California University

VOLUME 13, NUMBER 9 MARCH 21, 2011

Professional Science
Master Program
Focuses on Forensics

C

Melissa Gates (pictured with head coach Ed Denny) won the 50-yard freestyle competition
at the NCAA Division II Championships, becoming just the fifth individual national champion
in Cal U history.

Swimmer Wins
NCAA National Title

S

tudent-athlete Melissa Gates
became just the fifth individual
national champion in school history
when she won the 50-yard freestyle
March 9 during the first day of the
NCAA Division II Championships at the
Palo Alto Natatorium in San Antonio,
Texas.
Gates, a junior, won the event with a
school and PSAC record time of 22.72
seconds.
She also earned an All-American in
the 100-yard freestyle, giving her five AllAmerican finishes in her career.
Gates is Cal U’s first NCAA national
champion in swimming.
“Melissa is the quintessential student
athlete,” said women’s swimming coach
Ed Denny, now in his ninth year at
Cal U.
“She made history, and this will
always be a landmark moment for our
program.”

The last Vulcan athlete to win an
individual nation title was Ken Hackman,
who won consecutive 190-pound NCAA
Division II wrestling championships in
1988 and 1989.
The only other woman from Cal U to
win a national championship is track
standout Jenise Lockhart, who won the
1985 NCAA Division II title in high
jump.
Cross country runner Brian Ferrari
and wrestler Bill DePaoli also won
national titles while at Cal U.
Ferrari won the NCAA Division II
Cross Country National Championship in
1983 and two NCAA Division II 10,000meter national titles in 1983 and 1984.
DePaoli was the 118-pound NAIA
national champion in 1977 and 1979.
Cal U teams have won NCAA
Division II national championships in
women’s softball, in 1997 and 1998, and
women’s basketball, in 2004.

communications, policy and
al U is developing a
other fields.”
multidisciplinary
Instead of a thesis,
Professional Science
students typically complete a
Master degree program in
collaborative research
forensic science, one of 10
project, as well as an
new PSM programs to be
internship with an employer
offered by universities within
in business, government or
the Pennsylvania State
the nonprofit sector.
System of Higher
Students usually can earn a
Education.
PSM
degree in two years or
PASSHE has received a
Dr. John Cencich
less.
$50,000 grant from the
At Cal U, the PSM program in
Alfred P. Sloan Foundation to assist in
forensic science is being developed with
the development of new PSM
input from faculty with expertise in
programs, the State System announced
forensic anthropology, crime scene
Feb. 28. All PSM programs are
analysis, biology, chemistry, genetics
designed in close cooperation with
and other relevant fields.
employers to ensure they meet
Individuals trained in forensic
workforce demand in high-technology
science are in demand, said Dr. John
fields. PASSHE expects to approve five
Cencich, director of the Institute for
PSM programs in time to enroll
Criminological and Forensic Sciences
students this fall; five more programs
at Cal U, and dean of the School of
will follow. Cal U anticipates enrolling
Graduate Studies and Research.
students for the spring 2012 semester.
“Our proposed program will be on
According to PASSHE, “The PSM
the cutting edge of solving crime
degree combines rigorous study in
through a multidisciplinary forensic
science or mathematics with
science approach,” Cencich said. “The
professional skills-based coursework in
— Continued on page 3
business, management,

VIP About to Go Live

A

fter months of planning and testing, the Vulcan Information Portal is
“going live” across the entire Cal U campus this month.
This one-click portal promises easy access to important information
for faculty, staff and students, who will get the VIP treatment when they register
for classes for the fall 2011-2012 semester.
Various offices across campus, including the Registrar’s Office, have helped to
develop the registration tool to ensure there are no surprises when people use the
portal.
Registrar Heidi Williams says the VIP registration process will be familiar to
students accustomed to signing up for classes with SISWeb.
The big advantage of the new system: with VIP, users can access class
— Continued on page 2

High School Students
to Battle with ‘Bots

S

tudents from dozens of local high
schools will lead custom-built
robots into battle when BotsIQ
holds its 6th annual preliminary regional
competition March 25 and 26 in the
Performance Center.
Robot combat is scheduled from
9:30-noon and from 1-4:30 p.m. each
day.
Bots IQ is a national program
supported locally by the Pittsburgh
Chapter of the National Tooling and
Machining Association. Through the
program, students are taught to design,
build and battle robots in an exciting,

gladiator-style competition.
The contest draws on students’
knowledge of science, technology,
engineering and math, as well as their
record-keeping and public speaking
ability. Winning battles is important, but
the top award will go to the team that
also demonstrates the strongest
documentation and best group interview
skills.
“The competition has grown
exponentially in its short existence, but
the focus this year isn’t about getting
bigger — it’s about precision,” says Mike
— Continued on page 3

Hundreds of high school students will visit Cal U for the BotsIQ preliminary regional
competition, which will be held Friday and Saturday in the Performance Center.

Faculty
Asked to
Participate
in FSSE
Survey

T

Alumnus Joe Vilcheck shares a motivational technique with the help of graduate student Maranda DeRienzo.

Cal U Alumnus Presents
‘Magical’ Message
Joe Vilcheck offers
motivational strategies
to student-teachers

S

tudent-teachers at California University of Pennsylvania
were the ones learning recently as alumnus Joe Vilcheck
‘04 demonstrated some “magical” motivational
techniques.
Vilcheck works for Allegheny Intermediate Unit 3 and
teaches at-risk teens at the Shuman Detention Center in
Pittsburgh. He incorporates magic and humor with research
and sound educational strategies to capture and hold his
students’ attention.
Vilcheck, who also is president of Mindcheck Motivation
(http://mindcheckmotivation.com), used some of those
tactics to engage about 50 students in William Cooper’s class
as he taught them a simple message.
“Teachers should strive to be a ‘perfect 10’ in the
classroom,” Vilcheck explained, in order to motivate their
students to achieve. He also urged the Cal U teachers-intraining to set high expectations for their students, no matter
their background.
“Look where you want your students to be, not where
they are,” Vilcheck said. “Expect the impossible.”
To illustrate the point that anyone can learn something
that seems too hard at first, Vilcheck taught the class a
mnemonic — a fun, personal, logical way of learning
something difficult — that soon had the students reciting the
entire alphabet from Z to A.
“You have to find a way to reach your students,” Vilcheck

Jeff Schrecengost and Desiree Helterbarn attempt to perform a
bit of magic demonstrated by Joe Vilcheck, a Cal U graduate and
teacher of at-risk students.

said. “Don’t be afraid to give something of yourself. If you
have a hobby or interest, share it. They’ll think you’re a
genius, and if they think you’re awesome, they’ll want to
learn from you, because they like you.”
Vilcheck, who won the Award of Excellence from
Intermediate Unit 3 in 2007, presents his motivational
strategies and techniques to Cal U student-teachers every
semester. Recently, he was the keynote speaker for the
Correction Education Association of Pennsylvania’s
Conference.

Vulcan Information Portal Set to Go Live

— Continued from page 1

schedules, e-mail, grades and other
information with a single login, so they
don’t have to remember a lot of
usernames and passwords.
Registration for the Fall 2011
semester will begin early next month.
The Registrar’s Office will announce
when various groups can begin the
registration process.
Timing is everything, said Becky

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Nichols, director of Applications and
Academic Support for University
Technology Services.
By the start of the fall term, VIP will
officially replace SISWeb as the
University-wide student information
system.
“Launching the VIP now will allow
our faculty and students to become
familiar with the new portal sooner
rather than later,” Nichols said.
The Admission Office has used the

portal successfully since October, and
the Financial Aid module went live in
February.
VIP is part of Banner, the world’s
most widely used administration suite
of applications for higher education in
the world.
In addition to housing the userfriendly portal, the Banner
administrative suite offers the University
enhanced reporting and data analysis
capabilities.

he Office of Continuous
Improvement will be
administering the Faculty
Survey of Student Engagement
(FSSE) this spring.
Coordinated by the National
Survey of Student Engagement
(NSSE) at Indiana UniversityBloomington, FSSE is designed to
measure faculty expectations of
student engagement in educational
practices that are empirically linked
with high levels of learning and
development.
The survey also collects
information about how faculty
members spend their time on
professorial activities and the kinds of
learning experiences their institutions
emphasize.
FSSE results can be used to
identify areas of institutional
strength, as well as aspects of the
undergraduate experience that may
warrant attention. The information is
intended to be a catalyst for
productive discussions related to
teaching, learning and the quality of
students’ educational experiences.
The survey will be administered by
the Indiana University Center for
Postsecondary Research at Indiana
University-Bloomington (IUB). It
parallels the NSSE student survey
that also is being administered this
spring.
Through IUB, all full-time and
part-time faculty will be invited to
participate. The survey should be
completed online. Administration will
be overseen by Cal U’s Office of
Continuous Improvement.
President Angelo Armenti, Jr. has
authorized this survey at Cal U.
“I encourage all faculty members
to participate,” he said. “The results
will allow us to assess and improve
the quality of our academic offerings,
while at the same time letting us see
how we stack up against comparable
universities across America.”
All responses are anonymous;
survey administration will conclude
in mid-May. The data will be
analyzed by IUB, and the 2011
reports will be sent to participating
universities, including Cal U, in
August.
Resources intended to help with
the use and interpretations of FSSE
data are available online at
www.fsse.iub.edu . Past FSSE and
NSSE results are posted on the Cal U
Web site in the Continuous
Improvement area, cwis.calu.edu .
Comparing NSSE and FSSE
results yields information from both
the students’ and faculty’s perspective.
The Faculty Professional
Development Committee utilizes the
information for continuous
improvement.
For more information about FSSE,
faculty should contact Norman
Hasbrouck, special assistant to the
president, at Ext. 1561; or call the Office
of Continuous Improvement, Ext. 1673.

Cal U Language Department Turns 50

T

he Department of Modern Languages and
Cultures is celebrating 50 years of language
teaching with foreign films, a salsa dance
workshop and a banquet honoring students with a
major or minor in Spanish.
The free film festival features the French-themed
Germinal on March 31, Arabic-themed The Syrian Bride
on April 7 and Evita, with a Latin American theme, on
April 28. All will begin at 7 p.m. in the Blaney Theater
in Steele Hall.
The “Salsa Night” features dance instructor and
performer Ed Ribar demonstrating the intricacies of
L.A.-style salsa from 8 p.m.-midnight March 29 in the
Performance Center. Admission and refreshments are
free.
The celebration concludes with an anniversary
dinner honoring outstanding language students from 69 p.m. April 21 in the Kara Alumni House. Awards will

be presented and a tango dance performance is
planned.
French language classes first were offered at Cal U
in 1961. Before long, Spanish was added. Over the
years the department also has offered classes in Arabic,
German and Russian.
In the 1990s a series of classes in culture were
added to complement the language classes and help
students prepare for the Praxis exam administered to
pre-service teachers. A state-of-the-art language lab was
set up in Old Main and faculty members, mostly native
speakers, were hired.
Library additions were made to reflect the growing
interest in Latin American art and literature.
Today, the department offers bachelor’s degrees,
dual degrees and minors.
Through the years the department has been a
leader in offering study abroad, beginning with trips to

Spain, France and French-speaking Canada during the
1980s.
Several years ago associate professor Margarita
Ribar, chair of the department, began leading fullimmersion trips, where students travel to a foreign
country and attend intensive Spanish classes for two
weeks while living with a host family.
Other students study abroad for a semester or more
while refining their language skills.
The department offers face-to-face tutoring, but also
utilizes online learning and virtual language labs that
students can access from the privacy of their residence
hall, off-campus apartment or home. Students receive
their assignments and communicate with their
professors online.
“I know it sounds like something from ‘Back to the
Future,’ but that’s the way we teach languages today,”
Ribar said.

Robots to
Square Off
in Natali
— Continued from page 1

Photo by John Altdorfer/J. Altdorfer Phtography

Tinsley Delivers Keynote
Dr. Taunya Tinsley, assistant professor in the Department of Counselor Education, joins Andrew Stockey, of WTAE-TV, at the National Girls and
Women in Sports Day luncheon held Feb. 11 at Chatham University in Pittsburgh. A specialist in sports counseling, Tinsley was the keynote
speaker at the event, which drew 450 students, parents and administrators from 35 high schools and seven colleges and universities.

Campus BRIEFS
Staff Convocation Today
The Spring 2011 Staff Convocation will be held at 2
p.m. today in the Performance Center of the Natali
Student Center. President Angelo Armenti, Jr. will give his
“State of the University” address and answer questions
from the staff.

Red & Black Affair Set to Raise
Funds for Scholarships
Fashion models are ready to stroll the runway at the
perennially popular Red & Black Affair Extraordinaire.
The fifth annual luncheon and fashion show will be
held April 3 in the Performance Center. As in previous
years, all tickets have been sold.
The event, which benefits the Alumni Association
Scholarship Fund, has raised more than $75,000 for
scholarships over the past four years.
This year the Red & Black Affair will showcase
fashions from Personalized Colors and kidswear from
Descendants, both of Greensburg, Pa.
More than 30 vendors will be on hand when the doors
open at 10:30 a.m. Luncheon is served at 1 p.m.

Discount Available for
Conference
March 28 is the last day to receive the early-bird
registration discount for Celebrating Northern Appalachia in

Word and Song, a daylong conference set for April 11 at
Cal U.
Presented by the Northern Appalachian Network and
the Department of Social Work at
Cal U, the conference highlights the
people of Northern Appalachia, as
well as the literature, poetry and
music of an area that encompasses
portions of Pennsylvania, New York,
Maryland and Ohio.
Jennifer Haigh, author of the
New York Times best-seller Baker
Towers, will deliver the keynote
address, “From a Deep Well: Writing
Jennifer Haigh
My Appalachia,” at 9 a.m. in the
Performance Center.
CEUs and Act 48 credits are available. A complete
schedule of events is available online at www.calu.edu .
Conference check-in begins at 8 a.m., and talks
continue through 5 p.m. in the Natali Student Center.
Exhibits will be located in the lobby and hallway of the
student center.
The regular conference fee is $65; those who register
by March 28 pay just $45. Cost for students with valid ID
is $20. Same-day registration for the keynote address only
is $10. To register, visit www.calu.edu .

Read the Journal Online

The online Journal is easier to read! Just click on
“News” at the top of the Cal U homepage, www.calu.edu,
then choose “Cal U Journal” to see the current edition in
its new format or to review archived editions from 2011.

Amrhein, co-director of NCRETE, the
National Center for Robotics
Engineering Technology Education,
based at Cal U.
“This year’s BotsIQ committee is
fine-tuning the event to maximize its
impact on participants and regional
manufacturers.”
In addition to educating students, the
competition aims to build a future
workforce that can support the region’s
manufacturing base. Among the 44 “Bots
IQ companies” in southwestern
Pennsylvania are Allegheny Ludlum in
Washington, Pa.; Dura-Metal products
in Irwin; Jatco Machine and Tool in
Pittsburgh; Kennametal Knowledge
Center in Latrobe; and Lockheed Aero
Division in Johnstown.
Hosting the program at Cal U gives
prospective students and their teachers a
chance to explore the campus and learn
more about Cal U’s science and
technology offerings. In addition,
Amrhein said, “Students see that
building things is fun, it’s challenging
and it’s a potential career.”

Cal U Adds
Forensic
Science to New
Degree Lineup
— Continued from page 1

degree is intended for individuals who
are working in or who are interested in
pursuing careers as federal agents,
homicide detectives, sex crimes
investigators, crime scene specialists, and
even attorneys who desire to add stateof-the-art science to their repertoire.”
Other PASSHE schools have
proposed PSM programs in applied
archaeology, applied computer science,
environmental studies, global
environmental studies, health physics,
instructional technology, integrated
scientific applications, materials science
and nursing administration.
To learn more about the PSM
programs proposed by the State System,
visit www.passhe.edu/psm .

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Women’s Hockey Club Takes Title

T

he women’s hockey club concluded its third
year on the ice by winning the Delaware Valley
Collegiate Hockey Conference Division I
Championship.
After finishing in third place during the regular
season, Cal U dominated the DVCHC playoffs, which
took place Feb. 18-20 at the Hagerstown (Md.) Ice and
Sports Complex.
The Vulcans opened the post-season with a 5-2
victory over American University. Team captain
Tiffany Juha recorded a hat trick, and goaltender Kim
Montgomery stopped 17 of 19 shots.
After a scoreless first period in the semifinals, Cal
eliminated regular-season champion West Chester by a
5-1 score. Juha netted another hat trick, Megan
Cooper scored twice and Montgomery stopped 18
shots.
In the title game the Vulcans overcame a 2-1 deficit
after two periods, scoring three dramatic goals in the
final 20 minutes to seal a 4-2 victory over secondseeded Delaware.
Juha scored twice in the third period, and Amanda
Smith, the playoffs’ Most Valuable Player, closed out
the scoring. Holly Bingham scored the game’s first
goal, and Montgomery continued her strong
goaltending with 13 saves.
Overall, the Vulcans outshot Delaware 41-15,
including a 16-4 advantage in the third period. With
the win, Cal U’s women avenged two single-goal
losses to Delaware in the regular season.
“It may be a cliché, but this was a total team
effort,” said head coach Gregg Kaminski, who was

Cal U women’s hockey team members (from left to right) Allison Steinheiser, Angelica Smith, Lacey McCuean, Melissa Heisler,
Lena Merlino, Alli Paratore, Tiffany Juha and Megan Cooper celebrate with the trophy from the Delaware Valley Collegiate
Hockey Conference Division I Championship.

4-2 record.
The Vulcans finished second in the DVCHC
Division I tournament last year after winning the
conference’s Division II title two years ago.

assisted by Max Montello. “They played their best
hockey at the end of the season and deserve the
championship they earned.”
The women’s team ended the season with an 11-6-

Events Continue for Women’s History Month

The Women’s History Month celebration continues
at Cal U with three events this week. On the calendar:
— Wednesday: Ariko Iso, athletic trainer for the
AFC champion Pittsburgh Steelers, will discuss her work
at 9 a.m. in Hamer Hall, room 136. Iso is the only
female athletic trainer in the 32-team National Football
League.
At 5 p.m. motivational speaker Alexis Jones will give
a presentation in Steele Hall’s Blaney Theatre. A social

Faculty Members
Present Paper

J

eff Magers and Christina Toras,
assistant professors in the
Department of Professional
Studies, made presentations at the
48th annual meeting of the Academy
of Criminal Justice Sciences in
Toronto, Canada.
On March 5 they presented a
paper titled “The Evolving State of
Miranda: Legal and Policy
Implications for Law Enforcement.”
The talk was part of a panel event,
“Analyzing Supreme Court Decisions
Aimed at Protecting the Defendant.”
Their presentation addressed the
significant legal and policy issues law
enforcement executives must consider
as they develop operational directives
and officer training that comply with
current case law.

presented at 7 p.m. in the Blaney Theatre, inside Steele
Hall. Cost is $10 for community members, $5 for
students. Tickets are available at the Information Desk
inside the Natali Student Center, or they can be
purchased at the door.
Alll Women’s History events are open to the public. Visitor
parking is available in the new Vulcan Garage, off Third Street
near the campus entrance. For a complete calendar of events,
and more information about the speakers, visit www.calu.edu .

entrepreneur and writer, Jones is founder of the female
empowerment company i am that girl, “which empowers
local groups of young women all over the country to
collaborate instead of compete, contribute instead of
consume and build a powerhouse community of
phenomenal women,” Jones says.
Admission is free to both women’s talks.
— Wednesday through Friday: The Vagina
Monologues, an award-winning play by Eve Ensler, will be

ATTENTION UNIVERSITY COMMUNITY!!

Call for Student Nominations to Standing Committees
to the California University Forum
The California University Forum has
announced a call for the nomination of
students for the University Forum
standing committees. The Forum is the
University’s shared governance system,
which enhances the communication
between and among all segments of the
University. The University Forum
consists of administrators, faculty, staff,
students and alumni, all of who have a
voice in the university’s future. Alumni,
faculty, staff, students, or community
members may nominate any student
of California University to serve. Selfnominations are permitted. The
numbers of student seats available on
the committees are as follows:
Athletic Advisory (3)

Budget (2)
Communication (3)
Core Values (3)
Planning & Priorities (3)
Safety and Social Equity (3)
Student Life (7)
Technology (3)
The committees meet periodically to
tackle certain issues and make
recommendations to the full Forum.
For further information and details of
the committees visit the Forum website
at http://www.calu.edu/facultystaff/administration/forum/index.htm.
The Forum Executive Committee
will make the final decision on
appointees to the various standing
committees. The nominees will be

contacted to confirm acceptance of
their appointment.
The nomination form is available via
the Public Folders (Campus-Wide
Resources/University Forum) on the
university’s Microsoft Exchange Server.
(For detailed instructions, contact the
Computing Systems Helpdesk at
campus extension 5911.) All
nominations must be submitted to the
Forum Office by Friday, March 25,
2011. For more information contact
Mrs. Dana Turcic, Forum Recording
Secretary at 724-938-1633 or via email
at CalForum@calu.edu or
turcic@calu.edu . You may also write
her at University Forum Office, Campus
Box: 99, 250 University Avenue,
California, PA 15419.

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).

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