Bloomsburg

WINTER 2017

T H E

U N I V E R S I T Y

M A G A Z I N E

Beyond Business
as Usual
Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania

Page 10

ALSO INSIDE

Echoes of Friendship
Page 8

The Art of Transformation
Page 18

BLOOMU.EDU

Bloomsburg:
The University Magazine

From the Editor

Time to Run
In the heyday of Top 40 radio, each announcer had a tagline
that signaled the end of his shift on the air. One of the taglines
I heard as a teenager seems especially appropriate today: It’s
been fun, but I’m done and gotta run. After more than 16 years
as editor or co-editor of Bloomsburg: The University Magazine,
I am retiring. This issue is my last.
As assistant director of communications and media relations, my official title, I have been
involved in the inner workings of Bloomsburg University’s Marketing and Communications
Office and, at times, the university as a whole. But my favorite part of the job was editing this
magazine. Through the stories we featured, I met you — BU’s talented, generous, involved and
ingenious students, faculty, staff and, especially, alumni. Your stories of personal and professional
success inspired me and nearly 70,000 readers. Your notes to magazine@bloomu.edu brought
news of milestones in your lives — marriages, births and career accomplishments — to be featured
in the magazine’s Husky Notes section. I have shared your joy and offered congratulations.
I am not a BU graduate (sorry) but as I learned about this university, its history, mission and
vision, I realized Bloomsburg would have been a good fit for me as a student. Professionally, it
has been an excellent fit, providing a challenging and rewarding career during the tenure of two
presidents, Dr. Jessica Kozloff and Dr. David Soltz. As I often say, this is the best place I’ve ever
worked and the best job I’ve ever had.
Over the past 16 years, I have seen Bloomsburg University change physically with the addition
of the Academic Quad, and new and renovated academic buildings, residence halls and athletic
facilities. Academically, BU has added new majors, career-related programs and exciting new
opportunities for students. But, be assured, BU’s essence remains the same.
So, as I retire, I thank you for welcoming Bloomsburg: The University Magazine into your home
and holding Bloomsburg University in your heart.
Now, I gotta run.
Bonnie Martin, editor

(Editor’s note: From the President by BU President David Soltz will return in the spring 2017 issue.)

FEATURES

of Friendship
08 Echoes
A generous donation gives new life to a piece

PHOTO: ERIC FOSTER

of Bloomsburg’s history.

p. 18
Tabl e o f Con ten ts
Winter 2017

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
Michael K. Hanna
Donald Houser
Jonathan B. Mack
Barbara McIlvaine Smith
Daniel P. Meuser
Thomas Muller
Guido M. Pichini
Pedro A. Rivera
Judy Schwank
Harold C. Shields
Tom Wolf

Bloomsburg University
Council of Trustees
Patrick Wilson ’91, Chair
Judge Mary Jane Bowes, Vice Chair
Nancy Vasta ’97/’98M, Secretary
Ramona H. Alley
Robert Dampman ’65
Ed G. Edwards ’73
Joseph J. Mowad ’08H, M.D.
Katherine D. Mullen, Student
Brian O’Donnell ’87M
Charles E. Schlegel Jr. ’60
Sec. of Corrections John E. Wetzel ’98
Frank T. Brogan, Chancellor,
Ex Officio

Beyond Business as Usual

16

At Home in the World

18

The Art of Transformation

22

Dance Steps

24

Tuning to a Career

26

Students Helping Students

A love that started growing in the 1970s has
turned into a lifetime affinity for Bloomsburg
University. That affinity and a couple’s
generosity has resulted in Bloomsburg’s first
named college.
Nine months in France gives a senior a new
perspective on herself and the world.
BU Players productions give students the total
theatre experience.
Students gain experience mastering an album
in the campus recording studio.
An intro class and summer experience turn a
student onto the possibilities of a radio career.
The Community Government Association
endows an emergency scholarship fund to aid
students.

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

10

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
27 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: Gordon Wenzel/Impressions

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 2017

WINTER 2017

1

Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania

DIANE CRUZ, a December graduate in biology/pre-med, has her shoulder boards pinned
on by her mother Evelyn Cruz and brother Miguel Cruz at a ROTC commissioning
ceremony. Cruz, who minored in chemistry and Spanish, will take the Basic Officer
Leadership Course at Fort Jackson, S.C. Afterward, she will be an adjutant officer in
the National Guard stationed at Fort Indiantown Gap, studying for the Medical College
Admission Test and working toward applying to medical schools. The ceremony, held in
Carver Hall, also included ROTC graduates Kaitlyn Gorgone and Madison Scripture.

2

BLOOMSBURG UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA

PHOTO: ERIC FOSTER

unleash your inner husky

Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania

around THE quad

PHOTO: JAIME NORTH

Elizabeth Miller, right, with faculty mentor M. Safa Saracoglu.

From a Different Perspective
ALTHOUGH just 6 years old at the time, Elizabeth Miller can
never forget Sept. 11, 2001.
Her father, a firefighter with the New York City Fire
Department — FDNY Rescue Engine Co. 5 in Staten Island — was
among the 343 firefighters who died responding to the World
Trade Center terrorist attacks. The tragedy not only left a lasting
impact on her life but shaped the academic interests she holds to
this day, including a research focus on Islamic fundamentalism
and terrorism.
Her research, a look at “Deciphering Osama bin Laden’s
Radicalization based on United States Actions, Policies and
Presence in Saudi Arabia 1990-2001” was among the works
presented at the Consortium for Educational Resources on
Islamic Studies (CERIS) undergraduate symposium. It set the
stage for the next phases of her research journey.

“I needed to understand for myself to help cope with what
I have been through,” says Miller, a history and Arabic major,
also pursuing a minor in Middle Eastern Studies. “It was also
important for me to do this in order to encourage others. If I can
see that Muslims aren’t bad, then the average person who hasn’t
been affected by terrorism should be able to see that regardless.”
Following the CERIS symposium, Miller continued her
research via a BU Undergraduate Research, Scholarship, and
Creative Activity (URSCA) grant, paired with a one-monthabroad experience in Fez, Morocco. She said she chose Morocco
because it was a safe option to study abroad in the Middle East.
“You don’t really know anything until you go there and see
it. When you study abroad, it really helps to find what you’re
looking for and who you are.” l
— Audra Ortiz ’17, communication studies

WINTER 2017

3

Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania

around THE quad
An End to an Era

PRESIDENT SOLTZ ANNOUNCES RETIREMENT
DAVID L. SOLTZ will retire as president of Bloomsburg University at the end of the 2016-17
academic year.
In his announcement to the campus community, Soltz said, “I am extremely grateful for the
opportunity to serve our students with all of you, the outstanding faculty and staff of Bloomsburg
University.” Soltz became Bloomsburg University’s 18th president in 2008.
“Together we have come through the most challenging fiscal times of my long career in higher
education with our university strong and well positioned to continue providing an affordable, highquality education that prepares our students for personal and professional success in an increasingly
complex global environment. The future is bright for BU, and the institution is ready for the renewal
that comes with new leadership.”
Soltz’s retirement is effective June 30, 2017. l

Among the Best
BU RANKS AMONG
THE U.S. NEWS BEST

BLOOMSBURG UNIVERSITY has once
again made the list of top universities in the
northern region of the country, according to
U.S. News and World Report’s annual ranking
of U.S. colleges and universities.
U.S. News lists BU as No. 104 of the Best
Regional Universities for the northern region,
tied with Caldwell, Plymouth State and
William Paterson universities.
BU’s 79 percent retention rate (percentage
of freshmen who return to school) is higher
than several institutions that earned higher
overall ratings, including Shippensburg and
Mount Saint Mary’s universities and York and
King’s colleges.
At 62 percent, Bloomsburg’s 2015
graduation rate exceeds those of higher
ranked Shippensburg, Rutgers, Arcadia,
Seton Hill, Chatham and Wilkes universities.
And, with a 6 percent alumni giving rate,
Bloomsburg has more participation than
higher ranked public institutions, including
Rowan, Rutgers, Towson and Millersville
universities. l

4

BLOOMSBURG UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA

Keeping a ‘Husky Safe’
NEW SAFETY APP AVAILABLE

BLOOMSBURG UNIVERSITY added one more tool to enhance campus safety for students,
faculty and staff, an app nicknamed Husky Safe. The free app serves as an emergency
communication tool between the campus community and Bloomsburg University Police
Department (BUPD). Features of the app, produced by 911Cellular under the name
911Shield, include: Indoor Positioning System, Emergency Calling, iReports and Friend
Watch.
Tom Phillips, director of BUPD, says Husky Safe is designed for use on campus only.
BUPD redirects calls received from beyond the campus’ borders to the appropriate
911 center. l

Finding Excellence

PROFESSOR HELPS SELECT FULBRIGHT SCHOLARS
FAITH WARNER, anthropology professor, was selected to
serve a three-year term on the U.S. Student Fulbright National
Screening Committee.
The screening committee reviews 60 to 75 applications from
students wishing to pursue study, research or professional
training abroad under the Fulbright-Hays Program sponsored by the U.S. Department of
State. Warner will help select students for Fulbright awards to conduct research in Mexico.
Warner received a Fulbright award in 1995 to conduct research with the Guatemalan
Maya peoples in United Nations-sponsored Mexican refugee camps. She spent 22 months
conducting field work, and she credits the Fulbright award, which paid for half of her
experience, with enabling her to finish her doctoral dissertation. l

Calculated Success

MATHEMATICS RESEARCH PAPER PUBLISHED

Devyn Lesher and Chris Lynd

DEVYN LESHER, a junior mathematics
major, and Chris Lynd, assistant professor of
mathematical and digital sciences, had their
research paper accepted for publication in the
peer-reviewed journal Mathematics Magazine.
The paper is titled "Convergence Results for the
Class of Periodic Left Nested Radicals."
Lesher used his programming skills to perform
computer simulations, discover patterns, and
make conjectures about his mathematical

Distinct Honor

BYRUM ELECTED TO COLLEGE OF FELLOWS
KRISTIE BYRUM, assistant professor of mass
communications, was elected to the Public
Relations Society of America’s (PRSA) College
of Fellows.
Byrum, who teaches courses in public
relations and media law, is receiving the
organization’s highest honor in recognition
of her significant contributions to the
communications profession and outstanding lifetime career achievement.
Fewer than 2 percent of PRSA members — only 350 people nationwide —
have been accepted into the College of Fellows.
At BU, Byrum was honored with the university’s Teaching and Learning
Enhancement (TALE) Center Outstanding Undergraduate Teaching
Award, nominated by students who praised her for providing real-life
examples based on her real-world knowledge. l

A Doctoral Honor

ASSISTANT PROFESSOR RECEIVES NCA AWARD
KAI KUANG, assistant professor of
communication studies, has been selected as
the National Communication Association’s 2016
recipient of the Gerald R. Miller Outstanding
Doctoral Dissertation Award.
This award is given annually to new scholars
who completed dissertations during the
previous academic year. Kuang was recognized
for her dissertation, "Uncertainty and Information Management: A MetaAnalytic Review of Uncertainty’s Effects on Information Management in
Illness Contexts" that she completed at Purdue University.
The project focused on illness uncertainty and its impact on
communicative behaviors and facilitating uncertainty management. Kuang
received the award during the National Communication Association’s
annual convention in Philadelphia. l

patterns. Once the mathematical conjectures
were formalized, Lesher saw firsthand how to
construct mathematical proofs, write a formal
research paper in mathematics, and submit a
paper for publication.
This research was made possible by two
Undergraduate Research Scholarship and
Creative Activity (URSCA) Awards from the
Office of Research and Sponsored Programs. l

Looking for the Positive
NEW INITIATIVE ON BARRIERS TO LEARNING

A DONATION from a local philanthropist
is helping educators identify students
who are confronting non-academic
barriers to learning. Susan McDowell,
Selinsgrove, has committed $200,000 to
the Bloomsburg University Foundation to
establish the Youth Mental Health First
Aid program as part of BU’s McDowell
Institute for Teacher Excellence in Positive Behavior Support.
The funding supports a coordinator of school-based behavioral
health within BU’s College of Education, outreach to school districts
and a copy of the related textbook for each education major. The
Danville Area School District is piloting the program this academic
year, with the goal of training all administrators, counselors, teachers,
nurses and coaches. l

For Those Who Serve

BU NAMED ‘MILITARY FRIENDLY’ FOR THE THIRD YEAR
BLOOMSBURG UNIVERSITY earned the title of Military Friendly
School from Victory Media, publisher of GI Jobs magazine, for the
third year — the first as a Silver Level award.
As a Military Friendly School Silver Level, BU is ranked in the top
10 percent of colleges, universities and trade schools in the country
working to embrace military service members, veterans and spouses
as students, ensuring their success on campus.
According to Bob Heckrote, academic adviser for military and
undeclared students, 437 military students attend BU. To meet their
needs, 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
WINTER 2017

5

ON THE HILL

sports

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

Voice of the Huskies
by TOM McGUIRE

GAIN OF SEVEN YARDS and good for another Huskies …” says
the voice on the loudspeaker. Several thousand fans complete the
line “first down!” to nearly drown out the announcer. If you’ve
attended a Huskies home football game in the last eight years
you’ve heard the voice of public address (PA) announcer Josh
Klingerman.
“It was always about creating a true home field advantage for
the Huskies, which is why I wanted to do it,” said Klingerman.
“Once I got settled in and the school allowed music to be part of
the atmosphere, I turned up my enthusiasm a few notches.”
But all good things must come to an end. Klingerman called
his last game on Oct. 22, 2016 and stepped away to spend more
time with his family. He and his wife Jackie (Zinn) ’03, a former
EEE sorority sister, have three children. “Our three kids (JD,
6; Gavin, 4; and Sadie, 11 months) need their dad around on
weekends,” said Klingerman. “The reality is that my oldest will
soon start playing football on the same day as Huskies games. I
didn’t want to miss out on seeing him play.”
A football player for the Huskies from 2000-03, Klingerman
would often hear former Redman Stadium announcer Mike
Dubbs tell fans who made the tackle or scored a touchdown and
think that would be a great job to have someday. “The irony is
my interest in being a PA announcer started with Mike Dubbs at
Bloomsburg High School basketball games,” says Klingerman.
“The fans loved his calls, the players loved it, and it definitely
created a home court advantage.”

6

BLOOMSBURG UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA

In 2008 the Huskies PA announcer job became vacant and
Klingerman’s dream of getting behind the mic became a reality.
His booming delivery of tackles and touchdowns charged the
atmosphere at Redman.
“Bloomsburg’s offense has been so prolific over the years that
we would sometimes have 20 some first downs a game. It had
to be both annoying and demoralizing for the opposing team
to hear me say, ‘Good for another Huskies first down!’,” says
Klingerman of his trademark phrase.
“My favorite part of doing the games, besides being there for
all the wins, was the view from the press box. What a beautiful
sight in the fall on a Saturday in Bloomsburg.”
Hosting NCAA playoff games were tough for Klingerman.
NCAA policy states PA announcers should be neutral at games.
That was something the former back-up quarterback struggled
with at home playoff games. “I always had to bite my tongue
during playoffs,” says Klingerman. “Being neutral on something,
especially Huskies football, is not in my nature. I never
understood why the NCAA takes away the home field advantage
by muting the PA announcer’s energy level. I enjoyed pushing
the envelope. Fortunately, we won a lot.”
Next year fans will hear a new, yet-to-be-determined voice
behind the mic, but the memory of Klingerman’s calls will not
be forgotten. “I cherish the memories and friends I have made
from both playing and announcing. I bleed maroon and gold –
Huskies for life.”

From left, Dione Somerville, vice president for
student affairs; Suzzane Nery, Lourival Nery,
Vitoria Nery and Michael McFarland, athletics
director.

BU RECEIVES
OLYMPIC GIFT

From left, President David Soltz, Buck Eardley ’96, Jan Hutchinson, Mary Gardner, Kim Maguire
Petrosky ’94, Ron Sheehan ’74, John Stillo ’98 and Athletic Director. Michael McFarland.

HALL OF FAME

THE 35TH ANNUAL Hall of Fame dinner was held on Oct. 7 in the Nelson Field
House. This year’s Hall of Fame inductees were former softball and field hockey
coach Jan Hutchinson and former athletic director Mary Gardner, along with
former athletes Ron Sheehan ’74 (wrestling), Kim Maguire Petrosky ’94 (softball),
John Stillo ’98 (baseball), and Buck Eardley ’96 (football). The induction of six
individuals brings the number of members in the Bloomsburg University Athletic
Hall of Fame to 169. Anyone who would like to make a nomination for the Hall of
Fame can do so by visiting buhuskies.com and going to the TRADITIONS tab on
the top of the page. l

REPEAT ACADEMIC ALL-AMERICAN
JOSH SMITH, Mechanicsburg, was named a
first team CoSIDA (College Sports information
Directors of America) Academic All-America
for NCAA Division II men’s soccer. It’s the
second straight year that Smith has been named
a first team Academic All-America by CoSIDA.
The senior started and played in 17 games this
year for the Huskies, scoring one goal from his
defender spot. For his career, he scored five
goals and assisted on four others, appearing in
75 matches with 71 starts. A year ago, along with
being a first team Academic All-America, he was
the PSAC Champion Scholar at the men’s soccer
championships and was a member of the PSAC
Fall Top 10 team. As an exercise science major
he carries a 3.99 GPA. He becomes the second
men’s soccer player in the last five years to earn
back-to-back first team CoSIDA Academic AllAmerica honors joining Bryce Schaffer in 2011
and 2012. l

A little bit of the 2016 Summer Olympics
in Rio came to Bloomsburg when a
torch used in the relay around Brazil
was given to the university by the family
of Huskies tennis player Vitoria Nery.
Vitoria’s mother and father, Lourival
and Suzzane, natives of Brazil, received
the torch from Lourival’s brother,
Fabio, who is the secretary of economic
development and tourism of Tesesina in
Brazil. Vice President for Student Affairs
Dione Somerville accepted the torch
on behalf of University President David
Soltz and everyone at the school. l

NEW WRESTLING
HEAD COACH
MARCUS GORDON
was named the
Huskies' new head
wrestling coach in
October. Gordon,
who was an assistant
coach for three years
with the Huskies,
is a graduate of Ashland University
in Ohio where he spent six years as
an assistant. As a collegiate wrestler
Gordon was a two-time qualifier for the
national championships and a two-time
Academic All-American (Wrestling
Coaches of America). During the
2007-08 season Gordon was ranked as
high as third in the country. Joining
Gordon on the sidelines this year will be
Russ Hughes, who previously coached
at Benton High School. Hughes is a
graduate of Penn State where he was a
standout wrestler for the Nittany Lions
earning All-America honors in 1995. l

WINTER 2017

7

PHOTO: ERIC FOSTER

ECHOES OF FRIENDSHIP
by ERIC FOSTER

WHEN BLOOMSBURG UNIVERSITY
rededicated the bronze bell called
"Endless Circle" last fall it was more
than acknowledgement of artwork
in the Sculpture Garden on the
Academic Quad. It was an affirmation
and remembrance of a relationship
that Bloomsburg shared with a famed
artist for more than half a century.
The bell, the first bronze
commission of the late Toshiko
Takaezu’s work in North America,
now hangs from a new white oak gate,

8

BLOOMSBURG UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA

funded by a donation from Thomas
J. ’65 and Cecelia M. Toth ’66 after
the weather took its toll on the bell’s
previous framework. Bloomsburg’s
gallery director Scott Roper designed
the gate in Japanese style, carpentry
foreman Kollyn Kerstetter and his
crew crafted it with mortise and
tenon joints, and the university
grounds crew, led by supervisor Rich
Yoder, installed it.
When Takaezu created the bell
on campus over several years in

the 1980s with the assistance of
students and art professor Karl
Beamer, her relationship with the
university was already three decades
old. The Japanese-American artist
began a friendship with Percival
“Bob” Roberts, the late Bloomsburg
art department chair, in 1958. She
fashioned Endless Circle in his
memory.
After Roberts’ death, Takaezu’s
relationship with BU strengthened
through a friendship with Beamer,

PHOTO: ERIC FOSTER

An artist is a poet in his
or her own medium. And
when an artist produces a
good piece, that work has
mystery, an unsaid quality;
it is alive.
– Toshiko Takaezu

weaver, painter and sculptor

now professor emeritus. Beamer,
who met Takaezu while he was an
undergraduate student, joined the
faculty as a sculpture and ceramics
professor in the 1970s.
Endless Circle was produced in
the Simon Hall sculpture studio in
three phases: creating the mold,
casting the bell and finishing the
bronze. Influenced by Japanese Zen
monastery temple bells, Endless
Circle is decorated on the front and
back with a large incised freeform
spiral, a reference to the Japanese
Zen concept of the endless circle
symbolizing birth, death and rebirth.
Takaezu’s impact on campus
continued after the bell was cast.
She participated in pottery firings
and visited in 2008 for an informal
reception honoring her life, work and
friendship with BU.
Takaezu also donated more than
a dozen ceramic works that are
on permanent display in Andruss
Library, along with a large painting
by famed Japanese artist Sawada,
which hangs in the lobby of Mitrani
Hall. Other pieces are among the
collections of the Smithsonian
American Art Museum, the Museum
of Fine Arts in Boston and the Los
Angeles County Museum of Art.
Takaezu died March 9, 2011, in her
native Hawaii, surrounded by three
generations of family. l

Art professor emeritus Karl Beamer speaks at the rededication of
Endless Circle. Below, from left: Takaezu creates the clay form for
the bell, student Kathy Watson cleans the mold. Bottom, from left:
the bell is cast on campus in Simon Hall, Takaezu rings the bell at
the original dedication in 1989.

WINTER 2017

9

BEYOND
BUSINESS AS USUAL

by RONALD ARENA
PHOTO: GORDON WENZEL/IMPRESSIONS

by RONALD J.gift
ARENA
A groundbreaking
from alums Terry and JoAnn Zeigler won’t just rename the
business school at Bloomsburg; it will also elevate the reputation and quality of
business education at BU far into the future.
ARE BUSINESS schools still relevant?
That’s an oft-asked question these
days, posed by think tanks, research
centers and advocacy groups alike.
Prospective students are adding their
voices to the chorus, wondering if
their tuition dollars and years of study
will give them an edge in an everchanging, ever-more-competitive
marketplace.
This much is clear: For business
schools to retain — some might say

10

BLOOMSBURG UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA

regain ­— their luster, they must tailor
the education they offer to meet the
new and evolving demands of the
21st-century workplace.
In short, they must move beyond
business as usual.
That’s the vision of Terry ’76
and JoAnn Zeigler ’77, a vision that
recently inspired the couple to
make a multi-million-dollar gift to
Bloomsburg University as part of the
It’s Personal campaign.

The Zeiglers have high hopes,
and high expectations, for business
education at BU — and for the
university’s newly named Terry and
JoAnn Zeigler College of Business.
“Our entire message is about
relevancy,” says Terry Zeigler,
president and CEO of Datacap
Systems Inc., based in Chalfont,
Pa. “How do we keep Bloomsburg
relevant in a rapidly changing world?
How does a business education at

PHOTO: JAIME NORTH

Opposite page: Terry and JoAnn Zeigler in
the lobby of Sutliff Hall, home of the Zeigler
College of Business. This page: Students
file into Sutliff Hall for the annual Business
Conference organized by the Zeigler Institute
for Professional Development.

Bloomsburg adjust to the reality that
65 percent of kids entering grade
school today will as adults take jobs
that don’t exist today?”
There are no easy answers,
but Zeigler has some strong and
persuasive opinions, born out of
nearly four decades of in-thetrenches experience as a smallbusiness founder. Terry is quick to
say that he’s not an academician, that
he knows his place as a donor. “I’m
not the dean,” he says. “The college
is in good hands with Dean (Jeffrey)
Krug.” While the Zeiglers have no
desire to interfere with day-to-day
operations at Bloomsburg, they
proudly embody the new face of
philanthropy and the desire to bring
about change and make a tangible
difference with their giving.

What’s in a name?

Naming the business school at
Bloomsburg was not high on the
list of motivations that inspired the
Zeiglers to make the largest gift in the

history of the university. “This part
was difficult for us,” admits JoAnn. “I
really believe in doing good things, in
doing the right thing, and we’ve been
blessed to be able to be generous. But
both of us have a hard time with the
notoriety, the fanfare.”
The Zeiglers ultimately were
convinced that adding their name to
the business school would go a long
way towards carving out a distinctive
brand for Bloomsburg. Both Terry and
JoAnn come from humble beginnings
that mirror the background of many
of today’s BU students: middleincome, blue-collar families, a strong
work ethic, and better than average
performance in the classroom. Terry’s
father never earned a high school
diploma; he worked first as a plumber,
then as a production scheduler in a
factory. JoAnn’s dad also dropped out
of high school, earned his high school
equivalency diploma after World War
II, took a few college courses, and
eventually started his own business.
They hope that the Zeigler name
and the personal road they took

to success — marked by relentless
passion, discipline, and determination
— will influence future generations.
Here’s a glimpse of what the Zeiglers
and Dean Krug foresee a decade from
now, and beyond, when students,
faculty, and business leaders reflect
on what is distinctive about a business
school education at Bloomsburg:
MORE INTEGRATED.
Business students typically dive
into a singular discipline — such as
accounting, marketing, management
or finance — a solitary approach that
leads to narrow areas of expertise.
“In today’s world, it’s critical to
see how each business area is
interconnected,” Terry notes. “The
college is aware of these trends and
is committed to continuing to create
a more integrated curriculum.” This
broad knowledge of how companies
operate, he insists, will help BU
graduates drive teamwork, bring out
the best in others, and engender the
collaborations needed for success.
CONTINUES ON NEXT PAGE
WINTER 2017

11

HANDS-ON, ACTION-BASED
LEARNING.
The Zeigler College of Business will
provide students with increased
opportunities for real-world learning.
Terry and JoAnn’s gift will be used in
part to support and expand much of
what is at the heart of a Bloomsburg
business education: internships,
interactions with successful alumni,
greater participation in start-up
competitions, development of
business plans, and other activities
that impart practical skills and
prepare students for leadership.

12

BLOOMSBURG UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA

NIMBLE AND ADAPTIVE.
The pace of corporate change today
is unyielding. Terry sees this daily
in his own business, which develops
and markets integrated point-ofsale payment systems — a complex
process that plays out in a matter of
seconds anywhere a consumer uses a
credit card or makes an e-transaction.
New threats are constant; think
PayPal, Apple Pay, or Square. “If Visa
or MasterCard sneezes tomorrow,”
he says, “it can turn our world upside
down.”
“Change,” he adds, “is the name
of the game, whether it’s the music
industry, the publishing industry, the

health care industry, you name it.
Students who graduate from college
today must stay enduringly relevant.
They must be prepared to adapt,
to be nimble and entrepreneurial,
or they will not make it in the
business world. My hope is that a
Bloomsburg business education will
increasingly train students to think
like entrepreneurs and find solutions
to tough problems.”
One way to do this is by exposing
students to the best practices of small
businesses, learning skills which will
serve them in later years whether
they work for a Fortune 500 company
or a family-run enterprise. “When you

PHOTOS: GORDON WENZEL/IMPRESSIONS

From left: Jerome Dvorak, executive director of the Bloomsburg University Foundation; Duane Greenly, chairperson of the Bloomsburg University
Foundation; Erik Evans, vice president for university advancement; Ira Blake, provost and senior vice president for academic affairs; Jeffrey Krug,
deanHEDLER
of the Zeigler College of Business; JoAnn and Terry Zeigler; BU president David L. Soltz.

Terry and JoAnn Zeigler attend Bloomsburg’s
Business Conference every fall, presenting at
workshops and interacting with students.

learn about small businesses — and
let’s be clear, many of these students
will work in small and family-run
businesses, especially if they stay
within a 50-mile radius of campus —
you learn everything there is to know
about how a company is run,” Terry
adds. “These are skills that will make
Bloomsburg graduates instantly
valuable to a company of any size. A
small business/family business focus
can be a powerful differentiator for
BU.”
THEORY AND PRACTICE.
A portion of the Zeiglers’ gift will
be allocated to support faculty and
their professional development to
ensure that BU recruits and retains
teachers who are always — here’s
that word again — relevant. “Our
hope,” according to Terry, “is that
this investment will work to enhance
faculty skills so that business
education at BU continually keeps up
with the evolving needs of industry.”
The Zeiglers imagine a series of
faculty initiatives that include:
• special training that emphasizes
teaching business as a whole;
• consulting activities done with
students or independently;
• opportunities to advise and
assist students in business
development activities; and
• research and scholarship that
advances strategic initiatives at
the college.

Love blooms at Bloomsburg

How is it that a small-business
owner and his wife are able to make
a multi-million-dollar gift to name
a business college? And why did
they choose Bloomsburg as their
philanthropic destination?
The answers trace back to the
mid-1970s when Terry Zeigler first
eyed JoAnn Schultz on campus.
They met in a badminton class
(part of a mandatory recreation
requirement) in the cold of winter.
One complication kept this from
unfolding as a mutual love-at-firstCONTINUES ON NEXT PAGE
WINTER 2017

13

towards success in the business
world.
Their latest gift is a continuation
of their commitment to shape a new
generation of business leaders.
“Bloomsburg University is forever
indebted to Terry and JoAnn Zeigler,”
says President David Soltz. “Their
vision for the Zeigler College of
Business, their passion for providing
opportunities for students from
every walk of life to have access to an
outstanding business education, and
their tremendous generosity will have
a lasting influence. I am thrilled that
the first named college on our campus
will carry the Zeigler name.”
Dean Krug echoes those
sentiments. “Terry and JoAnn
represent all that is good about
Bloomsburg University,” he notes.
“They are smart and savvy, real
and authentic in all ways, visionary
in their outlook, unwavering in
their efforts to make good things
happen, and always, always, looking
for ways to improve the student
experience at BU. They see this gift

as an investment. I couldn’t be more
pleased that they have chosen to
make that investment in the Zeigler
College of Business.”
So, back to the question of how the
Zeiglers were able to stretch as far
as they did with their support of BU.
The equation is simple. They worked
hard all of their lives. They saved
consistently and aggressively for four
decades, living in the same modest
home for 37 years. They invested in
real estate early in their marriage,
buying condemned homes and
burning the midnight oil to fix them
up and prepare them for rental. And
Terry dedicated his career to a small
business he co-founded in his 20s — a
business that is now widely regarded
as a best-in-class enterprise.
Add it all up and the impact is clear:
not just a name on a building but a
legacy that will pay dividends for
Bloomsburg students and faculty far
into the future. l
Ronald Arena is a writer and
communications consultant.

From left: Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education Chancellor Frank
Brogan, Jenelle Zeigler Ross, Dennis Ross, JoAnn Zeigler ’77, Terry Zeigler
’76, Mary Zeigler, Justin Zeigler ’06, Heather Zeigler, Jared Zeigler, Bloomsburg
University President David Soltz.
14

BLOOMSBURG UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA

PHOTO: ERIC FOSTER

sight narrative: JoAnn was dating
another guy at the time.
That didn’t stop Terry. He
conveniently offered her rides back to
her dorm in his VW Beetle. “He was
confident … and aggressive,” JoAnn
recalls with a laugh. They started
dating a few months later, a first date
that was forever burned into their
memories when a pack of streakers
raced by the couple. They married in
1977.
Thirty-nine years and three
children later, their fondness for
Bloomsburg remains. And their
generosity continues to grow.
In recent years, they have funded
an endowed scholarship program
at the university and announced a
$1.67 million gift to establish the
Zeigler Institute for Professional
Development (ZIPD). ZIPD has
been hugely popular, providing
a comprehensive educational
experience designed to build both
personal and professional capacities,
help students make informed career
choices, and set them on a path

Support Bloomsburg University Today
to Create a Legacy for Tomorrow
Did you know that you can create a legacy at BU
that will help future generations achieve their full
potential while also 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, visit
itspersonal.bloomu.edu/
planned-giving or call
855-BU2-GIVE (855-282-4483)

WINTER 2017

15

AT HOME
IN THE
WORLD
by TOM SCHAEFFER

“WHEN WE’RE comfortable, we tend to
put ourselves into a little box and get used
to traveling from our home to campus
and back again, making that your whole
world,” says Mariam Sarkessian, a native
of Malvern, Pa., about deciding to spend
her junior year studying at the University
of Nancy in France.
With an adventurous attitude and
financial support from the Phillip N. Stan,
III and Andrea McHugh Study Abroad/
Internship Professional Experience Grant,
Sarkessian enrolled in a nine-month
program to earn a Bachelor of Business
Administration degree.

16

BLOOMSBURG UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA

Sarkessian found things to adjust to
from the day she arrived in France. “Right
as we got there, the apartments where
I was staying, along with several other
students in the study abroad program,
had a power outage. We were without
power for the first two weeks,” says
Sarkessian. “No computers, no internet, no
blow dryers, no refrigerator. None of the
comforts many of us were used to.”
For Sarkessian, a business management
major with a minor in music for voice, the
real awakening was the classes. “The set
up and structure of the classes was one of
the biggest culture shocks. Everything was

in one building, class schedules changed
from week to week, the vacation schedule
was entirely different, and each class was
three hours long.”
The French education system
stresses organization, self-motivation,
independence and collaboration.
Fortunately, her Bloomsburg business
classes included many group projects.
Each of her classes in France included
two group projects, and in some, “that was
the scope of the entire class,” she says.
“We were given a group project and then
that was it, we just had to complete that
project and for that class.”

A global classroom

PHOTO: TOM SCHAEFFER

For Bloomsburg students, the world is increasingly
their classroom. Last year, more than 100 students studied
abroad in 15 countries that included France, Denmark and
Ireland. And in 2017, the number of students going abroad
will likely go up.
Already this year, 39 students have returned from a
winter experience in Poland, Hungary and Austria. Later
this summer, groups of students will explore China,
London, Italy, Norway and Morocco.
“Studying abroad can be a transformative experience
for a student,” says Nawal Bonomo, director of Global and
Multicultural Education. “Students not only learn about
life in other countries, they gain new perspective on our
own nation and culture.”
At Bloomsburg, students have the option of studying
abroad on short-term, faculty-led trips or spending a
semester or academic year at a university abroad through
an exchange program, a direct program, or through a
third party provider. Long-term exchange programs allow
students to earn credits at an international institution that
apply to their studies at BU.
Opportunities to study through exchange programs
continue to grow, with exchange agreements at 15
universities world-wide. “Students have become very
interested in Australia,” says Bonomo. “Thanks to a direct
agreement with Victoria University in Melbourne, students
are now able to study abroad there at an affordable cost.”
Learn more about Bloomsburg’s study abroad programs
at bloomu.edu/global-education.

Outside of school, Sarkessian lived
like a local, shopping at neighborhood
grocery stores and dining in neighborhood
cafes. “It was a lot more relaxing pace
and healthier lifestyle than life in the
U.S.,” Sarkessian says. “When we weren’t
rushing to classes, we could walk to
almost anywhere we wanted to go and
nearly all the food was organic or locally
grown.”
Along with completing an accelerated
bachelor’s degree program, her
scholarship made it possible for
Sarkessian to travel to 36 cities in
10 countries by train, plane, bus and

automobile. “Traveling by yourself in
an unfamiliar place forces you to learn
a lot about yourself pretty quickly,” she
adds. “You discover more about your own
strengths and weaknesses and how you
will respond to challenges when they
come up.”
At the recent Career Connections
Expo held on BU's campus as part of
the Professional U initiative, Sarkessian
updated her resume to include her study
abroad experience. She asked employers
if they offered opportunities in the areas
of international business and project
management.

“Through this entire experience, I
was exposed to an amazing amount of
different work styles and cultures,” says
Sarkessian. “But after seeing how the
work I might do would be applied in an
actual international setting, I became
much more confident about turning this
into a career after college.” l
Tom Schaeffer is communications
coordinator for the Bloomsburg
University Foundation.

WINTER 2017

17

PHOTOS: ERIC FOSTER

THE ART OF
TRANSFORMATION
by KIM de BOURBON
DURING THE ORGANIZED CHAOS
that is rehearsal for a musical stage
production, all the players — cast and
crew — are still working out how to
put their own pieces of the puzzle in
place during the first technical runthrough.
For the Bloomsburg University
Players’ production of “The Rocky
Horror Show,” it is a compelling
picture of collaboration. The lines
between teacher and student fade as
everyone gets ready for an audience
in less than a week.

18

BLOOMSBURG UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA

Dialogue, dance, lights, props,
singing, costumes, marketing, sound,
music, stagecraft — it is a staggering
amount of work for just four public
shows.
Stage manager Sara Tessarvich, a
senior theatre major, gives ushers
and crew a backstage tour, telling
them how to dress and what to do on
performance nights. “You must be
dressed completely in black. You are
supposed to disappear.”
Technical director Ethan Krupp,
the university’s director of theatre,

is on stage with senior theatre major
Titus O’Neil, whirring away with a
drill on a piece of uncompleted set.
“It doesn’t matter if you’re an actor,
designer, director or technician,”
says Krupp, an associate professor
who has worked on more than 25 BU
shows. “We each start with a piece
of information, a script, and analyze
it, based on the job we need to do.
We create a world. Then we have to
communicate what we’ve created to
an audience in a way that is creative
and energetic.”

Opposite page: DreLand Goar embodies
Frank N. Furter in "The Rocky Horror Show."
This photo: Rehearsals began weeks in
advance in a McCormick Center classroom.

Sixteen actors, wearing only
hints of costumes and wireless
microphones for the first time, test
their voices for the sound crew. “It’s
not a fun thing,” says sound designer
Heath Hansum, a professor on loan
from Bucknell University. “But it’s
pretty much darn necessary.”
Musical director David Tedford,
the university’s director of orchestras,
runs through some sound checks of
his own from a platform high above
stage left, working with a rehearsal
pianist. For the public shows, there
will be a six-piece band.
Bruce Candlish, associate professor
of theatre, returns to the digital light
board with a Subway sandwich and
waits for his part of the tech rehearsal
to begin. A veteran of more than 50
BU Players productions, Candlish
describes the set and light design for
"Rocky Horror" as his most elaborate.
Finally, the curtains close as actors
and technicians, students and faculty
alike, find their places and prepare
to run through the play non-stop on
stage for the first time.
Samantha Norton, the endlessly
energetic guest director for this
production, is an adjunct professor
at both Bloomsburg and Bucknell
universities, with a background
in opera and stage fighting and
experience as a stage and television
actor. She is up and down from
her seat on the sidelines all night,
scribbling notes — no point of praise
or imperfection will be too small to

discuss with the cast backstage after
the run-through is done.
Choreographer Julie Petry,
associate professor of theatre and
dance, makes her own notes about
how the actors move and manage
their dance numbers. She will also
have notes to share later.
“There’s a whole lot of work going
on here that no one sees on stage,”
Norton says later in a calmer moment.
Actors and crew are all asked to
research the history of the play, to
study what was going on in the 1970s
when it was written, and to consider
how those times might be similar to
now.

A camp classic

“The Rocky Horror Show” may
be the epitome of energy and campy

creativity. After BU staged two
dramatically “heavy” productions last
season, the off-the-wall musical was
deemed a good choice for fall 2016.
Most know “Rocky Horror” in its
“Picture Show” incarnation — the
1975 film starring Tim Curry, Barry
Bostwick and Susan Sarandon that
immortalized the original English
musical. But the theatrical version
continues to play non-stop on stages
around the world.
For the uninitiated, here’s the plot:
A straitlaced young couple, Brad
and Janet, seek shelter from a storm
and find themselves in the castle
of a cross-dressing bisexual alien
mad scientist intent on creating a
buff bodybuilder lover. (It helps to
know that this rock-and-roll spoof of
B-horror movies was never intended
to be taken too seriously.)

Samantha Norton
CONTINUES ON NEXT PAGE
WINTER 2017

19

Jonathan Schultz is center stage as Dr. Scott
in a partial dress rehearsal and (opposite page)
does double duty as the energetic Eddie.

But the synopsis doesn’t begin
to explain the cult following the
show sustains. No performance or
screening is authentic unless fans
intimately familiar with the dialogue
come in costume, talk back to the
actors and employ props they bring
from home at specific points in the
plot.
It also steams with sexual imagery
as the “sweet transvestite” Frank N.
Furter seduces both Brad and Janet in
one night.
“We’ve been trying to explore the
relevance of the show,” Norton says
during rehearsal. “Whether it’s a
matter of finding your identity, who
you are, or whatever.”
Adam Tidridge, who plays Brad,
says theatre allows an audience to
experience topics “that are too much
of a taboo to bring up in normal
conversation.”
“I think it allows the community to
really have to think about the human
condition and how life really is,” he
says.
Like most other BU Players
productions, “Rocky Horror” is staged
at the Alvina Krause Theatre, home
of the Bloomsburg Theatre Ensemble.
Performing on the BTE stage for a
couple of weeks each semester gives
20

BLOOMSBURG UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA

students a chance to connect with
a professional company and plug
directly into the community.
“It’s right in the middle of
downtown,” says Krupp, lowering the
barrier for local residents to attend.
“We are all ‘Bloomsburg,’ but the
more we go off the hill, and the more
they come up the hill, the better off
we all are as a community.”

A major in problem solving

BU offers a bachelor of arts in
theatre arts, with performance and
design technology tracks and an
integrated theatre studies option for
students pursuing careers in theatre
management or educational theatre.
Both Norton and Krupp live and
breathe the concept that theatre
prepares students for more than just
entertainment industry jobs.
“If you strip away the special
skills, we are teaching collaboration,
communication, storytelling,” Krupp
says. “These are pretty fundamental
building blocks of success in almost
any career.”
Students develop marketing skills
promoting the show, Norton says, and
manage money as they find a way to
make, build or buy props within a set
budget. “This is hands-on work from

the ground up,” she says. “Everyone
is working side-by-side-by-side … It
mirrors the professional world.”
Krupp completes the thought.
“It’s the ability to solve problems,
it’s time management, it’s personal
communication, it’s interpersonal
relationships.”
“Everything is on such a deadline,
and you can’t fake it,” says Norton
“The show is going to open when
it’s going to open,” Krupp says. “It
has to get done by the deadline. You
can’t just put it off. That’s translatable
across all disciplines and professions.”
These life lessons are not lost on the
cast and crew of “Rocky Horror.”
“Theatre is all about problemsolving,” says Tidridge, a sophomore
majoring in interpersonal
communication . “You are given a
script and then have to memorize
that, but then begin to answer
questions within the script so you can
truly understand the show and put on
a great performance.”
“You not only form a great work
ethic, but you learn how to work for
the good of other people, because
as much as you may enjoy doing the
show, there are people counting on
you to make them the best they can be
to an audience.”

And then there’s that connection to
the public.
“I think that’s absolutely what
theatre is all about and always has
been about,” says O’Neil, a senior
theatre major who for this show has
been a key crew member — hanging
lights, building the set, running the
spot light.
“Working on a play in any way,
shape or form is an incredible
experience,” O’Neil says. “It is one of
the most teamwork-oriented careers
that exists. Regardless if you are tech
crew, an actor, marketer, or a designer,
everyone has to be on the same page.”
The collaborative experience with
faculty has been important to O’Neil.
“I learned so much in this process,
and if I had been treated as just a
student, I would not have gained that
knowledge. I love that the faculty is
always so willing to match what you
give them. If you want to excel, they
are overwhelmingly supportive and
ready to give you a push.”
One of the challenges for faculty,
however, is balancing the need to let
students learn with the need to step
in and keep things going in the right
direction. Or as Krupp puts it, “the
break point between process versus
product.”
“Process is the most important part
of it, because we’re educators,” he

says. “But theatre is the public face of
the university, and the product should
be at a certain level of quality.”
“Rocky Horror” seems to have
met all those goals. Tickets sold out
a week before opening night, with
a waiting list of about 30 people for
each show.
“We had a wonderful demographic
of ages in the audience,” Norton
reports. “Many people, who grew up
in the mid to late ’70s, came ready to
play.”
Before the success of the
production even has a chance to
sink in, Krupp and his colleagues

— students and faculty alike —
are already deep into the spring
production.
“Harvey,” the Pulitzer Prizewinning comedy about a fellow who
befriends an invisible 6-foot rabbit, is
scheduled to take the stage in March.
“That’s another thing that’s pretty
beautiful about my job,” says Krupp.
“There’s always something new.” l
Kim McNally de Bourbon ’77 is
a retired newspaper editor now
working as a freelance writer and
editor in Delaware Water Gap, Pa.

Bruce Candlish

WINTER 2017

21

PHOTO: ERIC FOSTER

From left: Music professor Steve Clickard and students Reed Lehman and Rebecca Dressler.

‘Dance’ Steps
by BONNIE MARTIN

IT'S AN ASPECT of music we listeners
rarely consider: what goes on behind the
recorded performances of our favorite
vocalists or instrumentalists to make sure
the tunes we love are pleasant to the ear
and consistent in tone, volume and levels.
BU students Rebecca Dressler,
Coal Township, and Reed Lehman,
Bloomsburg, were responsible for these
aspects and more as they mixed and
mastered all tracks on The Clickard
Consortium’s new CD, “Dança do
Papagaio,” during summer 2016. The
Clickard Consortium is a 10-musician
jazz band led by Stephen Clickard, chair
of BU’s department of music, theatre and
dance, and director of both BU’s Center
for Visual and Performing Arts and the
Jazz Ensemble. Guest musicians on the
new CD are saxophonists Nate Harbaugh,
a senior marketing major and music
minor from Edwardsville, Pa. and recent
BU graduate in music, Charlie Bryant,

22

BLOOMSBURG UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA

Philadelphia.
Clickard says the CD already was
planned when he was selected to receive
the first Jack and Helen Evans Endowed
Faculty Fellowship. Established as part of
BU’s It’s Personal campaign, the two-year
fellowship includes an annual award
stipend of $2,500 to augment scholarship
and create professional and applied
learning opportunities for students.
“The fellowship came as a surprise,”
Clickard says. “Producing the CD fit well
within the fellowship’s goals, allowing me
to further my professional activities while
helping students further their career goals
through faculty/student collaboration.”
The jazz, swing and Latin tunes on the
CD are Clickard’s original compositions
and his arrangements of songs in the
public domain. The CD’s title track, which
translates to “Dance of the Parrots,” is
a nod to the Clickard family’s aviary of
15 birds and their red-winged macaw

who danced on the piano as the song
was composed. The song, in a Baião feel,
evokes the macaw’s native homeland of
northern Brazil.
The students were responsible for
producing a recording that conveyed “my
conception of the pieces as they were
written and performed” while conforming
to industry standards, Clickard says,
working directly with the musicians and
behind the scenes.
“One night, The Clickard Consortium
came to the studio to be recorded,” says
Dressler, a dual major in audio video
recording and music. “Reed (Lehman) and
I were in charge of choosing and placing
microphones, setting up the recording
software, getting microphone levels and
the actual recording. Later that month,
we mixed and mastered that track, ‘In the
After Rain.’ The whole process has helped
me prepare for my professional career.”
“As a musician, it takes thousands of

hours of practice to even start to reach
mastery,” adds Lehman, who is majoring
in audio video recording. “The same
concept goes for mixing. I think Rebecca
and I spent 90 to 100 hours in the studio.
All of that time translates into skills
gained.”
Both members of BU’s Jazz Ensemble,
Dressler and Lehman came away from the
production experience with a bonus – a
new perspective on performing. “When
we were mixing the album, we had to
listen to all of the parts separately to make
sure they sounded their best, then we had
to switch focus to see how they sounded
in the big picture with the full ensemble,”
Lehman says. “As a member of the Jazz
Ensemble, I need to focus on my job and
making sure I sound my best, but I also
need to focus on what I contribute to the
ensemble as a whole.”
Working on “Dança do Papagaio” gave
the students experience conceptualizing
a full album and carrying that concept
through from tune to tune, Clickard says.
“They now have that experience … along
with professional credit on the recording.”
“Dança do Papagaio” is available
through Amazon.com, iTunes and
CDBaby.com. l
Bonnie Martin recently retired as editor
of Bloomsburg: The University Magazine.

Professor Steve Clickard,
right, performed as well
as wrote for the album.

WINTER 2017

23

career

Fernado Santos

PHOTOS: TOM SCHAEFFER

Tuning to a
by TOM SCHAEFFER

AS GENERAL MANAGER FOR WBUQ,
Bloomsburg’s student-run radio station,
Fernando Santos is living his passion for
the art and business of radio. But the
junior communication studies major from
Bethlehem didn’t come to Bloomsburg
tuned to the possibility of a career in
communications, let alone radio.
Santos arrived at BU in 2013
determined to become a teacher. He
quickly discovered that this was not the
right career for him. “I wasn’t doing well,”
he says. “I didn’t know what I was going to
do, but it wasn’t working, so I went home.”

24

BLOOMSBURG UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA

In his semester off, he took a sales job
at a national department store chain, and
was very successful. “After doing so well
in the sales job, I knew I needed to do
something that would allow me to connect
with people and show my personality on a
regular basis,” says Santos.
An Intro to Mass Communications
class taught by David Magolis, associate
professor of mass communications,
inspired Santos to get involved in
the campus radio station. “We cover
the many potential career paths in
mass communications,” says Magolis.

“Fernando sat in the front row of my class
every day, but he really started paying
attention when I talked about WBUQ.”
“I worked as a DJ for an online radio
station when I was in high school, and I
really enjoyed it” said Santos. “When I
heard there was an opportunity to work at
the campus radio station I jumped at the
chance.”
Santos enrolled in the Confer Radio
Talent Institute, a week-long summer
institute provided through donor support,
that exposes students to careers in the
radio industry. Fernando, with additional

Giving The Gift
of Experience

Fernado Santos, right, was
introducted to the possibilities
of a radio career by David
Magolis, left.

funding from the Bloomsburg University Foundation, attended
a national radio convention in Nashville where he networked
with radio professionals from across the country. “Once I came
back from that experience, no one could tell me this wasn’t
going to be my career,” says Santos.
When the 2016 spring semester ended, Magolis approached
Santos and asked him to consider taking on the role of general
manager of WBUQ.
Santos is thinking about the station he wants to leave
behind when he graduates in 2018. “I am so excited about
this opportunity and to work with Professor Magolis to help
transform the student radio station into a more professional
training environment for myself and other students interested
in a career in radio.” l

DAVID MAGOLIS, associate professor of mass
communications, was recently chosen to receive
the Kerby Confer Faculty Fellowship for Mass
Communications. Magolis plans to use the
funding from the fellowship to transform WBUQ,
Bloomsburg University’s student-run radio station,
into a professional media environment that will
provide students with the tools needed for a career
in the radio industry.
The gift to establish the Kerby Confer Fellowship
for Mass Communications grew from the success
and student involvement in the Confer Radio Talent
Institute, which was also created through a gift
from Kerby Confer.
Once Magolis realized that more and more
students were becoming excited about working
in radio, he and Doug Kleintop, director of
development for the BU Foundation, approached
Confer with the idea of turning the campus radio
station into a learning lab for BU students.
“We had the opportunity here on campus to
expose our students to the variety of career
opportunities within the radio industry,” says
Magolis. “By transforming the radio station from
a club to a more professionalized setting, we can
begin to prepare students for the broadcasting
industry through hands-on experiences.”
Confer’s donation will also be used to support
student trips to professional conferences and
create scholarship positions within the executive
staff of WBUQ. Through these positions, students
will develop a format for the station and build a
structure of leadership and staff who will focus on
promoting the station and growing its audience.
“This gift creates the perfect opportunity to
help our faculty develop the kind of high-impact
experiences we want to provide to our students,”
says Erik Evans, vice president of university
advancement. “They also align with another major
goal of the It’s Personal campaign, which is learning
what our donors are passionate about and linking
that passion to strategic initiatives that have a
lasting and meaningful impact.”
Since the public launch of the It’s Personal
campaign, there has been a major emphasis
on creating gifts that support the university’s
Professional U initiative and its comprehensive
goal of providing students with one professional
experience each year leading to graduation.

WINTER 2017

25

Students
Helping
Students
HELPING FELLOW STUDENTS is the
core mission of Bloomsburg University’s
Community Government Association
(CGA). After seeing the level of
excitement and energy generated for the
It’s Personal campaign, members of CGA
board knew they wanted to get involved.
“We all attended the campaign kickoff
in October 2015,” says CGA president
John Caserta. “The number of alumni,
faculty and administration members
that were there inspired us. As student
leaders and representatives of the
student body, we felt like we should help
too.”
Guided by their mentors, faculty and
staff advisers, the CGA Board began
searching for the right gift to support
the It’s Personal campaign in a way
that would connect with their passion
for helping their fellow students. “We
told them, ask themselves what they’re
seeing and what they’re feeling would
be the best way to serve the student
community,” says Neil D’Amato, CGA
comptroller and co-adviser of the CGA
Board.
In conversations among the board
members, a common thread emerged.
“They went around the room, and they
each knew someone who had left the
university because they were struggling
financially,” says Tom Kresch, assistant
vice president of student affairs and
CGA co-adviser.
Former CGA President Sally McAvoy
’16 attended a meeting with Tom

26

BLOOMSBURG UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA

Fletcher, vice president of strategic
enrollment. During this meeting, she
learned of the It’s Personal Scholarship
Fund, an emergency fund established
specifically to help students in good
academic standing who were in danger
of not completing their BU education
due strictly to financial circumstances.
“Once we heard about the It’s
Personal Scholarship Fund, that really
hit home,” says McAvoy. “We knew this
was the right place for us, as the student
governing body, to concentrate our
giving efforts.” The CGA board made a
$350,000 gift to permanently endow the
It’s Personal Scholarship Fund, making
it a resource available to BU students
who need financial assistance to keep
their educational dreams alive.

CGA endows
emergency
scholarship fund
Funding for the gift was generated
through two CGA revenue streams;
proceeds from the university store
and Honeysuckle Student Apartments.
These revenue sources were created
with a long-term goal of allowing
the CGA to provide scholarship
opportunities for BU students through
future proceeds.
“I was proud of the students for
making a gift that felt right,” says
Kresch. “Not only because it aligned
perfectly with the goals of the CGA, but
also because it was personal for them.
If they could help to make sure another
student wouldn’t have to leave because
of finances, then that’s what they would
want to do.” l
­— Tom Schaeffer

CGA board members are, from left: Arden Shiller, CGA secretary; Wesley Kearney, executive assistant; William Turner,
parliamentarian; John Caserta, CGA president; Rebecca DeMuth, historian; Austin Devlin, CGA treasurer; Katie Mullen,
student trustee; and Sarah Bartra, CGA vice president.

Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania

husky notes

Setting
the Stage
LIKE MANY WRITERS, Christopher Ulloth ’13 wanted
to live “the romantic dream of being an artist in New
York.” Now, the 2015 semi-finalist at the Eugene O’Neill
National Playwrights Conference is a playwright and
dramaturg, a literary researcher, while working full-time
at a publishing company in New York City.
Ulloth’s first step was dabbling in short stories and
screenwriting before attending college. His grandfather
Dana Ulloth, retired professor of mass communications,
studied television, which enriched his grandson’s
storytelling interests. Bloomsburg University would
become Ulloth's experimental ground, and he took every
writing class he could fit into his schedule, from poetry
with English professor Jerry Wemple to playwriting
with temporary professor David Dannenfelser, where
his skills soared and his dialogue become stronger. A
class during his senior year with David Miller, assistant
professor of theatre, left an impact on Ulloth about the
process and the profession of playwriting development.
As his writing flourished, Ulloth took a job
working behind the scenes as a stagehand supervisor
under Randall Presswood, executive director of the
performing arts facilities. Presswood pitched the job as
the “most well-paid job on campus,” Ulloth recalls. It
would become more than paychecks earned as Ulloth
gained practical knowledge about the possibilities and
limitations of a stage, parallel to writing. “Randall taught
me the technical and fiscal standpoint of theatre,” he
says. “How do you do it and how do you pay for it?”
Ulloth recalls colleagues from Bloomsburg while
envisioning his latest works. He remembers workshops
by Miller’s drama collective during his senior year and
knowing he wanted to work with “like-minded, driven
people to change the world” after graduation.

With the support of alumni and peers, Ulloth cofounded Elephant Room Productions in 2014, a joint
effort with fellow theatre alumna Lauren Shover ’13.
Now two years strong with 24 plays a year workshopped
in New York and Philadelphia, Elephant Room
Productions has built on connections the collective
made at Bloomsburg. “It’s a good testament to how
strong the BU alumni are.” l
­— Nicole Keiser ’17,
mass communications/public relations

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27

Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania

husky notes
’70s
Francis Antonelli ’71 will retire
in June as Hazleton Area School
District superintendent. Antonelli has
served the district for 44 years as a
teacher, counselor, principal, deputy
superintendent, acting superintendent
and superintendent.
Gerry Little ’71 was sworn to his fifth
three-year term on the Ocean County,
N.J., Board of Freeholders during its 2016
organization meeting. He and his wife,
Mary Lee, have two children.
Joe Farley ’74 has written one book and
coauthored 11 more over the past five
years. The initial books he coauthored
resulted in the series, Keystone
Tombstones, covering interesting people
buried in the commonwealth. Earlier
this year, the first volume was released
in a new series, Gotham Graves, about
individuals buried in and around New
York City.
George Miller ’75, a
partner in Wyatt, Tarrant
and Combs, a Lexington,
Ky., law firm, wrote a
chapter on responsive
pleadings for the latest
edition of the Kentucky Civil Practice
before Trial Handbook for the University
of Kentucky Office of Continuing Legal
Education. Miller authored the chapter
in all four editions of the handbook. He
taught at the University of Kentucky
College of Law and is a fellow in the
College of Labor and Employment
Lawyers.
William Kapp ’76 retired from the
state of New Jersey as supervisor of
education following 38 years of service
in the development and implementation
of educational programs for people
with intellectual and developmental
disabilities. He resides in Erwinna, Pa.,
with his wife, Amy and 7-year-old son.

28

BLOOMSBURG UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA

Gregory Kile ’76 is president and
chief executive officer of Populytics
Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of
Lehigh Valley Health Network (LVHN),
specializing in population health
management and advanced analytics. He
also serves as the senior vice president
for insurance and payer strategies at
LVHN.
Alan Lonoconus ’79 is acting
superintendent of the Bloomsburg
Area School District. Lonoconus was
previously superintendent at Southern
Columbia, Great Valley and Shikellamy
school districts.

’80s
Elizabeth Dougherty Maguschak ’80
is chief counsel for the Pennsylvania
Department of Education, specializing
primarily in educational law. She was a
partner with McNees, Wallace & Nurick
in Harrisburg.
Michael Mixell ’80, a
partner in the law firm
Barley Snyder, was
included on the list The
Best Lawyers in America, a
legal industry peer-review
publication. Mixell is based in the firm’s
Reading office.
Carol Domanosky Nicholas ’80 is
director of Luzerne County Schools
and Homes in Education (SHINE) at
Wilkes University. SHINE is a nationally
recognized after-school program that
works with students in kindergarten
through eighth grade and their families.
Walter Zabicki ’80 is a school resource
officer at Dixon Middle School, Holly
Ridge, N.C. Zabicki, a deputy with the
Onslow County N.C., Sheriff’s Office, is
a retired lieutenant colonel with the U.S.
Marine Corps.
Melanie B. Wiscount ’84/’04M
received a Presidential Award for
Excellence in Teaching Mathematics

and Science, the highest recognition
that a kindergarten through 12th grade
mathematics or science teacher may
receive for outstanding teaching in the
U.S. Wiscount is a teacher with McKinley
Technology Education Campus in
Washington, D.C.
Rich Robbins ’85, associate dean in the
College of Arts and Sciences at Bucknell
University, Lewisburg, contributed
two chapters to the book, Beyond
Foundations: Developing as a Master
Advisor. Robbins worked with 23 authors
to provide insights into issues affecting
the practice of academic advising.
Morgan Buehner Decoteau ’86 is a
member of the sales team at Bowen
Agency Realtors Selinsgrove. She
previously worked as the Danville High
School career counselor and as race
director for the Rivertowns Race Series.
Deneen Risch Lantz ’86 is elementary
principal and federal programs
coordinator at Wyalusing Area School
District. Lantz spent more than 20 years
teaching at the elementary level in the
Towanda Area School District.
Robyn Talbot Mingle ’87 is senior
vice president, human resources, at
CommScope, Charlotte, N.C. Mingle
previously served as senior vice
president and chief human resources
officer for Xylem Inc.
Loraine Santee Zelna ’87, department
chair and associate professor of medical
imaging at Misericordia University,
wrote an article on student safety in
medical imaging education that was
published in the May/June 2016 issue
of the Journal of the American Society
of Radiologic Technologists. The article,
"Ensuring Student Safety in Magnetic
Resonance Educational Programs,"
addresses the hazards and precautions
that must be made when working
in a magnetic resonance imaging
environment.

Gene Kinney ’89 is chief operating
officer of Prothena Corporation, Dublin,
Ireland. In this newly created position,
Kinney is responsible for an integrated
research, development and commercial
organization, and several additional
key organizational functions within the
company. He also retains his title and
responsibilities as chief scientific officer.

’90s
Jane Hartman Norberg ’91 is chief of
the Securities and Exchange Commission
Whistleblower Office. Norberg joined
the SEC in 2012 as the first deputy chief
of the Office of the Whistleblower and
helped establish the office. Before joining
the SEC, Norberg was in private law
practice and served as a special agent for
the U.S. Secret Service.
Jack Emery ’92 is assistant vice
president and small business lender at
West Milton State Bank. Emery has more
than 23 years of banking experience
prior to joining West Milton State Bank.
He resides in Williamsport with his wife,
Lisa, and children.
Susan Koons Slamka ’93, assistant
professor of human services/psychology
at Pennsylvania College of Technology,
has been licensed as a psychologist in
Pennsylvania. She recently completed
one year of full-time clinical service at
the Children’s Development Center,
a division of Hope Enterprises Inc. in
Williamsport.
Kimberly Frey Welch ’93 is a Realtor
with RE/MAX Achievers Inc. in
Pottstown. Welch has been a real estate
agent for more than 12 years. She and her
husband, Eric, have three children.
Lee Peters ’94 is a regional executive
in the northeastern U.S. territory with
Spirit Vistage Worldwide, Canton,
Conn. He is responsible for overseeing
the efforts of more than 60 leaders
of business-to-business peer groups
and 1,400 individual members in
metropolitan New York, Connecticut,
New Jersey, Boston, New Hampshire,
Vermont and Maine.

Michelle Meyers Saylor ’96 is
superintendent at Bellefonte Area School
District.
Dennis Keyser ’98 is vice president
and an Infinex Investment Executive
with First Priority Bank, Malvern.
Keyser leads investment-related
responsibilities in Berks, Chester, Bucks
and Montgomery counties. Previously
he served as financial adviser at First
Niagara Financial Group and held roles
at SEI Investments, The Vanguard Group
and Prudential.
Aimee Metrick ’98 was recognized as a
2016 “Leading Women” awardee by The
Daily Record of Maryland. She is vice
president of public relations, Beltway
Region for Comcast.

’00s
Jamie Gaumer Laforgia ’00 was
selected for the 2016 class of emerging
leaders of the Pennsylvania Association
for Supervision and Curriculum
Development (PASCD). LaForgia serves
as director of professional development
content at Discovery Education.
David Marcolla ’00 is senior director
of national field sales at Xfinity
Communities at Comcast. Marcolla
oversees sales strategy and single family
home sales in the door-to-door channel.
He resides in Pennington, N.J., and
continues to serve as marketing chair and
board member of the Cancer Support
Community of Greater Philadelphia.
Nicole Wiley Boytin ’01 is commercial
and industrial relationship manager at
Penn Community Bank, Doylestown.
Boytin joined Penn Community Bank
with 15 years of experience in banking.
Charles Peterson ’01M is vice president
of the Association of School Business
Officials (ASBO) International Board of
Directors. Following his one-year tenure
as vice president, Peterson will serve the
ASBO board as president in 2018.
Carl Rinkevich ’01 is a senior geologist
and project manager with Reliance
Environmental. Rinkevich is a licensed
professional geologist and U.S. Navy

veteran with 15 years of experience; most
recently at Crawford Environmental
Services, as a geologist and project
manager.
Steven Scott ’03 recently published
a book, How to Use Law of Attraction
to Win Contests. Scott is an adjunct
instructor at McCann School of Business
and Technology and at AlignDegree. He
also co-published a children’s book, The
Adventures of Mac and Cheese.
Kevin Bledsoe ’04 is vice president of
brokerage at Investment Real Estate,
York. His responsibilities include due
diligence, feasibility studies, financial
analysis, property sales and overseeing
the company’s sales team.
Jered Knutelsky ’04 deployed in the
Navy.
Joslyn Sherry Neiderer ’04 is a
writer/editor in the Office of Strategic
Communication at Penn State University.
Sara Fiscus Parrish ’04M was named
a distinguished teacher by the Solanco
School District, Quarryville. She is an
eighth-grade team leader in the Smith
Middle School.
Ashlee Howard Fleming ’06 is a
reading specialist at Loysville Youth
Development Center, where she works
with adjudicated male youth from across
the state.
Jason Cunningham ’06 is assistant vice
president and commercial relationship
manager of Kish Back, Lewistown.
Cunningham previously was a credit
analyst, branch manager, assistant vice
president and commercial relationship
manager. He is a graduate of the
Pennsylvania Bankers Association
School of Banking, a member of
Central Pennsylvania Chapter of the
Risk Management Association and the
Borough of Lewistown Recreation Board.
Michael Averto ’08,
founder of Otreva, a
web and mobile app
development firm, has
expanded to form an
internet sales support
company, Channel Ape, in Scranton.

WINTER 2017

29

Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania

husky notes
Bethany Stone Bridges ’08M is
assistant supervisor of special education
at the Shippensburg School District.
Bridges was a speech pathologist for
Elizabethtown Area School District for
eight years. She and her husband, Matt,
have a year-old son, Oliver.
Daniel Moran ’08 is a Fairfield
Township, N.J., police dispatcher. He
completed special law enforcement
officer training, known as SLEO II, at
the Essex County Police Academy as a
member of the Essex County Deputy
Sheriffs Department and received the
police training commission’s merit
award.

’10s
Dean Grenfell ’10 is athletic director at
the Huntingdon Area School District.

Kyle Evans ’14M is senior associate at
Boyer & Ritter, Camp Hill. Evans is an
accountant whose experience includes
working with businesses, not-for-profits
to personal income tax. He joined Boyer
& Ritter in 2014.

Kimberly Delbo ’12M is director of the
Central Susquehanna Licensed Practical
Nursing Career Center, Lewisburg.

Grace Gilbert ’14M is coordinator of
student activities, community service,
and cheerleading at Penn State Schuylkill
campus.

John Leahan ’12 was promoted to
manager at the accounting and advisory
firm Baker Tilly Virchow Krause. He
works out of the firm’s Philadelphia
office on the health care team.
Melissa Hetner Gallagher ’12M is a
supervisor at Boyer & Ritter, Camp Hill.
Hetner is a certified public accountant
who provides audit and accounting
services for government, not-for-profit
and business clients.
Kayla Oxenrider ’13 is women’s
basketball associate head coach at Austin
Peay State University, Clarksville, Tenn.,
and the team’s recruiting coordinator.
Oxenrider began her coaching career
as an assistant at Albright College and
transitioned to St. Francis.

Chad Levan ’14 is senior associate at
Boyer & Ritter, Camp Hill. Levan is a
certified public accountant who works
with clients ranging from not-for-profit
entities to automobile dealerships and
individuals. He joined Boyer & Ritter in
2014.
Thomas Goff ’15 is an agent with
Coldwell Banker Penn One Real Estate,
Lewisburg.
Emily J. Griffith ’15 is an accountant
with Boyer and Ritter in Camp Hill.
Tyler Jonas ’15 is a digital forensics
technician with TransPerfect Legal
Solutions, Dallas, Texas, a global provider
of legal support services and technology.
Jonas is part of a team that collects and
analyzes electronic data from storage
devices and media.
Markie Minier ’16 is human resources
coordinator at Fabtex, Danville.

PHOTO: JAIME NORTH

Carolyn Novaleski ’10/’12M received
a doctoral degree in hearing and speech
sciences from Vanderbilt University,
Nashville, Tenn. Her dissertation
research, Apoptosis Signaling in Vocal
Fold Epithelium in Response to Acute
Phonotrauma, was funded by a National
Institutes of Health Ruth L. Kirschstein
Predoctoral Fellowship.

David Albertson ’12 was sworn into
the Columbia-Montour Bar Association
by President Judge Tom James. He
practices civil, criminal, family, real
estate, estate planning and estate
administration law.

30

BLOOMSBURG UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA

Adrianna Sgouris ’15 with Michael Phelps, who took home
five gold medals and one silver medal in swimming.

Alumna volunteers
at Olympics
ADRIANNA SGOURIS ’15, dreamed of being at the 2016
Olympics in Rio, but not as an athlete. She wanted to be a
volunteer. She reached out to Olympic officials while an
undergrad, landed an interview and was selected to make
the trip of a lifetime. She volunteered at the Main Press
Center for the Olympics.
“I was always interested in the Olympics since I was a
child and senior year at Bloomsburg I started exploring
options on how to be a part of this global event. I filled
out the application to be a volunteer, and after that I had
a few online interviews before they made their selection
in November 2015. After a few months I got the invitation
to be a volunteer at the Main Press Center. My duties at
the Press Center were to prepare and ensure that every
news conference was successful.”
“The best part of volunteering at the Main Press Center
was having the opportunity to meet a lot of U.S. athletes
outside of the competition,” says Sgouris. “Hearing them
speak about challenges and the dedication it takes to get
to that level was inspiring.”
Sgouris is a sales executive at Bunk1, a software
company that works with summer camps. l

the line up

reunions, networking and special events

GRADUATES SHARE EXPERIENCE:
Nearly 300 graduates returned to
participate in programs supporting the
university's Professional U initiative.
The alumni shown here spoke with
current Huskies about career paths
for graduates with a history degree.
The group included Dr. Jennifer Oast,
Dr. Jeffery Davis, Andrea O’ Neil ’06,
Tracy Magnotta ’93, Rachel Grim ’05,
Matt Albertson ’12, Dr. William Hudon,
Thomas Kresch ’10 and Dr. Lisa
Stallbaumer. l

WINTER 2017

31

the line up

VITAL STATISTICS
Marriages

A MATCH MADE ON CAMPUS: Andrew
Evans ’12 and Emma Jean Grabowski ’12 met at
Bloomsburg University in 2008 as Orientation
Workshop Leaders and started dating a couple
years later. On Aug. 5, 2016 they married. “We
feel blessed that we were able to be a part of
campus life – we loved our time at Bloomsburg
and we are so excited to start this journey
together,” they said. l

TEACHERS TOGETHER: It’s not every day
that two BU alumni end up teaching out of
state at the same high school. Diane Banghart
Goshert ’84 and Kyle Dewalt ’12, are both
teachers at Socastee High School in Myrtle
Beach, S.C. and are pictured representing Husky
pride in front of the school sign. l
To learn more about regional alumni
networks, visit bloomualumni.com

32

BLOOMSBURG UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA

Christopher L. Miller ’85 and Gary Lee Schaefer, Oct. 9, 2016
Kathleen McGowan ’98 and Christopher Cardamone, 2016
Amy Loser Haffly ’98 and Chris Wise, July 23, 2016
Hayley Mutter ’05 and Zachary Quigley ’06, Feb. 27, 2010
Ashlee Howard ’06 and James Fleming, Jr., June 27, 2016
Lamar Oglesby ’07 and Dominika Edwards, Nov. 23, 2016
Evan Abraczinskas ’08 and Constance Bliszcz, May 28, 2016
Nicole Belick ’09/’10M and Jonathan Kratz, Dec. 13, 2014
Bridget Hoffman ’09 and Cale DeMille ’09, July 16, 2016
Emily Sanders ’09 and Harry Schwartz ’02
Daniel Tramontozzi ’09 and Desarae DelSantro, Aug. 26, 2016
Dennis Anderko ’10 and Jill Storey, Dec 4, 2015
Kristen Bueki ’11 and Mike Scheier ’08, Sept. 1, 2013
Jaime Debuski ’11 and Lain Sheatler ’11, June 25, 2016
Caitlin Tevis ’11 and Christopher Persico, June 25, 2016
Hilary Trainer ’11 and Andrew Mashas ’09, May 12, 2012
Lisa DeMelfi ’12 and Michael Boudman, Oct. 17, 2015
Emma Jean Grabowski ’12 and Andrew Evans ’12, Aug. 5, 2016
Justine Hass ’12/’15M and Chris Vitello ’12, June 18, 2016
Jenna Mordan ’12 and Philip Anzelmo ’12, July 16, 2016
Robert H. Mummey ‘05 and Samantha Keesler, August 29, 2014
Jacob Olsavsky ’12 and Kelsey Bruce, Sept. 6, 2015
Danielle Samsenak ’12 and Jeffrey Bailey, Sept. 19, 2015
Christopher Sokoloski ’12 and Nika Cerreta, June 25, 2016
Kevin Suchecki ’13 and Patrycja Zawadka
Justin Swisher ’13 and Victoria Wood, Sept. 6, 2015
Stephanie Wachter ’15 and Richard Schaffer, Sept. 23, 2016
Nicole Hugar ’16 and Scott Ryder ’15, July 5, 2016

Births

Obituaries

Michelle Transue Adkins ’96 and husband, Matthew, twin
daughters, Sophie Nona and Quinn Sejal, May 4, 2016

Calvin Menges ’33
Lois Bryner ’44
Elizabeth Hess Grimm ’45
Mary Schroeder ’46
Nancy Fisk Riley ’49
M. Kathryn Graham ’50
Nerine Middleswarth Norman ’50
Dorothy Pichel Schneider ’51
Elizabeth Baer Schukis ’53
Theodore Thomas ’55
Ned McClintock ’56
Thomas O’Toole ’56
Daniel Thomas ’56
Rod Follmer ’57
Suzy Hughes Thompson ’57
George O’Connell ’58
William Welliver ’58
Matthew Mensch ’59
Robert Lehman ’60
Guido Lisella ’60
Betty Lou Moyer ’61
Constance Allegrucci Weinmaster ’62
Michael Steger ’62
John Boback ’63
Alice Marcinko Cierlitsky ’63
John Dowett ’63
Joan Dennen Harner ’63
Donald Hawthorne ’63
S. Rebecca Reppert Wilson ’63
Patricia Campbell Dopsovic ’64
Donnalea Vanpelt Jacoby ’64
Charles McWilliams ’64
Frederick Callender ’65
James Johnson ’66
Kathy Woodring Lilley ’66
Vincent Potocki ’67

Betsey Urban Skitsko ’00 and husband, Brian, a son,
Connor James, Aug. 2, 2016
Katharine Brady Blitzstein ’03/’04 and husband, Jared
Blitzstein ’03, a son, Max Jameson, Oct. 22, 2015
Alicia Averto Boniewicz ’04 and husband, John, a son,
Casen, July 18, 2016
Hayley Mutter Quigley ’05, and husband, Zachary
Quigley ’06, daughters, Miller T., Nov. 17, 2011, and Collins
Bloom on Aug. 9, 2014
Ashley Kreischer Border ’06/’07M and husband, Jeffrey
Border ’03/’07M, a daughter, Eliana Lara, May 10, 2016
Sandra Moleski Bruno ’06 and husband, Paul Bruno ’07,
a son, Landon Paul, July 5, 2016
Emily Lechner Shirk ’06 and husband, Chad Shirk ’02,
a son, Cole Eric, June 10, 2014, and a daughter, Mia Beth,
July 22, 2016
Kristi Brinckman Osborne ’07, and husband, Lang, a son,
Kolton Isaiah, May 4, 2016
Amy Dunkelberger Bauder ’08 and husband, Jeremy, a
daughter, Charlotte Lynn, July 7, 2016
Amanda Kisenwether Rachau ’08 and husband, Cody, a
son, Axel Gordon, March 10, 2016
Kelly Kondash Carl ’09 and husband, Jeremy Carl ’08, a
daughter, Macie Jane, Aug. 14, 2016
Devin Bownes Cohick ’09 and husband, Robert Cohick
’08, a daughter, Madeleine Maeve, May 4, 2016
Kyle Ream ’09 and wife, Erin, twin daughters, Halle Rachel
and Vivia Rose, Sept. 10, 2012, and a daughter, Jaidee
Masyn, June 17, 2016
Dennis Anderko ’10 and wife, Jill, a son, Jake Dennis,
Aug. 27, 2016
Danielle Clark Horton ’10 and husband, Geoffrey, a
daughter, Adalyn Renee, July 16, 2016

Robert Scott ’67
Enrico Serine ’67
Sally Brewington ’68
Catherine Stagich Mattfield ’68
Gerard Greenwood ’71
Alfred Avellino ’72
Charles Diehle ’72
Diana Koch Wesner ’72
M. Donna Deangelo Granteed ’73
Helen Hewitt Lewis ’74
Patricia Hauber ’75
Jane Louise Wileman Reeder ’75
James Joseph Russial ’75
Constance Shirley ’75
Sharon Marrone ’76
Marian Kane Rodriguez ’76
James Ross ’76
Charles Korpics ’80
Richard Leandri ’81
Faith Troup Swisher ’82
Becky Van Alstine ’87
Beth Wigoda Munsch ’87
Joseph Kiewlak ’88
Barry Spanial ’91
David Elam ’94
Mildred Folk Fetrow ’94
William Lenhart ’95
Lawrence Lisnock ’95
Brynne Richter Peterson ’00
Elizabeth Martin Custer ’03
Joseph Leshko ’03
Michael Grove ’04
Trisha Nagle Hoffman ’09
Andrew Protsko ’10
David Dietz ’13

Nina Gandolfo Ochs ’10 and husband, Jon Ochs ’08/’10,
a son, Oliver Thomas, Sept. 2, 2016
Kristen Bueki Scheier ’11 and husband, Mike Scheier ’08,
a son, Zachary Michael, Jan. 31, 2016
Hilary Trainer Mashas ’11 and husband, Andrew Mashas
’09, a son, Theodore Walter, Aug. 22, 2016
Erin Maugans Harris ’13 and husband, Matthew, a
daughter, Ella Ruby, June 30, 2016
Nicole Hugar Ryder ’16 and husband, Scott Ryder ’15, a
daughter, Lilliana Mae, Aug. 12, 2015
Robert H Mummey '05 and wife, Samantha, a son, Parker
Alton, April 13, 2016

Send information to:

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

WINTER 2017

33

over THE shoulder
Idwal H. Edwards '14, seated second from left in uniform, is seen at the May 26, 1951, ceremony in the
Carver Hall Auditorium. College President Harvey A. Andruss is seated in front at far right.

A Soldier to Remember
by Robert Dunkelberger
FROM THE EARLIEST DAYS of our
republic until the 1950s, segregation
was a reality within the U.S. military.
A Bloomsburg State Normal School
alumnus who achieved the rank
of lieutenant general is credited
as a force that helped to bring the
practice to an end.
Idwal H. Edwards ’14 was born
on April 5, 1895, in Freedom, N.Y.
His father, Daniel, a native of Wales,
was a Baptist minister who served
churches in communities across
Pennsylvania, including Taylor and
Scranton. To prepare for a teaching
career, Idwal Edwards entered
Bloomsburg State Normal School
in December 1911, graduating on
34

BLOOMSBURG UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA

June 24, 1914. He was honored at
commencement for excelling in both
scholarship and teaching ability.
Edwards quickly became principal
of schools in Sterling, near Scranton,
and entered Brown University in
fall 1916. However, the course of
his life changed forever in 1917
when, after enlisting in the U.S.
Army at the start of World War I, he
completed officer’s training and was
commissioned a second lieutenant.
The following year, he was
transferred to the Army Air Corps,
earning his pilot’s wings and serving
as a flight instructor.
After the war ended, Edwards

continued his military career with
assignments in the Philippines,
Hawaii, and bases in the continental
United States. He also expanded
his training, graduating from the
Air Corps Technical School in 1931,
Command and General Staff School
in 1935, and Army War College in
1938. He was rated a command
pilot, combat observer and aircraft
observer, and promoted to lieutenant
colonel.
In 1941 he assumed command of
the basic flying school at Randolph
Field, located outside of San
Antonio, Texas, and nicknamed
the “West Point of the Air.” The
growing importance of air power

Idwal Edwards as a captain in the
Army Air Corps, circa 1920.

was recognized in June 1942 when
Edwards, a brigadier general, was
named assistant chief of staff in
charge of organization and training
for the entire Army. He later served
as an administrative officer in the
European Theater, first as chief of
staff of the U.S. Air Forces and then
deputy commander for the Air Force
in the Mediterranean. Following the
war, in 1946 and 1947, he was named
commanding general of the U.S. Air
Forces in Europe.
His next role was most important
to the future development of the U.S.
Air Force, which was officially created
in 1947. That year, Edwards became
deputy chief of staff of personnel
at the Air Force Headquarters in
Washington, D.C. Recognizing the
success of segregated units during
the war, especially the Tuskegee
Airmen, Edwards ordered the study
of racial policy and practices in the
Air Force. The conclusion was that,
aside from moral issues, segregation
was inefficient and did not utilize
personnel to their best advantage.
On July 26, 1948, President Harry
S. Truman issued an executive
order that eventually ended racial
discrimination in the armed forces.
Based on the existing study, Edwards,
one of the chief figures in the

development of an integration plan,
recommended that the Air Force
unequivocally endorse the order,
which ended segregation in the
service. The last all-Black unit was
disbanded in 1952.
Edwards finished his career as
commandant of the Air University at
Maxwell Air Force Base in Alabama,
retiring in February 1953. He returned
to active duty for one month the
following year before his final
retirement on March 9, 1954, at the
rank of lieutenant general, the highest
rank achieved by any BU alumnus.
The Bloomsburg State Teachers
College Alumni Association honored
Edwards three years before his
retirement as one of the first
recipients of the Distinguished
Service Award, based on his
service as “a loyal defender of our
nation’s honor.” At the ceremony,
Edwards said as the years passed,
he appreciated more and more the
contribution Bloomsburg made to his
life.
Idwal Edwards spent retirement
in Arlington, Va., with his wife, the
former Katharine Bierman ’15. He
died on Nov. 25, 1981, at the age of 86
and was buried in Arlington National
Cemetery. l

A Military Salute
THE BU FOUNDATION recently
received a gift establishing the
Edwards Scholarship Award to
benefit students with a family
member who is a current or
previous member of the U.S. Air
Force.
The $2 million gift, received
from the estate of Charles Picek,
was donated to endow the
scholarship fund in honor of his
mother-in-law and father-in-law,
Bloomsburg alumni Katharine
Bierman Edwards and Lt. Gen.
Idwal Edwards.
There are currently 437
military students attending BU.
“Military students” are defined
as current and former military
personnel, their spouses and
dependents, and participants in
Reserve Officers’ Training Corps,
known as ROTC.
“This scholarship fund is a
great opportunity for Bloomsburg
University to honor the memory
of an alumnus, who provided
outstanding service to his
country, and his wife,” says Bob
Heckrote, academic adviser for
military and undeclared students
in Bloomsburg University’s Office
of Military and Veterans Affairs.
“It’s also a very important step
toward providing us with a way
to help support not only student
veterans, but also the members of
their families who support them
during their service.”
For details on the Edwards
Scholarship Award, call BU’s
admissions office, 570-389-4316.

Edwards while serving as
commander of Randolph
Field in 1941.

WINTER 2017

35

calendar
Academic Calendar
SPRING 2017
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

SUMMER 2017
Accelerated four-week online session –
May 22 to June 16.
Session 1 – May 22 to Aug. 11.
Session 2 – May 22 to June 30.
Session 3 – July 3 to Aug. 11.

Lewis Colburn – Feb. 8 to March 9,
Haas Gallery. Reception: Feb. 8, 11 a.m.
to 2 p.m.

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.

Blake Conroy – March 24 to May 3,
Haas Gallery. Reception: March 24, 11
a.m. to 2 p.m.

Student Recital – Friday, March 3,
7 p.m. Virginia Baker, piano. First
Presbyterian Church, Bloomsburg.

Senior Exit Show – April 26 to May 12,
The Gallery at Greenly Center. Reception:
April 26, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Student Recital – Wednesday, March
8, 7:30 p.m. Matt Daylida/Kendall
Thompson, guitar. St. Matthew
Lutheran Church.

Celebrity Artist Series
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.
The Suffers – Sunday, Feb. 26, 7:30
p.m. Haas Center for the Arts, Mitrani
Hall. $24 adults/$12 children and BU
students.

Alumni Events
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.

Jessica Lang Dance – Friday, April 14,
7:30 p.m. Haas Center for the Arts,
Mitrani Hall. $30 adults/$15 children
and BU students.

Alumni Weekend – Friday to Sunday,
March 31 to April 2.

Mostly Monday Film Series

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.
Student Exhibition Series: Krystal James
and Wanda Riley – Continues to Feb. 23
The Gallery at Greenly Center
Reception: Feb. 23, 4 to 6 p.m.

Independent film series that
brings quality films, directors and
cinematographers to Bloomsburg
University. Each documentary is
screened at 7 p.m. in Carver Hall,
Kenneth S. Gross Auditorium.
Admission: $3.50 in advance/$4 at the
door. For more information and tickets,
call the box office at 570-389-4409 or
visit cas.buzz.
Hilleman — A Perilous Quest to Save the
World’s Children – Monday, Feb. 6.
Real Boy – Wednesday, March 8.
States of Grace – Film and Discussion
with Co-Director Mark Lipman,
Monday, April 3.

36

Concerts

Student Exhibition Series: Derek Larson
and Marc Mitchell – March 7 to April 9.
The Gallery at Greenly Center. Reception:
March 7, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Blind Boys of Alabama – Saturday,
March 25, 7:30 p.m. Haas Center for
the Arts, Mitrani Hall. $28 adults/$14
children and BU students.

Art Exhibitions

Activities and Events

BLOOMSBURG UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA

Voice Studio Recital – Wednesday,
March 22, 7:30 p.m. Alan Baker and
Amelia Garbisch, piano faculty.
Gross Auditorium, Carver Hall.
Guest Lecture/Recital – Thursday,
March 23, 7:30 p.m. Greg Caffrey and
Matthew Slotkin. Gross Auditorium,
Carver Hall.
Student Recital – Sunday, March 26,
2:30 p.m. Mara O’Malley and Rebecca
Dressler, voice. Gross Auditorium,
Carver Hall.
Student Jr. Recital – Wednesday,
March 29, 7:30 p.m. David Falacko,
guitar. Gross Auditorium, Carver Hall.
Student Recital – Friday, March 31, at
7:30 p.m. Lindsey Ray, voice. Gross
Auditorium, Carver Hall.
Husky Singers – Friday, April 7, 7:30
p.m. Alan Baker, conducting. Gross
Auditorium, Carver Hall.
University-Community Orchestra and
BU Choirs Concert – Saturday, April
8, at 7:30 p.m David Tedford, Alan
Baker, Amelia Garbisch, conductors.
Mitrani Hall, Haas Center for the Arts.
Featuring Schicksalslied (Song of
Destiny) by Johannes Brahms.
Jazz Concert – Tuesday, April 11, 7:30
p.m. Stephen Clickard, director. Gross
Auditorium, Carver Hall.

Percussion Ensemble – Thursday,
April 27, at 7:30 p.m. Gifford Howarth,
director. Mitrani Hall, Haas Center for
the Arts.
Knoebel’s Grove “Pops” Concert Sunday, April 30. Jazz Band, 2 p.m.;
Concert Band, 5 p.m. Annual Park
concert, weather permitting. Stephen
Clickard conducting.
Guitar Ensemble – Wednesday, May 3,
7:30 p.m. Matthew Slotkin, director.
Gross Auditorium, Carver Hall.
Young Artists’ Recital – Saturday, May
6, at 3 pm. Competition Event. Gross
Auditorium, Carver Hall.

Special Events
Destination Blues Music Festival
Friday to Sunday, Feb. 17 to 19
Friday: Various locations in
Bloomsburg, Berwick and Danville
Saturday: Caldwell Consistory, 150
Market St., Bloomsburg
Sunday: Wesley United Methodist
Church, 130 W. Third St., Bloomsburg
$30 adults/$15 children and BU
students
celebrityartistseries.com/events/
destination-blues-music-festival/
Big Band Dance – Thursday, March 23,
7 p.m. Caldwell Consistory, 150 Market
St., Bloomsburg.
Personal Adornment Day and Makeup
Extravaganza – Thursday, April 13,
Caldwell Consistory, 150 Market St.,
Bloomsburg.
Siblings’ and Children’s Weekend –
Friday to Sunday, April 7 to 9.
Renaissance Jamboree – Saturday,
April 29.
Fall Parents and Family Weekend –
Friday to Sunday, Sept. 15 to 17.
Fall Homecoming – Saturday, Oct. 7.

University Concert Band Spring
Concert – Tuesday, April 18, 7:30 p.m.
Annual spring concert conducted by
Stephen Clickard. Mitrani Hall, Haas
Center for the Arts.
Piano Studio Recital – Wednesday,
April 26, at 7:30 p.m. Charisse
Baldoria, piano faculty. Gross
Auditorium, Carver Hall.

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

Whether a hot cup
or a cool glass ...

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BLOOMSBURG UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA

Celebrity Artist Series
Presents the 2017 Season
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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Bloomsburg

SPRING 2017

Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania

T H E

U N I V E R S I T Y

A Fond
Farewell
Page 10

ALSO INSIDE

Servant Leaders
Page 16

No Opportunity Wasted
Page 20

BLOOMU.EDU

M A G A Z I N E

Bloomsburg:
The University Magazine

From the Editor

The Long and Winding Road
In the late 1960s, many influential musicians of my generation were
based in San Francisco, a mere 13 miles from the University of California,
Berkeley, where I earned my bachelor’s degree in zoology. As I look
ahead to my retirement on June 30, however, the lyrics I recall are not
from The Grateful Dead or The Jefferson Airplane. Instead, it’s a Beatles
song, “The Long and Winding Road,” recorded in 1969, the year after I
graduated from Berkeley and started studying for my Ph.D. at UCLA.
My 43 years in academia have been a winding road. For the first 21
years of my career, I was a biology faculty member, serving 13 years as a department chairperson at two
universities. For the past 21 years, I have been an administrator at three universities, serving as dean,
provost and president.
My education, research, teaching and two administrative positions took place in the western United
States, so I never imagined my career would lead me to the East Coast for its final destination. But, now, I
cannot picture what my life would have been without the honor of serving the last nine and a half years as
Bloomsburg University’s president.
At times, Bloomsburg’s road was rough. We confronted challenging fiscal times to enable our
university to continue providing an affordable, high-quality education. We had many achievements,
such as developing a highly successful strategic plan and exceeding the $50 million goal of It’s Personal:
The Campaign for Bloomsburg University. We renovated or constructed new facilities, according to the
campus master plan. And we introduced innovative programs, including MyCore, our general education
model; the Bachelor of Applied Science in Technical Leadership, focused on leadership skills needed for
career advancement; and Professional U, providing professional experiences for students.
But just as the song urges, “Don’t keep me waiting here. Lead me to your door,” the time has come for my
wife, Robbie, and me to follow the long, winding road to our horse ranch in northcentral Washington,
closer to our three children and seven grandchildren. We leave Bloomsburg thankful for the devoted
alumni who hold great affection for this institution and grateful for the opportunity to work with
dedicated faculty and staff to serve our wonderful students. As Bloomsburg University welcomes new
leadership in the coming months, I am proud of my role as the 18th president. Bloomsburg’s future is
bright.

PHOTO: BRENDA CREE

FEATURES

p. 24
Spring 2017

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

Cynthia D. Shapira, Chair
David M. Maser, Vice Chair
Aaron A. Walton, Vice Chair
Senator Ryan P. Aument
Representative Matthew E. Baker
Audrey F. Bronson
Sarah Galbally
Representative Michael K. Hanna
Donald E. Houser, Jr.
Jonathan B. Mack
Daniel P. Meuser
Thomas S. Muller
Guido M. Pichini
Secretary Pedro A. Rivera
Judith L. Schwank
Harold C. Shields
Barbara McIlvaine Smith
Logan L. Steigerwalt
Brian Swatt
Governor Tom Wolf

ON THE WEB

Chancellor, State System
of Higher Education
Frank T. Brogan
Bloomsburg University
Council of Trustees
Patrick Wilson ’91, Chair
Judge Mary Jane Bowes, Vice Chair
Nancy Vasta ’97/’98M, Secretary
Ramona H. Alley
Robert Dampman Ph.D. ’65
Edward G. Edwards ’73
Joseph J. Mowad M.D. ’08H
Katherine Mullen
Brian D. O’Donnell O.D.’87M
Charles E. Schlegel Jr. ’60
Secretary John E. Wetzel ’98

President, Bloomsburg University
David L. Soltz
Executive Editor
Rosalee Rush
Co-Editors
Eric Foster
Tom McGuire
Designer
William Wiist
Sports Information Director
Dave Leisering
Marketing/Communications
Coordinator
Irene Johnson

www.BLOOMU.EDU

COVER PHOTO: Gordon Wenzel/Impressions

A Fond Farewell

16

Servant Leaders

19

Soil Whisperers

20

No Opportunity Wasted

24

Knowing What You Don’t Know

Remembering nearly a decade of campus
life with Dr. Soltz at the helm.
Geisinger's new tagline — Caring — is
exemplified by two MBA alums.
Bloomsburg has a new group of all-stars:
the soil judging team that is competing at
a national level.
A study abroad stint gave this grad
the tools needed to embark on several
successful careers.
From having your shoes shined to proper
dinner etiquette, alumni help students get
ready for the next level.

Departments

Tabl e o f Con ten ts
Pennsylvania State System
of Higher Education Board
of Governors

10

03 Around the Quad
08 On the Hill
27 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.

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 2017

SPRING 2017

1

Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania

NURSING STUDENT John Horoshock, a member of Bloomsburg’s Aging Special
Interest Group, chats with Sonia Deeter, a resident of Bloomsburg Towers in downtown
Bloomsburg in March. Students from the club spent an afternoon with the senior citizens
sharing stories and dying Easter eggs.

2

BLOOMSBURG UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA

PHOTO: ERIC FOSTER

unleash your inner husky

Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania

PHOTO: JAIME NORTH

around THE quad
Fly Crate
Club Winner
by TOM McGUIRE

A LOVE OF FLY-FISHING and a desire to make it easier for
anglers to buy flies led sophomore Nathaniel Treichler to win
the $10,000 first-place prize in the sixth annual Student Business
Plan Competition sponsored by Pennsylvania’s State System of
Higher Education.
Treichler, of Northampton, has enjoyed fly-fishing for years
and always wanted to start a business around his favorite activity.
“I knew the business model had to be different,” says Treichler.
“There are hundreds of fly-fishing companies, but they focus on
a one-time sell. My goal was to build a community of fly anglers
who would purchase on a predictable, repetitive basis, which is
how the subscription basis model started. After that, I simply
designed The Fly Crate members club.”
“I am fortunate to have a professor, Steven Welch, as a mentor
and adviser, and he told me about the PASSHE competition near
the end of 2016 Spring semester,” Treichler says. “The business
plan took me a week of writing for two hours every night. I had it
crammed in my head for over a year, so when it came time to put
it on paper, it came easily.”
The Fly Crate has been in business since February 2016. After a
slow start, it now has close to 2,000 customers.
“Starting a business from scratch is not easy,” Treichler says.
“It is not something you learn through reading books or going
online because all publications say the same thing, ‘it depends on
your business,’ so you’re stuck.”
The annual Business Plan Competition is designed to provide
student entrepreneurs a real-world opportunity to pitch their

original business plans and win money to help start their
businesses. Students from the 14 State System universities
participated in the competition.
“Before the announcement of the winners, I had my doubts
whether I would or could win,” says Treichler. “I was confident
that I would be in the top three, but you never know how the
judges make their decisions and what criteria they were looking
for.”
“I plan to use the prize money to improve the ‘unboxing’
experience of The Fly Crate packaging and on Internet
marketing,” he says.
Treichler is also proud that The Fly Crate is helping disabled
veterans.
“When members purchase six flies, we donate one to Project
Healing Waters,” Treichler says. “Project Healing Waters helps
with the physical and mental rehabilitation of disabled active
military, service personnel and disabled veterans.
“With great determination, I want to become the largest
monthly fly club in the U.S. with over 1,000 members,” says
Treichler. “The Fly Crate will also expand our current operations
into the fly-tying market. At the same time, we'll be growing the
online fly shop with a variety of innovative new fly designs and
publishing content-rich articles. More importantly, I see The
Fly Crate having a large voice in conservation and educating the
public in preserving our natural resources for generations to
come.” l

SPRING 2017

3

Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania

around THE quad
Shepard contributes to NASA asteroid mission

MICHAEL SHEPARD, professor of
environmental, geographical and geological
sciences, has contributed research to a NASA
mission to the asteroid 16 Psyche.
Shepard studied 16 Psyche using radar
signals at the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto
Rico. He and other scientists defined the
shape and size of the asteroid and calculated
that 16 Psyche is about 150 miles wide in
diameter, making it one of the largest metallic
asteroids in the main belt. Shepard used this

information to create a 3D model of 16 Psyche
that describes the topography of the asteroid,
which is located between Mars and Jupiter.
The scientific journal Icarus published the
model.
Discovered in 1852 by Italian astronomer
Annibale de Gasparis, the asteroid's name
comes from the Greek mythological figure
Psyche, and the fact that it was the 16th minor
planet discovered. 16 Psyche was one of two
missions selected from five finalists for funding

Bloomsburg’s Boenell Kline
finalist for Ali-Zaidi Award
BOENELL KLINE '17, a senior communications studies major
from Milton, was a finalist for the Ali-Zaidi Award for Academic
Excellence sponsored by Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher
Education Foundation.
The Ali-Zaidi Award is presented annually to a graduating
senior at one of the 14 universities that comprise PASSHE. It
recognizes outstanding academic achievement and participation
in extra- and co-curricular activities. The award was established in
2001 by Syed R. Ali-Zaidi, a founding member of the State System’s Board of Governors.
Kline completed a successful research project examining the connections between attachment
styles and the nonverbal expression of emotions. With the help of her research mentor, Angela La
Valley, associate professor of communication studies, and several BU scholarships/donors, Kline
presented her research and represented the university at a national conference in Las Vegas in 2014.
Kline has received several scholarships and awards during her time as a BU student, including
the Brinley Crahall, Jr. Endowed Scholarship, the Class of 1960 Scholarship, the William D. Greenlee
Scholarship and the Undergraduate Research Scholarship and Creative Activities Award for her
perseverance and determination to excel in and out of the classroom. l
— Maggie Farrer '18
4

BLOOMSBURG UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA

by NASA. Asteroids are mainly made of rock,
but 16 Psyche is unique because it’s almost
entirely made of nickel-iron metal.
“It’s exciting to contribute to a NASA
mission,” says Shepard. “Since this asteroid
is metallic, similar to most planet’s cores,
some theorize that it might have been a planet
destroyed in early collisions.”
The asteroid will provide insight into how
planets may have formed as well as the history
of early solar system collisions. The mission
will also help scientists understand how
planets and other bodies separated into their
layers — including cores, mantles and crusts. 16
Psyche is also the only place where scientists
can directly study a metallic core that usually
is found far below the mantles and crusts of
planets. “We’ve never seen anything like this.
It’s thought to have formed the first piece of
the solar system,” said Shepard.
The NASA mission will launch in 2023,
arriving at the asteroid in 2030. l

— Nicole Keiser '17

BAS-TL offered
on campus
BLOOMSBURG’S INNOVATIVE
Bachelor of Applied Science in Technical
Leadership (BAS-TL) program, begun
five years ago at Lehigh County
Community College, is now available
to students on Bloomsburg’s campus.
The program is also available through
Reading Area Community College,
Harrisburg Area Community College,
Northampton Community College and
the Community College of Philadelphia.
Through the community college
partners, the BAS-TL allows students
who have earned an associate’s degree
to complete a bachelor’s degree through
Bloomsburg. l

White House aid Deesha Dyer shares experience
Deesha Dyer, a White House social secretary
during the Obama administration, spoke at
Bloomsburg in April. Dyer shared her personal
journey on how she paved her way to becoming
a White House staffer. After graduating from
Milton Hershey School, a private philanthropic
boarding school in Hershey, college seemed
inevitable for Dyer until financial hardships
made her return home. While working

Nursing program earns top marks
COLLEGE CHOICE has ranked Bloomsburg’s nursing program as the most affordable nursing
degree in Pennsylvania. Schools were ranked in each state by the increasing value of the sum of the
published in-state tuition and mandatory fees. The rating places BU’s nursing program above six
sister institutions in Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education (PASSHE).
RegisteredNursing.org ranked Bloomsburg’s nursing program third in Pennsylvania. BU’s
program is the only PASSHE school ranked in the top 10. Nursing programs were assessed on
several factors, which represent how well a program supports students towards licensure and
beyond. Among the factors surveyed was the pass rate for the NCLEX-RN exam, used by all
state boards of nursing in the United States to help assess a student's competency for licensure.
RegisteredNursing.org wrote that BU’s programs are rigorous and demanding but offer real world
clinical labs, patient-based theory and supportive faculty.
Bloomsburg’s Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program began this May, and is designed
for advanced practice nurses. The DNP consists of 33 credits available entirely on online. More
information: bloomu.edu/dnp. l

New microscope enables
3D imagery
HAVING THE ABILITY to generate high-resolution images
of samples is an important aspect in scientific research.
With the acquisition of a state-of-the-art laser scanning
microscope at Bloomsburg University, researchers like
Jennifer Venditti and Angela Hess, associate professors
of biological and allied health sciences, have innovative
technology to advance their research.
The Zeiss LSM 800 Laser Scanning Confocal Microscope
uses lasers to sequentially scan samples labeled with
different types of probes and generate high-resolution
images. Applications for this microscope include fixed cell as
well as live cell imaging.
Researchers can optically section through their samples and create Z-stacks. These image
slices are then reassembled and can be rotated to provide 3D views. This technology also allows
researchers to visualize the location of structures within a cell more accurately.
Venditti is using the microscope to investigate the localization and function of synapsin
proteins in human sperm. Hess’s research focuses on localizing two proteins in human and mouse
melanoma cells. l

for years at the Pennsylvania Real Estate
Investment Trust, Dyer returned to school at
the Community College of Philadelphia. While
there, Dyer became an intern at the White
House Office of Scheduling and Advance. This
internship paved the way for various positions
in the Obama administration until Dyer
ultimately became the White House social
secretary. l

Pre-med student
receives awards

BEVERLY ANDRE, a senior majoring
in biology, pre-medical sciences,
received two prestigious awards
from the Society for Integrative and
Comparative Biology to support her
travel to their annual meeting in New
Orleans in January. Andre was one
of 21 students selected to receive the
Broadening Participation Award,
which enabled her to attend special
sessions for award recipients and be
mentored. Andre also received the
Charlotte Mangum Award, which
provided housing in New Orleans.
At the conference, she presented a
poster on “Sublethal Stress Associated
with Apiary Treatments for Varroa
Mites.” The presentation was coauthored with Bloomsburg mentors
Cindy Surmacz and John Hranitz
and collaborators Ibrahim Cakmak,
Ph.D. and S. Cakmak, Ph.D. from the
Beekeeping and Development Center
in Bursa, Turkey. l

SPRING 2017

5

New residence hall on track ,

WORK ON BU’S new residence hall continues, with the building set to open
this fall. Work in 2016 included the concrete foundation and base along with
the placement of the building steel framework. The seven-story, $61.9 million
structure will house 394 students in 138 suites on the upper six floors. The
ground floor will provide space for the University Store, dining services,
mailroom and interactive learning. The building is BU’s first suite-style
residence hall. l

Nursing seniors win regional challenge

A TEAM OF SIX senior nursing majors recently won the Geoffrey Allen Walp
Memorial 14th Annual Student Nurse Challenge at East Stroudsburg University.
The challenge is based on the College Bowl program where teams compete in
a quiz-style competition. The teams answered questions similar to what will
be asked on the NCLEX-RN exam, which all nursing graduates will take upon
completion of the program to become licensed as registered nurses. Nursing
students from seven institutions competed. Bringing home the trophy for BU
were Rachel Garraway, Samantha Bailey, Nicole Walsh, Rachel Toter and Amy
Jo Zimmerman. l

Anchor Program to aid foster children
CHILDREN AGING-OUT of the foster care
system are more likely to end up unemployed or
worse yet, in prison, within five years according
to numerous studies. A new BU initiative, the
Anchor Program, aims to engage youth, ages
15-18, to help change those statistics.
The Anchor Program will give children in
the foster care program a chance to explore
their academic interests and talents through
a multi-year summer residential college
life experience program and year-round
mentorship opportunities. The inaugural

6

BLOOMSBURG UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA

session of the program is scheduled for July
15-22.
The program will connect children in the
foster program with Bloomsburg University
students, fellow Anchor classmates, and
Bloomsburg University faculty and staff
through student life activities. BU mentors will
partner with the youth throughout the year
about topics such as developing academic goals,
exploring academic disciplines researching
post-secondary institutions, and navigating
financial aid/scholarships. l

Shark Tank-style
entrepreneur
competition
MORE THAN 70 teams of aspiring
entrepreneurs competed in Bloomsburg’s
inaugural Husky Dog Pound competition in
April — a Shark Tank-like battle for $50,000
in prizes. The competition was open to
Bloomsburg University students, Bloomsburg
University Alumni, community members from
Columbia and Montour counties and high
school students from across Pennsylvania. l

The biggest Big Event yet
MORE THAN 2,100 VOLUNTEERS tackled nearly 200 job sites in
April to make the seventh annual Community Government Association
Big Event the largest one yet. Sponsored by the CGA, the single-day
community service event gives students the opportunity to say “thank
you" to Bloomsburg area residents and show appreciation for the

community. Work locations included The First Presbyterian Church,
Children’s Museum, Kocher Park and roughly 75 local residences.
Student volunteers tackled a host of chores such as raking, painting,
gardening, mulching, removing debris, digging and various springcleaning duties. l

Fulbright Scholar

STEM Center receives PPL grant

SENIOR ALEXANDRA MILLER became
BU’s first Fulbright Scholar and will get to
live her dream when she travels to Argentina
this summer. Miller intends to learn some
Argentine Sign Language so she can work
with the deaf population, teaching them to
write and read in English. She would like
to bridge the communication gap between
Spanish and English in the classroom, as
well as the communication gap between
written Spanish or Argentine Sign Language
and written English. The Fulbright program
began in 1946 when President Harry S.
Truman signed into law a bill sponsored by
Sen. J. William Fulbright that called for the
promotion of international goodwill through
the exchange of students in the fields of
education, culture and science. l

BLOOMSBURG UNIVERSITY'S Regional STEM
Education Center received a $25,000 grant from the
PPL Foundation. The funds support the GI-STEM:
Girls in Science, Technology, Engineering and
Mathematics (STEM) Day for regional Girl Scouts
held in March, and the Great STEM Adventure
Camps scheduled for June on campus.
GI-STEM Day encourages Girl Scouts in Brownies
(second and third grades), Juniors (fourth and
fifth grades), and Cadettes (sixth-eighth grades)
to get excited about the STEM fields. During the
program, Girl Scouts move through hands-on stations
facilitated by Bloomsburg University education and
nursing majors to learn about STEM principles.
The STEM Adventure Camps provide an avenue
for students going into grades 5-10 to develop their
science, technical, engineering and math interests
and abilities. l

Students win at National
Broadcasting Society convention
A CONTINGENT OF SENIOR mass communications majors won
the On-The-Spot promo competition at the NBS-AERho National
Electronic Media Association Convention for the fourth straight
time in March in New York City. The competition calls for students
to create a 30-second promo for NBS in two days, filming, editing
and producing the clip for the judges on site. Their winning video
can be viewed at magazine.bloomu.edu. l

SPRING 2017

7

ON THE HILL

sports

Ciao
Italia
Field Hockey
Twin Sisters
Heading To Italy

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

Geneka Mahan (left)
and MacKenna Mahan

by DAVID LEISERING
COLLEGIATE STUDENT-ATHLETES travel a great deal to
play their sport, usually within a few hours of the location
of their institution. This summer, though, the Mahan twins
will get to go across the Atlantic Ocean to Italy, to play their
favorite game and experience a new culture.
Geneka and MacKenna Mahan, from Selinsgrove and
members of the Bloomsburg University field hockey team, will
head to Italy to participate in a field hockey tournament from
June 4 through June 15. The team of 15 U.S. collegiate studentathletes will visit cities throughout Italy while playing tough
international competition.
“We just looked at each other and decided to go for it,” says
MacKenna Mahan. “There were a handful of players from our
team that were invited to go, but we felt that the opportunity
was too good to pass up so we jumped on it. We have stops
in Rome, Venice, Milan, San Marino – places like that. It just
sounded really cool.”
The team is assembled by the American International
Sports Teams, an organization that has taken top-level athletes
to compete in international tournaments in more than 22
countries since 2002. Selection is based on recommendations
from coaches as well as statistical performance at all levels of
college play.
“The trip is based around field hockey and competition,”
says Geneka Mahan. “But, there will be a lot of travel
time for sightseeing and a chance to learn more about the
Italian culture. I know when we are in Rome, we’ll tour the
Colosseum.”

8

BLOOMSBURG UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA

Geneka tied a career-high with two assists last season and
has two goals and four assists for eight points in her first three
years at Bloomsburg. MacKenna, meanwhile, tied for second
on the team in scoring last season after posting career-highs in
goals (5), assists (4), and points (14). She has nine goals and six
assists for 24 points in three years with the Huskies.
The sisters are also top classroom performers. Both were
named to the Zag Field Hockey/National Field Hockey
Coaches Association Division II National Academic Squad for
having cumulative GPAs at 3.30 or better. They both major in
finance.
“This is an amazing opportunity for MacKenna and
Geneka,” says Bloomsburg head field hockey coach Nikki
Rhoads. “Anytime our ladies have a stick in their hand and are
competing, their game will definitely grow. Now, add the piece
that they are traveling internationally with other players, and
it will broaden their experience and not just in hockey. We
have great expectations for these two as they enter their senior
season.”
The duo will enter their senior season in fall 2017. The
Mahan sisters will use their summer play experience as extra
preparation for their final year in a Huskies uniform.
“We’re coming off of a pretty good season last year,” says
Geneka. “There will definitely be a big deficit with the seniors
we’re losing, but I think we can pick up where we left off and
hopefully win a lot of games.”
“I want to end my career with a winning season” adds
MacKenna. “A special season.” l

Women’s Volleyball Added
BLOOMSBURG UNIVERSITY will add
women’s volleyball as a varsity sport,
beginning play in the fall of 2018. The
addition will give BU 21 varsity programs
– 10 for men and 11 for women. Women’s
volleyball marks the first varsity sport
added at the school since the addition of
women’s soccer in the fall of 1990.

Historic Seasons

TWO BU SPORTS PROGRAMS enjoyed
unprecedented success during the 201617 winter season: women's indoor track
and field and men's swimming.
The women's indoor track and
field team had its best-ever finish and
highest-ever point total, and had two
individual conference champions at the
Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference
(PSAC) Indoor Track and Field
Championships. The Huskies finished
second overall with 111 total points – just
four points behind Shippensburg – to
earn the conference’s runner-up trophy.
Junior Hannah Boudreau, a native of
Hampstead, Md., won the individual

“We are very excited about the
addition of women’s volleyball as an
intercollegiate sport,” said BU President
David L. Soltz. “Volleyball fits with the
mission of the University and aligns
with the sports offered in our student
recruitment area. I believe it will greatly
enhance the student experience at BU."

With the new Bloomsburg team, 17
of the 18 Pennsylvania State Athletic
Conference (PSAC) schools will compete
in the sport in the fall of 2018. The
conference will determine realignment
at a later time. l

championship in the 3000-meter run
while sophomore Kirsten O’Malley, from
Montoursville, claimed the title in the
400-meter dash.
Senior Kaylee Caruso, also from
Montoursville, went on to compete
at the NCAA Division II National
Championships in Birmingham, Ala.
placing ninth in the country in the long
jump.
In the pool, the men’s swimming
team also finished second at the PSAC
Championships. The Huskies broke
seven conference records during the
meet – the first time that Bloomsburg
has held a conference record in any
event for more than 40 years.
The team made the biggest splash at
the NCAA Championships, finishing
15th in the country with 116 points in
the team standings. It was a sensational
weekend for the Huskies as four of the
five relay teams finished in the top 10
in the country – including a national
runner-up finish in the 200-yard
freestyle relay and a third-place finish in

the 200-yard medley relay. Individually,
junior Sam Feiser of Pottstown was 12th
in the 100-yard freestyle and senior
Eric Usbeck of Lake Ariel placed ninth
overall in the 100-yard breaststroke to
recap the remarkable tournament for the
Huskies.
All seven swimmers who competed
at nationals left Birmingham as AllAmericans: seniors Eric Usbeck and
A.J. Brady (Wilmington, Del.), redshirt
junior Ryan Paisley (Hazleton),
juniors Sam Feiser and Josh Grzech
(Mountain Top), sophomore Kyle Dix
(Schwenksville), and freshman Jordan
Wyant (Mechanicsburg). l

Lighting It Up

AFTER A RECORD-BREAKING 2016-17
season for the men’s basketball team, Christian
Mortellite will enter his senior year with his
sights set on becoming the school’s all-time
leading scorer.
Mortellite, of Hammonton, N.J., set the
school record for points in a season with 613,
surpassing the previous record of 600 held
by the school’s all-time leading scorer, Mike
Ellzy, in 1996-97. Mortellite also shattered the
single-season school record for most 3-pointers

in a season with 110 and led all of Division II in
3-pointers made per game (4.07).
Mortellite was named to the AllPennsylvania State Athletic Conference
(PSAC) Eastern Division First Team for the
second straight season and became the first
player since Dontahe Jordan in 2011-12 to earn
All-Atlantic Region honors from the National
Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC).
He was just the 10th player in the program's
history recognized by the NABC. l

SPRING 2017

9

A Fond

Farewell

After 9 1/2 years, Bloomsburg bids
farewell to President David Soltz
by WILLIE COLÓN

PHOTO: GORDON WENZEL/IMPRESSIONS

HE GETS MAYBE six hours of sleep a
night, is up at 5 or 5:30 a.m. every day,
frequently works 10-hour days — or longer
— and struggles to take one day of the
weekend for himself.
Flip that coin and you get a man
who loves to fly-fish and ride horses,
enjoys campus and town events like the
Destination Blues Festival … and what
about those pushups he did after Husky
touchdowns in Redman Stadium?
David Soltz laughs at the memory of
that last one.
“Those were great fun, a way to get out
of the president’s box and interact with
the crowd,” Soltz says. “And the students
thought it was pretty cool. But I’ve had
four shoulder surgeries, so between my
wife and the orthopedic surgeon telling
me that I’d need another surgery if I kept
doing those pushups … I had to stop.”
Now, another ending looms: His
retirement in June, which will bring to a
close his 9 ½ year tenure as president of
Bloomsburg University, and to a 43-year
career in higher education.

10

BLOOMSBURG UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA

“I have mixed feelings,” Soltz says, not
surprisingly. “Being president has been
the highlight of a long and good career.
I’ve enjoyed it immensely. And while I’m
looking forward to retirement, it’s a little
scary. I’ll miss the feel of the campus
and being around all these smart people.
And I’ll miss the students. I’m in it for
them, the excitement these young people
bring.”
Those who’ve worked closely with
Soltz make it clear, that he, too, will be
missed.
•••
Brenda Cromley has no trouble
remembering when she first met Soltz
during an open forum in the Schweiker
Room at Andruss Library when he was
interviewing for the position.
“He was in a dark blue suit,
answering questions, and I remember
thinking, ‘This gentleman really did his
homework’,” says Cromley, the deputy
to the president who has worked with
Soltz since he started in January 2008.
“In notes I found a few years ago, I

SPRING 2017

11

“One of his favorite days of the
year is when the Human Resources
Department has its annual lunch
for people who have served the
university for 10, 20, 30 years. He
loves to see those people and thank
them for their service. He likes to
celebrate people who make this
university what it is and make it
great for students.”

– Brenda Cromley,
deputy to the president

President Soltz takes the Ice Bucket
Challenge for ALS in 2013.

had written, ‘This candidate is
presidential.’ I thought that when he
interviewed and I think that to this
day.”
Some describe Soltz as rational
and methodical, perhaps befitting of
a man of science — he has a Ph.D. in
environmental biology. But again, flip
that coin and you get “approachable,”
“easy to talk to,” “sincere,” and the one
that comes up most, “great sense of
humor.”
“It’s nice to have someone at the
top who rose through the ranks,”
adds Mark Tapsak, professor of
chemistry and biochemisty, who
reported directly to Soltz in his role
as co-chair of the Strategic Planning
and Resource Council. “This isn’t

someone who went to business school
to run an organization but has no idea
of the business of higher education. I
like that.”
Soltz joined the faculty of
California State University at Los
Angeles in 1974, eventually serving
as dean of its College of Natural and
Social Sciences. Later he served as
provost and senior vice president
for academic affairs at Central
Washington University from 2001
to 2007.
Bloomsburg University, he says,
had everything he was looking for: a
rural setting near a world-class city,
and a position that would be a good
culmination to his career. “I also saw
Bloomsburg as a good university that

could become better and nationally
known,” Soltz adds.
Asked about the first major
challenge he faced as president, Soltz
doesn’t hesitate. “Yes, immediately
the challenge of the recession on
the national and local economies,”
he says. “The significant reductions
in state funding signaled difficult
economic times.”
Through prudent management,
belt-tightening, and record
fundraising, the university avoided
layoffs and has remained on solid
financial ground to this day. Soltz also
surrounded himself with a topnotch
team of faculty, administrators,
fundraisers and students who
answered his call to make a good

Nine Years of Achievement
May 2008

May 2010

February 2012

October 2008

October 2010

April 2012

First commencement on the new
Academic Quad
Inaugurated as the 18th president of
Bloomsburg University

2009

Middle States Commission on Higher
Education approves reaccreditation

May 2009

Established the Office of Planning and
Assessment

12

BLOOMSBURG UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA

The first “Big Event” sponsored by the
Community Government Association
University’s strategic plan, Impact 2015:
Building on the Past, Leading for the Future,
was developed

April 2011

Zeigler Institute for Professional
Development established

November 2011

Bachelor of Applied Science – Technical
Leadership implemented with the first of now
five community college partners

McDowell Institute for Teacher Excellence in
Positive Behavior Support established
First and Goal Football Campaign surpasses
$2 million goal
Field at Redman Stadium named in honor of
Coach Danny Hale

August 2012

Innovative MyCore general education program
goes into effect

February 2013

Launched Professional U initiative to provide
career related experiences to better prepare
students for personal and professional success

“American higher education continues to
be preeminent through out the world, in
large part because of our country's tradition
of American college presidents serving as
educator, civic leader, and champion of the
American dream. Dr. David Soltz is one of
those great American presidents who has
lifted his university, community, the state
and all who he works with to that spirit of
achievement. We are all fortunate to have
worked with David and he will be missed by
his fellow college presidents.”

– Karen M. Whitney, Ph.D.,
President, Clarion University

thing even better.
That ability to inspire others to
action was on full display in 2011
when Hurricane Lee flooded 25
percent of the town. Soltz convened
a crisis management team to
coordinate a response that included
students, faculty, administrators
and staff helping residents remove
water-logged belongings from their
homes, staffing the phone bank at the
emergency operations center, and
pitching in as needed at the Red Cross.
“It is readily apparent to anyone
who spends time at Bloomsburg
University that Dr. Soltz’s impact
on the institution’s future is real,
significant, and lasting,” says
Pennsylvania's State System of Higher

President Soltz speaks at the dedication
of the renovated Sutliff Hall in 2012.

Education Chancellor Frank T.
Brogan. “At the same time, his
influence goes well beyond the
campus walls through his selfless
contribution of time and talent to
help improve our State System. I
have appreciated his counsel and
have admired his tireless efforts on
behalf of his university and the entire
university system. He has been a true
leader, and a good friend.”
What’s clear to everyone who
knows and has worked with Soltz is
that all that tireless energy ultimately
is focused on one goal: To help
students succeed.
“Everything President Soltz has
done during his presidency has been

focused on increasing educational
opportunities for students,” says
Ira Blake, provost and senior vice
president for academic affairs. “His
visionary approach to education
is a model for other universities
around the country. From MyCore
to Professional U to accelerated
graduate programs at Center City,
Philadelphia — all were done to help
our students develop and succeed.”
Soltz’s emphasis on student
success also sparked the creation of
the President's Strategic Planning
Grants, which fueled a broad array
of innovative projects. The grants
provided more than $650,000 in
seed money to more than two dozen
CONTINUES ON NEXT PAGE

March 2014

Campus Master Plan approved and
implemented

May 2014

Dedication of the Benner-Hudock Center for
Financial Analysis in Sutliff Hall

January 2015

Established the Strategic Enrollment
Management division

May 2015

Steph Pettit Stadium named

June 2015

Greenly Center opens on Main Street in
Bloomsburg, giving the university a presence
in the downtown

October 2015

Launched It's Personal, the largest
comprehensive campaign in the university's
history

February 2016

Established the Giuffre Center for Supply
Chain Management and the Giuffre
Distinguished Professor in Supply Chain
Management

April 2016

First Breiner Family Professorship
recipient named

October 2016

The Terry and JoAnn Zeigler College
of Business dedicated

February 2017

Soltz honored with the Pennsylvania Black
Conference on Higher Education Presidents’
Award

April 2017

Soltz awarded President Emeritus by the
Board of Governors of the Pennsylvania State
System of Higher Education

SPRING 2017

13

“President Soltz has enjoyed interacting with the students, since
as educators, we are here to serve them. Whether it is meeting
with the Community Government Association (CGA), having
lunch in Scranton Commons or racing down to the track at
Redman Stadium to do push-ups with the cheerleaders, he has
cherished the opportunities to spend time with students.”

– Ira Blake,
provost and
senior vice president
for academic affairs

President Soltz does pushups for touchdowns at Redman Stadium in 2009.

projects, including the Center for
Visual & Performing Arts and the
STEM Magnet High School Program,
which gives high school juniors and
seniors a head start on a college
career in the STEM disciplines
(science, technology, engineering and
mathematics).
Those are just a few in a long list
of impressive accomplishments Soltz
leaves behind. The list also includes:
• A strategic plan, Impact 2017, that
has guided the establishment of
numerous academic programs
and initiatives such as MyCore,
Professional U, the McDowell
Institute for Teacher Excellence in
Positive Behavior Support, and the
Zeigler Institute for Professional
Development.

President Soltz adds his signature to a beam
used in the construction of the Greenly Center in
downtown Bloomsburg.

14

BLOOMSBURG UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA

• Almost $250 million in construction
and renovations to campus
buildings.
• The university’s first named college,
the Terry and JoAnn Zeigler
College of Business.
• First endowed professorship in
nursing named by alums Edward
and Julianne (Miller) Breiner ’77 in
support of an exceptional teacher,
mentor and leader.
• Record philanthropic support,
including the $50-million-andcounting It’s Personal Campaign,
the largest capital project in
Bloomsburg’s history.
“By developing a team of donors
to fund different endeavors, he has
allowed us to build on what we have
instead of struggling,” says Katherine

Mullen, ’17, who has worked with
Soltz as a student trustee.
And Duane Greenly, ’72, chair of It’s
Personal, says that Soltz has been key
to the campaign’s success. “Dave got
involved,” Greenly says. “Every major
gift we got has his fingerprints on it.”
Greenly, a Bloomsburg native,
provided the leadership gift that
funded the downtown center that
bears his name and is another feather
in Soltz’s cap. The $8.25 million,
multipurpose building on Main
Street has helped improve towngown relations that have at times
been a little tense. “The reaction
from the town has been excellent,”
Greenly says. “We took a rundown, vacant property and turned
it into a showcase for the Town of

PHOTO: GORDON WENZEL/IMPRESSIONS

“Dr. Soltz represents the best qualities
of an academic leader. He engages
colleagues at all levels, listens with care,
and makes decisions based on a careful
analysis of the facts and the input. He has
been and will continue to be a mentor,
a friend, and an example of the kind
of great president I aspire to be. I know
that Bloomsburg and the State System
are being left in immeasurably better
positions thanks to David and I wish him
the very best in retirement.”

– Michael Driscoll, Ph.D.,
President, Indiana University of
Pennslyvania

Bloomsburg.”
But it’s another accomplishment
that Soltz mentions first when asked
to reflect on his time as president.
“I’ve brought in an excellent group
of diverse administrators, and have
helped diversify our leadership and
student body,” he says.
•••
Recently, Soltz regrew the
beard he sported before coming to
Bloomsburg. The timing is not a
coincidence.
Soltz explains that he had a beard
for more than 25 years, but his first
granddaughter hated it. “She’d touch
it and recoil,” Soltz remembers. So,
he shaved it off. Now that he’s about
to retire and his granddaughter is OK
with it, the beard is back, a symbolic

token of the major life change that’s
coming.
So, what’s next? There’s the horse
ranch in northcentral Washington
state that Soltz and his wife, Robbie,
bought a few years back. Then there’s
the anticipation of seeing more of his
three children and seven grandkids.
International travel is also on the
docket, including Australia and New
Zealand. “And I’m a biologist, so I
have to go to the Galapagos,” he adds
with a laugh.
But even that’s not quite enough
for a man of his energy. While he
plans to lay low for the second half
of 2017, Soltz is already thinking
ahead to the possibility of consulting
work next year. “I want to stay in the
game,” he says. “I think I have a lot to

contribute.”
As he prepares to say goodbye,
Soltz is rightfully secure knowing
he leaves behind some significant
contributions. “I started as president
at the start of a recession. Now, we’re
financially stable and enrollment is
good,” Soltz says. “There’s a lot that a
new president can be positive about.”
Echoing his own goal from nearly
10 years ago, Soltz adds, “I hope the
next president takes a good place and
makes it even better.”
If so, Bloomsburg will be in a very
good place indeed. l
Willie Colón is a freelance writer in
Philadelphia.

President Soltz addresseses the crowd at the
launch of the It’s Personal campaign.

SPRING 2017

15

PHOTOS: GORDON WENZEL/IMPRESSIONS

Servant leaders
by SUSAN FIELD

Gloria Gerrity and Kimberly Bloom-Duffy Take Hands-On Approaches to
Leadership in one of the Nation’s Largest Healthcare Systems
AS HIGH-POWERED LEADERS
at Geisinger Health System, one of
the nation’s largest health service
organizations, Gloria Gerrity ’06
MBA and Kim Bloom-Duffy ’00 BSN
and ’12 MSN/MBA strive to provide
the best health care in the region
every day.
Gerrity is vice president of
Geisinger Women’s and Children’s
Institute and Bloom-Duffy is
associate vice president of nursing.
Geisinger serves more than 3
million residents in 45 counties of

16

BLOOMSBURG UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA

Pennsylvania, making the scope and
responsibility of Gerrity and BloomDuffy’s roles vast.
Gerrity administers all programs
in Women’s and Children’s Institute
service lines, is responsible for
day-to-day operations and strategy,
and manages two associate vice
presidents. She also manages 125
general and specialty pediatricians
and a net revenue budget of more
than $40 million. Bloom-Duffy is
responsible for the adult, pediatric
and neonatal intensive care units, two

pediatric medical surgical units, and
the Childbirth Center. Five nursing
operations managers report directly
to her and 500 individuals work
within the inpatient units that she
oversees.
“Gloria manages the business
concepts of the service lines and my
role is nursing operations in those
inpatient settings,” Bloom-Duffy says.
“Our roles are very collaborative and
interconnected.”
For both women, communication,
business acumen and leadership —

GLORIA GERRITY

When Gerrity took her first job at
Geisinger in 1981, she was unsure if
working in health care was her longterm goal. As she moved her way up
the ranks, Gerrity started to love what
she was doing. Thirty-six years later,
Gerrity is not only still at Geisinger,
she has developed into an influential
health care leader who has a passion
and purpose: to provide first-rate
health care from clinical and patientexperience standpoints.
“As a health care administrator, you
have to be on top of your game. You’re
constantly navigating regulatory
changes, improving process flow,
figuring out how to provide care with
limited resources, and thinking of cost
reduction, but you can’t forget about

providing value and a good service
experience for patients,” Gerrity says.
“Particularly in pediatrics, you see
families at their worst times. We have
to think about what we need to do to
relieve the pain they are dealing with.
When you do that well, your career
is forever altered. I just got a letter
from a family about how wonderful
their experience was and I feel like I
helped to create that.”
Gerrity’s typical 12-hour days
are filled with meetings, answering
email, managing projects and visiting
the different Geisinger locations to
make sure operations are running
effectively.
“Every day looks a little bit
different,” says Gerrity, originally
from Northumberland and now living
in Elysburg. “During budget season,
I’m busy finalizing numbers. Other
days, I am recruiting and interviewing
providers, interacting with the
physicians and physician leaders and
also visiting with families and making
sure patients and families are satisfied
with their experience.”
Gerrity’s philosophy is simple — she
leads by example.
“I need to always be a positive
influence and action-oriented. I set
the vision, goals and work through
people on my team to execute those
goals,” says Gerrity. She describes
herself as a “servant leader” —
someone who puts the needs of
others first and helps people perform
as highly as possible. “On a daily

basis I rely on my philosophy to set
the tone for everything that needs to
happen.”
Though Gerrity was already in a
high-level role when she entered
the Bloomsburg MBA program, she
credits the experience with giving her
the courage and confidence to put her
leadership philosophy into action.
“The MBA honed my communication skills and sharpened my finance
skills. In my classes, I got feedback
from my teammates and took that
feedback very seriously,” says Gerrity, who also has a bachelor’s degree
in business management from the
University of Maryland. “I grew as
a manager and businessperson by
understanding my work in detail and
gaining a big-picture perspective that
helped me tie everything together.”
One of Gerrity’s first MBA classes
was with Darrin Kass, program
coordinator and professor of
management. “He was inspiring. I
loved the way he taught. It was so
relatable to what I was doing on a
day-to-day basis,” Gerrity says. “He
was one of the first professors I had
where I thought, ‘this is the right
program for me.’”
A watershed moment for Gerrity
came at the end of her program in
her capstone class with Joan BenekRivera, now-retired professor of
management. The class was required
to complete a high-ropes course in
order to pass. Gerrity is terrified of
heights.
CONTINUES ON NEXT PAGE

PHOTO BY JAIME NORTH

skills they developed in Bloomsburg’s
MBA program — are essential in their
roles and help them lead with courage
and confidence.

SPRING 2017

17

“We had to go through these high
ropes and go down into this ravine. I
was dead-last in the class, but I made
myself do it and it was so rewarding
afterward,” Gerrity says. “The ropes
course gave me a new perspective and
showed me that you really have to be
grounded to be a leader.”
Gerrity remains involved with
Bloomsburg as a member of the
Zeigler College of Business advisory
board and hopes to one day teach at
the university. Her husband, Francis,
is a 1977 Bloomsburg graduate and
her youngest daughter, Jordan,
graduated in 2013 with a criminal
justice degree. “We are a family that
sees the value that the university
brings to the community,” she says.

KIM BLOOM-DUFFY

Kim Bloom-Duffy doesn’t lead from
a desk.
Though she’s in an executive level
position as an associate vice president
of nursing, Bloom-Duffy doesn’t
spend her days in an office. It’s not
uncommon to see her in the inpatient
units wearing a Geisinger registered
nurse uniform.
“I’m very proud to don a uniform
of a registered nurse,” Bloom-Duffy
says. “I take any opportunity to get
visibility in my units, talking with the
staff, talking with the patients.”
For Bloom-Duffy, there is no typical
day. Each one is different and often
involves spending time speaking

18

BLOOMSBURG UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA

with patients, staff and operations
managers to make sure all nursing
operations are at their best.
When it comes to having meetings
with her direct reports, they don’t go
to Bloom-Duffy’s office, she goes to
them. “I feel this is important from a
servant-leadership perspective,” says
Bloom-Duffy, originally from Mount
Carmel and now living in Riverside.
Bloom-Duffy’s leadership
philosophy evolved from her own
ideas of what she would want in a
leader. As she journeyed through
her rise to leadership over the last 17
years, she thought to herself, “How
can I look different? How can I be
more visible to my teams?”
She is also willing to spring into
action on the floor when needed. “I’m
still a nurse and I could always be
an extra set of hands,” she says. “If a
patient needs to be transported, or if
a nurse needs help, I have no problem
jumping in.”
When Bloom-Duffy first considered
pursuing the dual MSN/MBA,
Gerrity was one of the first people
she consulted. Bloom-Duffy was then
a team coordinator of nursing at the
children’s hospital. Gerrity was the
vice president of the Pediatric Service
Line and had completed her MBA at
Bloomsburg several years earlier.
“Kim was a leader from the
beginning. She’s my go-to nursing
person,” Gerrity says. “I’m a unique
person because I don’t have a
clinical background. To have a
nursing background with a business
background is really the best scenario
for leadership roles, so I encouraged
her to do the dual program.”
In her first MBA class, Organizational Behavior with Kass, BloomDuffy experienced many lightbulb
moments. “Many of the foundations
being taught aligned with my work as
an assistant manager. I could use the
academic principles to guide me in
how I was going to practice as a leader,” she says. “When I was promoted
to an operations manager position,

the academic background really came
into play.”
The MSN part of the program
came naturally to Bloom-Duffy, but
the MBA program challenged her
in rewarding ways. It allowed her to
“connect the dots” and to prepare to
lead an organization.
Bloom-Duffy’s life experiences
also played a significant role in
strengthening her character. When
she started the program in 2008,
she had just lost her uncle to throat
cancer. In 2009, both of her parents
were diagnosed with the same type
of cancer. Then Bloom-Duffy was
diagnosed with cervical cancer. She
was also juggling a promotion at work
and taking care of her 2-year-old son,
Cole (now 10).
“I was fortunate that I was able
to have a hysterectomy at a young
age and I didn’t need any further
treatment. My parents also ended
up doing well,” Bloom-Duffy says.
“When I look back at all that was
going on, it’s amazing that I was able
to complete my degree. The support
of my family and my Geisinger and
Bloomsburg families is what got me
through.”
“Now I have two hats: I am a
nurse by heart, but also have the
business hat, because believe it
or not, health care is a business.
We have to think of the financial
responsibility. We have to keep that
happy balance between keeping our
patients happy and having the right
individuals at the bedside and in
the boardroom,” Bloom-Duffy says.
“The decisions made at my level truly
affect the patients and the staff at
the frontline. People always ask me
if I miss taking care of patients, and
I always tell them that I absolutely
miss it; however, I know that I have
the patient at the forefront of my
decision-making every single moment
of the day.”l
Susan Field ’11/’12M is a freelance
writer based in Philadelphia.

From left: Josh Prezkop, Morgan Sandritter,
Daniel Steinhauser and Ryan Sullivan.

PHOTOS BY JAIME NORTH

The Soil

Whisperers
by JAIME NORTH
KNEADING THE SOIL between his thumb and forefinger,
Matthew Ricker creates a ribbon three inches long. From this
process the assistant professor of environmental, geological
and geographic sciences can determine how much sand and
clay are in the soil.
“We need about 15 percent of clay to get a decent ribbon as
students, but he can work with under 10 percent,” says Ryan
Sullivan, a senior geology major and member of the BU Soil
Judging Team originated by Ricker two years ago. “He can
ribbon anything. If it was straight sand he could probably work
a little ribbon on that.”
And these students would know. They proved they are
among the best judges of soil in the country last fall, when they
won the Northeast Regional Collegiate Soil Judging Contest
at Pennsylvania State University in the team’s second year of
competition.
In soil judging, contestants examine and denote the
structural characteristics of a soil profile using standard soil
science notation, generally extending to a depth of 150 cm
(4.9 ft). Those soil characteristics are used to assess potential
limitations on use of the land.
“Soil judging is an opportunity to gain experience working
in the field independently and with other colleagues, which
is a great asset for any future in the environmental field,” says
Alana O’Rourke, a senior environmental geoscience major and

team member. “It's also fun to get my hands dirty once in a
while.”
“Students who place in the top 10 individuals at national
soil judging typically are offered full academic scholarships
for graduate study from the larger schools that use the event
as a recruiting ground,” Ricker says. “Soil judging is more than
a competition; it is a very intense field exercise that closely
relates to what soil professionals do for a living. Many students
will use the experience to start their own business or go into
consulting.”
This year, Bloomsburg sent a team to the national
competition at Northern Illinois University in late April, where
they were given four practice days to examine 20 soil pits with
the actual competition over the final two days. Joining Sullivan
and O’Rourke were fellow students Daniel Steinhauser,
Morgan Sandritter, Josh Prezkop and Eric Franz.
“Practice is important, but what sticks with students is the
way the coach conveys what they are seeing in the landscape,”
says Ricker, who has been involved with soil judging since
2008. “So, I am basically telling them a complex story of how
soils have formed in a given area in a way that sticks, and they
will remember. It is repetition, and I am constantly updating
the progress of each student to correct errors and get everyone
on the same page.” l

SPRING 2017

19

Covanta President and CEO Stephen J. Jones ’83 in
the control room of the company’s waste-to-energy
plant in Union County, New York.

No Opportunity

WASTED
by JACK SHERZER

International businessman, respected attorney and hard-charging
CEO Stephen Jones' mantra for success: Embrace change
FROM A WOULD-BE dental student
to president and CEO of one of the
world’s largest waste management
companies, the only constant Stephen
J. Jones embraces in life is change.
“At every stage in my life I’ve kind
of said ‘this is interesting,’ and I go
for about three years and I say ‘what
can I do now,’” says Jones, 55, who
for the past two years has led the
Morristown, N.J.-based Covanta.
“The CEO role is complicated, so I
don’t think this one will be a threeyear cycle.”
If you live along the East Coast,
there is a good chance your household
trash is combusted and turned into
energy at one of Covanta’s waste-to20

BLOOMSBURG UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA

energy plants. With annual sales of
$2 billion, and more than 40 facilities
and 4,000 employees worldwide,
Covanta’s services touch all aspects
of the waste stream, from municipal
and commercial trash collection
to recycling to environmental
remediation.
•••
A seat in the corner office was
not on Jones’ radar when the son
of a union pipefitter from Horsham
became the first in his family to go
to college, entering Bloomsburg
University as a biology major with the
goal of becoming a dentist. A tussle
with organic chemistry, however,
convinced him to pursue what would

be a lasting passion: business.
“I liked the whole theory of
economics and looking at why
products are priced a certain way,”
says Jones, who graduated from
Bloomsburg with a bachelor of
science in economics in 1983. “I
thought it was interesting to think
through how supply and demand
impact products.”
Two other Bloomsburg experiences
had a significant impact on his life:
Joining Sigma Iota Omega (SIO) and
spending a semester in Liverpool,
England.
“I learned leadership skills at
SIO,” says Jones, who became the
fraternity’s president his senior year.

A claw grabs trash from the
tipping floor at Covanta’s
waste-to-energy plant in Ontario,
Canada. Within minutes, the
trash will be combusted at
temperatures reaching up to
2,000 degrees Fahrenheit and
will produce electricity for local
homes and businesses.

“Being able to set objectives and track
progress against those objectives,
were fundamental skills I learned as
part of the Greek system.”
For the Pennsylvania youth who
had never flown before, going to
Liverpool in his junior year whetted
an appetite for international
experiences that remains to this day.
A mix-up at the start of his travels
also taught him a valuable lesson
in self-reliance. “I went over on a
weekend to the wrong place — to the
University of Liverpool instead of
Liverpool College,” says Jones. “The
woman running the dorm let me stay
for the night. The next day I found
where I was supposed to be.”
“Studying abroad and traveling
through Europe expanded my world.
I found I was very comfortable
internationally,” he says. “I gained
the confidence that I could go almost
anywhere in the world and be able to
take care of myself without getting
into too much trouble.”

After graduation, Jones was
recruited by Verizon for its
management trainee program. While
at Verizon, Jones completed an MBA
program at Temple University and
later earned a law degree from the
University of Pennsylvania in 1989. A
freshly minted lawyer with an MBA,
he began working in mergers and
acquisitions at Dechert LLP, one of
Philadelphia’s largest law firms.
The long days and all-nighters
led him to seek interesting work
that would be family-friendly. So in
1992, he moved to Air Products and
Chemicals, Inc. It was at Air Products
that Jones met his wife, Melanie,
a chemical engineer. The couple is
celebrating 18 years of marriage and
has two boys, Zac, 17, and Alex, 14.
Jones was in-house counsel on
deals involving “tonnage gases” — the
manufacture of tons of particular
gases used in industry. His early work
at Air Products involved hydrogen,
used by oil refineries to reduce sulfur

content in fuels, and oxygen, used by
steel mills to fire up blast furnaces.
After six years, Jones was ready for
a new challenge, and Air Products
promoted him to business manager
for all West Coast hydrogen activities.
He went from helping finalize deals
to looking for new ones — a role he
relished.
“As an attorney, you’re playing
defense; you are looking for risks,”
Jones said. “On the commercial
side, you’re playing offense. You’re
looking for new opportunities and not
worrying too much about risk because
someone else, the attorney, gets paid
to play that position.”
From there Jones became vice
president and general manager of
the Industrial Chemicals Division,
negotiating deals throughout Europe
and Asia. In 2009, he became senior
vice president and general manager,
Tonnage Gases, Equipment and
Energy.
While the Great Recession of 2008
CONTINUES ON NEXT PAGE
SPRING 2017

21

This Covanta waste-to-energy plant in Lee County, Fla., handles 700,000 tons of
trash annually – garbage that otherwise would be headed for a landfill. Below: A
informational graphic produced by Covanta on the benefits of recycling.

www.covanta.com

22

BLOOMSBURG UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA

was slowing the U.S. economy, China
was still booming and Jones and
Air Products followed the market.
In 2011, he and his family moved
to the company’s headquarters in
Shanghai.
“It brought me back to the time I
spent in Liverpool,” Jones says of his
three years in China. “Deals in China
live and die by forging relationships,
especially since it’s difficult to
pursue dispute resolution by way of
courts if things fall apart. If you had
the right relationship with someone
you could get the deal done.”
“I was all over China because the
petrochemical plants are built out
in the more remote provinces,” says
Jones. “I would sit at a restaurant
and people would be amazed since
they had seen only one or two
westerners before.”
Soon after his return to the U.S.,
Air Products underwent internal
changes. Activist investor Pershing
Square acquired roughly 10 percent
of the company with an eye toward
shaking up management. It was clear
to Jones that based on these changes
taking place he would never rise
to be Air Product’s CEO and that it
was time to move on. He voluntarily
left Air Products in the fall of 2014
and by January 2015 was named
Covanta’s CEO and president.
While the transition from
industrial gases to waste
management may seem great,
they have more similarities than
differences, says Jones. Both
industries deal with the operation
of large, complex facilities. Air
Products had even operated wasteto-energy plants in the mid-1990s
and, ironically, when the company
left that business, Jones had sold
some of the plants to Covanta.
At Covanta, Jones still has plenty
of opportunities to become emerged
in international business. While the
company’s footprint is in the U.S.,
growth is primarily international.

Covanta President and CEO Stephen J. Jones
inspects Covanta’s waste-to-energy plant in
Delaware Valley, Pennsylvania.

Currently, the company is building a
plant in Dublin, Ireland, capable of
processing up to 600,000 metric tons
of waste annually — turning the trash
into electricity for 80,000 homes and
heat for 50,000 residences.
“We have a lot of inexpensive land
in the United States, which makes
it cheaper to use landfills,” says
Jones. “But if you’re an island nation
like Ireland or the U.K., you hit the
tipping point quickly because you
don’t want to use your limited space
for landfills.”
However, one area of domestic
growth is in “profiled waste,” serving
companies that want to reduce their
environmental impact and eliminate
the waste they send to landfills.
Concern over global warming is also
playing a significant role in demand
for Covanta’s waste-to-energy
plants. “It’s good public relations
for companies to engage in activities
that show they are environmentally
responsible.”
Landfills release methane, a key
contributor to global warming, as well
as posing other potential problems
such as groundwater contamination
or fires. In 2011, only 19 percent
of large U.S. manufacturers had
environmental sustainability goals,
says Jones. That level increased to
about 80 percent by 2015. Based on
this change, demand for Covanta to
handle waste from these companies is
growing by about 15 percent a year.
Covanta’s combustion process
reduces trash by 90 percent and
the ash that remains has uses as
well. Precious metals such as gold
and silver can be mined from the
ash. And in addition to being clean
enough to provide “top cover”
for landfills, Covanta is testing
technology that can further process
the ash to produce different types of
construction material — aggregate
which can be used in roads, a glass
cut for sandblasting, and a sand cut
which can be used on beaches to help
prevent erosion.

In conversation, Jones frequently
returns to the role played by
Bloomsburg University and its value
for students like himself — firstgeneration college students who
worked their way through school.
Jones spent his college summers
working in the pipefitting union on
construction jobs.
“Bloomsburg is a good value
proposition, and I don’t know
if you can teach common sense,
but I found the student body at
Bloomsburg to be down-to-earth
and very practical,” says Jones. After
donating to the university for years
and participating in events at the
Terry and JoAnn Zeigler College of
Business, Jones recently reconnected
further by accepting a seat on the
Board of Directors of the Bloomsburg
University Foundation.
As for what allowed him to navigate
a series of successful careers — any
one of which could have been a
lifetime job — Jones said it comes
down to empathy and keeping
yourself open to new situations.
“It’s important to understand
human nature and interact with
people. Today, it’s even more critical
to be able to get on the phone or have
dinner with people and work through
issues,” he says. “Understand and
think about what the other person is
trying to get out of their situation and
work to common ground.”
For those starting their career,
the master of embracing change
cautions not to specialize too early.
“Make sure you stay broad earlier in
your career; don’t box yourself in too
early. I tried to create options in my
career so I could keep expanding my
opportunities and that’s easier to do if
you don’t specialize too soon.” l
Jack Sherzer is a freelance writer
based in Harrisburg.

SPRING 2017

23

PHOTO: ERIC FOSTER

Guest speaker Eduardo Ramos ’90 and
senior Javier Borras at a Career Intensive
Boot Camp held at the Greenly Center.

KNOWING
What You Don’t Know
by TOM SCHAEFFER
JAVIER BORRAS THOUGHT he had
the interview nailed. To start, he was
wearing a new suit and tie. Borras forgot
one thing though. “The interviewer told
me that my shoes should be polished,”
says Borras. “One of the most eye-opening
moments for me was learning that I need
to shine my shoes.”
Fortunately for Borras, a senior
majoring in history and Spanish, rather
than being an actual job interview, this
was a practice session held during one of
Bloomsburg University’s Career Intensive
Boot Camps.
“I knew you should wear a suit for an
interview, but the interviewer reminded
me that they notice everything you’re

24

BLOOMSBURG UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA

wearing, down to your shoes,” says Borras.
The lesson is clear. Details count.
And the Career Intensive Boot Camps
are designed to teach students those
kind of details as they transition to the
professional world.
The boot camp, part of Bloomsburg’s
Professional U initiative, began in
February 2015, and since then more than
200 students have participated with more
than 100 alumni volunteers sharing their
time and expertise.
The camps, spanning two and a half
days, cover a lot of ground such as
interviewing, dress, business socializing,
charting career paths and salary
negotiation.

“Boot camps are designed for students
from all majors, not just business.
Afterward, students feel more confident
in their skills and abilities and they’ve
expanded their network by interacting
with alumni and professionals,” says boot
camp organizer Lauren Gross Polinski,
professional development manager in
Alumni Engagement and Professional
Development. “The program is not just
about finding a job after graduation, but
providing students with the resources to
get the opportunity that they want.”
“I thought the boot camp was going to
be very business-centric and focused on
helping business students to get ahead,”
says Borras. “But when I got there and

PHOTOS: ERIC FOSTER

saw several of my friends and liberal arts
majors that I recognized, my expectations
changed completely.”

A lot to learn

Morgan Beard ’16 participated in the
inaugural 2015 boot camp after learning
she could apply to have a donor sponsor
her attendance. Then a senior marketing
major, Beard thought she was prepared
to search for a job, but surprised at how
much she still had to learn.
“The etiquette dinner was the most
interesting experience for me. Having the
chance to eat with the alumni and connect
with them on a personal level while also
learning how to handle yourself in that

Crystal Skotedis ’03 conducts a
mock interview with a student.

type of setting was eye-opening.”
Beard’s boot camp experience directly
opened the door to her current position
as a claims professional with Traveler’s
Insurance. Inspired by her experience,
she has returned to present at each boot
camp since she graduated. “I was in their
position, and I know exactly how they’re
feeling,” adds Beard. “I’m glad to have the
opportunity to talk to them and tell them
that it’s going to be ok.”
For Crystal A. Skotedis ’03, director,
Boyer and Ritter, LLC, coming back to
help mentor students in the boot camps
is something she is very passionate about
because she knows how valuable these
types of experiences can be.

“I would have benefited greatly from
these types of experiences,” says Skotedis.
“Volunteering to help students prepare
to become professionals is a great way for
alumni to give back while also making a
direct investment in a student’s life.”
At the most recent boot camp, Skotedis
helped students by conducting mock
interviews. “Anytime students can
practice interviews before game time
it’s a huge advantage,” Skotedis adds. “It
gives them the chance to see themselves
through someone else’s eyes and helps
them reach some of those self-realization
moments where they either find out if
they are ready or that maybe they don’t
quite know how to sell themselves yet.” l

PHOTO: BRENDA CREE

Morgan Beard ’16 shares her experiences
as a recent graduate.

SPRING 2017

25

“You have shown me how
the generosity of donors
impacts the lives of
students every day.”
- Erik

Henry Carver Fund

“You made sure I didn’t
miss out on the
opportunity of a lifetime!”
- Hakeem

Professional U

“You helped me to enrich
the lives of my students
through real world
experiences.”
- Dr. Magolis

“You made it possible
for me to come back to
school when it looked like
all hope was lost.”
- Lexis

Academic Scholarships

“You provided me with
a chance to be sure that
I have chosen the right
career path.”
- Josh

Faculty

Zeigler College of Business

“You helped me make a
difference for children in
our community.”
- Amber

College of Education

to You?

What’s

You can turn your passion for Bloomsburg University into success for current and future students.
Your time at Bloomsburg was likely influenced by a specific experience you had. Perhaps there was an
internship. A scholarship you received. Maybe you were part of an athletic team or involved with a student
organization that helped shape the person you are. Or was there a faculty member or specific class that
challenged your thinking and helped set you on the path to where you are today?
Through your gift, you can make these types of experiences possible for students in an area that reflects your
own personal passion for BU. Here's a look at the kinds of personal experiences made possible because of
generous support from our alumni.

Make giving
itspersonal.bloomu.edu/mgp

“You helped us buy the
supplies we needed
to be successful this
semester.”
- Karon and Hannah

“You helped me to get a
job with the Department
of Defense.”
- Riley

“You gave me the
perfect place to go
when I need to study
and get my work done.”
Connor
- -Karon
and Hannah

College of Science and Technology College of Liberal Arts

“You made it possible
for us to help people
in need in a foreign
country.”
- Honors Students

Honors Program

“You showed me that I
do have what it takes to
be a leader.”
- Hannah

Student Affairs

Harvey Andruss Library

“You gave me the opportunity to attend a great
state school while playing
the sport that I love.”
- Shawn

Athletics

Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania

husky notes

Weaving Success

SABRINA HUNSINGER ’93/’97 was controller at Milco
Industries in Bloomsburg for a year and a half when
retiring company president Lenny Comerchero asked if
she wanted to take the reins in 2014.
Hailing from the Allentown area, Hunsinger
earned her undergraduate degree in accounting and
her master’s degree in business administration at
Bloomsburg. The CPA is the first Milco president
from outside the family since the firm’s founding in
1922. Today, the company is just shy of $40 million in
annual sales, with two divisions: Bloomsburg with 130
employees and El Salvador with 650 employees.
“I was looking for somebody who understood our
business and was a quick study,” says Comerchero,
adding that he felt he had a new leader in Hunsinger
within her first 90 days. “She demonstrated a very

quick grasp of our goals and what we were trying to
accomplish and she won the trust of all the key people,
and that was very important.’’
In Bloomsburg, the company manufactures textiles.
Some of their product line has medical uses, such as
fabric for blood pressure cuffs and netting for hospital
curtains, along with sunshade material for automobiles.
They also supply the U.S. military with waterproof
warmup clothing. Hunsinger works closely with the
vice presidents of the textile and apparel divisions, and
travels to El Salvador three or four times a year. l
­— Jack Sherzer
An extended version of this story appears in VISION:
President’s Report 2016 at bloomu.edu/vision.

SPRING 2017

27

Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania

husky notes
’50s
Patrick Denoy ’58 retired from refereeing
high school and college basketball games.

’60s
Larry W. Greenly ’65 won a 2016 Silver
Award Medal from the Military Writers
Society of America for his book, Eugene
Bullard: World’s First Black Fighter Pilot.
William Ross ’65 is chief technical officer
of Ross Organic, Inc., Santa Fe Springs,
Calif. Ross founded the company in 1987
and is chairman of the board of directors.
Carol Gesalman ’68 retired as pastor
of Fifth Evangelical Lutheran Church,
Springfield, Ohio and the Evangelical
Lutheran Church in America. Gesalman
has two sons, three stepchildren,
and 11 grandchildren and two greatgrandchildren.

’70s
Alan Dakey ’73 retired as president, chief
executive officer and director from Bank
of Bird-in-Hand. Previously Dakey was
president and chief executive officer of
Peoples Neighborhood Bank in Hallstead.
Bill Sexton ’75 retired from
teaching at the Towanda
Area High School. He will
continue to coach wrestling,
baseball and football.
Sexton was inducted into
the Pennsylvania State Wrestling Hall of
Fame, the District IV Wrestling Hall of
Fame and was a charter member of the
Towanda High School All-Sports Hall of
Fame. Bill and his wife, Julie, reside in
Towanda with their sons Ethan ’13 and
Cole ’17.
Jan Young Heller ’77 was inducted into
the Hall of Fame at the Lehigh Valley
Business' 2016 Business of the Year dinner.
The Hall of Fame honors individuals who

28

BLOOMSBURG UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA

have made a significant impact on the
Lehigh Valley business community.
William Werkeiser ’79,
a U.S. Geological Survey
deputy director, received
the 2016 Presidential Rank
Award as a Distinguished
Rank recipient. Werkheiser
is among 1 percent of career federal
leaders recognized for “sustained
extraordinary accomplishment” with
the top award bestowed to civilian
employees by the president of the United
States. Award winners are selected
through a rigorous selection process that
focuses on leadership and results. They
are nominated by their agency heads,
evaluated by private citizens and approved
by the president.

’80s
Michael Mixell ’80, an attorney in
the Barley Snyder law firm’s Reading
office, has been selected by his peers
for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in
America 2017 list. The list is compiled by
conducting peer-review surveys.
Kenneth Black ’82 is senior vice president
and chief human resources officer of Rite
Aid Corporation. Black joined Rite Aid in
2003 as the company's vice president of
tax. He held various positions within the
finance department throughout his career
at Rite Aid before being named group vice
president of compensation and benefits in
2010.
Wendy Lyden Benedict ’86 is a real
estate agent with the Debbie Reed Team
of RE/MAX Realty Group, Rehoboth
Beach, Del. Benedict began working with
RE/MAX in 2005 and is licensed in both
Pennsylvania and Delaware.
Kelly Lewis ’86 was elected executive
vice president-president elect of the
National Civil War Museum Board of
Directors.

Lori Barnes Maley ’86 is president
and chief executive officer of Bank of
Bird-in-Hand. Maley joined the bank at
its inception in 2013 as executive vice
president and CFO. She was named to
the Pennsylvania Bankers Association's
women in banking advisory committee
and was honored by the Central Penn
Business Journal as a winner in the 2016
Women of Influence awards.
Keith Oertner ’88, certified public
accountant, is a director with
MillerSearles. Oertner, who has more than
28 years of experience in both the public
and private accounting fields, was most
recently director of tax at Talen Energy.
Howard Liberman ’89 is managing
attorney of Mastagni Holstedt, APC,
Labor and Employment Practice in Los
Angeles. Liberman has practiced law since
1992, beginning his legal career in the U.S.
Navy as a member of the Judge Advocate
General's Corps. He resides in the West
L.A. area with his wife and two daughters.

’90s
Kimberly Riss Wetherhold ’91 is
regional branch administrator/vice
president of The Muncy Bank and Trust
Company, Muncy. She is responsible for
the operation of the Community Office
System. Previously at Muncy Bank,
she worked as a teller, human resource
specialist/assistant corporate secretary
and assistant branch administrator. She is
a member of the Williamsport/Lycoming
Chamber of Leadership Lycoming Class
of 2017.
Rick Mason ’92 is the 2016
recipient of the Carile Brown
Award for his volunteer
efforts on behalf of the
James V. Brown Library in
Williamsport. Mason assisted
in fundraising to help replace the library's
aging storymobile, and annually serves as
emcee for the library's author gala.

Christine D’Agostino ’93, vice president
of operations for Carpenters Contractor
Trust NY/NJ in New Jersey, was named
one of 2017’s Best 50 Women in Business
by NJ BIZ.
Richard Bobbe ’94 is senior associate
at Greenblatt, Pierce, Engle, Funt &
Flores LLC in Philadelphia. Bobbe is a
trial attorney with nearly two decades of
experience in criminal law. He serves on
the executive board of the Philadelphia
Chapter Pennsylvania Association of
Criminal Defense Lawyers and is a
member of the board of directors of the
Philadelphia District Attorney Alumni
Association.
Kurt Trimarchi ’94 is co-managing
partner of McKonly & Asbury LLP in
Lancaster. Trimarchi joined the firm
13 years ago as director of tax services
before becoming partner-in-charge of the
firm's tax practice. He is a member of the
corporate board of directors for Junior
Achievement of Central Pennsylvania,
Vistage International, and Elizabethtown
Family Business Center's sponsor's
board, as well as co-facilitator of the
center's leadership development program,
Generation Next.

homes. She joined Allied Services in 2013
as a patient care supervisor and served as
clinical director of quality, compliance and
audits for the home health care service.
Kelleher is a Certified OASIS Specialist,
COS-C and a Home Care Coding
Specialist, HCS-D.
Kathy Gemberling Hansel ’97 is senior
vice president of Adams County National
Bank, Gettysburg. Hansel joined ACNB
Bank in 2004, and became the bank's
controller in 2010. Prior to working in the
banking industry, she served as a senior
accountant at a local CPA firm. Hansel
lives in Dover with her husband and son,
and has three adult children and four
grandchildren.
Farrah Rose Kocher ’97, owner of
Advanced Tech Hearing Aid Centers, was
honored by the International Hearing
Society for her efforts during the past 10
years. Rose received an All-Star award for
her membership, work and dedication to
the society.
Michael Schearer ’97 graduated from
The University of Maryland Francis King
Carey School of Law and passed the
Maryland examination.

Marie J. Fritz, Ph.D., ’95, is assistant
dean for academic affairs in the School
of Professional and Extended Studies
at American University, where she has
taught for six years. She resides in the
District of Columbia with her partner,
John.

Christy James Troiano ’97 is director
of sales at International Society for
Pharmaceutical Engineering Bethesda,
Md. As head of the sales team, she
oversees sales of tabletops, booths and
sponsorships for ISPE events, and plays a
role in business development.

Melissa Sterling Kelleher ’96 is director
of operations at Allied Services Hospice,
Clarks Summit. Kelleher oversees a staff
that provides skilled nursing, medical
social services and physical, occupational
and speech therapy to patients in their

Patrick Morgans ’98 is the head football
coach at Marian Catholic High School
in Tamaqua. Morgans is a mathematics
teacher in the Jim Thorpe School District
and has 24 years of coaching experience.

Nicastro named Big East deputy commissioner
VINCENT NICASTRO ’87 has been named deputy
commissioner and chief operating officer for the Big East
Conference. Nicastro served for 15 years as Villanova
University’s director of athletics before being named associate
director of the Jeffrey Moorad Center for the Study of Sports
Law at the Villanova School of Law last June. Nicastro has
day-to-day oversight of the Big East’s conference operations
and business functions, including governance, compliance,
finance, NCAA and institutional relations, Olympic sport
championships, events, communications, marketing, sales and
television and digital administration. l

’00s
Rory Gaughan ’00 is program director
for the Bradford County Regional Arts
Council. He is responsible for booking
and overseeing live performances at all
three theatres in the county: the Keystone
in Towanda, Rialto in Canton and the
Sayre Theatre. He will also set up and
coordinate Missoula Children's Theatre
residencies and SchoolTime performances
for children at all three venues as well as
run the Endless Mountains Film Festival.
Elizabeth Garrigan-Byerly ’01 is an
associate pastor at Wellesley Village
Church in Wellesley, Mass. She
coordinates the pastoral care ministries
of the church, providing direct care and
working closely with the lay leaders of the
pastoral care programs. Garrigan-Byerly
began ordained ministry at the Village
Church as a pastoral resident and served
as a part-time chaplain at Massachusetts
General Hospital.
Marvin Zimmerman ’02M is account
leader at Nutrify LLC, part of The Wenger
Group, in Rheems. Zimmerman previously
was sales manager for Kirby Agri.
Nick Helmick ’03 is project
manager for the homes
division of EGStoltzfus, a
construction company in
Lancaster. Helmick was
previously the site manager.
Gregory Koons ’03M is executive
director of the Schuylkill Intermediate
Unit 29. Koons served as the assistant
executive director at Luzerne
Intermediate Unit 18 since 2012.
Steven Scott ’03 is a business instructor
at the McCann School of Business
Lewisburg campus. Scott was an adjunct
instructor for the Lewisburg and Carlisle
campuses and was Instructor of the
Quarter at both campuses.
Adam Houseknecht ’04 is president of
Best Line Equipment in State College.
Prior to joining Best Line, Houseknecht
worked in sales and marketing at Ingersoll
Rand and Bosch Rexroth. For the past 11
years, Houseknecht has been working in
various capacities at Best Line.

CONTINUES ON NEXT PAGE
SPRING 2017

29

Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania

husky notes
Maurice Dennis ’05 is assistant vice
president/ commercial loan officer at
PS Bank in Clarks Summit. Dennis'
professional experience includes seven
years in the banking industry as a
commercial credit analyst and commercial
lender. He lives in Honesdale with his wife
and son.
Kristina Knight ’05 is senior director of
Graphic Design/ Corporate Services for
the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders
a minor league baseball team. Knight
started with the RailRiders in 2006.
Justin Sabo ’05 is co-founder of Digital
Dream Labs, Pittsburgh.
Mark D’Alessandro ’06/’09M is the
training manager for North American
Operations of the LEGO Group. He
is responsible for the training and
development of retail employees in 93
LEGO stores across the United States and
Canada.
Andrew Venezia ’07 is assistant professor
of exercise science and sport at the
University of Scranton. He has presented
his research at conferences around the
nation and was awarded a pre-doctoral
fellowship from the National Institutes of
Health.
Jessica DeBlasi ’08 is a learning and
communication associate for Bayer
Pharmaceuticals where she handles
program management and training
logistics on a national and international
basis and is responsible for organizational
communications.
Joshua Faith ’08 is head of the credit
administration department and credit
analyst at Gratz Bank, Gratz. Faith has
lending experience with Gratz and
Regency Finance Company as a loan
officer.
Brandon Hickox ’09 is a frontline
supervisor at Cargill, Wyalusing.
Sarah Thompson Maneval ’09 is
assistant vice president and small business
lender at the West Milton State Bank.
She previously worked as a teller services

30

BLOOMSBURG UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA

representative, head teller, community
banking officer and community office
manager.

’10s
Gregory Gillam ’11 is a treatment center
manager at Clearpoint Recovery Center in
New York City for young men recovering
from alcohol and substance abuse.
Meredith Blunt ’12 is a special education
teacher in Greenwich Public Schools,
Conn.
Kenneth Lawson ’12 is assistant treasurer,
senior credit analyst for Lakeland Bank,
Oakland, N.J. Lawson joined Lakeland in
June 2015 as a senior commercial credit
analyst for the New York Commercial
and Middle Market Lending Team.
Previously, he worked for Sussex Bank as a
commercial credit analyst.
Taylor Farr ’13 is vice president,
commercial lender of First Columbia
Bank & Trust Co., Bloomsburg. Farr began
his career with the bank as an intern and
joined the commercial loan group upon
graduation. Recently, he graduated with
honors from the Pennsylvania Bankers
Association School of Commercial
Lending. He serves on the boards of the
United Way of Columbia County and the

Bloomsburg Area YMCA.
Stephanie O’Leary ’13 is brand manager
at First Quality Enterprises Inc., King of
Prussia.
Jessica Prettyleaf Hicks ’16 is a financial
adviser with AXA Advisors LLC, Vestal.
She has earned her FINRA Series 7 and 63
registrations and her Life, Accident and
Health license. She resides in Athens with
her husband.
Helen Martin ’16MSN is a certified
registered nurse practitioner at Mount
Nittany Physician Group Internal
Medicine in State College. She has been
employed by Mount Nittany Health since
2007.
Dean Salmon ’16 completed
U.S. Coast Guard basic
training at TRACEN
Center, Cape May, N.J. He is
assigned to the Coast Guard
Cutter “Diligence” based in Wilmington,
N.C.
Danielle Sitzman ’16 is a consultant in the
VIP and Concierge Services department
with Sonic Automotive Corporate
Headquarters, Charlotte, N.C.
Joshua Wayne ’16 is an engineering
aide at Adams Electric Cooperative
in Gettysburg. Wayne completed an
internship at the Adams County Office of
Planning and Development.

Snyder represents U.S. in Rugby
WATCH THE U.S. Women’s National Rugby Sevens
team play and you may see an alumna at work. Nikki
Snyder, a recent Bloomsburg University nursing graduate
and Women’s Club Rugby team player, is competing
professionally with the Eagles. She competed most
recently in the HSBC Women’s Elite Sevens Series in Las
Vegas. She helped the team place fourth out of 12 teams
in the world.
Recruiters discovered Snyder during her years of
playing on BU’s club rugby team, which reached the
National DII Rugby Tournament each of the last three
years, including its first-ever trip in 2014. After receiving
several invitations to private USA rugby camps, Snyder
was selected to play for the Eagles team. l

the line up

reunions, networking and special events

Alumni honored at awards dinner
Marc Steckel ’93 was named Alumni Volunteer of the Year
at the Alumni Awards Banquet held in April. Steckel, of New
Windsor, Md., received the William T. Derricott ’66 Volunteer
of the Year Award in recognition of his volunteerism
throughout 2016. Three other graduates were honored at the
awards dinner, a tradition at Bloomsburg since the 1940s.
Steckel, deputy director for Complex Financial Institutions
with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC)
serves as vice president of the BU Alumni Association.
He has been an active regional alumni network leader for
the Washington, D.C., region, supported the university’s
Professional U Initiative by hosting Bloomsburg students
for internships and for a Husky Career Road Trip to the
FDIC. A Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA), Steckel earned
his bachelor’s degree in business administration from
Bloomsburg in 1993. He is a graduate of the Stonier Graduate
School of Banking and a Harvard University executive
leadership program.
Aimee N. Metrick ’98, Fulton, Md., an award-winning
communications executive, received the Distinguished
Service Award. Regional vice president of communications
for Comcast Cable’s Beltway Region, Metrick has earned
recognition for her leadership in the cable industry for
mentoring young professionals and as executive sponsor for
“Beyond School Walls,” a workplace mentoring partnership
to help at-risk students. She is an active community volunteer,
serving on the board of Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Greater
Chesapeake area, for example. She earned a bachelor’s degree
in mass communications at Bloomsburg.

Shown from left: Aimee Metrick ’98, regional vice president of communications for Comcast
Cable’s Beltway Region, Distinguished Service Award; Nazeer Curry ’16, operations
supervisor for J.B. Hunt, Maroon and Gold Excellence Award; Marc Steckel ’93, deputy
director for Complex Financial Institutions at FDIC, alumni Volunteer of the Year; Dr. Roberta
“Robbie” Soltz and Bloomsburg University President David L. Soltz; Gwen Wiscount ’09,
partner and marketing/sales executive at FullFunnel, Maroon and Gold Excellence Award; Joe
Yasinskas ’06, BU Alumni Association president.

Legacy Scholarship recipients
A dozen Bloomsburg University students whose parents are BU graduates
received alumni Legacy Scholarships of $1,056 to offset costs of tuition for the
spring 2017 semester. Legacy Scholarship recipients are selected by random
drawing each November. Only BU alumni who are parents or grandparents of
current students may enter the drawing on behalf of a student. The amount of
the scholarship award varies each year.

Gwen Wiscount ’09, Boston, and Nazeer Curry ’16,
Emmaus, each received a Maroon and Gold Excellence
Award, which recognizes alumni graduating within the
last 15 years. Wiscount is a partner and sales and marketing
executive at FullFunnel. She holds a degree in business
administration and marketing. Curry is an operations
supervisor for J.B. Hunt working in the field of transportation
logistics. He earned a degree in business administration.
Retiring Bloomsburg President David L. Soltz and Roberta
“Robbie” L. Soltz, Ph.D., were named 2017 honorary alumnus
and alumna.

Shown from left: First row: Marilou Stettler ’86, Sarah Stettler, Shannon Green, Margaret Green
’84, Linda Bagnata ’14, Angela Bagnata. Second row: Marc Steckel ’93, Scott Swanger ’86,
Zachary Swanger, Ethan Fosse, Tess Fosse ’07, James Stewart, Melissa Stuart ’95. Third
row: Todd Givler ’00, Jay Popson, Deborah Popson ’88, Mike Coppa ’00, Michelle Misiewicz
’96, John Misiewicz, John Misiewicz ’90, Joe Yasinskas ’06. Not shown: Brooke Malore and
Robin Babbish Malore ’12, Lindsey Reber and Cynthia Reber ’87, Kaelyn Sessa-Sarver, Donna
Sessa-Sarver ’95.

SPRING 2017

31

the line up
Baseball team holds First Pitch luncheon

VITAL STATISTICS
Marriages
James Tyson ’86 and Shelly Lee, Dec. 30, 2016
Michelle Heffner ’98 and Kellie Rahl, Sept. 28, 2014
Trina Marie Parsons ’99 and Anthony Fixl, Oct. 22, 2016
Nick Helmick ’03 and Erica Haas, March 28, 2015
Katie Sofranko ’04 and Richard Waelde, Oct. 7, 2016
Robert H. Mummey ’05 and Samantha Keesler, Aug. 29, 2014
Joseph Kleiner ’07 and Elizabeth Casey, Sept. 24, 2016
Christopher Klunk ’07 and Renee Baisas-Janolo, Aug. 20, 2016
Lauren Start ’07 and David Gamsby ’04, July 26, 2008

BU's baseball team kicked off its 2017 season with a First Pitch
luncheon at the West End Ale Haus in Bloomsburg. John Babb, who
was head coach from 1985-90, was honored. Shown in photo, from
left, Bill Adams, John Nicodem, Al Stewart, Scott Michaels, John Babb,
Kevin Crane, Steve Sees, Joe Catanzaro, Don Forbes and Tom Davies
(sitting).

Joshua Faith ’08 and Emily Sabin, Jan. 16, 2016
Lindsey Falls ’08 and Brian Hughes ’07, Sept. 28, 2013
Donald Gliem ’08 and April Floyd, Aug. 13, 2016
Crystal McCaffrey ’08 and Mark Meinert, Sept. 10, 2016
Christie Gauer ’09 and Patrick Hearn, Aug. 23, 2014
Nicole Heiland ’09 and Travis Miller, May 30, 2015
Kaitlin McLaughlin ’09 and Frank J Minniti II, Dec. 10, 2016

Generations of Bloomsburg alumni gather
Three generations of the Andrewlevich family who are also Bloomsburg
alumni gathered at the 11th Annual Jupiter Craft Brewers Festival at
Rodger Dean Stadium in Jupiter, Fla. The event is sponsored by the
Tequesta Brewing Company, co-owned by Fran Andrewlevich, the son
of Ted Andrewlevich ’62, Sunbury. Numerous family members volunteer
at the festival, which supports charitable causes. These relatives
include Ted’s son Ed Andrewlevich ’90 and his granddaughter Amber
Andrewlevich ’13, both from Chalfont. Joining them were Ted’s niece and
nephew Mary Ann (Menniti) Laky ’87, Whitehall, and Rick Menniti ’80,
Charleston S.C. and family friends Dave Griffith class of 1990 and Patti
(Baesher) Griffith ’90, Maple Glen.

Elaina Van Kirk ’10 and Andrew Byers Slike ’08, Sept. 23, 2016
Laura DePrimo ’10 and Michael Mitchell, July 16, 2016
Joseph Bertuola ’11 and Angeline Alessandri, July 9, 2016
Amanda Frazier ’12 and Keith Lynn, Aug. 6, 2016
Emily Lawren Marlin ’12 and Neil Thomas Sullivan '11, Oct. 8, 2016
Brittany Reibsome ’12 and Daniel Winnick, Oct. 15, 2016
Victoria Tunis’12 and David Shemari ’06, Oct. 3, 2015
Tara E. Kutzor ’13 and Georgios M. Petropolous ’13, Oct. 22, 2016
Amanda Shott ’13 and Patrick Kennedy ’09, Sept. 24, 2016
Alexa Fisher ’14 and John Spinella, March 16, 2015
Kayla Furmanchin ’14 and Steven Baade ’13, Nov. 5, 2016
Alisha Holmes ’14 and Dalton Conway ’14, Oct. 22, 2016
Christina Manocchio ’14 and Todd Harder, July 30, 2016
Bryan Snyder ’14 and Tamara Bradley, Aug. 6, 2016
Nicole Lanier ’15 and Justin Wolfe ’14, Sept. 10, 2016
Rachel Hillibush ’16 and Chad Seitzinger, Oct. 1, 2016
Meredith Blunt ’12 and Gregory Gillam ’11, June 17, 2017

From left, first row: Mary Ann (Menniti) Laky ’87, Rick Menniti ’80, Ted Andrewlevich
’62, Ed Andrewlevich ’90, Amber Andrewlevich ’13. Second Row Left to Right: Dave
Griffith ’90, Dee (Borek) Andrewlevich attended ‘86-89, Patti (Baesher) Griffith ’90.

To learn more about regional alumni
networks, visit bloomualumni.com
32

BLOOMSBURG UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA

Obituaries
Jean Eyer Bredbenner ’34

Joan Stackhouse Wolfe ’61

Edwin Crawford ’70

Dale Crooks ’81

Victoria Edwards ’41

Carol Lee Jones Bayler ’62

Sheldon Rupert ’70

Elizabeth Skulskie McGinley ’82

Sarah Hummel Shaffer ’41

Marjorie Dominick ’62

Robert Brosokas ’71

Peter Dattilo ’83

Ruth Schield Weniger ’41

Gordon Jones ’62

Paul Drozic ’71

M. Karen Wilson ’83

H. Clifton Wright ’42

Thomas Little ’62

Richard Harris ’71

William McGinnis ’84

Jean Kuster Von Blohn ’43

Elizabeth Applegate ’63

Daniel Leonard ’71

Michelle Ann Burrows ’85

Edward Bollinger ’48

Joseph D’Andrea ’63

Diana Spangler Walck ’71

Carole Steinruck ’85

Barbara McNinch King ’49

Darlene Scheidt Derkits ’63

Karen Snyder Beaver ’72

Durrell Reichley ’86

Leonard Gazenski ’50

Nancy Cotner Schultz ’63

Gloria Ondish Musser ’72

Mary Herring ’87

Charles Phillips ’50

John A. Foderaro ’64

Bernard Brutto ’73

Howard McKinnon ’88

George R. Hughes ’51

David Johnston ’64

Cynthia Gearhart ’73

Barbara Haloskie ’89

Nancy Williams Travis ’52

Gary Bower ’65

Ronald Sutton ’73

Keith Seroka ’89

Roseann Dick ’53

Elizabeth Winter Montello ’65

Wanieta Bendinsky ’74

William Gensel ’90

Joann Fornwald Edwards ’53

Maxine Johnson Sarnoski ’65

Frances Zalinski ’74

Billie Vargo Albertson ’91

Merlyn Jones ’54

Rosemarie Saul Bereznak ’66

David Robinholt ’76

Charles Stryker ’91

Mary Anne Lingousky ’55

Nancy Smith Kingston ’66

Victoria Humphreys Rupert ’76

James G. McLane ’92

Charles Skiptunas ’56

Danielle Koury Parker ’66

Bernard Mont ’77

Rena Houseknecht Wellicka ’93

Marjorie Mae Kreischer ’59

Geraldine Minner Jackson ’67

Laura Wessner Smith ’77

David Unser ’95

Kenneth Miller ’59

Mary Sulewski Jenkins ’67

Diane Rosa Santiago Cornier ’79

Dana Creasy ’99

William Funk ’60

John Rakich ’67

William Dill ’79

Rachael Phillips Collar ’05

Arthur Ohl ’60

James Stepanski ’67

Gertrude McGoff Gillott ’79

Andrew Protsko ’10

George Opilla ’60

Dorothy Worhach ’69

Dale Malott ’80

Steve Switzer ’10

Births
Maura Luciano Irving ’04 and husband, Patrick, a son, Maximus Patrick, Nov. 25, 2016
Jillian Lipinski Zarnas ’04 and husband, Michael, a son, Stephen Edward, Nov. 14, 2016
Robert H. Mummey ’05 and wife, Samantha, a son, Parker Alton, April 13, 2016
Amanda Smith Kishbaugh ’05 and husband, Jared ‘05/’07, a son, Luke Nelson, June 17, 2016
Lauren Start Gamsby ’07 and husband, David ’04, a daughter, Madelyn Dolores, Jan. 3, 2013
Lauren Start Gamsby ’07 and husband, David ’04, a daughter, Isabelle Grace, June 15, 2016
Melissa Browne Davis ’09 and husband, Brian ’07, a daughter, Maya Sue, Oct. 13, 2016
Christie Gauer Hearn ’09 and husband, Patrick, a daughter, Hannah Noelle, Dec. 14, 2016
Nicole Heiland Miller ’09 and husband Travis, a daughter, Madison Rey, July 12, 2016
Jessica Ervin Kasarda ’10M and husband, Brian ’00, a daughter, Kylee Marie, April 4, 2017
Alexa Fisher Spinella ’14 and husband, John, a daughter, Fiona Pearl, April 25, 2016
Jonathan White ’14 and wife, Dani, a son, Knox Grayson, March 2, 2017

Send information to:

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

SPRING 2017

33

over THE shoulder
The first engraving
made of Institute
Hall, 1867.

150 years of Carver Hall
by Robert Dunkelberger

THE MOST ICONIC BUILDING on
the Bloomsburg University campus
is, without question, Carver Hall.
April 3 marked the 150th anniversary
of its dedication in 1867 as the first
building of the Bloomsburg Literary
Institute. The individual most
responsible for it coming into being
was its eventual namesake and the
university’s first president, Henry
Carver.
Arriving in Bloomsburg in March
1866, Carver knew that higher
education could only thrive in the
community if there was a firstclass facility to attract students
and faculty. Carver soon opened
a school and made it clear that a
new building was essential for its
long-term survival. The trustees of
the Bloomsburg Literary Institute,
incorporated 10 years before,
acquired the land, while Carver

34

BLOOMSBURG UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA

solicited donations for construction
costs by selling shares of stock.
Work on the building commenced
later that summer and continued
into 1867. Carver not only served
as architect, he also organized the
construction as general contractor.
Finally, on Wednesday, April 3,
1867, the dedication exercises began
with a procession that started at 1
p.m. and made its way up Main Street
to what was then Institute Hall.
Faculty, pupils, parents and
townspeople poured into the new
building and up the stairs to the
auditorium, where more than 1,000
filled it to overflowing. Speeches
and essays read by students filled
the time that afternoon, evening and
the following evening. In addition
to the auditorium, there were six
classrooms on the first floor, and
the total cost for construction and

furnishing came to $24,000.
No changes were made to the hall
until 1887, when a bridge was added
to the back of the building leading
from the second floor into the new
model school building. Five years
later, the auditorium was updated
with a balcony and, for the first time,
permanent seating in the form of
opera chairs. The most noticeable
renovation the building has ever
undergone was in the summer of
1900, when a large tower topped by a
copper dome was added to the front.
A new porch and steps also were
built, and a stained glass window
was installed in the ceiling of the
auditorium. A clock was installed in
the tower with faces on all four sides,
paid for by selling dinners at the
Bloomsburg Fair.
In 1927, 60 years after the
dedication, the Alumni Association

The tower and dome being
added to the front of Institute
Hall, summer 1900.

The auditorium in 1923, showing the original
opera seats.

One of the remodeled classrooms became the
college business office, 1954.

passed a resolution that Institute
Hall be named after the school’s
first president and the building’s
architect and contractor, Henry
Carver. The Board of Trustees quickly
approved the resolution. Renovations
continued. Enclosed stairwells were
built on the south and east sides
in 1928 and an eight-foot lantern
placed on top of the dome in 1931.
In the summer of 1939, the bridge
was removed and an addition placed
on the north side to enlarge the
auditorium’s stage.
The interior of Carver Hall was
completely remodeled in 1953, when
all the classrooms were taken out and
replaced by offices. As the most visible
and historic building on campus,
it was decided Carver Hall would
house the offices of the president,
dean of instruction (now provost),
and Business Office. At the same time,
lights were installed on the lower
section of the tower to illuminate the
dome as a beacon in honor of the 27
individuals affiliated with the college
who died during World War II.
The dedication of the remodeled
Carver Hall and beacon took place on
Feb. 19, 1954. Later that year, ivy was
removed from the exterior and the
bricks painted red, while the dome,

which had been painted green in
1927 after tarnishing from its original
color, was painted silver. The dome
remained silver for 30 years until the
spring of 1984, when it became the
current gold.
Since the 1950s, the work on Carver
Hall has been one of remodeling
and shoring up the historic building.
Extensive repairs and reinforcements
to the tower and dome were made in
1976, 1982 and 2002. The auditorium,
whose opera chairs were replaced
with cushioned seats by 1962,
underwent a complete remodeling
with new chairs, lighting, carpets,
paint, elevator and dressing rooms
30 years later. The Kenneth S. Gross
Auditorium was dedicated in the fall
of 1993 and a further remodeling was
completed in 2014.
For 150 years, Carver Hall has
stood at the doorstep of the campus,
welcoming everyone to the university.
It was the culmination of a vision
dating back to 1839 that higher
education could succeed and flourish
in Bloomsburg. Thanks to Henry
Carver it did, and continues to do so
today. l
Robert Dunkelberger is Bloomsburg
University archivist.

The bridge connecting Carver and Noetling
Halls, shortly before its removal in 1939.

The newly remodeled Kenneth S. Gross
Auditorium, 1993.

The World War II memorial beacon on its
first lighting, February 1954.
SPRING 2017

35

calendar
Academic Calendar

Alumni Events

NEW STUDENT ACTIVITIES

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.

BU Preview Day Orientations
Monday, June 19 –
Wednesday, June 21
Monday, July 10 –
Wednesday, July 12
Summer Camps
Football Youth Camp –
June 14-16
Football High School Team Camp –
June 16-19
Soccer Camp –
June 19-22
Leadership Academy –
June 25-28
Baseball Youth Camp –
July 7-13
Wrestling Team Camp –
July 9-12

Activities and Events

Alumni Homecoming Tent Party
Saturday, Oct. 7,
11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
Fenstemaker Alumni House

Special Events
Athletics Hall of Fame
Oct. 27, 6 p.m. Kehr Union Ballroom

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

Men’s Basketball Youth Camp –
July 17-20
Field Hockey Camp –
July 30-Aug. 2
Summer Preparatory Academy
Sunday, July 2
Adult Learner Orientation
Friday, Aug. 25

Bailey Gemberling, a sophomore history major, models a costume
and makeup by sophomore art major Sarah Foster at the 13th Annual
Personal Adornment Day and Makeup Extravaganza in April. Foster
won the best in show makeup award.

36

BLOOMSBURG UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA

PHOTO: ERIC FOSTER

Welcome Weekend Orientation
Thursday, Aug. 24 – Sunday, Aug. 27

Commemorate your college experience.

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Bloomsburg
FALL 2017

Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania

T H E

U N I V E R S I T Y

M A G A Z I N E

President Hanna:
Focused on Students

Page 10
ALSO INSIDE

Career colored outside the lines

From the Army to Crayola, Gary Wapinski
makes the pieces fit. Page 16

Positive Impact

Five years of preparing teachers and still going
strong. Page 20

BLOOMU.EDU

Bloomsburg:
The University Magazine

From the Council of
The Trustees

As the tournament director

for the Little League Baseball World Series, I get
to see, first-hand, the excitement each year as 16
championship teams make their way to Williamsport.
The exuberance of the players is infectious and gives
all us at Little League International tangible evidence
of the hard work we do each day that has an impact on
millions of players around the world.
In my role as chairperson of the Council of Trustees, I have also been an eyewitness to
the hard work that goes into selecting a new university president. In July, Dr. Bashar Hanna
assumed leadership of Bloomsburg University. But, for the prior eight months, countless hours
were put in by many people to help identify and eventually choose the person to serve as BU’s
new leader. This group, led by the Honorable Judge Mary Jane Bowes, did outstanding work
reviewing applications, conducting on- and off-campus interviews before eventually making
recommendations to the Board of Governors. I know I speak for all faculty, staff, alumni and
students when I say thank you to all of them.
Dr. Hanna, in just a short time, has already made an impact on the campus as he gets out to
meet with different groups and shares his vision for the university. From his first day on the job
when he took selfies with the orientation staff at Scranton Commons, to his meeting faculty and
staff in and around campus, Dr. Hanna is quickly learning what it means to be a Husky.
Dr. Hanna’s presidency is just one of several items for the BU community to look forward to in
the coming month. This year, we will kick off homecoming weekend Friday, Oct. 6, at 11 a.m. by
officially dedicating the David L. Soltz Residence Hall with a ribbon cutting ceremony. It was my
honor, at the June Council of Trustees meeting, to announce the naming of this building in honor
of Dr. Soltz for his nine and-a-half years of service to Bloomsburg. That night we will celebrate
with fireworks on the Quad the most successful capital campaign in the university’s 178-year
history, the It’s Personal Campaign, which raised more than $61 million.
So as we welcome Dr. Hanna and his family to the BU family, let’s remember the hard work and
dedication it took to get to this point.
Patrick Wilson '91
Chairman, Council of Trustees

FEATURES
10

16

President Hanna:
Focused on students

Transformative teachers in his own
life inspired Dr. Hanna’s studentcentered approach to education and
higher education leadership.

Career colored outside the lines
From the Army to Crayola, Gary
Wapinski makes the pieces fit.

20 Positive Impact

PHOTO: ASHLI TRUCHON

23

Gary Wapinski with BU interns Samuel Payson and Leanna Smith at Crayola.

p. 16

24

Pennsylvania State System
of Higher Education Board
of Governors
Cynthia D. Shapira, Chair
David M. Maser, Vice Chair
Sen. Ryan P. Aument
Rep. Matthew E. Baker
Audrey F. Bronson
Sarah Galbally
Rep. Michael K. Hanna
Shaina Marie Hilsey
Donald E. Houser Jr.
Jonathan B. Mack
Daniel P. Meuser
Barbara McIlvaine Smith
Thomas S. Muller
Guido M. Pichini
Secretary, Pedro A. Rivera
Sen. Judith L. Schwank
Harold C. Shields
Brian Swatt
Governor Tom Wolf

ON THE WEB

Chancellor, State System
of Higher Education
Karen M. Whitney
Bloomsburg University
Council of Trustees
Patrick Wilson ’91, Chair
Judge Mary Jane Bowes, Vice Chair
Nancy Vasta ’97/’98M, Secretary
Ramona H. Alley
Robert Dampman Ph.D. ’65
Edward G. Edwards ’73
Joseph J. Mowad M.D. ’08H
Brian D. O’Donnell O.D.’87M
Charles E. Schlegel Jr. ’60
John Thomas
Secretary John E. Wetzel ’98

Fall 2017

President, Bloomsburg University
Bashar W. Hanna
Co-Editors
Eric Foster
Tom McGuire
Designer
William Wiist
Sports Information Director
Dave Leisering
Marketing/Communications
Coordinator
Irene Johnson

www.BLOOMU.EDU

COVER PHOTO: Gordon Wenzel/Impressions

Faculty and staff making
a difference

We Make It Personal sub-section
of the campaign shows the heart of
Bloomsburg University.

Living your own story

How to Get Away with Murder writer
J. C. Lee found his passion for the
power of storytelling at BU.

Departments

Tabl e o f Con ten ts
BLOOMSBURG UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA IS A MEMBER
OF THE PENNSYLVANIA STATE SYSTEM OF HIGHER EDUCATION

Five years of preparing teachers and
still going strong.

03 Around the Quad
08 On the Hill
27 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.

HUSKY NOTES
SPORTS UPDATES
ALUMNI INFO, MORE
TM

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.
For information regarding civil rights or grievance procedures and for inquiries
concerning the application of Title IX and its implementing regulation, contact:
Title IX Coordinator, Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania, Warren Student
Services Center, 400 East Second Street, Bloomsburg, PA 17815; Phone: (570)
389-4529; Email: titleixcoord@bloomu.edu.
Additionally, inquiries concerning Title IX and its implementing regulation can
be made to the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Civil Rights, Region III,
The Wanamaker Building, 100 Penn Square East - Suite 505, Philadelphia, PA
19107; Phone: (215) 656-6010; Fax: (215) 656-6020.
© Bloomsburg University 2017

FALL 2017

1

Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania

HEIDI STOUDT, a student in Bloomsburg’s graduate program in education of the deaf/
hard of hearing, talks with children at a two-week camp held on campus in June. Six
children, ages 2 to 8, attended the camp, designed to give future teachers of the deaf
the opportunity to work with deaf and hard of hearing students and to learn how to
develop lesson plans/activities based on each individual child's needs.

2

BLOOMSBURG UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA

PHOTO: ERIC FOSTER

unleash your inner husky

Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania

PHOTO: ©AMNH

around THE quad

Interning at the museum

PALEONTOLOGY ISN’T A TYPICAL CAREER TRACK for
an environmental geoscience major, but that didn’t stop Keara
Drummer from testing the waters this summer at the American
Museum of Natural History in New York City.
Drummer, a junior, was among the select few interns to help
curators on the Royal Mapes Collection — a scientific collection
of over 500,000 fossil specimens, mostly from the Upper
Paleozoic of the central United States. She was one of six chosen
for this highly competitive eight-week internship.
“The internship does basically what I’ve been doing helping
organize the Department of Environmental, Geographical and
Geological Sciences' (EGGS) paleo collection, except on a larger
more professional scale,” Drummer said. “I enjoy the nature of
the job, and I’m up for the bigger challenge. I’ve always had a
fascination for museums as a kid.”
According to Drummer, EGGS prepared her for this
opportunity through individualized instruction, hands-on field

experience and networking opportunities with professionals.
One connection she says gave her a competitive edge to land the
internship was work with paleontology instructor Alan Gishlick.
Gishlick opened Drummer to the idea of paleontology on a
professional level. With his help, Drummer says she had the
opportunity to learn about and execute the suggested archival
process for fossil specimens, catalog the information of fossils
and use the online Paleobiology database to identify taxonomic
ranks for the last two years.
While this is not a set career path for Drummer, she says this
experience will help her get closer to her career goals and open
up doors for opportunities in other fields. She is grateful to
the EGGS faculty who have opened her up to so many careerenhancing opportunities and allowed her to be a well-recognized
student, not just a number in the 150-person lecture hall. l
Maggie Farrer, mass communications major.

Fall 2017

3

Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania

around THE quad

Trustees name new residence hall in Soltz’s honor
AN EXTERNAL GATHERING SPACE with a fire pit. A
second-story outdoor plaza. Two lounges on every floor.
And a green roof with sustainable, low-maintenance
plants. Just a few of the “wow” factors built into plans for
Bloomsburg University’s new Soltz Residence Hall, which
opened in August at the site of the former University Store
Building.
The seven-story, $61 million residence hall features
138 suite-style apartments which will house nearly 400

4

BLOOMSBURG UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA

students in 11 single, 37 double, 39 triple and 48 quad
configurations. The building's first floor will feature the
University Store, Mail Services and two nationally known
restaurants, Chick-fil-A and Qdoba Mexican Eats.
The Council of Trustees approved naming BU’s new
residence hall in honor of retired President David L. Soltz
in June. The trustees also recommended and approved
President Emeritus status for Soltz. l

An Anchor introduction to college life

Left: Cierra Vorrath works on a sculpture in BU’s art studio. Above: Chef Gary Vadakin, owner of
Seasons on Main restaurant, gives students a cooking lesson.

BLOOMSBURG UNIVERSITY’S ANCHOR PROGRAM debuted July
with programming for 25 students in foster care, ages 15 to 18. The
program allowed students to explore their academic interests and
talents through a summer residential college life experience. The
Anchor Program also offers year-round mentorship opportunities to
help participants make life choices like furthering their education
and living independently.
Rona Anderson, the assistant to the dean of the College of Liberal
Arts, coordinated the program and felt it made an impact. “We
helped the students see there are programs on campus that they
can pursue. It also gave them a sense that college is a place where
they belong and is something attainable," says Anderson. “Plus, the
outpouring of support from so many individuals on- and off- campus
was gratifying.”
BU student Nicholas Stine, who served as a crew leader, was
impacted as much as the participants. “I had no idea this program
would change me so much,” says Stine. “I learned from these
individuals who are wise beyond their years. They told us stories,
both good and bad, about their lives. We were with them for a week,
and by the end, they trusted us enough to open up to us. Yes, some
stories we were not prepared for, but we listened and learned from
each other.” l

Krause named interim provost
JAMES KRAUSE was named interim
provost and senior vice president of
Academic Affairs. A faculty member
in the department of exceptionality
programs, Krause began his almost
21-year tenure at Bloomsburg
University as an adjunct professor.
He has served the uiversity in several
capacities, including associate

professor, department chair,
assistant dean, co-director of the
McDowell Institute, interim vice
provost and dean of undergraduate
education and as interim dean of the
College of Education. Krause earned
his bachelor’s and master’s degrees
from Bloomsburg University and his
doctorate from Temple University. l

FALL 2017

5

Students develop
orienteering course
for upper campus
BLOOMSBURG ROTC CADET NICOLAS
CORRELL had an idea one day while sitting in
his geographic information system (GIS) class.
Instead of driving half an hour to ROTC land
navigation trainings, why not just create an
orienteering course on upper campus?
Orienteering is a race using a map and
compass for navigation on an unfamiliar
course. In addition to being used by the ROTC
program, the course can be used by students
in several environmental, geographical and
geological sciences (EGGS) as well. Correll
shared his idea with Jeff Brunskill, associate
professor of environmental, geographical and
geological sciences. Brunskill enlisted the
help of the rest of the EGGS department and
GIS student worker, Patrick Martin. Correll
worked with Brunskill to design and install the
metal signage and choose fitting locations on
upper campus for the course. Martin focused
on GIS and associated mapping software to
develop an orienteering map. l

Business major goes international
BLOOMSBURG UNIVERSITY
LAUNCHED a new major in international
business this fall semester. The major,
combining liberal arts learning with
the functional business disciplines,
experiential learning and leadership
training, will prepare students with a
wider set of skills and a global mindset.
According to Jeffrey Krug, dean of
the Zeigler College of Business, BU’s
international business major will differ
from universities that only train students
in international business course work.
Students will graduate with a functional
concentration, notes Krug. “A graduate can say they have a major in
international business and have functional concentration in accounting,
finance or marketing, etc.”
“I’m aware of only two other universities in the country that offer this
type of degree, the University of South Carolina and the University of
Southern California,” says Krug. “This is a unique opportunity to give
students an international business degree that will propel Bloomsburg
University in tremendous ways.” l

6

BLOOMSBURG UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA

Bloomsburg ranked
fifth by Schools.com
BLOOMSBURG UNIVERSITY IS
RANKED FIFTH among four-year
colleges in Pennsylvania according to
Schools.com. The ranking focuses on
affordability, flexibility and student
services using the most recent
government data to evaluate colleges
and universities across the state.
According to Schools.com, BU has
the lowest raw cost of tuition and fees
in the state. The average net price
is also affordable, ranking fourth
among Schools.com’s best traditional
and online colleges in Pennsylvania.
Schools.com also recognized BU for
participating in the Pennsylvania
Transfer and Articulation Center
(transfer agreements) with many of
the state's two-year schools. l

Concussion study enters new phase
BLOOMSBURG UNIVERSITY is
continuing its role in a nationwide
study of concussions with the
National Collegiate Athletics
Association (NCAA).
A team of clinical athletic
training graduate students, led by
Joseph Hazzard, director of BU’s
Institute for Concussion Research
and Services, spent a week at the
United States Military Academy in West Point, N.Y, assisting with baseline
testing of cadets. The concussion screenings are the initial data point for
this summer’s phase of the NCAA-Department of Defense Concussion
Assessment, Research and Education (C.A.R.E.) Consortium.
The study, now in its fourth year, includes 30 schools nationwide. The
study has enrolled more than 28,000 participants, including studentathletes at 26 campuses and students at four military academies. The
CARE 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. l

National ranking in sales
BLOOMSBURG UNIVERSITY’S PROFESSIONAL SALES program
is ranked among the nation’s best for professional sales education by
the Sales Education Foundation. BU is one of just five Pennsylvania
schools that are ranked. The others are LaSalle, Widener, Duquesne
and Temple. It is the only school in the Pennsylvania State System of
Higher Education with a sales specialization. Students in marketing
and sales complete 21 credits in marketing and 18 credits in sales.
Bloomsburg has a history of success in sales competitions. In
2016 BU finished in the top 10 at the Russ Berrie Institute National
Sales Challenge and was top 10 at the International Collegiate Sales
Competition from 2013-2015. l

Banking team reaches finals
BLOOMSBURG UNIVERSITY WAS A FINALIST in the nationwide 2017
Community Bank Case Study Competition, facilitated by the Conference
of State Bank Supervisors. The BU team of Keegan Carl, Michael Mintzer,
Vicki Yackiel, Austin Golden, Kristopher Gross and videographer Benjamin
Staub were among five college teams out of 33 that advanced as finalists
in the bank competition. The other student teams represent Iowa State
University, Kutztown University, Texas Tech University and the University
of Akron. l

McGuire honored by
Sports Information
Directors
FORMER SPORTS INFORMATION
Director Tom McGuire was honored
in June with the College Sports
Information Directors of America
(CoSIDA) Lifetime Achievement
Award. The award is presented to
CoSIDA members who have served
at least 25 years in the profession.
McGuire left a lasting impression
on the student-athletes, coaches
and student employees with whom
he worked in his 29-year career
as a sports information director.
McGuire transitioned to director of
media relations and content strategy
in the Office of Marketing and
Communications in January 2017.
McGuire, described as the
consummate professional with a great
instinct for news and storytelling,
has increased news coverage for
Bloomsburg University. As Sports
Information Director he served as
host of dozens of NCAA and PSAC
championship events and successfully
promoted Franklyn Quiteh for the
Harlon Hill Award. McGuire has also
mentored numerous interns, graduate
assistants and student workers who
have gone on to work in the field with
universities or professional sports
teams. A full story on McGuire, is at
bloomu.edu/magazine. l

FALL 2017

7

ON THE HILL

sports

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

Swimming Redemption
by DAVID LEISERING
SEVEN YEARS AGO Bloomsburg University men’s swimmer
Seth Chamberlin walked away from the sport as a high school
senior. It is a decision he regretted for years.
“I made the mistake of quitting my swimming career in
high school,” explains Chamberlain. “Instead of finishing my
senior year strong, I involved myself in the social aspect of
drinking and partying. As fulfilling as it sounded, it wasn’t.”
Flash forward to Oct. 29, 2016, and Chamberlin, a 24-year
old rookie, is on the blocks in the 50-free preparing to swim
against PSAC rival West Chester.
“I had no idea what to expect,” says Chamberlain, who
will be a redshirt sophomore in the fall. “I was nervous, but
excited to start the journey I never finished in high school.”
He posted a time of 24.41 seconds that day to finish ninth
overall and later took 11th in the 100-fly in the Huskies’
victory over the Golden Rams – the program’s first win over
West Chester since 1989. But, time and place did not matter
to someone trying to come back from mistakes made years
earlier.
Chamberlain graduated from Bloomsburg High School in
2010 and worked for several years before deciding to attend
BU in the spring of 2015.
“I began to get my life back on track and took school very
seriously,” says Chamberlain. “After a couple of semesters
of working hard in class and making Dean’s List, I decided I
wanted more from my college experience. I felt the urge to
swim again.”
Chamberlain reached out to head coach Stu Marvin in an

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BLOOMSBURG UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA

attempt to walk-on to the team. “Coach was very helpful,”
said Chamberlain. “He, along with the captains, were very
welcoming and they provided me with team workouts.”
He continued to work hard and posted his best times of
the season during the Zippy Invitational on Dec. 2. Although
he narrowly missed qualifying for the Pennsylvania State
Athletic Conference (PSAC) Championships, his comeback
inspired the rest of the team.
“Seth’s story is very inspirational and he has had a
tremendously positive impact on the rest of the team,” says
Marvin. “We are all pulling for him to achieve his personal
goals.”
At the team’s postseason banquet, Chamberlin was
rewarded with the Captain’s Award given by the team
captains to a team member who displays unselfish
commitment, dedication, hard work, enthusiasm, and
unwavering loyalty towards BU swimming. Then, weeks
later, he received the Paul and Jennefer Clifford Scholarship,
awarded annually to a walk-on student-athlete.
“I was completely shocked and speechless when I received
the Captain’s Award and grateful for the Clifford Scholarship
Award,” says Chamberlain. “I took the necessary steps to get
my life in order and was rewarded for it.”
“If there is one thing I’ve learned, it’s how you choose to
respond to your mistakes that defines who you truly are. Last
season will be a hard season to top, but the potential for this
year is exciting. I will be ready to compete. My goal is for
redemption.” l

Athletes earn classroom honors

SAM PETERS, A NURSING MAJOR from Harrisburg, and Daniel
Neiswender, a nursing major from Lebanon, earned Academic AllAmerica status from the College Sports Information Directors of
America (CoSIDA) this spring.
Peters, a member of the field hockey team, was a Second Team
honoree. She graduated in May with a cumulative grade point average
of 3.92 and became the sixth different (seventh overall) field hockey
student-athlete at BU to earn Academic All-America honors.
Neiswender, who runs cross country and track, was a Third Team
honoree with a perfect 4.0 grade point average over his first three
years. He became the school’s first male student-athlete, from either
cross country or track and field, and only the fourth student-athlete,
male or female from either sport, to garner the accolade.
Earlier in the spring, Damin Muth, a senior baseball player from
Breinigsville and Mallory Tomaschik, a senior softball player from
Catawissa joined Peters and Neiswender with Academic All-District
First Team status from CoSIDA.
Additionally, a total of 144 BU student-athletes were recognized as
Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Scholar-Athletes for
the 2016-17 academic year. To earn PSAC Scholar-Athlete recognition,
a student-athlete must have compiled a cumulative grade point
average of 3.25 or above. For the complete list of BU student-athletes
that earned PSAC Scholar-Athlete recognition, visit buhuskies.com. l

Hall of Fame class announced

SIX INDIVIDUALS will be inducted into the 36th Athletic Hall of
Fame class, bringing the total number of honorees to 175. This year’s
inductees are Michele Baylor Kane ’00, lacrosse; Kathy Frick ’90, field
hockey and lacrosse player/coach; Eric Jonassen ’91, football; Chuck
Laudermilch, first women’s soccer coach; Ralph Moerschbacher ’70,
swimming; and Michelle Wolyniec ’00, cross country/track and field.
The induction dinner and ceremony will be Friday, Oct. 27, in the
Kehr Union Ballroom. For tickets or to learn more about this year’s
inductees, visit buhuskies.com. l

Volleyball
coach named
DAN KREIGER WAS NAMED the first head
coach for women's volleyball, which will
begin competitive play in the fall of 2018. No
stranger to the Pennsylvania State Athletic
Conference (PSAC), Kreiger spent five seasons
– the last four as the head coach – at Lock
Haven University from 2011 to 2015. Last
season, he was a volunteer assistant coach at
Clarion University in the fall before heading
to Juniata College to serve as the assistant
men's volleyball coach. In his four seasons as
the head coach at Lock Haven, Kreiger guided
the Bald Eagles to an 88-49 overall record and
a 55-30 mark against PSAC opponents. Under
Kreiger, Lock Haven qualified for the PSAC
Tournament in each of his four years at the
helm and advanced to the NCAA Tournament
in 2012. The program earned PSAC Eastern
Division regular season titles in 2012 and 2014
and was the tournament runner-up in 2012.
After graduating from Penn State Altoona
in 2003 with a bachelor of science degree
in human development and family studies,
Kreiger began his collegiate coaching career
at St. Andrews Presbyterian College where
he served as the head coach for the NCAA
Division II program from 2005 to 2009. He
led the team to three consecutive postseason
playoff appearances and averaged 14 wins each
of those seasons.
Women’s volleyball is the first varsity sport
added at Bloomsburg since the addition of
women’s soccer in the fall of 1990. l

FALL 2017

9

Focused on

students

I’ve had people who have extended a hand to help me.
Part of how I can give back is to make sure my hand is
always extended to help others.
by ERIC FOSTER

PHOTO: GORDON WENZEL/IMPRESSIONS

AS A 10-YEAR-OLD BOY, Bashar Hanna immigrated to the United States from
Syria with his parents and six sisters. He spoke not a word of English.
For Hanna, Bloomsburg University’s 19th president, the transformative power of
education is not an abstraction. It’s a reality that he has lived.
“If you would have asked me when I was 10 if I would have thought that an
undergraduate, a master’s and a doctorate would have been in the realm of reality
or possibility for me, I probably would have laughed and said, I just want to learn a
few words of English.”
“If it weren’t for my fifth-grade teacher, I probably wouldn’t have finished high
school,” says Hanna. “She gave up her lunch period every day to review flash cards
with me. If it were not for her doing that, I’m not sure English would have been
attainable for me as quickly as it was.”
“Each of us can think of individuals who transformed our lives along the way.
Many times the magnitude of the transformation is unremarkable in the moment.”
CONTINUES ON PAGE 12

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BLOOMSBURG UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA

FALL 2017

11

PHOTO: JAIME NORTH

On his first day on campus as president, Dr. Hanna takes
a selfie with Orientation Workshop Leaders (OWLs).

“I’ve had people who have extended
a hand to help me. Part of how I can
give back is to make sure my hand
is always extended to help others.
Especially our students, who might
think that attaining a college degree is
beyond their means or ability.”
Hanna’s personal experience has
translated into a core professional
philosophy that has guided his career:
Students first.
“Every time I walked into the
classroom when I was a tutor, a
teaching assistant, or a professor,
that was the number one underlying
core value I carried with me. Without
students, my classes wouldn’t be
offered, my department wouldn’t exist,
my college or school wouldn’t exist,
and my university wouldn’t exist.”
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BLOOMSBURG UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA

Challenging times

Higher education across the country
is experiencing unprecedented
challenges with declining enrollment.
Nationally, enrollment was down
1.4 percent in 2016, according to the
National Student Clearing House
Research Center. In Pennsylvania,
there was a 2.6 percent decline last
year, more than 18,000 fewer college
students.
“The number of students available
to go on to college has decreased.
So the competition to recruit these
students has become fiercer,” says
Hanna. “I will always work with
my faculty and staff colleagues at
Bloomsburg to always focus on
students’ success – they are our
number one priority.”

The good news: Bloomsburg is wellpositioned to meet these challenges.
“The energy of our campus is
incredible,” says Hanna. “Our
enrollment is robust. Is it as high as
it was a few years ago? No. But, it’s
stable. Our finances are stable, which
allows us to have a conversation
about what we can continue to do and
want to do instead of reacting and
panicking.”
Another one of Bloomsburg’s
strengths is in its culture, says Hanna.
“When I was a dean at Kutztown
I had always heard that Bloomsburg
University is like family. That
impression became real when I
visited campus in March. Every
session I had as a candidate
reinforced how much our faculty

A career focused on student success
BEFORE COMING TO BLOOMSBURG UNIVERSITY,
Bashar Hanna was a professor of biology and former vice
president for academic affairs and dean of the faculty at
Delaware Valley University in Doylestown.
As the vice president for academic affairs at Delaware
Valley from 2011 to 2016, Hanna helped implement a
$60 million capital campaign and launch four bachelor
degrees, four master’s degrees and the institution’s first
doctoral degree. He also guided the institution through
a successful change to university status and created
articulation agreements with five community colleges,
leading to a significant increase in transfer students. Under
his leadership, graduate enrollment increased by 65 percent.
Hanna also launched Experience360 (E360), an experiential
learning and career services program giving every student
real-world experiences.
Before his appointment as vice president and dean at
Delaware Valley in 2011, Hanna served as associate provost
at Ithaca College. There he launched the college’s Integrative
Core, increased external grant funding 20 percent and coauthored the institution’s academic strategic plan, IC 20/20.
Hanna served as the dean of the College of Liberal Arts
and Sciences and interim provost at Kutztown University of
Pennsylvania from 2005 to 2009. At Kutztown, he conceived
and assembled the school’s inaugural Board of Visitors, raised
funds to create 22 new scholarships, and increased tenuretrack/tenured faculty from 64 to 77 percent.
Hanna earned his Bachelor of Arts in biology, his

and staff love the students at BU. The
faculty and the staff care for their
students in a way that is remarkably
personal for an institution of 10,000
students.”
While he’s optimistic about
Bloomsburg’s future, Hanna is
adamant “that this is not the time
to become complacent. It doesn’t
take too many years of less than
dedicated service and commitment
to excellence for an institution to find
itself in real trouble.”
Hanna already has several priorities
in mind, listing “student retention,
persistence and degree completion.
These issues have urgency and
immediacy. The campus has already
identified some of these. And that’s a
significant advantage in itself because

master’s degree in developmental biology and his Ph.D. in
developmental neurobiology from Temple University. Even
while serving as an administrator, he continued to teach
graduate and undergraduate courses in biology, cell biology,
neurobiology, gerontology, biotechnology, mathematics, and
bioethics.
Hanna was also the chief academic officer and dean of
academic affairs for DeVry University – Pennsylvania. Before
DeVry, he served his alma mater, Temple University, in
various capacities. He was the associate dean of the College of
Science and Technology, where he increased undergraduate
enrollment by 35 percent and led the university’s effort to
secure a multi-million dollar, multi-institution, National
Science Foundation grant – the Philadelphia Alliance for
Minority Participation.
In his career, he has garnered more than $8 million in
external funding for projects, programs and scholarships.
He is a member of the board of directors of the
Pennsylvania Drug Discovery Institute, the American
Association of University Administrators, is an editorial
board member of the Journal of Education Management,
and served on the board of the Pennsylvania Biotechnology
Center of Bucks County.
Active off campus as well, Hanna has earned the Caring
Community Award from the Bucks County Intermediate Unit
and the Outstanding Service Award from the Boy Scouts of
America – Minsi Trails.

we know what we need to focus on.”
Bloomsburg’s first-year persistence
rate, at about 75 percent, handily
beats national averages by nearly 10
percent, but it has declined slightly in
recent years – a trend Hanna would
like to see reversed.
“Students should not come to
Bloomsburg and leave after a year
with loans and no degree,” he says.
“We need to ensure that, without
compromising academic standards,
we are providing them with an avenue
towards degree attainment.”

A focus on real-world
preparation

Beyond increased competition for
students, Hanna sees a generalized

change in societal attitudes about
higher education.
“The affordability question is
front and center,” says Hanna. “Our
cost structure is a tremendous
advantage. There’s not a better quality
education that you can earn in the
commonwealth for what we charge.
So the loan amount that a young man
or lady is going to be shouldered with
coming out of Bloomsburg will be
significantly less than most of our
competitors.”
A second significant change is
a focus on career readiness, says
Hanna. “Times have changed. Many
of us went to college to become
more learned and become a more
informed person. Today, expectations
have transitioned significantly in the
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FALL 2017

13

PHOTO: ERIC FOSTER

direction of preparing students to
launch a successful career or gain
admission to graduate or professional
school.”
To illustrate the point, he jokes
about his own experience as a second
year Ph.D. student who needed a
resume for a grant. “I ran around
Temple’s campus trying to get advice
on how to write a resume. Today,
many first year students arrive on
campus with their resume in-hand.
The expectations are very different
today.”
The answer, says Hanna, is to
ensure that students learn “soft”
skills as well as the discipline-specific
knowledge of their chosen major.
“Critical thinking, problem-solving,
effective communications, being able
to function as a team member, being

14

BLOOMSBURG UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA

able to lead a team. All of those things
are expected by employers by the
time students graduate.”
“Universities that have shaped
their curriculum inside and outside of
the classroom to make sure that the
discipline has not been forgotten and
the soft skills are integrated with the
discipline will produce graduates who
will succeed.”
Bloomsburg’s Professional U
programs – which provide students
with professional workshops and
experiences outside the classroom –
have already put Bloomsburg ahead
of the curve, says Hanna. “Not too
many public regional comprehensive
institutions do the phenomenal job
we do in rounding out the soft skills
of our students. I look forward to
working with our faculty and staff

to make sure that every student
gets those experiences before they
graduate.”
“Sometimes students are going to
come to us and may be underprepared
or a little rough around the edges. It’s
our job to help them succeed. That’s
what a university does – we develop
teenagers into responsible adults.” l

A family focus
His love for neurobiology was inspired by the illness of
his youngest sister. “As an undergraduate student majoring
in biology, my youngest sister was diagnosed with a highly
aggressive malignant tumor – an olfactory neuroblastoma –
that had infected her nasal passages and her optic nerve.”
“She fought cancer for nearly 10 years. Cancer took her
right eye, but she’s alive today and is cancer-free.”
Ultimately, the courage and conviction of his parents
have left the deepest mark on Hanna. “Without the absolute
insistence by my mother and my late father that the way to
make a difference is through education, I wouldn’t be the
owner of a college degree,” says Hanna. Though he adds with
a bit of wry humor, “believe me, there were times when that
insistence was not easy to accept – especially when you’re a
teenager wanting to do things other than study.”

PHOTO: ERIC FOSTER

TALK WITH BASHAR HANNA for several minutes, and
you’ll hear the word “family,” maybe more than once. The
sacrifices his parents and sisters made so he could pursue
higher education have had a pervasive influence on his
leadership style.
At the May announcement naming him Bloomsburg’s next
president, Hanna’s first words to the campus community
were to thank his family, particularly his wife, Deanna. “For
the last 18 years, she’s been both mother and father to our two
children (Christian and Lauren) most of the time because of
my professional commitments.”
“My six sisters, each in their own way, sacrificed and
supported me, emotionally, personally, professionally and
financially to help me take advantage of opportunities and to
help pay for education along the way.”

Leadership by listening
WHEN BASHAR HANNA SPOKE to the campus community
as a presidential candidate, he promised to be an engaged
and attentive listener. The well-thumbed copy of Emotional
Intelligence 2.0, among the first things unpacked in his
Carver Hall office, indicates Hanna is serious about listening
and working hard to do so with empathy.
But there were already major decisions to be made by
Monday, July 10, Hanna’s first official day on campus. Among
them, selecting a provost. Campus rumors were that an
interim provost would be selected from off-campus. That
Tuesday, Hanna tapped James Krause, a 21-year Bloomsburg
veteran, for the post.
“He’s the perfect Bloomsburg citizen,” says the new

president, who at the time had already spent weeks in
informal meetings and discussions. Krause, well-known
in the community, has an unflappable disposition and
stellar experience in the classroom and as an administrator,
including interim vice provost and dean of undergraduate
education.
“Homework is always important. You measure three times
and cut once,” says Hanna. “I’m joining an institution that
has been here for 175 years and one that has experienced
significant success. It’s my job to learn about that institution
so I can recognize those successes and collaborate with our
faculty, staff, students, alumni and friends to propel BU to
greater heights.”

FALL 2017

15

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BLOOMSBURG UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA

PHOTO: ASHLI TRUCHON

PHOTOS: GORDON WENZEL/IMPRESSIONS

Career colored
outside the lines
by JACK SHERZER

FROM CRAYONS AND MARKERS
to art kits, toys, and coloring books,
kids of every age across much of the
globe use Crayola products to help
unleash their imaginations.
With millions of items shipped
daily, the business of Crayola is
anything but child’s play.
Enter Gary Wapinski, vice
president of global logistics and
enterprise improvement, who is
responsible for not only Crayola’s
warehousing and delivery all over
the world, but how to make it more
efficient. It is a role he earned
by coloring outside the lines of a
traditional career trajectory.
“We either make products or sell
them almost all over the world,” says
Wapinski ’84, business management.
“And if we’re not there, we would
like to be there, and are trying to
figure out how to be there.”
Figuring out how to get the
job done — and not shying away
from a challenge — is Wapinski’s
trademark. The first in his family to
go to college, he grew up in St. Clair,
Schulkill County, where both his
father and grandfather worked in
the coal mines.
Wapinski worked the mines
himself in the summer, but as
graduation approached, he didn’t

relish the thought of spending his
days in either a mine or an office
cubicle.
Then in 1983, during his junior
year at Bloomsburg, the Marine
compound in Beirut, Lebanon,
was bombed, killing 241 service
personnel. “I enlisted in the Army
and applied for officer’s candidate
school,” he says. “This wasn’t about
having a job; it was about wanting to
serve and be a soldier. I wanted to
test myself at that level.”
Wapinski’s Army career path led
to logistics, a field he calls a modern
miracle. “It’s what allows people
in Anchorage, Alaska, to buy fresh
tomatoes during the winter at a
decent price — that is the miracle of
logistics.”
But his military experience
was about more than delivering
tomatoes. By the end of his nearly
eight-year military career, he was
Captain Wapinski and in command
of a forward supply company for
the famed 10th Mountain Division,
ensuring a roughly 2,500-strong
infantry brigade had everything
from food and fuel to ammunition:
“Everything a unit needs to move
and survive.”
He also took advantage of the
Army’s distance learning program

and earned a master of science
degree in general administration
from Central Michigan University.
“What I learned in the military
about logistics and leading people
was invaluable — it built on what
I had learned at Bloomsburg.”
But when he became a father, the
military life became harder, and it
was time to venture into the private
sector.
His first job was with Wise
Snacks, where for more than three
years he managed a three-shift
snack food distribution center. But
with no clear path for advancement,
Wapinski started looking for more.
He found it at Crayola,
headquartered near Easton.
“Crayola had a job for a team
manager for logistics, a first-level
supervisor overseeing between 40
and 80 people,” he says.
Steadily advancing over 12 years,
Wapinski ran the distribution
center outside Allentown and was
a team manager for manufacturing,
overseeing the making of arts
and crafts kits. He then returned
to logistics, where he helped to
outsource warehouse operations
to a third party before returning to
manufacturing, overseeing more
than 300 workers running three
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FALL 2017

17

PHOTO: ASHLI TRUCHON

shifts to produce more than 3 billion
crayons a year.
Then he got the challenge that
changed his career.
“I remember my boss, (Executive
VP of Global Operations Peter
Ruggiero), came to me and he said, ‘do
you want to run the biggest project in
Crayola history?’ and I said, yes, even
before he told me,” Wapinski recalls.
“He said ‘I can’t tell you what it is
until next week.’”
The job was big indeed:
Implementing software to run
virtually all the systems in Crayola,
from production planning, sourcing,
keeping track of orders and shipments
to payroll and quality management.
A daunting task, but Wapinski,
who jokes that he got C’s in his two
Bloomsburg computer classes, didn’t
hesitate.
“I would say a lot of my work
ethic and confidence comes from my
parents — they are very stoic people
and they don’t complain, they do
what has to be done,” he says. “My
mom worked two jobs when I was
growing up.”
“It’s also part of just wanting a
challenge. When I went to the 10th
Mountain Division, I told them I

18

BLOOMSBURG UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA

wanted the toughest job,” he says.
“It’s been my experience that you find
out even the toughest job isn’t so bad
— you just apply yourself and move
forward.”
Moving Crayola to the SAP business
management system took 18 months,
all leading up to one day when the old
system was turned off and the new
system came online — and worked.
All done on-time and under budget,
and propelling Wapinski to vice
president of information solutions.
“It all comes down to leadership
and the people you have,” Wapinski
says of a key lesson learned in both
the military and the corporate world.
“If you don’t know how to assess
talent and work with people
and motivate them, you’re going
nowhere,” he says. “As a leader, it’s
also more important to have the right
questions than the answer; the people
on the ground know what needs to be
done and you have to make sure they
have the right tools they need, and
everything takes care of itself.”
Wapinski says his belief in
developing talent — and his desire
to give back —
­ is why he returns to
Bloomsburg University to talk to
students about business, and why he

makes sure BU students are offered
internships at Crayola.
“The curriculum is outstanding,”
says Wapinski, a member of the
Zeigler College of Business Advisory
Board. He applauds BU’s new Supply
Chain Management program and the
school’s efforts to bring in successful
alumni to talk to students.
“The interns we’ve had so far are
fantastic — these Bloomsburg kids can
hang with anybody,” he says. Crayola’s
paint and kits plant manager, Mike
Polkowski ’83; corporate controller,
Mike Steigerwalt ’77, manager
treasury, Morgan Whitbread ’78; sales
analyst Heather Vinson ’02; are all BU
alums, and in the past three years, the
company has hired graduates to fill
two supply chain planning positions,
Chris Cascioli and Emily Fister; two
manufacturing team managers, Garret
Werkheiser and Nick Hoffman; and
a sales account manager, Brianna
McCormack.
Today, as Crayola’s vice president
for global logistics service and
enterprise improvement, Wapinski is
looking to supply Crayola’s growing
markets and improve the efficiency of
even the most basic processes.
As the company continues to focus

company’s challenge, Wapinski says,
is to support its retail partners while
embracing the changing marketplace.
“It’s true that the only constant is
change, and you can’t be like a turtle
and go into your shell, or else you’ll
come out and be useless,” he says. “In
the Army, we always said ‘improvise,
adapt and overcome.’”
It’s a lesson his wife, Kathleen, has
heard him tell their three children.
Their oldest son, Joseph, graduated
from BU in 2015 with a degree in
secondary education and is now
in a doctoral program at Loyola
University, Chicago. Younger son
Tommy and daughter Elizabeth
are attending Temple University,
for economics, and tourism and
hospitality, respectively.

Above all, Wapinski says, success
is about making sure you have the
right team. “There have been many
problems where we had no idea how
to solve them at first, but I never felt
they were insurmountable because of
the people we have here.
“When you have that cascading
layer of support and know leadership
above you has your back, you may not
have a clue how to solve the problem,
but you know you have a bunch of
people who are highly motivated
and will find a way,” he says. “I know
if this group can’t find a way, then
nobody can.”l
Jack Sherzer is a freelance writer
based in Harrisburg.

PHOTO: ASHLI TRUCHON

on expanding markets in China and
the rest of Asia, Wapinski says a
primary task is deciding where to
place warehouses to reduce logistics
costs and be as close to customers as
possible, as well as how to efficiently
acquire raw materials.
In figuring out the thousands of
challenges Crayola faces in making
and distributing its products,
he embraces a process called
“continuous improvement” or the
“lean method.” Developed by Toyota
— Wapinski keeps a well-thumbed
copy of Jeffrey Liker’s “The Toyota
Way” on his desk — its central tenet
is continuous improvement through
organizational learning.
“It’s super-difficult and requires
unbelievable tenacity to work every
day and seek out problems,” he says.
“You need to realize the problems
are your real opportunities; we try to
make problems visible and then solve
them, rather than blaming people.”
Such continuous problem-solving
is of particular importance as the
internet continues to disrupt the
status quo. Crayola’s traditional
distribution concentrates on brickand-mortar retailers, but increasingly
products are purchased online. The

FALL 2017

19

Positive
IMPACT
by SUSAN FIELD

20

BLOOMSBURG UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA

The McDowell Institute for Teacher Excellence in Positive
Behavior Support equips educators with skills to support
healthy development and learning for all children
ONE IN FIVE CHILDREN struggles
with social, emotional or behavioral
health issues. And not just high
school students, says Tim Knoster,
executive director of Bloomsburg
University’s McDowell Institute
for Teacher Excellence in Positive
Behavior Support.
“Depression, anxiety, eating
disorders. These issues can arise as
early as elementary school,” he says.
Established in 2012 through
an initial gift of $2 million from
philanthropist Susan McDowell,
the McDowell Institute helps
aspiring and practicing educational
professionals address nonacademic
barriers to learning.
This is what Knoster does, along
with colleagues Danielle Empson,
Charlotte Kemper and College of
Education faculty. But he hesitates to
call what they do “work.”
“It’s a mission,” he says.
The lifelong special educator and
researcher earned bachelor’s and
master’s degrees at Bloomsburg in
1978 and 1980. Before returning to
Bloomsburg as a faculty member
in 2002, he saw the struggles of
vulnerable children, first as a
classroom teacher, then as director
of special education, and finally as
researcher and director of nationallevel training and technical assistance.
He earned his educational specialist
degree and doctorate in Special
Education from Lehigh University.
The McDowell Institute initially
focused on incorporating what
is known as Positive Behavior
Interventions and Supports into BUs
teacher preparation curriculum,
from freshman year through student
teaching. Recently, though, the
institute has increased its focus on
youth mental health. In the past year,

more than 1,100 BU students and
faculty participated in 19 campus
programs on promoting social,
emotional, and behavioral wellness in
children from preschool through 12th
grade.
The McDowell Institute’s outreach
and impact also has expanded beyond
campus, with more than 40 initiatives
developed between BU and local,
state, and national educators.

You can have the most brilliant
kid you’ve ever met, but if he
or she struggles with social,
emotional or behavioral issues,
their potential may never be
fully realized.

Twin challenges

“Educators have two, interrelated
priorities. Facilitating academic
achievement in concert with social,
emotional and behavioral competence
of their students,” Knoster says.
The two priorities are inseparable.
“You can have the most brilliant
kid you’ve ever met, but if he or she
struggles with social, emotional or
behavioral issues, their potential may
never be fully realized.”
“In our rapidly changing society,
kids have more complicated and
complex life circumstances. In
some ways, the explosion of access
to information and technology can
further complicate matters,” he says.
“The trauma that can be associated
with cyberbullying is unique for
today’s students.”
A 2016 report from the Johns

Hopkins School of Public Health
found that the rate of adolescents
reporting an experience with
depression has grown 37 percent
in the last decade. Students with
depression, as with other behavioral
health conditions, are less likely to
participate in school activities, more
likely to miss class or school, disrupt
classroom routines or experience
suicidal thoughts.
Exposure to what educators call
“adverse childhood experiences”
– stressful or traumatic events that
include abuse, neglect, and exposure
to household dysfunction – are
strongly related to a wide range of
lifetime health problems, according
to the Substance Abuse and Mental
Health Services Administration, part
of the U.S. Department of Health and
Human Services.
Last year the National Child
Traumatic Stress Network reported
that one out of every four children
attending school has been exposed to
a traumatic event that can affect their
learning.
“With repeated exposure to adverse
experiences, the child is in chronic
‘red alert’ – fight or flight – mode
and the child’s adrenal glands kick
into overdrive. As a result, the body
can’t create sufficient cortisol to keep
pace, which has an adverse impact
on healthy development,” Knoster
says. “The more adverse experiences
present in a child’s life, the higher
the risk for undesired outcomes
including, hypertension, depression,
anxiety, and suicide.”
“When you think about teacher
training, and until relatively recently,
teacher in-service training, it was
predominately about the pedagogy
of how to design a good lesson plan,
how to deliver a good lesson, and
CONTINUES ON NEXT PAGE
FALL 2017

21

McDowell Institute team members Jim Krause, Darlene Perner, and Craig Young shared their insights on Youth Mental Health with educators from around the state.

knowledge in your content area,”
Knoster says. “While those elements
are absolutely essential, I believe
that in most preservice training, the
focus is myopically on the academic
side of the street. There is very little
that is explicitly taught about how
to facilitate social, emotional and
behavioral wellness, especially for
kids with unique challenges.”
In fact, more than 60 percent
of first-year teachers report being
insufficiently prepared to address
the social and emotional needs
of students, according to the U.S.
Department of Education.

The Response

“The good news is that social,
emotional and behavioral wellness is
achievable,” says Knoster. “However,
addressing nonacademic barriers
to learning requires a sober and
thoughtful conversation and planning
to build sufficient capacity in schools
and communities. Certainly, schools
are the common conduit for kids, so
the goal is to have schools become the
central point for organization across
communities.”
The McDowell Institute has
enhanced teacher preparatory
programs at Bloomsburg University to
include mental health awareness and
skill-training into core courses for all
education majors. The institute also

22

BLOOMSBURG UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA

provides seminars that teach aspiring
teachers how to create a more
therapeutic classroom environment.
Student and faculty fellowships have
been awarded to provide training
and funding for scholarly research in
school-based behavioral health. This
spring, on-campus training included
individual intensive behavior support,
mental health awareness panels, and
12 seminars in Youth Mental Health
First Aid (YMHFA).

This training provides teachers
with a skillset and action plan
that they know they can use
when a student is in emotional
distress.
YMHFA training is similar to
standard first aid training, focusing on
behavioral health triage, stabilization
and supporting adolescents who need
professional help.
“This training provides teachers
with a skillset and action plan that
they know they can use when a
student is in emotional distress,”
Knoster says.
At Bloomsburg University,
education majors complete YMHFA
training before their student
teaching experiences. The McDowell

Institute supports this training
in school districts and with state
partners, including in the Diocese of
Harrisburg, the Milton Area School
District, the Susquehanna Valley
United Way, and the Pennsylvania
Training and Technical Assistance
Network. This year the institute will
help 15 other colleges and universities
across the state incorporate YMHFA
training to their teacher preparation
programs.
The institute also helps with
the federally funded Safe Schools/
Healthy Students project, which
puts behavioral health support in
schools across Pennsylvania. Nearly
8,000 students in those schools have
benefitted.
While Knoster and his colleagues
are focused on the here and now,
the excitement for future initiatives
and continued growth across the
commonwealth – and beyond – is
palpable.
“We are just starting to scratch the
surface, which is both challenging,
and exciting,” says Knoster. "There’s
a huge opportunity to make a positive
difference in the lives of kids and
families.” l
Susan Field ’11/’12M is a freelance
writer based in Philadelphia.

Faculty and staff
making a difference
by THOMAS SCHAEFFER
“WE’RE NOT ALL GOING to be able to
endow chairs or have a building named
after us,” says Joyce Bielen, co-chair
of Bloomsburg University’s We make it
Personal faculty and staff campaign. “But
if we can help one student pay for a book
that’s a big deal to that student. A lot of
little amounts makes a big amount.”
Inspired by the success of the
It’s Personal campaign, members of
Bloomsburg’s faculty and staff came
together to show their support for the
BU community, achieving a 31 percent
participation rate during this past spring’s
campaign. More than 140 new faculty and
staff donors made gifts and 40 existing
donors increased their support.
“Our support serves as an example of
our commitment to the success of our
students,” says Scott Inch, professor of
mathematical and digital sciences and
campaign co-chair. “And they’re the
reason we’re here.”
The success of this year’s faculty and
staff campaign was largely due to how
easy it was for each employee to choose
the specific area to which they wanted
to designate their gifts. That’s what led
to the members of BU’s facilities team
creating its own new scholarship fund.
“We were throwing out ideas about
how we could make our own impact,” saya
Frank Michaels, a maintenance repairman
and campaign ambassador. “We decided
we wanted to create our own fund to
impact our students through support from
our area.”
The Facilities Staff Scholarship will
be available to any incoming freshman
student from Pennsylvania who has
financial need.
“We all interact with students every
day, and we’re proud of how we help
them by making sure sidewalks are clear
in winter or that the air conditioning is
working in the summer,” Michaels says.

“But we wanted to make our own impact.
By doing this, we can look at that student
who receives this scholarship and say,
‘Hey, that’s our scholarship. We helped
make an impact.’ From the president to
the grounds crew, that’s the reason we’re
all here.”
Two departments, accounting
(academic) and human resources
achieved 100 percent participation with
each member making their own gifts.
“I just went to each faculty member
in our department and talked about the
importance of showing our commitment
as a department,” says Michael Shapeero,
professor of accounting and campaign
ambassador. “I know we’re all very
committed to our students and our
programs, so I knew it would be easy to
convince each member to show their
support.”
Karen Hicks, payroll specialist
in human resources and campaign
ambassador, challenged each member
of the HR team by stating that if they
reached 100 percent participation, she
would match the first dollar of each of
their gifts. With the help of her fellow
department member and ambassador
Tanya Bombicca, they inspired the team
to reach their goal.
“When I was asked to be an ambassador
for the campaign, I was excited about it,”
says Hicks. “When I saw how easy it was
for all of us to find an area we wanted
to support that had a special meaning, I
knew it wouldn’t be too much of a stretch

A team of facilities services staff worked together
to create a scholarship fund.

The human resources department (shown) and
academic accounting department both had 100
percent participation rates in the campaign.

to reach that 100 percent.”
By the two-week campaign’s
conclusion, faculty and staff supported
nearly 80 different funds. Employees
designated gifts to areas as broad as
BU’s Henry Carver Fund, which allows
their support to remain unrestricted
to initiatives as focused as the newly
established Anchor Program Fund,
created to help local high school students
in the foster care system learn about the
value of receiving a college education.
“The faculty and staff played a key role
in helping us to select the It’s Personal
theme for our capital campaign,” says
Erik Evans, vice president for university
advancement. “So it’s not surprising that
the adapted We make it Personal theme
would resonate with those who share
their passion for this university with our
students every day and that they would
take that next step by supporting that
passion with their generous gifts.”

FALL 2017

23

Living
your
own
story
by TOM SCHAEFFER

WE ARE ALL THE HEROES of our
own stories says J.C. Lee ’05, theatre.
Lee, a native New Yorker who spent
most of his teenage years in Stroudsburg,
has a story to tell of his own. Since his
days at Bloomsburg, he has become an
accomplished playwright and Hollywood
screenwriter who has written and
produced plays that have been staged in
venues from San Francisco to New York
City.
“I wonder why people keep asking
me, a writer, to come and give speeches
at events like this,” Lee said as he took
the podium at this spring’s Lavender
Graduation, Bloomsburg’s annual
LGBTQA graduation ceremony. “Then
I thought about the idea of creating a
narrative.”
Creating our own narratives is how Lee
believes we each cope with our daily lives.
24

BLOOMSBURG UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA

Whether we make ourselves the heroes
of our commute to work because we
managed to make it through every green
light, or cling to a larger story of how we
perceive the world because it gives us
comfort.
“The world is scary and chaotic,” Lee
says. “The scarier and the more chaotic
it is, the more we’re looking for a story to
tell ourselves.”
His own love of storytelling began when
he was 14 and read Tony Kushner’s play
“Angels in America,” an experience that
changed the way he thought about how
stories could be told.
“As a gay teenager, reading this book
changed the way I looked at things. I
realized you could write something that
could mean something to you and could
also entertain people,” says Lee. “You
could help people share their private

stories in a public way that would also
empower them.”
“The story that we create for ourselves
is the thing we go to that helps give that
chaotic universe structure,” says Lee.
Much of Lee’s life in high school was
structured around his passion for theatre
and several friends who shared that
passion. The close-knit group attended
Bloomsburg University together and
continued to pursue careers in theatre.
As a theatre major at Bloomsburg,
Lee’s passion for the power of storytelling
flourished. With the encouragement of
faculty members in both BU’s theatre and
English departments, and the support of
his family, friends and partner, Adrian
Anchondo ’05, Lee wrote a play while he
was a BU student that transformed his life.
The BU Players performed the play,

We all tell our own stories.
Stories that give us purpose.
Stories that give us a sense of
community. Telling your story
isn’t going to change the world,
but it is going to change how
you view it.

PHOTO: ERIC FOSTER

J.C. Lee speaking at the Lavender Graduation Ceremony in April.

Night of the Wannabes: An Exorcism
with great success. It went on tour
and received an award at the Kennedy
Center’s American College Theatre
Festival. This work helped reinforce Lee’s
confidence that he was creating the right
narrative for himself.
After graduating, Lee taught at the
Lehigh Valley Charter High School for the
Performing Arts in Bethlehem while he
continued to write. He also obtained his
artist’s diploma in playwriting from The
Juilliard School in New York City.
Lee began to garner accolades and
recognition for his writing. In 2010, he
penned a play, Pookie Goes Grenading,
a comedy that follows the journey
of a 14-year old girl turned terrorist.
National critics took note. “Lee’s writing
demonstrates a wild sense of fantasy
combined with a desperate grip on

Supporting
the next
generation

reality,” wrote The Huffington Post.
In 2014, Lee’s play, Luce, debuted at
New York City’s Lincoln Center Theater.
The exposure opened the door to the
cable television industry as a writer
for the show Looking on HBO in 2015.
Following that success, Lee moved on to
the next challenge when he landed a gig
writing for ABC’s hit drama, How to Get
Away with Murder.
“We all tell our own stories,” says Lee.
“Stories that give us purpose. Stories that
give us a sense of community. Telling your
story isn’t going to change the world, but
it is going to change how you view it. You
are a character in your story, so why not
make yourself the hero you want to be?”•

IN ADDITION TO COMING
BACK to BU to inspire students
with his words, Lee also made a
gift to help current and future
students have the opportunity to
become the heroes of their own
stories.
Lee and his partner Adrian
Anchondo ’05 became Carver
Scholars by making a gift of
$1,867 to the Henry Carver
Fund, Bloomsburg University’s
Annual Fund, which supports the
university’s area of greatest need.
For Lee and Anchondo, this was
the first gift either had made to
support their alma mater since
graduating.
“Honestly, we just really never
thought about it until someone
reached out to us and explained
how much the support was
needed and how it helps students,”
says Lee. We learned that our
gift could support scholarships,
help students cover costs for
books and tuition or even help
create internship opportunities.
We’ve done well, and a lot of our
success is due to our experience at
Bloomsburg. We’re happy to help
other students have those same
types of experiences.”

FALL 2017

25

WHAT WILL YOUR
LEGACY BE?
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).

Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania

PHOTO: READING EAGLE SANDI YANISK

husky notes

Inspiring young minds
by TOM MCGUIRE

“I’VE GOT THE BEST JOB EVER,” says Calista
Boyer, ’00. “As principal at the school I once attended,
I can’t imagine doing anything different with my life or
doing this anywhere else.”
Boyer inspires her 350 students at Lincoln
Elementary to positive behavior. “I encourage them
each day to be good citizens. Today, that’s a message
that needs repeating.”
For her dedication, Boyer, the mother of two
daughters, received the YWCA Tri-County Area Tribute
to Exceptional Women 2017 in April.
A first generation college student from Pottstown,
Boyer never visited Bloomsburg University before
arriving for the Act 101 program in the summer of
1995. “I didn’t know anything about BU. My 12th-grade
literature teacher, Ms. Debbie Demko, was a graduate
and suggested I apply.”
Accepted into the Act 101 program, Boyer soon ran
into the program director, Irv Wright. “Dr. Wright was
wonderful in helping me navigate through everything
I had to do as a college student that summer.” In
the classroom, the pre-physical therapy major soon
discovered that she didn’t like science.

As Boyer contemplated a change of major, she began
working at the Campus Child Care Center. “Working
with the children and talking with the staff at the center
led me to become an education major. I just fell in love
with being able to teach children.” Though her father’s
death in her junior year was a setback, the support she
received from the daycare center staff kept her going.
After graduation, Boyer soon landed a substitute
teaching position in her hometown Pottstown School
District, where her husband is also a school principal.
She was soon hired full-time and eventually, after
receiving the necessary certification, was named
principal.
“I’m part of the community, I see our students around
town,” Boyer says. “I’m there to help them whenever
they have a question. At the start of each year, I tell
the students that we both have a job. They are there to
learn, and the teachers are there to teach. If everyone
does their job, it will be a great year.”
“It was an honor to be recognized, but when you love
what you do, it’s easy to be excited about going to work
each day.” l

FALL 2017

27

Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania

husky notes
’50s
Carl Janetka ’59 was inducted into the
Upper Dublin Athletic Hall of Fame.
Janetka coached football, basketball and
soccer for 33 of his 38 years as a teacher.
He was the supervisor of the Business and
Computer Applications Department, and
Tech Coordinator.

’70s
Edward Peifer ’79 is a realtor with
Century 21 Gold in Wyomissing. He
received his real estate license in January
and is a certified public accountant. He
and his wife, Joanne, are the parents of
two children, Justin and Rebecca.

’80s

Jeffrey Hughes ’84 is the superintendent
of South Eastern School District in York.
Hughes was principal of Manheim Central
High School in Manheim Central School
District and before that, was assistant
superintendent of schools in West Perry
School District.
Terrence Purcell ’84 is director of human
resources at Gnaden Huetten Memorial
Hospital in Lehighton. Previously, Purcell
served as assistant director of human
resources at Good Samaritan Regional
Medical Center, Pottsville, employment
manager at Hazleton-St. Joseph Medical
Center, Hazleton, and a production
supervisor at Burron-Medical Inc.
Jane Runey Knox ’85 is president at
Healthcare Administrative Partners, a
medical data and technology company
specializing in coding, billing, physician
practice management and data analytics
based in Media. Knox is a certified Six
Sigma Green belt.
Megan DiPrete ’86 is
executive director of
the Blackstone Heritage
Corridor, Whitinsville,
Mass.

Michael L. Mixell ’80 is a member of the
Berks County Community Foundation.
Mixell is an attorney for Barley Snyder
Attorneys at Law in Reading.
Richard A. DiLiberto, Jr. ’82 won
first place in the Delaware State Bar
Association’s Fiction Writing Competition
for his short story The Lawyer Coat, a story
of an enduring bond between a father and
son. DiLiberto is a personal injury section
partner at Young Conaway Stargatt &
Taylor, LLP, Wilmington, Del. He is a pastpresident of the Delaware Trial Lawyers
Association, served in the Delaware House
of Representatives and was chairman
of the Delaware Commission on Italian
Heritage and Culture. He is also a member
of the Governor’s Magistrate Screening
Committee and treasurer of the LawRelated Education Center.
Roy Satterthwaite ’82 is senior vice
president of sales for the Americas at
Searchmetrics in Berlin, Germany.

28

BLOOMSBURG UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA

Lisa Fiorot Jacobson ’89 is vice president
of Event Management at Universal
Orlando Resort in Orlando, Fla.
Tina Magray Trager ’89 is a
Pennsylvania licensed real estate agent
with the Andrew Himes Group with
Berkshire Hathaway Fox and Roach,
Collegeville.

’90s
Robert Cole ’92 is senior vice president/
chief analytics officer of Allied Services
Integrated Health System, Clarks Summit.
Cole previously served as chief analytics
officer for the nonprofit health system.
Cole lives in Duryea with his wife, Donna,
and their daughter, Carsyn.

Christine Bokalo D’Agostino ’93 was
named one of 2017’s Best 50 Women in
Business from NJ BIZ.
Shannon Miller Munro ’93 is vice
president for workforce development
at Pennsylvania College of Technology,
Williamsport. Munro previously served
in a variety of roles for the Central
Pennsylvania Workforce Development
Corporation, including executive director.
Terrence E. Aldred ’94 has released his
first novel, Angela.
Timothy Kishbach ’94 is senior vice
president and director of commercial
lending for Jersey Shore State Bank.
Kishbach was a senior loan officer for
First National Bank of Berwick; business
banking regional manager for Citizens
Bank of Pennsylvania; senior loan officer
for SEDA-CoG, and senior relationship
manager of business banking for M&T
Bank. He is a graduate of the PBA School
of Commercial Lending and the Stonier
Graduate School of Banking.
Jeffery Daniels ’95M is senior vice
president and national director of
Institutional Property Managers (IPA)
Multifamily with Marcus & Millichap’s.
Before joining IPA, Daniels led AIG Global
Real Estate's U.S. multifamily investments
team. He is on the board of directors of the
National Multifamily Housing Council,
a member of the Urban Land Institute,
a member of the ULI Multifamily Green
Council and serves on the boards of the
Friends Academy and the Community
Development Corporation of Long Island.
Jennifer Rutt Halligan ’95 is vice
president and chief financial officer of the
Bank of Bird-in-Hand, Leacock Township.
She was previously vice president and
controller. Halligan is a certified public
accountant.
Jay Green ’98 is senior vice president of
Digital Strategy and Analytics at DGital
Media in New York City. Green is a
member of the Interactive Advertising
Bureau’s (IAB) Audio Committee and has
spoken at industry conferences, including

RAIN Summit West, Podcast Movement,
the IAB Podcast Upfront, and the IAB Los
Angeles Agency Day.
Catherine Carr Zavacki ’99 received the
2017 American Chemical Society Middle
Atlantic Region Award for Excellence in
High School Teaching.

’00s
Nicole Wiley Boytin ’01 is a member of
the Lenape Valley Foundation Board of
Bucks County, a nonprofit dedicated to
helping people with mental health issues.
Boytin is a commercial lender and vice
president at Penn Community Bank. She
is involved with the Village Improvement
Association of Doylestown, where she
serves on the finance committee and the
board of Doylestown Health.
Christopher Calomino ’01 is marketing
communications manager at RE/MAX
Northern Illinois, Elgin, Ill. Calomino is
responsible for conceiving and executing
marketing strategies and tactics that drive
growth. Previously, he was marketing
communications director for ACTEGA
Coatings and Sealants.
Erin McArthur Iacavone ’01 is a hospital
social worker at Pinnacle Health West
Shore Hospital.
Shannon Fry Frantz ’02 completed her
Supervisory Certificate in Curriculum and
Instruction at Gwynedd-Mercy University
in December 2016. Frantz is a high school
English teacher at Selinsgrove Area School
District.

Brian Bingaman ’03 was named a Master
Strength and Conditioning Coach by the
Collegiate Strength and Conditioning
Coaches Association. Bingaman was
presented with the honor, and the
blue MSCC jacket at the association's
National Conference in May. The honor
is the highest given in the strength
and conditioning coaching profession.
Bingman is director of strength and
conditioning at Saint Joseph’s University.
Marcie Zilinski Ackell ’04/’08M is an
elementary school teacher in the North
Schuylkill School District. Ackell was a
sixth-grade English, language arts and
science teacher at Central Dauphin School
District in Harrisburg.
Brock Lytle ’05 is a business insurance
executive at McConkey Insurance &
Benefits of York.
Jahri Evans ’07 signed a one-year
contract with the Green Bay Packers.
Vinnie James’07/’09M is associate
athletics director/chief of staff at Temple
University. James was previously the
assistant athletics director for business
operations. Before Temple, James held
positions at La Salle and Villanova
Universities.
Erin Cusack ’08 is creative production
manager at Fig Industries, Lancaster.
Cusack was marketing manager for
Harbor Compliance.
Ashley Sansing ’08 is the
recipient of the Success
Academy Charter Schools'
ETHOS Excellence Award.
The award recognizes
school staff who best

demonstrate the Success community's
values: Excellence, Teamwork, Humor,
Ownership, and Students. Sansing teaches
kindergarten at Success Academy Bronx
2, N.Y.

’10s
Allison Reed ’10 is the
Secondary Special Educator
of the Year award winner
for the Frederick County
Public School system in
Maryland. She is a middle
school special education teacher at
Brunswick Middle School.
Erik Sharkey ’10 is a senior accountant
at the Moosic office of Jones Kohanski
Consultants & Certified Public
Accountants. Sharkey is a member of the
Pennsylvania Institute of Certified Public
Accountants.
Senahid Zahirovic ’10,
Boyer & Ritter CPAs and
Consultants supervisor,
recently graduated from
Leadership Harrisburg, a program
designed to help area executives form
lasting connections with local community
organizations. Zahirovic examined ways
to increase the profitability of the YWCA
of Greater Harrisburg’s Camp Reilly by
creating unique marketing messages.
Haili Shetler Coombe ’11 is director
of Doctivity at SystemCare Health,
Moorestown, N.J. a national health
care consulting group. Her role with
the Doctivity program will tap into
her expertise of successful physician
onboarding, monitoring physician
CONTINUES ON NEXT PAGE

Husky Dog Pound Winner

Nathaniel Treichler, a sophomore business administration
management major, won the $1,000 first prize in BU’s inaugural Husky
Dog Pound Competition in April. Treicher is the founder of the Fly
Crate, a subscription-based fly-fishing service. He also won the $10,000
first place prize in the sixth annual Student Business Plan Competition
sponsored by Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education. Shown
from left are Terry Zeigler, Husky Dog Pound judge; Jeffrey Krug, dean
of the Zeigler College of Business; Treichler; Steve Welch, assistant
professor of management and international business and Dog Pound
organizer; Lisa Bair and Kelly Lewis, Dog Pound judges.
FALL 2017

29

Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania

husky notes
productivity, developing referral
tracking reports, and evaluating market
opportunities. Coombe previously served
in several roles at Geisinger Health
System, most recently on the Mergers and
Acquisitions team.
Kyle Smith ’11 is executive director of
the Pennsylvania College of Technology
Foundation, Williamsport. Smith was
director of leadership giving, interim
director of alumni relations, director of
annual giving and annual fund assistant at
Elmira College.

Brian Kutz ’13/’14M CPA
is a Tax Senior Associate
with Boyer & Ritter CPAs
and Consultants. Kutz
previously worked with
a team at KPMG US. He
is a member of the Harrisburg Young
Professionals, the American Institute of
CPAs and the Pennsylvania Institute of
Certified Public Accountants.

James Geffken ’16M is superintendent of
the Benton Area School District. Geffken
was the director of buildings, grounds
and transportation for Berwick Area
School District. He has a superintendent
commission qualification letter from the
state Department of Education.

John Dominski ’14 received a Doctorate
of Physical Therapy along with the
Clinical Excellence Award from Rutgers
University in May.

Sandra McMinn ’17 is a
designer for WebpageFX
based in Harrisburg.

Bringing dental care to those in need

JILL ECKERT ’80 communication disorders/’81M
speech pathology, has taken nine trips to help provide
comprehensive dental care to impoverished children
in remote locations around the world. The most recent
trips have been with Global Dental Relief. This summer
she assisted volunteer dentists in Guatemala and she will
assist children in Nepal in October. Eckert has been a
speech/language pathologist for 35 years with licensure
in West Virginia, Kentucky, Texas and Pennsylvania.
She serves preschool children at the Laughlin Children’s
Center in Sewickley.

30

BLOOMSBURG UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA

Global Dental Relief is a charitable organization
established in 2001 to provide free dental care and
oral health education to impoverished children and
families of Nepal, northern India, Cambodia, Kenya
and Guatemala. GDR’s commitment is to return
to these same children every two years to provide
continuous care. Dental camps generally include up to
six dentists, three hygienists and six to twelve nonmedical volunteers who collectively treat upwards of
150 children per day.

the line up

reunions, networking and special events

True to Bloomsburg: Alumni from the classes of the 1950s
and 1960s attended the annual True to Bloomsburg
Reunion luncheon. Alumni attendees included Richard
Ball ’60, Priscilla Buck ’62, Dazimae Carmo ’66, Barbara
Cobb ’60, Robert Foster ’64, Wayne Gavitt ’58, Alice Green
’58, Emil Kasarda ’52, Mary Anne Klemkosky ’59, Edward
Krakowski ’66, Byron Krapf ’60, Joan Krick ’65, Mary

Lehigh Valley Network Social at the Allentown BrewWorks:
Shown from left: Tom Ruth ’80, Elizabeth Mease ’00, Christine
Ford ’87, Linda Dallas ’84, Mark Emswiler ’87, Brian Case ’83, Dan
Confalone ’79, Elyse Perez ’16, Jamie Green ’14, Christa Irzinski ’14,
Dave Abert ’85, Ernie Long ’84.

Krigbaum ’61, Dale Krothe ’60, Joseph Kubert ’66, Lloyd
Livingston ’62, Connie McMichael ’66, Frederick Minnick
’63, Edgar Morgan ’59, Warren Moser ’62, John Moss ’57,
Joseph Nautaitis ’65, Edna Powell ’54, Faye Richelderfer
’63, Patricia Rindgen ’58, Jeananne Scrimgeour ’54, Thomas
Switzer ’66, George Vastine ’64.

Bishop Wedding: Lindsay and Brian Bishop, both BU graduates,
were married Oct. 22, 2016, with many Bloomsburg alumni
guests. Shown from left are, back row: Jennifer (Williams) Bluhm,
Anthony Bluhm, Jeffrey Eisenhuth, Marguerite (Chamuris)
Eisenhuth. Middle row: Rebecca (Reagan) Miller, Luke Sheehan,
Steven Kindred, Brian Bishop, Lindsay (Stevens) Bishop, Kathryn
(Metarko) Harsch. Front: Anthony Collins, Valerie (Hoyer) Good,
Joseph Fraatz, Matthew Curley.

FALL 2017

31

the line up

VITAL STATISTICS
Marriages

Maroon and Gold Pride: Representing Bloomsburg
University at Penn Color, Inc. in Hatfield. From left
to right: Ken Myers ’11, research scientist; Karen
Taylor’03, analytical chemist; Greg Stringfellow
’00, quality control manager; Mike Schuler, ’90
talent acquisition manager. Absent from photo: Phil
Riccardi ’07, technical sales.

Legacy family: Student Ireland Nelson, an
information management technology major,
stopped by the annual True to Bloomsburg
Reunion luncheon to meet up with a very special
person – her grandmother Faye Richelderfer,
class of 1963. The reunion is held each spring for
all graduating classes that previously celebrated a
50th class reunion.

To learn more about regional alumni
networks, visit bloomualumni.com
32

BLOOMSBURG UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA

Keith Edwards ’71 and James Cowden
Suzanne Visloskie ’87 and Gerald (Joe) Burge, June 10, 2017
Stephen Guillaume ’99 and Tara McKibben, Oct. 15, 2016
Daniel Gaydon ’03 and Shelley Procopio, Sept. 24, 2016
Peter S. Umlauf ’03 and Marie Demonteverde, Oct. 29, 2016
Joshua Walter ’04 and Stephanie Hager, May 20, 2017
Russell Haywood ’05 and Melissa Leary, May 14, 2016
Lindsay Stevens ’06 and Brian Bishop ’07, Oct. 22, 2016
Mary Bacher ’07 and Kyle Horvath, May 28, 2016
Caryn Lutz ’07 and Joseph Pawlowski, June 17, 2017
Jess Shuman ’07 and Kevin Harry ’02, June 29, 2013
Melanie Coate ’09 and Kyle Poppenwimer ’10, July 8, 2017
Nicole Majewski ’09 and Mark Gaston, May, 27, 2017
David Nevius ’09 and Anita Gallagher, Aug. 22, 2014
Elaina Van Kirk ’10 and Andrew Slike ’08, Sep. 23, 2016
Lauren Eberhardt ’11 and Michael Feist ’11, March 21, 2015
Stephanie Yelles ’11 and Louis Schwarz, May 6, 2017
Meredith Blunt ’12 and Gregory Gillam ’11, June 17, 2017
Amanda Youtzy ’12 and Andrew Wood ’12, June 17, 2017
Hannah Kolody ’13 and Brian Lester Burgess, Oct.ober 22, 2016
Jessica Jones '17 and Duncan Merkert, June 24, 2017

Obituaries
I. Pauline Womer Snyder ’31
Beatrice Eisenhauer Siegel ’36
Joycelyn Andrews Summers ’38
Harold Trethaway ’42
H. Clifton Wright ’42
Philip Yeany ’43
Hazel Chappell Guyler ’50
Walter Scheipe ’50
Gloria Long Whitney ’51
Patricia Ann Kistler Diseroad ’52
William Byham ’53
Francis Gallo ’54
Jeanette Traver Wright ’54
Norman Balchunas ’58

Eugene Makara ’61
Richard Domalavage ’62
Andrew Gurzynski ’63
D. Jean Cope ’64
Kay Styer Heim ’64
Harry Ravert ’65
Anthony Nash ’67
Britt Jones ’68
Alan Mack ’68
Joan Mudrick Puschauver ’68
Alice McKeown Szymczak ’68
Scott Heimbach ’70
Maureen McAndrew Steixner ’70
William Bernardo ’72

Ronald Garrison ’72
Susan Moeri Hassig ’72
Janice Moser Morrison ’73
Elsie Jean Wagner ’73
James C. Mitchell ’74
Richard Neff ’74
Debra Kroh Snyder ’76
Kathleen Daniels ’77
Cathy Gehris Gabriel ’77
James Kane ’77
Mary Ellen Maduro ’77
John Vanderbeck ’77
Jeanne Peoples Marsh ’78
Kenneth Zipko ’78

Marian Matusick Chavez ’80
James Diliberto ’80
Susan Kaufman Jiannino ’81
Jo Ann Spencer Weirick ’81
Ronald Mattern ’82
John Marconi ’83
Jeannette Ryno Weikel ’89
Walter Hager ’96
Elizabeth Berry ’98
Robert Paulus ’99
Macy Minnier ’03
Melissa Neeb Wagner ’03

Births
Maura Luciano Irving ’04 and husband, Patrick, a son, Maximus Patrick, Nov. 25, 2016
Gregory Leib ’01 and wife, Trisha, a daughter, April Vivian, April 8, 2017
Laura Hilbert Tucholski ’04 and husband, Josef ’05, a daughter, Adelynn Jean, Nov. 23, 2016
Christopher Klunk ’07 and wife, Renee, a son, Wyatt Michael, May 23, 2017
Jess Shuman Harry ’07 and husband, Kevin ’02, a son, Lincoln Douglas, June 20, 2014
Jennifer Cudzil Abrams ’08 and husband, Joshua, as son Issac Terry, April 17, 2017.
Amanda Brooks Winters ’09 and husband, John, a son, Oliver Brooks, Jan. 15, 2017
Sheila Martin Ergott ’09 and husband, David ’09, a son, Aaron Lee, Aug. 3, 2016
Kelly Ziegler Lisachenko ’09 and husband, Gregory, a daughter, Anastasia Lee, May 12, 2017
David L Miller ’09 and wife, Stacey, a daughter, Avery, June 5, 2017
Emma Jabbour ’10 and husband, Scott ’08, a son, Owen Scott, June 12, 2017
Debon Berger Kolb ’11 and husband, David ’08, twins, Asher Michael and Leah Paige, May 2, 2017

Send information to:

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

FALL 2017

33

over THE shoulder

The south end of the first campus athletic field, 1898, with Carver
Hall at far right, minus the tower built two years later.

125 years on the gridiron
by Robert Dunkelberger

ON SATURDAY, OCT. 22, 1892,
Bloomsburg State Normal School
played its first football game. This fall
will mark 125 years since that match.
In those early years at Bloomsburg,
there was no certainty it would last.
In addition to losing that first game,
college football itself had existed for
less than 25 years.
There was keen interest in football
at Bloomsburg by the early 1890s, but
until 1892 no formal football team
existed. The force behind creating
one was the new professor of history
and civics at the school, Warren
Detwiler. A tackle and senior captain
at Haverford College and eager to
continue competing, Detwiler served
as coach of the newly organized
team. Money was raised and
uniforms were ordered.
The players were enthusiastic and
ready to undertake the new sport.
34

BLOOMSBURG UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA

Football was viewed as valuable to
young men due to the benefit derived
from rigorous training. There was
also the desire to excel, to uphold
the honor of the school by having a
successful team.
With no place to play or practice
on campus, the team made a halfmile walk to the Bloomsburg Town
Athletic Park, located between
Seventh and Eighth Streets across
Iron Street from the county
jail. Practice went on in the late
afternoons for six weeks until the
end of October, when the four-game
schedule began.
The first game was against an
experienced Wilkes-Barre team.
The Normal players, with Detwiler
at halfback, gave their all, but the
visitors won that initial game 26-0.
The victors effectively used the
V-formation offense, also known as

the flying wedge. Players formed
themselves into a V-shape before
the snap and charged the line of
scrimmage. The ball carrier was
inside the “V” and the wedge of
players slammed into the opposing
line. It was very violent and highly
successful against lighter-weight
teams.
It took two more games before
Bloomsburg achieved its first victory
on Nov. 5 over a team from Nanticoke
by a score of 24-0. Football was new
to most of the spectators, who didn’t
know the rules or fully comprehend
what they were watching. But it
was exciting and generated a lot of
interest. While the team had just
two wins in 1893, the groundwork
for future football success was laid
with the hiring of Bloomsburg’s first
director of physical education, Albert
Aldinger.

The 1902 team, showing the advances in football uniforms over 10 years.

Aldinger, a native of York, trained
in physical education from the age of
14 and previously worked at YMCAs
in West Philadelphia and Oil City.
In addition to class instruction, he
became coach of the Bloomsburg
baseball and football teams. His
record in football for the first five
seasons through 1898 was good, 1814-1, against some tough opponents,
including close losses to Penn State,
Bucknell, and Lafayette.
Eventually, the close games led to
difficulties in completing a schedule,
so official football was dropped
in 1899 and 1900. When football
returned in 1901, the excellent players
Aldinger had recruited made the team
dominant. Over a four-year span,
Bloomsburg had 28 wins and two ties
in 37 games, with 27 shutouts. Other
innovations to Bloomsburg included
a training table providing food for the
players, secret practices with guards
posted to keep away spies, a bonfire to
celebrate victories and cheerleaders
with megaphones to boost school
spirit.

The 1892 football team members in their new uniforms, with Coach
Warren Detwiler in the center.

The final game of 1904 season was
the high point of Aldinger’s career.

First director of physical
education, Albert Aldinger.

Wyoming Seminary of Kingston, the
fiercest rival in the early years, came
to Bloomsburg and was beaten 28-0.
It was the largest margin of victory
the Normal School would have over
the Seminary and was the eighth win

of the year, a total not reached again
until 1948. After a .500 season in 1905,
Aldinger resigned on Jan. 15, 1906, to
teach physical education in New York
City, ending with a career coaching
record of 50-25-3. His win total was
not surpassed for 94 years until
Danny Hale reached 51 during the
1999 season, on his way to a schoolrecord 173 victories.
The early years of Bloomsburg
football were an exciting time, as fans
at the school and in the community
learned to follow and take to heart
a new sport that captured their
devotion and imagination. It is a love
that has grown over the succeeding
125 years, ever since those first
pioneers of football donned uniforms,
marched to the Town Athletic Park,
and gave their all for Bloomsburg
Normal. l
Robert Dunkelberger is Bloomsburg
University archivist.

Pushing the ball over the goal line for a touchdown
at the Bloomsburg Town Athletic Park, 1895.
FALL 2017

35

calendar
Academic Calendar
FALL 2017
Classes Begin
Monday, Aug. 28
Labor Day, No Classes
Monday, Sept. 4
Mid-Term
Tuesday, Oct. 10
Reading Day
Tuesday, Nov. 21
Thanksgiving Recess
Wednesday, Nov. 22
Classes Resume
Monday, Nov. 27
Classes End
Friday, Dec. 8
Finals Begin
Monday, Dec. 11
Finals End
Friday, Dec. 15
Graduate Commencement
Friday, Dec. 15
Undergraduate Commencement
Saturday, Dec. 16

Alumni Events

Michael Reedy
Haas Gallery of Art
Oct. 10 – Nov. 15
Reception and Gallery Talk:
Nov. 15, 11 – 2 p.m.
Reunion-(LGBTQA Symposium Group
Show)
The Gallery at Greenly Center
Nov. 3 – Dec. 5
Reception: Nov. 3, 6-8 p.m.
Senior Exit Show
Haas Gallery of Art
Nov. 30 – Dec. 15
Reception and Balcony Talk:
Dec 15, 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Bela Ball-Tori Mitchell-Destiny Samsel
The Gallery at Greenly Center
Dec. 12 – Feb. 23
Reception: Feb. 23, 6-8 p.m.
Jim Arendt
Haas Gallery of Art
Dec. 21 – Feb. 1
Reception and Gallery Talk:
Feb 1, 11 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Lauren Kalman
Haas Gallery of Art
Feb. 8 – March 9
Reception and Gallery Talk:
Feb. 8, 11 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Maria Lux and Katrina Majkut
The Gallery at Greenly Center
March 8 – April 19
Reception: March 8, 11 a.m. – 2 p.m.

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.

Mary Anne Mitchell
Haas Gallery of Art
March 22 - May 3
Reception and Gallery Talk:
March 22, 11 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Art Exhibitions

Spring 2018 Senior Exit Show
The Gallery at Greenly Center
April 24 – May 11
Reception: April 24, 10 a.m. - 3 p.m.

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.
Hamilton Wood Type Poster Show
The Gallery at Greenly Center
Aug. 3 – Sept. 18
Sarah Kulaga-Ellen Brennan and Ashley
Lopez
The Gallery at Greenly Center
Sept. 28 – Oct. 28
Reception: Oct. 11, 6-8 p.m.
Revisited/Renewed: 2017 Liberal Arts
Symposium Exhibition
Haas Gallery of Art
Oct 2 – Oct 6
Reception: Oct. 5, 12:30 – 2 p.m.

36

Celebrity Artist Series
Events in the 2017-2018 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

The Ten Tenors
Friday, Dec. 8, 7:30 p.m.
Haas Center for the Arts, Mitrani Hall
Berlin Philharmonic Piano Quartet
Saturday, Feb. 10, 7:30 p.m.
Carver Hall, Kenneth S. Gross
Auditorium

Jazz Ensemble
Thursday, Nov. 30, 7:30 p.m.
Haas Center for the Arts, Mitrani Hall

Dublin Irish Dance
Friday, March 2, 7:30 p.m.
Haas Center for the Arts, Mitrani Hall

Tuba Christmas
Saturday, Dec. 2, 5 p.m.
Haas Center for the Arts, Mitrani Hall

The Cashore Marionettes
Life In Motion
A Very Special Family Event!
Friday, April 6, 7:30 p.m.
Carver Hall, Kenneth S. Gross
Auditorium
Special family show

Guitar Ensemble
Wednesday, Dec. 6, 7:30 p.m.
Haas Center for the Arts, Mitrani Hall

Theatre
The Arsonists
November 1 to 5
Alvina Krause Theatre
Devised Piece for and with Young People
Saturday, Dec. 2
Haas Center for the Arts, Mitrani Hall
Machinal
February 21 — 25
Alvina Krause Theatre
8th Annual Dance Minor Concert
Sunday, April 22, and Monday,
April 23
Haas Center for the Arts, Mitrani Hall

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. 7, 4 p.m.
Haas Center for the Arts
BU Choirs Fall Choral Festival
Sunday, Oct. 15, 2:30 p.m.
Carver Hall, Kenneth S. Gross
Auditorium
Percussion Ensemble
Tuesday, Nov. 7, 7:30 p.m.
Haas Center for the Arts, Mitrani Hall

The Preservation Hall Legacy Quintet
with The Soul Queen of New Orleans,
Miss Irma Thomas,
and special guest appearance by
The Blind Boys of Alabama
Saturday, Nov. 4, 7:30 p.m.
Haas Center for the Arts, Mitrani Hall

Guest Artist
Thursday, Nov. 29
Haas Center for the Arts, Mitrani Hall

The Illusionists Present Adam Trent
Saturday, Nov. 18, 7:30 p.m.
Haas Center for the Arts, Mitrani Hall

Wind Ensemble
Wednesday, Nov. 15, 7:30 p.m.
Gross Auditorium, Carver Hall

BLOOMSBURG UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA

Bloomsburg University Community
Orchestra
Sunday, Nov. 19, 2:30 p.m.
Haas Center for the Arts, Mitrani Hall

Piano Day
Saturday, Nov. 11, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Haas Center for the Arts, Mitrani Hall

Carols by Candlelight
Thursday, Dec. 7, and Friday, Dec. 8,
7:30 p.m.
First Presbyterian Church, 345 Market
St., Bloomsburg.
No admission fee but tickets are
required.
Available at the Mitrani box office
570-389-4409.

Mostly Mondays
at the Movies
All showings in Carver Hall
Kenneth S. Gross Auditorium at 7 p.m.
DEEJ
Monday, Sept. 18
Oil and Water
Monday, Oct. 16
Mind/Game
Monday, Nov. 6
Little Stones
Wednesday, Feb. 14
Big Sonia
Monday, March 26
Ghost Town to Havana
Monday, April 9

Special Events
Parents and Family Weekend
Friday to Sunday, Sept. 15 — 17
Homecoming Weekend
Friday to Sunday, Oct. 6 — 8

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

GRAND OPENING
Come Visit
tion
Our New Loca
In Soltz Hall!

BLOOMUSTORE.COM
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.

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

BURLINGTON, VT
05401
PERMIT NO. 73

MIX
Paper from
responsible sources
fsc.org

FSC® C022085

BLOOMSBURG UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA

Celebrity Artist Series
2017-2018 Season
THE PRESERVATION HALL LEGACY QUINTET
WITH THE SOUL QUEEN OF NEW ORLEANS,
MISS IRMA THOMAS
Saturday, Nov. 4
THE ILLUSIONISTS PRESENT ADAM TRENT
Saturday, Nov. 18 (Shown)
THE TEN TENORS
Friday, Dec. 8
BERLIN PHILHARMONIC PIANO QUARTET
Saturday, Feb. 10, 2018
DUBLIN IRISH DANCE
Friday, March 2, 2018
THE CASHORE MARIONETTES
LIFE IN MOTION
Friday, April 6, 7:30 p.m.

Tickets to ALL Celebrity Artist Series shows are on sale NOW!
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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