admin
Fri, 02/02/2024 - 19:27
Edited Text
California University
VOLUME 13, NUMBER 29 NOV. 7, 2011
READ THE JOURNAL ONLINE: www.calu.edu/news/the-journal
‘Extreme’ Event
Promotes
Entrepreneurship
tudents who dream of starting their own business can
hear practical advice when the Extreme Entrepreneurship
Tour visits Cal U from 1-5 p.m. Wednesday.
The high-energy event in Steele Hall will introduce wouldbe business owners to the opportunities of entrepreneurship and
explore ways they can help change the economy, create jobs for
themselves and pursue their passions.
Hosted at Cal U by the Entrepreneurial Leadership Center
and Student Incubator, now based in Coover Hall, the event
includes keynotes, exhibits, workshops and question-and-answer
sessions led by some of the country’s most successful young
entrepreneurs.
In partnership
with the U.S.
Chamber of
Commerce’s
Campaign for Free
Enterprise, the tour
is intended to inspire
students to look at
entrepreneurship as
a viable career path.
The Extreme
Entrepreneurship Tour was created in 2006. In more than 200
events in 35 states, it has featured many of the country’s top
young entrepreneurs — including some who have built or sold
successful companies for more than $1 million before the age of
30.
“Our goal is to create a culture of entrepreneurship here on
the Cal U campus,” says Kelly Hunt, executive director of the
Entrepreneurial Leadership Center.
“We want students to realize that starting a business can be
one way to build a successful career.”
Prospective entrepreneurs should be inspired, not
intimidated, by the current economic climate, according to
Michael Simmons, co-founder of the Tour.
“More than half the companies on the 2009 Fortune 500 list
were launched during a recession or bear market,” he said.
“Technology and globalization have made it very inexpensive to
start a business. Now is the best time to become your own
boss.”
The free program is open to the public, as well as the
campus community.
Doors open at 12:30 p.m., and participants may attend all or
part of the event.
Registration is requested; to register, visit www.extremetour.org .
To learn more about the event, or to view speakers’ biographies or a
video clip, check the “News” carousel on the Cal U homepage,
www.calu.edu .
S
Cal U President Angelo Armenti, Jr. and Dr. Sugata Mitra led the Mission Day XIII activities, which focused on
Mitra’s idea of ‘minimally invasive education.’
Mission Day Explores
‘SelfOrganized Education’
r. Sugata Mitra understands the
motivational power of technology. In
fact, he can envision using the popular
online game Angry Birds to launch a lesson
about project management skills.
Mitra’s research into “minimally invasive
education” and the use of technology in teaching
and learning was the focus of discussion Oct. 26,
at Cal U’s 13th annual Mission Day.
Nearly 400 students, faculty and staff
attended the event, which included Mitra’s
keynote address, a dozen breakout meetings and
a question-and-answer session.
Cal U President Angelo Armenti, Jr. opened
Mission Day XIII with a reminder that last year’s
Mission Day discussion focused on the Cal U
Fusion initiative.
“The fusing of technology with learning and
life was an important step forward in our
thinking, since it opened up the possibility of
student learning occurring not just 15 to18 hours
D
per week in class, but actually 168 hours a week,
which is 24/7,” he said.
“As we saw last year, mobile technology has
the power to enhance both the quantity and the
quality of learning.”
Calling Mitra’s theory that “education is a
self-organized system” both provocative and
liberating, the President issued a call to action.
“An immediate goal today is to develop ideas
and plans for how minimally invasive learning
can advance our mission of building character
and careers and propel Cal U to new heights of
academic achievement as exemplified by
distinguished teaching and inspired learning,” he
said.
Mitra is a professor of educational technology
in the School of Education, Communication and
Language Sciences at Newcastle University in the
United Kingdom. This semester he is engaged in
research and teaching at the Massachusetts
— Continued on page 2
Sale of Clocks
Boosts Scholarship Funds
ales of neon clocks sporting the original
Pittsburgh Penguins logo will support
scholarships at Cal U, the hockey team’s
official education partner.
The one-of-a-kind, limited-edition wall clocks
were created exclusively for the Pittsburgh
Penguins Foundation.
Depicted on the clock face is the very first
Penguins logo, created in 1967. This original logo
was used on official pucks and team stationery, but
S
it first appeared on a jersey this year, when Pens
players wore it during the Winter Classic game.
The logo on each 20-inch wall clock is
illuminated by a long-lasting neon tube. Each
timepiece has a spun aluminum bezel and a
sweep-style second hand that rotates smoothly
around the face.
The clocks are manufactured by Perryopolisbased Image Time Inc., whose founder and owner,
— Continued on page 3
Trafficking Summit Set
lease care.
That’s the message that Dr. Peg
Christopher and a group of students in the
Department of Social Work
used in February 2010 to grab
the attention of the National
Center for Mission and
Exploited Children
(NCMEC).
After a year and a half of
hard work by more than 100
students, NCMEC is
partnering with Cal U to
present “Shatter The Silence: A Campaign Against
Child/Adolescent Sexual Exploitation and
Trafficking.”
The free summit will take place from 9 a.m.-3
p.m. Wednesday in the Performance Center.
“The purpose of this event is to draw attention
to a growing epidemic of sexual exploitation and
trafficking among children and adolescents and to
build multidisciplinary community-based
coalitions to identify, rescue and rehabilitate
victims and survivors,” said Christopher, an
associate professor in the Social Work
Department.
Pennsylvania is known as a “pass-through
state” for traffickers, and communities need to be
aware of the problem, she said.
The core information to be discussed at the
event stems from student-created training material
designed to help build community awareness about
child/adolescent sexual exploitation and
trafficking.
The training material grew from humble
beginnings.
In February 2010, Christopher presented a
poster on the topic at the Association of Maternal
Child Health Programs Conference in
Washington, D.C.
The poster featured the phrase “please care,”
with each letter representing an action local
communities could take to stop the epidemic.
After receiving many compliments on the
poster’s topic, Christopher started incorporating
the message into her Human Sex and Society class.
P
“The most difficult part for faculty in assigning
these projects is to stay in the background, offering
just enough help to get the students organized and
then, like a fly on the wall,
silently observing without
becoming intrusive,”
Christopher said.
“When we do this, we are
sometimes amazed at the
synergy that a group of
students can generate.”
Students participating in
her fall class created a small
presentation that Christopher shared at Cal U’s
Academic Excellence Day last year. NCMEC then
invited the summer class to develop presentations
to carry the message to local communities.
The organization even sponsored an online
webinar so students could share their ideas with
others. The students continued to develop more
than 200 slides of training material to reach
multiple demographics.
“Children are one of the most vulnerable
populations in the world, and they depend on
adults to guide them and provide for them,” said
Liz Gordon, a senior social work major who is
involved in the project.
“As a social worker, a concerned citizen and a
mother, I take this personally and want to educate
those around me when I can.”
The students’ passion for the subject impressed
NCMEC, which offered to partner with them in
hosting a summit at Cal U.
At the event, students will hold an open forum
to discuss their training materials. Guest speakers
will represent various segments of the campus
community, as well as local, national and
international organizations involved in putting a
stop to this new form of slavery.
“My favorite part of this assignment will be
being part of ‘Shatter The Silence’ and the forum
that is happening on campus,” said Gordon.
“It is exciting when people want to know more
about such a silent subject.”
For more information, contact Dr. Peg Christopher at
724-934-5358 or christopher@calu.edu .
Cal U to Join
National
Veterans Day
Roll Call
al U will mark Veterans Day on Friday by
participating in the Remembrance Day National Roll
Call.
The names of the more than 6,200 military members
killed in Iraq and Afghanistan in the 10 years since the Sept.
11, 2001, terrorist attacks will be read outside the Natali
Student Center and at schools nationwide starting at 8 a.m.
At 2 p.m., Cal U will join with these schools for a
minute of silence to honor the fallen service members.
The Roll Call is expected conclude at approximately 4
p.m.
Names will be read in chronological order, starting from
2001.
The Remembrance Day National Roll Call is sponsored
nationally by the Veterans Knowledge Community of
NASPA Student Affairs Administrators in Higher
Education. NASPA is a 12,000-member association for the
advancement, health and sustainability of student affairs
professionals.
At Cal U, the event is being organized by the Veterans
Club.
Cal U is inviting the relatives and friends of fallen service
members to participate in the Roll Call by reading the name
of their loved one.
“We want to rally our campus and local communities to
send a powerful message to the troops currently serving that
we have not forgotten their service and sacrifice, and we
certainly have not forgotten the fallen,” said Robert Prah, a
captain in the Pennsylvania Army National Guard and
director of Veterans Affairs at California University of
Pennsylvania.
“The reading of each individual name is extremely
powerful because it emphasizes the significance of each and
every life lost in the last 10 years.”
To participate in the reading of a loved one’s name,
please contact Prah at 724-938-4076 or veterans@calu.edu .
C
‘SelfOrganized Education’ Mission Day Focus
— Continued from page 1
Institute of Technology.
He began his keynote address by reminding the
audience that a decade ago, devices such as tablet
computers and social media platforms such as
Facebook and Twitter did not exist.
“It’s really hard to imagine … what we used to do
with computers then and what we do with them now,”
he said. “And 2021 is going to be at least as different.
… When that happens, all of education has to change.”
Mitra went on to describe his landmark “hole in the
wall” project, which demonstrates the power of
curiosity to stimulate self-instruction and peer-shared
knowledge. He and his research partners placed an
Internet-connected computer behind a hole in a wall in
urban slums and rural villages in India, and then
repeated the experiment in Cambodia and South
Africa.
A hidden camera showed children playing with the
device, although they never had been taught to use a
computer. Soon they were looking up information
online — and teaching each other what they had
learned.
“Everywhere on Earth there are places where there
are no schools and good teachers will not go,” he said.
“Learners left without a learning method have
invented a better way. Groups of students can teach
themselves if motivated by their peers and curiosity,
regardless of who they are or where they are.”
After late-morning breakout sessions, President
Armenti and Mitra returned to Steele Hall to host an
interactive plenary session where the Mission Day
discussions were reviewed.
Despite the emphasis on technology and selfmotivated learning, President Armenti noted there
would always be a need for teachers, and for libraries
where information can be housed.
Before giving away a few door prizes, including two
2
$500 scholarships, the President introduced Dr. Joseph
Zisk, director of Cal U’s new Teaching and Learning
Center, and invited Mitra to return next year to see
how the University’s technology initiative has
progressed.
Dr. Pratul Pathak, a Mission Day coordinator, said
he believes the event was successful.
“The turnout was impressive, and it shows an
appreciation of the President’s commitment to raising
awareness of the changing pedagogy with its serious
implications for Cal U, and the need for an appropriate
response from the campus community,” he said.
Pathak also expressed his thanks to the facilitators
and recorders who guided the Mission Day breakout
sessions.
For a look at photos from Mission Day XIII, visit
www.calu.edu .
At top, keynote speaker Dr. Sugata Mitra offers insight during a
breakout discussion during Mission Day XIII. Above, Monica
Ruane leads a discussion during a breakout session.
Security Expert Stresses ‘Personal Resilience’
uring her keynote address at Cal
U’s fifth annual Conference on
Homeland and International
Security, retired Maj. Gen. Donna F.
Barbisch ’84 emphasized the need for
individual strength as she discussed the
state of U.S. security 10 years after the
terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.
The theme for this year’s conference
was Transnational Crimes and Security.
“Yes, we have made significant
progress with our intelligence and
security personnel,” said Barbisch,
president of Global Deterrence
Alternatives and director of the Institute
for Global and Regional Readiness.
“But we must continue to improve
our personal resiliency.”
In her keynote address, Barbisch
touched on natural disasters such as
Hurricane Katrina, as well as recent
developments such as last month’s
earthquake in Turkey, Hurricane Rina in
Florida, and pandemic diseases such as
encephalitis, which has killed more than
460 people, mostly children, in northern
India.
It takes at least 72 hours to plan a
disaster relief effort and begin bringing in
D
Retired Maj. Gen. Donna F. Barbisch ’84 emphasizes the need for individual strength while
delivering the keynote address at Cal U’s fifth annual Conference on Homeland and
International Security.
aid, said Barbisch, who had a 38-year
career in the U.S. Army before she retired
from the military. During that time, she
said, people must be self-sufficient.
“Natural disasters provide
opportunity for terrorist groups,” she
said. “They cannot be stopped, but by
being resilient we can mitigate the
losses.”
Barbisch offered a R-E-A-L Time
Approach to attaining resiliency: Realitybased planning and execution, Engaging
with all stakeholders, Adapting to the
environment, and Leadership and
timeliness.
“The people with shared roles and
responsibilities must connect the dots
with everyone so they know who has
what resources,” she added. “In an
emergency, more time is not an option.”
Also speaking was former special
agent Mark Camillo ’76, a law
enforcement and security professional
who specializes in emergency
preparedness operations. He is senior vice
president of strategic planning for
Contemporary Services Corp., the
world’s largest event security firm, and
president of Apex Security Group, an
affiliated executive security company.
The conference was sponsored by the
Department of Justice, Law and Society
at Cal U.
Co-chairs of the event were Dr.
Michael Hummel, associate professor of
Leadership and Security Studies, and Dr.
Emily Sweitzer, associate professor of
Justice and Behavioral Crime and
director of the Justice Studies program.
Clocks Benefit
Scholarships
— Continued from page 1
Ryan Sittler, shown above working with Cal U students Liz Lynerd and Nick Thomas, was a guest lecturer last month at Alvernia
University’s Greater Reading Literary Festival.
PoetLibrarian Guest at Festival
e’s a poet, a videogame
designer, a librarian and a
self-described “creative
eclectic.”
Last month Ryan Sittler added
“guest lecturer” to the list.
An assistant professor of
instructional technology and an
information literacy librarian in the
Department of Library Services,
Sittler spoke Oct. 26 at Alvernia
University’s Greater Reading
Literary Festival in Reading, Pa.
The three-week festival, held
Oct. 3-28, was part of the
countywide Reading Reads
program. This year’s theme was
“Strengthen Our Values.”
The poet laureate of Berks
County, Pa., from 2002-2008, Sittler
discussed the creative endeavors that
have led to his career in writing,
book publishing, award-winning
educational game design, and
teaching for a handful of universities
and community colleges.
A native of Berks County, Sittler
H
lived in Oley and then briefly in
Muhlenberg before coming to Cal U
in 2007.
Growing up near his
grandfather’s farm shaped his view
of the area and its people. His
perception is reflected in much of
his published poetry, especially
“Child’s Forest” and “Seeds,” which
was commissioned for the opening
of a new building in the Oley Valley
School District.
“Ryan has proven to be a great
addition to the Library Services
faculty,” said Douglas Hoover, dean
of Library Services. “He is a scholar
in the truest sense of the word, and
he continues to impress us with his
enthusiasm and knowledge.
“This guest lecturer invitation
was just the tip of the iceberg of the
great things he is doing for the
library and for the University.”
Last year, Sittler and five of his
fellow doctoral students at IUP
produced an educational videogame
that was awarded first place in the
Caspian Learning Co.’s Serious
Game Challenge.
Caspian Learning, based in the
United Kingdom, launched the
challenge at the 2010 Game Based
Learning Conference in London.
Sittler’s group used Caspian’s
Thinking World technology to
create a literacy information game
called “A Planet in Peril:
Plagiarism.”
In the game, a student uncovers
the secret of a group of aliens who
are disguised as academics at his
university campus. The aliens have
prophesied the end of the world,
which is set to occur because of a
student’s excessive plagiarism. It’s
up to the hero to prevent disaster.
While working through the
challenges, players learn about what
constitutes plagiarism and ways to
avoid it.
The game is targeted at college
and university students, but it has
found an audience among high
school students, as well.
Bob McKeown, graduated from California in
1980.
Retail price is $299.99 — and every sale
benefits Cal U students. For each clock purchased,
Image Time will donate $25 to a Cal U scholarship
fund. The Pittsburgh Penguins Foundation will
make an additional $50 donation to a scholarship
for students seeking teacher certification in early
childhood or elementary education.
Sales of the clock also support Pittsburgh
Penguins Foundation projects such as Heads Up
Pittsburgh, which provides baseline concussion
testing and education; Explore Series, a free
educational series for kids ages 7-14 at CONSOL
Energy Center; Project Power Play, which brings
multi-sport deks to communities in the region; and
programs that provide free hockey equipment and
playing opportunities for young people.
“The mission of the Penguins Foundation is
centered around development of our region’s
youth, and there is no better way to have an impact
than supporting the development of teachers,” said
Dave Soltesz, president of the foundation.
“With this in mind, we are creating a
scholarship fund at Cal U as an enticement for
students to pursue a professional career in early
childhood and elementary education. This
scholarship, offered through Cal U’s Department
of Early, Middle and Special Education, will help
deserving students prepare to become successful
educators.”
As public support for higher education wanes,
universities must look for creative ways to help
students, says Craig Butzine, vice president for
Marketing and University Relations at Cal U.
“This is one more example of how the
University’s ongoing partnership with the
Pittsburgh Penguins benefits Cal U students,”
Butzine said. “And we are pleased to collaborate
with Image Time, a local business owned by an
alumnus, to make this product available to
Penguins fans.
“This three-way partnership puts Cal U’s
entrepreneurial spirit to work on behalf of our
most important customers — our students.”
The Pittsburgh Penguins logo clock will be sold for a
limited time only. Cost is $299.99; to order online, visit
www.pittsburghpenguinsfoundation.org .
The clocks are displayed on Penguins’ home game
nights at the foundation’s booths in the main and upper
concourses of CONSOL Energy Center.
3
Happy Homecoming at Cal U
Under sunny skies, Cal U celebrated its 2011 Homecoming on Oct. 22 with a
parade that took viewers ‘Around the World.’ A variety of campus activities
concluded with an afternoon of Vulcan football at Roadman Park. Students Cory
Strennen and Ashley Gill, seen at left with President Angelo Armenti, Jr., were
crowned King and Queen during halftime festivities. Then the Vulcans rallied for
an exciting overtime victory over conference rival Mercyhurst to cap off the
annual celebration. Above, Jasmin Runner get hugs and gives Ava Martinec a
stuffed bunny during the parade festivities.
ROTC Cadet in Top 10 Percent Nationwide
al U senior Ben Snyder has been ranked
among the top 10 percent of ROTC cadets
nationwide.
Snyder, who is majoring in geographic information
systems and emergency management, with a minor in
leadership, ranks 589th among nearly 5,900 cadets
across the country.
The national ranking is compiled by the U.S. Army
Cadet Command, headquartered in Fort Monroe, Va.
— the organization in charge of all ROTC programs
throughout the United States.
Snyder achieved his ranking based on the Order of
Merit, a list comprising factors such as cumulative
grade-point average, a Leader Development and
Assessment course that must be completed by all
cadets during the summer before their senior year, and
a cadet’s ranking in the battalion based on the
observations of the professor of military science.
Snyder has achieved a perfect 4.0 cumulative
grade-point average and is a member of the
Pennsylvania Army National Guard, where he is his
unit’s acting executive officer. He also is involved in
Cal U’s Army ROTC program and Sigma Alpha Pi,
the National Society of Leadership and Success.
C
Shown here conducting the ‘Table of Remembrance’
ceremony at the 2010 Cal U Veteran’s Day Luncheon, Ben
Snyder has been ranked among the top 10 percent of
ROTC cadets nationwide.
For the past two summers he has interned with
Pittsburgh’s National Energy Technology Laboratory.
NETL, one of the U.S. Department of Energy’s
national labs, focuses on providing secure, reliable
energy at reliable prices.
Last year Snyder was awarded a 2010 Excellence in
Environment, Security, Safety and Health Award
presented by the Office of Fossil Energy. He was part
of a team recognized for its work on “Incident
Response Pre-Plan,” an emergency response tool
created as part of the NETL internship, which is
funded by the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and
Education.
Snyder and the team created a field-use tool based
on information extracted from site maps in a GIS
platform. Designed to be used for incidents involving
NETL facilities, the tool addresses the need for
emergency response personnel to retrieve physical data
about those facilities quickly.
He continued working on this project last summer.
“Ben is very passionate about his learning and
everything he does,” said Dr. Tom Mueller, Snyder’s
internship faculty adviser. “Clearly his hard work is
paying off.”
Snyder is on track to graduate this May and will be
receiving a National Guard commission into the Field
Artillery Branch as a second lieutenant.
Senior Runner Captures PSAC Scholar Award
al U senior Tim Lahmers was one of two
students to receive the inaugural
Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference
(PSAC) Champion Scholar Award.
Presented at each of the PSAC’s 23 team
championship finals, the award honors male and
female student athlete at each contest with the
top cumulative grade-point average.
Lahmers accepted the award Oct. 22 at the
PSAC Cross Country Championships at Lock
Haven University. Student-athlete Lisa Lower, of
East Stroudsburg University, also received the
award.
The selection criteria for the Champion
Scholar Awards is identical to that of the NCAA
Elite 88 awards, which honor the student-athlete
with the top GPA at each of the championship
finals sites of the 88 NCAA championships
C
Successful on the course and perfect in the classroom, Cal U senior Tim
Lahmers (25) was one of two students to receive the inaugural PSAC
Champion Scholar Award.
across divisions I, II and III.
After accumulating 118 credit hours,
Lahmers owns a 4.0 cumulative grade-point
average as a double major in earth sciences and
mathematics.
He has been a two-time U.S. Track and Field
and Cross Country Coaches Association AllAcademic recipient in his career, and he was
named a Capital One Academic Second-Team
All-District selection last spring by the College
Sports Information Directors of America.
“Tim symbolizes what a student-athlete is all
about,” said Daniel Caulfield, Cal U’s head cross
country coach.
“He succeeds athletically and academically
because of his commitment, discipline and
talent. Tim has earned this honor and is most
deserving of any accolades he receives.”
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
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 Communications and Public Relations
4
250 University Avenue
California, PA 15419
724-938-4195
wald@calu.edu
VOLUME 13, NUMBER 29 NOV. 7, 2011
READ THE JOURNAL ONLINE: www.calu.edu/news/the-journal
‘Extreme’ Event
Promotes
Entrepreneurship
tudents who dream of starting their own business can
hear practical advice when the Extreme Entrepreneurship
Tour visits Cal U from 1-5 p.m. Wednesday.
The high-energy event in Steele Hall will introduce wouldbe business owners to the opportunities of entrepreneurship and
explore ways they can help change the economy, create jobs for
themselves and pursue their passions.
Hosted at Cal U by the Entrepreneurial Leadership Center
and Student Incubator, now based in Coover Hall, the event
includes keynotes, exhibits, workshops and question-and-answer
sessions led by some of the country’s most successful young
entrepreneurs.
In partnership
with the U.S.
Chamber of
Commerce’s
Campaign for Free
Enterprise, the tour
is intended to inspire
students to look at
entrepreneurship as
a viable career path.
The Extreme
Entrepreneurship Tour was created in 2006. In more than 200
events in 35 states, it has featured many of the country’s top
young entrepreneurs — including some who have built or sold
successful companies for more than $1 million before the age of
30.
“Our goal is to create a culture of entrepreneurship here on
the Cal U campus,” says Kelly Hunt, executive director of the
Entrepreneurial Leadership Center.
“We want students to realize that starting a business can be
one way to build a successful career.”
Prospective entrepreneurs should be inspired, not
intimidated, by the current economic climate, according to
Michael Simmons, co-founder of the Tour.
“More than half the companies on the 2009 Fortune 500 list
were launched during a recession or bear market,” he said.
“Technology and globalization have made it very inexpensive to
start a business. Now is the best time to become your own
boss.”
The free program is open to the public, as well as the
campus community.
Doors open at 12:30 p.m., and participants may attend all or
part of the event.
Registration is requested; to register, visit www.extremetour.org .
To learn more about the event, or to view speakers’ biographies or a
video clip, check the “News” carousel on the Cal U homepage,
www.calu.edu .
S
Cal U President Angelo Armenti, Jr. and Dr. Sugata Mitra led the Mission Day XIII activities, which focused on
Mitra’s idea of ‘minimally invasive education.’
Mission Day Explores
‘SelfOrganized Education’
r. Sugata Mitra understands the
motivational power of technology. In
fact, he can envision using the popular
online game Angry Birds to launch a lesson
about project management skills.
Mitra’s research into “minimally invasive
education” and the use of technology in teaching
and learning was the focus of discussion Oct. 26,
at Cal U’s 13th annual Mission Day.
Nearly 400 students, faculty and staff
attended the event, which included Mitra’s
keynote address, a dozen breakout meetings and
a question-and-answer session.
Cal U President Angelo Armenti, Jr. opened
Mission Day XIII with a reminder that last year’s
Mission Day discussion focused on the Cal U
Fusion initiative.
“The fusing of technology with learning and
life was an important step forward in our
thinking, since it opened up the possibility of
student learning occurring not just 15 to18 hours
D
per week in class, but actually 168 hours a week,
which is 24/7,” he said.
“As we saw last year, mobile technology has
the power to enhance both the quantity and the
quality of learning.”
Calling Mitra’s theory that “education is a
self-organized system” both provocative and
liberating, the President issued a call to action.
“An immediate goal today is to develop ideas
and plans for how minimally invasive learning
can advance our mission of building character
and careers and propel Cal U to new heights of
academic achievement as exemplified by
distinguished teaching and inspired learning,” he
said.
Mitra is a professor of educational technology
in the School of Education, Communication and
Language Sciences at Newcastle University in the
United Kingdom. This semester he is engaged in
research and teaching at the Massachusetts
— Continued on page 2
Sale of Clocks
Boosts Scholarship Funds
ales of neon clocks sporting the original
Pittsburgh Penguins logo will support
scholarships at Cal U, the hockey team’s
official education partner.
The one-of-a-kind, limited-edition wall clocks
were created exclusively for the Pittsburgh
Penguins Foundation.
Depicted on the clock face is the very first
Penguins logo, created in 1967. This original logo
was used on official pucks and team stationery, but
S
it first appeared on a jersey this year, when Pens
players wore it during the Winter Classic game.
The logo on each 20-inch wall clock is
illuminated by a long-lasting neon tube. Each
timepiece has a spun aluminum bezel and a
sweep-style second hand that rotates smoothly
around the face.
The clocks are manufactured by Perryopolisbased Image Time Inc., whose founder and owner,
— Continued on page 3
Trafficking Summit Set
lease care.
That’s the message that Dr. Peg
Christopher and a group of students in the
Department of Social Work
used in February 2010 to grab
the attention of the National
Center for Mission and
Exploited Children
(NCMEC).
After a year and a half of
hard work by more than 100
students, NCMEC is
partnering with Cal U to
present “Shatter The Silence: A Campaign Against
Child/Adolescent Sexual Exploitation and
Trafficking.”
The free summit will take place from 9 a.m.-3
p.m. Wednesday in the Performance Center.
“The purpose of this event is to draw attention
to a growing epidemic of sexual exploitation and
trafficking among children and adolescents and to
build multidisciplinary community-based
coalitions to identify, rescue and rehabilitate
victims and survivors,” said Christopher, an
associate professor in the Social Work
Department.
Pennsylvania is known as a “pass-through
state” for traffickers, and communities need to be
aware of the problem, she said.
The core information to be discussed at the
event stems from student-created training material
designed to help build community awareness about
child/adolescent sexual exploitation and
trafficking.
The training material grew from humble
beginnings.
In February 2010, Christopher presented a
poster on the topic at the Association of Maternal
Child Health Programs Conference in
Washington, D.C.
The poster featured the phrase “please care,”
with each letter representing an action local
communities could take to stop the epidemic.
After receiving many compliments on the
poster’s topic, Christopher started incorporating
the message into her Human Sex and Society class.
P
“The most difficult part for faculty in assigning
these projects is to stay in the background, offering
just enough help to get the students organized and
then, like a fly on the wall,
silently observing without
becoming intrusive,”
Christopher said.
“When we do this, we are
sometimes amazed at the
synergy that a group of
students can generate.”
Students participating in
her fall class created a small
presentation that Christopher shared at Cal U’s
Academic Excellence Day last year. NCMEC then
invited the summer class to develop presentations
to carry the message to local communities.
The organization even sponsored an online
webinar so students could share their ideas with
others. The students continued to develop more
than 200 slides of training material to reach
multiple demographics.
“Children are one of the most vulnerable
populations in the world, and they depend on
adults to guide them and provide for them,” said
Liz Gordon, a senior social work major who is
involved in the project.
“As a social worker, a concerned citizen and a
mother, I take this personally and want to educate
those around me when I can.”
The students’ passion for the subject impressed
NCMEC, which offered to partner with them in
hosting a summit at Cal U.
At the event, students will hold an open forum
to discuss their training materials. Guest speakers
will represent various segments of the campus
community, as well as local, national and
international organizations involved in putting a
stop to this new form of slavery.
“My favorite part of this assignment will be
being part of ‘Shatter The Silence’ and the forum
that is happening on campus,” said Gordon.
“It is exciting when people want to know more
about such a silent subject.”
For more information, contact Dr. Peg Christopher at
724-934-5358 or christopher@calu.edu .
Cal U to Join
National
Veterans Day
Roll Call
al U will mark Veterans Day on Friday by
participating in the Remembrance Day National Roll
Call.
The names of the more than 6,200 military members
killed in Iraq and Afghanistan in the 10 years since the Sept.
11, 2001, terrorist attacks will be read outside the Natali
Student Center and at schools nationwide starting at 8 a.m.
At 2 p.m., Cal U will join with these schools for a
minute of silence to honor the fallen service members.
The Roll Call is expected conclude at approximately 4
p.m.
Names will be read in chronological order, starting from
2001.
The Remembrance Day National Roll Call is sponsored
nationally by the Veterans Knowledge Community of
NASPA Student Affairs Administrators in Higher
Education. NASPA is a 12,000-member association for the
advancement, health and sustainability of student affairs
professionals.
At Cal U, the event is being organized by the Veterans
Club.
Cal U is inviting the relatives and friends of fallen service
members to participate in the Roll Call by reading the name
of their loved one.
“We want to rally our campus and local communities to
send a powerful message to the troops currently serving that
we have not forgotten their service and sacrifice, and we
certainly have not forgotten the fallen,” said Robert Prah, a
captain in the Pennsylvania Army National Guard and
director of Veterans Affairs at California University of
Pennsylvania.
“The reading of each individual name is extremely
powerful because it emphasizes the significance of each and
every life lost in the last 10 years.”
To participate in the reading of a loved one’s name,
please contact Prah at 724-938-4076 or veterans@calu.edu .
C
‘SelfOrganized Education’ Mission Day Focus
— Continued from page 1
Institute of Technology.
He began his keynote address by reminding the
audience that a decade ago, devices such as tablet
computers and social media platforms such as
Facebook and Twitter did not exist.
“It’s really hard to imagine … what we used to do
with computers then and what we do with them now,”
he said. “And 2021 is going to be at least as different.
… When that happens, all of education has to change.”
Mitra went on to describe his landmark “hole in the
wall” project, which demonstrates the power of
curiosity to stimulate self-instruction and peer-shared
knowledge. He and his research partners placed an
Internet-connected computer behind a hole in a wall in
urban slums and rural villages in India, and then
repeated the experiment in Cambodia and South
Africa.
A hidden camera showed children playing with the
device, although they never had been taught to use a
computer. Soon they were looking up information
online — and teaching each other what they had
learned.
“Everywhere on Earth there are places where there
are no schools and good teachers will not go,” he said.
“Learners left without a learning method have
invented a better way. Groups of students can teach
themselves if motivated by their peers and curiosity,
regardless of who they are or where they are.”
After late-morning breakout sessions, President
Armenti and Mitra returned to Steele Hall to host an
interactive plenary session where the Mission Day
discussions were reviewed.
Despite the emphasis on technology and selfmotivated learning, President Armenti noted there
would always be a need for teachers, and for libraries
where information can be housed.
Before giving away a few door prizes, including two
2
$500 scholarships, the President introduced Dr. Joseph
Zisk, director of Cal U’s new Teaching and Learning
Center, and invited Mitra to return next year to see
how the University’s technology initiative has
progressed.
Dr. Pratul Pathak, a Mission Day coordinator, said
he believes the event was successful.
“The turnout was impressive, and it shows an
appreciation of the President’s commitment to raising
awareness of the changing pedagogy with its serious
implications for Cal U, and the need for an appropriate
response from the campus community,” he said.
Pathak also expressed his thanks to the facilitators
and recorders who guided the Mission Day breakout
sessions.
For a look at photos from Mission Day XIII, visit
www.calu.edu .
At top, keynote speaker Dr. Sugata Mitra offers insight during a
breakout discussion during Mission Day XIII. Above, Monica
Ruane leads a discussion during a breakout session.
Security Expert Stresses ‘Personal Resilience’
uring her keynote address at Cal
U’s fifth annual Conference on
Homeland and International
Security, retired Maj. Gen. Donna F.
Barbisch ’84 emphasized the need for
individual strength as she discussed the
state of U.S. security 10 years after the
terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.
The theme for this year’s conference
was Transnational Crimes and Security.
“Yes, we have made significant
progress with our intelligence and
security personnel,” said Barbisch,
president of Global Deterrence
Alternatives and director of the Institute
for Global and Regional Readiness.
“But we must continue to improve
our personal resiliency.”
In her keynote address, Barbisch
touched on natural disasters such as
Hurricane Katrina, as well as recent
developments such as last month’s
earthquake in Turkey, Hurricane Rina in
Florida, and pandemic diseases such as
encephalitis, which has killed more than
460 people, mostly children, in northern
India.
It takes at least 72 hours to plan a
disaster relief effort and begin bringing in
D
Retired Maj. Gen. Donna F. Barbisch ’84 emphasizes the need for individual strength while
delivering the keynote address at Cal U’s fifth annual Conference on Homeland and
International Security.
aid, said Barbisch, who had a 38-year
career in the U.S. Army before she retired
from the military. During that time, she
said, people must be self-sufficient.
“Natural disasters provide
opportunity for terrorist groups,” she
said. “They cannot be stopped, but by
being resilient we can mitigate the
losses.”
Barbisch offered a R-E-A-L Time
Approach to attaining resiliency: Realitybased planning and execution, Engaging
with all stakeholders, Adapting to the
environment, and Leadership and
timeliness.
“The people with shared roles and
responsibilities must connect the dots
with everyone so they know who has
what resources,” she added. “In an
emergency, more time is not an option.”
Also speaking was former special
agent Mark Camillo ’76, a law
enforcement and security professional
who specializes in emergency
preparedness operations. He is senior vice
president of strategic planning for
Contemporary Services Corp., the
world’s largest event security firm, and
president of Apex Security Group, an
affiliated executive security company.
The conference was sponsored by the
Department of Justice, Law and Society
at Cal U.
Co-chairs of the event were Dr.
Michael Hummel, associate professor of
Leadership and Security Studies, and Dr.
Emily Sweitzer, associate professor of
Justice and Behavioral Crime and
director of the Justice Studies program.
Clocks Benefit
Scholarships
— Continued from page 1
Ryan Sittler, shown above working with Cal U students Liz Lynerd and Nick Thomas, was a guest lecturer last month at Alvernia
University’s Greater Reading Literary Festival.
PoetLibrarian Guest at Festival
e’s a poet, a videogame
designer, a librarian and a
self-described “creative
eclectic.”
Last month Ryan Sittler added
“guest lecturer” to the list.
An assistant professor of
instructional technology and an
information literacy librarian in the
Department of Library Services,
Sittler spoke Oct. 26 at Alvernia
University’s Greater Reading
Literary Festival in Reading, Pa.
The three-week festival, held
Oct. 3-28, was part of the
countywide Reading Reads
program. This year’s theme was
“Strengthen Our Values.”
The poet laureate of Berks
County, Pa., from 2002-2008, Sittler
discussed the creative endeavors that
have led to his career in writing,
book publishing, award-winning
educational game design, and
teaching for a handful of universities
and community colleges.
A native of Berks County, Sittler
H
lived in Oley and then briefly in
Muhlenberg before coming to Cal U
in 2007.
Growing up near his
grandfather’s farm shaped his view
of the area and its people. His
perception is reflected in much of
his published poetry, especially
“Child’s Forest” and “Seeds,” which
was commissioned for the opening
of a new building in the Oley Valley
School District.
“Ryan has proven to be a great
addition to the Library Services
faculty,” said Douglas Hoover, dean
of Library Services. “He is a scholar
in the truest sense of the word, and
he continues to impress us with his
enthusiasm and knowledge.
“This guest lecturer invitation
was just the tip of the iceberg of the
great things he is doing for the
library and for the University.”
Last year, Sittler and five of his
fellow doctoral students at IUP
produced an educational videogame
that was awarded first place in the
Caspian Learning Co.’s Serious
Game Challenge.
Caspian Learning, based in the
United Kingdom, launched the
challenge at the 2010 Game Based
Learning Conference in London.
Sittler’s group used Caspian’s
Thinking World technology to
create a literacy information game
called “A Planet in Peril:
Plagiarism.”
In the game, a student uncovers
the secret of a group of aliens who
are disguised as academics at his
university campus. The aliens have
prophesied the end of the world,
which is set to occur because of a
student’s excessive plagiarism. It’s
up to the hero to prevent disaster.
While working through the
challenges, players learn about what
constitutes plagiarism and ways to
avoid it.
The game is targeted at college
and university students, but it has
found an audience among high
school students, as well.
Bob McKeown, graduated from California in
1980.
Retail price is $299.99 — and every sale
benefits Cal U students. For each clock purchased,
Image Time will donate $25 to a Cal U scholarship
fund. The Pittsburgh Penguins Foundation will
make an additional $50 donation to a scholarship
for students seeking teacher certification in early
childhood or elementary education.
Sales of the clock also support Pittsburgh
Penguins Foundation projects such as Heads Up
Pittsburgh, which provides baseline concussion
testing and education; Explore Series, a free
educational series for kids ages 7-14 at CONSOL
Energy Center; Project Power Play, which brings
multi-sport deks to communities in the region; and
programs that provide free hockey equipment and
playing opportunities for young people.
“The mission of the Penguins Foundation is
centered around development of our region’s
youth, and there is no better way to have an impact
than supporting the development of teachers,” said
Dave Soltesz, president of the foundation.
“With this in mind, we are creating a
scholarship fund at Cal U as an enticement for
students to pursue a professional career in early
childhood and elementary education. This
scholarship, offered through Cal U’s Department
of Early, Middle and Special Education, will help
deserving students prepare to become successful
educators.”
As public support for higher education wanes,
universities must look for creative ways to help
students, says Craig Butzine, vice president for
Marketing and University Relations at Cal U.
“This is one more example of how the
University’s ongoing partnership with the
Pittsburgh Penguins benefits Cal U students,”
Butzine said. “And we are pleased to collaborate
with Image Time, a local business owned by an
alumnus, to make this product available to
Penguins fans.
“This three-way partnership puts Cal U’s
entrepreneurial spirit to work on behalf of our
most important customers — our students.”
The Pittsburgh Penguins logo clock will be sold for a
limited time only. Cost is $299.99; to order online, visit
www.pittsburghpenguinsfoundation.org .
The clocks are displayed on Penguins’ home game
nights at the foundation’s booths in the main and upper
concourses of CONSOL Energy Center.
3
Happy Homecoming at Cal U
Under sunny skies, Cal U celebrated its 2011 Homecoming on Oct. 22 with a
parade that took viewers ‘Around the World.’ A variety of campus activities
concluded with an afternoon of Vulcan football at Roadman Park. Students Cory
Strennen and Ashley Gill, seen at left with President Angelo Armenti, Jr., were
crowned King and Queen during halftime festivities. Then the Vulcans rallied for
an exciting overtime victory over conference rival Mercyhurst to cap off the
annual celebration. Above, Jasmin Runner get hugs and gives Ava Martinec a
stuffed bunny during the parade festivities.
ROTC Cadet in Top 10 Percent Nationwide
al U senior Ben Snyder has been ranked
among the top 10 percent of ROTC cadets
nationwide.
Snyder, who is majoring in geographic information
systems and emergency management, with a minor in
leadership, ranks 589th among nearly 5,900 cadets
across the country.
The national ranking is compiled by the U.S. Army
Cadet Command, headquartered in Fort Monroe, Va.
— the organization in charge of all ROTC programs
throughout the United States.
Snyder achieved his ranking based on the Order of
Merit, a list comprising factors such as cumulative
grade-point average, a Leader Development and
Assessment course that must be completed by all
cadets during the summer before their senior year, and
a cadet’s ranking in the battalion based on the
observations of the professor of military science.
Snyder has achieved a perfect 4.0 cumulative
grade-point average and is a member of the
Pennsylvania Army National Guard, where he is his
unit’s acting executive officer. He also is involved in
Cal U’s Army ROTC program and Sigma Alpha Pi,
the National Society of Leadership and Success.
C
Shown here conducting the ‘Table of Remembrance’
ceremony at the 2010 Cal U Veteran’s Day Luncheon, Ben
Snyder has been ranked among the top 10 percent of
ROTC cadets nationwide.
For the past two summers he has interned with
Pittsburgh’s National Energy Technology Laboratory.
NETL, one of the U.S. Department of Energy’s
national labs, focuses on providing secure, reliable
energy at reliable prices.
Last year Snyder was awarded a 2010 Excellence in
Environment, Security, Safety and Health Award
presented by the Office of Fossil Energy. He was part
of a team recognized for its work on “Incident
Response Pre-Plan,” an emergency response tool
created as part of the NETL internship, which is
funded by the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and
Education.
Snyder and the team created a field-use tool based
on information extracted from site maps in a GIS
platform. Designed to be used for incidents involving
NETL facilities, the tool addresses the need for
emergency response personnel to retrieve physical data
about those facilities quickly.
He continued working on this project last summer.
“Ben is very passionate about his learning and
everything he does,” said Dr. Tom Mueller, Snyder’s
internship faculty adviser. “Clearly his hard work is
paying off.”
Snyder is on track to graduate this May and will be
receiving a National Guard commission into the Field
Artillery Branch as a second lieutenant.
Senior Runner Captures PSAC Scholar Award
al U senior Tim Lahmers was one of two
students to receive the inaugural
Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference
(PSAC) Champion Scholar Award.
Presented at each of the PSAC’s 23 team
championship finals, the award honors male and
female student athlete at each contest with the
top cumulative grade-point average.
Lahmers accepted the award Oct. 22 at the
PSAC Cross Country Championships at Lock
Haven University. Student-athlete Lisa Lower, of
East Stroudsburg University, also received the
award.
The selection criteria for the Champion
Scholar Awards is identical to that of the NCAA
Elite 88 awards, which honor the student-athlete
with the top GPA at each of the championship
finals sites of the 88 NCAA championships
C
Successful on the course and perfect in the classroom, Cal U senior Tim
Lahmers (25) was one of two students to receive the inaugural PSAC
Champion Scholar Award.
across divisions I, II and III.
After accumulating 118 credit hours,
Lahmers owns a 4.0 cumulative grade-point
average as a double major in earth sciences and
mathematics.
He has been a two-time U.S. Track and Field
and Cross Country Coaches Association AllAcademic recipient in his career, and he was
named a Capital One Academic Second-Team
All-District selection last spring by the College
Sports Information Directors of America.
“Tim symbolizes what a student-athlete is all
about,” said Daniel Caulfield, Cal U’s head cross
country coach.
“He succeeds athletically and academically
because of his commitment, discipline and
talent. Tim has earned this honor and is most
deserving of any accolades he receives.”
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
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 Communications and Public Relations
4
250 University Avenue
California, PA 15419
724-938-4195
wald@calu.edu