admin
Fri, 02/02/2024 - 19:15
Edited Text
California University
VOLUME 12, NUMBER 33 JAN. 17, 2011
Alumni Share Thoughts at Commencement
I
nspiration and advice from two distinguished
alumni highlighted Cal U’s 171st Commencement.
At ceremonies on Dec. 17 and 18, President
Angelo Armenti, Jr. conferred degrees on more than
1,300 graduates, including students whose diplomas
were awarded in absentia.
He urged associate, bachelor’s and master’s degree
candidates to embrace Cal U for Life, which encourages
both students and alumni to share their time, talent and
treasure with the University.
“We want each of you to have a lifelong relationship
with your alma mater,” President Armenti said. “All of
you can give of your time and talent now, and the
treasure will come in future years.”
The President also spoke of Cal U’s culture of
philanthropy, and at the undergraduate ceremonies, the
senior class presented a gift. Graduating senior Jordan
Galiffa, chair of the Senior Gift Drive Committee, gave
President Armenti an oversized check for more than
$8,000.
“Those of us who worked on the inaugural senior
class gift drive committee certainly embrace this
important and daring initiative,” said Galiffa. “Even
though we were not exposed to Cal U for Life as the
incoming freshman are now, we also take seriously the
lifelong relationship we want to have with our alma
mater.”
Dr. Saundra Kiski Stout ’72, 74 addressed the
master’s degree candidates on Dec. 17, and Armand
Balsano ’74 delivered remarks Dec. 18 at the
undergraduate event.
Stout is a distinguished educator who retired as
acting superintendent of Keystone Oaks School District
and still serves as a consultant for the Carnegie Science
Center and is an adjunct professor at both the University
of Pittsburgh and Washington and Jefferson College.
Stout asked the graduates to consider their own
ethical standards as they face the future, noting that
higher education, in the truest sense, must embrace
deeply held values that determine what we stand for,
what we care about and, ultimately, who we are.
“Given what our country and we as citizens have
endured recently,” she said, “we have to question how
individuals make choices in their daily lives and if they
are indeed guided by a sense of personal ethics.”
Stout advised the graduates to continue learning and
Brittany Wagner receives flowers from her son, William, at the Graduate Commencement.
to help others along.
“As highly educated people and the future of our
country, I encourage you to continue your lifelong quest
for learning, continue your personal sense of ethics and
mentor those whose own lives cross your path.”
Balsano, who has worked in the health-care industry
for more than 30 years, currently is a managing director
for Navigant Consulting, where he heads the Strategy
Practice Division.
He told the Class of 2010 to create a career plan, be
tenacious and embrace life’s inevitable adversity.
“I strongly urge you graduates to stay vigilant for
new opportunities now and throughout your career,” he
said. “Career success is very seldom a straight and linear
path. Cal U provided me and you with the intellectual
— Continued on page 2
President Armenti applauds the Cal U faculty for a job well
done, something he did at the start of both
Commencement ceremonies.
PASSHE Website
Day of Service: Students Step Up
Designed for Students
MLK Day
L
ooking to assist students throughout the college planning
process, the Pennsylvania State System of Higher
Education (PASSHE) has launched a new website that
can guide them from their earliest days of high school through
admission and beyond.
The new website includes a wealth
of information to assist potential
students and their families in their
college search and selection process. It
includes a searchable directory of all
academic programs offered at the 14
PASSHE universities — from associate
to graduate degree — as well as
information on when and how to begin
preparing for college, and how to pay for it.
“PASSHE exists first and foremost for our students,” said
Karen Ball, vice chancellor for external relations. “Our No. 1
shared goal is to do everything possible to help our students
succeed in their careers and in their lives. Our new website was
designed with that goal in mind.”
In fact, students had a direct role in the site’s design. Two
— Continued on page 3
C
al U observed the birthday of Dr. Martin
Luther King Jr. with its annual Day of
Service on Jan. 17.
This was the first time the University has held
the event on the actual date of the holiday.
Sigma Kappa Sorority assisted the Center in
the Woods staff with serving lunch, and residence
hall staff members and director Betsy Clark
hosted bingo at the Liberty Towers senior highrise. The Athletic Training Club and Alpha
Lambda Delta honor society also performed
service work. LaMont Coleman, associate dean
for student affairs, and Diane Williams, director of
Cal U’s new Center for Civic Engagement,
coordinated projects in the Natali Student Center.
Students, faculty, staff and alumni served
others by making Darn It Dolls for patients at
Medi-Home Hospice, writing Valentine’s Day
messages to children at St. Jude Children’s
Research Hospital, creating get-well cards for
patients at the Veterans Affairs Hospital in
Pittsburgh, collecting and packaging items on the
Ronald McDonald House wish list, and
preparing for the annual American Cancer
Speaker
Robert G. Stanton, a
senior adviser to the
Secretary of the Interior,
will speak at a luncheon
Jan. 19 marking Martin
Luther King Jr. Day. See
story on page 3.
Society Daffodil Days event.
Inspiration for the Day of Service was a 2003
visit to Cal U by the late Coretta Scott King, wife
of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. During
her campus visit, she asked that the day
commemorating her husband be observed as “a
day on, rather than a day off.”
“Our students take this day and Mrs. King’s
message very seriously,” Coleman said. “Even
though the spring semester did not start until the
next day, it was important for the students and
other members of the University community to
do their part.”
Mary Jo Livingood
celebrates with her
daughter Ava Marie
and husband, Jason
Livingood, in the
Hamer Hall
bleachers after the
Undergraduate
Commencement
ceremony.
Alumni Share
Thoughts at Winter
Commencement
— Continued from page 1
Above, Dr. John Cencich, dean of the School of Graduate Studies and Research, vests Matthew
Joseph Kallis, son of Cal U faculty member Dr. John Kallis, with his academic hood. Below,
Commencement speaker Dr. Saundra Kiski Stout ’72 ’74 asks the master’s degree candidates to
consider their own ethical standards as they face the future.
foundation and problem-solving skills
that are necessary in any career.”
Balsano told the graduates they are
equipped for success, if they are willing
to work hard to achieve it.
“You will always use — and will rely
upon — the discipline and work ethic
that it took to get through four rigorous
years of a college education,” he said.
“Adversity definitely builds character. The
challenges we face personally and
professionally teach us self-reliance and
self-discipline. Be tenacious and enjoy
the ride.”
President Armenti concluded the
graduate Commencement by discussing
the importance of one’s spirit and legacy.
“The spirit of a person lives on after
them, even without a religious context,
and that spirit is their legacy,” he said.
“May your spirit encourage the best in
others, and may your legacy be an
inspiration to all who follow.”
Undergraduate Commencement speaker
Armand Balsano ’74 urges the Class of 2010 to
create a career plan, be tenacious and embrace
life’s inevitable adversity.
GACO Hosts Procurement Opportunities Fair
M
ore than 400 sales representatives and regional
business owners visited the 23rd annual
Procurement Opportunities Fair hosted by
Cal U’s Government Agency Coordination Office
(GACO), Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania and
the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
Focused on providing western Pennsylvania
businesses with contracting and subcontracting
opportunities, the fair at the Holiday Inn in Washington,
Pa., featured 71 booths occupied by government
agencies, corporations, regional service organizations
and area businesses. Also, Joe Elwell and John Pontus
of the Corps of Engineers, Pittsburgh, introduced their
organization in a seminar titled “USACOE 101.”
GACO helps the region’s business community
compete successfully for government contracts and
subcontracts.
“Through these events, area businesses have access
to multiple buyers for their goods and services,” said
Deborah Wojcik, GACO director. “It is an excellent
networking opportunity where companies can obtain
information on government procurement.”
Local businesses assisted by Cal U’s GACO program
have reported receiving more than 31,897 contracts and
subcontracts totaling over $2.36 billion, Wojik said.
GACO is supported by grants from the Sarah Scaife
Foundation and the Defense Logistics Agency. The next
procurement fair will be held on Oct. 19, at the
2
Bill McCabe (left), sales director at Industrial Testing Laboratory Services, Pittsburgh; Marty Wenzig, president of Industrial
Testing Laboratory Services; and Deborah Wojcik, GACO director, attend the 23rd annual Procurement Opportunities Fair.
Sheraton Four Points in Mars, Pa.
Area businesses interested in obtaining additional
information about this fair or GACO’s services may
contact Tracy Julian at 724-938-5881. More information
is available on the Cal U website, www.calu.edu; look
for “Information for … Business and Community” at
the top of the homepage, then click on “Government
Agency Coordination Office.”
Foundation Announces Annual Awards
A
t their annual dinner Dec. 13, members of the
Foundation for California University of
Pennsylvania presented awards to three
individuals and elected three new members to the
Foundation Board of Directors.
Elected during the business portion of the meeting
were William R. Booker ’74, Lawrence Maggi ’79, and
Dr. Lorraine Vitchoff ’74.
Louis J. Panza Jr. received the Society of 1852
Award for his leadership and civic service. Tom ’77 and
Karen Rutledge were given the Job Johnson Award for
their professional success and philanthropy, and Dr.
Regis Serinko received the Dixonians Award for service
to the University and community service.
■ The Society of 1852 Award is presented for
distinguished contributions to the enhancement and
excellence of California University
Its winner, Louis J. Panza Jr., is president and chief
executive officer of Mon-Vale Health Resources Inc. and
of Monongahela Valley Hospital Inc.
Involved in many community activities, numerous
professional societies in the field of accounting and
hospital management, Panza became associated with
the hospital in 1984 and has held his current positions
since July 2004.
At Cal U, Panza is a member of the Board of
Presidential Advisors and a longtime partner in the
University’s initiatives to build relationships with the
southwestern Pennsylvania community.
With President Angelo Armenti, Jr., he formed the
first partnership through which the University provides
training in The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People and
other FranklinCovey leadership programs to the
hospital’s executives. In return, Monongahela Valley
Hospital has created an endowed scholarship fund to
benefit students majoring in nursing at the University.
Panza received a Bachelor of Science in Business
Administration, and an MBA with a concentration in
accounting and business law, both from Duquesne
University.
■ Job Johnson was among the founders of what
eventually became California University. The award
named in his honor recognizes alumni who have
received recognition, outside of the University, for
excellence, innovation, community service or other
notable achievements.
This year’s award winners, Tom and Karen Rutledge,
have supported dozens of needy students with
scholarship aid.
Survey Participant
Wins Free Lunch
C
athy Tonkavitch, a management technician in the
Purchasing Department, was randomly selected
to receive a catered lunch for 15 for completing
the Natali Student Center/Envision Strategies survey.
The survey was conducted to better understand the
University community’s views, preferences and dining
habits in preparation
for a possible
renovation of the
Natali Student Center.
Envision Strategies,
an independent food
service consulting
firm, helped to develop
the survey as part of a
strategic plan to guide
future improvements
to the student center.
“We believe that
the opinions of all
members of the
University community
should be heard, and
we are grateful to
everyone who took the
time to participate in
Cathy Tonkavitch
this very important
survey,” said Dr. Lenora Angelone, vice president for
Student Affairs.
Graduate students Matt Nebel and Kristina Angelilli
presented Tonkavitch with a certificate.
“I was very surprised because I never win anything,”
said Tonkavitch, who will enjoy her lunch with her
colleagues.
The Foundation for California University recently presented its annual awards to outstanding alumni and friends of the
University. Featured in the photo (from left): President Angelo Armenti, Jr.; Louis J. Panza, Jr., The Society of 1852 Award; Tom
’77 and Karen Rutledge, Job Johnson Award; Dr. Regis Serinko, Dixonians Award; and Linda H. Serene ’64, president of the
Foundation for California University of Pennsylvania.
Tom Rutledge is chief operating officer of one of the
country’s largest cable companies, Cablevision Inc.
serving 5.3 million households and businesses in the
New York metropolitan area. The industry inducted him
into the Cable Hall of Fame in 2009. He serves on
numerous boards, including the National Cable and
Telecommunications Association (NCTA) and Cal U’s
Board of Presidential Advisors.
For the past three years, the Rutledge Family Fund
has provided full tuition scholarships to 20 married and
single students who are parents with children.
Recently, the Rutledges pledged to continue the
current program for four more years, and they have
increased their support to provide financial help for Cal
U students who are completing internships outside of
western Pennsylvania.
The couple also is also funding a new scholarship
program designed to recruit students in the field of
economics.
■ The Dixonians Award was named in honor of
John N. Dixon, a Cal U founder who served on the
Board of Trustees for 46 years. This award honors
others who unselfishly serve the University.
The 2010 recipient, Emeritus Biology Professor Dr.
Regis J. Serinko, served in many teaching and
administrative roles at Cal U from 1961 until his
retirement in 1985.
He was the acting dean of faculty and academic
affairs for two years, and he served as executive assistant
to the President for five years before returning to
teaching in 1975.
A World War II veteran, Serinko earned a bachelor’s
degree at St. Vincent College, master’s degrees from
West Virginia University and the University of
Pittsburgh, and a doctorate from Pitt.
His research into the history of California University
of Pennsylvania has resulted in the books California State
College: The People’s College in the Monongahela Valley
(1975); California University of Pennsylvania: The Alumni
Association, A Century of Service, 1883 to 1983 (1983); and
California University of Pennsylvania: The People’s College in
the Monongahela Valley, (1992).
His latest publication is Freedom’s Heroes: The Military
Heritage of Rostraver (2010).
Speaker Advises Interior Secretary
R
obert G. Stanton, a senior
adviser to the Secretary of
the Interior, will deliver the
keynote address at a luncheon Jan.
19 marking Martin Luther King Jr.
Day.
Stanton was the first AfricanAmerican director of the National
Park Service, serving from 1997
through the end of the Clinton
administration. In that role he had
policy, planning and management
responsibility for the National Park
System’s 384 natural, cultural and
recreational areas. The 83 million-
acre park system attracted 228
million visits per year and
employed some 20,000 permanent,
temporary and seasonal workers.
After leaving the National Park
Service, Stanton was an executive
professor at Texas A&M
University, a visiting professor at
Howard and Yale universities, and
a consultant to a number of
national conservation
organizations.Today he advises the
Interior Secretary on a wide range
of environmental, organizational
and management challenges and
represents the department on
Presidential Policy Review
committees, boards and
commissions. He also provides
executive leadership and program
direction for the Interior Museum,
Historic Art Collection and the
congressionally authorized Indian
Arts and Crafts Board.
In addition to speaking to
invited guests at the luncheon,
Stanton will meet with Dr.
Harrison Pinkney and students in
the parks and recreation
management program.
PASSHE Site Designed for Students
— Continued from page 1
recent graduates of Kutztown University of
Pennsylvania’s communication design program
helped create the look and feel of the new site.
The student-oriented site also contains
organizational, policy and strategic initiative
information important to PASSHE employees and
the general public, as well as links for potential
vendors who wish to do business with the State
System. It is a one-stop shop that can serve as a
gateway to Pennsylvania’s public universities.
With a single click of the mouse, users of the
new site can go from the newly designed home page
to any of several helpful links to find out what
courses they should take in high school to prepare
for college and which PASSHE universities offer the
programs that interest them. Students also can go
quickly to a financial aid planner, as well as to a
separate page designed just for students transferring
from a community college or another four-year
college or university.
PASSHE universities are the most affordable
among all four-year colleges and universities in
Pennsylvania, and the total cost of attendance —
tuition, fees, room and board — is below the
national average for all public universities.
The vast majority of their academic programs are
accredited by professional organizations nationally,
an important stamp of approval that benefits
graduates who seek to go directly into the job market
or who choose to apply to graduate school.
To visit the new PASSHE website, go to
www.passhe.edu.
3
Campus BRIEFS
Prest Appointed to
Statewide Committee
Pie-Eyed
Devon Chappel, a secondary education, Spanish major and Alpha Sigma Tau sister, gets a pie in the face from Zach McCarty, a technology
education major. Alpha Sigma Tau held the event to raise awareness about eating disorders.
Loring Prest, associate professor in
the Department of Library Services, has
been appointed chair of the Keystone
Library Network PILOT Committee.
Also an electronic resources librarian
and the library’s webmaster, Prest is now
part of a statewide committee that deals
with the online library catalog used
throughout the State System of Higher
Education and at other libraries.
The Keystone Library Network
(KLN) provides the 14 State System
universities and library partners with
abstracts and access to 7,634 academic
journals, 1,712 magazines, conference
proceedings for 44 associations, and
40,568 business reports including
country reports, industry reports, market
research reports and SWOT analyses.
The KLN maintains catalogs of its
members’ holdings.
Hjerpe Accepts
Committee Post
Cal U’s 2010
women’s
volleyball team
continued the
program’s
success this past
fall by achieving
a seventh
straight 20-win
season and
fifth-consecutive
appearance in
the NCAA
Division II
Atlantic Regional
Championship
finals.
Volleyball Closes Winning Season
W
ith its 15th consecutive winning season, the Cal
U women’s volleyball team continued its high
standard of play this fall under the direction of
third-year head coach Stephanie Burner.
The Vulcans made the program’s fifth-consecutive
appearance in the NCAA Division II Atlantic Regional
Championship and achieved their seventh-straight 20-win
season, finishing with a 23-13 overall record.
At the regional contest, Cal U defeated IUP and
tourney host Edinboro before falling to eventual national
semifinalist Clarion in the finals. This was the team’s sixth
consecutive post-season trip.
Since 2006 the Vulcans have compiled a remarkable 624 home record.
Among many fine individual performers was
sophomore middle hitter Meghan Franz, one of just 14
players selected to the American Volleyball Coaches
Association (AVCA) All-Atlantic Region Team.
Franz led the team in kills (307) and blocks (136),
ranking sixth in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference
(PSAC) with a team-high .301 hitting percentage.
Franz also was named to the Daktronics All-Atlantic
Region second team, the All-PSAC West first team and the
Atlantic Region All-Tournament team.
Teammate Kelly Fromknecht earned honorable
mention from the AVCA and second team All-Conference
honors.
A sophomore setter and right side hitter, Fromknecht
finished the season with 293 kills, 224 assists, 97 digs and
89 blocks.
Over the past seven years, Cal U volleyball team’s
cumulative record is 225-42 (.843).
Dr. Karen Hjerpe, associate athletic
director and senior women’s
administrator, has been asked to serve on
the regional
committee of the
National
Association of
Collegiate Women
on Athletic
Administration’s
(NACWAA).
Along with
athletic
administrators from
Hjerpe
the University of
Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon
University, Hjerpe will help to plan
activities for the 2011 NACWAA
National Convention, set for Oct. 9-11 in
Pittsburgh.
Founded in 1979, NACWAA is the
only nationally recognized collegiate
professional membership organization
whose mission is to enhance and
promote opportunities for women in
intercollegiate athletics administration.
With nearly 2,000 members,
NACWAA promotes the growth,
leadership, and success of women as
athletics administrators, conference
commissioners, professional staff,
coaches and student-athletes
.
Spring Faculty
Convocation Jan. 27
The Spring Faculty Convocation will
be held at 11 a.m. Jan. 27 in the
Learning Resource Center auditorium in
Morgan Hall.
The California Journal is published weekly by California University of Pennsylvania, a member of The Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education.
Dr. Angelo Armenti, Jr.
University President
Dr. Charles Mance
Vice President for University Technology Services
Craig Butzine
Interim Vice President for Marketing and University Relations
Geraldine M. Jones
Provost/Vice President for Academic Affairs
Ron Huiatt
Vice President for Development and Alumni Relations
Christine Kindl
Editor
Dr. Lenora Angelone
Vice President for Student Affairs
Robert Thorn
Interim Vice President for Administration and Finance
Bruce Wald, Wendy Mackall, Jeff Bender
Writers
Office of Communication and Public Relations
250 University Avenue
California, PA 15419
724-938-4195
wald@calu.edu
The Journal is printed on paper made from trees harvested under the principles of the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (www.SFIprogram.org).
4
VOLUME 12, NUMBER 33 JAN. 17, 2011
Alumni Share Thoughts at Commencement
I
nspiration and advice from two distinguished
alumni highlighted Cal U’s 171st Commencement.
At ceremonies on Dec. 17 and 18, President
Angelo Armenti, Jr. conferred degrees on more than
1,300 graduates, including students whose diplomas
were awarded in absentia.
He urged associate, bachelor’s and master’s degree
candidates to embrace Cal U for Life, which encourages
both students and alumni to share their time, talent and
treasure with the University.
“We want each of you to have a lifelong relationship
with your alma mater,” President Armenti said. “All of
you can give of your time and talent now, and the
treasure will come in future years.”
The President also spoke of Cal U’s culture of
philanthropy, and at the undergraduate ceremonies, the
senior class presented a gift. Graduating senior Jordan
Galiffa, chair of the Senior Gift Drive Committee, gave
President Armenti an oversized check for more than
$8,000.
“Those of us who worked on the inaugural senior
class gift drive committee certainly embrace this
important and daring initiative,” said Galiffa. “Even
though we were not exposed to Cal U for Life as the
incoming freshman are now, we also take seriously the
lifelong relationship we want to have with our alma
mater.”
Dr. Saundra Kiski Stout ’72, 74 addressed the
master’s degree candidates on Dec. 17, and Armand
Balsano ’74 delivered remarks Dec. 18 at the
undergraduate event.
Stout is a distinguished educator who retired as
acting superintendent of Keystone Oaks School District
and still serves as a consultant for the Carnegie Science
Center and is an adjunct professor at both the University
of Pittsburgh and Washington and Jefferson College.
Stout asked the graduates to consider their own
ethical standards as they face the future, noting that
higher education, in the truest sense, must embrace
deeply held values that determine what we stand for,
what we care about and, ultimately, who we are.
“Given what our country and we as citizens have
endured recently,” she said, “we have to question how
individuals make choices in their daily lives and if they
are indeed guided by a sense of personal ethics.”
Stout advised the graduates to continue learning and
Brittany Wagner receives flowers from her son, William, at the Graduate Commencement.
to help others along.
“As highly educated people and the future of our
country, I encourage you to continue your lifelong quest
for learning, continue your personal sense of ethics and
mentor those whose own lives cross your path.”
Balsano, who has worked in the health-care industry
for more than 30 years, currently is a managing director
for Navigant Consulting, where he heads the Strategy
Practice Division.
He told the Class of 2010 to create a career plan, be
tenacious and embrace life’s inevitable adversity.
“I strongly urge you graduates to stay vigilant for
new opportunities now and throughout your career,” he
said. “Career success is very seldom a straight and linear
path. Cal U provided me and you with the intellectual
— Continued on page 2
President Armenti applauds the Cal U faculty for a job well
done, something he did at the start of both
Commencement ceremonies.
PASSHE Website
Day of Service: Students Step Up
Designed for Students
MLK Day
L
ooking to assist students throughout the college planning
process, the Pennsylvania State System of Higher
Education (PASSHE) has launched a new website that
can guide them from their earliest days of high school through
admission and beyond.
The new website includes a wealth
of information to assist potential
students and their families in their
college search and selection process. It
includes a searchable directory of all
academic programs offered at the 14
PASSHE universities — from associate
to graduate degree — as well as
information on when and how to begin
preparing for college, and how to pay for it.
“PASSHE exists first and foremost for our students,” said
Karen Ball, vice chancellor for external relations. “Our No. 1
shared goal is to do everything possible to help our students
succeed in their careers and in their lives. Our new website was
designed with that goal in mind.”
In fact, students had a direct role in the site’s design. Two
— Continued on page 3
C
al U observed the birthday of Dr. Martin
Luther King Jr. with its annual Day of
Service on Jan. 17.
This was the first time the University has held
the event on the actual date of the holiday.
Sigma Kappa Sorority assisted the Center in
the Woods staff with serving lunch, and residence
hall staff members and director Betsy Clark
hosted bingo at the Liberty Towers senior highrise. The Athletic Training Club and Alpha
Lambda Delta honor society also performed
service work. LaMont Coleman, associate dean
for student affairs, and Diane Williams, director of
Cal U’s new Center for Civic Engagement,
coordinated projects in the Natali Student Center.
Students, faculty, staff and alumni served
others by making Darn It Dolls for patients at
Medi-Home Hospice, writing Valentine’s Day
messages to children at St. Jude Children’s
Research Hospital, creating get-well cards for
patients at the Veterans Affairs Hospital in
Pittsburgh, collecting and packaging items on the
Ronald McDonald House wish list, and
preparing for the annual American Cancer
Speaker
Robert G. Stanton, a
senior adviser to the
Secretary of the Interior,
will speak at a luncheon
Jan. 19 marking Martin
Luther King Jr. Day. See
story on page 3.
Society Daffodil Days event.
Inspiration for the Day of Service was a 2003
visit to Cal U by the late Coretta Scott King, wife
of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. During
her campus visit, she asked that the day
commemorating her husband be observed as “a
day on, rather than a day off.”
“Our students take this day and Mrs. King’s
message very seriously,” Coleman said. “Even
though the spring semester did not start until the
next day, it was important for the students and
other members of the University community to
do their part.”
Mary Jo Livingood
celebrates with her
daughter Ava Marie
and husband, Jason
Livingood, in the
Hamer Hall
bleachers after the
Undergraduate
Commencement
ceremony.
Alumni Share
Thoughts at Winter
Commencement
— Continued from page 1
Above, Dr. John Cencich, dean of the School of Graduate Studies and Research, vests Matthew
Joseph Kallis, son of Cal U faculty member Dr. John Kallis, with his academic hood. Below,
Commencement speaker Dr. Saundra Kiski Stout ’72 ’74 asks the master’s degree candidates to
consider their own ethical standards as they face the future.
foundation and problem-solving skills
that are necessary in any career.”
Balsano told the graduates they are
equipped for success, if they are willing
to work hard to achieve it.
“You will always use — and will rely
upon — the discipline and work ethic
that it took to get through four rigorous
years of a college education,” he said.
“Adversity definitely builds character. The
challenges we face personally and
professionally teach us self-reliance and
self-discipline. Be tenacious and enjoy
the ride.”
President Armenti concluded the
graduate Commencement by discussing
the importance of one’s spirit and legacy.
“The spirit of a person lives on after
them, even without a religious context,
and that spirit is their legacy,” he said.
“May your spirit encourage the best in
others, and may your legacy be an
inspiration to all who follow.”
Undergraduate Commencement speaker
Armand Balsano ’74 urges the Class of 2010 to
create a career plan, be tenacious and embrace
life’s inevitable adversity.
GACO Hosts Procurement Opportunities Fair
M
ore than 400 sales representatives and regional
business owners visited the 23rd annual
Procurement Opportunities Fair hosted by
Cal U’s Government Agency Coordination Office
(GACO), Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania and
the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
Focused on providing western Pennsylvania
businesses with contracting and subcontracting
opportunities, the fair at the Holiday Inn in Washington,
Pa., featured 71 booths occupied by government
agencies, corporations, regional service organizations
and area businesses. Also, Joe Elwell and John Pontus
of the Corps of Engineers, Pittsburgh, introduced their
organization in a seminar titled “USACOE 101.”
GACO helps the region’s business community
compete successfully for government contracts and
subcontracts.
“Through these events, area businesses have access
to multiple buyers for their goods and services,” said
Deborah Wojcik, GACO director. “It is an excellent
networking opportunity where companies can obtain
information on government procurement.”
Local businesses assisted by Cal U’s GACO program
have reported receiving more than 31,897 contracts and
subcontracts totaling over $2.36 billion, Wojik said.
GACO is supported by grants from the Sarah Scaife
Foundation and the Defense Logistics Agency. The next
procurement fair will be held on Oct. 19, at the
2
Bill McCabe (left), sales director at Industrial Testing Laboratory Services, Pittsburgh; Marty Wenzig, president of Industrial
Testing Laboratory Services; and Deborah Wojcik, GACO director, attend the 23rd annual Procurement Opportunities Fair.
Sheraton Four Points in Mars, Pa.
Area businesses interested in obtaining additional
information about this fair or GACO’s services may
contact Tracy Julian at 724-938-5881. More information
is available on the Cal U website, www.calu.edu; look
for “Information for … Business and Community” at
the top of the homepage, then click on “Government
Agency Coordination Office.”
Foundation Announces Annual Awards
A
t their annual dinner Dec. 13, members of the
Foundation for California University of
Pennsylvania presented awards to three
individuals and elected three new members to the
Foundation Board of Directors.
Elected during the business portion of the meeting
were William R. Booker ’74, Lawrence Maggi ’79, and
Dr. Lorraine Vitchoff ’74.
Louis J. Panza Jr. received the Society of 1852
Award for his leadership and civic service. Tom ’77 and
Karen Rutledge were given the Job Johnson Award for
their professional success and philanthropy, and Dr.
Regis Serinko received the Dixonians Award for service
to the University and community service.
■ The Society of 1852 Award is presented for
distinguished contributions to the enhancement and
excellence of California University
Its winner, Louis J. Panza Jr., is president and chief
executive officer of Mon-Vale Health Resources Inc. and
of Monongahela Valley Hospital Inc.
Involved in many community activities, numerous
professional societies in the field of accounting and
hospital management, Panza became associated with
the hospital in 1984 and has held his current positions
since July 2004.
At Cal U, Panza is a member of the Board of
Presidential Advisors and a longtime partner in the
University’s initiatives to build relationships with the
southwestern Pennsylvania community.
With President Angelo Armenti, Jr., he formed the
first partnership through which the University provides
training in The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People and
other FranklinCovey leadership programs to the
hospital’s executives. In return, Monongahela Valley
Hospital has created an endowed scholarship fund to
benefit students majoring in nursing at the University.
Panza received a Bachelor of Science in Business
Administration, and an MBA with a concentration in
accounting and business law, both from Duquesne
University.
■ Job Johnson was among the founders of what
eventually became California University. The award
named in his honor recognizes alumni who have
received recognition, outside of the University, for
excellence, innovation, community service or other
notable achievements.
This year’s award winners, Tom and Karen Rutledge,
have supported dozens of needy students with
scholarship aid.
Survey Participant
Wins Free Lunch
C
athy Tonkavitch, a management technician in the
Purchasing Department, was randomly selected
to receive a catered lunch for 15 for completing
the Natali Student Center/Envision Strategies survey.
The survey was conducted to better understand the
University community’s views, preferences and dining
habits in preparation
for a possible
renovation of the
Natali Student Center.
Envision Strategies,
an independent food
service consulting
firm, helped to develop
the survey as part of a
strategic plan to guide
future improvements
to the student center.
“We believe that
the opinions of all
members of the
University community
should be heard, and
we are grateful to
everyone who took the
time to participate in
Cathy Tonkavitch
this very important
survey,” said Dr. Lenora Angelone, vice president for
Student Affairs.
Graduate students Matt Nebel and Kristina Angelilli
presented Tonkavitch with a certificate.
“I was very surprised because I never win anything,”
said Tonkavitch, who will enjoy her lunch with her
colleagues.
The Foundation for California University recently presented its annual awards to outstanding alumni and friends of the
University. Featured in the photo (from left): President Angelo Armenti, Jr.; Louis J. Panza, Jr., The Society of 1852 Award; Tom
’77 and Karen Rutledge, Job Johnson Award; Dr. Regis Serinko, Dixonians Award; and Linda H. Serene ’64, president of the
Foundation for California University of Pennsylvania.
Tom Rutledge is chief operating officer of one of the
country’s largest cable companies, Cablevision Inc.
serving 5.3 million households and businesses in the
New York metropolitan area. The industry inducted him
into the Cable Hall of Fame in 2009. He serves on
numerous boards, including the National Cable and
Telecommunications Association (NCTA) and Cal U’s
Board of Presidential Advisors.
For the past three years, the Rutledge Family Fund
has provided full tuition scholarships to 20 married and
single students who are parents with children.
Recently, the Rutledges pledged to continue the
current program for four more years, and they have
increased their support to provide financial help for Cal
U students who are completing internships outside of
western Pennsylvania.
The couple also is also funding a new scholarship
program designed to recruit students in the field of
economics.
■ The Dixonians Award was named in honor of
John N. Dixon, a Cal U founder who served on the
Board of Trustees for 46 years. This award honors
others who unselfishly serve the University.
The 2010 recipient, Emeritus Biology Professor Dr.
Regis J. Serinko, served in many teaching and
administrative roles at Cal U from 1961 until his
retirement in 1985.
He was the acting dean of faculty and academic
affairs for two years, and he served as executive assistant
to the President for five years before returning to
teaching in 1975.
A World War II veteran, Serinko earned a bachelor’s
degree at St. Vincent College, master’s degrees from
West Virginia University and the University of
Pittsburgh, and a doctorate from Pitt.
His research into the history of California University
of Pennsylvania has resulted in the books California State
College: The People’s College in the Monongahela Valley
(1975); California University of Pennsylvania: The Alumni
Association, A Century of Service, 1883 to 1983 (1983); and
California University of Pennsylvania: The People’s College in
the Monongahela Valley, (1992).
His latest publication is Freedom’s Heroes: The Military
Heritage of Rostraver (2010).
Speaker Advises Interior Secretary
R
obert G. Stanton, a senior
adviser to the Secretary of
the Interior, will deliver the
keynote address at a luncheon Jan.
19 marking Martin Luther King Jr.
Day.
Stanton was the first AfricanAmerican director of the National
Park Service, serving from 1997
through the end of the Clinton
administration. In that role he had
policy, planning and management
responsibility for the National Park
System’s 384 natural, cultural and
recreational areas. The 83 million-
acre park system attracted 228
million visits per year and
employed some 20,000 permanent,
temporary and seasonal workers.
After leaving the National Park
Service, Stanton was an executive
professor at Texas A&M
University, a visiting professor at
Howard and Yale universities, and
a consultant to a number of
national conservation
organizations.Today he advises the
Interior Secretary on a wide range
of environmental, organizational
and management challenges and
represents the department on
Presidential Policy Review
committees, boards and
commissions. He also provides
executive leadership and program
direction for the Interior Museum,
Historic Art Collection and the
congressionally authorized Indian
Arts and Crafts Board.
In addition to speaking to
invited guests at the luncheon,
Stanton will meet with Dr.
Harrison Pinkney and students in
the parks and recreation
management program.
PASSHE Site Designed for Students
— Continued from page 1
recent graduates of Kutztown University of
Pennsylvania’s communication design program
helped create the look and feel of the new site.
The student-oriented site also contains
organizational, policy and strategic initiative
information important to PASSHE employees and
the general public, as well as links for potential
vendors who wish to do business with the State
System. It is a one-stop shop that can serve as a
gateway to Pennsylvania’s public universities.
With a single click of the mouse, users of the
new site can go from the newly designed home page
to any of several helpful links to find out what
courses they should take in high school to prepare
for college and which PASSHE universities offer the
programs that interest them. Students also can go
quickly to a financial aid planner, as well as to a
separate page designed just for students transferring
from a community college or another four-year
college or university.
PASSHE universities are the most affordable
among all four-year colleges and universities in
Pennsylvania, and the total cost of attendance —
tuition, fees, room and board — is below the
national average for all public universities.
The vast majority of their academic programs are
accredited by professional organizations nationally,
an important stamp of approval that benefits
graduates who seek to go directly into the job market
or who choose to apply to graduate school.
To visit the new PASSHE website, go to
www.passhe.edu.
3
Campus BRIEFS
Prest Appointed to
Statewide Committee
Pie-Eyed
Devon Chappel, a secondary education, Spanish major and Alpha Sigma Tau sister, gets a pie in the face from Zach McCarty, a technology
education major. Alpha Sigma Tau held the event to raise awareness about eating disorders.
Loring Prest, associate professor in
the Department of Library Services, has
been appointed chair of the Keystone
Library Network PILOT Committee.
Also an electronic resources librarian
and the library’s webmaster, Prest is now
part of a statewide committee that deals
with the online library catalog used
throughout the State System of Higher
Education and at other libraries.
The Keystone Library Network
(KLN) provides the 14 State System
universities and library partners with
abstracts and access to 7,634 academic
journals, 1,712 magazines, conference
proceedings for 44 associations, and
40,568 business reports including
country reports, industry reports, market
research reports and SWOT analyses.
The KLN maintains catalogs of its
members’ holdings.
Hjerpe Accepts
Committee Post
Cal U’s 2010
women’s
volleyball team
continued the
program’s
success this past
fall by achieving
a seventh
straight 20-win
season and
fifth-consecutive
appearance in
the NCAA
Division II
Atlantic Regional
Championship
finals.
Volleyball Closes Winning Season
W
ith its 15th consecutive winning season, the Cal
U women’s volleyball team continued its high
standard of play this fall under the direction of
third-year head coach Stephanie Burner.
The Vulcans made the program’s fifth-consecutive
appearance in the NCAA Division II Atlantic Regional
Championship and achieved their seventh-straight 20-win
season, finishing with a 23-13 overall record.
At the regional contest, Cal U defeated IUP and
tourney host Edinboro before falling to eventual national
semifinalist Clarion in the finals. This was the team’s sixth
consecutive post-season trip.
Since 2006 the Vulcans have compiled a remarkable 624 home record.
Among many fine individual performers was
sophomore middle hitter Meghan Franz, one of just 14
players selected to the American Volleyball Coaches
Association (AVCA) All-Atlantic Region Team.
Franz led the team in kills (307) and blocks (136),
ranking sixth in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference
(PSAC) with a team-high .301 hitting percentage.
Franz also was named to the Daktronics All-Atlantic
Region second team, the All-PSAC West first team and the
Atlantic Region All-Tournament team.
Teammate Kelly Fromknecht earned honorable
mention from the AVCA and second team All-Conference
honors.
A sophomore setter and right side hitter, Fromknecht
finished the season with 293 kills, 224 assists, 97 digs and
89 blocks.
Over the past seven years, Cal U volleyball team’s
cumulative record is 225-42 (.843).
Dr. Karen Hjerpe, associate athletic
director and senior women’s
administrator, has been asked to serve on
the regional
committee of the
National
Association of
Collegiate Women
on Athletic
Administration’s
(NACWAA).
Along with
athletic
administrators from
Hjerpe
the University of
Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon
University, Hjerpe will help to plan
activities for the 2011 NACWAA
National Convention, set for Oct. 9-11 in
Pittsburgh.
Founded in 1979, NACWAA is the
only nationally recognized collegiate
professional membership organization
whose mission is to enhance and
promote opportunities for women in
intercollegiate athletics administration.
With nearly 2,000 members,
NACWAA promotes the growth,
leadership, and success of women as
athletics administrators, conference
commissioners, professional staff,
coaches and student-athletes
.
Spring Faculty
Convocation Jan. 27
The Spring Faculty Convocation will
be held at 11 a.m. Jan. 27 in the
Learning Resource Center auditorium in
Morgan Hall.
The California Journal is published weekly by California University of Pennsylvania, a member of The Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education.
Dr. Angelo Armenti, Jr.
University President
Dr. Charles Mance
Vice President for University Technology Services
Craig Butzine
Interim Vice President for Marketing and University Relations
Geraldine M. Jones
Provost/Vice President for Academic Affairs
Ron Huiatt
Vice President for Development and Alumni Relations
Christine Kindl
Editor
Dr. Lenora Angelone
Vice President for Student Affairs
Robert Thorn
Interim Vice President for Administration and Finance
Bruce Wald, Wendy Mackall, Jeff Bender
Writers
Office of Communication and Public Relations
250 University Avenue
California, PA 15419
724-938-4195
wald@calu.edu
The Journal is printed on paper made from trees harvested under the principles of the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (www.SFIprogram.org).
4