, Stargatt and Taylor, where he
is a partner, since 1987. He served in the
Delaware State House of Representatives
from 1992 to 2002. DiLiberto and his
wife, live in Newark, Del., with their
three daughters.

Vincent Nicastro ’87 is associate
director of the Jeffrey S. Moorad Center
for the Study of Sports Law at the
Villanova University School. In addition
to managing the day-to-day operations
of the center, Nicastro teaches at the law
school and serves as a spokesperson with
expertise in intercollegiate athletics.
Christopher Ward ’87 is acting police
chief of Whitemarsh Township in
Montgomery County.
Robert Duthaler ’88 was recognized
by the Jersey Access Group (JAG) for
his 10 years as president of the nonprofit
consortium of New Jersey community
media representatives. Duthaler was
honored for his role in making JAG an
asset to local government.
Scott Skidmore ’88 is vice president,
global channel sales, at Guidance
Software, Pasadena, Calif. Skidmore
previously was vice president of
worldwide sales at Permabit and vice
president of channel sales for the
Americas at CommVault.
Jeffery Slivka ’88 is president at New
Day Underwriting Managers, Hamilton,
N.J., a company he helped launch in
2005. He previously was the firm’s
executive vice president and chief
operating officer.
Christopher Leister ’89 is chief
estimator at Brubacher Excavating,
Bowmansville. Leister, who has more
than 21 years of construction industry
experience, joined Brubacher in 2006 as
an estimator.
Donna Nealon Bogari ’89 is director for
accreditation services in the Department
of Patient Safety and Accreditation
Services, Office of Quality and Patient
Safety at Christiana Care, Newark,
Del. Her career includes 26 years of
experience in radiology, accreditation
and regulatory compliance, and care
management.
Brian Young ’89 is a sales associate at
Five Star Realty in Punta Gorda, Fla.

SPRING 2016

23

Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania

husky notes
’90s
Sharon Ford Bixler ’90 was recognized
by Continental Who’s Who as a Pinnacle
Professional in the field of healthcare.
Bixler, director of operations of
Wilmac Corp., York, is a member of the
American and Pennsylvania Healthcare
Associations, Academy of Certified
Baccalaureate Social Workers and the
National Association of Professional
Women, which recognized her as a VIP
Woman of the Year.
Karla Burkhart Rush ’90 is senior vice
president at Phoenixville Federal Bank
and Trust, responsible for overseeing the
bank’s compliance and training. She and
her two children reside in Phoenixville
where she is active in the school district
and her church.
Patricia Murray Savitsky ’90 is
senior vice president and chief services
officer at TMG Health, Jessup. She is
also a certified information privacy
professional and a certified internal
auditor.
Dale Spencer ’90 is chief investment
officer of Columbian Financial Group,
Binghamton, N.Y. Spencer joined the
investment department in 2009 as the
bond portfolio manager.

R. David Ashby ’92 had photos on
display throughout December 2015 at at
The Public Library for Union County in
Lewisburg. Ashby is the owner of Dave
Ashby Photography.
Joseph Castrogiovanni ’92 is a
commercial loan officer with Wayne
Bank, based in Scranton’s Adams Avenue
community office.
Kevin Booth ’93 is superintendent of the
Pittston Area School District.
Matt Clavin ’94 is the author of Aiming
for Pensacola: Fugitive Slaves on the
Atlantic and Southern Frontiers. Clavin’s
book is about runaway slaves and the
Underground Railroad in the Deep
South. He is an associate professor of
history at the University of Houston.
Daniel Manetta ’94 is executive director
and CEO of Innovative Manufacturers’
Center, Williamsport. Manetta has more
than 20 years’ experience in strategic
planning consulting, professional
instruction on leadership and
management topics and development
of corporate training and education
programs.

Kuklewicz Promoted to CFO
KAREN KUKLEWICZ ’98 was promoted to chief
financial officer with Benco Dental, the nation’s largest
privately owned dental distributor.
Kuklewicz joined the family-owned organization as a
staff accountant in 1999. Previously Benco’s director of
financial planning and analysis and director of finance,
she earned an MBA from Wilkes University and the
Certified Management Accountant designation from
the Institute of Management Accountants. As interim
CFO, Kuklewicz helped steer the company through a
successful year in 2015, including the completion of
several key projects.
She and her husband, Ned, reside in Mountain Top
with their daughter.

24

BLOOMSBURG UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA

Jason Vavra ’95, a managing member of
VCM Wealth, Collegeville, was named a
5 Star Wealth Manager in the December
2015 issue of Philadelphia Magazine.
He also was named to the Bloomsburg
University Foundation Investment
Committee.
Finuccia Salvo Wert ’95 is director
of marketing at Boyer & Ritter, East
Pennsboro Township. She previously was
a marketing director with WITF-FM and
McNees Wallace & Nurick.
Paul Clifford ’96 was named associate
vice president for alumni relations for
Penn State University and the 11th chief
executive officer of the university’s
alumni association. Previously,
Clifford was associate vice president
of advancement and executive director
of the University of Oregon Alumni
Association. Clifford and his wife have
three children.
Jon Pollard ’97 earned a doctoral degree
in education from Wilkes University,
after defending his dissertation, The Use
of Twitter as a Collaborative Environment
for K-12 Teachers: Perceptions of 140
Character Professional Learning
Communities. Pollard is an elementary
principal at Wyoming Area School
District, Exeter. He lives in West
Wyoming with his wife, Lisa Dennis
Pollard ’97, and sons.
David Manbeck ’98 was elected
treasurer of the board of directors for the
Central Pennsylvania Foodbank.
Jimmi Simpson ’98 portrayed the
murderous Soldier on the six-part
SundanceTV drama, Hap and Leonard.
His previous TV roles include Lyle the
Intern on The Late Show With David
Letterman, Liam McPoyle on It’s Always
Sunny in Philadelphia and Gavin Orsay in
House of Cards. Simpson also appeared
on Broadway and in films, such as Date
Night.

Melissa Dugan Day ’99 is principal at
Bloomsburg High School. Day previously
was the principal at Milton High
School. She serves as secretary for the
Lightstreet Little League.

’00s
Amy Melchiorre ’01 is principal of the
Columbia-Montour Area VocationalTechnical School Bloomsburg.
Melchiorre was previously the assistant
principal at Berwick High School,
Berwick.
Isoken Osunde ’02 is an anesthesiologist
at Evangelical Community Hospital,
Lewisburg. Previously, Osunde worked
as a general anesthesiologist at Penn
Medicine/Lancaster General Hospital.
Bethany Samson Fluck Fine ’03 is
human resources manager at Wayne
Memorial Community Health Centers.
Fine is responsible for developing and
overseeing human resources for the
group’s 12 medical sites, two dental
offices and two behavioral health offices.

Jonathan Ebersole ’04 is senior account
manager of Benecon in Lititz. Ebersole
joined the insurance agency in 2011 as
public sector services account manager.
Aaron Zeamer ’04 has been named
partner in the law firm of Russell,
Krafft & Gruber, Lancaster. Zeamer, of
Mountville, is a member of the firm’s
business, real estate and litigation
practice groups. He joined the firm as an
associate attorney in 2008.
Jamie Longazel ’05
published the book,
Undocumented Fears:
Immigration and the
Politics of Divide and
Conquer in Hazleton,
Pennsylvania. He is
assistant professor of sociology and a
Human Rights Center research fellow at
the University of Dayton.
Edward Avery-Natale
’05 is the author of the
book, Ethics, Politics,
and Anarcho-Punk
Identifications: Punk and
Anarchy in Philadelphia.
He is a professor of
sociology at Temple University.

Anthony Heizenroth ’06 is a financial
professional with Morgan Stanley,
Philadelphia. Heizenroth focuses on
serving corporate executives, lawyers,
small business owners, entrepreneurs
and retirees and their families.
Susan Higley ’08M is principal at the
Towanda Area Elementary School.
Higley previously taught in the Cecil
County (Md.) public schools and in the
East Lycoming School District.
Jeremy Hendricks ’09/’10M is a Realtor
with Villager Realty in Bloomsburg. He
is a member of the Central Susquehanna
Valley Board of Realtors, Pennsylvania
Association of Realtors, and National
Association of Realtors.
Traci Messinger ’09 is owner of Paint,
Party and More in Milton. Messinger is
a former day care center director and
therapeutic staff support person for
children with special needs.
Brad Schmittle ’09 is a
statistical analyst with the
Pennsylvania State Police
in the Bureau of Research
and Development,
Harrisburg.

Resh Honored by Counselors Association

MIKE RESH ’07, named Pennsylvania
Elementary School Counselor of the
Year for 2015-16, is honored by the recognition from the Pennsylvania School
Counselors Association (PSCA). But,
he says, it’s hard to beat the message in
a card he received from a kindergarten
student: “Mr. Resh, you are Cooler than
a Ninja Turtle!”
“I don’t know what compliment,
award or recognition can top this,

however I am simply grateful for the
opportunities both professionally and
personally, that I have received thus
far,” says Resh, a counselor at Landisville Primary Center, a school for kindergarten through third-grade students
in the Hempfield School District.
Resh entered the field of elementary
school counseling because he believes
in the impact school counselors
can have on children and their
developmental and emotional health.
His young students face problems at
school and at home, including divorce,
social/peer conflicts, anxiety and
bullying, he says.
“What I like most about my workday is that there is no such thing as a
‘typical day’ ” says Resh, who earned a
master’s degree from Lehigh University
and school principal certification from
Penn State. In general, he spends his

days teaching classroom guidance lessons, running small counseling groups,
working one-on-one with students, and
handling crisis situations.
With his recent award, he hopes to
advocate for the positive role school
counselors can play in the lives of
students. “Hearing from families and
teachers about a student growth area
makes all of the hard work worth it,”
says Resh.
Each year, parents nominate guidance
counselors for the award based on their
dedication to students, families and the
greater community. Each counselor’s
building principal completes a letter of
recommendation and official application, then PSCA reviews the applications. Resh is the first Lancaster County
counselor to receive this honor.

— Dana Shirley ’16
SPRING 2016

25

Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania

husky notes
Jonathan Shrimp ’09
earned a doctoral degree
in chemistry from Cornell
University in 2014
and is a post-doctoral
research fellow at the
National Cancer Institute,
Frederick, Md. Shrimp’s research has
been published in the Journal of American
Chemical Society and the American
Chemical Society’s Medicinal Chemistry
Journal.
Jennifer Sullivan ’09, a senior manager
of project management and deployment,
with Comcast’s National Customer
Operations team, was named to the
industry’s “Overachievers Under 30” list
by Cablefax Magazine.

’10s
Brianne Dougherty ’10 is the owner
of Magic World ChildCare Center,
Nanticoke. She managed the business for
the past five years.
Cody Hewson ’10 is a financial adviser
with Prudential Insurance Co.
Tara Beck McGuire ’11 is the head
cheerleading coach at Susquehanna
University, Selinsgrove.
Caitlin Knissel ’11 is account executive at
InQuest Marketing, Rockaway, N.J.
Kaitlyn Black Krasucki ’11/’14M is a
career services coordinator at Penn State
Hazleton, where she provides career
counseling to undergraduate students and
alumni.
Tyler F. Buehler ’12/’13M was promoted
to senior associate at Boyer & Ritter,
Camp Hill. Buehler is a member of the
firm’s dealership services, employee
benefit plans, government services, and
not-for-profit services groups. He belongs

26

BLOOMSBURG UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA

to the Pennsylvania Institute of Certified
Public Accountants, American Institute
of Certified Public Accountants and
Association of Certified Fraud Examiners,
Pennsylvania Chapter.
Michael Celli ’12 is a business solutions
specialist at First Columbia Bank & Trust
Co., Bloomsburg. Celli resides in Berwick
with his wife, Lexy, and daughter.
Casey Surridge ’12/’13M,
a senior consultant with
Boyer & Ritter, Camp
Hill, recently earned
his certified public
accountant credentials.
Surridge focuses on
government audits and is a member of the
Pennsylvania Institute of Certified Public
Accountant’s Emerging CPAs Committee.
Sean Lerman ’13 is program director at
WBCB 1490 AM and the play-by-play
voice for West Chester University’s
women’s basketball.

Curtis Bratton ’14 earned a Master of
Arts in military history from Southern
New Hampshire University, completing
a thesis, Collaboration in Failure: InterAllied Tank Development During The Great
War. Bratton plans to pursue a doctoral
degree in history.
Grace Gilbert ’14 is community relations
director at the Schuylkill YMCA.
Matthew Karoly ’14 is a staff accountant
with Molinari Oswald of Center Valley. He
is studying to become a certified public
accountant.
Kelsey Lerman ’15 is a voice and piano
teacher at Music Nation in Doylestown.
She recently performed a program of
original and popular music at Sycamore
Grill, Newtown, and released a debut
album, Into the Sun.

Campbell Oversees Daytime TV
REBECCA CAMPBELL ’83, president
of the ABC-owned Television Stations
Group since May 2010, now oversees
the network’s daytime programming,
including The Chew, General Hospital
and Who Wants to be a Millionaire?
She is responsible for the company’s
eight local TV stations and their digital assets in New York, Los Angeles,
Chicago, Philadelphia, San Francisco,
Houston, Raleigh-Durham and Fresno. In addition, Campbell oversees
other businesses within the group,
including ABC National Television
Sales, and the hit syndicated series,
Live with Kelly and Michael, which is
produced at WABC-TV.

PHOTO COURTESY READING EAGLE

Menapace Receives NIAAA Award

AARON MENAPACE ’88, athletic director in the Hamburg Area School District
since 1999, received the State Award of
Merit from the National Interscholastic
Athletic Administrators Association
(NIAAA). The annual award recognizes
one athletic director from each state
for outstanding leadership and meri-

torious service in the field of athletic
administration. He received the award
at the Pennsylvania State Athletic Director’s Association annual conference in
Hershey.
During his tenure at Hamburg Area,
Menapace was involved in development
of the high school athletic complex in

the line up

2002, wrote a $150,000 Department of
Community and Economic Development grant for stadium renovations in
2009 and was instrumental in planning
and building the new stadium a year
later. He is the founder of Hamburg
Area’s Leadership in Student Athletes
program, a character- and leadershipdevelopment program, and Hamburg
Area Athletic Performance Academy.
Certified as a NIAAA master athletic
administrator and American Sport
Education Program instructor, he is
president of the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association District
3 Athletic Director’s Association and
treasurer of the Berks County Athletic
Director’s Association. He was named
Berks County Interscholastic Athletic
Association Athletic Director of the
Year in 2007 and 2015.
Menapace, who holds a master’s
degree from Stony Brook University,
resides in Mohrsville with his wife, the
former Stephanie Jepko ’93 and their
children, Alexander and Noah.

reunions, networking and special events

LEGACY OF LEADERSHIP: Alumnae recognized during the Legacy of
Leadership Banquet after the Husky Leadership Summit are, from left,
Madelyn Rodriguez ’95, student organization adviser of the year award;
and Amy Cunningham ’92 and Kristen Koveleski Stepanczuk ’07, Legacy
of Leadership awards. Rodriguez, director of BU’s Multicultural Center, is
adviser for the Student Organization of Latinos; Cunningham is associate
director of residence life at BU; and Stepanczuk is a licensed professional
counselor in her own private practice, Pittsburgh Health Coach.

MINI REUNION: Nursing majors who met as freshmen
while residing in Elwell Hall get together each year for a mini
reunion. Shown from left, with alumni spouses, are, front row:
Kristen Bertoli Zulkosky ’88, Linda Wheeler McCabe ’88, Lisa
Diefenderfer Horan ’89, Lisa Rhoads Turner ’88 and Diane
Murtin Kilker ’88; and back row: Tammy Stremic Slivka ’88
and Jeff Slivka ’87; Heather Cochran Gustafson ’88 and Bob
Gustafson ’86, and Robin Buck Tannous ’88 and Pat Tannous ’88.

SPRING 2016

27

Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania

husky notes

the line up

NFL PRO: Student worker Colleen
Brown ’16 met Jahri Evans ’07, former
New Orleans Saints offensive lineman
and Huskies football player, when he
visited the Alumni House.

reunions, networking and special events

LEGACY SCHOLARSHIPS: Thirteen students whose parents are BU graduates
received Legacy Scholarships of $1,024 each from BU’s Alumni Association. Students
and their parents are, from left, front row: Holden Reigel ’19, Blake Durante ’17,
Lindsey Sell ’19, Megan Shaffer ’18, Emma Andrewlevich ’19, Kevin Argenziaro ’17 and
Dean Salmon ’16; second row: Nicole Sellman ’19, Emma Potter-Olshefski ’17, Bethany
Zelsky ’18 and Dominick Policare ’16; third row: Susan Sell ’89, Amy Sellman ’88,
Linda Burke Bagnatg ’14, Ann Orris Shaffer ’89, Mary Lou Potter-Olshefski ’86,
Angela Bagnatg ’18 and Lisa Latzman Argenziano ’88; and fourth row: BU Alumni
Association Board President Joe Yasinskas ’06, Trudy Durante, Dave Durante ’83,
Ed Andrewlevich ’90, Jim Sellman ’87, Michael Riegel ’92, Linda Polcare ’87,
Kristin Salmon ’79, Todd Argenzian ’89 and Pat Salmon ’77. Missing from the photo
are Jayne Confalone ’18 and Dan Confalone ’79.

HUSKY WEDDING: The
Nov. 28, 2015, wedding of
Shavuan Fisher ’11, a former
member of BU’s softball
team, and Alec Mull ’15, a
Delta Kappa Epsilon brother,
turned into a BU reunion. BU
alumni included the mother
of the bride Mary Anne Kinek
Fisher ’77, bridesmaid Sheelin
Fisher Mengel ’08 and best
man Phillip Hargraves ’11. See
bloomu.edu/magazine for
complete photo ID.

28

BLOOMSBURG UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA

VITAL STATISTICS
Marriages
Rebecca Turberville Eves ’87 and Tony Garcia, Oct. 23, 2015
James Beck ’00 and Amy Keefe, Oct. 24, 2015
Julie Sardone ’00 and Robert Zambrano, July 29, 2011
Nina Demski ’02 and Peter Lorzing, Oct. 17, 2015
John McNulty ’02 and Brink Powell, Oct. 31, 2015
Jacqueline Miller ’07 and Derek Olock ’05, June 20, 2015
Scott Pintabone ’07 and Caroline Charron, July 17, 2015
Lauren Stamm ’07 and Matthew Muckler, Aug. 8, 2015
Lauren Garancosky ’08 and Ryan Stoud, May 16, 2015
Rachel Kindt ’08 and Matthew Baylor, Oct. 17, 2015
Samantha Thomas ’08 and Michael Capita ’10, May 16, 2015
Amanda Metrick ’09 and Michael Kinney, Aug. 8, 2015
Timothy Harris ’10 and Emily Holmes, Sept. 12, 2015
Tara Beck ’11 and Ryan McGuire, June 2015
Jennifer Diehl ’11 and Eric Linder ’10, Sept. 19, 2015
Shavuan Fisher ’11 and Alec Mull ’15, Nov. 28, 2015
Taryn Gilger ’11 and John Zayas ’12, June 6, 2015
Sierra Helfrich ’11 and Eric Pedersen, Aug. 14, 2015
Lindsey Allegar ’12 and Brett Shultz, Sept. 12, 2015
Ashleigh Morris ’12 and Andrew Hill ’10, Oct. 10, 2015
Melissa Patterson ’14 and Andrew Lopez, Dec. 19, 2015
Alexandra Hoke ’15 and Brandan Schondorfer ’15, July 11, 2015

Send information to:

magazine@bloomu.edu
Bloomsburg: The University Magazine
Waller Administration Building
400 East Second Street
Bloomsburg, PA 17815-1301

Births
Sandi Schwartz Weisenfeld ’96 and husband, David, a daughter,
Shayna Brooke, Sept. 9, 2015
Ryan Erin Jeffers Hetman ’00 and husband, Kevin, a daughter, Sloane
Eloise, Feb. 5, 2014, and a son, Rhodes William, Sept 18, 2015
Julie Sardone Zambrano ’00 and husband, Robert, a son, Victor Armando, Oct. 15, 2015
Jessica Lapotsky Muscella ’02/’04M and husband, Matt, a son, Perry
Michael, Jan. 12, 2015
Wendy Teschner Weatherford ’02 and husband, Chris, a son, Kyle
Jackson, May 7, 2015
Ashley Behrer Rogers ’03 and husband, Kevin Rogers ’03, a son,
Shawn Kevin, Feb. 15, 2015
Sheila Zilinski Hughes ’04/’06M and husband, John, a daughter, Reagan Ann, Nov. 23, 2015
Jennifer Mehle Curry ’05 and husband, Glenn Curry ’05, a daughter,
Lorelei Elaine, Nov. 25, 2015

Obituaries
Helen Minier Sharp ’34
Isaiah Bomboy ’39
Sara Hottenstein Dix ’43
Samuel Trapani ’44
Eltheda Klingaman Smith ’46
Marie Krum Young ’46
Betty Fisher ’48
Curtis Herb ’50
Edward Jackovitz ’50
John Maturani ’53
Robert Castle ’54
William Nunn ’54
David Skammer ’54
Charles Kwiatkoski ’56
John McElhoe ’56
James Brosius ’59
Elizabeth Ann Walinchus Cambra ’60
Olivia Greenaway Orband ’60
Joseph Siepietoski ’60
Wayne Foust ’61
Sylvia Marcheski Gross ’61
Clinton Oxenrider ’61
Dorothy Ann Wray Gardner ’62
Mary Ann Dorin Gnall ’62
Ronald Churba ’63
Gerald Dalton ’63
Carolyn Benscoter ’64
Richard Faust ’64
Josephine Hanincik ’66
Charles Pulaski ’66
Carolyn Fox Betz ’67
Robert Wilson ’69
Theresa Leavens ’70

Stanley Rakowsky ’70
Nancy Stroup Wagner ’70
Frank Bashore ’71
Donna Hunsworth Nabozny ’71
David Beaver ’72
E. Barry Greb ’72
Florian Gutkowski ’72
Thomas Steckel ’72
Sandra Deloplaine Zuchero ’72
Charlene O’Dell ’74
Kenneth Viani ’74
Connie Wallize ’74
Jean Kelly ’75
John Coldren ’76
Phillip Mengel ’76
Gregory Oswald ’76
Michael Pengelly ’76
Ellen McCormick-Holowaty ’78
Loline Judge Sechevich ’78M
Katherine Brown ’79
Wendy Upton ’79
William Hobson ’82
Mark Ludinsky ’86
Rita Marquette ’89
Karen Owens Newell ’89
Joan Winner Probst ’91
Michael Metz ’94
Thomas Aiello ’00
Scott Gramling ’03
Wesley Roberts ’04
Jessica Mariano ’06
Edward Davis ’12
Brian Clarke ’13

Shannon Killeen Ferguson ’05 and husband, Ken Ferguson ’04, a son,
William James, Nov. 18, 2015
Alesha Beitel Putnam ’05 and husband, Daniel, a daughter,
Gracelynn Shea, Oct. 9, 2015
Luke Sheehan ’05 and wife, Elizabeth, a son, Delcan Wells,
Dec. 29, 2015
TyLean Paisley Polley ’06 and husband, Jonathan, a son, Viggo,
Oct. 22, 2015
Jonathan Molinari ’07 and wife, Aislinn, a son, Harrison Angelo,
Dec. 4, 2015
Renee Wasniewski Casani ’09 and husband, Andrew, twins,
Aiden Michael and Amelia Rose, Dec.12, 2015
Emily Hubbard Strubert ’09 and husband, Jesse Strubert ’10,
a daughter, Nora Giselle, Nov. 14, 2015
Joanna Schmolk Egan ’10 and husband, William Egan ’10M,
a daughter, Lilian Dora, Jan. 8, 2016
Codyray Hewson ’10 and wife, Jeni, a daughter, Emma Rose, Nov. 26,
2015

SPRING 2016

29

over THE shoulder
From

Tennis Courts to University Store
by Robert Dunkelberger

Spectators wait their turn to play on the campus’
original tennis courts in 1921. The dormitory building,
later named Waller Hall, is at right.

DEMOLITION BEGAN EARLY this
year on the building housing the
University Store, making way for a
facility that will feature the store’s
new home on the first level and six
floors of dormitory suites above. This
is yet another transition for an area
of campus that has seen more change
than any other.
Seven acres of land were purchased
in 1868 that initially included the first
campus dormitory on its western
section. The sloping, hillside plot to the
east lay empty until 1890, when female
students of the Bloomsburg State
Normal School organized a lawn tennis
club. Unable to raise enough money
to build the campus tennis courts,
30

BLOOMSBURG UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA

the students turned to the Board of
Trustees for assistance and two courts
were completed by late October.
The courts were heavily used for
more than 60 years, but by 1952 there
was a need to expand the physical
campus to meet the demands of the
growing student body. When funding
became available for one construction
project, officials decided to build a
separate dining facility to replace
the dining room in the Waller Hall
dormitory. The new facility would be
located at the site of the original tennis
courts.
At the end of 1955, final plans were
completed and bids were awarded.
Construction began with the removal

of the courts and most of the work
was completed by April 1957 at a
total cost of more than $450,000.
During the week-long Easter recess,
the maintenance staff performed the
monumental task of moving all of the
equipment into the College Commons,
cleaning the interior, and washing the
new plastic dishes so food could be
served when classes resumed.
On April 23, 1957, the College
Commons officially opened its doors
for the first time. The oak-paneled hall
accommodated up to 800 students in
an area brightened by a continuous
wall of glass on the south side. The
tiled kitchen and storage rooms
contained the latest equipment, and in

Dining was a formal event in the College Commons in 1960.

Students shoot pool in the College Commons in August 1972 after it was remodeled
into a student union.

From Bloomsburg apparel and textbooks to greeting cards and even a rocking chair, the College Store offered a variety of merchandise in 1980 in its new, larger facility.

cold weather students could walk to the
Commons from adjacent Waller Hall
through an underground tunnel.
When the Commons opened,
enrollment at the Bloomsburg State
Teachers College was less than 1,200
students. By 1966, it had risen to 3,000
with another 1,000 expected within five
years. Faced with another explosion in
growth, officials planned a new, larger
facility that opened in the spring of 1970
as the William W. Scranton Commons.
At the same time, planning was under
way for a building to the north of Waller
Hall that would serve as a student
union. Since the new building would
not be completed until 1973, the former

commons was renovated and served
for three years as a temporary student
union featuring a snack bar, lounges and
recreation areas with pool and pingpong tables.
When work on the Marguerite W.
Kehr College Union was completed,
the former commons and temporary
union was again renovated, this time
as a home for the college store. The
new location, which opened Nov. 26,
1973, greatly expanded the store from
its previous location in Waller Hall.
Also relocating from Waller Hall was
the campus police headquarters, which
occupied an area on the building’s
ground floor.

Other than altering its name from
College Store to University Store when
Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher
Education was formed in 1983, little
changed from 1973 until 1999. Then in
March 1999, the store’s merchandise
was moved to the former Harvey
A. Andruss Library, now the Robert
D. Warren Student Services Center,
while its building was remodeled. The
University Store reopened that fall as
an updated, modern facility. Likewise,
the University Store is now temporarily
relocated in the Kehr Union until the
new residence hall’s expected opening
in August 2017. l

SPRING 2016

31

calendar
Academic Calendar

New Student Activities

SUMMER 2016
Session I: May 16 – Aug. 5
Session II: May 16 – June 24
Session III: June 27 – Aug. 5

Summer Freshmen Orientation
Sunday, June 26

STEM Summer Camp
Monday through Friday
June 20 to 24

Act 101/EOP Orientation
Sunday, June 26

Homecoming Weekend
Friday to Sunday, Oct. 14 to 15

FALL 2016
Classes Begin
Monday, Aug. 29

Fall Freshmen Preview Days
Monday through Wednesday,
June 20 to 22
Monday through Wednesday,
July 11 to 13

Parents and Family Weekend
Friday to Sunday, Oct. 21 to 23

Labor Day, No Classes
Monday, Sept. 5
Reading Day
Tuesday, Nov. 22
Thanksgiving Recess
Wednesday, Nov. 23
Classes Resume
Monday, Nov. 28
Classes End
Friday, Dec. 9
Finals Begin
Monday, Dec. 12

Transfer Student Preview Days
Monday through Wednesday,
June 20 to 22
Monday through Wednesday,
July 11 to 13

Activities and Events

Special Events

For the latest information on
upcoming events, check the
Bloomsburg University website
bloomu.edu.

Welcome Weekend Orientation
Thursday through Sunday,
Aug. 25 through 28

Art Exhibits
Sue O’Donnell
June 24 – Sept. 22
Reception: Sept. 22, 11 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Artist Lecture at 1:15pm

Finals End
Friday, Dec. 16
Graduate Commencement
Friday, Dec. 16
Undergraduate Commencement
Saturday, Dec. 17

JUST A YEAR AGO: Sharon
Loomis, Sarah McCaw,
Stephanie Weicker, Kellyanne
Klause and Allison Warhola,
from left, celebrate after their
May 2015 commencement.
The classmates met on the
first day of their freshman
year when three were tripled
and the others lived across the
hall. Klause says, ‘Bloomsburg
blessed me with four of the
greatest friends I could have
ever asked for.’

32

BLOOMSBURG UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA

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A NOTE TO PARENTS

If this issue of Bloomsburg: The University Magazine is
addressed to a daughter or son who has established a
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Bloomsburg

FALL 2016

T H E

U N I V E R S I T Y

M A G A Z I N E

For the
Greater
Good
Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania

‘Personal success’ is all in a
day’s work.. Page 12

ALSO INSIDE

Calling the Shots

Entrepreneurship a good fit for alumnae.
Page 18

The Extra Mile
BLOOMU.EDU

Students, faculty benefit from continuing
Kozloff connection. Page 22

Bloomsburg:
The University Magazine

From the President

Personal and Professional Success
Bloomsburg University is an inclusive comprehensive public university
that prepares students for personal and professional success in an
increasingly complex global environment.
At Bloomsburg University, our mission forms the basis of everything we
do. It is the dedication of talented faculty who teach and mentor students each day. It is the opportunities
our students enjoy — from professional polish gained through the Center for Professional Development and
Career Experience to skills sharpened as leaders of athletic teams, clubs, organizations, honor societies,
fraternities and sororities. It is the spirit of volunteerism honed through the Big Event, Breast Cancer Walk,
Relay for Life, Empty Bowls, Student United Way and other on- and off-campus philanthropic efforts. And
it is acknowledgement of these valuable experiences via MyCore, our unique method of fulfilling general
education requirements.
In each issue of Bloomsburg: The University Magazine, we share the stories of alumni whose hard work,
dedication and Bloomsburg University experiences have given them the tools for success. In this issue,
we introduce you to three entrepreneurs who found happiness building their own businesses and four
graduates whose work lives and personal lives have merged into one. It is clear these seven alumni are
representative of thousands who have created their own version of personal and professional success.
Bloomsburg University’s recent recognition on the national stage confirms we are on the right path. As
we await notification of our spot in the U.S. News and World Report ranking — last year we were No. 104
in best regional universities in the north — we learned we placed 169th nationwide in Money’s listing of
best colleges based on educational quality, affordability and alumni success. In Forbes’ national ranking
of top colleges based on student outcomes, we are listed at No. 574. With more than 4,100 colleges and
universities in the United States, it is an honor to be included in these prestigious listings.
Success cannot be measured by numbers alone. But combined with our graduates’ stories of personal and
professional success, these rankings reaffirm the lifelong value of a Bloomsburg University education.

DAVID SOLTZ
President, Bloomsburg University
Editor’s note: BU President David Soltz regularly offers his opinions on issues in higher education and his vision for Bloomsburg University
at bupresident.blogspot.com. Find BU’s latest rankings at forbes.com/colleges/bloomsburg-university-of-pennsylvania and
new.time.com/money/best-colleges/profile/bloomsburg-university-of-pennsylvania/

FEATURES

Opportunity Knocks
08 When
Jeffrey Krug develops new programs and

10
11
12

PHOTO: ERIC FOSTER

17
18

p. 18

21
22

Tabl e o f Con ten ts
Fall 2016

Chancellor, State System
of Higher Education
Frank T. Brogan

Cynthia D. Shapira, Chair
David M. Maser, Vice Chair
Aaron A. Walton, Vice Chair
Ryan P. Aument
Matthew E. Baker
Audrey F. Bronson
Sarah Galbally
Michael K. Hanna
Ronald G. Henry
Jonathan B. Mack
Daniel P. Meuser
Guido M. Pichini
Pedro A. Rivera
Judy Schwank
Harold C. Shields
Tom Wolf
Five vacancies

Bloomsburg University
Council of Trustees
Patrick Wilson ’91, Chair
Mary Jane Bowes, Vice Chair
Nancy Vasta ’97/’98M, Secretary
Ramona H. Alley
Robert Dampman ’65
LaRoy G. Davis ’67
Joseph J. Mowad ’08H
Katherine Mullen ’17
Charles E. Schlegel Jr. ’60
Kenneth Stolarick ’77
John E. Wetzel ’98

The Gift of Inspiration

Learning to believe in herself was student
Boenell Kline’s key to finding her purpose.

Valuable Experience

Faculty help student researcher set
career direction.

For the Greater Good

Service to others remains an important
part of alumni’s life missions.

Tools for the Future

Career and financial support enabled
student Hakeem Thomas to pursue
opportunities.

Calling the Shots

Three alumnae struck out on their career
paths and found success leading their
own companies.

Gifts Make a Difference

BU’s It’s Personal Campaign nears goal.

The Extra Mile

Students, faculty benefit from continuing
Kozloff connection.

departments

BLOOMSBURG UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA IS A MEMBER
OF THE PENNSYLVANIA STATE SYSTEM OF HIGHER EDUCATION

Pennsylvania State System
of Higher Education Board
of Governors

forges new relationships during his first
year as dean of the College of Business.

President, Bloomsburg University
David L. Soltz
Executive Editor
Rosalee Rush
Editor
Bonnie Martin
Photography Editor
Eric Foster
Designer
William Wiist
Sports Information Director
Tom McGuire
Marketing/Communications
Coordinator
Irene Johnson

03 Around the Quad
06 On the Hill
25 Husky Notes
34 Over the Shoulder
36 Calendar of Events

Bloomsburg: The University Magazine is published three times a
year for alumni, students’ families and friends of the university. Bonus
content and back issues may be found at bloomu.edu/magazine.
Address comments and questions to:
Bloomsburg: The University Magazine
Waller Administration Building
400 East Second Street
Bloomsburg, PA 17815-1301
Email address: magazine@bloomu.edu
Visit Bloomsburg University on the Web at bloomu.edu.

ON THE WEB

www.BLOOMU.EDU

COVER PHOTO: ERIC FOSTER

HUSKY NOTES
SPORTS UPDATES
ALUMNI INFO, MORE
TM

Bloomsburg University is an AA/EEO institution and is accessible to
disabled persons. Bloomsburg University does not discriminate on the
basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity,
age, national origin, ancestry, disability, or veteran status in its programs
and activities as required by Title IX of the Educational Amendments of
1972, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, Section 504 of the
Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and
other applicable statutes and University policies.
© Bloomsburg University 2016

FALL 2016

1

Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania

unleash your inner husky

2

BLOOMSBURG UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA

PHOTO: JAIME NORTH

AMONG PRE-STUDENT TEACHING classroom experiences is the annual Milton Practicum, where
education majors play an integral role in helping elementary students continue learning over the
summer. One activity is the Family Literacy Event, organized by education majors to introduce
enjoyable learning activities families can use to keep children’s math and literacy skills sharp for
the new school year. Through real classroom experience, diverse practicums and the expertise
of research-driven faculty, Bloomsburg University’s College of Education pairs a strong teaching
foundation with quality field experiences to broaden each teacher candidate’s understanding of
effective classroom instruction and establish a platform for putting theory and research into practice.

Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania

PHOTO: JAIME NORTH

around THE quad

What Influences Women’s Votes?
WITH DREAMS of becoming secretary
of state one day, Kimberly Martin
is eyeing a career in government
and politics. So the BU senior knew
majoring in political science would be a
significant first step.
“Political science has helped me
build the solid foundation of knowledge
necessary to start on my career path,”
says Martin, who is also majoring in
communication studies and pursuing
a minor in Arabic. “I want to pursue
a career with the U.S. Department of
State and work on creating foreign
policy and developing diplomatic
relations with other countries.”
Martin, from Factoryville, was

recently named the winner of the
Prateek Goorha Best Research Paper
Award for her paper Marriage, Careers,
and the Voting Woman, which looked at
what influences women’s voting habits.
“There are plenty of other
demographics that could influence
a woman’s voting habits besides her
husband and the presence of a career,”
Martin wrote in her paper. “Her age,
her race, her education, or even where
she lives in the country could all play
a role in developing her political
behavior.
“Understanding the differences
among these demographics can
help researchers better understand

why women vote the way they do,
which in turn can help explain the
presence of the ‘gender’ and ‘marriage’
gaps. Understanding this can help
researchers better understand the
political process in America overall and
politicians can use this information
during their campaigns.”
Martin’s award includes a $500
scholarship in support of undergraduate
political science research made
possible by Prateek Goorha, a former
BU professor. Each semester, political
science faculty select the best research
methods paper out of those submitted
in BU’s Research in Political Science
course. l

FALL 2016

3

Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania

around THE quad
For Whom
the Pell Tolls
BU SELECTED FOR
PILOT PROGRAM

BLOOMSBURG UNIVERSITY is
one of 67 colleges and universities
nationwide selected by the U.S.
Department of Education to participate
in a pilot program that will offer Pell
grants to inmates. Second Chance Pell
will enroll about 12,000 prisoners at
141 correctional institutions across the
country. BU may enroll 30 Pell-eligible
students during the 2016-17 academic
year and will focus on the state
prisons at Muncy and Mahanoy. Most
participating prisoners are scheduled to
be released within the next five years.
More than 200 colleges and
universities expressed interest in the
Second Chance Pell program. BU and
three other Pennsylvania institutions
— Indiana University of Pennsylvania,
Lehigh Carbon Community College
and Villanova University — were among
those selected. l

Closing the Sale BU PROGRAM AMONG NATION’S BEST
BLOOMSBURG UNIVERSITY is one of only
four Pennsylvania institutions named among
the top North American schools in the 2016
Sales Education Foundation’s (SEF) listing
of the best universities offering professional
sales education. SEF recognizes institutions
for elevating the sales profession through
university education. BU’s professional
sales program, the only program of its kind
in the Pennsylvania State System of Higher

Education, began in 2015 and is available
as a specialization to students pursuing a
marketing major or minor.
BU’s program also was honored at the
National Collegiate Sales Competition,
advancing to 22nd out of 67 universities.
At the International Collegiate Sales
Competition held each November, BU has
finished in the top 10 out of 60 universities for
the last three years. l

Nursing Professorship FICCA IS RECIPIENT OF FIRST BREINER AWARD
MICHELLE FICCA is the first recipient of the
university’s first endowed professorship, the
Breiner Family Endowed Professorship for
Nursing. Supported by a gift of $1.9 million from
Class of 1977 graduates Edward and Julianne
(Miller) Breiner, the professorship supports an
exceptional teacher, mentor and leader.
Ficca joined BU as an assistant professor
of nursing in 1999 and served as associate
professor, assistant chairperson and graduate
coordinator before becoming chairperson
and professor in 2011. Earlier in her career,
she taught at Lycoming College and worked
in nursing and research positions at Hershey
Medical Center, Pleasant Valley School District,
Geisinger Medical Center and Williamsport

4

BLOOMSBURG UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA

Hospital. She earned a bachelor’s degree from
East Stroudsburg University, master’s degree
from Penn State and doctoral degree from
Widener University.
The Breiner Professorship, established as part
of It’s Personal: The Campaign for Bloomsburg
University, supports Ficca as the senior faculty
member in BU’s new Doctor of Nursing Practice
program. Additional funding will be used for
research, conferences and other professional
expenses.
The Breiners previously endowed four
scholarships, equally benefiting BU’s College of
Science and Technology and College of Business.
Ed Breiner is retired president and CEO of
Schramm Inc. l

FICCA

TALE to Tell SHAPEERO, BYRUM HONORED AT COMMENCEMENT

BYRUM

TWO FACULTY MEMBERS were honored at spring commencement
ceremonies as the Teaching and Learning Enhancement (TALE) Outstanding
Teachers for 2015-2016. Mike Shapeero, professor of accounting, and Kristie
Byrum, assistant professor of mass communications, were nominated by
graduating seniors.
Students who nominated Shapeero described him as “a professor who
challenges intellectual ability while encouraging thinking from different
perspectives.” Byrum was lauded as an inspiring teacher who provides students
with real-world opportunities based on her own professional experience.
Shapeero and Byrum will each received a $1,000 professional development
stipend, sponsored by the Bloomsburg University Foundation, and a plaque. l

SHAPEERO

Intertwining STEM In Perfect Health Program Excellence
FEDERAL GRANT SUPPORTS
TEACHER ACADEMIES

GROUP NAMES NURSING
PROGRAM NO. 1

NSA, HOMELAND SECURITY
SALUTE DIGITAL FORENSICS

EIGHTY-FOUR LOCAL TEACHERS are
participating in BU’s Science, Technology,
Engineering and Mathematics (STEM)
Teacher Academies, thanks to a twoyear Math and Science Partnership grant
from the U.S. Department of Education.
The grant was awarded to the Central
Susquehanna Intermediate Unit, in
collaboration with the Regional STEM
Education Center at BU.
Thirty-four teachers enrolled this
summer in a master’s-level course focused
on integrating mathematics and science
content, skills and methods into the
curriculum. The remaining 50 teachers
will take part in next summer’s academy.
The grant — $368,600 for the first year
and $360,470 for the second year — covers
tuition for all of the teachers, who will earn
three graduate credits each. l

BU’S NURSING PROGRAM was rated
first in the commonwealth and 60th
in the nation by CollegeAtlas.org. The
rating, based on data from the 2013-14
academic year, considered affordability,
academic quality, accessibility and
pass rates on the board exam. The
rating places BU’s nursing program
above seven sister institutions in
Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher
Education. For nearly a decade,
CollegeAtlas.org has provided up-todate information about college and
higher education opportunities to help
prospective students make informed
choices about universities, degrees and
academic programs. l

BLOOMSBURG UNIVERSITY’S digital
forensics program has been designated a
National Center of Academic Excellence in
Cyber Defense Education. This designation,
valid for five academic years, indicates
the program, within the Department of
Mathematical and Digital Sciences, has met
stringent criteria related to curriculum, faculty
and research.
Sponsored by the National Security Agency
and the Department of Homeland Security,
CAE programs promote higher education and
research to increase the number of professionals
with information assurance expertise and
reduce U.S. infrastructure vulnerability. Nearly
200 top colleges and universities across
44 states, the District of Columbia, and the
Commonwealth of Puerto Rico are designated
CAEs for cyber-related degree programs. l

More than Words HIGH SCHOOL SPEECH LEAGUE MOVES TO BU

STRINE

THE PERMANENT HOME for the Pennsylvania
High School Speech League moved from
Susquehanna University to BU, and Harry “Neil”
Strine IV, director of BU’s forensics program and
chair of the political science department, is the
organization’s new executive director.
Approximately 140 public and private high
schools are part of the Pennsylvania High School
Speech League’s 14 districts. The organization hosts

two statewide competitions each year: the speech
competition, which draws about 700 college-bound
high school students, parents and coaches, and the
drama festival, which features performances by
about 64 students from six high schools. The drama
festival will be held Jan. 6 and 7, 2017, followed by the
student speech competition on March 17 and 18, 2017,
both on BU’s campus. l

FALL 2016

5

ON THE HILL

sports

FOR UP-TO-DATE SCORES
AND COVERAGE, GO ONLINE
BUHUSKIES.COM

In Her Honor
THE LOMBARDI TROPHY. The Stanley
Cup. The Cy Young Award. The Becca
Snee Courage Award. Nearly everyone
recognizes the first three. The fourth one,
however, would have most fans scratching
their heads. That is unless they have met
the award’s namesake.
Becca Snee ’16 was being recruited to
play soccer at Bloomsburg in spring 2011
when she injured her left knee — her
anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), medial
collateral ligament (MCL) and medial
meniscus — requiring multiple surgeries.
Then, while undergoing physical therapy,
she injured the lateral meniscus in her
healthy leg and required even more
surgery. With seven screws and three
staples in her leg — and a special medical
card to get through airport security —
Snee was sidelined indefinitely.
“The initial physical therapy started
about a week after my first procedure. I
lost about 20 pounds and gaining muscle
back seemed impossible,” says Snee, a
Northumberland resident. “My physical
therapy was constant most of the way

6

BLOOMSBURG UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA

through until my fifth year of eligibility
at Bloomsburg. And it was frustrating not
being able to play after having the game be
a big part of my life.”
With the consent of Paul Mark Huckett,
head coach in 2011; Stephanie Anderson,
head coach from 2012 to 2014; and current
head coach Matt Haney, Snee helped the
team as much as possible, filming games
or taking notes at practice. She finally was
cleared to play in the spring season of
2015.
“You can’t imagine how many times
I prayed before and after each practice
and scrimmage that I’d come out injuryfree,” Snee continues. “I was so emotional
Coach Haney had to pull me aside and tell
me to relax and take a deep breath.”
In fall 2015 Snee, and what she calls
her “clunky knee brace,” appeared in 10
games. “It was absolutely exhilarating
being back on the field, even as an almost
completely new type of player. We had
new white jerseys, so it was like a clean
slate all around for me. I remember
thanking coach after that first game

because, even if I never played again, I
was now able to say I played a game in a
Bloomsburg University jersey, my goal for
five years.”
Haney was touched by Snee’s
expression of gratitude after her first
game. “Becca wrote me one of the
greatest emails I have received as a coach,
expressing what it meant to actually
don the Husky uniform and play in a
meaningful match,” says Haney. “Her hard
work in the classroom, training room and,
finally, on the field made me realize even
more how special college athletics can be
to a young person. Therefore, I decided to
institute an award in her name.”
Announced at the team banquet,
Haney said the award recognizes more
than overcoming injuries. It will be
presented annually to the player who most
exemplifies the courage and dedication
Becca Snee displayed throughout her time
at BU. l
—By Tom McGuire,
Sports Information Director

TAGLIAFERRI

Net Gain

BU’S NEW women’s basketball coach is a former professional basketball
player and two-sport athlete at Mansfield University. Alison Tagliaferri
took over for Bill Cleary, who accepted the head coaching position at
Colgate University.
As an undergraduate at Mansfield, Tagliaferri played basketball and
softball and still holds the school women’s basketball record as the all-time
leading scorer with 1,795 points. Following graduation, she was head women’s basketball coach at Pennsylvania College of Technology for three years
while playing professionally with the Portuguese Basketball Federation
All-Star team in 2007 and the Harrisburg Horizon of the Women’s Eastern
Basketball Alliance in 2008. She also served as assistant coach at Eastern
University and West Chester University earlier in her career.
Tagliaferri earned a master’s degree in education from Lock Haven
University. She was inducted into both the Mansfield University Athletic/
Alumni Hall of Fame and the West Branch Hall of Fame. l

Sportsmanship Winner

PAISLEY

SWIMMER RYAN PAISLEY, a junior exercise
science major from Hazleton, won the 201516 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference
(PSAC) Sportsmanship Award. Now in its
eighth year, the award recognizes the person
or team that best exemplifies the spirit of
sportsmanship and demonstrates the values of
respect and integrity.
Paisley began his college swimming career

Hall Of Fame Class
SIX INDIVIDUALS will be inducted
as the 35th Athletic Hall of Fame class,
bringing the total number of honorees to
169. This year’s Hall of Fame inductees

at Towson University and, after taking a break
from the sport, decided to give it another try
when he transferred to BU. During the 2015-16
season, he was part of BU’s 200-free relay
team that took first with a school and PSAC
record time of 1:20.43, had a sixth-place finish
in the 50-free at the PSAC Championships in
20.80 seconds and was part of the 200-Medley
Relay team that finished second in 1:29.82. l

are Jan Hutchinson, retired field hockey
and softball coach; Mary Gardner,
retired athletic director; Ron Sheehan
’74, wrestling; Kim Maguire Petrosky
’94, softball; John Stillo ’98, baseball; and
Buck Eardley ’96, football.

The Hall of Fame Induction Dinner
and Ceremony will be held at the Nelson
Field House on Oct. 7 starting at 6 p.m.
with a cocktail hour followed by dinner
at 7 p.m. For tickets to the dinner or to
learn more about this year’s inductees,
see www.buhuskies.com. l

FALL 2016

7

PHOTO: ERIC FOSTER

Martha Geiger King ‘85 and Tom Rampulla ‘87

WHEN OPPORTUNITY
KNOCKS …
by SUE A. BEARD

JEFFREY KRUG believes in seizing
opportunities. Dean of Bloomsburg
University’s College of Business for barely
a year, Krug already has made strides to
position the college for the future in four
major areas:
• An 18-credit certificate of
management, one-year Fast-Track
MBA program and part-time
Professional MBA program beginning
this fall at Philadelphia’s Center City
campus and Bloomsburg
• A supply chain management major

8

BLOOMSBURG UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA

and endowed professor in supply
chain management
• A new minor in professional sales
• A soon-to-be major in international
business
At 57, Krug has accrued more careers,
education, home bases, life experiences
and interests than seem possible for one
man. “I guess I’m just your typical ‘Type
A’ guy,” he reflects.
With diversified careers in the Navy,
corporate America, consulting, academia
and research, the dean literally has “come

home again” after living in five countries
and 13 states. He and his three siblings
grew up in State College, where his
parents worked at Penn State and still
live today. “I’m just a Scots-Irish German
kid from Appalachia who has always had
wanderlust, but I’ve been homesick for a
while.”
When he interviewed at Bloomsburg,
Krug says he knew immediately he had
found the right fit. “I fell in love with the
place and the people.”

New this year

When Krug learned Pennsylvania’s
State System of Higher Education
(PASSHE) had organized a consortium
of universities to reach Philadelphia area
students, he realized no schools were
offering graduate business programs at
PASSHE’s new Center City campus in
downtown Philadelphia. He immediately
took advantage of the opportunity by
declaring BU’s intention to offer graduate
certificate and MBA programs, beginning
this fall.
At the same time, BU’s College of
Business is working on a collaborative
agreement with Cheyney University, the
nation’s oldest historically black college,
to provide MBA education to underrepresented minorities in Philadelphia.
The new major in supply chain
management was in large part driven by
the interest of Nick Giuffre ’78, president
and CEO of Bradford White Corp., the
largest distributor of water heating and
storage products in the United States.
His $2.5 million gift — the largest in
the university’s history and part of the
It’s Personal campaign — established the
Nicholas J. Giuffre Center for Supply
Chain Management and Nicholas J.
Giuffre Endowed Professor in Supply
Chain Management, the first endowed
chair in the College of Business.
Supply chain management is the
efficient coordination of a company’s
value chain from research to product
development to raw materials to
production and assembly to distribution
and sales.
Another new program, the minor
in professional sales, was recently
named among the top sales programs in

North America by the Sales Education
Foundation. Plans are underway for a
sales lab, where students will develop
communication skills, learn how
to present themselves and practice
interviewing techniques.
A new international business major
is also working its way through the
approval process, which would make
Bloomsburg only the second State System
institution to offer such a program. A new
student organization, the Global Business
Association, and Global Business Institute
were launched in spring 2016 to develop
study abroad, internship and international
opportunities for students.

Looking ahead

New opportunities continue to present
themselves. Krug recently initiated
a collaborative agreement with the
Pennsylvania National Guard Associations
(PGNAS) to provide MBA programs to
the commonwealth’s 20,000-plus soldiers
and airmen. “Every officer in the military
is expected to get a master’s degree as
they move up the ranks, and 80 percent
join the Guard because of its educational
benefits,” he says.
BU is recognized as a “Diamond
Partner” of PNGAS, the only university to
hold such a distinction.
“In the coming year, a primary focus
will be on new programs in Philadelphia
and serving the military,” he says.

The personal side

Not only has Krug excelled at diverse
careers, but he fits Merriam-Webster’s
definition of a Renaissance man: “One
who is interested in and knows a lot about
many things.”

Every weekend between spring and
fall, he loads up one of his two Porsches
and hauls it to a race track as far away as
Indiana, where he sheds academia for the
life of a race car driver as he’s done for
several years.
After spending years motorcycling,
rock climbing and skydiving, he fell in
love with racing. “It’s intense and uses
every ounce of my mental and physical
capabilities just trying to keep the car
on the track, but it’s the only time I truly
relax,” he says.
Krug and his wife, Miriam, have two
children, Viviane and Alan, as well as nine
adopted Brazilian daughters, all of whom
they’ve brought to the United States. The
Krugs have a range of business interests in
Brazil, from sugar cane and rubber trees
to tomatoes and alcohol production for
automobiles.
Then there’s music. Krug learned to
play the banjo in junior high school. By
the time he was 15, he was giving lessons
to Penn State professors — lessons that
helped put him through college. As time
permits, he returns to State College,
where he plays the banjo and guitar in
his 82-year-old father’s bluegrass band.
Krug also knows seven languages and can
sing opera in Italian, German and English,
thanks to lessons from a retired opera
singer.
Opportunities, both professional and
personal, have a way of finding Jeffrey
Krug. He always welcomes them in for a
closer look. l
Sue A. Beard is a retired newspaper
editor and freelance writer based in Fort
Myers, Fla.

Sutliff Hall is home to BU’s College of Business.

FALL 2016

9

THE GIFT OF

INSPIRATION
by TOM SCHAEFFER

PHOTO: TOM SCHAEFFER

“WE ALL HAVE an opportunity to make an impact on the lives of
others. We just need to be sure we seize that opportunity when it
comes.” That’s what Boenell Kline, senior communications major, has
come to believe as a result of her experience at BU.
In December 2010, Kline was diagnosed with type 1.5 diabetes,
sometimes called “double diabetes,” in which an adult has aspects of
both Type 1 and Type 2. She was faced with the challenge of dealing
with this manageable, but not curable, illness and returning to school
to complete her freshman year at age 30.
Kline’s diagnosis led her to a revelation. “I went to my bedroom and
wept because I realized, in that moment, that I wasted all 30 years of
my life,” she says. She decided to find and fulfill her purpose and, by
doing so, set an example for others.
Kline struggled academically during her freshman year but, thanks
to faculty members and mentors who invested in her, she turned her
grades around. She credits Tara Diehl, assistant professor of academic
enrichment, who, she says, “noticed I was struggling, and made it a
point to help me.”
“She told me that I was smarter than I realized, I was more than
I had become, and I was afraid to learn because I was afraid to fail,”
Kline says.
In a few months, Kline was academically at the top of her class and
conducting research that led to an invitation to present findings at a
national conference. “I knew that my research and this presentation
were going to be the beginning of my chance to inspire others,” Kline
says. But she worried the cost of attending the conference in Las
Vegas might prevent her from achieving her goal. Then she received
another gift, this time from someone she had never met: a scholarship
that covered her expenses and made it possible for her to present her
research findings at the conference.
More than 16,000 alumni and friends have made an impact
on the BU community by sharing their gifts of financial support
or volunteering their knowledge and time through Bloomsburg
University’s It’s Personal campaign.
Thanks to her hard work and perseverance, support from faculty
and a gift from a stranger, Kline was able to unlock her potential. She
says the gifts she has received from others helped her realize that she,
too, has a gift to offer – the gift of inspiration.
She regularly shares her story to encourage students who face
challenges. “I am speaking to students who may be facing difficult
aspects of life, and hoping to inspire them to do great things. We
each have a gift to give; when one gift is absent, its absence can be
detrimental.” l
Tom Schaeffer is communications coordinator for the Bloomsburg
University Foundation.

10

BLOOMSBURG UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA

VALUABLE

EXPERIENCE
by TOM SCHAEFFER

JEAN-NICOLE PLACE ’16 arrived at BU after graduating
from Montoursville Area High School knowing she wanted to
study something math- or science-related, but not sure of her
career path. Dedicated faculty in the College of Science and
Technology helped her to discover her passion, breast cancer
research.
A freshman-level course and related research with Kevin
Williams, assistant professor of biological and allied health
sciences, revealed her initial interest in studying plants. But it
was the opportunity to pursue research in the area of molecular
biology with William Schwindinger, also assistant professor
of biological and allied health sciences, that set her career
direction. With Schwindinger’s mentorship, she worked with
animal cells to learn how they can be studied to help identify,
diagnose and treat breast cancer.
“Dr. Schwindinger encouraged me so much and worked with
me on a personal level,” says Place. “He taught me how to apply
what I learned in his class and translate it to the research I was
doing in the lab.”
Schwindinger believes faculty-student research collaborations play an important role in the student experience.
“I have helped several students with similar projects,” he
says, “and I knew that Jean’s drive, along with her interest
in the research and clear goals to learn the techniques, made
her an excellent candidate for the Undergraduate Research,
Scholarship and Creative Activity (URSCA) award.” BU’s
URSCA awards provide stipends of up to $6,000 to students
participating in summer research, scholarship or creative
activities.
With Schwindinger’s assistance, Place wrote a proposal for
the URSCA grant, which enabled her to stay in Bloomsburg
during the summer to work on her research. As a result, Place
was able devote her complete focus to her research and she
earned the John C. Johnson Award for the best research poster
at Beta Beta Beta Biology Honor Society’s National Biennial
Convention in St. Paul, Minn.
Through the It’s Personal campaign, additional support will
be generated to increase student/faculty research experience
opportunities. Place, who graduated in August, strongly
encourages undergraduates to participate in research projects
with faculty. “It’s a unique learning experience that helps
you to apply your classwork and curriculum to the actual
working world. I’ve found that I qualify for a number of jobs
that I wouldn’t have been eligible for if not for the research
opportunities and support I’ve had from BU faculty.” l
SCHWINDINGER AND PLACE

FALL 2016

11

These components are integral to the low-cost, solar-powered
lanterns that provide light in South African communities.

FOR THE GREATER

GOOD
by WILLIE COLÓN

The annual Relay for Life and Empty
Bowls Banquet. The Scranton Commons
Food Recovery Program that packages
leftovers destined for the Bloomsburg
Food Cupboard. The thousands of hours
students, staff and faculty donated to
help with the clean-up effort after the
devastating flood of 2011.
There’s no doubt about it:
Bloomsburg University is a giving
place. Students, staff and faculty have
a deep commitment to community and
volunteer service.

12

BLOOMSBURG UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA

“When you go through the Warren
Student Services Center, there’s always
somebody there raising funds,” notes
Tim Pelton ’03M, BU’s civic engagement
coordinator. “There are a million things
like that going on.”
All this civic-minded activity has
not gone unnoticed. Bloomsburg’s
commitment to volunteering, service
learning and civic engagement has been
honored with the President’s Higher
Education Community Service Honor
Roll designation, as well as the Carnegie

Community Engagement Classification,
which requires a particularly rigorous
application process.
“They want to know: How much does
this stuff matter in the organization? Is
it part of the DNA?” Pelton says.
For many, that spirit of giving
continues long after their diplomas have
been framed and hung — as is the case
for four alumni who prioritize making a
difference in other people’s lives. Why?
It’s in their DNA.

Young women assemble a solar lantern kit.

ULICNY

FIVE YEARS AGO, Pamela Mitchell
Ulicny ’91/’99M went global with her
volunteer activities.
Ulicny is a life science, biology and
environmental science teacher at
Tri-Valley Junior Senior High School
in Hegins. She loves her job, and she
makes time for community activities
including her church, the Boy Scouts
and Girl Scouts, and the local watershed
association.
In summer 2011, she traveled to
South Africa as part of a program
funded by the Toyota International
Teacher Program and the Institute of
International Education. At one point,
the group traveled to Soweto, and Ulicny
says the extreme poverty she witnessed
“shook me to the core. I was in disbelief
as to how people managed to make a
living. I was very moved.”
During the trip, Ulicny met Mark
Gamble of the South African nonprofit
Educo Africa, a youth development

organization. “He was inspirational,”
Ulicny says. “Sometimes you feel like
sitting down and crying. But here’s this
man who has such a positive outlook.
He has hope.”
The two stayed in touch and in fall

“Can one teacher create a change? I
know we can’t solve everything, but I
feel I’ve made an impact.”

— Pamela Mitchell Ulicny ’91/’99M

2012 Gamble came up with an idea that
addresses both the fundamental energy
and educational needs of impoverished
South Africans: making low-cost, solarpowered lanterns out of simple glass
jars.
With the help of Sundance Solar, a
New Hampshire-based solar energy
company, a do-it-yourself educational

solar lantern kit was developed. Ulicny
designed the curriculum at three
instructional levels, and soon after some
of her Tri-Valley students produced
an instructional “how-to” video about
assembling the lanterns. The kits have
been a hit with students across the U.S.
and internationally.
Mark Snyder, superintendent of the
Tri-Valley School District, isn’t at all
surprised by Ulicny’s focus on using
this project as a learning opportunity
for students. “She’s very committed to
environmental issues, and she wants
to share her love of science and nature
with everyone,” he says.
But there is another side to the
project. Last year, Ulicny received a
grant from the Fund for Teachers to
travel to South Africa again to help
launch the business component of the
project. Young South Africans are being
taught the technology and benefits
of photovoltaics while concurrently
CONTINUES ON NEXT PAGE
FALL 2016

13

“My time at Bloomsburg helped
to cultivate this desire and
passion to serve.”
— Greg Hedler ’02

HEDLER

launching the sale of pay-as-you-go
solar lanterns.
“My big dream is: Can one teacher
create a change?” Ulicny says. “I know
we can’t solve everything, but I feel I’ve
made an impact.”

···

When he was in his mid-20s Greg
Hedler ’02 helped care for a close friend
with cancer during the last year-and-ahalf of her life. “That was a life-shifting
moment,” he says. “It was the catalyst
for the next chapter of my life.”
A former Americorps volunteer,
Hedler also worked as a counselor at
a camp for HIV/AIDS infected and
affected children, and ran a mentoring
program for at-risk youth. “My time
14

BLOOMSBURG UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA

at Bloomsburg helped to cultivate this
desire and passion to serve,” he says.
It was the experience of caring for
his friend that set him down his current
career path. As an oncology social
worker, Hedler combines his love of
working with children and his urge to
help others with his educational and
professional training. At Children’s
Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP),
Hedler, a licensed clinical social worker,
pulls together all those strands to
provide emotional and therapeutic
support to children with relapsed and
refractory neuroblastoma, a rare form of
childhood cancer, and their families.
He’s well equipped for the task. With
a master’s in social work and trained in

yoga and reiki healing, Hedler recently
received training and certification in
infant and pediatric massage from
the Liddle Kidz Foundation, which
provides touch therapy education and
certification to help infants and children
internationally. The connection with
Liddle Kidz led to an opportunity earlier
this year that he couldn’t pass up.
The foundation was sponsoring a 21day outreach trip to the Philippines to
provide hands-on pediatric massage and
nurturing touch for infants and children
in a variety of medical and care settings,
including orphanages. It was another
life-shifting moment.
“Working at CHOP is high-paced.
On this trip I quickly recognized the
beauty of being able to focus solely on
one individual,” Hedler says. “I also
have a whole other ‘language’ [massage]
to offer parents that they can use with
their children in times of crisis. It’s so
powerful and empowering.”
One of Hedler’s favorite moments
in the Philippines happened when he
met a young boy who loved stickers at a
center for children with cancer.
“His use of stickers enabled us to
offer him nurturing touch and massage
therapy as he covered my face a few
times over,” Hedler says with a laugh.
“It was remarkable to see him slowly get
comfortable with me, which allowed us
to do healing work together.”
“Greg approached the work we
were doing in the Philippines very
thoughtfully and professionally,” says
Kerri Padgett, a licensed massage
therapist and Hedler’s roommate during
the trip. “He has a unique gift and
approach on how to help people.”

···

For almost 20 years, Christie Van
Horn Livengood ’97 put her accounting
degree to the expected use at a series of

“If you don’t love your job, it doesn’t
matter how much money you make.”

— Christie Van Horn Livengood ’97

firms before she took a break from the
corporate world to raise a family and do
seasonal tax preparation. But something
was missing from her work life.
“I got to a point where I thought: ‘Is
this what I want to do the rest of my
life? Who am I helping?’ ” she says. As
she looked for a change, her job search
led her to the Power Packs Project.
The Lancaster-based nonprofit
provides weekend food and nutritional
information to families who don’t
have enough food when school lunch
programs are not available to them.
The weekly packs are distributed to
45 schools in 12 districts and include
nutrition tips and a recipe plus three
or four of the ingredients necessary to
make that meal. Each month, families
also receive fresh produce and milk, and
staples like cereal and peanut butter.
As the distribution manager,
Livengood is in charge of the core

warehouse, which serves 26 sites
and four school districts. She creates
the recipes and nutrition tips, orders
all the food items from the Central
Pennsylvania Food Bank, oversees the
inventory, makes sure that all materials
are delivered, and deploys the hundreds
of volunteers who package and deliver
the packs. All this on a part-time,
20-hour-a-week schedule.
“I’m amazed at her abilities, to put
all these moving parts together every
week,” says Lori Roscoe, the community
engagement manager at Power Packs.
“She could be making a whole lot more
money at a job that’s a whole lot easier.”
Livengood took a pay cut to work for
Power Packs, but she has no regrets,
and notes that her two children and
husband, Matt ’97, a nurse practitioner,
have been extremely supportive of her
career change. “If you don’t love your
job,” she adds, “it doesn’t matter how

much money you make.”

···

Randy Welsch ’93M has deep, longstanding ties to the nonprofit world,
having served on numerous boards and
helped with leadership development
efforts in Africa. From his experience in
the developing world, he noticed how
poorly many groups fared at solving
a critical problem: providing clean,
affordable and sustainable drinking
water to underserved communities.
So in 2012, Welsch co-founded Jibu
(Swahili for “Solution”) with his son,
Galen, who had just finished serving as a
Peace Corps volunteer in Morocco. “We
were both interested in finding business
solutions to poverty,” Welsch says.
Jibu is a hybrid enterprise, a for-profit
business organized as an “L3C” that
must prioritize its charitable mission
alongside profit-making. Its mission:
to provide safe drinking water to poor
CONTINUES ON NEXT PAGE
FALL 2016

15

WELSCH

urban areas of Uganda, Rwanda and
Kenya using a franchise model.
Approved franchisees invest a startup licensing fee. Jibu then provides a
water filtration system, bottles, buildout of their store, operating manuals,
marketing and branding, continuous
training and technical assistance, and
any other support they need to run a
successful water purification business.
Jibu went from two franchises in 2015
to more than two dozen now, with
hundreds more coming on line in the
next year or so.
Welsch’s path to creating Jibu has
been an interesting one, to say the least.
He was pastoring a church in Lewisburg
when he decided to enroll in evening
classes at Bloomsburg to earn his
Master’s in Instructional Technology.
Eventually, he ended up in Colorado
Springs, Colo., with a successful
software company that he sold in 2010.
At that point, Welsch says, he felt the
urge to integrate the nonprofit and
business sides of his brain.

16

BLOOMSBURG UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA

“When Randy talked to me about
Jibu, I thought it was a great idea,” says
Jeff Cooper, who serves on Jibu’s board.
“I had cofounded a tech incubator, so I
was familiar with the notion of applying
incubation principles. That was a core of
Randy’s idea.”
Last year, Cooper took his first trip
to East Africa, where he got to see Jibu
in action. “Jibu is walking its talk, doing
what it said it would do — helping to
solve the water crisis in small ways
and helping to educate people about
entrepreneurship and small business,”
he says.
For Welsch, Jibu is also a means to
another end. “My passion is in finding
a path for Western capital to be coinvested in emerging markets with local
peers who can create business that grow
through organic profit,” he says.
With Jibu, he’s taking an important
step toward that ambitious goal. l
Willie Colón is a freelance writer based
in Philadelphia.

TOOLS
FOR THE

FUTURE
PHOTO: TOM SCHAEFFER

by TOM SCHAEFFER

PHILADELPHIA NATIVE Hakeem Thomas took advantage of
the biggest opportunity of his life —one that he hopes will lead to
a career in cyber security — during summer 2016.
While Thomas was deployed overseas with the Army in 2012,
he developed an interest in studying the behaviors of cyber
criminals. With a background in computer science, he started to
think about studying digital forensics when he returned home.
“I knew that I could probably find a job in the information
technology field, but a focus on digital forensics would make me
more marketable to law enforcement agencies,” says Thomas, a
senior criminal justice major. “When I learned that Bloomsburg
had one of the top five digital forensics programs in the country,
it was really a no-brainer for me to come here.”
Thomas enrolled at BU in 2013. He became active in the
Bloomsburg University Student Veterans Association and
familiar with the Center for Professional Development and
Career Experience (CPDCE), located next door to the Military
Resources office in Warren Student Services Center.
The CPDCE staff provided Thomas with the tools he needed
through Professional U, an initiative that helps the university
offer professional experiences to all students. “They played a
huge role in preparing me for success,” says Thomas. “Without
their help, I don’t know if I would have been able to sharpen my
resume or understand how to translate my military experience
into a set of skills that hiring professionals are looking for.”

Thomas put his new resume and networking skills to the test at
the Student Veterans of America National Conference in Orlando,
Fla. More than 200 companies were interviewing veterans, and
Thomas knew this was his opportunity.
On the second day of the conference, he met with a group of
recruiters from Northrop Grumman, a leading global security
company. Thanks to the benefits of working with the CPDCE
staff and his level-2 military security clearance, he was offered an
internship with the company.
There was one small problem: the position was located
in Monterey, Calif. “When they offered me the internship, I
accepted, but I had no idea how I was going to pay for my ticket
there or a place to stay when I got there,” Thomas says.
Through the Professional U initiative, Thomas learned of
Professional Experience Grants, created through donor support
to help students obtain the funds they need to make internships,
study abroad, undergraduate research and other professional
experiences possible. He received the grant and says the
internship far exceeded his expectations, including an invitation
to make a presentation about his work to the entire organization.
“If this support wasn’t available for me, I would have missed
out on this opportunity that I know is going to change my life,” he
says. l

FALL 2016

17

PHOTO: ERIC FOSTER

BAIR

CALLING THE SHOTS
by JACK SHERZER

WHO HASN’T DREAMED of owning
their own business? Increasingly, that
dream is being pursued by women
who report more satisfaction and,
according to Inc. magazine, three
times as much happiness as their
workaday sisters. Thirty-eight percent
of all businesses — 11.3 million — are
owned by women and employ almost 9
million workers.
Three successful women
entrepreneurs admit it’s not always
wine and roses. But all say with the
right business idea, motivation and
drive — plus some financial cushion
and a dash of luck — becoming your

18

BLOOMSBURG UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA

own boss can be the best move a
woman, or anyone, ever makes.

Lisa B. Bair,
founder and CEO of Quantuvis

The entrepreneurial spirit is in Lisa
Bair’s DNA. As she grew up in York,
her father ran businesses ranging from
selling popcorn to commercial laundry
equipment. When Bair attended
Bloomsburg University, graduating
in 1987 with a marketing degree, she
knew she wanted to have her own
advertising agency one day.
“I was always a salesperson,” Bair
says. “I sold media space and I helped

my dad sell laundry equipment.
It’s interesting that I ended up in
pharmaceutical sales because I took
biology class pass/fail and do not have
a science background.”
But Bair knew how to connect with
her audience and eventually started
working for a New York ad agency,
where she was surprised to learn
there was a whole field in advertising
dedicated to the marketing of
prescription drugs to prescribers.
“I always felt I could do a better job
at running an agency — treat people
like the true assets they are — versus
the large firms I worked for in New

York City,” Bair says of her decision
to become a consultant, starting The
Hobart Group in 2003. As before, Bair
was helping Big Pharma convince
health insurers to reimburse her
clients’ drugs. By the time she sold
Hobart in 2013, it was doing $30
million in annual sales and managed
accounts for 12 of the world’s top 20
pharmaceutical companies.
While still Hobart’s CEO, Bair
started pursuing an idea for a new
company. As health insurers compare
the drug cost of treating various
conditions, they send proposals to
pharmaceutical companies, allowing
them to bid on the opportunity to
provide specific drugs that will be
covered by insurance. Bair developed
software to streamline the process.
Her current company, Quantuvis —
Latin for “as you like it” — was born.
“I am a risk taker — any
entrepreneur has to have a high
tolerance for risk,” she says. “Someone
once said that women create the
companies they want to work for: we
see what we could be doing better and
that’s what we strive to create. Therein
lies the happiness quotient.”
Devoted to her 11-year-old daughter,
Regan, and an avid equestrian who
show jumps, Bair says it’s important
to have things outside of business to
“keep you happy and balanced.”
She cautions would-be entrepreneurs to be ready to overcome
challenges. “You are only a true
entrepreneur if you hear a lot of noes
before you hear yeses.”

Karen Griffin Tate,
founder and president of
The Griffin Tate Group

Karen Griffin Tate’s engineering
career has taken her from her native
Kentucky to the Bloomsburg area
to her current home in Cincinnati.
Though she didn’t realize it at first,
her path set the groundwork for her
project management company, The
Griffin Tate Group.
She left Vanderbilt University to
take an industrial engineering job

own — and then NASA hired her to
teach classes and other clients started
calling.
Today, her company advises about
10 companies at a time and provides
management training. With a halfdozen full-time employees and a host
of subcontracted trainers, Tate’s firm
does just under $1 million annually.
Because her husband was employed,
it wasn’t as scary making her move as
it could have been, Tate acknowledges.
But regardless of what cushion you
may have, successful entrepreneurs
need a well thought-out plan.
“A woman who had a good job told
me that she wanted to make frames
with sea shells. I said, ‘Seriously?
They can make that in China and you
are really going to spend your time
gluing shells on frames?’ ” she recalls,
laughing. “You have to have an idea
and know it’s viable.”

TATE

with Bechtel Corp., where she met
her husband, Andy Tate. The couple
worked together on a variety of
projects, including the construction
of a steam-run electric plant near
Bloomsburg, which gave her the
chance to earn a finance degree from
BU in 1985. She also holds an MBA
from Xavier University.
While working for a small
Cincinnati engineering firm, she
recalls listening to a consultant and
thinking: “ ‘That’s what I’d like to do
when I get a chance.’ I was waking
up at 6 in the morning and getting the
kids off to daycare. My husband and I
both worked and it was getting quite
demanding.”
She planned carefully before
making her move in 1994, earning a
professional certification in project
management, teaching university
classes and conducting training
for NASA while working for the
Cincinnati firm. There was some
trepidation as she struck out on her

Mary Metallo Tellie,
founder of Electric City
Roasting Co.

When Mary Metallo Tellie was
planning her career, coffee was the
last thing on her mind. The 1987
Bloomsburg graduate with a bachelor’s
degree in business administration and
concentration in finance had one goal:
becoming a banker.
But after working in banking and
then advising high-net worth clients
on the East Coast for a San Francisco
money management firm, the travel
became too much and she retired to
spend more time with her husband at
their home outside Scranton.
Bored with retirement and
remembering the great brews she
had in San Francisco, Tellie started
roasting coffee with a heat gun in her
basement, making about an ounce at
a time and giving it to moms at her
7-year-old stepson’s basketball games.
One time when she didn’t have any to
take to the game, she promised to leave
some on her porch. When she came
home, the coffee was gone, replaced
by $15.
CONTINUES ON NEXT PAGE
FALL 2016

19

“I just did it because I needed a good
cup of coffee in Scranton.”

— Mary Metallo Tellie ’87

“Getting that $15 was one of the
proudest days of my life,” she says.
“My whole life changed. I carried that
$15 around and said, ‘Baby, this is it.
Maybe I’ll start a business.’ ”
In 2004, she bought a small candy
store as her first coffee café and a year
later had an eye-opening experience
when she met a Panamanian grower
recognized for producing the world’s
best coffee. She soon was visiting
coffee farms every year and bought
a larger building to house her newly
named business: Electric City
Roasting.
Tellie, a certified coffee taster, is
passionate about finding great coffee
beans and creating that perfect cup.
Today, Electric City Roasting Co.
features tasting labs and courses
on coffee making. Her coffee is sold
online and commercially, including to
Wegmans and Weis Markets.
Her company’s logo underscores
another passion: fair treatment for
coffee growers. The coffee bean with
antlers symbolizes her Blue Moose
blend and the surrounding partial
circle represents the work yet needed
to help growers.
“Find out what you are most
passionate about. If your passion is
economically viable and you really
love it and believe in it, then you
should go for it,” she says.
Tellie laughs when she thinks about
the how she became an entrepreneur.
“I just couldn’t find a good cup of
coffee in Scranton, period,” she says.
“I changed that.” l
Jack Sherzer is a professional writer
and principal partner with Message
Prose, a communications and public
relations firm in Harrisburg.

20

BLOOMSBURG UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA

GIFTS MAKE A DIFFERENCE
by TOM SCHAEFFER

TOO MANY Bloomsburg University students are forced to
abandon their educational dreams each year because they face
financial hardships that leave them with no other options.
This growing need was identified through the It’s Personal
Campaign, and resulted in BU’s creation of the It’s Personal
Scholarship Fund. Support directed to this fund is applied
immediately to help students who are facing financial crises
continue their education at BU — students like Lexis Easley
from Philadelphia, who was in danger of not returning for her
sophomore year due to financial issues.

The need to help students was greeted with strong support
when introduced to BU alumni in April 2016. “Now I know that
I am coming back in the fall, and it is a great feeling,” Easley said
this summer. “I owe that feeling to the generous donors who gave
their support to help students like me.”
Find out how you can make a gift to the It’s Personal
Scholarship fund and have an immediate impact on students like
Easley at ItsPersonal.bloomu.edu/HelpAHusky. l

IMPACT: BY THE NUMBERS

Campaign Total as of June 30, 2016

$45,205,344

$0

$50M

Named Scholarships
Established

Professional Experience
Grants Established

Endowed Professorships
and Fellowships

Total Donors to the
It’s Personal Campaign

FALL 2016

21

PHOTOS: ERIC FOSTER

DENDLER, FALLAHIAN, KOZLOFF, DOERSCHLER, POWLUS

The Extra Mile
by SUSAN FIELD ’11/’12M

JESSICA KOZLOFF always believed
that close student-faculty relationships
were the hallmark of the Bloomsburg
University experience.
“As university president, I talked to
many alumni about that close connection
and, as I walked my dog on campus, I
would often get into conversations with
students,” says Kozloff, who served as
president from 1994 to 2007. “I’d ask,
‘What makes this the best place for you?’
The vast majority told me about their
favorite faculty member and the guidance
and inspiration they felt.”
Kozloff kept these conversations in
mind when she and husband Stephen
Kozloff, a retired physician, established
scholarships in 2007. The scholarships
support two students from their
freshman through senior years with
half-tuition and funding for research
with a faculty adviser. This year, the

22

BLOOMSBURG UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA

Kozloffs closed the loop by endowing two
Kozloff Fellows, the faculty who serve as
the mentors to the Kozloff scholarship
recipients.
Naz Afarin Fallahian, associate
professor of physics and engineering
technology, and Peter Doerschler,
associate professor of political science,
are the Kozloff Fellows for the next
two years.

Faculty mentors

Kozloff and her husband were
inspired to enhance their philanthropy
when they heard about the It’s Personal
Campaign, the university’s mission to
raise $50 million to be directly invested
in students and faculty.
“Steve and I were both fortunate to
have faculty mentors, who made a huge
difference in our lives,” Kozloff says.

“Faculty deserve to be recognized for
their important work. This is our small
way of expressing our respect for and
appreciation of their willingness to go the
extra mile in nurturing students as they
navigate through the university.
“Their intellectual guidance and
motivational support is just as important
as our financial support,” she adds.
Research by Fallahian and Kozloff
scholarship recipient Joshua Dendler is
focused on health physics, the study of
radiation and how to avoid its potentially
harmful effects. Doerschler and Kozloff
scholarship recipient Justice Powlus are
examining how state-level politics affect
the political integration of immigrants
living in Germany. Both students are
juniors from Bloomsburg.
“The Kozloffs’ generous donation
provides us and our students with
funding to be involved in professional

“My own professional
development has grown
by working closely with a
smart, dedicated student
who is able to bring a
fresh perspective to a topic
with which I am already
familiar.”
– Peter Doerschler

meetings and activities, which will
help improve our knowledge and
skills in our field,” says Fallahian, a BU
faculty member since 2008. She will
use her fellowship to conduct studentfaculty research, attend professional
conferences, and complete requirements
for her certification from the American
Board of Health Physics.
And to continue mentoring Dendler.
Last year, Dendler investigated indoor
radon levels in BU campus buildings
in collaboration with Fallahian, David
Simpson, coordinator of the health
physics program, and fellow students.
Their research culminated in an abstract
published in the Health Physics Journal.
Dendler also participated in the annual
meeting of the Health Physics Society
in Spokane, Wash., and was one of
12 students nationwide selected as a
member of the HPS student support
committee.
“The next research project deals with
the radiation monitoring system, RadNet,
which is installed on the roof of BU’s
Andruss Library,” Fallahian says. “Joshua
is taking care of this system — one of
134 sampling stations across the nation
and the only one in the northeast part of
Pennsylvania — and will work on RadNet
data analysis for the next two years.”
Doerschler, who is on sabbatical as
a visiting fellow at the Institute for
Migration Research and Intercultural
Studies at the University of Osnabrueck

in Germany, has been a BU faculty
member for eight years. He has been
granted access to a special library
dedicated to migration studies, where
he can discuss his project with experts
in the field, and plans to present a draft
of his work in early November at a
colloquium sponsored by the Institute.
“The Kozloff Fellowship made this
trip possible by covering some of the
costs. More importantly, the fellowship
allowed me to bring my student, Justice,
to Germany in August to work on the
project,” Doerschler says. “This was his
first time abroad and his first exposure to
how a foreign university operates.
“My own professional development

has grown by working closely with a
smart, dedicated student who is able to
bring a fresh perspective to a topic with
which I am already familiar,” he adds.
To ensure the scholarships and
fellowships continue into the future, the
Kozloffs also have established a legacy
gift. “These are truly difficult times for
universities like Bloomsburg because
of the general economic situation,”
Kozloff says. “States are not providing
the same level of support to colleges and
universities. Those of us who can help
our universities, either as volunteers or
by making a donation, can make a real
difference.”l
Susan Field ’11/’12M is a freelance
writer based in Philadelphia.

FALL 2016

23

23

Create a legacy today
that will impact the
lives of future Huskies
forever.
Did you know that you can create a legacy
at BU by making impactful gifts while still
preserving your assets for yourself and your
family?

Here’s how:
•Make a gift to BU in your will
•Add BU as a beneficary of a retirement
account
•Name BU as an owner and/or
beneficiary of a life insurance policy
To learn more about planned giving, visit:
itspersonal.bloomu.edu/planned-giving
or call 855-BU2-GIVE (855-282-4483).

24

BLOOMSBURG UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA

Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania

husky notes

Alumnus, son join tiny house movement
YOU’VE PROBABLY seen them on TV or in a magazine.
Now, tiny houses have arrived in rural Pennsylvania. A fully
custom home on wheels was created by Nick Troisi ’79 and
his son, Aaron, to launch their new company, The Unknown
Craftsmen.
“Tiny houses are right up our alley,” says Nick, who also
works part-time as scene shop coordinator for BU’s theatre
department “They’re useful and artistic, both functional and
creative.”
Last fall, playwright Tania Myren contracted with the
Troisis to design and build a self-sufficient house on a trailer.
The dwelling, in the style of an old-time gypsy caravan, is
complete with curved roof, custom woodwork and round
windows.
“This is a lifelong dream come true,” says Myren, who is
moving her caravan to upstate New York to retire. “I’ve always
wanted to live a simple life, off the grid, in a beautiful work of
art.”
Nick Troisi met Myren on BU’s campus in 2005 when she
filled in for a professor who was on sabbatical. He and his son
then renovated much of her house in Danville, building custom
kitchen cabinetry, handmade bathroom tiles, and a new back
porch, siding and roof. They cut down a dying apricot tree in
her backyard, which is making an appearance almost 10 years
later in her tiny house — the kitchen countertop in her new

caravan is a mosaic of wood from that tree.
After earning a bachelor’s degree in fine arts, Nick Troisi
worked as a self-employed ceramic artist for nearly a decade,
then as a general contractor, before settling into designing and
building sets for the Bloomsburg Theatre Ensemble and BU.
The father-son duo are relying on experience gained designing
and building their own house in Unityville to meet the
challenges of building an entire home on a 24-foot trailer.
“We love the challenge and opportunity that comes with
tiny houses. We have to build everything from foundation to
artistic accents,” says Aaron Troisi, a teacher at Lewisburg
High School.
“We take pride in making beautiful things that work. People
think things can’t be both functional and artistic, but that’s not
true. This tiny house is proof that we can achieve both.”
According to The Tiny Life, an online resource, the typical
tiny house spans 100 to 400 square feet. Tiny houses first
caught on in the Pacific Northwest, with their promise of
simpler living appealing to both the eco-friendly and the
frugal.
Myren’s caravan relies on only one DC battery for electricity
and propane for heat. “It’s simple, but it’s my dream home,”
says Myren. l
Editor’s note: Learn more at www.theunknowncraftsmen.com.

FALL 2016

25

Going Pro
by JACK SHERZER

In 1993 — a year after graduating from Bloomsburg University
with a degree in exercise science — Brian Martin was already
working with his first professional football player out of a
West Caldwell, N.J., gym and making the connection that
would see him rise to one of the league’s top trainers.
Behind the soft-spoken demeanor, Martin gives off the
undercurrent of energy that propelled him as a Husky
linebacker and carried him through to realizing his dream
of working with top NFL talent. In addition to owning a
string of five New Jersey gyms — TEST sports clubs (Total
Energy System Training) — and running sports performance
centers at Trump National Golf Clubs, Martin held NFL prep
programs in Miami and San Diego, working with high school
players, draft prospects and current NFL players training offseason.
Today, after selling TEST in 2014, he trains NFL players and
prospects with New Jersey-based B. Martin Sports, where a
team of sports performance and medical specialists work with
athletes from many sports, including the NFL. Martin’s roster
of players includes Damon Harrison, defensive tackle with
the Giants; Patrick Patterson, defensive back with the Arizona

26

BLOOMSBURG UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA

Cardinals; and Super Bowl MVP Joe Flacco, quarterback with
the Baltimore Ravens.
How does a motivated Husky go from recent grad to
personal training to working with more than 200 players? It
began in a Madison, N.J., gym where he trained Pittsburgh
Steelers quarterback Neil O’Donnell. Impressed with his
training, O’Donnell introduced him to other players and
agents.
Martin, whose brother Tom ’87 was a Huskies Hall of
Fame running back, also recognized a specific need: helping
pro football prospects prepare for the NFL Combine.
College football players from across the country gather at
Indianapolis’ Lucas Oil Stadium for the grueling, week-long
event where they are put through their paces by NFL coaches,
general managers and scouts. As a prospective player, it’s
not something you just show up for — to do well, months of
training are needed.
“It’s just a lot of hustle and a combination of desire and
good luck and meeting the right people and following up and
helping them get results and building from there,” Martin says
of his success. “I try to live by the words of Yoda: Do or do not,
there is no try. I believe in going all the way in everything you
do, with everything you have, or don’t do it at all.” l
Follow Brian Martin @Bmartinsports.

PHOTO: ERIC FOSTER

MIAMI DOLPHINS LINEBACKER NEVILLE HEWITT, LEFT, AND MARSHALL UNIVERSITY DEFENSIVE END
ARNOLD BLACKMON, RIGHT, ARE JUST TWO OF THE PLAYERS WHO TRAINED WITH BRIAN MARTIN ‘92.

’60s
John Phillips ’65 received the 2015
Joyce Powell Lifelong Educator Award
at the Friends of Education Dinner,
sponsored by the Atlantic County (N.J.)
Council of Education, in recognition of
his 36-year career in public education as
a teacher, counselor, coach and adviser.
He also served as a consultant for the
New Jersey Education Association for 30
years. He lives on the New Jersey Shore
with his wife, Lanee, a retired Spanish
teacher.
Joseph R. Koons ’65, president and
board chair of Mooseheart Child City
and School, presented diplomas to
30 graduates during the 98th annual
commencement of Mooseheart (Ill.)
High School. The residential and
educational facility near Chicago is
funded entirely by the Moose, a fraternal
organization. Koons was elected
president and chairman of the board in
May 2016.
Marilyn Perrin Sheerer ’65 is provost
and vice chancellor of academic affairs
at the University of North CarolinaWilmington. Sheerer has more than 25
years of experience in higher education
administration.
Dennis Siegmann ’68 is a teacher and
wrestling coach. His Northeastern
Oklahoma A&M College wrestling team
won the 2016 National Junior College
Athletic Association (NJCAA) National
Championship. He resides in Miami,
Okla.

’70s
Jim Berkheiser ’71 had a book of
poetry, In Mercurial Days, published by
Anaphora Literary Press.
Gail Conner Kipp ’73 retired as chief
clerk in Columbia County.
William A. Pasukinis ’74 retired from
the Benton Area School District as a
teacher and elementary principal after
39 years of service. He also retired as a
Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic
Association referee after 35 years. He

resides in Benton with his wife, the
former Cheryl Renee Beishline ’83,
and four sons. He continues to serve the
Benton School District as high school
athletic director.
Joseph Scopelliti ’75 joined Villager
Realty Inc., Bloomsburg, after more than
30 years with PPL. Scopelliti assists
with commercial sales in Union and
Snyder counties from Villager Realty’s
Lewisburg office.
James Blockus ’77 retired from the
Defense Logistics Agency’s Distribution
organization, New Cumberland,
after 34 years of service. Blockus
received meritorious civilian service
awards for writing the Commander’s
Guidance for the organization’s 26
worldwide distribution facilities and,
at his retirement, to reflect his career
achievements.
Barbara Fahey Williams ’78 retired
from EdR, a real estate trust focused
on collegiate housing, where she was a
proposal writer. She served in a similar
capacity at EnSafe, an environment,
safety and engineering consulting firm,
after a 13-year newspaper career. She
is active in retired racing greyhound
adoption and a volunteer section editor
for Celebrating Greyhounds Magazine.
She and her husband, David, live in
Memphis, Tenn.

’80s
Diane Lewis Long McAloon ’80 is
alumni relations coordinator at Penn
State Lehigh Valley. She previously
was assistant director of continuing
education at Penn State Lehigh Valley.
Cheryl Newton Potteiger ’80 is
superintendent of Annville-Cleona
School District. Potteiger worked as an
administrator in the Hamburg Area,
Halifax Area and Northern Lebanon
school districts after teaching special
education in kindergarten through 12th
grade.
Brad Dixon ’81 is executive director of
the Pottsville Area Development Corp.
Dixon has over 20 years of banking
experience, including branch manager
for Sovereign Bank.

Mary Penless Berninger ’82 retired
from Kynder Kapers Preschool at the
Berwick YMCA.
Edward Bosso ’82 is the superintendent
and executive director of educational
programs at the Perkins School for
the Blind, Watertown, Mass. Bosso
previously was the vice president of
Gallaudet’s National Deaf Education
Center.
Leah-Jane Christman ’82M is retiring
as Southern Lehigh School District’s
superintendent. Previously the district’s
technology director, Christman taught at
all grade levels, as well as at Berks Career
and Technology Center and Reading
Area and Lehigh Carbon community
colleges.
Maxim W. Furek ’83
published the book,
Sheppton: The Myth,
Miracle & Music. His book
investigates elements of
the grotesque, miraculous
and supernatural that
occurred during the 1963 Sheppton
mining disaster.
Sue Long Rising ’83 is vice president
of marketing at Members 1st Federal
Credit Union. She oversees a 12-person
team responsible for market research,
outreach, web development and public
relations. Rising has been with Members
1st since 1989.
Lisa Diehl Somers ’84 is first vice
president/investments at Stifel in
Bethlehem. Somers has provided wealth
management services in the Lehigh
Valley since 1992 and in the financial
services industry since 1985. She serves
as chairwoman of the board of directors
of VIA Events.
Pamela Straub Shupp ’85 is president
and chief executive officer of the Greater
Reading Economic Partnership, Reading.
Shupp joined the organization in 2006
as director of economic development
and, most recently, served as vice
president. She has more than 30 years of
experience in community and economic
development.
Michelle Molyneux Karas ’87 is
senior vice president/chief operating
officer for Penns Woods Bancorp Inc.,
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27

Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania

husky notes
Williamsport. Karas is a graduate of
the School of Bank Marketing and
Management, the Central Atlantic
Advanced School of Banking and the
Central Atlantic Commercial Lending
School.
John Morack ’88 was promoted to
conservation administration supervisor
for the Pennsylvania Game Commission’s
Northeast Region. Morack is a 1989
graduate of the Game Commission’s Ross
Leffler School of Conservation. He and
his wife, Donna, have four children.
Rebecca Kenvin Warren
’88 joined the law firm
of Obermayer Rebmann
Maxwell & Hippel,
Harrisburg. Warren’s
practice focuses on
white collar crime and
civil litigation, internal investigations,
business compliance, government
investigations, and the legal aspects of
crisis management. Warren previously
was district attorney of Montour County.
Jeffrey Alexander ’89 is director of
underwriting in employee-benefits
at Engle-Hambright & Davies Inc.,
Lancaster. Alexander, who has 27 years
of underwriting experience with Aetna/
Coventry, Health America and Capital
Blue Cross, earned the health insurance
associate and managed healthcare
professional designations.

’90s
Gerald Jarrett ’91 is borough manager
of Watsontown. Jarrett worked in the
lumber industry in for more than 20
years and as the neighborhood manager
for the Berwick Blueprint Community.
Jarrett and his wife have a daughter.
Kimberly Riss Wetherhold ’91 is
assistant vice president/regional branch
administrator at Muncy Bank. Previously,
Wetherhold was the assistant branch
administrator. She lives in Muncy with
her husband, Mark, and three children.
Robert Cole ’92 is chief analytics officer
at Allied Services Integrated Health
System, Scranton. Cole is a 20-year
employee of the health system.
Angela Taylor Hummel ’92 received
the Athena Leadership Award from the
Greater Susquehanna Valley Chamber
of Commerce. Hummel is vice president
of human resources at Evangelical
Community Hospital, Lewisburg. The
award celebrates exemplary leadership.
Victoria Marold Johannes ’92 was
promoted to loan operations supervisor
at Wayne Bank. Johannes began her
career as a loan operations specialist
and has more than 25 years of banking
experience. Johannes is a board member
and treasurer for Habitat for Humanity
of Wayne County.

Honorary Alumna, Volunteers Recognized

CANNON

SKOTEDIS

MARIA BARON CANNON, vice president
of channel marketing for TE Connectivity
and BU Foundation Board member, was
named honorary alumna
28

BLOOMSBURG UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA

during BU’s annual alumni awards dinner.
Cannon is the daughter of the late Charles
Baron ’52 and Margaret Suchy Baron
’49. In addition to the Foundation Board,
Cannon serves on the College of Business
Advisory Board.
Also honored for their contributions to
the university and their professions were:
Volunteer of the Year: Crystal
Skotedis ’03
Distinguished Service: Joseph
Hilgar ’75

Ellen Condron Savage ’93 is vice
president, membership programs, of
Consumer Technology Association
(CTA), Pittsburgh. Savage supervises
CTA’s membership programs, as well as
membership recruitment and retention
efforts. She is a Project Management
Institute-certified project manager and a
certified association executive.
Lisa Senatore Scala
’93 is director of
business development
at WDG Architecture,
Washington, D.C.
Scala, accredited in
leadership in energy and
environmental design, serves on the
board of directors and development and
communications committee of A-SPAN,
an organization dedicated to ending
homelessness in Arlington, Va.
Marc Sirota ’93 is senior vice president
of enterprise business intelligence at
Comcast. With 13 years of experience at
Comcast, he leads the applied analytics
team.
Brian Schaffer ’95, principal of Lamoille
Union High School, Hyde Park, Vt., was
named 2016-17 principal of the year by
the Vermont Principals’ Association.
Schaffer will compete for the national
principal of the year award.

Maroon and Gold Excellence Award:
Rachel Vasquez Troychock ’03/’04M
Maroon and Gold Excellence Award:
Zachary Pearce ’11
Recognized for their volunteer work
as alumni career connectors were Angela
Hummel ’92, Erica Smith ’98 and Craig
Shuey ’94. The annual awards program
is coordinated by the BU Alumni
Association, which was incorporated in
1933 and today links 67,000 alumni with
the university.
Learn more at bloomu.edu/magazine

Barbara Collins ’97 was elected
as the third bishop of the Upper
Susquehanna Synod of the Evangelical
Lutheran Church in America. A former
pastor, assistant to the bishop and
the synod’s director for evangelical
mission, she is a graduate of the
Lutheran Theological Seminary,
Gettysburg.
Colleen McCabe Madrak ’97 is
co-owner/partner at McCabe Realty,
East Greenville. Previously, she was a
marketing manager for a credit union
in Philadelphia. Madrak has three
children and lives in Douglassville.
Robert Croop ’98 is director of
curriculum and instruction at the
Berwick Area School District.
David J. Manbeck
’98 is president of the
South Central Chapter
of the Pennsylvania
Institute of Certified
Public Accountants
(PICPA) for 20162017. Manbeck is a CPA and director
with Boyer & Ritter with 17 years
of experience. He chairs PICPA’s
not-for-profit conference planning
committee and not-for-profit tech
issues subcommittee.
Ross Gdovin ’99, vice president of
marketing for Golden Entertainment
Inc., was named one of Vegas Inc.’s
“40 under 40” business leaders in Las
Vegas. Gdovin oversees marketing
functions for Golden Entertainment.
Catherine Carr Zavacki ’99 was
named the 2016 outstanding high
school chemistry teacher by the
Princeton and Trenton sections of the
American Chemical Society.

’00s
Jonathon Hykes ’00 was promoted
to administrator at ManorCare Health
Services-West Allen. He began his
career with ManorCare as a director
of social services and business office
manager at ManorCare-Sinking Spring
and, most recently, was assistant
administrator at the York North and
Lancaster facilities.

David Marcolla ’00, director of
Xfinity Communities at Comcast,
serves on the board of directors of the
Cancer Support Community of Greater
Philadelphia, and chairs the marketing
strategy committee. Marcolla resides
in Hopewell, N.J.
Melissa M. Wolf
’01 a certified public
accountant, was named
to a three-year term
on the committee on
professional ethics
of the Pennsylvania
Institute of Certified Public
Accountants (PICPA). Wolf, senior
manager at Baker Tilly Virchow
Krause, Wilkes-Barre, serves on
PICPA’s employee benefits plan
committee and conference planning
committee and is secretary/
treasurer of the board of directors for
Leadership Wilkes-Barre.
Clint Baum ’02 is vice president of
business development at LMC Home
Loans in Manheim Township.
Zachary Kuntz ’02 is vice president
of the capital region for LMC Home
Loans in Manheim Township.
Jess Yourkavitch ’02 is a registered
investment representative in the
wealth management division of
Riverview Bank, Spring Township.
Yourkavitch previously worked
as an investment officer for BB&T
Investments, formerly Susquehanna
Bank. He resides in the Reading area
with his wife, Melissa, and their
daughter, Ava.
Ian Libhart ’03 is manager of product
quality of Cargas, Lancaster. Libhart
most recently was a team leader.
Kevin Lally ’04 was accepted into
the Kutztown University/Millersville
University joint Doctor of Social Work
program.
Kimberly Schwalm Henninger ’05
is an ag loan credit analyst at First
Citizens Community Bank, a position
she previously held at Susquehanna
Bank. She was also a credit analyst for
AgChoice Farm Credit for over five
years.

Exec Committee
Named
THE BU ALUMNI ASSOCIATION selected its executive committee and new
board members for the 2016-17 term,
which began on July 1. Serving on the
executive committee are Joe Yasinskas
’06, president; Marc Steckel ’93, vice
president; Claire Day ’93, secretary;
and Mike Coopa ’00, treasurer. Adam
Black ’07 and Todd Givier ’10 are
members at large.
New board members are:
• Todd Argenziano ’89, Mountain Top,
IT director, DeAngelo Brothers
• Felicia Elizy ’10/’11M, Enola, curriculum and instruction supervisor,
Nativity School of Harrisburg, and
area coordinator, Central Penn
College
• Kevin McGrath ’93, Wayne, N.J., vice
president of planning and allocation,
The Children’s Place
• Alan Musselman ’83, Bethlehem,
executive vice president finance, First
Commonwealth Federal Credit Union
• Jonathan Ochs ’08, Nazareth, vice
president, Jennings Transportation
• Michael West ’04, West Milford,
N.J., customs and border protection
office, U.S. Department of Homeland
Security
Also serving on the alumni board
are Mary Frew Braccili ’90,
Schnecksville; Ernest Jackson
’81, Milford; Ken Lastowka ’05,
Philadelphia; John Makara ’90,
Mount Laurel, N.J.; Stu Marvin ’78,
Bloomsburg; James McMenamin
’78/’83M, Bloomsburg; Marv
Meneeley ’85/’87M, King of Prussia;
Juli Herring Miller ’92, Nazareth;
Donato Nieman ’74, Kendall Park,
N.J.; Catherin Reuther ’09/’10M,
Bloomsburg; Todd Walker ’87,
Willingboro, N.J.; and Barbara Bogart
Willders ’83, Lititz.
Shawn Booker ’03, Nanticoke; Elizabeth Kramer ’84, Dillsburg; and John
Nicodem ’86, Taylor, completed sixyear terms as directors.

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29

Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania

husky notes
Melissa McNutt Lawler ’05 is an
advanced registered nurse practitioner
for team health at Wellington Hospital,
Florida.
Jacob Miller ’05 was named the
commitment to excellence winner at
Cumberland Valley School District
and won a spot on the Albert H. Small
Normandy Institute, a scholarship
studying the D-Day invasion.
Kimberly Tohill ’05M earned a Doctor
of Philosophy in learning, design and
technology with a minor in adult
education and a certificate in distance
education from The Pennsylvania State
University.
Mark McHugh ’06 is assistant chief
executive officer of Commonwealth
Health Berwick Hospital Center, Berwick.
McHugh recently served as administrative
specialist at Regional Hospital of
Scranton. He completed an administrative
residency at Moses Taylor Hospital and
has worked in hospital management at
Wilkes-Barre General Hospital and First
Hospital. He is a committee member of
the Eastern Pennsylvania Healthcare
Executive Network.
Benjamin Naylor ’06, an engineer
with Boeing Co., won South Carolina’s
engineer of the year award. He was a
member of the first class of BU’s electrical
engineering technology graduates.

Aaron Cunningham ’07M is senior vice
president/chief credit officer of Penns
Woods Bancorp Inc. Williamsport.
Cunningham has more than 15 years in
banking in the credit risk field. He serves
on the finance committee for Habitat for
Humanity and participates as a business
adviser for Lock Haven University’s
Partner ED Program.
Mandie Jordan ’09 is a
certified financial planner
with Merrill Lynch,
Wilkes Barre. Jordan
develops strategies and
recommendations to assist
clients meet their financial
needs and retirement goals.

’10s
Stephen Bennett ’10 was promoted to
grants accountant at the Wright Center
for Graduate Medical Education. He
started with the center as an accounting
assistant.
Amy Schultz ’11 received a Doctor
of Osteopathic Medicine from the
Philadelphia College of Osteopathic
Medicine. Schultz will continue her
training in family medicine at Lankenau
Medical Center, Wynnewood.

Jill Shipman ’11M is high school
principal at Berwick Area School District.
Lauren Leighton ’13 is an admissions
counselor at King’s College, Wilkes Barre.
Olivia Carmichael ’14 has published a
children’s book, Walter the Whale, about
an orange whale who believes he is the
only orange fish in the ocean.
Hideaki Horikoshi ’14M is the owner
and founder of Resurrection Movement
Studio and Komotion Dance Program,
Danville. He has worked in the field as a
group fitness instructor, personal trainer
and dance instructor since 2007.
Kyle Shannon ’14 is owner of K.Shan
Performance Fitness Training in
Allentown. Shannon is a certified physical
preparation specialist and underground
strength coach.
Sophie Eddinger ’15 is a civilian scientist
in the forensic unit of Berks County
District Attorney’s office.
Nicole Farr ’15 has accepted an
internship with NASA in the Jet
Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif.
Christopher Luciano ’15 is a civilian
scientist in the forensic unit of Berks
County District Attorney’s office.

Alumnus begins Peace Corps Service
BRYAN MOLK ’15 of Westwood, N.J., began
training this summer as a Peace Corps volunteer
in Ethiopia. Molk, who first visited Africa as
part of a BU group studying in Cameroon and
Ethiopia, will teach English to students at a local
secondary school.
“I wanted to move forward with my career in
human rights work in a manner that is ethical
and respectful towards any community,” says
Molk. “The Peace Corps quickly became the best
option for pursuing gratifying and responsible
field work that will better prepare me for a future
30

BLOOMSBURG UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA

in anthropology, development and human rights
work.”
Prior to joining the Peace Corps, he worked
as a digital communications coordinator for
LGBTI advocacy group Alturi. During his first
three months of service, Molk will live with a
host family in Ethiopia to become fully immersed
in the country’s language and culture. After
acquiring the necessary skills, Molk will be sworn
into service and assigned to a community in
Ethiopia, where he will live and work for
two years.

Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania

husky notes

the line up

reunions, networking and special events

GETTING SOCIAL: Lehigh Valley alumni who met in Bethlehem for a
networking social include, from left: Nathan Conroy ’06, director of Alumni
Engagement; Brian Case ’83;Tony Saraceno ’74; Ann Bilheimer Case ’83;
John Ludrof ’86; Kathy Carr Zavacki ’99; Judith Rohland Carr ’70; Michael
Anthony ’86; Alana Gallo Albus ’87; Dave Albert ’85; Juli Herring Miller ’92;
and Mary Frew Braccili ’90.

RETREAT: Alumni Association board members attending a recent retreat
are, from left, front row: Marc Steckel ’93, Mary Frew Braccili ’90, Barbara
Willders ’83, Alan Musselman ’83, Catherin Reuther ’09/’10M, Michael West
’04, Todd Walker ’87 and Kevin McGrath ’93; second row: Donato Nieman
’74, Felicia Ellzy ’10/’11M, Juli Herring Miller ’92, Ken Lastowka ’05, Joe
Yasinskas ’06 and Todd Argenziano ’89; and back row: Todd Givier ’10, Stu
Marvin ’78, Adam Black ’07, Claire Day ’93 and Marv Meneely ’85/’87M.

CAPITAL GOOD TIME: Harrisburg area graduates attending the
annual summer picnic are, from left, seated: Sharon Gettel ’78;
Nancy Bohr ’72; Catherine Stolarick ’74; and Amy Scott ’05 and son.
Second row: Nori Lewis ’03, associate director of Annual Giving;
Roxanne Davenport ’91; guest Nan Nestor; Dennis Bohr ’70; Gary
Cassell ’67; Mary Anne Klemkosky ’59; Jason Scott ’05; Maura
Whalon ’05; Nicole Miller ’05; guest Robert Miller; and guest Ida
Downey and son. And back row: Nathan Conroy ’06, director of
Alumni Engagement; Jack Davenport ’72; Linwood Nester ’68;
Stephen Kline ’77; David Shatto ’82; Jennifer Thompson ’93; Darlene
Amsler ’78; Jim Blockus ’77; guest Kathleen Blockus;
guest Ray Trimmer; and David Downey ’95 and son.

CLASS OF 1946: Donald
Rabb was the oldest
alumnus to return
for this year’s True to
Bloomsburg reunion
luncheon for the classes
of 1930 to 1965.

CLASS OF 1947:
Recognition as the oldest
alumna to attend this year’s
True to Bloomsburg reunion
for the classes of 1930
to 1965 went to Dorothy
Hornberger Rhodes.

To learn more about regional alumni
networks, visit bloomualumni.com

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31

the line up

reunions, networking and special events

TRUE TO BLOOM: Attending this year’s True to Bloom reunion during Alumni Weekend were: Roland ‘Frank’ Bach ’59, Connie Smith
Baradziej ’62, Saundra McBride Blackburn ’58, Edward Blackburn ’60, Margo Bolig Brabson ’64, Barbara Wooster Cobb ’60, Mary Ann Delia
’59, Shirley Redline Fenstemacher ’55, Marlene Franey ’62, Wayne Gavitt ’58, Ruthann Gavitt ’59; Mollie Hippensteel Harrell ’55, Wayne
Hoch ’63, Joseph Johnson ’65, Beverly Johnson ’62, Louise Krafjack ’55, Ronald Krafjack ’56, Owen Lagerman ’62, Lloyd Livingston ’62, Carol
Livingston ’62, Edward Morgan ’59, Linda Margle Morgan ’69, Sonja Norton ’59; William Norton ’59, Donald Rabb ’46, Leonard Perotti ’59;
Dorothy Hornberger Rhodes ’47, Mary Jane Humes Rhodes ’00, Rhoda Ritchey ’51, Edna Sherman Santo ’64, Michael Santo ’64, Eugene
Schultheis ’56, Jeananne Evans Scrimgeour ’54, John Scrimgeour ’53, Virginia ‘Ginny’ Wright Tinner ’65, Lowell ‘Art’ Tinner ’64, George
Vastine ’64 and Mary Ann Zeveney ’79.

D.C. EXPERIENCE: Twenty-four students and six faculty explored career and internship opportunities during a
Husky Career Road Trip to Washington, D.C. Students toured the Federal Reserve and FDIC, met Pennsylvania
legislators and visited headquarters of The Washington Center. Husky Career Road Trips are one of the many
Professional U opportunities available to students. The trip included a career networking social with alumni.
32

BLOOMSBURG UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA

VITAL STATISTICS
Marriages

Obituaries

Jason Brubaker ’99 and Christina Walters, Sept. 12, 2015
Wendy Englar ’00 and David Pulieri ’01, Oct. 9, 2015
Jennifer Colyer ’03 and Dennis Specht, May 14, 2016
Karen Fetter ’05 and Darren Chilcoat, Oct. 23, 2010
Melissa McNutt ’05 and Cletus Lawler IV, Sept. 21, 2012
Allison Lucik ’06 and Christopher Bauer, Oct. 19, 2013
Amy Wolfgang ’07 and Michael Keener, Oct. 11, 2014
Daisy Rmeili ’08 and Matthew Fleming ’10, Aug. 5, 2016
Lynette Mong ’08 and Kris Holden, June 18, 2016
Paul Scharf ’08 and Heather Brassington, Aug. 8, 2015
Amanda Knouse ’09 and Ryan Majek, Oct. 11, 2015
Angela Sariego ’09 and Christopher Schoettle, Nov. 21, 2015
Ashlee Shiffer ’09 and Kirk Pruitt, June 5, 2015
Shauna Hughes ’10 and Ryan Blee, Aug. 8, 2015
Brittany Kleiner ’10 and Mark Hosak, Sept. 12, 2015
Caitlin Tevis ’11 and Christopher Persico, June 25, 2016
Holly Brink ’12 and Ethan Troup, Sept. 12, 2015
Hope McLaughlin ’12 and Peter Vaughn, May 21, 2016
Kelly Shemansky ’12 and Randy Marchetti
Gina Stinchcomb ’12 and Anthony Fritz ’12, April 8, 2016
Janine Brunner ’13 and Joshua Bentley ’12, June 13, 2015
Kyra Findley ’13 and Brian Boyd, Sept. 19, 2015
Brittany Albertson ’14 and Daniel Knorr ’07, May 7, 2016
Karalyn Carter ’14 and Stephen Lutz, Sept. 26, 2015
Ellexis Krum ’14 and Ryan Young, May 7, 2016
Michele Rankin ’14 and Michael Reiber, April 9, 2016
Kali Burgess ’15 and Jeremy Reb ’15, June 25, 2016

Claraline Schlee Baylor ’41
Gerald Fritz ’41
E. Dorothy Albertson Wodock ’41
Winton Laubach ’43
Wanda Kehler Edelman ’46
Evelyn Hirt Brosious ’47
Robert Levan ’49
Betty Bolig Slipetz ’49
Shirley Henley Thomas ’49
Florence Tugend ’49
Norma Gamble Baldwin ’50
Richard Kline ’50
Edward Kreitz ’50
Robert Kishbaugh ’51
Lillian Mlkvy Merrifield ’51
Ronald Kaler ’52
Ardell Zeigenfuse ’53
Jevita McCauley ’54
Robert Carey ’55
Philip Gergen ’55
David M. Cole ’56
Michael Homick ’56
Nancy Wetzel ’56
Samina Rishton Cole ’57
Edward Shustack ’57
Fern Goss ’58
Anthony Fiorenza ’59
Ronald Romig ’59
Calvin Ryan ’59
Donald Herring ’60
Janice Jones Kulp ’60
Patricia Heddings Messinger ’60
David Boyer ’62
Willard Lewis Hunsinger ’62
Ronald Cranford ’63
William Ginty ’63
Gary Stair ’63
Laura Mae Brown Willard ’63
Jean Houck Fino ’64
Beatrice Mincemoyer Bieber ’65
Fern McCullough Field ’65
Charles Hartman ’65
Patricia Caldwell Stone ’65

Births

Michelle Tansue Adkins ’96 and husband, Matthew, twin daughters,
Sophie Nona and Quinn Sejal, May 4, 2016
Julie Sardone Zambrano ’00 and husband, Robert, a son, Victor
Armando, Oct. 15, 2015
Mollie Connors Pryzblick ’02 and husband, Larry Pryzblick ’02, a
daughter, Josephine Helen, Nov. 11, 2015
Kendra Branchick Martin ‘03 and husband, Phil, a daughter, Brynn
Lee, April 5, 2016
Rachelle Simon Rohner ’04 and husband, Bradley Rohner ’01, a son,
Grant Charles, May 3, 2016
Karen Fetter Chilcoat ’05 and husband, Darren, a son, Blake, Dec. 21,
2012, and a daughter, Kenzie, Feb. 26, 2016
Melissa McNutt Lawler ’05 and husband, Cletus, a son, Cletus V, Jan.
13, 2016
Jonathan Zerbe ’05 and wife, Jennifer, a daughter, Anna Diane, May
23, 2016
Allison Lucik Bauer ’06 and husband, Christopher, a son, Colton
Ross, Feb. 11, 2016
Amy Keener Wolfgang ’07 and husband, Michael, a son, John Dennis,
March 2, 2016
Codyray Hewson ’09 and wife, Jeni, a daughter, Emma Rose, Nov. 26,
2015
Holly Bergin Pitcavage ’09 and husband, Brian Pitcavage ’09, a son,
Tyler Brian, June 2, 2016

Jerry Fritz ’66
Dolores Wood Davis ’67
Marjorie Grimm Cunningham ’70
John J. Haile Jr. ’71
Robert Else ’72
Nelena Pope Swank ’72
Juergen Besecke ’73
Douglas Brown ’73
Mark Lukas ’74
Dewaine Lutz ’74
Mary Kathleen Keiers Stokes ’74
Philip Wilds ’74
Kathleen Glossner ’75
James Magill ’75
Richard Boswell ’77
Mary Tone Kunkel ’77
Gerald Roman ’77
Robert Donovan ’78
Dale Sechler ’78
Carol Balser Blackwell ’79
Christopher Downs ’79
Timothy Blase ’80
Charles Ropars ’80
Margaret Mary Cullen Brown ’82
Faith Troup Swisher ’82
Frank Yannes ’82
James Knaub ’84
Debra Fenty Skinner ’84
Peter Slusser ’84
Nancy Slamon Urey ’84
Melanie Heckler Jozefiak ’85
Robert Monroe ’85
Denise Vandine ’86
Catherine Smith Vanderpool ’87
Colleen Durkin ’90
John Stuhltrager ’90
Emily Stookey ’91
Diane Joyce Graham ’95
James Ross ’97
Ellsworth Davis ’98
Joseph Richardson ’99
Emily Mensch Rupert ’02
Gregory Miller ’04

Send information to:

magazine@bloomu.edu
Bloomsburg: The University Magazine
Waller Administration Building
400 East Second Street
Bloomsburg, PA 17815-1301

FALL 2016

33

over THE shoulder
Members of the newest sorority, Tau Sigma Pi,
perform in Carver Auditorium during a Greek
Week talent show on March 31, 1968.

Fifty Years of Greeks
by Robert Dunkelberger
FOR STUDENTS at Bloomsburg
State Normal School, social life
revolved around campus literary
societies. When those organizations
dissolved in 1923, their place
was quickly filled by chapters
of professional and honorary
fraternities. It took much longer,
however, for the concept of social
fraternities and sororities to be
accepted.
What would become Bloomsburg’s
first social fraternity began in 1963
when a dozen students, sensing
the need for an improved spirit on
campus, proposed establishing the
Social Improvement Organization
(SIO). Members of SIO, advised by
history faculty member Robert “Doc”
Warren, went before the Bloomsburg

34

BLOOMSBURG UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA

State College Council on Oct. 26,
1964, to share ideas they thought
would convince students to remain
on campus over the weekends and
the belief that similar organizations
would follow. The council granted
probationary status and, after a
constitution was OK’d the following
spring, President Harvey A. Andruss
gave final approval, establishing SIO
as an official campus organization on
May 19, 1965.
By the start of the fall semester,
SIO’s membership had doubled
and, on Oct. 28, members informed
the Faculty Fraternity Committee
of their desire to transition into
the school’s first social fraternity.
This request started a monthslong process and, after much

discussion, Dean of Students Paul
Riegel, fraternity committee chair,
sent a memo to Andruss and the
Board of Trustees on March 1,
1966, recommending that social
fraternities be permitted on campus.
Support was broad, as demonstrated by an editorial published
in the May 20 issue of the student
newspaper, Maroon & Gold. The
editorial touched on a number of
campus issues, including parking
and student apathy, and backed the
establishment of social fraternities.
At their May 27 meeting, the Board
of Trustees gave official approval for
social fraternities to begin in the fall
semester.
Work continued on revising SIO’s
constitution, which the College

Left: Members of SIO organize some of the 1,400 paperback books collected as part of a Books for Vietnam drive in November 1965. Right: Fraternity members compete in
the Greek Week chariot races on April 2, 1968. The building under construction is the Hartline Science Center.

Council approved on Oct. 10. After a
few revisions, Acting President John
Hoch gave final approval on Nov. 4,
1966, and the first social fraternity on
campus, Sigma Iota Omega, became a
reality.
As expected, additional fraternities
and sororities were created and
applied for recognition during the
1966-67 academic year. Each was
required to have a faculty adviser,
meet academic standards, and
prohibited from discriminating. Only
local organizations, without national
affiliation, were permitted.
Beta Sigma Delta was the second
fraternity to be approved and placed
on probationary status by the College
Council, followed by four others
through March. The first sorority,
Delta Epsilon Beta, was recognized on

Feb. 17, 1967, with 23 initial members.
The reasons given for its organization
were similar to those of the fraternities: to promote the college’s
general welfare, derive mutual
benefits from the bonds of sisterhood,
and provide greater opportunities for
social and moral development.
In addition to the individual
chapters, an Inter-Fraternity
Council was created to govern
and guide activities. Composed of
representatives from each social
fraternity, the IFC was approved by
the College Council on Feb. 27, with
the Inter-Sorority Council established
the following year.
Extracurricular activities sponsored
by the fraternities in 1966-67 included
parties, picnics, hayrides, a tutoring
service, and a Battle of the Bands.

Fundraisers, such as film screenings,
a book exchange, and sale of athletic
buttons, netted more than $550. The
first official rush period to recruit
pledges took place at the end of
September 1967, and Greek Week,
which became an annual interfraternity/inter-sorority event, was
first held in spring 1968. The ban on
off-campus housing was lifted in 1969.
Today, 28 Greek organizations
— 12 sororities and 16 fraternities
— enhance campus life through a
mixture of social and philanthropic
activities. As they did in their earliest
days, fraternities and sororities offer
lifetime opportunities for friendship,
service to the community, leadership
and scholarship. l

Left: Officers of the first campus social fraternity, Sigma Iota Omega, and their faculty adviser Robert “Doc” Warren, standing at right, pose in the Husky Lounge in 1967.
Right: A crowd gathers to watch the Inter-Fraternity Council volleyball tournament in the fall of 1967 on the lawn west of South Hall.
FALL 2016

35

calendar
Academic Calendar

Alumni Events

FALL 2016
Reading Day
Tuesday, Nov. 22

Visit bloomualumni.com for details
on these and additional events or to
register for Homecoming events. For
information, contact Alumni Affairs at
800-526-0254 or alum@bloomu.edu.

Thanksgiving Recess
Wednesday, Nov. 23
Classes Resume
Monday, Nov. 28
Classes End
Friday, Dec. 9
Finals Begin
Monday, Dec. 12
Finals End
Friday, Dec. 16
Graduate Commencement
Friday, Dec. 16
Undergraduate Commencement
Saturday, Dec. 17
SPRING 2017
Classes Begin
Monday, Jan. 23
Spring Break Begins
Monday, March 13
Classes Resume
Monday, March 20
Classes End
Friday, May 5
Finals Begin
Monday, May 8
Finals End
Friday, May 12
Graduate Commencement
Friday, May 12
Undergraduate Commencement
Saturday, May 13

Homecoming Weekend
Friday to Sunday, Oct. 14 to 15
Saturday, Oct. 15
Tent Party, Fenstemaker Alumni
House, 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
50-Year Reunion Dinner for the
Class of 1966, Monty’s, 6 to
8:30 p.m
50-Year Anniversary of Greek
Life, Kehr Union Ballroom, 6:30
to 8:30 p.m.

Art Exhibitions
Exhibitions in the Haas Gallery of Art
and The Gallery at Greenly Center, 50
E. Main St., Bloomsburg, are open
to the public free of charge. For more
information, gallery hours and
reception times, visit departments.
bloomu.edu/art.
Solo Student Show
Kassandra Stachowski and Katie Starliper
Sept. 29 to Oct. 27
The Gallery at Greenly Center
Reception: Oct. 27, 4 to 6 p.m.
Brady Haston
Painting
Oct. 5 to Nov. 16
Haas Gallery
Reception: Nov. 16, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
LGBTQA Symposium Show
Navigating Intersectionality:
(De)Constructing Our Identities
Nov. 4 to Dec. 5
The Gallery at Greenly Center
Reception: Nov. 4, 6 to 8 p.m.
Senior Exit Show
Dec. 1 to 16
Haas Gallery
Reception: Dec. 1, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Solo Student Show
Lisa Kamerzel, Krystal James and
Wanda Riley
Dec. 13, 2016 to Feb. 23, 2017
The Gallery at Greenly Center
Reception: Feb. 23, 4 to 6 p.m.
Winter Break Show
Christine Pearl
Photography
Dec. 22, 2016 to Feb. 1, 2017
Haas Gallery
Reception: Feb. 1, 11a.m. to 2 p.m.

36

BLOOMSBURG UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA

Activities and Events

Celebrity Artist Series
Events

Events in the 2016-2017 Celebrity
Artist Series season will be presented
in Haas Center for the Arts, Mitrani
Hall, and Carver Hall, Kenneth S. Gross
Auditorium. For more information and
to order tickets, call the box office
at 570-389-4409 or visit cas.buzz.
Programs and dates are subject to
change.
Broadway’s Next Hit Musical
Saturday, Sept. 17, 7:30 p.m.
Carver Hall, K.S. Gross Auditorium
$30 adults/$15 children and BU
students
Nufonia Must Fall Live
Saturday, Sept. 24, 7:30 p.m.
Haas Center for the Arts, Mitrani Hall
$36 adults/$18 children and BU
students
Murder on the Nile
Aquilla Theatre
Friday, Oct. 14, 7:30 p.m.
Carver Hall, K.S. Gross Auditorium
$32 adults/$16 children and BU
students
The People’s Republic of China
Shanghai Acrobats
Friday, Oct. 21, 7:30 p.m.
Haas Center for the Arts, Mitrani Hall
$25 adults/$12 children and BU
students

Wind Ensemble Concert
Wednesday, Nov. 16, 7:30 p.m.
Carver Hall, K.S. Gross Auditorium
University-Community Orchestra Concert
Sunday, Nov. 20, 2:30 p.m.
Haas Center for the Arts, Mitrani Hall
Guitar Ensemble Concert
Wednesday, Nov. 30, 7:30 p.m.
Carver Hall, K.S. Gross Auditorium
Tuba Christmas
Saturday, Dec. 3, 5 p.m.
Haas Center for the Arts, Mitrani Hall
Jazz Ensemble Concert
Thursday, Dec. 8, 7:30 p.m.
Carver Hall, K.S. Gross Auditorium
Carols by Candlelight Concert
Friday and Saturday, Dec. 9 and 10,
7:30 p.m.
First Presbyterian Church,
345 Market St., Bloomsburg.
Free admission; Tickets required
Tickets available at the Mitrani box
office, 570-389-4409

Special Events

Parents and Family Weekend
Friday and Saturday,
Oct. 21 and 22

ELF: The Musical
Friday, Nov. 11, 7:30 p.m.
Haas Center for the Arts, Mitrani Hall
$40 adults/$20 children and BU
students

Concerts

Listed events are open to the public
and free of charge. For information
and additional events, see bloomu.
edu/music-events or call 570-3894286. All programs, dates, times and
locations are subject to change.
Octuba Fest
Saturday, Oct. 8, 1 p.m.
Haas Center for the Arts, Mitrani Hall
Fall Choral Festival
Sunday, Oct. 16, 2:30 p.m.
Carver Hall, K.S. Gross Auditorium
Piano Day
Saturday, Oct. 29
Haas Center for the Arts, Mitrani Hall
Percussion Ensemble Concert
Tuesday, Nov. 8, 7:30 p.m.
Haas Center for the Arts, Mitrani Hall

For the latest information on
upcoming events, check the
Bloomsburg University website
bloomu.edu.

Now available:
Framed and matted Carver Hall photo
by Cole Kresch ’16

Your fall uniform is here.

PAW PRINT HOODIES IN MAROON, GOLD, HEATHER AND BLACK.
THE UNIVERSITY STORE
400 East Second Street
Bloomsburg, PA 17815
General Information:
570-389-4175
Customer Service:
570-389-4180
bustore@bloomu.edu

OPEN SEVEN DAYS A WEEK.
SEE BLOOMUSTORE.COM
FOR THIS WEEK’S HOURS
AND TO SHOP ONLINE.

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MIX
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BLOOMSBURG UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA

Celebrity Artist Series
Presents

The

2016-2017 Season
Broadway’s Next Hit Musical

Sept. 17, 2016

Nufonia Must Fall Live

Sept. 24, 2016

Murder on the Nile

Oct. 14, 2016

Shanghai Acrobats

Oct. 21, 2016

Elf, The Musical

Nov. 11, 2016

The Suffers

Feb. 26, 2017

Blind Boys of Alabama

March 25, 2017

Jessica Lang Dance

April 14, 2017

Tickets to ALL Celebrity Artist Series shows are on sale NOW!
A NOTE TO PARENTS

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